By Edwin C.Benson
Monrovia -Accordingly, the government of Liberia is made up of three separate but coordinate branches with each playing a distinct and unique role for the running of activities by what a government shall do and perform for its people.
These branches are named first second and third but are still considered equal. The first branch, the Legislature, makes the laws, the second branch, the Executive implements or enforces the laws and the third branch, the Judiciary interprets the laws and it is known as the final arbiter of the laws.
When the Legislature makes all the laws to govern the people, the Executive on the other hand carries out the laws whilst the Judiciary only interprets the laws, especially when there are conflicts.
Following a long haul and pull, and with the high level of maturity, love and decency The United Methodist Church possesses and understanding from whence it comes, the UMC made a swift decision and moved to the civil law court and filed for declaratory judgement to establish who really owns its properties to avoid the heap of noise in the public space.
The civil law court then ruled in favour of The United Methodist Church indicating that all properties contested for by the newly established breakaway denomination from the UMC, Global Methodist Church, GMC belong to The United Methodist Church and that absolutely no one including the bishop of the UMC has the right to shift the church’s properties to any one person or group of people.
The ruling which is considered by United Methodists, the Christian Community and Liberians as a landmark ruling by the court should now lay the entire property-fight and or saga to end, particularly with the power of the court and its role ascribed to it by the constitution of the land.
The Monday August 18, 2025 ruling therefore sends a clear signal to the GMC that it is time to ground arms with this property fight and know that it is the court that has cleared The United Methodist Church as the original owner of the properties and not the other way around for which they (GMC) must stop all of the myths about the church properties.
When the court rules, it rules. When the court rules, it looks at all of what it takes before it rules. When the court rules, it hears all contending parties before it rules. When the court rules, it looks at the merits and demerits before it rules. When the court rules, it does it judiciously. When the court rules, it looks at the laws and it rules. When the court rules, it rules.
Therefore, the Civil Law Court at the Temple of Justice has ruled through Judge George W. Smith that no one can claim what they do not own and indicated several key legal principles in the ruling. The court has ruled GMC, it just but prudent that you yield and be respecter of the laws of the land as Christians and a people who should be law-abiding and stop roaring. GMC, the court has therefore ruled.