True, First UMC Pastor in Margibi Welcome Gays in Church

 By Patrick Moryor (Margibi Fellow)

 

Claim: "First United Methodist Church Pastor Emmanuel Sati and Reverend Diggs encourage gays and lesbians to attend the church services." 

 

Source: Amb. Joseph Orlando Beyan, a social media user.

 

Verdict: Partly true, Reverend Diggs and Pastor Emmanuel Sati encouraged gays to worship with them. 

 

Full text: A Facebook account named Amb Joseph Orlando Beyan posted on his Facebook account on Monday, March 10, 2025, claiming that the First United Methodist Church in Kakata  Pastors have encouraged gays and lesbians to worship with them during the church regular service. 

 

He condemned Pastor Sati and Reverend Diggs for encouraging same-sex marriage in the church, stressing it's out of order. 

 

Beyan believes the church uses the United Methodist Church Book of Discipline, which he alleged gives legitimacy to same-sex marriage in the church. 

 

He writes, "We are not segregating; we encourage gays and lesbians to attend our church." Emmanuel Sati and Reverend Diggs made a public statement on Radio Margibi this morning. 

 

Beyan said the call by the Rev is against the constitution of Liberia and biblical principles. What did the pastor call, “If you are a gay person, you are welcome in my church but you will not marry and you will not participate in anything in the church?" Wow!

 

Verification: To authenticate this claim, we traced Rev Diggs first appearance on Radio Margibi, a community radio station in Kakata. 

Another appearance (7:30 seconds) by Rev. Diggs on radio Margibi to verify the claim. During those searches, we discovered that Beyan was correct about his claim.

 

Rev. Diggs, during his presentation on the radio and Facebook Live, is seen and heard encouraging only gays to worship with them. 

 

Rev. Diggs further said, "The church is not segregating nor denying anyone access to the church. He clarified that gays are allowed in the church but will not participate in any of the church activities."

 

According to him, the church is for everyone, and as such, they can't deny anyone from worshipping with them. 

He noted the United Methodist Church is not a gay or lesbian church as perceived by few people.

 

Conclusion: Our verification established that Rev. Diggs  Welcome people who are engaged in same-sex relationships in the 1st United Methodist Church in Kakata, Margibi.