From The Former Martinez UMC Congregation

This letter is in response to Rev. Akolo’s introduction of himself, from a former officer, long-time member of MUMC, and a life-long Methodist.

It sounds as though Rev. Akolo understands that his “Tongan language ministry” that is now a part of the Martinez United Methodist Church (aka "MUMC") makes it a “multi-cultural organization”. MUMC had a multicultural history long before Rev Akolo arrived. In the last 25 years, the church has had one Caucasian minister, one Hispanic American minister, one African American minister, and one Filipino American minister, with congregants from these and other ethnic groups.

Several years ago, MUMC was pushed by the UMC Bayview District into accepting a Tongan UM Fellowship (not a full church) as a co-occupant of the church building through a rental agreement. MUMC had many difficulties with the Tongan Fellowship rental, but the District refused to assist MUMC in resolving those issues. Instead, a Tongan language pastor was appointed to his first “English-speaking” congregation in 29 years of ministry.

Unfortunately, for the majority of the members prior to Rev. Akolo’s appointment, the church has now become an almost exclusively Tongan ministry. The church members and their representatives were not consulted about their part in furthering a “Tongan language ministry”. Most church officers resigned because of the un-Christian-like manner in which the recent pastoral appointments were carried out. In fact, after last Sunday’s service (7/5/09) where approximately 40 Tongans “joined” MUMC, most non-Tongan congregants feel unwelcome and pushed aside by the Cal-Nevada Conference’s appointment of Rev. Akolo and the hostile take-over of its properties with a substantial financial value. Soon, new Tongan officers will be elected and the church will have few, if any, non-Tongan members.

I hope the new Tongan congregation finds themselves able to worship in their new church home and financially support the property and the minister, while the original congregation is set adrift and searches for a new church home. Many life-long Methodists are uncertain whether any other United Methodist church is worth the heartache they have recently undergone and may look to other denominations or unaffiliated churches in which to worship. I trust that our faith in God, in Jesus Christ his son, and in the Holy Spirit will not be swayed by the bureaucratic ineptitude of the United Methodist Church organization.

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