Reverend Father Etienne Khumba who transitioned into the eternal glory of the Lord on 19 September 2021, like Stephen in the Holy Bible, was a man “full of faith and the Holy Spirit”( Acts of the Apostles, 6:2 v.5) . It pleased the Lord whom he served with unreserved tenacity to call him home to eternal rest for the glory of His Holy name. Alleluia! Amen.

It is hard to pontificate on the life and times of Father Etienne, because he was a total man of God at the service of the Lord.   His life and times do not therefore need pontification. I will therefore leave pontification and medals of honour to the occasion of the death of politicians whom their earthly political leaders, peers and lackeys often rely on to attempt to counter the reality of the parable of the rich fool. Mathew.19: 16-30, Mark 10: 17-31 Luke 18: 18-30.

Father Etienne was neither a politician, a cleric-politician nor a rich fool. He was a servant of the Lord, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a fervent spirit of true justice and the truth. With all the frailty of an ordinary human, I will attempt to offer the following humbling words in honour of a man whom I know for sure was indeed “full of faith and the Holy Spirit”, so help me God.

He has bequeathed to humanity, a life of faith and service which will remain indelible for our living memories and those of generations unborn.  Father Etienne transcended constraining barriers to reach out for all souls who were in need of the healing WORD of the Lord which were ordained by the Lord Himself. (Mathew 10: 1 – 1  “He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of disease”. He did so in total respect of the injunction” at Mt 10 v.8, “Freely you have received, freely give”).

In this ministry, he was conscious of the fact that he needed faith in the Lord and the  power of the Holy Spirit to realize the Devine Biblical injunction within a Church of God which St John Paul II described as perfect but which is nevertheless a Church of Saints and Sinners.  He was aware of and did encounter strong opposition in carrying out this ministry but did not relent as long as his faith in the Lord and the power of the Holy Spirit guided his actions and the needs of God’s people for spiritual guidance, help and healing. His faith, the Holy Spirit and the order of the Lord, “freely you received, freely give”, were his staying power until he was called home to the Lord whom he loved and served. 

Those who strongly opposed this ministry, whom they wrongly perceived as a social function of the Church as opposed to a Biblical function which the Lord gave to the Apostles, as well as persons who were ordained with this same missionary authority, did not know then that floodgates of blasphemy would open for quacks and profiteers to enrich themselves, professing to possess power over the sick, possessed souls, power mongers, fortune seekers and adventurers of all manner. They did not anticipate the extent to which this category of individuals would supplant ordained ministers of the Word of the Lord, and draw away from established churches, millions of Christians who genuinely sought spiritual help for their health needs, social and religious direction. They have realized the need on a stampede, confusion and chaos caused by their paucity of faith, lack of vision, purposeful biblical enquiry sensitivity to the condition of Christians entrusted to their care. These are spiritual matters requiring profound interpersonal prayers and relationship with the Lord.  What went wrong?

 The prevalence of mental health challenges, spiritual challenges and social problems afflicting Christians and non-Christians in our society is troubling. Yet, a majority of victims are not even aware of the fact that they may be suffering from these conditions with devastating impact on them, their families and the community at large.  Although many established Churches already had hospitals and social services to provide therapy to the victims of some of these challenges, thousands of clerics who may themselves be suffering from these challenges may not know until the situation leads to cases to suicide ideation or other traumatic experiences before they seek professional help. Some of the situations may be due to spiritual attacks arising from varying situations in life and even evil spirits which are out to destroy.

The complexity of the situations and the lethal nature of these conditions require engaged clerics who are full of faith and the Holy Spirit to lead and help the people of God in their spiritual, mental and physical healing and wellbeing, so that the bodies of God’s people serve as the temple of the Lord for which they were intended.   Father Etienne fully understood and embraced this mission of the Lord.

The clamour for positions and the administration of Church funds has been known to be one of the bane of the missionary mandates of many clerics. He was not distracted by the obstacles he encountered as a minister in the Church of Lord while serving the people of God. He sought no personal wealth, position, personal glory, or easy life of luxury.  He told me that he did not take Church money for himself and that even during times of his travails; he kept complete accurate accounts and records of all Church money which came into his custody. I knew about this because, His Lordship Bishop Lysinge (then Father Lysinge) and I intermittently, acted as confidential peace facilitators during the painful so-called Bojongo crisis.  His Lordship Bishop George Nkwo ( then Fr George Nkwo)  who provided spiritual help to needy Christians and played a very positive rule in crisis management, met me at the Bishop House in Soppo one morning when I came to see the Bishop shortly before rushing to the airport to fly out of the country. 

Father Etienne did not seek retribution and bore no rancour against any of his peers or anyone whatsoever, for what was done or not done against him. He perceived his stand as actuated by the adherence to his faith, his mission as an ordained cleric, and the guidance he received from the Holy Spirit. Some persons perceived the problem as a social, administrative or even political problem. More opportunistic and sycophantic persons perceived and used the crisis as ladders to attain personal ambitions and objectives. 

In the end, Bishop Pius Awah and Father Etienne thought all of us, that it is unwise to get blindly involved a disagreement between a father and a son.  The presence of retired Bishop Awah on a wheel Chair during the funeral celebration of the deceased father of Father Etienne’s father in Bolifamba Mile 16 brought tears in the eyes of most of the people present.  The news went viral worldwide.  In the end, it was the lesson of the public appearance of father and son during that occasion, which God chose to manifest the magnanimity of his love that has endured than the acrimony that arose on a disagreement on a fundamental matter of faith and mission of the Church.

Father Etienne affirmed at all times, that the healing powers of all ministers of the Word of God were ordained by the Lord. He explained that the Lord in the Holy Bible gave the mandate and conditions under which the mandate must be executed. Anything which is inconsistent with the mandate of the Lord contained in the Holy Bible and in accordance with Faith and the Holy Spirit is not of the Lord. He was resolute about this until the end. 

I met him a number of times in the United States of America.  The first time was during a heavily attended birthday ceremony which was organized for him in Maryland which was attended by many persons from the USA and Canada. The sheer number of persons in attendance and the memorable sermon he gave on that occasion was very touching.   I met him again when he came over to California and was at St Mathias Catholic Church Laham Maryland. I invited him to have a dinner with my family.  We spent about three hours together during which time, he told me how grateful he was, with Bishop Emmanuel Bushu who granted him permission to pursue a very rare specialised course in counselling in a Jesuit University in California. He was grateful for the advice and support of Bishop George Nkuo as well as the support which a distinguished Jesuit Priest in Douala Father Nkeng gave him during moments of dire need in his priestly mission.  He told me that he appreciated the assistance that Arch Bishop Andrew Nkea, then Bishop of Mamfe, gave him during a visit in the US. They both met during the ordination of Reverend Father Achanyi as a Priest of the Diocese of New York.

While in the USA Father Etienne mended many broken matrimonial relationships, counseled people of all nationalities and preached the Holy Word of God in many Churches and occasions.  He healed, counseled, preached and served.  His strength came from his fullness of faith and in the Holy Spirit.  Every person who approached him for healing will related that Father Etienne said that it was God, and God alone who is the ultimate healer, but the afflicted person should have faith in the Lord. He provided special prayers for the personal circumstances of each afflicted person directly from the Holy Bible, and both of them prayed and fast for the healing which often occurred to the glory of the Lord.

He advised me to pray as often as I could at least three times a day because, every time we pray, we invite the angels of the Lord who are always present whenever we call on the name of the Lord. When we sin, they withdraw.  I learned about guardian angels during my catechism days in primary school but did not learn about the circumstances under which they perform the mission assigned to them by God in my life. I did so many years after, through Father Etienne. How many people are conscious of this simple, reality?  We need clerics such as Father Etienne to counsel, and guide us how to sustain the presence of the Holy Spirit of God and the angels of the Lord around us, our homes and communities.  This how we can really keep the devil at bay and in trouble all the time.

A moving moment in our discussion came when I told him how his late mother supported me when I was completing my primary school education in Catholic School Laduma CDC Mukonje Estate. Father Etienne was her only child. She treated me as her own child in the CDC harsh environment.  When we met in Maryland, our both mothers had departed this world to meet God the Creator, leaving us their offspring to continue the spirit of love and service in which they raised us. Father Etienne joined them with a teaming record number of ancestors who preceded them yesterday.

With the death of Father Etienne, the Royal Family of Fontem has lost yet another distinguished son two weeks after we  lost another cousin Dr George Atem (Ndi Nkem Atem Asong) on September 7, 2021). This is the sovereign will of God who created them and indeed all of us for his eternal glory. We bow to His will therefore with all humility and pray for a reprieve, good health and protection over all members of this royal family. 

May Father Etienne’s record of service in the fullness of faith and the Holy spirit within the Church and the world at large is greatly appreciated.  He will be missed but his service in the house of the Lord will live forever. May his soul rest in peace

By Chief Charles A. Taku

Presbyterian pastors of Bali origin have called on Ambazonia Restoration Forces to lift the ban on activities of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, PCC.

The plea is contained in an emotional epistle to the Southern Cameroons Self Defense group in Bali written on behalf of Presbyterian pastors of Bali origin by Rev. Babila George Fochang (President) and Rev. Elvis Voma (Secretary).

On September 4, 2021, Ambazonia Restoration Forces in Bali Subdivision banned all activities of the PCC on grounds that the leadership of the church failed to blame the Francophone dominated Cameroon military for the August 22 incident at PC Ntanfoang which left a Christian death and the parish pastor injured.

On Sunday, September 5, 2021, the PCC Moderator Rt. Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba asked all pastors to leave Bali.

However, Rev. Babila George Fochang and Rev. Elvis Voma in a letter to the separatist fighters said the Church is a Divine institution in the hands of men with errors and flaws.

As such, they prayed that “the Holy Spirit should guide us to be careful that we do not throw the bathwater together with the child. May the Holy Spirit also help those who placed the ban and soften their hearts towards a reversal of their decision.”

Below is the entirety of the letter titled, “The Stance of PCC Bali Pastors on the Recent Happenings in Bali Nyonga”.

“In times like these, we the people of Bali, sharing our identity, culture and feeling the pains of times together, have the challenge to seek God’s face and make our community what we would want posterity to say of us. As the Scripture says:

“We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned, struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body…”(II Cor. 4:8-10).

“These words of Paul to the Christians at Corinth kind of comforts us that others have had similar challenges like the ones we are facing today as the Christians of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC) in Bali subdivision.

“Our faith is being tested to see how as a people we remain steadfast in the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Let us make a difference in the midst of the trials and rise more mature instead of being downcast. We are the ones to make our place better and we should stand tall for that goal as a people of one common ancestry.

“Way back during the First World War, British soldiers entered Bali on October 21, 1915. They captured the Basel missionaries and interned them on October 23rd.

“From then on, the Christians in Bali suffered great persecution.

“The church house was locked and the keys were given to the Divisional Officer in Bamenda. This did not stop the propagation of the gospel. Mr. Hunt, the Divisional Officer eventually handed back the keys, and Church services recommenced.

“Today we are faced with another harsh reality whereby the PCC Christians of Bali cannot worship in their own houses of worship. The land of Bali deserves better and God alone holds the key to chat a new way forward for us all.

“We pray that the Holy Spirit should guide us to be careful that we do not throw the bathwater together with the child. May the Holy Spirit also help those who placed the ban and soften their hearts towards a reversal of their decision as He did to Mr. Hunt. Our people should have the opportunity to worship the Lord in freedom with the opportunity to make intercession for Bali, the PCC, and the world at large plagued with crises.

“The Church is a Divine institution in the hands of men with errors and flaws. May all Bali people focus on making Bali grow in lips and bounds leaving a good legacy for our progeny.

“Let us, therefore, remember the Christian saints of Bali and the founders of Bali Nyonga now resting beneath the earth and live in forgiveness to one another where we have gone wrong in all ways. We should consider the faith of our kin and reason together for God’s Church doors to be opened, that is, the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon and all her institutions.

“There is no birth without labor pain and Bali is going through labor pain. Though tears may tarry for the night, joy comes in the morning (Cf. Ps 30:5).

“May the innocent blood of Ma Grace bring in greater fruits of righteousness, justice, and peace in Bali. She is thus one of the martyrs of our time and part of History which we cannot deny. Let us as Bali people take our community’s fate into our hands and bring in a rebirth of positive history. The PCC in Bali is for the people living in Bali and we should take it and make it grow despite the stake of time.

“May a new dawn to make peace with God and one another come on Bali Nyonga.

“May God console and speak to all of us in times like these.”

Culled from CIN with additional editing from Camcordnews

Rev Fr. Julius Agbortoko Agbor, Priest of the Diocese of Mamfe and current Vicar General of the Diocese of Mamfe who was kidnapped over the weekend by some unidentified armed men, has been released.

He was freed late on Tuesday following pleas by many Christians and other distinguished personalities including the Cameroon Concord News Group for his unconditional release.

Father Agbortoko, a faithful servant of humanity, was taken to an unknown destination by armed men believed to be separatist fighters, though many observers hold that those who kidnapped him were some rogue elements who have nothing to do with the fighting in the English-speaking regions of the country.

By Fon Lawrence

The Mamfe Roman Catholic Diocese in the South West region asked Monday for prayers for a priest abducted by suspected members of the Ambazonia Restoration Forces defending Manyu territory.

“Kindly join us in praying for the quick and safe release of Rev Fr. Julius Agbortoko Agbor, who was abducted by suspected members of the Ambazonia Restoration Force yesterday August 29, 2021” His Grace Archbishop Andrew Nkea, told local and international media earlier today.

Rev Fr. Julius Agbortoko Agbor, Priest of the Diocese of Mamfe and current Vicar General of the Diocese of Mamfe was ordained on April 14 2004.

Cameroon Concord News understands he served in various capacities including Parochial Vicar and Parish Priest.   The man of God also studied Dogmatic Theology at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome and was appointed Spiritual Director and Lecturer at the St John Paul II Major Seminary, Bachuo Ntai Mamfe.

In 2018 he was appointed Vicar General of the Diocese of Mamfe , a position he has occupied till his abduction yesterday August 29, 2021.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files

“We deplore the violence, insecurity, kidnappings, torture and senseless killings, sometimes of innocent people and children”, emphasized the Bishops of the Bishops’ Conference of Bamenda Province (BAPEC) in a statement published on Sunday, August 22nd, in which they renew their appeal for the end to the long conflict in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon.

The BAPEC members appeal to all armed groups to “end the violence with immediate effect and work towards a peaceful solution to the conflict”. “Our people have suffered enough and are tired of living in uncertainty and fear”, said the bishops, who praised the commitment of the priests who “stood by the people entrusted to them with pastoral care and have made and continue to make heroic sacrifices in this time of crisis”.

On August 20, a seven-year-old student at the St. Theresa Catholic Primary School in the Kumbo diocese of Cameroon was killed by a stray bullet in a gun battle between Cameroonian soldiers and separatists near the school.

On Sunday, August 22nd, a female parishioner was killed and a pastor was wounded during a service in the Presbyterian Church in northwest Bali.

A military patrol was ambushed by separatists. In the exchange of fire, stray bullets killed the women and wounded the pastor.

The conflict in the Anglophone regions in the southwest and northwest of Cameroon has been dragging on for more than four years and has intensified since the separatists symbolically declared the independence of the two areas that have been grouped into one in Ambazonia on October 1, 2017.

The separatists chose the date of October 1st to commemorate the independence of the English-speaking area from the United Kingdom in 1961. The French-speaking part had gained independence from France in 1960. The creation of a single bilingual state was then decided in a referendum. However, residents of the English-speaking regions complain that they are discriminated against in legislation and in education compared to French speakers.

The conflict has already claimed more than 3,500 lives and forced more than 700,000 people to flee their homes.

Source: Agenzia Fides

Cameroon President Paul Biya must let “peace reign” in the country’s troubled Anglophone regions, according to a former mayor and Catholic activist.

Elizabeth Kang, a leading member of the Catholic Women Association (CWA) spoke to Crux on the sidelines of the women’s convention for peace in Yaoundé.

“I am pleading on God Almighty to do to the Head of State as he did to Saul. Saul was a murderer and when he was going down to Damascus again to carry out his killing, God changed him and renamed him Paul, and he became a great preacher and wrote many books in the Bible. If our Paul today is Saul, God will change him back to the real Paul,” she said.

Biya has been largely blamed for the five-year conflict in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions where a separatist war has left over 4000 dead and forced more than a million people to flee their homes.

When Anglophone teachers and lawyers took to the streets in 2016 to protest the use of French in English-speaking schools and Common Law courts, Biya deployed the military, taking a hardline stance that escalated tensions, and morphed into demands for self-rule by the country’s English speakers.

Separatists have been fighting the military ever since, and violently enforced a school boycott that has left the regions’ children without an education for five years.

Kang says she believes that Biya has the power to bring the conflict to an end.

“The head of state of this country is the father of this nation. He has the authority to say ‘stop the killing, come my children, let us discuss this issue.’ For me, I hold him very responsible,” she told Crux.

“The head of state of this country has to make a statement to the effect that we are all his wives, we are all his children. … As one woman we want to cry out: Withdraw the army. The army too is dying. The mother of the soldier is wailing like me, the mother of the civilian. We are the same women wailing for our children.”

Kang is a witness to the daily horrors of war in her native Wum. Sometimes, the horrors are too close to home. Among others, her husband has had to spend time in the dreaded Kondengui Central Prison in Yaoundé.

“The first person I lost was my brother’s son whom I raised. Some armed people came and called him out of the house in my absence. In the morning, they had chopped off his ears. The second one was my son. They came and took him out at 5 a.m. [in front of] his wife beat him up and tore his left ear. The third one is my husband who was carried up to Kondengui. He stayed in Kondengui for nine months, and when the family head is not there, you know what that means. An entire family can go astray because the pilot of the house is not there. The other one was my neighbor’s son whose head was blown off by cartridges from unknown persons, and he died. I will not name my cousins that were slain in a whole village. Sometimes, people were carried in other villages and shot in Wum town.”

Holding back tears, Kang notes that women are paying a disproportionate price in the conflict, many of them “menstruating on leaves. The pride of a woman has been taken away. Women are delivering children in the bush, and under very bad conditions.”

The Catholic Women Association came up with various proposals to bring an end to the hostilities.

They called for continued and inclusive dialogue that addresses core issues around peace, solidarity and shared humanity in Cameroon; as well as the equal and permanent involvement of women peace mediators and negotiators in peace processes at all levels, while enforcing their protection at all times.

They also underscored the need to create additional centers for psychological support and trauma treatment, while at the same time making sure that the country’s disarmament and demobilization centers are made functional and responsive to the existing conflict.

“Peace has to reign,” Kang said simply, but added this will be contingent on Biya “calling the army to the barracks, the separatists dropping their guns, and genuine and sincere dialogue to address the root causes of the conflict.”

Source: Crux

The Catholic Women Association of Cameroon held its 9th National Congress from 23 to 25 July 2021 under the theme: “Catholic Women called to holiness for the sanctification and holistic development of the world.”

The national event, which brought together more than 500 Catholic women from different parts of Cameroon, was held in the Diocese of Ngaoundéré, north-central Cameroon, Adamawa Plateau.

During the closing Mass of Sunday, 25 July, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Apostles in Ngaoundéré, the Catholic women pledged to plant a new seed of mutual love that would inspire other members, especially a new generation of members. They will also double up on accomplishing works of mercy within communities.

Do not seek power and prestige

The local Ordinary, Bishop Emmanuel Abbo, addressed the women association and encouraged them to commit and dedicate themselves even more to the different apostolates in their dioceses. Bishop Abbo, nonetheless, admonished the ladies against the temptation of seeking power, prestige and honour at the expense of their calling as lay Catholics. He warned against unhealthy tendencies that undermine others.

Growing a new generation of young Catholic women

National Chaplain of the Catholic Women in Cameroon, Father Giles Ngwa Forteh, for his part, expressed the wish to see a new generation of Catholic Women grow, one whose language and life would be anchored on the law of love.

“Rediscovering the love of God and sharing must be our goal. Indeed, the hatred we see around us clearly indicates that the human heart has become seriously hardened. Only the Word of God can soften that heart and make people take actions that can transform the world. God renews us every time we approach him,” he said.

Source: Vatican News

Muslims in Cameroon have marked the Eid al-Adha, Festival of the Sacrifice, by praying for an end to the country’s separatist conflict, which has killed more than 3,000 people since 2017. Muslim leaders also called on Cameroon’s vaccine skeptics to be inoculated against COVID-19, which has infected more than 80,000 people and killed at least 1,300.

Muslim cleric Bouba Goi Goi officiating Eid al-Adha prayers at the Islamic Complex in Cameroon’s capital Yaoundé, said in his sermon that all Muslims should live lives of complete submission to God to enjoy eternal life, both physical on earth and spiritual in heaven with Allah.

Souley Mane is spokesman of Cameroon’s National Moon Crescent Commission that is responsible for announcing the day of Muslim feasts.

He said Bouba asked Cameroonians of all religious denominations to educate civilians on the need for stability in the central African state.

“It is an opportunity for every Muslim to have a spiritual project to pray for peace, security, unity, health and living together in our country. A good Muslim should be an ambassador of his religion, somebody who tries to work harder for his family, for his community and for his country,” he said.

Mane said that the 1,500 people at the prayer complex include Christians.

The Council of Imams and Muslim Dignitaries of Cameroon organized the prayer for peace.

The council’s coordinator, Moussa Oumarou, said Muslims who are separatist fighters should drop their weapons and encourage their peers of other religions to stop fighting.

Cameroon estimates that there are at least 2,000 separatist fighters in its English-speaking western regions. The government said the number of fighters who are Muslims is unknown since the rebels hide as civilians.

Souleyman Mefire Ngoucheme is imam of the Nkoazoa Mosque located 10 kilometers west of Yaounde. He said besides promoting peace, Muslim cleric in Cameroon also cautioned faithful on the dangers of COVID-19.

He said he is asking all Muslims in Cameroon to respect COVID-19 barrier measures like regular washing of hands with soap and water, putting on face masks in public and keeping a physical distance of at least a meter from other people. Ngoucheme said Muslims should not hesitate to take COVID-19 vaccine because the jab can save their lives and help to stop the coronavirus spread that has killed so many people.

Cameroon said fewer than 150,000 people have been vaccinated since April, when the government received 700,000 doses to inoculate civilians against COVID-19.

Last year during Eid al-Adha, Cameroon restricted prayers and festivities that brought together more than 10 people. Thousands of Muslims in the capital Yaoundé defied the restrictions, ordered as part of measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. This year, many came with face masks but did not respect the at least one meter distance from each person as instructed by the government.

Source: VOA