Réligion of Thursday, 4 December 2014

Source: The Sun Newspaper

Cameroon Baptist Convention declares war against homosexuals

The Cameroon Baptist Convention, the CBC, has declared that homosexuality and lesbianism are some of the worst challenges that the church is faced with today, adding that Christians from all walks of life must stand up against this sodomy and other vices by "declaring God’s Praises to all nations and serving beyond our walls”.

This was one of the high points of the four-day annual Bible Conference of the Bamenda Field of the Cameroon Baptist Convention that ran at the Nkwen Baptist Church from 19 to 22 November 2014.

In an official statement read out to thousands of Christians at the close of the conference on Saturday 22 November 2014, the Bamenda Field Pastor of the CBC, Reverend Ekwo Emmanuel Jatoh, reiterated the position of the CBC church when he said “at a time when vices such as homosexuality, lesbianism, bestially, prostitution, abortion and so on, that used to be abominations and taboo to God and Man are becoming commonplace in the society.

At a time he went on, when God’s people are taken advantage of and harassed at all corners by so called prophets and men of God, because of lack of Knowledge, at a time when lazy and insecure pastors get their messages and preaching styles from TV evangelists, of whom they have very little knowledge of, at a time when there are all indications that these last days, when men will not seek God or his word but what their itching ears want to hear, at a time when many have refused to follow true teachers of the word of God and are running behind those who will tell them what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear, at a time when Ebola is ravaging human kind in several west African countries, at a time when AIDS is still a health nuisance, we do know that the theme for the conference could only be “declaring God’s praises; serving beyond our walls”.

The statement concludes that” if there was ever that people needed the Gospel more than anything, the time is now, it is this generation. If there was a time we should not sleep as witnesses of Jesus Christ, it is now, If there was a time that the church should balance inward and outward ministration, it is now.”

Besides sounding an alarm bell against some of the very pressing social ills especially homosexuality, the Bible conference was also a forum for the pastors and Christian of the Bamenda Field to brainstorm on ways and means of expanding their activities.

The first day of the four-day jamboree was dedicated to the ministers and wives conference .The second day was marked by the men, women and youth conferences during which the various groups re-examined their relationship with God. The third day of the conference on Friday 21 November was a grand conference for all the various groups.

One of the high points of the last day of the event was the ordination of Reverend Nfor Wllfred Tamfu, who was formally admitted into the college of pastors of the CBC during a solemn ordination ceremony that took place at the Nkwen Baptist church under the auspices of Reverend Ekwo Emmanuel Jatoh in the presence of a college of other pastors.

The inspirational sermon which was preached by Reverend Kanjo Julius was drawn from the book of 1st Peter Verses 2;9.

In a brief presentation of the Bamenda Field, Reverend Ekwo Emmanuel Jatoh, said the Bamenda field is one of the 28 fields of the Cameroon Baptist Convention and is composed of four associations,32 churches with a Christian population of 7,000.

The field cuts across six subdivisions notably Santa, Tubah, Bamenda I, II, III, all in Mezam division and Wabane subdivision, Lebialem division of the south west region. He added that “it is a dynamic field of well trained, active and hard working pastors, church leaders and a mission and evangelism minded Christians.

Notwithstanding the field faces a number of challenges such as the lack of pastors in some churches such as Ashong, Atuala, Menda, Menka, Nituid, Tanjang, Nkongwang, Mbemchou, Azandzere, Mekeptekong and Magha, the need for zinc assistance in Fomaji, Tabot, Awoh and Santa as well as a public address sound system for the field estimated at about 1,720,000frs.

The field conference was also animated by the DO for Bamenda III, the mayor of Bamenda III and a host of other well wishers.