Réligion of Saturday, 9 January 2016

Source: The Post Newspaper

Christians blamed for championing vices

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The Mezam Presbytery Secretary, Reverend Pastor Ezikiel Foncham, has said, despite the increasing number of churches and Christians, crime wave, corruption and other vices continue to rise.

Reverend Ezikiel Foncham made this remark as he delivered a sermon at Presbyterian Church Alachu-Mankon on the occasion of the 34th edition of the annual rally of the Christian Men Fellowship, CMF, of the Presbyterian Church, PCC, in Cameroon.

Rev. Foncham said renowned Christians who take front pews in church are those championing corrupt practices.

“When we talk of domestic violence, when we talk of those who drink and close the bars, those who falsify weighing scales, those who embezzle public funds with impurity, those who buy entrance exams into higher institutions of learning, those who seize church land, who are these people? They are our Christians. We now live in a world of dog eat dog society,” Rev. Foncham lamented.

He asked whether Christians of his Church could claim to be of a new creation in the face of this moral decay.

Talking about Christians who are permanent guests in bars, Rev. Foncham said he was astonished when he met Christians drinking heavily and when he asked why they were drinking that early, “they told me they were evangelising”.
The reverend pastor called on the Christians and other groups that have been contributing greatly to the spiritual and financial growth of the Church to shun evil practices so as to shine as living models to the youths.
He assured the Christians that all is not lost because the God they worship is a forgiving and merciful God.

“All hope is not lost, because, for every dark cloud, there is a silver lining,” said Rev. Foncham.

A message from the PCC National Secretary for Mens’ Work, Rev. Dr. Michael Fai, read at the rally ground, appealed to CMF members to intensify evangelisation, pray for the Church and peace to reign in Cameroon.

“We do not need to shout when praying as if God is deaf,” Rev. Foncham said, adding that Christians should work for justice and peace to reign, but was quick to warn that, “Violence cannot be used to achieve peace”.
Welcoming Christians earlier, the Parish Congregational President of PC Alachu, Samuel Nkwenti, read a long list of CMF members that slept in the Lord this year and prayed for forgiveness.

The Chairman of the occasion, Mayor of Bamenda II Council, Fidelis Balick Awa, promised to carry out a special fundraising for the construction of the Parish Pastor’s house.

He urged CMF members to fish out more men to join the movement.
The next host of annual CMF rally is the Bamenda Station on December 11, 2016.