“………We must remain stainless before God and not compete with worldly standards; we should be contented and strive for spiritual and not physical things; nothing did we bring to the world and there is nothing we are going to take out of it; pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness and holiness, be happy, no resentment, be firm and exercise patience; we must live in the right way if we want to see God and have eternal life”.

This was the heart of the heavily worded sermon Rev Jacob Atem, dished out to Christians of the Presbyterian Church New Town Limbe, as they joined their brethren nationwide on Sunday, November 16, to celebrate the 57th anniversary of the existence of the denomination in Cameroon.

The man of God in his sermon drawn from 1Timothy:13-16, under the theme live a righteous life, focused on the importance of Christians to live a righteous life, both individually and as a church.

Rev Atem said the past 57 years have not been all rosy, but the PCC has remained as one family even in the mist of adversities and difficulties. He urged the Christians not to abandon the mission, but to remain strengthened as they look on Christ daily.

Considering the upcoming elections which made this year’s celebration quite different from the others, the Rev Pastor said “The outgoing leaders have done their best to bring the Church to this level, and we must do our best to choose the right people to carry on the Church.

We must not follow materialism and worldly standards in selecting leaders but must focus on spirituality. It has been 57 years of pain, criticisms, but the Church of God will never fall; let us pray for God to raise more faithful servants and also for peace and restoration in the Church. There are only few leaders who can keep moral, spiritual and financial standards, thus we must pray for God’s guidance as we select our leaders”.

During the celebration also, the Moderator’s message captioned Farewell, Stepping aside in hope, was read to the congregation, in which the Rt. Rev Dr Festus Asana, urged the Christians to put their trust in God and shun away all anxiety, fear and despair.

The Moderator in his message reminded the Christians that Christianity is a journey and as they go along, they must strive for transparency, accountability and unity as they surrender themselves in hope until the end of their final destination.

He also mentioned all the successes they recorded in their mandate and appreciated the Christians for their sacrifices. “I am retiring with my head high; our leadership concentrated on encouraging the way we live in God and to maintain sanity in the Church. I am going to continue in supporting the Church”, he said.

Other activities during the celebration at PC new town included dance and songs displays, memory verses, award of prizes etc.

Christians from different denominations like the Catholic Church who attended the ceremony, expressed satisfaction and celebrated the unity that reigns among Christians even as they are from different denominations. A heavy fellowship meal closed the Sunday ceremony.