The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon the so-called Right Rev Fonki Samuel is no longer a popular Man of God, and probably the single-biggest drag on his recent showing-in is the brand new 4×4 jeep that he acquired for himself and his wife!  Social media releases last week, shows pressure is mounting for Mr. Samuel Fonki to step down soonest. It’s unlikely. Perhaps, therefore, it’s good timing for Mr Fonki to travel out of the country in the coming days.

Moderator Fonki intends to jet to the USA first. But there, he’ll meet a sea of disgruntled PCC diaspora members who will of course push him to discuss prospects for a new and decent Moderator!  We suspect the US embassy will be wary of granting him a visa as corruption allegations against him from prominent pastors in the PCC are emerging at catastrophic rapidity.  

If Jesus Christ (Peace upon Him) were among us today, he wouldn’t miss a moment to fight this outrageous Moderator of the PCC! The Presbyterian Church in Cameroon is a group of persons who are believing Christians!  Presbyterians are the type of Christians who take action while praying and thinking. And Christ came into this world to fight evil. He came to confront evil. He risked his life. He sacrificed his life to fight evil men like Moderator Fonki.

If there’s one good thing that history teaches us about Presbyterians, it is their anti-dictatorship nature and seeking of truth and justice against the oppressors. We of the Cameroon Concord News Group have no doubt that if Christ were among us today; he would have been at the forefront of the battle against Moderator Fonki, his corrupt and evil tendencies and all forms of oppression deep within the Fonki-led synod.

Meanwhile Cameroon Concord News Group will be considering the aftermath of a pro Fonki blog reaction to our investigative stories that developed late last week.

Our other concern now with the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon is who gets to fill the disgraced Moderator Fonki’s shoes, and when. In the days ahead, we’ll hear how it is a US-based Pastor who is behind Cameroon Concord News investigation on the Fonki leadership of the PCC.

We shall be publishing in the weeks ahead how pro Moderator Fonki’s men in the synod are crafting their words and arguing why the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon should not be seen as a criminal enterprise even though they all agree that Mr. Fonki Samuel has been such a toxic failure that every Christian wants him gone as soon as possible.

We’ll also be publishing some simple but tough questions we have addressed to the demon in cassock in our modest effort to help him make sure that the grim state of the PCC does not stir even more protests.

Again, thank you all Cameroon Concord People for your own messages and comments on the goings-on in the PCC!  Moderator Fonki Samuel himself is overwhelmingly at fault, and he will be gone soon and very soon as many now fear the  PCC would be lost if he stayed around.   

Please continue to write to Cameroon Concord News at cameroonconcordnews@gmail.com and you’re most welcome to follow us on Face Book.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Chairman/Editor-In-Chief

It is with profound humility and privilege for me to reassure all Presbyterians that the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC) is not owned by any group and no department is independent under appropriate laws that govern non-profit organizations in Cameroon and abroad. All departments are interdependent on each other as the body of Jesus Christ, to which Christ is the Head. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 and I Corinthians 3:5-9 and John 15. This is scriptures that captures and explains the whole theology of social justice, under which PCC was founded for all of to live in dignity spiritually and physically.

Therefore, the PCC is our church founded by Basel Missionaries for all of us and we are all stakeholders. Those who now own private shares in the PCC are scammers and the response from Pastors, workers and devoted Christians have demonstrated that the PCC is going to rise and shine again as a true church under the light of Jesus Christ moving forward.

First of all, congratulations to all the students in Cameroon who have passed the GCE /AL public examinations. To all those who did not make it, please, do not give up. Our heartfelt condolences to families who have lost loved ones during these tough times in Cameroon. Many people would be alive today where it not of the violent conflict that has resulted to innocent people killed and millions internally displaced and facing severe humanitarian crisis. We pray for strength, peace and forgiveness as well as continue to advocate for all Presbyterians and co to be proactive prophetically and conscientiously. All Presbyterians students/ children who are suffering because their schools have been closed and cancelled by the PCC authorities should not give up.

The background and contextual analyses for the resignation of Rev Samuel Forba

Whereas in the recent days, the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC) has witnessed the ever growing spirit of “righteous anger “against the satanic theology and activities of Rev. Fonki Samuel, which are not befitting of the office of a Church leader (Moderator) in a politically troubled society.

It is bizarre for Christians to decry corruption by the political regime whereas they, too have to deal with corruption in the church. Did the corrupt Moderator of the PCC institute corruption in the PCC to glitter and litter while the Presbyterian belief system inspired by Jesus Christ will fade and faint into oblivion? The Presbyterian Church in Cameroon was not founded to glitter. It was founded to shine the light of Jesus Christ upon the darkness of sins,injustice,oppression,greed , condemnation and corruption as reflected in John 1:1-5

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.”

On July 22, the Cameroon Intelligence Report published this article captioned“PCC Cameroon under Rev. Fonki: Corruption runs rampant. Who should we hold responsible?” In spite of an intelligence report like this, it is obvious that Rev Fonki Samuel thought it was just another ferocious attack on his person without any proof!Did Rev Fonki Samuel and his cohorts think about their ferocious attacks on Presbyterians they have persecuted, teachers they have dismissed for asking for better pay and better working conditions, pastors they have retaliated against for speaking?

Yes, the PCC is glittering with wickedness, corruption, greed, exploitation, bullying and dictatorship. These vices were brought into the PCC by Rev Fonki Samuel, who has deformed the gospel to establish his heretical doctrine of “Transformed transformers” with no scriptural backing to his outlandish theology because these are Pastors who have transformed themselves into tyrants, plunderers, thieves and liars.

Therefore, as we are alarmed by the threats posed to our faith and belief system as Presbyterian believers, being shaken by the fear of being stuck into the hell Fonki Samuel has forced us into on earth, it is no surprise that desperate situations call for desperate measures.

It is unconceivable for a group of young people to turn the church of Christians, elders, laity and ordained ministers into a club of “The winning team.” Rev.  Fonki Samuel Forba established a club of friends to ensure that PCC is operated and run as a private profit corporation. Contrary to his hanky- panky games, all Presbyterians are one people living under the grace of God through Jesus Christ by striving to imitate him everyday. Philippians 2: 1- 11. Nobody is better than the other as we are all sustained by his grace and justified by our faith. Ephesians 2:8.

By their devotion and discipleship, Presbyterians have earned the right to become stakeholders of the PCC with a sense of belonging, collective conscience, collaboration and ownership guided by their faith, hope and love in God’s community of Presbyterian believers. I Corinthians 13: 1-13 and 1 John 4:1-21. By virtue of our membership, we are more than conquerors in the Lord Jesus Christ with a winning spirit that galvanizes all Presbyterians to keep running towards the race to win the price of salvation, which Jesus Christ won for us all.  Philippians 3: 14- 15.

Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba who is notorious for boasting that he and his friends in control of the PCC are the “winning team” has violated the Presbyterian belief, polity and pastoral calling. According to his satanic notions, all persons he has appointed to key positions in the PCC are untouchable, unaccountable and incapable of mistake and discipline.

This doctrine perpetrated by him is a carnal secular humanism whereby Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba now sees himself as the “sovereign god” of the PCC with absolute power to himself that has legalized their racketeering, corruption, embezzlement and theft of PCC funds to enrich themselves. These wolves in sheep clothing are no longer worthy of their calling. They may glitter but Jesus Christ came to shine his light for everyone and not only for a select few who glitter while others fade and languish in abject misery and poverty.

The corrupt activities of Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba span a period of 7 years during, which time he and his club of greedy friends transformed themselves into monsters. Their ungodly and unbiblical activities have played out with the current instability reigning in some PCC congregations where their autocratic and “unpresbyterian” ways have clashed with genuine Presbyterians fighting to uphold the Presbyterian belief system and practices through transparency and accountability. Anything that has to do with Christian stewardship, transparency and accountability is shunned by him.

Many Pastors of the PCC are terrified by the tyrannical conduct of Rev.Fonki Samuel Forba. That is just a clear evidence that he had a hidden agenda campaigning to be Moderator of the PCC. Their bloated ego doesn’t align with the calling of Pastors. We are called into the ministry to serve God through Jesus Christ out of grace, humility, mercy, compassion, equity and fairness as well as extend these Godly virtues to everyone in the secular world. Unfortunately, the Presbyterian Church has a system of grace, justification, sanctification and social justice that must be upheld, thanks to the reformed theology of John Calvin.

 A. Cross-examination of the dubious schemes Rev Fonki Samuel against the PCC 

1. In order to create the environment to foster his dubious plans, the first thing he did was to change the Constitution to suit him. That is to concentrate all powers to himself and suppress free speech amongst Pastors, elders and workers.

2. Buy the conscience of all heads of PCC departments, intentionally allowed all of them to join him to plunder, privatize, embezzle, steal and exploit the PCC without limit so long as Rev. Fonki Samuel picks his wife to succeed him with their backing to maintain their culture of greed, racketeering and exploitation. Rev Fonki Samuel and his paid agent talk about merits and not tribalism! When a corrupt Moderator (Church Leader) appoints his corrupt wife to serve as Communication Secretary of the PCC, whereas she is not qualified for that position what do you call that? What criteria did he use to appoint his wife Communication Secretary of the PCC?  When you set up a constitution that selects the Moderator and Synod Clerk based on tribal origin and not on competence and the word of God, is that merits?

4. When the former Synod Clerk, Rev Babila George Foncham refused to participate in the Moderator’s Racketeering schemes, he was replaced. That shows the PCC is not a representative system of church government because as much as the Synod Clerk and Moderator must work collaboratively, in this case of interpersonal conflict between them, the Moderator was the one abusing power and perpetrating criminal practices. To think that Rev Babila George Foncham would be removed as Synod Clerk while Rev Fonki Samuel was retained as Moderator highlights the degree of dictatorship corruption and tribalism in the PCC. It is obvious that the Moderator of the PCc appoints his successors and that elections are just mere lies.

Consequently,

Mindful of the fact that Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba conspired with his uncle whom he appointed Chairman of the Finance Committee of the PCC against which background his uncle increased his salary, which now stands at 1.5 million Frs CFA a month,

Mindful of the fact that Rev Fonki Samuel Forba orchestrated this scheme of increasing salaries only for himself and his club of friends claiming to be the Proprietor of schools and CEO of the PCC, clearly motivated by greed,

Mindful of the fact that Rev. Moderator Fonki Samuel and his gang threatened and intimidated Pastors with retaliation to change the Constitution of the PCC so that he would make his wife the Moderator under the false pretext of promoting gender equality in the Church, a case that is far from it because both of them are corrupt, now convinced that he was attempting to institute a system of hereditary rule in the PCC against the democratic process of the Presbyterian system,

Mindful of the treacherous attempt of Rev Fonki Samuel Forba to hijack the PCC when he appointed his wife Communication Secretary of the PCC to pave the way for his wife to succeed him is his glittering achievement. It is obvious that the PCC first couple have only one ultimate goal from day one to hold unto the position of Moderator for life. In order to do so , he spent his entire reign focusing on pleasing his gang of friends and did not  care about the spiritual welfare of  the Christians. The testimony of these PCC Pastors is one of the rare rebukes of Rev Fonki Samuel, yet. Does the spiritual and physical welfare of Presbyterians evolves around elections of the Moderator of the PCC?

Whereas these statements from Presbyterians express the deep frustration and “righteous indignation” among Presbyterians about the level of corruption in the PCC, these are statements from some of the ordained Pastors of the PCC describing the “unpastoral “and hostile atmosphere in the PCC led by Rev.  Fonki Samuel Forba and his club of friends,

“The person who sent this to me also said she is convinced an insider wrote this. My opinion is not far from this. They have their clique that are always ready to defend them in the face of the public. I did not understand why they brought in elections into this. We are still in 2022, elections are in 2024. Besides, according to the constitution, he (Moderator of PCC) is not eligible to stand for elections again. They are just trying to cover up and get innocent victims to torment. They feel people are blind to see what they are doing.It’s so terribly that a church is ruled by a group of friends.Do you know that the lay members of the synod exco are all women?I was shocked. I can’t remember. I followed their dedication at the induction of the synod clerk and it did not speak well to me at all.The machine is perfectly in place. Everything about them is limited to elections. All they think of is how to secure their positions in church.The truth is pastors feel oppressed and are scared to talk.Tyrants in the name of leaders. You will not imagine that at a presbytery meeting where pastors had to vote for the constitution change their tyrant Presbyterial secretaries asked pastors to vote by show of hand instead of doing a secret ballot? In other places, where it was secret ballot pastors were reminded that their handwritings are known? So you can imagine. That was induction service of the synod clerk and dedication of synod exco. As you will notice, the only male lay person is the financial secretary of the church. All the non-clergy are women while the clergy in this group are a clique of friends. These are sadly the people administering the PCC”

B. The political activities of Rev Fonki Samuel against the PCC

With respect to the Constitution of the PCC when it comes to induction and ordination ceremonies, the Governor and politicians have no business at the sacred ceremony of inducting a church official. Consequently, for Rev Samuel Fonki to knowingly bring the Governor to the platform reserved only for elders and ordained officials whereas he knew it was against the Constitution of the PCC shows he has no reverence to the sacredness of the Church. This action alone is enough to dismiss all of them for the following reasons,

1. We know that Rev Fonki Samuel Fonki was politicizing the PCC and displaying political power by directly telling all his critics in the church that he had the backing of the Governor and the office of Prime Minister of Cameroon. We know it is terrible because PCC is apolitical for a reason. In order to fulfill her prophetic role , the leaders cannot belong to any political party but Rev Fonki Samuel and his gang all joined the  CPDM in  order to cover up their corrupt practices as well as abuse power the way they want.  It must be clear PCC Christians have the right to belong to any political party of their choice but even so must be salt and light as demanded by the Holy Scriptures, Matthew 5: 13-16. A CPDM or SDF Presbyterian must be set apart unfailingly in the light of the Holy Scriptures. For instance, James 3: 13- 18 calls for the Presbyterian believer to choose one of the two kinds of wisdom. We have a serious problem in Cameroon now because Presbyterian Christians in most parts have failed to choose the right kind of wisdom because the leadership is corrupt and could not lead them to choose wisely.

2. Rev Fonki Samuel Forba has violated the Constitution of the PCC by undermining the liturgical sanctity of the PCC when he invited a non- Presbyterian who is not in any ordained ministry to indulge into the sacred practice of the church reserved only for elders and Pastors. There is a reason why people are selected as elders and ordained ministers, and to undermine that has led to the chaos reigning in the PCC. Public officials are welcome as guests along with every other person but to politicize the PCC in a way that threatens her, spiritual and moral authority is unacceptable.

3. It is no longer a secret that the Moderator of the PCC and his club of friends joined the CPDM Party with ulterior motives to manipulate and exploit politicians in the country to cover up their racketeering in the church. The office of the Moderator is reserved for a pastor who must perform his or her spiritual duties with a moral compass to interpret the Holy Scriptures prophetically and apply moral clarity where there is moral crisis. In this case Rev Fonki Samuel Forba compromised his prophetic voice because of his active political affiliation with the CPDM ruling party. He cannot serve both Masters at the sametime. He now has a choice .

His claims of writing letters to the state is pure propaganda and hypocritical. The officials of the ruling CPDM and Cameroon authorities cannot take any advice from the corrupt Moderator of the PCC seriously because they know he is worse than them. In fact, deep down in them, they are shocked at the corrupt nature of the PCC authorities but it works to their advantage since to them PCC is powerless as a church to hold the state accountable unlike in the past.

For the sake of the spiritual and prophetic role of the Church in every society and granted the fact that the PCC is apolitical, he is free to carry on his political ambitions outside of the office of the Moderator. Every Cameroonian has the right to belong to the political party of their choice, which is the experience of all Presbyterians. If the leadership are members of a political group directly or indirectly, they cannot minister effectively in the Congregations and elsewhere. That is why we have these endless conflicts in the PCC congregations since all the Pastors loyal to Rev Fonki Samuel are affiliated to the political party of his choice or the wrong reasons. In a pluralistic society where there is multiparty politics and diverse political opinions by Christians including the right to belong to any political party of their choice, we need church leaders who can minister and pastor everyone without fear or prejudice. In this respect, the Rev Fonki Samuel Forba is hereby notified to resign from his position as Moderator of the PCC pending investigation into his corruption in the church.

C. The Voices of Presbyterians in response to Rev Fonki Samuel’s damage control propaganda

The privatization and plundering of the PCC by Rev Fonki Samuel and his club of Friends is fading and will be dismantled not long from now. Since publishing their”Is the PCC glittering or Fading” ?, the Rev Fonki Samuel has provoked endless stream of questions ,which further shed light on the fact that they thought they could take Presbyterian Christians for granted. These statements after the fact speak for themselves as I have quoted. The identity of the persons including Pastors, workersand Christians are withheld.

1 “No one is questioning why Church departments should be independent. Would the health department for example, not subsidize the nursery and primary schools? The reason is to allow the heads to have a freehand and close their mouths. I am equally investigating his relationship with Zenith Insurance and the late Parliamentarian for Akwaya Chief Igelle Elias who was his maternal uncle in Ballin Village…”

2. “We also should investigate who are Shareholders in the Presmicro Finance, and what has happened to PESH,that cannot pay back people ‘s savings,but rather asking people to borrow at very high percentages.The brother who was Finance officer for Pss Mankon embezzled close to 35 million frs,yet is parading the streets of Bamenda free…The system has been so entrenched in corruption in competition to amass wealth (material and financial)by Pastors and others with offices at the Synod office. “

3. “The hired Ndi Richard has many other areas to investigate and bring us the facts.I remember at the peak of the problems between PEATTU and church hierarchy,Many Pastors,like the Rev Forbang,Rev Numfor etc did all to ” fabricate” stories in defense of their own(lies) even as Pastors to defend a system. Let Ndi Richard tell us;

i.The situation surrounding PESH with people ‘s savings.

ii.Shareholders of the Pre Microfinance

iii.The embezzled money at Pss Mankon by the Moderator’s brother who was working there as Finance officer

iv.The money recovered from Parents as fees during the so-called inactivity years, that schools managed through with classes, evaluation and end of course examinations, that they are refusing to pay the 7 months owed Teachers prior to the establishment of the Protocol Agreement.

v.The fate of Primary School Teachers abandoned (some to Congregations) and others in the blues. It is really aching when some Pastors mount pulpits and announce that money owed Teachers have been paid to the last franc. What of parting gifts/social insurance?Church, church church.

vi. “I can remember knowing you in PC CCAST COMPLEX in 1996 and I have read the articles you wrote in the 100 theses. I quoted some of the articles in a teachers’ meeting asking why there’s curtailment of Trade Union Dues yet PCC teachers are not allowed to belong to trade unions. Today many teachers are redundant due to anglophone crises but some who may not be effective but are related to. . .are maintained…At times when I read comments… I JUST ASK WHY JESUS WILL LEAVE 99SHEEP IN SEARCH OF ONE, whereas today “we” call the missing one a drop in the sea?”

vii. “Greetings to you in the Name of our Lord. I’ve listened to the video messages and audios.  Truly the budget of the church is not made known to the mass of christians who raise the budget. Church contributions and other special collections are specific to the purpose that made the budget head SPECIAL. Harvest Thanksgiving is not interpreted and it’s purpose not made known to christians. The church if it only ran congregations, schools and health care services, maybe would have been having 100% subvention from the government. We do pay taxes monthly, social insurance dues etc. Government subvention is not regular in sectors destined to. Other sectors of the PCC pay the normal tax as any individual or group of people. If you could lay hands on your pay voucher while serving you see that CRTV tax, Land Bank tax etc were curtailed before church contribution and others at the level of the PCC. All departments of the church are under the moderator that’s why the office is termed that of the PROPRIETOR. The worry here is WHO DETERMINES HOW MUCH IS TO BE USED BY EACH OFFICER OF THE SYNOD AND PRESBYTERIES? Why can’t the powers that be investigate and impeach the moderator but rather too much power is given him? Example he appoints Presbyterial Secretaries whom are answerable to him, and because they want to maintain their offices, they bully at the level of presbyteries all who question or request to know how certain offices function or are run.”

Viii “I can remember …because I asked why must I be forced to join Presmicro finance when my money is blocked in PESH.”

 D. The resignation of Rev Fonki Samuel

The Rev Fonki Samuel Forba is expected to address his letter of resignation to all Presbyterians as soon as possible from now and up to September 15 to step down. He will have two more weeks till the end of September to leave the Synod Office in order to pave the way for the interim Governing Council to assume duties around October 1st, 2022 .  He shall surrender the property of PCC  in his keeping to the appropriate body under due process and to ensure a smooth transition.

The Rev Fonki Samuel Forba is expected to park and leave the Synod Office into one of his hotels or to his home Presbytery and congregation where he started his journey pending further instructions from the interim Governing Council about disciplinary measures and counseling when the investigation is complete

The Rev Samuel Fonki Forba is expected to humble himself and cherish this moment in the history of the PCC and to take responsibility for his actions to cooperate with Presbyterians to ensure that the problems and issues at stake are resolved justly and peacefully.

The Rev Fonki Samuel is no longer allowed to carry out pastoral functions in the PCC effective immediately as the allegations, charges, accusations and problems he has created are seriously overwhelming and demanding of the actions hereby undertaken in good faith to save the PCC under the power of the Holy Spirit and reasonable human action from being destroyed by him

E.  The implications of the resignation of Rev Fonki Samuel Forba

a) An interim governing Council of the PCC will be established under the Presbyterian System of Church government to handle the period of transition for the PCC . An interim Moderator will be chosen after due consultation to assume duties as soon as Rev Fonki Samuel resigns and leaves. As of now the PCC does not have any functional Constitution that is fair, transparent, objective and reflects the Presbyterian System of Government in the light of the Holy Scriptures. For that reason, the Constitutional Council created by Rev Fonki Samuel, which has given him absolute powers to commit all the atrocities in the PCC are asked to excuse themselves .

b)    The commission to investigate the corruption of Rev Fonki Samuel and his club of Friends will be established by the Interim Governing Council

c) The Reformation and Reconciliation Committee(RRC) of the PCC will be established by the Interim Governing Council of the PCC with proper guidelines to look into the problems of the PCC through the lens of the Presbyterian Belief System, the Reformed Theology of John Calvin, Holy Scriptures and International Labor Organization with respect to the rights of PCC workers,https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/mission-and-objectives/lang–en/index.htm ,the persecution of Pastors and Christians, etc

d} All PCC congregations, and Presbyteries, departments, schools, Health Care Centers and Hospitals, Pressbook, Prescraft, RTCs, PTS and others will continue to function with a high degree of transparency and accountability in full cooperation with the Interim Governing Council. By the same token all Presbyterians are called upon to cooperate fully to ensure that the voices of all Presbyterians will be heard.  A follow –up document to underscore the nature and scope of the reformation of the PCC will be released sooner than later in the next publication with just and equitable recommendations to God’s people

Humbly Submitted,

Brother Jonathan F Awasom

Reformed Presbyterian Pastor /Christian

Advocate for Reforms in the PCC  since 1999 in Cameroon & USA

Contact :  Jonathan_light2000@yahoo.com

Cellular : 2018785829

cc

The Synod Clerk of the PCC

The Presbyterial Secretaries of the PCC

All Pastors, Elders  and Presbyterians , students at the PTS

The Minister of Territorial Administration of Cameroon

The Governors of the all regions hosting PCC Presbyteries and Institutions

All foreign Embassies in Cameroon

Traditional Authorities in the North and South West Regions

The All African Council of Churches

The World Council of Churches

The International Labour Organization

The PCUSA  and the Presbyterian Churches of Scotland and co

The Consortium of Theological Seminaries in the USA , Canada and Europe

The Basel Mission

Tuesday July 19 began like any other day in Boston. After the usual early morning standing appointment with God, I embarked on the chores of the day, mainly, academic work. Around mid-morning. Everything changed. The news came that Fr. Didimus Nformi YOMBO was no more! He had died in a ghastly accident on his way to Buea, after procuring his study visa at the US Embassy in Yaoundé. At first, I thought it wasn’t true. This could not be true. He was supposed to be in Boston in August. Everything was ready for him to begin his graduate studies at Boston College. How could this be?

I met Didimus while attending a wedding in Buea in January of this year, and again in February, after the Ratzinger Conference at CATUC, Bamenda, when we stopped over in Buea on our way to the airport to visit with Bishop Bibi. He came across as very welcoming, humble and unassuming, eager to make a visitor feel at home. And I remember saying to him while leaving Small Soppo, see you in Boston and hope that you study Ratzinger when you come to Boston College! He smiled. I guess that was a mortal’s wish! After all, I am just a man, limited by finitude. A creature. It was never to be! How could I have known! Boston was never to be enriched by the presence of Didimus, a young priest, gone too soon, I would say, and under very painful circumstances.

I spent much of the day in the chapel, just staring at Jesus in the Tabernacle. Praying the breviary felt dry. No emotions. No words could express anything. Just staring at the Tabernacle was all one could do, in utter shock. I asked Jesus countless times: Why, Lord? What does this mean? What value is his death to you? Did you think of this young man’s mother? And many other questions. It was a Job-like experience, and like Job, I am not sure the Lord answered me. Perhaps I was talking to myself and not to Him. But I was in His presence. He was there. He is always there, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. How could He not be there? He has been a Prisoner of the Tabernacle for over 2000 years. How could you be, Jesus, and you allow such a thing to happen to a young priest of yours? Why place such a promising future before him, and then not give him the opportunity to pursue it? Why show David that he is going to become king, only to leave him as a shepherd for the rest of his life? Does not Scripture say that hope deferred makes the heart sick? (Proverbs 13:12). Are you really there, Jesus, and yet are allowing such pain in the world?

At one point, my thoughts went to the question of the non-existence of God in the Summa of Aquinas. Two objections stand out supporting the non-existence of God, for Aquinas: divine omnipotence (God is all powerful), and divine omnibenevolence (God is all good). If God is all powerful and all good and yet, there is evil in the world, then we are left with a scenario of two alternatives: either God is all powerful and yet not all good because he allows for evil to inflict the world; or, God is all good but not all powerful, again, because of God’s inability to stamp out evil in the world. And the dilemma that Aquinas raises is captured by Dostoevsky The Grand Inquisitor in more stark terms: Ivan rejects or rebels against God, attempting to persuade his believing brother Alyosha, that God’s ordering of creation and Christ’s redemption are basically ineffective, based on a simple premise: God has been unable to free the world of suffering, pain and evil. Aquinas’ resolution of the impasse between Divine omnipotence and omnibenevolence leaves Ivan unpersuaded.

My thoughts further pondered Vatican II’s description of death in the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes: it is when faced with death that the human being is most caught up in doubt. Human beings are tormented by the thought of their ceasing to be, and rightfully so (Gaudium et Spes, 18). And there is an underlining reason for the fear of death, as Ratzinger points out in his treatment of Eschatology, namely, the state of incommunicability regarding the foundation of human existence, that is, love. In death, we are unable to respond to love. We enter into a state of aloneness. And this, to Ratzinger, accounts for the excruciating pain that characterizes death.

Caught up in these thoughts, it occurred to me that though I had spent a good deal of time in the silence of the chapel, God wasn’t going to provide an explanation to me regarding the painful passing of Didimus. Perhaps like Job, even if God spoke, He was going to bully me into silence by posing questions that a finite mind like mine wouldn’t be able to answer. Or maybe God’s silence was his speech. He had done it before. This was not the first time that God was staying silent in the face of death. He did same one Friday afternoon on a hill outside Jerusalem called Calvary. And history is repleted with examples of God staying silent when one would have loved him to say a word. I think of the death of my own sisters, late twenty and early thirty in age, two years apart. God stayed silent. And other sufferings over the years, such as when a young child dies! Or when a young child is suffering from so much pain, hospitalized! God appears to always stay silent when we would need him to speak. Again, could God’s silence be God’s speech? Or maybe God knows that speech in such circumstances cannot resolve anything.

Perhaps the best God can do in the situation of the tragic death of Didimus is just God’s presence. He had promised in the revelation of His Sacred Name to Israel – Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh (Exodus 3:14) – I will be with you in the manner in which I will be with you. Perhaps Buber and Levinas were right after all: the Tetragrammaton was not, in the first place, about being, ontology or metaphysics. It was about presence: God will be present with Israel. God will be present with us, in life and in death. And precisely that presence, even if He does not speak, leaves the possibility for hope open. God is present, even when God does not speak. I am not alone. And so, God is presence, because God is being. That is the Ratzingerian synthesis: being and presence are not antithetical.

Like Job and like Jesus, we end where we began: God has refused to speak. God has refused to answer. God has refused to take the witness stand to provide me an explanation for why Didimus had to go so soon in such a painful way. And yet God is not nothing. God is there. Perhaps, with Newman, I could only console myself with these thoughts: “God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do His work (…) Therefore, I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am. I can never be thrown away” (St. John Henry Newman). We must learn to live with God’s silence. May the soul of Didimus, priest of God, rest in the peace of the Silent God, Amen. May he pray for us who are still on the way. See you, Fr Didimus, in the heavenly Boston College. We will discuss theology there, with Augustine, Aquinas, Bonaventure, and other great minds, not leaving out your patron saint, St. Didimus the Blind (c. 318 – 398), Dean of the Theological School of Alexandria, disciple of Origen of Alexandria.

By Fr Maurice Agbaw-Ebai

In The Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer wrote, “the world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God, and the Church is famishing for want of His Presence.” It is a demonstrable fact that the lack of knowledge and Presence of God has characterized the leadership of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC) since 2014. And this tragedy does not look like ending soon.

The Presbyterian Church in Cameroon has an archaic law that the position of Moderator rotates between the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon. The genesis of this rule is politics, not spiritual, and this law is illogical and ridiculous. The current Moderator and leader of the Church, Rev Fonki Samuel Forba, despite his name, says he is from Akwaya and presented himself when he campaigned for the role of Moderator of the PCC as a candidate from the Southwest region.

It is pointless to state the obvious now, but Rev Fonki was never a treasured leader when he became Moderator of the PCC. He won the Moderatorship because Rev Abwenzoh W. Membong and Rev Besong Johnson Tabe could not sort themselves out before the election. Also, many in the Church, particularly those from the Southwest caucus, didn’t consider the boring details of scrutinizing the candidates before the election in 2014.

Cameroon Concord News Group has been informed that since his rise to the top, Rev Fonki excises power without responsibility. He commands almost complete loyalty by cramming the top positions in the PCC with unintelligent and spiritually vacuous nobodies. The Synod of the PCC and a majority of the pastors heading presbyteries throughout the national territory are all active and willing arm of the Fonkian enterprise. Most pastors in strategic positions and large congregations in the PCC have been put there by Rev Fonki Samuel Forba as privatized propagandists, apologists, bullies, and infiltrators. These co-criminals see Fonki as one of their own and love him dearly. With undiluted assurance and protection from his subjects, he is free to wreck the PCC, and he is doing so astoundingly.

Rev Fonki has a dark and devilish mindset with CPDM propensities and tends to transfer adversaries or intellectual and spiritual superiors to inaccessible territories. Cameroon Concord News Group can reveal that Rev Besong Johnson Tabe, who was once the Secretary of the Committee of the Ministry, is now languishing in Barombi Kang, a pocket-sized rural community on the fringes of Kumba. Rev Mokoko Mbue, a former Communications Secretary and one of the rising stars of the PCC communion is now in exile precisely in a congregation in Bafousam.

Church outsiders have sometimes questioned the management skills of many a past Moderator. But for the first time, PCC congregants are now openly questioning their Moderator’s spirituality and suitability for office. A member of PC Mamfe Town said, “It is beyond obvious that he has no spiritual bone in his body. We have to pray that 2024 comes soon for him to leave our Church”.

Recent events in PC Kumba Town where the congregants and Chairwoman pushed for the disgraced Pastor Mary Wose to leave their congregation have attracted commentaries and under-the-table talk from around the globe. Still, loud silence is the only response from the Moderator. Why? The Moderator’s take on the matter betrays his determination to force Mary Wose upon the Church in PC Kumba Town. The issue in Kumba is so scandalous that practicing witchcraft professionals have now been consulted by both sides to bring the matter to a speedy close.

Cameroon Concord News Group believes that the PC Kumba Town saga is the most shameful calamity ever to engulf the PCC. Close members of the Moderator’s team told this publication that he is nursing soreness in his leg and other ailments, which is why he has not issued a public statement on the PC Kumba Town saga. We wish him well and look forward to his public statement on the matter as his health improves.

The ways of the Lord are simplicity, honesty and charity, but that is not what Rev Fonki stands for. With several buildings and business projects in Buea, Limbe, Bamenda and many other towns in Cameroon, he has made the amassment of obscene wealth one of his primary goals.

Under Rev Fonki, PCC congregants must now pay 10% of their incomes as tithes. This questionable scheme has been introduced by concocting a section of congregants’ communion cards to show these payments. Cameroon has a high unemployment rate, and salaries and wages are forever infrequent. Presbyterian secondary and primary school teachers have been going without wages for months and sometimes years. If the PCC can’t pay its teachers despite raking in hundreds of millions from grants, gifts, school fees and aid from abroad, how should these people pay the tithes intended to fuel the flashy and ungodly lifestyle of their Moderator?

Rev Fonki is now a celebrity pastor. On his journeys, there is a convoy with his flamboyant motor vehicle. The poor boy from Akwaya/Menchum is now living the dream. The child who only learned about three square meals daily as an academic concept is now a superstar pastor. Lucky boy! But he must know that he is not living according to the word of the Lord, and the Almighty has distinctive ways of punishing spiritual misconduct. Rev Fonki should draw a lesson from the late Bishop Pius Suh Awah, who ended up on a wheelchair because of his spiritual crimes against Father Kumbha Etienne.

Last year, Rev Fonki started putting together a dubious succession plan by choosing his wife, Rev Perpetua Fonki, as the Communications Secretary of the PCC. A member of PC Bafut said, “Mrs. Pepetua Fonki is the one who runs the PCC now, and she is the mastermind of their numerous financial ventures; whatever she tells Samuel Forba to do, he does. She wants to succeed him as Moderator, and because she is from the Northwest, you will see she will win the position at the next election”.

Rev Fonki Samuel is doing what no other Moderator ever succeeded in; building a deep rift between the Southwest and Northwest factions within the PCC. Thanks to him, there is now an active and robust conversation about breaking the PCC into Northwest and Southwest factions. Although Rev Fonki blames the devil, Manyu and the Bakossi people for his troubles, a source close to him has informed Cameroon Concord News Group that the Northwest faction of the Church will rigorously challenge his fantasy succession plan.

In 2019, the people of Ukraine voted for a comedian and ended up with a serious leader. In 2014, the PCC voted for a Moderator and spiritual leader, and they have had to endure a spiritually vacuous, morally bankrupt, and dangerous comedian. He should summon some humility and leave the PCC now.

By Isong Asu

Cameroon Concord News Group Senior Political Researcher

In the next piece in this series, Cameroon Concord News Group explores the Bible’s teachings on the amassment of vulgar wealth by the Church leaders.