Cameroon: CBC Declares October 15 As National Day Of Mourning For Victims Of October 1 Homicide

The Executive President of the Cameroon Baptist Convention, Rev. Ncham Godwill Chiatoh, has set aside Sunday October 15 as a day for all Baptist Christians in Cameroon to mourn the Anglophones who were massacred by armed soldiers on Sunday October 1.

According a communique signed by Rev. Ncham Godwill, addressed to all Pastors of the Cameroon Baptist Convention, titled: “Communiqué on the Prevailing Socio-political Situation in Cameroon”, the Executive President also calls on all and sundry to continue praying and seeking the face of God in the midst of the turbulence.

The communiqué reads: “In the midst of the prevailing socio-political challenges plaguing our country, Cameroon, let us reaffirm our commitment to continue to pray and seek the face of God.

We have set the month of October for prayer and fasting but Sunday October 15, shall be a day of mourning in solidarity with those who have lost their loved ones.

On that day, all Christians are called upon to put on black for its symbolism.”

The Pastor called on Christians to identify with the victims and families who have lost their loved ones, those who are suffering in pains, injury, arrests and other forms of torture, consequent on the crises, by praying for them and visiting them.

He urged Christians to unite and pray that a peace and reconciliation commission is put in place to diffuse the tension and deep seated bitterness that has built up during these crises and that the sovereign Lord would intervene in a manner that blesses his people and glorifies His Holy Name.

“We strongly denounce all forms of injustice, torture, violence and killing irrespective of who the perpetrators are. Based on our belief in the sanctity of life, no one has the right to take the life of another except God.

Stressing on the Love of God, Rev. Ncham Godwill quoted Romans 5:8; &1 John 4, saying that the hate propaganda between English and French speaking Cameroonians is from the pit of hell and must be shunned.

Here-iterated the call of the Cameroon Baptist Convention as articulated in its December 9, 2016 official statement that, “...open, meaningful and sincere dialogue...” without recourse to any subject as taboo. Such a dialogue, he went on, should address the root causes of the crises.

The communique reads further: “Pastors and ministers of the gospel within the Cameroon Baptist Convention are hereby reminded to continue to make the difference, being apostles and prophets who are both biblical and contextual in their preaching. In the midst of suspicion and victimization those who preach are to be wise, avoiding extemporaneous preaching and to preach from full scripts: that way, you take responsibility for what you preach without giving an opportunity to anyone to put words into your mouth.”

He concluded by calling on Christians to thank God for bringing ‘the powers that be’ to reasoning that they decided to throw-out the case that was pending in court against church leaders.