When Choice – Still - Avails Itself

“Mine was a one-term tenure, inundated by joy and pain. There were limitless litigations masterminded by some underwriters who pocketed the church, the CBC, as their economic milking cow. But we were comforted and assured by the Lord’s promises to build His church, and that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” Rev. Dr. Nditemeh Charlemagne told worshippers. In Etoug-Ebe Baptist Church, Yaounde on Sunday, January 5, 2025.  

Groundbreaking Reforms
The one-term, four-year tenure of Rev. Dr. Nditemeh Charlemagne as Executive President or leader of the Cameroon Baptist Convention, CBC, nevertheless saw groundbreaking constitutional reforms and an imprint of “spiritual affirmative action.” Enabling Rev. Dr. Teke John to be elected as successor to Rev. Dr. Nditemeh. Thus becoming the second minister of God from the South West Region to head the CBC in 70 years of existence as an autonomous church. Since 1954.   

Sendforth Service 
It was for this, and several other reasons that thousands of CBC Christians gathered in Etoug-Ebe Baptist Church, Yaounde on Sunday, January 5, 2025. For the sendforth service for the outgoing CBC Executive President, Rev. Dr. Nditemeh Charlemagne. Present at the great event were cabinet ministers, representatives of Christian organisations, institutions and other dignitaries. Including the incoming CBC executive – CBC Chairperson, Kongor John Kwa, CBC Vice Chairperson, Mrs. Sofa Caroline, and CBC Executive President, Rev. Dr. Teke John. The outgoing CBC Chair, Yosimbom Mkong John, led a delegation of his executive. 

Dignitaries Were There 
There were words of acknowledgement and encouragement from representatives of CEPCA (the organization of Protestant Churches of Cameroon), Yosimbom Mkong John, Rev. Jumbuin Enoch, Pastor, Yaounde Field Conference of CBC Churches; the Traditional Ruler of Bangolan (Rev. Dr. Nditemeh’s home village), His Royal Majesty Senator Fon Chafah 11, and a representative of CBC directors. Rev. Dr. Joseph Jikong, the Senior Pastor of Etoug-Ebe Baptist Church, and Rev. Jumbuin Enoch, took turns in compering the event.  

It’s Your Choice
In his sermon from Joshua 24:14-27 titled “You still have a choice,” Rev. Njobara Nelson of Salvation Baptist Church, Molyko South, Buea, revisited the story of Joshua, the new leader of the Israelites, who were about to cross River Jordan into the Promised Land. He said Joshua was resolute, restating his firm belief in God and warning his people against idol worship. Adding that unlike the Israelites who tended to serve foreign gods, Joshua, just like his predecessor, Moses, remained true to his faith. Reason why God granted Joshua great victories and he was able to take over the Promised Land. 

Like Joshua, Like Moses 
Like Joshua, Christians need to make careful, but hard choices in life, Rev. Njobara said. Describing Rev. Dr. Nditemeh Charlemagne as “a true primitive Christian of our time whose leadership of the CBC was exemplary, practical and characterized by humility, truth, equity and evidential development.” To Rev. Dr. Nditemeh, church leadership should not be based on tribe. “Rev. Dr. Nditemeh suffered stiff resistance in the CBC more than Joshua faced from the Israelites. Yet, he still made the choice to oppose all ills in order to uphold the spiritual integrity of the CBC,” Rev. Njobara noted.      

Came From All Over 
“We had a large crowd of CBC Christians from all parts of Cameroon – including the northern part of the country. I felt privileged and honoured at the same time. I spent four years at the head of the CBC, which were not easy, but the Lord helped me. My word for the CBC, and by extension, to the nation, is that of peace (John 14:27). 

Peace Overrides Everything 
“I ask Cameroon Baptist Convention Christians and all other Christians to remain in peace and promote peace. I have left behind a lot of infrastructural development and holistic development just like Jesus Christ did when He was leaving the disciples. I call on all CBC Christians to abandon tribalism and ad infinitum leadership. We should practise inclusive leadership, that is what I believe in,” Rev. Dr. Nditemeh told the media at the end of the service. 

Leadership Mantra  
“I hail from the royal family of Bangolan village, Babessi Subdivision, Ngoketunjia Division of the North West Region, which is currently headed by His Royal Majesty, Senator Fon Chafah 11,” Rev. Dr. Nditemeh introduced himself to worshippers earlier in the service. Recalling that four years ago (in January 2021) when he took up leadership of the Cameroon Baptist Convention, CBC following an election, he was inspired by a leadership mantra. Which comprised truth, equity and development.

Most Challenged, Most Achieved
Rev. Dr. Nditemeh cited a welcome address by Douala Field during his visit on April 27, 2024: “Your four-year mandate as Executive President under the leadership mantra of truth, equity and development has been one of the most challenged and most achieved in the past decade. We witnessed progress during this period – the school property in Bafoussam bought and transformed into two campuses.” 

Great Privilege, Honour 
Nditemeh noted that more was achieved. Noting, “Truth be told again, it was concomitantly a privilege and honour of my life to serve in the highest office of the Cameroon Baptist Convention. I learnt so early that Christian leadership is so different from other forms of corporate leadership. Leadership is being at the service of people for the service of that people. From this, it was, and remained my profound conviction that is not too much for a servant leader to sacrifice their position for the sake of peace and unity,” he went on. 

For The Sake Of Peace, Unity 
“While I will never sacrifice truth on the altar of peace, it is but normal to sacrifice leadership on the altar of peace and unity. That is why, though confident of running and winning a second mandate, my family and I decided to set aside a second mandate in a bid to score two goals at the same time. 
“The one was to give peace a chance with some people in the CBC funding court cases because of reasons informed CBC Christians already know so well. The second goal was for the sake of equity to match my public words with action. As a former US President, Eisenhower once said: “The supreme quality of leadership is unquestionable integrity.” 

Here Comes Rev. Dr. Teke John!
Rev. Dr. Charlemagne sadly recalled that for 70 years since the CBC gained autonomy (in 1954), only one leader from the South West Region where the church began has led the CBC at the pinnacle. …. Reason why from the first day as CBC Executive President, he emphasized spiritual affirmative action for inclusive leadership. And that leadership in the CBC should be seen as a sharing ministry; rather than a “regional monopoly or a tribal trophy.” 

After 40 Long Years 
Rev. Dr. Nditemeh cautioned that leadership in any communal structure or association is not a personal, tribal or regional property. Explaining that his “humble decision not to stand for a second term was conceived to see a dream come true on the sands of time. By giving the chance to a qualified servant of God from the South West Region to lead the CBC after more than 40 years that someone from the region held that position.”

Jesus’ Model 
According to him, God sent a suffering Messiah to build a spiritual kingdom by changing people’s hearts. He did not send a powerful conqueror to build an earthly empire. Instead, Jesus built a spiritual kingdom made up of people of various tribe, language and nation …… 

Please, Support Rev. Dr. Teke!
“I wish to seize this opportunity, dear CBC Christians, to again call on all of you to give true and unflinching support to the incoming CBC Executive President, Rev. Dr. Teke John. I hold you CBC Christians as witnesses, I hold the public as witnesses that I have committed myself and declared that Rev. Dr. Teke John will never have a single sleepless night provoked by me. As you all know, I have had uncountable weeks of sleepless nights provoked by my predecessors. Rev. Dr. Teke will never have that in Jesus’ name!” Nditemeh pledged. <...