Fight for PCC Moderator goes dirty

The crisis rocking Presbyterian Church Tiko Town, The SUN has learnt is not unconnected to the fight for the election of a new Moderator and a new Synod Clerk for the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC). The mandate of the current PCC Moderator, Rt. Rev. Dr. Festus Ambe Asana ends this November.

According to our findings, a new Moderator and Synod Clerk for the PCC will be elected when the Synod Committee of the church meets in Bamenda on November 21 and November 22; days after the celebration of the 57thPresbyterian Church Day.

The Synod Committee, The SUN learnt, is made up of Presbytery Secretaries, Presbytery Chairmen and one elected delegate from each presbytery. General Managers of PCC business units, the National Presidents of the Christian Men’s Fellowship, Christian Women Fellowship and the Christian Youth Fellowship as well as senior officials of the Cameroon Christian University are also expected to vote the new PCC executives.

The secretaries of all the boards and committees of the Church will also attend the Bamenda conclave in November. The outgoing Moderator, Synod Clerk and Financial Secretary will attend the Bamenda Synod as ex-officio members.

PCC regulations indicate that all ordained pastors of the church who have served for at least 15 years are qualified to contest for the office of Moderator and that of the Synod Clerk.

“We are merely at the first level of election of elders, and only ordained pastors can nominate candidates for Moderator and Synod Clerk from a list drawn up by the Synod Clerk, whose prerogative is to draw up the list of nominees. But this year, in consultation with the Moderator, we did build up the list at a coordination meeting on December 17, 2013 at Church Centre, Mankon in Bamenda,” Abwenzoh had hinted in April this year.

He said ordained pastors send their nominations to their respective presbyteries in sealed envelopes where they are opened and the top three for the posts of Moderator, and Synod Clerk are sorted out. The Synod then calls for an electoral commission comprising nine persons; four pastors and five lay persons.

For now, PCC sources hint that Rev. Abwenzoh Williams Membong, outgoing Synod Clerk is gunning for the office of Moderator together with Rev. Fonki Samuel of PC Bastos and one Rev. Besong.

Given the succession trend within the PCC, Rev. Abwenzoh stands on pole position, but ironically, a list of candidates eligible for the post of moderator that had earlier been published did not have the name of Rev. Abwenzoh.

The list was said to be published by a commission put up by the moderator to organise the elections. This breaks the tradition in the church which is that the list is published by the Synod Clerk and then an election committee is put in place.

According to the PCC booklet of regulations, the Moderator must be elected at least 5years before his retirement. The moderator retires at the age of 65 and so anyone gunning for the five-year mandate must be 60 years and below.

Rev. William Abwenzoh Membong was born on April 26 1953 at Epen-One in Elambeng Bajoh, Bangem subdivision, Kupe Muanengouba Division, Southwest Region. This means that he is 61 years old and does not qualify to be voted as moderator.

Church insiders hinted The SUN that in 2009, the outgoing moderator also had a similar problem, but he was given clearance by the Synod Committee to stand for the elections when he was 61 years old, given that he was born on March 30 1948.

Given that Rev. Asana was favoured, he has been pressured by the Synod Committee of the Church to allow for Rev. Abwenzoh to stand for the elections.

“The Synod Committee met and we insisted that Abwenzoh should be added an extra year so that he will retire at the age of 66, not 65. There was a procedure that saw Rev. Asana benefit and equity will not accept that Rev. Abwenzoh should not benefit from this favour,” a PCC insider said.

Some elders in PC Tiko and PC Bota Middle farms were voted out in Fako because there had made their stands clear that Abwenzoh and not Fonki be voted Moderator.

Given that they were members of the Synod, they had to be voted out at the level of their congregations so that they don’t jeopardise the chances of Rev. Fonki who is said to be Rev. Asana’s in-law.

They argue that it is time for the Moderator to come from the South West and that Abwenzoh is the right person. They allege that though Rev. Fonki grew up in Bombe in Akwaya, he is from the North West Region.

Though all of these remain baseless allegations, Rev. Fonki is described in many circles as an accomplished pastor.

Rev. Fochang Babila George has however been tipped as favourite for the office of PCC Synod Clerk.