Presbyterian Church in Tiko Town rocked by crisis

- Election of elders splits church
- Christians say ‘Rosicrucian’ also voted
- Synod petitioned over FCFA 22 million alleged embezzlement

There is a divide between the Christians of Presbyterian Church (PC) Tiko Town after elections of Elders of the congregation was conducted twice in six months. Even the Parish Pastor, Rev. Kulu Mokake Daniel is helpless in the face of the crisis rocking the church.

The SUN learnt that in August 2014, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC), Rt. Rev. Dr. Festus Ambe Asana challenged the results of the election of elders conducted six months ago, arguing that they ended at the level of nominations.

The Moderator went on to order for fresh elections in PC Tiko Town. He commissioned his representative to the North West Region, Rev. Ignatius Jum and three other members of the Synod Executive Committee for the Church to conduct the elections.

Rev. Jum in a monologue on August 31said the fresh elections will be done in zones as had been laid down by the Parish Pastor, Rev. Kulu Mokake in the previous elections. Nominations were done same day.

After the nominations, petitions were filed to the Rev. Jum-led election committee by aggrieved Christians and those who felt cheated.

One of the complaints written by Nganje Ndumbe is captioned: “injustice in the nomination in Zone 1”.

It read: “Mr. Mbonde Martin and Mammy Tanui Susan who have been nominated in Zone 1 do not live there. You have come to correct elections in Tiko, and to correct it once and for all. You should ask Mr. Mbonde and Mammy Tanui Susan to go and become elders in their parishes if they must be one.”

Another petition read: “We wish to humbly call your attention to the fact that the nomination exercise of August 31, 2014 which was agreed that should be done according to Zones was flagrantly violated by Brother Ekema who knows very well that he lives in Zone 6, but rather misrepresented the Christians of Zone 7.”

Several other petitions were filed, amongst them, one by Barrister Nnoko Ngaanje Stanley in which he chimes in with others to decry the injustice in the nominations.

Rev. Jum, had on August 31 said Christians residing at Tiko-Douala Road, Likomba and Golf Quarters shall choose their elders from Christians resident at the Likomba Round-about down to the education office.

On Sunday, September 7, 2014, when the elections finally took place, Rev. Jum mounted the rostrum and announced that several petitions were filed in to challenge the nominations. He however stated that the petitions were not looked into for lack of time.

After ignoring the petitions, Rev. Jum ordered for elections to go on, even when the quorum was not attained. The result sheets indicate that about 420 persons took part in the elections.

The Parish Pastor of PC Tiko Town, Rev. Kulu Mokake in a chat with The SUN said the congregation has about 2,000 Christians. According to the PCC constitution, a quorum is 50 percent of the Christians of the congregation plus one. The constitution states that the quorum must be attained before elections are conducted.

By conducting elections without a quorum, Rev. Jum seems to have violated the constitution he was assigned to protect. In fact, Rev. Jum virtually went on his kneels to convince one Madam Kweti Joan to accept to be voted Elder of Zone 2.

In fact during the entire election process, the parish pastor of PC Tiko Town, Rev. Kulu Mokake was relegated to the background. Many are those who hold that Rev. Jum stage-managed the elections.

“The Synod Committee has manifested bad faith on the Christians of Zone 7 which will not be taken lightly. We cannot be happy when Zone 6 has two resident elders and we have none,” an aggrieved Christian smacked.

Given that the moderator’s representative, Rev. Jum seemingly lacked the charisma to handle the situation, many are those who opine that the elections of September 7 was an attempt to flush out two elders – Nyam Calvin and Faison Walter – the only two elders who were voted out of the session voted six months ago.

“If the elections conducted six months ago violated the constitution, the parish pastor should have been punished for knowing the law and not applying it,” a Christian said in anger.

After the elections, Retired Elder Faison Walter told The SUN that there is plenty of hypocrisy in the church. In fact, it was Brother Barrister Nnoko Ngaanje Stanley who lashed out at the fact that “even a Rosicrucian was allowed to vote”.

“I was elected an Elder by the Christians and I have been voted out. If I have to be out for peace to reign, let it reign. I’m going to retreat for some time, not because of the elections, but because of the hypocrisy that doesn’t permit Christians to work in God’s vineyard,” Faison said.

Faison explained that six months ago when they were voted for another mandate, the Rev. Kulu held a retreat with the newly elected and outgoing session during which they took “a reconciliation oath and authorised the pastor to go ahead with the dedication.” He said Elder Mbonde during the congregational meeting before the fresh elections stupefied the parish pastor, when he (Mbonde) deviated from what had been agreed prior to the meeting.

In a petition dated September 8, and addressed to the PCC Moderator, Barrister Nnoko wrote: “Now that the elections were conducted even without a quorum, non-communicants and Rosicrucian voted…”

A day after, on September 9, Barrister Nnoko addressed a letter to the Presbyterial Secretary for Fako South in which he requests for “the auditing of PC Tiko Town project accounts.”

He regrets that the project committee “has no records of two major projects undertaken by the past session – sanctuary and ceiling projects – which were hijacked by the former congregational chairperson and Elder Mbonde martin.” Barrister Nnoko says he wants to be convinced how FCFA 22 million was spent on these projects.

Parish Pastor, Rev. Kulu reacts Contacted to expound on the crisis rocking his congregation, Rev. Kulu Mokake of PC Tiko Town said 18 elders were elected on September 7, following the cancellation of similar elections held six months ago.

Rev. Kulu wondered why the Presbyterial Secretary for Fako South was side-lined in the whole process. He went on to discard rumours that he has been conniving with some elders to steal from the church’s coffers.

“I don’t know where such allegations are coming from. The pastor doesn’t touch money. They only money I sign is special collections meant for the Synod and my allowance as a pastor,” Rev. Kulu said.

Mbonde Martin speaks out The congregational chairperson-elect of PC Tiko Town, Elder Martin Mbonde rubbished all allegations against him. He insisted that he lives in Zone 1.

Mbonde said: “The records of the Ceiling and Sanctuary projects are there for all to see. These two projects have been received and dedicated by the Church…all such allegations are malicious. I was not a project committee chairman and I don’t see why they say I’ve refused to hand over the project file…I’m not a Rosicrucian. How do I communicate with them? I’m not paid as elder or even as congregational chairman. I’m only a servant of God.”

As we went to press, the Secretary, Financial Secretary and members of the Finance Committee of PC Tiko Town were voted yesterday.