Buea: The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC), Rt. Rev Miki Hans Abia, has declared the five years of his mandate to be driven towards strengthening the church's mission and edifying its members. He emphasized a back-to-gospel approach to the church's outreach. Moderator Miki Hans made this known during his induction and institution at the esplanade of the Presbyterian Comprehensive Secondary School Buea on March 16.
According to Cameroon News Agency, in the same service, the Rev. Ayuk Solomon Eta was inducted as PCC Synod Clerk with a charge to serve diligently. The solemn church ritual was witnessed by hundreds of PCC clergy, other church and religious leaders like the Rev. Dr. Teke John Ekema, Executive President of the Cameroon Baptist Convention, and the Imam of Buea. The Minister of Supreme State Audit, Mbah Acha Rose, was also in attendance alongside the South West governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai, together with chiefs, local authorities, and thousands of Christians.
In a sermon lasting over fifty minutes inspired by Acts 15:36,41, Moderator Miki captioned his meditation and five-year-long mandate as, 'strengthening; edifying: A call to consolidate and accommodate one another.' He thanked God for his humble journey, while emphasizing the place of revival in the church's mission, means of living, and evangelizing.
'Let us return to every town where we have preached the word of the Lord and let us see how our people are doing. This talks about system strengthening, which means that we can actually expand God's kingdom without necessarily expanding our territory,' Rt. Rev Miki Hans asserted.
Moderator Miki added that their leadership focus and engagements will be to strengthen the church's mission and institutions and also identify and inspire each other for better performance. He noted that his mandate was to be centered on the spiritual health of PCC congregations, the moral integrity of leadership, and the unity of its mission.
Moreover, the PCC chief shepherd explained that the journey of togetherness is always challenged by conflict. It is of this mind that he referenced biblical Paul and Barnabas, who still labored together despite their differences. He went on to charge pastors and church members not to mastermind pressure against the church if their way of thought is not accepted, but to give grace to one another.
As a way forward, Moderator Miki called on his hearers to sincerely give in to reconciliation now that the church elections were over. He disclosed he had reached out to several persons who had raised voices of distress during the elections. Going forward, he hoped a new era was born for reconciliation and inclusivity in the PCC.
'Let us not be spectators in this call to strengthen and edify, but be the active participants. Let our hands strengthen the weak. Our voices reconcile that which is divided, and our hearts embrace the renewal of the spirit. Yes, let us join hands - and the time to do so is now,' Moderator Miki emphasized as he hoped for a more united church.