In addition to exerting influence over political parties in the country, Paul Atanga Nji, Minister of the Territorial Administration, has once again made headlines for his involvement in determining the leadership of the true church of God in Cameroon.
The incident on Saturday, March 16, resulted in Christians being subjected to severe beatings and detentions due to his involvement in deciding the church’s leadership. They attended the church service because Atanga Nji’s well-known pastor was making arrangements to establish his leadership team. It was reported that a group of individuals gathered at Ngousso to express their grievances.
Images shared with MMI depicted Christians with visible facial injuries, allegedly caused by the actions of law enforcement and German authorities within the church. Individuals attempting to document the events faced brutal physical assault, resulting in the destruction of their mobile devices.
“Now as I am talking to you, the army is beating Christians, and if they see me writing to you, I don’t know what they will do to me,” a church member told MMI.
“Atanga Nji is not even a member of this community, but how could he make such decisions? Since when did Minat decide to nominate a pastor for a church? They went with all pastors who were against the imposing letters of the minister.” MMI was told in a distress call.
Genesis of the crisis in the True Church of God of Cameroon.
In 2020, the world bid farewell to Rev. Apostle Toukea Nestor, the visionary founder of the VEDC. Prior to his passing, he had erected a statue outlining the process for choosing the future leader of the church.
“That the pastor who has influenced, who has imposition of hand, who can organize holy communion in church will be chosen by acclamation,” the statute said.
In February 2021, an extraordinary general assembly was held by VEDC. During this assembly, Pastor Landry Tchana Tchamy emerged as the sole candidate who met the necessary criteria to assume leadership of the church.
Pastor Abate Francois chaired the assembly that resulted in Landry Tchana being chosen as VEDC’s president. He made sure to have Landry present during the Assembly in Yaounde, where Christians from 600 different assemblies all over Cameroon had gathered.
Two months after the installation of Landry Tchana, Pastor Abate Abate Francois, who did not meet any criteria, drafted another statute that could potentially benefit him. He asserted his position as the head of the church, resulting in the division of VEDC.
It was at that moment that Christians became aware of Abate’s actions. He had taken the decision of the 2021 GA to MINAT, but had replaced Pastor Landry Tchana’s name with his own.
Abate then organised a gathering in Ayos that would ultimately result in his selection as the leader of the church.
Concerns were raised by members of the Christian community regarding the alleged unlawful actions of Pastor Abate Francois, which were said to be causing disruption within VEDC.
On June 9, 2023, the Divisional Officer of Ayos, Moloka Alain Ekwe, signed a communiqué in which he banned the planned GA by Abate Francios. “Decision number 35/D/J09-02/SP PROHIBITING THE HOLDING OF AN EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE TRUE CHURCH OF GOD OF CAMEROON IN AYOS,” the D.O.’s order stated, “Article 1: From the date of signing of this decision, the holding of the Extraordinary Session of the General Assembly of the True Church of God of Cameroon scheduled for Wednesday, June 14, 2023, in Ayos is prohibited.”
The D.O. of Ayos argues that it was because of “tension and confusion down within the said church.” Mokala emphasised that anyone who violates the provisions of this decision will face prosecution and the penalties outlined in the current regulations.
Meanwhile, on June 19, 2023, Minister Paul Atanga Nji, supposedly Abate’s friend, signed another communique that went contrary to that of the D.O. “Reverend Pastor. By acknowledging receipt of your correspondence cited in reference, relating to the above subject, I have the honor to inform you that I take note of the changes that have occurred within the True Church of God of Cameroon following the Extraordinary General Assembly of Ayos held on June 17, 2023, in particular the modification of the statutes and internal regulations as well as the designation of the members of the Fixed Ex Work whose composition is as follows,” Minister Atanga Nji said.
The June 2023 Extra Ordinary GA was the one that had been prohibited by the D.O. Since then, Pastor Landry Tchana has faced legal proceedings and was even held in custody.
According to Pastor Abate, the founder of the church was a Bamelike, and it was now the turn of a person from the center region to oversee the church. Christians in Landry’s camp believe that MINAT Boss can’t hear their claim because Pastor Abate has people in the ministry who decamped to his site. “The person working in MINAT helping pastor Abate Francois in this fraudulent act is called Engogomo Célestine.
The colonel helping pastor Abate Francois, also a member of the church, is called colonel Matiang Charles. He served in Bamenda in 2018, 2019, and 2020 before he was sent to Yaoundé,” a church member told MMI from the Ngousso Assembly.
That division in the church has been creating tension, with Pastor Abate leaving Ayos for Ngousso and threatening Pastor Landry Tchana to hand over. On Saturday, March 16, Pastor Abate arrived with a group of authorities who took action against Christians, subjecting them to mistreatment and apprehending 30 individuals in a pickup truck for further investigation.
MMI analysed covertly recorded videos. There were audible sounds of distress coming from Christians who had been subjected to physical abuse. Several individuals sustained severe facial injuries, with blood visibly seeping out.
MMI also witnessed videos of Christian being transported to detention. A church member informed MMI that Pastor Abate expressed his commitment to supporting the current leader of the church, who happens to be from the Bamileke community. The member mentioned that Pastor Abate intends to leverage his connections and influence, emphasising that the minister is from his own village.
“Pastor Abate said he can’t leave a bamileke who rules the church and that he is going to use all his relationships and that the minister is in his village,” a church member told MMI.
