Dear pastors, church leaders, and churches of the NAB Conference,
The NAB has had a long partnership with the Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC), one of joy, love, and respect. We have an ongoing commitment to do ministry together. The ongoing conflict in Cameroon has created many difficult situations for our brothers and sisters of the CBC. They have sought to stay neutral, with a desire to minister and to serve. This puts them in a difficult and precarious place. The executive president of the CBC, Rev. Dr. Charlemagne Nditemeh, has called the people of the CBC to pray. The letter that Rev. Dr. Charlemagne sent to the CBC can be found below. We want to join with our brothers and sisters of the CBC in praying.
Please take time over the next few days to do that. We would also request that you remember the CBC in your upcoming weekend worship services. We do not believe this changes the current safety and security status of our NAB missionaries in Cameroon, though we ask that you pray for them as well.
It is a privilege for us to pray for our brothers and sisters of the CBC.
Dr. Harry Kelm
NAB Executive Director
Dear brethren in faith,
Peace be with you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. On 26th November 2021, I humbly addressed a pastoral letter calling on you to observe November 28, 2021 as a day of mourning and prayer. Permit me to again assume the pastoral duty this day September 27, 2022 to summon all faithful Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) Christians at home and abroad to observe three days of prayer and fasting for the CBC, September 28–30, 2022. All should pray and each should fast according to your ability.
Inspired by, and following the lead of Jeremiah 33:1–3, this call for prayer and fasting is coming to you on the wheels of the experiences of the CBC, and pointedly one of our health institutions in the course of the past week and counting. In figurative terms, we are trapped between two forces and incorrectly accused separately by both sides. On the one hand, we are accused by the one for collaborating with the other, and on the other hand, we are accused by the other for betrayal to the one. For truth and conscience sake, both sides have it utterly and totally mistaken. Some of our brethren (staff) and a Field Pastor being held on and by both sides are purely innocent.
You all know so well that as a Christian organization, the Cameroon Baptist Convention is apolitical. We speak the truth, stand for the truth, and will remain on the side of the truth no matter what. As a peace-loving and peace-preaching Church, we maintain that truth and justice be spoken and served everywhere every time in order to create a conducive environment for peace. We should never compromise or sacrifice truth on the altar of freedom or peace, comfortable as it might be temporarily. It is rather better to endure false accusation and suffering for the truth in the fear of God in the stead of enjoying acceptance and comfort rooted in lies-telling and hypocrisy. We should find comfort, inner peace, and hope in this unchallengeable truth that the conscience of each of our accusers (whom we so much respect and love) bears witness to use that the CBC and her entire leadership are all innocent.
Beyond the three days prayer and fasting, continue to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 4:17) for the respect of the sanctity of human life in our nation while upholding the Christian and biblical testimony that righteousness exalts a nation and sin is a disgrace to any people (Proverbs 14:34). In any and every situation, remain law-abiding, peaceful, respectful of everybody, and exemplary in your Christian public character.
Always truth yours for the sake of the truth,
Rev. Dr. Charlemagne Nditemeh
CBC Executive President