The new leaders were elected during the 7th Constituent Session, held from February 3 to 7, 2021, at the Conference headquarters in Avebe, near Sangmélima.
Pastor Paul Bernard Ahanda was elected as the new president. Prior to his election, he served as the district pastor of Nkondongo in Yaoundé. He is not new to the institution, having previously served as its treasurer. He succeeds Pastor Nko’o Mendouga Ferdinand.
Pastor Etienne Belinga Obate was elected Executive Secretary, replacing Pastor Bertin Zé. The new Executive Secretary previously served as a pastor in the Nyong-Afamba Conference and at Cosendai Adventist University in Nanga-Eboko.
The new treasurer, Marie Louise Ngo Mbogba, previously served as the Conference accountant. She succeeds Antoine Blaise Angoula.
Approximately 250 people, including about 80 general delegates, 97 regular delegates, and some 60 guests, took part in the proceedings. For two full days, the delegates received training in church administration and leadership, as well as on the Conference’s constitution and regulations. The administration of the Cameroon Union Mission was determined to ensure that the regular delegates representing local churches were equipped with the necessary tools to fully carry out their responsibilities.
After electing the administrators, the General Session also voted the proposed department directors and members of the Conference Executive Committee.
With a heart overflowing with gratitude, the President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Cameroon, Pastor Assembe Minyono Valère Guillaume, stated: “For the first time in the history of this Conference, we are holding a constituent session in an atmosphere of serenity and calm.”
His closing sermon, entitled “The End of All Things Is Near. Let Us Wake Up and Go!”, brought the assembly back to the reality of the urgency of proclaiming the Three Angels’ Messages.
For the vast majority of delegates, including Julienne Apouma, a delegate from the Melen Church in Yaoundé, “the palpable influence of the Holy Spirit” was evident. “God directed everything,” she said.
It was in this same spirit that the outgoing president of the Central and Southern Cameroon Conference, Pastor Nko’o Mendouga, spoke during the symbolic handover of the Conference keys to his successor.
The new members of the Executive Committee and the department directors were dedicated in prayer by Pastor Assembe Valère.
Thus, on Saturday, February 6, 2021, the new leaders began a five-year term, in accordance with the new statutes, which provide for a five-year term instead of the previous four-year term.
