Pastor's Transfer; Weeping Tarries for a Night in Wumnemburg Parish

Pastor's Transfer; Weeping Tarries for a Night in Wumnemburg Parish

If South Africa born Lucky Dube of blessed memory were to attend this particular send-off service, he would've revised the lyrics of "Big Boys Don't Cry" because they did actually cry out their eyes including men, women, children, the physically challenged and visually impaired.

Tears rolled down nearly every cheek in church on Sunday June 27 2021 as hundreds of Christians of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, Wumnembug Parish, Meta Presbytery jam packed the newly constructed church house in Wumnembug for the send-off service of their dearly beloved pastor, Rev. Mujem John. 

Big Boys Crying

Even children cried

After having unarguably served the four congregations that make up the parish, that is Wumnebit, Wumnembug, Barakwe and Meh for four years (2017 - 2021) as one of the best pastors ever, the Rev. Mujem John was recently transferred to Diche parish in Widikum subdivision in same capacity as pastor. 

His transfer thus became a bitter pill for the Christians he had served to swallow, reason they ground and gnashed their teeth in church to no avail, wishing he had never been shaken from their parish but  no matter how hard they cried, at press time, the reverend Man of God is  already in Widikum to commence impacting the lives of the Christians there just like he's been doing wherever he's called to serve.

From information gotten, this is the first time Rev. Mujem John is moving out of the Meta Presbytery ever since he started ministering the word of God as a pastor. Previously, he was always being rotated only within parishes in Meta, his native land. 

Jam Packed Send-off Service

The too much crying in church during his send-off service was because of the impact he had created not only in the lives of the Christians but the entire Tondig Zone of the Meta clan and beyond. Though a pastor, he was so humble and very hard working. When there's community work, he was often there to lead by example. He shared the people's happy and sad moments, attending funerals, weddings and other such occasions. 

When it comes to preaching the Word of God, he stands out unique as his sermons are always full of messages that touch the soul. It is for this reason that Elder Bah Christopher, Wumnemburg Parish chairperson in his farewell address to the Reverend described him as someone who worked not only as a pastor but as a christian working for his own salvation. 

"In everything you did, you showed us that with hard work, we must help the weak and the poor...your giving in all your four congregations was an eye opener to us Christians who always complained of lack of money. In fact, your sermons in each congregation of the parish fed our souls. For these few years, you have solved most of the problems and difficulties of the parish like backsliding, religious prostitution by our Christians and others." These and many more were some of the roses thrown on the feet of Rev. Mujem by the parish chairperson in his speech. 

H.C.A Meta Presbytery Executive Bidding Farewell to their Chaplain

"Ba" as he is fondly called served in the Meta Presbytery as the longest chaplain of the Hallelujah Choir Association for close to 15 years. The presbytery and zonal executive committee of the choir thus thanked him for opening their eyes to the Word of God. Other groups like C.Y.F, the parish and congregational sessions plus visiting congregations like Mbemi and Njinebai, the Wumnembug traditional council, village development association each took to the floor to give their own testimony about the pastor before his departure and most of their messages centred on recognising the impact he created in their lives (religiously) and wishes for him to grow from a pastor to a secretary, treasurer, synod clerk and even moderator.

These they did shading tears of regret like two lovers parting ways. The supposed to be joyful ceremony was almost turned to a mourning event when a lady from the Presbyterian English Choir Association (PECA) took the microphone to sing a goodbye song to the pastor. In tears that contaminated the rest of the congregants, she sang "Rev. Mujem, farewell. We wish you the  best in life as you depart now from this parish. We pray that God should guide you as you carry the flag/works of the church. Look at our church building, it's the effort of Rev. Mujem. Anytime we look at the church, we will always remember you"

Rev. Mujem John & Wife, Tenguh Cordelia

Then she continued in sobber tone and watery nostrils, this time around addressing the pastor's wife, Madam. Tenguh Cordelia "Our dear mummy farewell. Who will teach our children again? You have been like a family to us. As you depart now from Wumnemburg, we pray that God should guide you as you support pastor in his works." Then came the last stanza that was jaw breaking; "Our dear pastor is going, going to leave us, not for sorrow but for joy. Although you're leaving us, remember us in your loving prayers. Goodbye, goodbye, may God be your guardian. Goodbye, goodbye, we hope to meet again"

After all the speeches, all the Christians then processed as groups and individuals from the back of the church to the front to bid their loving pastor farewell in cash and kind. They filled the basket to the brim with money and gifts while receiving their last blessings from him. The Wumnemburg palace went as far as awarding the traditional title of "Tom Fon" meaning "the Fon's messenger" to the pastor. This they did by wearing on the pastor's head right in church, a traditional cap with a red feather inserted on it, insisting that it's a special gift from the entire village through the fon that was represented by notables from the traditional council and the Wumnemburg Cultural and Development Association (WUCUDA). Rev. Mujem John is thus seemingly the first pastor to have been awarded such a coverted traditional title in the history of the Meta Presbytery. 

Singer of the Song that threw the Church into Tears

In his last words to his Christians, the Reverend Man of God thanked the palace for the cap and "antenna", a subtle way he referred to the red feather given to him. He affirmed he's aware such recognition demands more work, more responsibilities yet he assured them he'll continue to do his best. As the late makossa super star, Kotto Bass promised in one of his hit tracks that he will never forget Bamenda, so too did Rev. Mujem also make a promise that he will never forget Wumnemburg especially as they're his "moyos" (in laws) considering that his better half is from Barakwe and one of his children has been held back in Wumnembug by a family friend. These and many more are tangible reasons why he will have to be revisiting the parish from time to time. He even wished the palace provide him land to build a house in Wumnembug.

"Our legs will never be heavy to come back here because the love you've shown us is extra. If I cried, it was because I shall miss a loving people, a hardworking people, people whom if I say let's go this way they follow, let's do this, they obey" he told his Christians. In preparing their minds to receive their new pastor, he said In preparing their minds to receive their new pastor, he said "We thank God and plead that the support you gave us, give to the new pastor coming. Never you say the pastor that left wasn't doing like this, now this new one has come and is asking us to do like this. No!" Like my wife said, every pastor has his/her special gift from God and once that is used for the glory of God, follow him."

The out gone pastor Mujem is noted for possessing an exceptional gift in building. Reports have it that professionally, he's a trained builder. Within his four years stay in the Wumnembug parish, he mobilised each congregation to engage a new church house construction project. Bit by bit with hope and determination, Wumnembug, Barakwe and Meh succeeded to raise and roof their new church house, all mega structures that can take at least 500 Christians while Wumnebit was at foundation level before his transfer. Ironically, these are tiny congregations whose attendance in church on ordinary Sundays is hardly up to 100 Christians yet like the mustard seed, they constructed multimillions worth new church buildings. 

Rev. Sisters from Neighbouring Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Njindom 

Pastor Mujem Being Conferred Traditional Title of Wumnemburg Fon's Messenger

His send-off service was also attended by reverend sisters and Catholic faithfuls from nearby Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Njindom with whom he had established a very good bilateral relationship. Prior to his send off service, the Njindom parish priest threw a party for the pastor in the parish house and was to attend the service but for his tight schedule that prevented him from witnessing it. Rev. Mujem encouraged his Christians to continue with same spirit of holding interdenominational services or masses when invited for as he put it, 

As he is now in Diche parish, Widikum, it is hoped that the Christians of that presbytery will feel his impact during his stay there with them and by the time he shall be leaving in some years to come probably in a higher capacity, they too shall grind and gnash their teeth wishing he could stay longer.