Report from Sumbe: A Pioneer Church

Continuing a series of reports made by churches at our recent Annual Meeting... This is a report from Sumbe UMC, located in a village far in the bush, down an extremely bad road. But they were one of the first churches planted in the Southwest, since it is the home village of Victor Ayuk, the first Methodist in Cameroon!:

The year 2006 saw a remarkable progress as new members were added though because some did not get baptism they have backslided. However, membership still stands at 14 men, 11 women, and about 22 children.

Members carried out group farming activities to help one another which helps to strengthen their love for one another.

Youth Movement

The youth started to hold regular meetings as from January to June but slowed down when they started intensive work in their cocoa farms. If one of them will be trained in the Scout movement to come back and train the rest, it will make their programmes lively and more encouraging.

Women UMWF

The women are irregular in their meetings despite the various women seminars their leaders attended in Yaounde, Kumba and Mamfe. Nevertheless the year 2007 may show improvement. They are strong in group farming activities to assist one another.

The United Methodist Church Sumbe appreciates the effort of the Mission to have provided them with 50 chairs and hope that their various needs, which the Mission well knows, will in future be met with as the pioneer church, because the first shall not come to be the last.

All the quarterly financial reports for 2006 were posted to the Mission Office and tithes sent through the Express Union. This proves the faithfulness of the members. Thank you.

Pastor S.T. Nkwo