WCC NEWS: Young people in Cameroon gather for first sustainable population growth forum

More than 150 young people from the East Mungo Region of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon gathered on 25 May at Presbyterian Church Bastos for the first edition of the Young People’s Theological Forum on Sustainable Population Growth. Photo: Dylan's Digital Agency 03 June 2026 By Peter Kerrey* Organized by the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), the forum was held under the theme, “Multiplying with Wisdom, Justice, and Hope.” The initiative forms part of the AACC Youth Programme and is being championed in Cameroon by the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon. The program is coordinated by the Youth Department of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon under the leadership of Rev. Joshua Modika, with Dr Ubraine Wunde serving as the national coordinator of the AACC Sustainable Population Growth programme in Cameroon. Speaking during the event, Wunde described the first edition as a success and expressed hope for wider expansion across the church. “The plan is to extend this programme to all the 31 presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon,” he said, adding that the next edition is scheduled to take place in Kumba in June. The forum created space for learning, dialogue, and theological reflection on issues affecting young people and the future of Africa. Activities included presentations by experts, panel discussions, group work sessions, and interactive “coffee-mode” standup conversations designed to encourage active participation and exchange of ideas. Among the topics discussed were faith, fertility, and the future; redefining the divine charge; and infertility and reproductive science, alongside several other discussions focused on sustainable population growth and quality living in Africa. Participants used the Contextual Bible Study Manual on Sustainable Population Growth for Quality Life in Africa- the AACC Young People’s Resource Pack on Faith, Fertility, and the Future- as the main reference guide throughout the forum. The gathering reflected the growing commitment of African churches to empower young people to engage thoughtfully with social and developmental challenges while grounding their responses in faith, wisdom, justice, and hope. *Peter Kerrey is a Cameroonian young man who is part of the WCC Ecumenical Voices of Youth Ambassadors network, and actively engaged in faith-based and community initiatives. See more

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