SPREADING THE GOOD NEWS: THE LAITY AS AGENTS OF EVANGELIZATION
On June 30th, 2025, Christians gathered at the Saint Anthony of Padua Parish in Buea Town for an insightful doctrinal teaching session led by Father Martin Njie.
This session provided a timely opportunity to educate attendees about their vital roles as agents of evangelization. The teaching aimed to deepen Christians’ understanding of their calling to spread the good news and fulfill the Great Command to go into the world and evangelize.
Father Njie highlighted that Christians and catechists are the two main agents of evangelization within the laity. By virtue of their baptism, evangelization is a conditio sine qua non—a necessity—and all Christians are called to share the good news in their everyday lives.
He further emphasized that the Church does not only recognize the preaching of the gospel as evangelical work but also values the promotion of justice, respect for laws, civil and respectful behavior, charity, and empathy as acts of evangelization. Thus, Christians should utilize whatever position they occupy to spread the message of Christ.
The significance of catechists in evangelization was also underscored. As the second group of agents in this mission, their role in the formation of neophytes and young Christians is essential. Their responsibilities in teaching catechumens place them at the foundational level of evangelization.
Father Njie’s teachings come at a crucial time when many Christian faithful have increasingly shunned their evangelical duties and neglected their baptismal responsibilities as priests, kings, and prophets.
He outlined four main aims of evangelization: Bringing hope to the body of Christ, transforming humanity,
Sharing in the communion that exists between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and Evangelization through aid to the needy.
Christians in attendance
According to Canon Law 55, which acknowledges the clear difficulties young people face, youths are obliged to evangelize to their peers and preach the good news.
Drawing inspiration from the Cameroon Hymnal, hymn 252, stanza 5, he challenged the laity with the words, “Let no one be heard idly saying there is nothing I can do, while the lost of Earth are dying and the Master calls for you.” This call to action served as a reminder for all present to take up the mantle of evangelization.