Life and Ministry of Rev. Saint Bernard Manoumba, Former President of the Alliance Church of Gabon

Rev. Saint Bernard Manoumba, former president of the Alliance church of Gabon, served in pastoral and national leadership for three decades. His life marked a path of faith, service, and leadership within the Alliance family.

Rev. Saint Bernard Manoumba, former president of the Alliance church in Gabon, died on February 21, 2026 at the University Hospital Center of Libreville. He was 66.

For three decades, Rev. Manoumba served the church through pastoral ministry, regional leadership, and national governance. His life traced a path from local church service to the presidency of the national church, and later to the council of elders.

Rev. Manoumba was born on December 4, 1959, in Koula-Moutou, in the Ogooué-Lolo region of Gabon, to Michel Daniel Manoumba and Jeanne Mikangue.

As a young man, he pursued sports, especially football. From 1983 to 1989 he played for teams in Mounana and Moanda while also working for mining companies in the region.

In 1985 he made a decision that changed the direction of his life. On September 17 he committed his life to Jesus Christ, leaving practices that conflicted with his faith. Later that year he was baptized at the church in Mounana.

He later wrote in his personal journal that his life in Christ reshaped his understanding of purpose and calling.

In 1990 he married Amélie Yvette Mpolo Mazetse in Moanda. Together they raised four children and remained connected to a large extended family.

After serving as a deacon and elder in the church in Moanda, church leaders encouraged him to pursue theological training. In 1991 he entered Bethel Bible Institute in Libreville, where he studied pastoral ministry and served in church placements during his training.

He graduated in 1996 with a pastoral ministry diploma.

Rev. Manoumba began pastoral ministry at the church in Gamba, where he served from 1996 to 2000.

On November 7, 1999, he was consecrated to the ministry.

In the years that followed, he served churches and regions across the country. His ministry included pastoral service in Moanda, Balise 2, SUCAF, Sibang 3/PK8, and Owendo Port. He also served as regional superintendent in Haut-Ogooué, Ogooué-Maritime, and Ogooué-Lolo.

These years of ministry placed him among churches in cities, mining communities, and growing urban areas.

From 2004 to 2011, Rev. Manoumba served as president of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) Church of Gabon.

After completing this term, he continued to serve the national church as an adviser to the national executive committee and later within the council of elders. From 2021 to 2023 he was dean of the council, and from 2023 to 2025 vice-dean.

In each role he remained connected to local churches while helping guide the direction of the national church.

During his years of service, Rev. Manoumba traveled to several countries connected to the global Alliance family. These visits included time in France, the United States, and Israel, connecting the church in Gabon with believers and ministries in other parts of the world.

Rev. Manoumba dedicated 30 years to pastoral and church leadership. His ministry began in local churches and later included national responsibility.

Reflecting on his life in Christ, he once wrote, “I realize today in my union with the Lord Jesus Christ that I inherit the plan revealed in the heavenly vision. God has given me everything in Jesus Christ. I stand in the triumph of Christ.”

Rev. Manoumba is survived by his wife, children, extended family, and the churches he served across Gabon. His life marked a path of faith, service, and leadership within the Alliance family.