Cameroon

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“God’s will is not bound by the limits we set. The refusal by early missionaries for the Kwassio-speaking Ngoumba people to worship God in their own language did not squelch the work of the Holy Spirit,” Christi continues. The Ngoumba people knew early on that spiritual heritage is rooted in their language and identity. They understood that the Spirit also speaks their tongue to illuminate the word of God and pass it on to future generations. Solidly rooted in Presbyterianism, but without the support of a historical partner, the Eglise Protestante Africaine has continued as one of the oldest and smallest Protestant denominations in Cameroon, and it distinguishes itself in its efforts to enhance the identity of African Christians in the family of believers. Implanted in predominantly rural and poor areas, the church focuses its evangelistic efforts on activities that improve the living conditions for all in the community while being a testimony to God’s faithfulness and love.

Many in the Eglise Presbyterienne Camerounaise (EPC) feel alienated from the Presbyterian roots this denomination inherited upon gaining its autonomy in 1957. While ministries were thriving, little was done to address the need for the church’s constituency and leadership to understand Presbyterian principles of governance, adapt them to the culture’s context, and nurture their own identity as Cameroonian Presbyterians. Decades of divergent interpretations led to a near schism in 2001. After a period in prayerful reflection, the PC(USA) accompanies the efforts within the EPC to overcome its divisions, build cohesion in its governing structures, and regain credibility in its witness.

Having dwelt with them in the desert for forty years, God brought the people of Israel to the Promised Land. Christi concludes, “We may trust in God’s steadfastness as the common thread in missions from the past, to the present, and into the future for the realm of God.”