camer

Cameroon

Cameroon has been called "Africa's crossroads." Due to its location it forms a bridge between the peoples, cultures, and
languages of west, central, and north Africa. This ethnic mix makes it one of the most diverse among the modern African
states. Cameroon is a fascinating yet foreign land to the outsider. The grip of the spirit world on the hearts and minds of
the Cameroonian people demonstrates the tremendous need for true spiritual revival.

The Republic of Cameroon covers an area of 183,567 square miles; somewhat larger than California. The country is
bounded on the north by Lake Chad; on the east by Chad and the Central African Republic; on the south by the Republic of
the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea; and on the west by Nigeria and the Bight of Biafra where the Atlantic coastline turns
abruptly southward. The shape roughly resembles an elongated triangle. There are four distinct geographic regions. The
far north is a semi-arid area which slopes downward to the marshlands surrounding Lake Chad. The central region,
known as the Adamawa Plateau, is characterized by vast grasslands at elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 feet. The
west is an area of high forested mountains of volcanic origin. This is Cameroon's most fertile region and is where Mt.
Cameroon (14,435 ft.), the highest peak in western Africa, is located. The south is a coastal plain with dense equatorial
rain forests. The climate is tropical. Rainfall ranges from 400 in./year in the west to less than 15 in./year in the north.

Cameroon is noted for its high value timber products such as mahogany, teak, and ebony as well as oil palm, bamboo,
and rubber. Wildlife is diverse and abundant and includes monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas, antelope, lions, and elephants
as well as numerous species of birds and reptiles. There are vast off-shore oil reserves and some minerals as well.

Before European colonization Cameroon was influenced by the rise and fall of various African political structures. Islam
reached the north of the country long before westerners . In the 15th century the Portuguese explored the area that is the
coastal region of present day Cameroon. They gave an estuary south of Mount Cameroon the name Rios das Cameroes,
"river of prawns," hence the anglicized form Cameroon. In the 17th century trading stations were established along the
coast to supply the slave and commodity trade. After 1845 missionary activity was very strong. In 1884 the north and
south were united and became a colony of Germany. The Germans were able to accomplish some infrastructure
development with the construction of roads, railroads, and the port of Douala.

After World War II Cameroon was divided by the League of Nations between the English in the western one-fifth and the
French in the remaining area. This separation has further fragmented modern day Cameroonian society between
Anglophone and Francophone regions. After World War II the desire for independence steadily grew, at times erupting in
violence, until the French granted full independence on January 1, 1960. The first president was a Muslim from the north,
Ahmadou Ahidjo. The following year the British granted independence to its territory, in which the northern part joined
Nigeria and the southern part combined to form a federation with Cameroon. Paul Biya, replaced Ahidjo as president in
1982 and remains in power, though tenuously, until the present.

Agriculture and timber production are the main economic activities in Cameroon and provide employment for about 60
percent of the population. The principal cash crops are cacao, coffee, tobacco, cotton, and bananas. Food crops include
plantains, sweet potatoes, cassava, corn and millet. Livestock raising is important in the Adamawa Plateau and herding
and grazing of cattle in the north. Crude oil production accounts for over 50% of exports and is the largest source of hard
currency, though reserves may be depleted as early as 2005. With a per capita annual GNP of US$1,010 it is one of the
more prosperous countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Nonetheless, corruption, illiteracy, inefficiency, and political instability
are serious problems and severe poverty is widespread.

The population of 14.7 million is growing at a rate of 2.9 percent annually. There are over 260 languages and up to 500
ethnic groups.

Approximately 40% of the population are Roman Catholic, 22% Protestant, 24% Muslim, and 14% adhere to traditional
animistic religions. The vast majority of Cameroonians continue to practice various rituals and hold to the beliefs of their
tribal forefathers. The casting of spells, use of witch doctors and fear of evil spirits permeates even the churches. Such
paganistic customs create the greatest barrier to the development of strong Christian believers in Cameroon.

History of TCM in Cameroon

In the 1960's a Cameroonian national, Lawrence Asong, came to understand the message of God's grace through the
correspondence ministry of Brother Joe Mason and Prison Mission Association (PMA). He worked full-time developing a
correspondence course ministry which reached throughout Cameroon, Nigeria and other parts of western and central
Africa. For many years Dr. Asong diligently labored by writing, printing, mailing, and grading the thousands of lessons
which he received. By the 1990's he had a accumulated a very large number of contacts throughout the country. He held
annual conferences for the correspondence school students in Kumba, the city where he lived. In 1994 PMA asked TCM
missionary Vernon Anderson to be a teacher at one of these conferences. After having visited Vernon saw the
tremendous potential for ministry in Cameroon and the great need for training and church planting. In 1995 he again
visited Cameroon along with Genesis Maraat, a Filipino missionary to Kenya. In 1996 the Andersons felt the Lord's leading
to move to Cameroon to help establish a Bible Institute.

Soon after arriving they began organizing a Bible Institute. Vernon, Darlene and Dr. Asong were the only teachers. They
started with seven students who completed the first year of study. Since they were limited by the number of teachers it
was not possible for them to hold classes for first and second year students simultaneously. Therefore, the first students
were sent out as church planters after completing one year in the classroom. A second class of students are currently
enrolled and next year the two classes will take the second year of study together.

Present Ministry of TCM in Cameroon

The ministry in Cameroon is now being done by a group of national church planters. They have completed three years of
ministry training and are doing evangelism throughout a number of villages in Cameroon.