Abstract
There are two types of churches in Cameroon today: mainline churches and other churches. The former are churches that were founded in Africa, for Africans, by missionary societies. These churches – Reformed-Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian – were run initially by western missionary societies such as the Basel Mission, the London Baptist Mission and Paris Evangelical Missionary Society, in the case of the Protestants, and are now independent. Among the other churches are the new Pentecostal churches. This article focuses first and particularly on the mainline churches: the manifestation of ecumenism among them, the way they live this out with other African churches, and their relation to western churches. These churches have inbuilt ecumenical characteristics that can be of universal benefit to other Christian churches in the search for ecumenism worldwide. Secondly, the article focuses on the relation between the mainline churches and the Pentecostal churches. Here a brief reading of Acts 10.1–11.18 helps to suggest a way in which mainline churches might improve their practice of Christian ecumenism.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call