Building Churches in Cameroon |
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by Wes Magruder |
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New World Outlook, May/June 2007 At least once a week, someone enters the United Methodist Mission office in the capital city of Yaoundé, Cameroon, and asks to speak with the mission director about becoming a pastor in the connection. As mission director, I have to evaluate the request with great care and wisdom, because there are many reasons people want to be United Methodist, not all of them related to the vision of John Wesley. For example, we are known as “rich Methodists” to many, and it is widely known that we give monthly stipends to our pastors. But many Cameroonians also view The United Methodist Church as a solid organization. They often confess that they are attracted to our church because it is “methodical and organized.” They long for structures of accountability and discipline, which they have found lacking in the fast-growing Pentecostal churches sweeping the country. This is a good thing. But I always stress that we are not building only an organization. We do not exist as a branch or a franchise of some larger corporation called “The United Methodist Church,” or “the General Board of Global Ministries.” We are not the ecclesiastical version of McDonald’s or Microsoft! Methodism—A Movement All of the organizational structures—circuits, conferences, classes, and societies—were simply details, in Wesley's eyes. They were meant to enable the movement to grow faster and stronger. But the genius of Wesley was that he was able to perceive quickly how to tweak the organizational structure that he had created in order to better serve the movement. He understood clearly that mission drives organization. The temptation in Cameroon—as it might be everywhere else in the world where United Methodist missionaries are placed—is to insist on the primacy of the organizational structures over and above the goals of reforming the nation and spreading scriptural holiness. Our goal is not to reproduce conferences and committees, but to make disciples of Jesus Christ who want to walk in the way of holiness. I frequently speak of “the United Methodist way” as a balanced form of discipleship. Simply put, we preach holiness of heart, head, and hands. We preach a warm, experiential religion of the heart—thus, evangelism and spirit-filled worship are hallmarks of our services. We preach a reasoned and understandable religion of the head—thus, pastors are encouraged to attend seminary, and laypeople are given opportunities to study Scripture and theology. And we preach a practical and service-oriented religion of hands—thus, we move outside the walls of our churches to transform the cities, towns, and villages of Cameroon. Our contribution to the nation of Cameroon will be the extent to which Cameroonian United Methodists practice this kind of scriptural holiness. Pastor Monique's Challenge Later that week, Pastor Monique called me and said that her group wanted to become a United Methodist church. She wanted to know what she needed to do next. I was startled. Her question led me to think carefully about how to answer such questions in a way that would build a movement, not just an organization. Four things came to mind as I thought through an appropriate response. First, the Wesleyan vision must be taught, emphasized, and nurtured in new congregations and mission contexts. Our identity as United Methodists must be proclaimed and celebrated! In the American context, I have noticed recently that there is a kind of fear of denominational identity. We have downplayed our own roots and history, perhaps out of a misguided concern for ecumenical respect. We have softened our legacy of holy living and disciplined Christianity so much that Methodism is no longer easily associated with sanctification and holiness. One of the first things I discovered in Cameroon was that people had no sense of what Methodism meant. We were in danger of being simply “another Protestant church.” When the word “Methodist” is uttered, there is no point of reference for most people, which is a tremendous evangelistic opportunity. Thus, the mission has made a priority of finding, translating, and distributing as much written literature as possible to foster a Wesleyan identity in Cameroon. Members of Monique’s church were, for example, provided copies of a comic book life of John Wesley, which had been translated into French by a Cameroonian interpreter. They also received other French-language Methodist tracts and pamphlets for study and instruction. They were encouraged to work through two eight-week Bible studies written by the Cameroon Mission office, entitled “The United Methodist Christian” and “The United Methodist Community.” Last Advent, I also sent each one of our 23 pastors a lectionary preaching guide, which included lectionary texts, a suggested sermon outline, and relevant quotes and texts from John Wesley's sermons and journal. Secondly, gifted leaders of high integrity must be identified, trained, and prepared to lead the movement. Monique obviously had the gifts and graces to be an effective pastor. But she needed to be “discovered” and then formed and trained into the distinctive theological and spiritual marks of a Methodist. And she needed to catch the vision of the movement herself! I remember the first training event that she attended. I was teaching the United Methodist understanding of baptism. As a lifelong Pentecostal, Monique struggled deeply with the practice of infant baptism. But with the help of her fellow pastors, she came to a new appreciation of the meaning of bringing children to the waters of baptism. Eventually, Monique needs to go to seminary and deepen her understanding of the faith. But in the meantime, she simply needs basic tools and resources to help her do her job as a shepherd of a local flock. And, as mission director, I have to be a mentor and guide for her in the process. Service and Flexibility I recognized quickly that Pastor Monique’s small group already understood that they had a mission to fulfill, particularly in the area of children’s ministry. The congregation is made up of more children than adults. Pastor Monique explained that they had a Saturday school; the children each stood up, one by one, and recited Scripture flawlessly! Pastor Monique and her congregation have a desire to extend ministry to the Bagyeli population of southern Cameroon. She is already trying to find a way to preach the gospel to them as well as meet some of their basic housing, food, and medical needs. Fourth, flexibility must be allowed and built into the foundation of the organization. Every local church in the world exists in a unique context that is not repeated anywhere else in the world. The organizational structures, styles Likewise, the church-growth manuals on the shelves of Christian bookstores in the United States are largely irrelevant in Cameroon. Parking lots, nursery care, and media clips in worship are unnecessary here. Church leaders who have their eyes fixed on mission and are concerned with building a movement realize that the rules may have to be bent, the usual operating procedures suspended. Mission drives the organization. Already in Cameroon, for example, we have had to make several adaptations to the Church Council, based on particular cultural differences and local realities. It may not conform precisely to The Book of Discipline, but it is similar in purpose and intention. A Group-to-Church Process The process begins when one of our pastors, already trained and committed to fostering a movement of scriptural holiness, begins to oversee a small group. This prayer-cell group meets sometime other than Sunday morning in a convenient place, such as a home. Cell groups receive identity-forming literature and specific training, as appropriate. During this time, we hope that they will catch the vision of the Wesleyan movement. After a period of supervision and growth, the group may begin meeting for Sunday morning worship, at which time they are designated a mission congregation and receive some basic supplies, including hymnals, Bibles, and Sunday school materials. When the congregation has shown considerable growth, an active Sunday school program, and a pastoral leader who has begun to emerge from among the members of the congregation, then the group may take the next step and be called a pastoral charge. At this point, a building for worship may be found to rent, and the pastoral leader may begin to receive a stipend from the mission office. When the group has grown to more than 25 members and is involved with some kind of social ministry to the wider community, then the mission seriously considers making it an official United Methodist church, with all the rights and responsibilities that go with becoming a local church. Of course, there is great flexibility in this process—the purpose is to encourage pastors and laypeople to advance together toward a goal, not to punish and reward according to some preconceived plan. Pastor Monique has led her small group through this process and is now the pastor of a United Methodist church in Yaoundé. Her congregation took a new name in the last few months; they are now known as Peniel UMC. “Peniel” comes from the story of Jacob’s all-night wrestling match with a stranger (Genesis 32:30); it means “the face of God.” In the end, this is the ultimate hope of all mission work: to bring people into God's presence that they may catch a glimpse of divine holiness. The Rev. Wes Magruder is a United Methodist missionary from the North Texas Conference and the Director of Mission of the United Methodist Mission in Cameroon. He serves with his wife, Leah, who is the area financial executive for the mission. The Magruders have three daughters in mission service with them.
Date posted: Apr 30, 2007 |
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The Mission Magazine of the United Methodist Church
