SCHOOL OF MISSION AND THEOLOGY STAVANGER NORWAY THE ROLE OF THE DII PEOPLE IN THE OUTREACH OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN CAMEROON 1934-1974 A RESEARCH REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF MISSION AND THEOLOGY AS A COURSE UNIT IN PARTIAL FULFILLEMENT FOR THE AWARD OF THE MASTERS DEGREE IN THEOLOGY AT THE SCHOOL OF MISSION AND THEOLOGY (MOPG 30) BY ETIENNE MOMTOTT MAY 2012 Declaration I am declaring to have prepared this work alone. No work like this has been presented by any other person in any university for an award of any degree. Signature……………………………………………………………………………………. Date…………………………………………………………………………………………. Supervisor: Prof. Jørgensen Torstein Signature……………………………………………………………………………………... Date…………………………………………………………………………………………... Table of Contents Declaration.............................................................................................................................................................. i Table of Contents................................................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................................. iv ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................................................... v Chapter One .......................................................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 TERMINOLOGY .......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Mission as Mission Dei ................................................................................................................... 2 1.1.2 Mission as Church Planting ............................................................................................................ 3 1.1.3 Mission as Evangelization ............................................................................................................... 3 1.2 BACKGROUND HISTORY ............................................................................................................................ 4 1.2.1 Biblical Goal for World Mission ..................................................................................................... 4 1.2.2 Westernization of the World Mission ............................................................................................... 5 1.2.3 Outreach of the Mission in Cameroon ............................................................................................ 6 1.2.4 Outcome of the Mission in Adamaoua ............................................................................................ 6 1.3 METHOD .................................................................................................................................................... 8 1.3.1 Literature ........................................................................................................................................ 8 1.3.2 Interviews ........................................................................................................................................ 9 1.3.3 Problematization ........................................................................................................................... 10 1.3.4 Structure ........................................................................................................................................ 10 Chapter Two ......................................................................................................................................................... 11 THE ENCOUNTER OF THE DII PEOPLE WITH CHRISTIANITY .......................................................... 11 2.1 THE HISTORICAL SETTING OF THE DII PEOPLE ........................................................................................... 11 2.1.1 The History of the Origin of the Dii People ................................................................................... 11 2.1.2 The Culture and Arts of the Dii People ......................................................................................... 13 2.1.3 The Occupation of the Dii People ................................................................................................. 14 2.1.4 The Dii People Belief .................................................................................................................... 15 2.2 THE MISSION SHIFT TO THE DII LAND ...................................................................................................... 16 2.2.1 The Inconsistency among Muslims ................................................................................................ 16 2.2.2 The Quest for New Mission Field .................................................................................................. 17 2.2.3 The Strategic Foundation .............................................................................................................. 18 2.3 THE OVERSEAS MISSIONARIES IN THE DII LAND ....................................................................................... 18 2.3.1 The Initial Contact with the Dii People ......................................................................................... 18 2.3.2 The Impact of the Overseas Missionaries' Work ........................................................................... 19 2.3.3 The Overview of Missionaries in the Dii Land .............................................................................. 21 Chapter Three ..................................................................................................................................................... 23 THE EMERGENCE OF THE DII CHRISTIANITY ...................................................................................... 23 3.1 THE GROWTH OF THE DII WORKERS IN MISSION ...................................................................................... 23 3.1.1 The Primary School of Mission ..................................................................................................... 23 3.1.2 The Bible School ........................................................................................................................... 28 3.1.3 The School of Theology ................................................................................................................. 30 3.2 THE HOME MISSIONARIES AMONG THE DII PEOPLE................................................................................... 32 3.2.1 The Role of Lay People ................................................................................................................. 32 3.2.2 The Role of Women ....................................................................................................................... 35 3.2.3 The Role of the Dii Church Leaders .............................................................................................. 37 3.3 THE REACHING OUT OF THE DII CAMPAIGN .............................................................................................. 39 3.3.1 The Campaign in the Centre of the Dii Land ................................................................................ 39 3.3.2 The Campaign towards the North of the Dii Land ........................................................................ 42 3.4 THE CONTROVERSY OF THE DII CHRISTIANITY ........................................................................................ 43 ii 3.4.1 The Identity Crisis of the Dii Christians........................................................................................ 44 3.4.2 The Spiritual Crisis among the Dii People.................................................................................... 46 3.4.3 The Crisis of Vocation among the Dii People ............................................................................... 49 3.4.4 The Campaign towards the South of the Dii Land ........................................................................ 51 Chapter Four ....................................................................................................................................................... 54 THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE DII CHRISTIANITY IN-DEPTH ....................................................... 54 4.1 THE INTERPRETATION OF THE DII MINISTRY ............................................................................................. 54 4.1.1 The Dii People as Pillars in Church Mission ................................................................................ 54 4.1.2 The Dii Church Workers as Partners in Mission .......................................................................... 56 4.1.3 The Dii Church Workers as Challenger in Mission ...................................................................... 60 4.2 THE CORE OF THE CONTEMPORARY DII MINISTRY .................................................................................... 62 4.2.1 The Kinship Challenge .................................................................................................................. 62 4.2.2 The Evangelistic Challenge ..........................................................................................................