While Pentecostal preachers have been predicting the rise and fall of presidents in countries like Nigeria and Ghana, Pentecostal leadership in Cameroon has been pretty muted. But that seems to be changing not because Pentecostals in Cameroon have suddenly realized the importance of politics in Cameroon but because Cameroon's dictator for 31 years, Paul Biya, has taken the fight to them by closing down what his government describes as illegal churches, especially in Cameroon's capital, Yaoundé, and one of the major cities of the country, Bamenda. In Cameroon, churches are supposed to be registered with the government in order to operate.
While the legal troubles of these churches seem to be the public reason given for shutting them down, some of the activities of some Pentecostal preachers have been given as reason for shutting down these churches. Some members of society have complained about how some Pentecostal preachers are discouraging their members from going to the hospital or taking medication when they are ill. Members of these churches are being urged to rely on God for healing. Some have even died in churches as these preachers attempt to perform exorcism on them. Paul Biya's government therefore sees these churches as a danger to society and has thus shut down many of them.
Leaders of these churches have of course not allowed their churches to be shut down without a fight. They have gone out marching against the government of Paul Biya, arguing that the real reason why their churches are being shut down has nothing to do with the alleged unholy activities of these churches. They say that they are being persecuted because their churches have been criticizing the government. However, churches that have been criticizing Paul Biya in Cameroon are generally not closed down. The offending leaders of these churches are often killed or hounded out of the country. I would have called renown Cameroonian theologian, Jean-Marc Ela, to testify to this if he were still alive. Is Paul Biya using a new tactic now? Whatever the case, it is interesting that the voices of Pentecostal preachers have not been quite vocal against the government in Cameroon until Paul Biya started shutting down their churches.
While the legal troubles of these churches seem to be the public reason given for shutting them down, some of the activities of some Pentecostal preachers have been given as reason for shutting down these churches. Some members of society have complained about how some Pentecostal preachers are discouraging their members from going to the hospital or taking medication when they are ill. Members of these churches are being urged to rely on God for healing. Some have even died in churches as these preachers attempt to perform exorcism on them. Paul Biya's government therefore sees these churches as a danger to society and has thus shut down many of them.
Leaders of these churches have of course not allowed their churches to be shut down without a fight. They have gone out marching against the government of Paul Biya, arguing that the real reason why their churches are being shut down has nothing to do with the alleged unholy activities of these churches. They say that they are being persecuted because their churches have been criticizing the government. However, churches that have been criticizing Paul Biya in Cameroon are generally not closed down. The offending leaders of these churches are often killed or hounded out of the country. I would have called renown Cameroonian theologian, Jean-Marc Ela, to testify to this if he were still alive. Is Paul Biya using a new tactic now? Whatever the case, it is interesting that the voices of Pentecostal preachers have not been quite vocal against the government in Cameroon until Paul Biya started shutting down their churches.
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