Some 200 churches in Cameroon have been shut down following the country’s decision to crack down on unregistered worship institutions. Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, had, in December 2024, urged unregistered churches to regularise their situations.
Failures to comply with registration would result in shutting the places of worship, the minister had added.
This week, the government matched words with action.
In the nation’s capital, Yaoundé, the administrator of the 4th subdivision closed down 200 of the 615 churches in the area, state media, CRTV, just reported.
Yaoundé 4th Divisional Officer, Elvis Akondji, is still expected to intensify the crackdown.
According to a local newspaper, Mutation, the sealed churches are accused of mystical practices and financial exploitation of the faithful.
Only 47 churches are registered in Cameroon
There are thousands of churches operating in the Central African nation. However, just 47 of them are registered. According to the law, the only person to register churches in Cameroon is its president.
Cameroon lastly registered a church in 2020. It is called the Orthodox Catholic Church Fraternity of the Holy Family of Nazareth (Yaoundé). The state acknowledged its existence via the presidential decree No. 2020/492 of August 18, 2020.
For a church to be registered in Cameroon, it needs to forward its documents to the SDO. The SDO then forwards to the Ministry of Interior, which sends them to the presidency for approval.
When MMI reported last December about MINAT’s decision to close down unregistered churches, many expressed mixed reactions.
“Thank you, Mr. Minister. The earlier you react to this issue of churches, the better.” Gerald Kenkoh, an inhabitant of Bamenda in Northwest said “In mile 4 Nkwen alone we have more than 60 churches, and there’s noise all over the whole place”
Kum Etienne also applauded the Minister’s decision saying “its high time churches get registered and pay tax in order to eliminate this small noisy churches disturbing people every day in the name of serving God”
However, not everyone welcomes the decision to close down churches.
For Dunamise, the government should encourage industrialisation and reduce the rate of alcoholic consumption in the country rather than shutting down churches.
“Are churches the cause of the present problems of Cameroon? Grand Atango, allow people to commune together in church and pray for the liberation and deliverance of this nation.” Afu Augustine questioned.
Here are some registered churches in Cameroon
1. European Baptist Missionary Society (Zurich, Switzerland). Decision No. 5851 of November 16, 1952.
2. Christian Assembly Witness of Christ (Douala). Letter No. 1319/INT/2 of June 29, 1960.
3. Roman Catholic Mission (Yaoundé). Decision No. 16/ATF/APA/2 of February 20, 1962.
4. Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC, Buea). Letter No. 1 of April 14, 1962.
5. Cameroon Presbyterian Church (EPC, Yaoundé). Decision No. 55 /ATF/2 of July 14, 1963.
6. African Protestant Church of Cameroon (EPA, Lolodorf). Decision No. 26/ATF/AT/2 of February 25, 1964.
7. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon became the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cameroon (Ngaoundéré). Decision No. 63/ATF/AG2/2 of July 3, 1967.
8. Apostolic Church of Cameroon (Kumba). Decree No. 68/DF/246/2 of July 10, 1968.
9. Lutheran Fraternal Church of North Cameroon (Kaélé). Decree No. 69/DF/154 of April 26.
10. Full Gospel Mission or Mission of the Full Gospel (Muyuka). Decree No. 69/DF/246 of April 26, 1969.
11. Global Frontier Church (Kumba). Decree No. 69/DF418 of October 20, 1969.
12. National Spiritual Assembly of the Béhaistes (Limbe). Decree No. 68/DF436 of November 8, 1969.
13. Union of Evangelical Churches in Northern Cameroon (Mokolo). Decree No. 70/DF/5 of January 13, 1970.
14. Cameroonian Orthodox Presbyterian Church (EPCO, Yaoundé). Decree No. 70/DF/88 of February 18, 1970.
15. Union of Baptist Churches of Cameroon (UEBC, Douala). Decree No. 71/DF/518 of October 20, 1971.
16. World Wide Mission (Muyuka). Decree No. 71/DF/608 of December 3, 1971.
17. Church of Christ (Kumba). Decree No. 71/DF/619 of December 14, 1971.
18. The True Church of God of Cameroon (Yaoundé). Decree No. 71/DF/639 of December 31, 1971.
19. Baptist Church of Cameroon (EBC, Douala). Decree No. 72/DF/87 of February 16.
20. Cameroon Baptist Congregation (Douala). Decree No. 74/34 of January 19, 1974.
21. Evangelical Church of Cameroon (Douala). Decree No. 74/DF/853 of October 14, 1974.
22. Anglican Church (Douala). Decree No. 89/143 of January 27, 1989.
23. Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC, Bamenda). Decree No. 90/838 of May 4, 1990.
24. Mission of the Cameroonian Evangelical Church (Douala). Decree No. 91/159 of March 11, 1991.
25. Lutheran Church of Cameroon (Kumba). Decree No. 91/257 of May 30, 1991.
26. National Baptist Church of Cameroon (Minyugu). Decree No. 91/381 of August 16, 1991.
27. Biblical Church of Deep Life (Yaoundé). Decree No. 91/484 of December 3, 1991.
28. Universal Church of God (Yaoundé). Decree No. 92/172 of August 27, 1992.
29. Neo-Apostolic Church of Cameroon (Yaoundé). Decree No. 92/225 of October 30, 1992.
30. Jean-Baptiste Church of Cameroon (Sangmélima). Decree No. 92/226 of October 30, 1992.
31. Jehovah’s Witnesses of Cameroon (Yaoundé). Decree No. 93/043 of February 3, 1993.
32. The Way in Cameroon (Yaoundé). Decree No. 93/144 of May 28, 1993.
33. Apostolic Faith Church (Bangem). Decree No. 93/158 of June 9, 1993.
34. Messianic and Evangelical Church of Cameroon (Yaoundé). Decree No. 93/171 of July 1, 1993.
35. The Church of Jesus-Christ of Later Day (Yaoundé). Decree No. 93/238 of September 9, 1993.
36 Christian Mission of Cameroon Nko’emvon Decree No. 93/287 of October 21, 1993.
37. The Grace Bible Church in Cameroon (Yaoundé). Decree No. 94/220 of November 7, 1994.
38. Church of God of Prophecy (Kumba). Decree No. 96/067 of April 4, 1996.
39. The Native Church of the Cameroon Ndom (Bakossi). Decree No. 98/047 of March 27, 1998.
40. Union of Seventh-day Adventist Churches in Central Africa (Yaoundé). Decree No. 98/049 of March 27, 1998.
41. Cameroon Baptist Union (Douala). Decree No. 98/050 of March 27, 1998.
42. Evangelical Mission Life and Peace of Cameroon (Douala). Decree No. 98/302 of November 18, 1998.
43. Christian Pentecostal Church of Cameroon (Yaoundé). Decree No. 98/359 of December 29, 1998.
44. The Holy Greek-Orthodox Metropolis of Cameroon (Yaoundé). Decree No. 2009 of February 12, 2009.
45. Orthodox Catholic Church Fraternity of the Holy Family of Nazareth (Yaoundé). Decree No. 2020/492 of August 18, 2020.
Mimi Mefo Info – Unregistered Churches
