Crossing the frontier to survive: mainstream churches and the 'Pentecost' in Buea-Cameroon, 1960-2020

Abstract

This study deals with the borrowing of Pentecostal practices by mainstream churches in the town of Buea in Cameroon. Contrary to the impression given by the conceptualizers of 'Pentecost' who consider it as a de-territorialized place or a space characterized by the only presence of Pentecostals and their culture, this reflection which relies on diffusion theory, postulates that ‘Pentecost’ is not solely a matter of Pentecostals. It is a heterogeneous sphere shared by mainstream and Pentecostal churches. This sharing has led to the borrowing of Pentecostal religious forms by the former notably through proximity and media used to diffuse Pentecostal culture. By focusing on Buea which religious setting is a mosaic of Christian Churches with more than one hundred Pentecostal groups and about only six mainstream churches, the paper states that the latter are progressively becoming part of 'Pentecost' by adopting Pentecostal style. Pentecostal forms are usually expressed in mainstream churches activities principally through the way of preaching and praying. In some cases Pentecostal songs are even performed by church members. In the Catholic Church precisely, these forms are highly noticed in charismatic renewal groups where healings, glossolalia and crusades which are key features of 'Pentecost' are also practiced. The work relies on qualitative data collected in Buea through interviews, participant observation and media.