We have come now to our mid-semester break (they don’t call it spring break, because they don’t recognize our traditional seasons). I have been intending to write this blog post since the beginning of the semester. I have wanted to introduce you to the students at Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary. Those of you who have supported us in being here have actually been investing in the future of the church of Cameroon by equipping these students. We count it as a great privilege to be used by God to connect you with the work he is doing in this portion of his global church. Let this posting be a guide for your prayers on behalf of the current and future ministers of the Cameroonian church.
Let me begin by introducing you to the entire group of students I have the privilege of serving as a teacher. There are about 350 students total attending CBTS. I have a total of 134 students within my five classes. Of these 134 students, 28 are women. 76 of these students are married (most married students also have children). 22 of the married students have 5 or more children. In one of my classes, I have a student who is a widow with four children.
70 of the students are in my two Certificate of Theology (CTh.) classes. The CTh. program is designed for those students who have completed only a primary school education. It is a five-year program that would correlate with our sixth through tenth grades. My other three classes are on the BA/MA level (they are mixed into the same classes). I have 8 MA students (and, for the record, I am technically unqualified to teach MA students, since I, myself, have only completed a MA degree; not to mention all of the other ways I feel unqualified to teach these students).
The age range of the students is vast. We have the traditional-aged college students, who are single and young and boisterous. And we also have a lot of older students (in their 50s and 60s), for whom this is the first opportunity that they have had to go to seminary. I have never asked the students their ages, but, if I was to guess, I would say at least half of the students are older than me (I’ve actually been shocked a number of times when a student has shared his/her age with me because I have always assumed he/she was much younger than he/she really was; Cameroonians seem to age very well).
Because of housing and financial constraints, many of the married students come to the seminary without their families. And most of these students see their families only at breaks (between semesters and at the mid-semester break).
The number one prayer request I hear from the students relates to paying their school fees. Cameroonians have no school loan options or any scholarships available. The typical student will solicit their family members or their home church for sponsorship. These sponsors would then help pay their fees. Half of the tuition fees are due at the beginning of the semester and the other half is due after the mid-semester break. Many of my students went home for break to solicit sponsors for their fees. The seminary has said that they cannot return to class until all of their fees are paid.
The semester tuition for the certificate students is about $100, while the semester tuition for the BA students is about $160 (these do not include other miscellaneous fees). Depending on the work, these fees equate to one to two months worth of wages for a Cameroonian.
For every student English is either a second or third language. This presents some challenges as everything for the school is in English (lectures, textbooks, assignments, etc.). Also, every student is here to prepare for some level of ministry in his or her church. CBTS is one of the only options in Cameroon for the Baptist students to prepare for ministry.
Let me share more specific information for some select students:
Shadrack (CTh. 5, which means he is in his fifth and final year of the certificate program): He is married with eight children. He grew up in the village of Ndu, where CBTS is located. In January, he was appointed as the pastor of Kihfe Baptist Church on the outskirts of Ndu. He will continue in this ministry when he graduates in June. I had the privilege of preaching at his church last month.
Tangi (BA 2): He is married with four children. Tangi actually has served in the pastorate for almost as long as I have been alive (since 1978). He attended CBTS at the beginning of his ministry for his certificate degree and now he has returned for his BA. He has a son who is attending seminary in Nigeria (from what I understand, Cameroonians regard Nigeria to be one step ahead of them in ministry development). He continues to pastor his church, about 30 minutes away from the seminary. He hopes to be involved in training others for ministry.
Ajara (BA 4): She is a widow with four children. Ajara grew up as a Muslim and came to faith in Christ with very little knowledge of the Bible. She has come to CBTS to know the word of God and to be prepared to tell its truths to others.
Nathan (BA 2): He is from of family of “about 26.” His father has five wives. Nathan is the only Christian among his Muslim family. Before coming to Christ, he studied and translated the Koran. He asks for prayer for the salvation for his family.
Gabriel (MA 2): He is married with 3 children. Gabriel has already pastored for 10 years and now is studying at CBTS on a study leave. He actually is an in-demand preacher and conference speaker. He travels most weekends to preach in various parts of Cameroon.
Anita (CTh. 3): She is a single student who was orphaned as a young child. Growing up, Anita was passed around to different relatives. She was given almost no education and was required to work in various homes throughout her childhood, never receiving any pay. She is the only Christian in her family. Anita happens to be one of our house workers. She helps with dishes and cleans our home on a weekly basis. Isaiah adores Anita, especially when she has a bucket full of soapy water to wash the floors.
Helen (BA 1): She is married with one child (just under a year old). Helen’s husband is in Yaounde (about 10 hour drive away), while she is here with her son studying. While Helen is in class, her son is in the seminary childcare. Sometimes she comes late to class because her son doesn’t want to be separated from her. She is a singer who has produced an album and leads worship in chapel and at our local church.
As I said earlier, let this information guide your prayers on behalf of the students of CBTS. We praise God for this privilege to serve with his servants in Cameroon.
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