Bamileke-Tchang in Cameroon

People Name:	Bamileke-Tchang
Country:	Cameroon
10/40 Window:	No
Population:	719,000
World Population:	719,000
Primary Language:	Yemba
Primary Religion:	Christianity
Christian Adherents:	72.00 %
Evangelicals:	8.00 %
Scripture:	New Testament
Online Audio NT:	Yes
Jesus Film:	Yes
Audio Recordings:	Yes
People Cluster:	Bantu, Cameroon-Bamileke
Affinity Bloc:	Sub-Saharan Peoples
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

The Yemba people live in western Cameroon which lies on the coast of West Africa. Tourists flock to northwestern Cameroon's beautiful forested plateaus, and Dschang is a hub for markets and trade. Amid the din of English and French bartering, there are also Yemba voices. Most are subsistence farmers, trading vegetables, coffee, pigs or chickens for other food or needs.

The Yemba are close-knit people, though they live in 21 villages, spread across the northwestern region. They often gather for social events. And though their unique mother tongue sets them apart, it also is a point of pride.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Although Christianity came to the Yemba in 1903 and approximately 92 percent of the people claim Christianity, only 5 percent truly follow Christ. Most practice a combination of Christianity and animism. This traditional religion includes ancestor worship and communing with the dead. They believe God is faraway, hard to reach, and unsympathetic to their daily struggles while their dead ancestors are closer to God and have a better chance to influence their future. So they diligently try to appease those spirits, displaying old skulls at home. The Fo 'o, or chief, is highly regarded as the most powerful villager. He sacrifices to ancestors and mediates with spirits for them. Soothsayers are hired to ask ancestors about future events.