Holistic mission- contingent concepts

If the church considers its objective as holistic, a possible consequence would be to find religious manifestations in the project. Several such manifestations have been presented already (5.1 through 5.6). However, these are religious dimensions which I identified on the basis of my own partially preconceived categories, which are made to capture local reality

125 but also fit western- academic reality. Therefore, in search of how local people viewed these matter, I asked the informants whether or not they thought it was obvious that the PLS was a church-run project.

Interestingly, many responded negatively to this question. Elements that I considered as clear manifestations of religion were not considered as such by many Cameroonians. I discovered that the reason for this was because the PLS treated everybody, not just Christians. That was where many informants drew the lines between religion and

development. If religion was somehow set as a contingency to get involved or included in the PLS, then it should be considered religious: “If it had been religious, we would only have treated the Christians. We would have refused the Muslims” (HCV- 1). Who the project sought to help determined whether the project was religious or not. Consequently, as being Christian was not a contingency to get involved, the project was not conceived to be

religious. The Muslims HCV said: “Everyone has confidence in the church, because the church does not make difference between people- the church accepts everybody” (HCV- 2).

It thus seemed as if the Christian identity of the church was unimportant as long as everyone was treated the same. Bishop Nyéwé said this was because religious positions had already been taken.

Positions are already taken. The Muslims are there, and they know that whatever the church does, it will not easily convert them. The Christians are also there, knowing that whatever the Muslims do, they will not change our way of being. So with these positions being present, we have the possibility to dialogue. (Rev. Nyéwé)

Nyéwé continued by stating that religious epressions were more common in Cameroon:

“People are not ashamed of expressing their religious convictions- but they are to take or leave” (Rev. Nyéwé). This notion was confirmed in several other interviews. Mrs. Bischler claimed that instead of pretending religion did not exist, Cameroonians expressed it, and thereby rendered it less dangerous:

Instead of, as in Norway, pretend that religion does not exist and not talk about it (…), we recognize each other and express that you are a Christian, I respect you. And you are Muslim, I respect you. Now, we are together to discuss this matter. For them, this is completely normal, and I think it is this way not only on this school. It is more the way it is, in society. That you respect that you have a faith, it is not something private to be hidden. (Mrs. Bischler)

126 Thus, by expressing religion, it is no longer an unsaid reality which everyone knows is there but do not speak of. Though he argued the same notion, Mr. Bischler admitted that it went too far if the gospel at some point was set as a condition for help. This was a pitfall for Christian organizations.

Obviously one is down the wrong road if one sets it as a condition to get the help that, for example, the PLS offers, that you have to come to church on Sunday. That would be a serious stray-off. Or if you start relating the healing-elements from the sickness to the religious context from which one comes, like “If you become a Christian you will get well. If you become a Christian you will get admission to our groups.” Then, you would be walking on the wrong roads! (Mr. Bischler)

He admitted that this was a challenge also for the EELC, and continued to say that another aspect they needed to be aware of was that it could be a way out of poverty.

Mr. Bischler: One danger here, as everywhere else, is that one uses religion as an argument to sell new ideas (…), that it becomes a contingency to get help. That you have to belong to the church or the context from which help comes. No one probably pronounces it, but there is nevertheless a possibility that it can be real.

Interviewer: Inside this church as well?

Mr. Bischler: Yes, that may be. I cannot point to examples of this kind of abuse, but what is clear is that many seek, and have sought, to the churches because it is a possibility to get out of a life which seems quite

hopeless. It gives the possibility to work, to education, to health. So it can be an opening to get out of something, and obviously, that dependency should be used with caution, and one should be aware that it probably is this way. (Mr. Bischler)

Thus, some people do not approach the church merely for religious reasons, as inclusion in the church for some may be a way out from poverty.

Locally then, religious colour in a project was judged on whether religion was a contingency for involvement in a project. Such contingencies does not seem to be present in the PLS, even though it admittedly may be a challenge. A related and more difficult issue is when people approach the church for other reasons. In such cases, some may experience inclusion in the church as a factor on which the help depends, or at least that it strengthens their chances of getting help.

127