Continuity Or Discontinuity Of Blessing Rituals In African Traditional Religion: Towards A Contextual Theology Of Christian Faith Among The Meta’people In North West Cameroon

Abstract

The mbàn(theMetaʼfamily meeting house) is an institution that is unique to the Meta’and Moghamospeaking populations of the North West Region of Cameroon. Many rites ofblessing are performed in this house. For instance,the blessing of a girl to be handed over in marriage, the blessing of a barren woman/wifein the family, the blessing of a sick or an unfortunate child, the blessing of disputing parties after they have been reconciled, and the blessing of an entire family after the annual family gathering. The Meta’speaking community called the mbàn: “the most important house in the compound,” “the original church” before the advent of Christianity, “the house of peace, love, unity, harmony and reconciliation". Unfortunately, Pentecostals among the Meta’community have labelled the mbànan evil place and a place where Meta’people worship gods or idols. They vehemently state that thembànand the elements used for blessings should be thrown away or discarded. Data about the mbànwas gathered,through interviews and questionnaires, from differentpeople among the Meta’clan. In this study, therefore, I have attempted through interviews and questionnaires administered to participants consisting of thirty (30) Christians made up of (10) clergy and twenty (20) church members), ten (10) family heads, five (5) chiefs and two (2) regents, five (5) teachers, five (5) university lecturers. This data was then used to propose a strategy for a contextualized use of the mbàn, its blessing rites and tangible elements, for local churches among MetaʼChristians and others.

The mbàn(theMetaʼfamily meeting house) is an institution that is unique to the Meta’and Moghamospeaking populations of the North West Region of Cameroon. Many rites ofblessing are performed in this house. For instance,the blessing of a girl to be handed over in marriage, the blessing of a barren woman/wifein the family, the blessing of a sick or an unfortunate child, the blessing of disputing parties after they have been reconciled, and the blessing of an entire family after the annual family gathering. The Meta’speaking community called the mbàn: “the most important house in the compound,” “the original church” before the advent of Christianity, “the house of peace, love, unity, harmony and reconciliation". Unfortunately, Pentecostals among the Meta’community have labelled the mbànan evil place and a place where Meta’people worship gods or idols. They vehemently state that thembànand the elements used for blessings should be thrown away or discarded. Data about the mbànwas gathered,through interviews and questionnaires, from differentpeople among the Meta’clan. In this study, therefore, I have attempted through interviews and questionnaires administered to participants consisting of thirty (30) Christians made up of (10) clergy and twenty (20) church members), ten (10) family heads, five (5) chiefs and two (2) regents, five (5) teachers, five (5) university lecturers. This data was then used to propose a strategy for a contextualized use of the mbàn, its blessing rites and tangible elements, for local churches among MetaʼChristians and others.