North West-South West Divide Within the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon: The 1985 Synod Election Crisis

Power struggles have roiled African Christian churches in multiple forms, promoting conflicts, stalling mission work and disrupting peaceful communities. The Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC) is no exception and has been the theatre of ethnic and regional differences expressed as power struggles pitching Christians from the North-West and South-West Regions of Cameroon. The principal cleavage in the PCC since her accession to autonomy from the Basel Mission in 1957 has all along resulted from power struggles. This article addresses the tensions resulting from persistent power struggles within the PCC. Such power struggles have often led to divisions and breakaway attempts within its governing structures, and this has negatively affected the growth of this Protestant denomination. Specifically, the paper investigates the 1985 Synod election crisis, discusses its manifestations, examines efforts towards it resolution, and highlights peacebuilding initiatives that followed. Its central argument is that North-West/South-West regional interests took precedence over collective concerns in the PCC, placing the church on the edge of ruin. It concludes that, historically, the North-West/South-West dichotomy has been the main factor in the power struggle and resultant tensions within the PCC. The crisis climaxed in 1985 when Synod elections allowed two North Westerners to occupy the two top posts of Moderator and Synod Clerk. The authorities of the church have managed to maintain the delicate balance of authority between the two regions by attempting to eliminate the dominance enjoyed by North Westerners through constitutional reforms.

Keywords: Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, power struggle, North Westerners, South Westerners, Synod Elections.