A Decade In The Making: CBC Launches First Francophone Theological Campus In Cameroon

After 10 years of strategic consultation, visionary planning, and prayers, the Cameroon Baptist Convention, CBC has taken a decisive step toward expanding higher theological education into French-speaking Cameroon. The Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary, CBTS has announced the official commencement of academic activities at its newly established Bafoussam Campus in the West Region.

Since 1947

CBTS is a flagship CBC educational institution with roots dating back to its founding in Ndu in Donga-Mantung Division of the North West Region in 1947.  The official communique, signed and issued by the Academic Dean and Registrar of CBTS, Rev. Dr. Nfor Tangko Dickson, establishes the final roadmap for student enrollment, campus orientation, and academic integration for the upcoming 2026–2027 academic year.

For roughly a decade, national leaders, Field Pastors, and regional administrators within the Cameroon Baptist Convention have advocated the creation of a fully French-language seminary campus. Historically, formal Baptist theological institutions in Cameroon - most notably the main CBTS campus in Ndu, North West Region and the Baptist Theological Seminary in Kumba, South West Region - have operated primarily in English.

French-speaking Inroads

However, as the CBC’s evangelistic reach has grown exponentially across the French-speaking sections of the country, church leaders recognized a pressing structural challenge. The need to contextualize theological instruction for pastors, missionaries, and counselors ministering in Francophone environments. The inauguration of the Bafoussam Campus represents the concrete realization of that vision. Providing rigourous academic and practical training tailored specifically for French-speaking ministerial candidates.

The decision to establish the French seminary in Bafoussam, the administrative capital of the West Region, was guided by several deliberate considerations. One, Bafoussam serves as a major geographical and commercial crossroads in Cameroon. Its central positioning makes it easily accessible to prospective students, visiting scholars, and church personnel from the Centre, Littoral, North West, South West, and neighbouring regions.

Situated in the Western Highlands, Bafoussam offers a mild, temperate climate. Church leadership noted that this environment will allow students, visiting faculty, and international researchers coming from varying climatic zones to adapt smoothly to academic life.

Strong Grassroots Collaboration

The establishment of the campus was made possible through strong grassroots collaboration. The CBC Bafoussam Field actively mobilized resources to provide essential infrastructural support. While the CBC Education Board approved the initial operating space.

To facilitate an immediate start without waiting for long-term physical construction, the campus will initially be hosted in the Baptist Bilingual College of Arts, Science and Technology, BABICAST, Bafoussam. Which offers ready-to-use classroom and administrative infrastructure.

The Bafoussam Campus opens its doors with a comprehensive academic catalogue spanning secondary-equivalent theological certificates, through advanced graduate degrees. According to administrative filings, three primary academic tiers will run concurrently. Baccalaureate in Theology, designed to provide foundational biblical grounding for candidates entering ministry or church leadership roles.

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Theology - a comprehensive degree equipping students for pastoral ministry, teaching, ...