CBC Youths fete Diamond Jubilee, pledge construction of retreat center at Bimbia slave site

By Hans Ngala

The Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) through its Youth and Student’s Department has launched the construction of a youth and retreat center in Bimbia, South West Region of Cameroon.

The launch was made on Sunday February 5th during celebrations to commemorate 60 years since the creation of the CBC Youth and Student’s Department (CBCYSD) in Bota, Limbe; also in the South West region of Cameroon.

The Rev. Ghamogha Cosmas, Director of the CBCYSD stated that the project will cost an estimated F CFA 450Million and that CBC youth are being encouraged to contribute at least 2 blocks to help realize the construction of the site under a scheme dubbed “Operation One Youth, Two Blocks for Bimbia”.

CBCYSD former National Chairman, Kwalar Rene who also doubles as administrator of Baptist Hospital Banyo stated that such a retreat center is necessary in Bimbia because “Bimbia is at the bounds of the Atlantic Ocean with a very rich historical heritage because the first church in Cameroon (which happened to be a Baptist church) was planted there. It was also the route for the West African Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, so it has a deep significance not just for Baptists but for all Cameroonians” he explained.

Rev. Ghamogha further clarified also that at the end of the project, the site in Bimbia will be able to act as a retreat center as well as a camping center for Cameroonians from all walks of life and will be able to hold as many as 200 people in the camping-style facilities.
It should be noted that the CBC as a denomination was started by English and Jamaican Baptist missionaries, with the Rev. G.K. Prince and Joseph Jackson Fuller being the pioneer missionaries of Jamaican origin. They were later followed by Englishman, Rev. Alfred Saker according to historian, Dr. Lisa Aubrey from the University of Arizona who also is an adjunct lecturer of history at the University of Yaounde I.
The missionaries were first based in Fernando Po (present day Malabo) but were later expelled and came to Bimbia, Cameroon.