Growth Leads to an Upgrade!

The growth of the Brunstad Christian Church (BCC) fellowship in Douala, Cameroon, necessitated an upgrade to the existing church hall where services and other church activities were held. Originally built to accommodate 60 people, the hall had become overcrowded, with an average of 100 members attending services every week, leaving little space for even the musical instruments!

To address this problem, renovations began in early November 2024 at the site in Makepe Village, Douala and were completed in May 2025. The existing hall was partially demolished, and new foundations were laid to install the supporting pillars for a new concrete slab. Walls were built both below and above the slab, followed by the screeding and roofing. The final step was painting the entire building. Most of the construction work was carried out by local church members and at various stages invaluable assistance was received from members of the BCC fellowships in Yaoundé and Bafoussam.

The new facilities include a spacious ground-floor hall for children and youth activities as well as the upgraded caretaker’s accommodation. The area upstairs where church services and other church activities will be held, now offers seating for over 200 people which adequately meets the needs of the Douala fellowship, with room for future growth.

The opening ceremony of the upgraded hall took place on 6 May 2025 and was attended by all the members of the Douala fellowship, as well as 45 members from the Bafoussam and Yaoundé fellowships, alongside guests from South Africa (9), Norway (3) and France (2). The proceedings began with a symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony on the ground floor by Tielman Slabbert, the spiritual leader of BCC in South Africa. Thereafter a celebratory meal was held upstairs during which guest speakers clearly emphasised that the new hall and facilities should be a place used for the edification of the Body of Jesus Christ in Douala. The program included edifying messages and testimonies, spiritual songs sung by the choir, traditional dances and videos showing the various phases of the construction of the building. Heartfelt thanks were extended to all who contributed to the upgrade of the hall and for those who organised the special opening celebration.

Testimonies:

Romeo Fogno Kalachi (Douala, Cameroon):

“I am very thankful for the new church hall. The construction period was a time of teamwork with young and old working side by side. Now that the construction is finished, we have this beautiful new hall where we will gather to hear the Word of God. May His Word work in each one so that we grow in the virtues of Christ, build fellowship and love for one another and that the children and young people feel cared for and loved. Thank you to all who helped us during the construction.”

Nathan (Douala, Cameroon):

“The opening celebration of our meeting hall was a great success. From the ribbon cutting through to the meal, the edifying messages, the choir singing uplifting songs and the traditional dancing – everyone contributed and everything was well coordinated. I want to take to heart the spiritual messages I heard which were truly a call to a selfless life, hidden with Christ in God. I want to take heed to myself and live a life of constant sacrifice for others and become a pillar in the church.”

Lucie Ngotam (Douala, Cameroon):

“The inauguration touched me deeply. Seeing the love and unity in Christ regardless of the diverse background we all come from – Cameroon, South Africa and Europe, made me very happy. I thought about the sacrifices each one of us made during the construction time. The messages I heard were a great source of encouragement for me to work on my salvation. Surely this is a foretaste of eternal life together with Jesus, our Saviour!”

Monique Marquise Deffo (Douala, Cameroon):

“I am very thankful for the inauguration of the new hall. There was a blessed spirit among everyone. All gave of their best so that the occasion was special – the children, youth and adults participated in the activities wholeheartedly. I want to take to heart the messages I heard from the guest speakers and give up my will and serve others without waiting for any rewards. Thanks once again for this beautiful hall!”

Ruth Tafo (Douala, Cameroon):

“I found the inauguration celebration to be beautiful in every aspect — from the preparation phase, where we witnessed how, through unity and humility, we were able to organize a successful event in a short amount of time. What struck me the most was the desire of everyone involved to contribute to the success of the celebration in their respective roles, without anyone trying to stand out. Each person remained humble and did their best. The messages we heard during the event were also clear, and I took it to heart that to preserve the spirit of unity, I must work together with others in my local fellowship for the growth of the Body of Christ.”