During a visit in 2009, LBT Program Director James Maxey (back left) and LBTC Executive Director David Maffett (back right) met with LBTC translator Martin Weber (front left) and representatives of the national church office for EELC.

Lutheran Bible Translators/LBTC has had a long term relationship in Cameroon. Since 1980, LBT has worked with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon (EELC or Église Évangélique Luthérienne du Cameroun).

Cameroon has a population of 17.3 million, speaking 275 different languages. Although French and English are the official languages taught in schools, few village people in remote areas of the country obtain schooling beyond the basics. They understand and use their mother tongue to communicate orally rather than in French or English. About 100 of these languages are now part of language development projects, so much linguistic analysis, translation and literacy work remains to be done especially in conjunction with the EELC.

The first LBT missionary in Cameroon, Ed Mueller, translated the Samba New Testament which was dedicated in 2001. Presently, LBTC translator Martin Weber with his wife Joan who is a literacy specialist with LBT US, live and work in the village of Yimbéré. With their Kwanja co-translators, they completed the translation of the Kwanja New Testament and dedicated in December 2006. To learn more about the Kwanja language and the Webers, click here.

LBT US translators James and Pam Maxey worked on the Vuté New Testament which was dedicated in December 2007. James managed several translation projects in Cameroon.

Other Canadians who worked in Cameroon include: Curtis (computer support) & Andrea Boehm (missionary kid tutor), Lorraine Toderash (translation) and Annette (Kaiser) Westermann (translation) and her husband Scott (computer support at a Lutheran-based print shop).

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