People group profile · PG012709
The Bamum of Cameroon
The Bamum of Cameroon, numbering about 728,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Grassfields kingdom people founded around 1390 by the conqueror Nchare at Foumban, ruled from 1887 by Sultan Ibrahim Njoya, who invented the Bamum syllabary and Shumom language before French colonization ended the kingdom's autonomy in 1916.
They are an indigenous people in the Adamawa-Ubangi people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Islam, and they primarily speak Bamun.
Fast facts
- Country
- Cameroon
- Population
- 728,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Adamawa-Ubangi
- Primary language
- Bamun (bax)
- Primary religion
- Folk Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Pioneer Unreached People Group
- Region
- Middle Africa, Africa
- Location
- Centre region: border areas; North West region: Ngo-Ketunjia division, north Lake Bamendjing on Ndop plain; West region: southeast Bamboutos division, north Mifi division, Noun division, Foumban area
Where they live
Gospel status
The Bamum are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Bamum
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Folk Islam · Islam
50% adherents
Primary language
Bamun · Atlantic-Congo family
100% speak Bamun
Gospel resources in Bamun
- Bible available, published 1988
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- 1988 Bible Society of Cameroon · audio
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Bamum
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
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