Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Remembering Cameroon, Central Africa

It is always interesting to see the way the past continues to inform us. I had the pleasure of introducing in Chapel at Gettysburg Seminary the guest preacher for the noon service, Pastor Paul Déouyo. He is professor of systematic theology at the Lutheran seminary in Meiganga in Cameroon, West Africa. In my early days on the Gettysburg Seminary faculty, I spent a month in Cameroon and most of the time was at the seminary there. Dr.  Déouyo and I have common friends. My friend, Tom Christiansen (ELCA retired missionary) was my host and taught Paul. Hopefully, we will be able to Skype on Monday afternoon so that Paul and Tom can have a conversation. Paul is also friends with Lee and Torborg Bonhoeff. They were missionaries in Cameroon as well. I had not met Paul during my time in Cameroon because it was during the summer and there were no classes. It was good being able to remember my time in Cameroon and in addition to be able to speak French in Gettysburg, PA. On Tuesday 16 September, Déouyo will give the Norma Schweizer Wood Lecture at Gettysburg Seminary.