Televangelism, Self-Styling and Medical Care among the Moghamo People of the North West Region of Cameroon

Abstract

Africa in general is experiencing a permanent change at the level of socio-cultural, economic and political plan. But this change is very reluctant in the domain of therapeutic trajectory. The different therapeutic trajectories or places where people seek treatment include the hospital, spiritualists, herbalists, diviners and churches. Initially the television was not part of this and only acted as a tool of communication, entertainment, education and information. Consequently, it became a strong competitor to story tellers, historians, entertainers and holders of moral values and repositories of religious knowledge.

Today, "men of God” present themselves in diverse ways using their various TV programmes to pull the audience to their respective assemblies or TV stations. They create their own language, their personal appearance, with specific symbols, signs, styles and highlighting prominence on selected programmes. TV has become a medium through which audiences seek healings, deliverance, prophecy, testimony breakthroughs, blessings, edification, prayers, praise and worship. This will be illustrated at the example of Moghamo ways of watching television in North West Cameroon such as touching the television screen, repeating prayers, laying of hands, singing and dancing in response to strategies laid down by men of God in television. This kind of faith healing is increasing as there is a proliferation of televangelists and Gospel television channels.  The choice for this medium as a therapeutic trajectory may be due to the fact that there are still a number of diseases for which science has either been unable to provide a solution to, or on its attempt to do so, has resulted in a failure.

This work is part of an analytic study of gospel television channels on the people of Moghamo in the North West Region of Cameroon in Central Africa.  By using the case study, interviews, observation, and survey, this work seeks to show how television is an instrument of social change and a tool of health seeking behaviour of a people. It also tries to explain the major kinds of sicknesses that are handled by this medium as well as self-styling of televangelists.