Journal of Development Communication And Applied Theatre

This study explores the long-term impacts of Baptist missionary initiatives on indigenous cultural structures and development in Mbumland, Cameroon, against the backdrop of broader colonial and postcolonial processes of cultural exchange, resistance, and adaptation. Despite the widespread dissemination of Christianity and Western education, indigenous communities have actively negotiated, resisted, or integrated external influences, leading to a complex hybridization of cultural identities. The core objective is to critically assess whether these missionary activities have facilitated genuine cultural sovereignty or contributed to cultural dislocation and erosion. Employing qualitative ethnographic methods including participant observation in religious and cultural settings, the research uncovers patterns of cultural hybridity, resistance, and social cohesion. Guided by HomiBhabha’s Cultural Hybridization Theory and Social Capital Theory, the findings reveal that indigenous communities have not passively accepted external influences but have engaged in active negotiations that fostered hybrid identities and reinforced social networks. The study demonstrates that Baptist missions catalyzed a resilient cultural landscape characterized by layered identities, selective adaptation, and ongoing contestation over cultural and religious authority. It submits that the trajectory from missionary outreach to cultural sovereignty is neither linear nor uniform for indigenous cultures are living, adaptable systems capable of resilience and reinvention. The work underscores contextual engagement to promote sustainable development and cultural integrity within a globalizing world. 

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