Evangelical Church of Chad
| Evangelical Church of Chad | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | EET |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | United Church |
| Scripture | Bible |
| Region | Chad |
| Origin | 1962 Chad |
| Merger of | United Mission of Sudan, WEC International and French Mennonite missions |
| Members | 200,000 (2004)[1] |
The Evangelical Church of Chad (French: Église Évangélique au Tchad, acronym: EET) is a United Protestant denomination present in the African country of Chad. It was officially constituted in 1962, as a result of the unification of Protestant missions from the United Mission of Sudan, the churches of WEC International and French Mennonite missions.[2]
Since the late 1990s, it has been the largest Protestant denomination in the country.[1]
History
[edit]In 1926, a Canadian missionary couple, Florence and Victor Veary,[3] of the Sudan United Mission (SUM), traveled to Chad. Initially, churches were established in the Logone province in the southwest. After that, the Bébalem station was established.[1] Years later, they settled in N'Djamena (then Fort Lamy). The main focus of the mission was the evangelization of Muslims.[4]
It was in 1952 that the French branch of the SUM was created under the name of the Franco-Swiss Protestant Mission of Chad (FSPMC).[4]
In 1960, Chad became independent and the SUM was officially recognized by the Chadian government. The different branches of the SUM shared the various geographical sectors of the country, as well as the various activities. Thus, since then, the various Missions have continued their work in this country.[4]
On the eve of the declaration of independence, Victor Veary, the first SUM missionary in Chad, encouraged the church to become independent, which it did.[4]
The WEC International and the French Mennonite churches had also established missions in the country. Thus, in 1962, these churches decided to merge with the SUM.[2]
The resulting church became known as the Evangelical Church of Chad (French: Église Évangélique au Tchad, acronym: EET).[5]
In 2004, it was estimated that the church had 200,000 members.[1]
In 2024, the denomination held its 51st general assembly. At the time, the president of the denomination's general office was Dr. Tao Vaileck Elysée.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d J. Gordon Melton; Martin Baumann (21 September 2010). Religion of The World:Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practives (PDF) (Second ed.). Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, LLC. pp. 1024–1025. ISBN 978-1-59884-203-6. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 2, 2025. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
- ^ a b Géraud Magrin (2001). Le sud du Tchad en mutation: Des champs de coton aux sirènes de l'or noir. Montpellier: Quae Editions. p. 53. ISBN 9782876144620.
- ^ Mbaihoguemel Samuel. "Ringonn, Abda". Dictionnaire Biographique des Chréstiens d'Afrique. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "History of the Evangelical Church of Chad". Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ Dingamtouji Maikoubou (1988). History of Protestant missions in Chad from 1920 to the present day: the case of the Protestant mission in the Ngambaye region (Thesis). Montpellier 3. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ Aristide Nguemadji (February 13, 2024). "Religion: The Evangelical Church in Chad holds its 51st general assembly and 13th biennial meeting". Retrieved June 3, 2025.