The Benedictine Sisters of Bethany (EBSB) is a

religious order A religious order is a subgroup within a larger confessional community with a distinctive high-religiosity lifestyle and clear membership. Religious orders often trace their lineage from revered teachers, venerate their Organizational founder, ...

for women within the

Anglican Church Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...

, West Africa. Its mother house (main convent) is in

Bamenda Bamenda, also known as Abakwa and Mankon Town, is a city in northwestern Cameroon and capital of the Northwest Region (Cameroon), Northwest Region. The city has a population of about six hundred thousand people and is located north-west of the C ...

. Its principal work is the care of orphaned street children.

History

The community's history begins with the Emmanuel Sisterhood, an order of nuns in the

Presbyterian Church of Cameroon The Presbyterian Church of Cameroon (in French: ''Église presbytérienne camerounaise'' and in English: ''Presbyterian Church of Cameroon'') is a reformed presbyterian denomination in Cameroon founded by missionaries from the Presbyterian Church ...

. One of the sisters of this order, Sister Jane Mankaa (1960 - 2021), who joined the community aged 16, felt a strong calling years later to convert to the

Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is a Christian Full communion, communion consisting of the Church of England and other autocephalous national and regional churches in full communion. The archbishop of Canterbury in England acts as a focus of unity, ...

and start new work with homeless street children. She did so, but with the permission of the Bishop of Cameroon, she remained living under vows and adopted the

Benedictine Rule The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' () is a book of precepts written in Latin by St. Benedict of Nursia (c. AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. The spirit of Saint Benedict's Rule is summed up in the motto of th ...

. After studying convent management in the United States for one year and living with the Episcopal

Community of St John Baptist The Community of St John Baptist (CSJB), also known as the Sisters of Mercy, or formerly Clewer Sisters, is an Anglican religious order of Augustinian nuns. History The Community was founded in England in 1852 by Harriet Monsell (the first Sup ...

in Mendham, New Jersey, Sister Jane returned to Cameroon. Women gathered around her to learn from her and the Benedictine Sisters of Bethany were born. The order became Cameroon's first Anglican religious community. The community is called the "Benedictine Sisters of Bethany" (BSB), but sisters use the post-nominal initials EBSB, in which the "E" is a reference to "Emmanuel", the sisterhood in which Sr Jane first took vows. In Bamenda, a convent and dormitory with chapel and refectory have been constructed. Redeemer Nursery School is in operation on the compound. The Roberto Rovere Health Clinic is under construction on site to meet the needs of the children and area villagers. Plans are currently underway to construct Good Shepherd Academy, Anglican, a co-ed secondary/high school for 600 residential students in

Bafut Bafut may refer to several things relating to Cameroon: * Bafut language * Bafut Subdivision ** Bafut, Cameroon, the headquarters town of the subdivision * Bafut Wars, a series of early 20th-century wars * Fon of Bafut The Fon of Bafut is the f ...

, Cameroon. There are future plans to construct a residential home and hospice for children with AIDS.

The Good Shepherd Home, Bamenda

Sister Jane felt a strong call to care for the many homeless children of Cameroon, some of whom were orphans (often due to their parents having died of

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

), whilst others were simply more than their parents (with over-large families) could care for. The Good Shepherd Home in Bamenda, Cameroon now cares for 100 children who would otherwise be homeless. They are given a loving family life, food, shelter, and protection from the sometimes violent life of the city. Today, the Home has four self-sustaining projects - a chicken farm, pig farm, bakery and three vegetable farms. In addition, Good Shepherd Home relies on donations of food from local people and donations of money from overseas supporters.

Security

Following a series of robberies and attacks that culminated in a raid by armed robbers who threatened to kill the sisters, a security system has been installed to alert the local neighbourhood if the convent is attacked.

Batibo

In 2010 the community opened a second convent and orphanage at

Batibo Batibo is a name that refers to a town and a subdivision in Cameroon, Africa. It is located along the Trans-African Highway, 27 miles west of Bamenda and about 100 miles east of Nigeria. Batibo is the economic, social, political and cultural heart ...

, Cameroon, for special needs orphans, expanding the outreach and care provided. The Sisters of Bethany now care for approximately 150 orphaned children across the two sites, as well as many others who are fed or supported with medical care.See report on page 9 o
this 2012 newsletter
. A second bakery and a store are the two self-sustaining projects of the Batibo home.

Media

*Geitz, Elizabeth ''I Am That Child: Changing Hearts and Changing the World'' Morehouse Publishing, 2012. *Licostie, Nadine, Director ''The Good Mother of Abangoh''. Red Thread Productions, 2008.

External links

Benedictine Sisters of BethanyThe Good Shepherd Home for ChildrenVideo of Founder, Sister Jane

References

{{Anglican orders Anglican orders and communities Christian religious orders established in the 20th century Bamenda Anglicanism in Cameroon Religious organizations based in Cameroon