Equatorial Guinea Mission

Equatorial Guinea Mission is a mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church that occupies the territory of Equatorial Guinea. It is part of the Central African Union Mission, which is also part of the West-Central African Division. The Equatorial Guinea Mission was organized in 1986. As of June 30, 2018, the Equatorial Guinea Mission had eight churches, 1,565 baptized members, and a general population of 1,314,000. The mission headquarters is in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.¹

The Republic of Equatorial Guinea is located in Central Africa, with an area of 10,831 square miles (28,051 square kilometers). It consists of Rio Muni (known also as Continental Equatorial Guinea) and five islands: Bioko (formerly Fernando Po), the largest of the islands, Corisco, Great Elobey (Elobey Grande), Little Elobey (Elobey Chico), and Annobon (Pagalu). The capital is Malabo, on Bioko. Formerly the colony of Spain, the country became independent on October 12, 1968. Official languages are Spanish and French. Equatorial Guinea is the only sovereign African state in which Spanish is an official language. As of 2017, the country had an estimated population of 1,532,000. Population projection for 2030 is an estimated 2,122,000.²

The Adventist Pioneers in Equatorial Guinea

The Adventist message reached the country through the immigrants coming from Nigeria and São Tomé and Príncipe. Some Adventist immigrants came later from Cameroon. Around 1957, Domingo Segundo from São Tomé and Príncipe and Jeremiah Anougwa from Nigeria wrote to the Adventist missions in their respective mission countries to ask for help and created awareness of the existence of Sabbath-keeping people in Equatorial Guinea.³ Later, on August 9, 1960, José López Gutiérrez and his wife arrived from Spain to work as Adventist missionaries in Equatorial Guinea.⁴

Creation of the Attached Mission of Congo

As a result of their work the first church was organized in 1961.⁵ By 1972 the mission had pastoral resources and was ready to be organized as a mission station. Prior to its organization, the Adventist work in Equatorial Guinea was under the supervision of West Cameroon Mission, with Emmanuel Boma as president in 1985.⁶ In 1986, the executive committee of the union, with Roland L. Joachim as the chair, took a vote to send Francisco Gavin as the first director of the mission station and detached it from West Cameroon Mission.⁷ It was only in 1989 that the church in Equatorial Guinea had a formal executive committee composed of Alberto Delanoe (president), Ricardo Bullmen, Rufino Camarero, Gervasio Codin, and Parciano Samba.⁸

Territory, Membership, and Headquarters

Before 1986, Equatorial Guinea was part of the West Cameroon Mission. After, its organization, it was detached from the West Cameroon Mission to stand by itself. Then, after 1986, its territory consisted of Río Muni (known also as Continental Equatorial Guinea) and five islands: Bioko (formerly Fernando Po), the largest of the islands, Corisco, Great Elobey (Elobey Grande), Little Elobey (Elobey Chico), and Annobon (Pagalu), and the capital, Malabo, is on Bioko.⁹

When the mission was created, it had only a few members. By 1988 it was recorded that the mission station had two churches and 121 members.¹⁰ As of June 2018, the Equatorial Mission had eight churches and 1,496 members.¹¹

When Equatorial Guinea was part of the West Cameroon Mission, the headquarters of the mission was located in Douala, Cameroon. When the country became a mission station, its headquarters was moved to Apartado Correos 423, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.¹²

Leadership¹³

Presidents: Francisco Gavin (director), 1986-1989; Alberto Delanoe, 1989-1993; Alcega Jeanniton, 1994-1998; Francisco Gavin, 1999-2001; Joaquim Cazares, 2002-2008; Jacques Wangkel, 2009-2011; Ricardo Bull Men, 2013-2015; Alfredo Villanueva Larrosa, 2015-2017; Assienin Salomon (interim), 2018-present.

Secretaries: Evaristo Yaye, 1997-1998; Rodolpho Segorbe, 1999-2001; Gervasio Codin, 2002-2005; Ricardo Bull Men, 2006-2010; Filberto Bugo Isuka, 2011-2012; Eutiminio Osma Gerona, 2013-present.

Treasurers: Luc Sanda, 1997-2001; Joel Nyanding Ngda, 2002-2005; Michel Ikito, 2006-2009; James Kouedi, 2009-2010; Hada Jonas, 2011-2012; Jean Marie Ngalieu, 2013-2015; Arcadio Medina Bestue, 2016-present.

Sources

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 2019.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, years 1986-2019, https://www.adventistyearbook.org/.

“Equatorial Guinea.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed March 12, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/place/Equatorial-Guinea.

Notes

1. “Equatorial Guinea Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook ((Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 2019), 389.↩

2. Rene Pelissier and Ronald James Harrison-Church, “Equatorial Guinea,” Encyclopedia Britannica, updated January 18, 2019, accessed March 12, 2019, https://www.britannica.com/place/Equatorial-Guinea.↩

3. Gervasio Codin Pelayo, retired pastor from Equatorial Guinea, interview by author, Bangui, Central African Republic, November 23, 2017.↩

4. Eutiminio Osma Gerona, Executive Secretary of Equatorial Guinea Mission, interview by author, Libreville, Gabon, July 17, 2018.↩

5. Gervasio Codin Pelayo interview.↩

6. “Equatorial Guinea Mission,” 1985 Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association,1985), 51.↩

7. “Equatorial Guinea Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1987), 40.↩

8. “Equatorial Guinea Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1990), 41.↩

9. Gervasio Codin Pelayo, interview.↩

10. “Equatorial Guinea Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988), 41.↩

11. “Equatorial Guinea Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Nampa, ID: Review and Herald Publishing Association, (2019), 389.↩

12. Gervasio Codin Pelayo interview.↩

13. Equatorial Guinea Mission records, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; “Equatorial Guinea Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, years 1986-2019, https://www.adventistyearbook.org/.↩