FIRE Cameroon — our story
FIRE / Our Story

A movement, not a moment.

From a Bible school in 2014 to a multi-generational movement reaching the nations — this is the story of FIRE Cameroon.

Read Our Story What We Believe
Established 2014 · Yaoundé
Began as FIRE Bible Institute
Today Five expressions · One movement
Pastor Denis & Arit Ekobena
Founders Pastor Denis & Arit
— 01 · How it began

A legacy of worship, Bible teaching, community, growth, and missions.

It started with a calling — and a family willing to follow it across an ocean.

In December 2013, Pastor Denis & Arit Ekobena moved from the United States back to Cameroon with their family. Their assignment: to plant a school that would equip a generation. In 2014, FIRE Bible Institute was born — the first expression of what would become FIRE Cameroon.

Two years later, a new dream stirred. With the help of one family and 10–15 committed people, they began holding services in a home in Mendong at the Tindjou's residence. They called it New Life Church. The vision was simple: help people experience new life in Christ so they could reach their full potential.

From a home group, they moved to Parc Kiriakides for evening services. Then on Sunday, January 1st, 2017, the first Sunday morning service was held at Jean Vespa, descente 8eme. The house was finding its rhythm.

In 2022, the congregation expanded its impact and its identity — New Life Church became FIRE Church. Today, FIRE is a multi-generational community where every age group is valued and involved, with five expressions reaching from worship to marketplace, and a heart that still burns with the original conviction: every member a minister, every Christian a leader.

— 02 · The Journey

From seed to movement.

Eleven years. One unchanging mission. A growing family of believers carrying the flame across Cameroon and beyond.

2013

The return to Cameroon

Pastor Denis & Arit Ekobena move from the United States to Cameroon with their family — answering a call to equip a generation in their homeland.

2014

FIRE Bible Institute is born

The first expression of FIRE — FIRE Bible Institute — is planted in Yaoundé. The mission: train and equip leaders, ministers, and worshippers grounded in the Word.

2015

A church is dreamed into being

With one family and 10–15 committed people, New Life Church begins as a home group at the Tindjou's residence in Mendong. Soon after, services move to Parc Kiriakides for evening gatherings.

2017

Sunday mornings at Jean Vespa

On January 1st, 2017, the first Sunday morning service is held at Jean Vespa, descente 8eme — the address that remains the heart of FIRE Church to this day.

2022

From New Life to FIRE Church

The congregation expands its impact and adopts a new name: FIRE Church. The movement now carries one identity across all its expressions — Church, Music, Missions, Training, and Marketplace.

Today

A movement reaching the nations

Five expressions. Thirty-one ministries. Five pastoral clusters. One unchanging mission. A multi-generational family of believers loving God, building people, and changing lives — in Yaoundé, across Cameroon, and to the nations.

— 03 · Our Name

F.I.R.E. — more than a name.

Our name carries our calling. Each letter speaks of who we are and what we are sent to do.

F
Fellowship
I
International
R
Revival
E
Evangelism

We are a fellowship of believers passionate about international revival and evangelism — a church that burns with the fire of the Holy Spirit for the transformation of individuals, families, and nations.

— 04 · Mission & Vision

Why we exist.

Two simple statements that anchor everything FIRE does — every ministry, every service, every life touched.

— Vision

A people in pursuit of His presence.

We are a people that love and are in pursuit of the presence of God. We gather to worship, connect in fellowship, and be equipped for His service.

We grow in our faith through teaching, prayer, and living out God's Word. We go into the world, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to spread the Gospel and make disciples of Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:42–47 · 2 Peter 3:18 · Matthew 28:18–20

— Mission

A God-fearing people.

FIRE Church exists to be a God-fearing people that are:

Loving God Building People Changing Lives

We are a community of believers who want to see every Christian equipped, empowered, edified, and mature in Christ.

"

Every member is a minister. Every Christian is a leader. Every sphere of daily life is a field of ministry — work, family, business, school. We refuse to compartmentalize the spiritual from the everyday.

FIRE Cameroon Culture

— 05 · Our Culture

F.I.R.E.-W — the values we live by.

These aren't rules — they are who we are. Every member of FIRE Church is called to embody these values in their daily life.

F

Family
Marriages & Singleness

We model God's love in our marriages and singleness. We speak openly about relationships and sexuality guided by biblical truth. Every person — married, single, or single parent — finds a home here.

I

Integrity
in Leadership

We refuse pretense or image management. We strive to be the same in private as in public. Our leadership flows from pure motives, not power or approval. We lead by serving.

R

Relationships
Healthy Community

People change in community, not isolation. We connect out of vulnerability — offering the gift of God's grace to one another and to the world.

E

Every Believer
is a Minister

Every sphere of daily activity — paid work, unpaid work, retirement — is a field of ministry. Ministry is using whatever God has given me to serve Him and the needs of others.

W

Worship
All of Life

All of life, for the Christian, is worship. Our worship experience is a medium to encounter God personally. Prayer and prophetic intercession are central to who we are.

— Additional Value

Growth — Mature Disciples

Spiritual maturity isn't measured by church activity but by following the crucified Jesus. True growth happens through the slow, intentional work of transformation.

Leaders guide believers to break free from destructive family and cultural patterns. They learn to live as part of the new family of Jesus. Mature disciples recognize how their past shapes their present, and face hidden issues — sin, wounds, emotional triggers — with honesty and grace.

"You do not remain where you begin. You are called to grow, to serve, and to multiply."
— Additional Value

Missions — Win the Lost at All Cost

Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all nations. FIRE's vision is to build a community of authentic believers who see our city transformed by the power of the Gospel.

Our mission is to help people know Jesus as Lord and Savior. We are a church that plants churches and sends missionaries worldwide — taking the message of Jesus to our city, our nation, and the ends of the earth.

"Our mission extends beyond the walls of the Church. We are called to take the message of Jesus to our city, our nation, and the world."
— 06 · The Orange Promise

"I will make every FIRE Church experience outstanding."

At FIRE Church, we make a promise to every person who walks through our doors: "We will see you. We will serve you. We will never stop building you." Warmth that is consistent. Care that is personal. Excellence that never settles.

— 01
Put others
first
— 02
Serve with humility
& simplicity
— 03
Give all the glory
to God
— 07 · What We Believe

Rooted in God's Word.

Our beliefs are not opinions. They are convictions drawn from Scripture — the foundation we build on, teach from, and stake our lives upon.

The Holy Bible — and only the Bible — is the authoritative Word of God. It alone is the final authority in determining all doctrinal truths. In its original writing, it is inspired, infallible, and inerrant. 2 Timothy 3:16 · 2 Peter 1:20–21 · Proverbs 30:5 · Romans 16:25–26
There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and co-eternal. 1 John 5:7 · Genesis 1:26 · Matthew 3:16–17, 28:19 · Luke 1:35 · Isaiah 9:6
Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. He is the only man ever to have lived a sinless life. He was born of a virgin, performed miracles, died on the cross for mankind, rose from the dead on the third day, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory. John 1:1, 14 · 1 Timothy 3:16 · Isaiah 9:6 · Philippians 2:5–6
The blood that Jesus Christ shed on the cross of Calvary was sinless and is 100% sufficient to cleanse mankind of all sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins, enabling all who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death. 1 John 1:7 · Revelation 1:5, 5:9 · Colossians 1:20 · Romans 3:10–12, 23 · John 1:29
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ — His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or any human efforts. Ephesians 2:8–9 · Galatians 2:16, 3:8 · Titus 3:5 · Romans 10:9–10 · Acts 16:31 · Hebrews 9:22
Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ. Through repentance, we receive forgiveness of sins and appropriate the salvation that is ours in Him. Acts 2:21, 3:19 · 1 John 1:9
Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body three days after His death on the cross. Both the saved and the lost will be resurrected — the saved to the resurrection of life and the lost to the resurrection of eternal damnation. Luke 24:16, 36, 39 · John 20:26–28 · Acts 24:15 · 1 Corinthians 15:42, 44 · Philippians 3:21
Given at Pentecost with the evidence of speaking in tongues, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father, sent by Jesus after His ascension to empower the Church to preach the Gospel throughout the whole earth. Joel 2:28–29 · Matthew 3:11 · Acts 1:5, 2:1–4, 17, 38–39, 8:14–17, 10:38, 19:1–6
The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of these gifts in their lives, in harmony with Scripture. Hebrews 2:4 · Romans 12:4–8 · 1 Corinthians 12:1–31, 14:1–40 · 1 Peter 4:10
The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus' great commission. Every person born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:22, 2:19–22 · Hebrews 12:23 · John 17:11, 20–23
Water Baptism — Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Lord's Supper — A unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of bread and grape juice (the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are taken in remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Matthew 28:19 · Acts 2:38 · Matthew 26:26–29 · 1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:23–25
Healing of the sick is illustrated in the life and ministry of Jesus and is included in the commission of Jesus to His disciples. It is given as a sign that follows believers, is part of Jesus' work on the cross, and is one of the gifts of the Spirit. Psalm 103:2–3 · Isaiah 53:5 · Matthew 8:16–17 · Mark 16:17–18 · James 5:14–16 · 1 Corinthians 12:9, 28
Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His Kingdom. This will occur at a date undisclosed by the Scriptures. Matthew 24:30, 26:63–64 · Acts 1:9–11 · 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17 · Revelation 1:7
Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. After living one life on earth, those who reject Christ will be judged by God and sent to hell where they will be eternally separated from Him. Matthew 5:3, 12, 25:34, 25:41 · John 17:24 · Hebrews 9:27 · Revelation 14:9–11, 20:12–15, 21:8
— Take the next step

Your story continues here.

Whether you're exploring faith for the first time, returning after years away, or ready to go deeper — we'd love to walk this journey with you.

Plan a Visit Meet Our Leaders