the norwegian missionary society first established a mission here in the early 1920s. the church built in 1923 still stands. at the time of construction, there were three christians in the city, but being optimistic, the church was built for a capacity of roughly 200. in cooperation with the local evangelical lutheran church of cameroon eelc and the american elca the nms has built the protestant hospital of ngaoundéré, a high school and several other institutions.