Jean Mbarga (born 18 May 1956) is a Cameroonian Catholic prelate who serves as the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Yaoundé, in Cameroon since 31 October 2014. Before that, from 15 October 2004 until 31 October 2014, he served as the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ebolowa, Cameroon. Pope John Paul II appointed him bishop. He was consecrated on 5 December 2004 by Eliseo Antonio Ariotti, Titular Archbishop of Vibiana. While bishop at Ebolowa, he served as apostolic administrator at Yaoundé from 29 July 2013 until 31 October 2014. On 31 October 2014, Pope Francis transferred him to Yaoundé and elevated him to Metropolitan Provincial Archbishop there.
Jean Mbarga was born on 18 May 1956 at Ebolmedzo, in the Archdiocese of Yaoundé, in Cameroon. He studied at the Nkolbisson Major Seminary, in Yaoundé. He continued with his priestly studies at an institution in Strasbourg, France. Later he graduated with a Doctorate in moral theology, specialising in Bio-ethics, from the Pontifical Alphonsian Academy in Rome, Italy.
He was ordained a priest for the archdiocese of Yaoundé on 5 December 1981 by Jean Zoa, Archbishop of Yaoundé. He served as a priest until 15 October 2004. While a priest, he served in various roles and locations, including:
On 15 October 2004, Pope John Paul II appointed Reverend Father Jean Mbarga, previously the Vicar general of the archdiocese of Yaounde, Cameroon as the new bishop of the Diocese of Ebolowa, Cameroon. He was consecrated by Eliseo Antonio Ariotti, Titular Archbishop of Vibiana, on 5 December 2004. The Principal Co-Consecrators were Simon-Victor Tonyé Bakot, Archbishop of Yaoundé and Raphaël Marie Ze, Bishop of Sangmélima. While bishop at Ebolowa, he served as apostolic administrator at Yaoundé, from 29 July 2013 until 31 October 2014. On that day, Pope Francis transferred him from Ebolowa to Yaoundé and appointed him archbishop there.