The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Botswana

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) reported 3,235 members in 13 congregations in June 2017 in Botswana.[1][2]

History

The first branch of the LDS Church in Botswana was organized in 1983. LDS missionaries were not sent to Botswana until 1990 and the church did not receive official recognition until 1991. Among the early converts in Botswana was Kwasi Agyare Dwomoh, a Ghanaian architect employed by the government of Botswana. Dwomoh and his family joined the church in September 1990. He became the first branch president in August 1991, and the first district president in March 1992. He and his wife were the first couple to travel from Botswana to be sealed in the temple.[3]

In 1995, all LDS Church units were included in the newly-formed Roodeport South Africa Stake. The first Motswana to serve a full-time mission for the LDS Church, Yakale Million Moroka, began serving as a missionary in 1999 in the South Africa Cape Town Mission.

In the early 2000s, the church formed its first branch in Francistown in the north of Botswana. In 2009, missionaries were regularly sent there for the first time. In 2010, branches were formed in two additional cities. In 2012, a new stake was organized in Gaborone with Clement Mosiame Matswagothata as its president, and in 2013 Botswana was given its own mission.

Membership history
Year Membership[4]
1995300a
1999700b
20041,194b
20091,305c
20121,693c
20173,235c
  • a Estimated membership for December 31 of the respective year
  • b Actual Membership for December 31 of the respective year
  • c Actual Membership for June 22 of the respective year

Stake

The Gaborone Botswana Stake was created on November 4, 2012.[5]

Missions

The Botswana Namibia Mission (to be created July 2013)[6]

See also

References
  1. "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by Country: Botswana", Newsroom, LDS Church, 22 June 2017, retrieved 22 June 2017
  2. "Country information: Botswana", Church News Online Almanac, Deseret News, January 29, 2010, retrieved 2013-02-27
  3. E. Dale LeBaron, "Botswana" in Arnold K. Garr, et. al, ed., Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2000), p. 124-125
  4. "Country information: Botswana", Deseret News Church Almanac (multiple almanacs from various years), Deseret News
  5. Botswana stake first for the country
  6. New mission presidents by area for 2013
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.