The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Botswana
As of January 1, 2012, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 1,693 members in six congregations (two wards[1] and four branches[1]) in Botswana.[2][3] Currently, the Gaborone, Botswana stake of Zion has about 3,104 members including those from the Mafikeng branch.
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.[4]
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 brnaches 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.
A brief history can be found at LDS Newsroom (Botswana) or Deseret News 2010 Church Almanac (Country Information: Botswana)
Membership history
| Year | Membership[5] |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 300a |
| 1999 | 700b |
| 2004 | 1,194b |
| 2009 | 1,305c |
| 2012 | 1,693c |
- a Estimated membership for December 31 of the respective year
- b Actual Membership for December 31 of the respective year
- c Actual Membership for January 1 of the respective year
Stake
The Gaborone Botswana Stake was created on November 4, 2012.[6]
Missions
The Botswana Namibia Mission (to be created July 2013)[7]
See also
References
- 1 2 LDS Meetinghouse Locator.Nearby Congregations (Wards and Branches).
- ↑ "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by Country: Botswana", Newsroom (LDS Church), 31 December 2011, retrieved 2013-02-27
- ↑ "Country information: Botswana", Church News Online Almanac (Deseret News), January 29, 2010, retrieved 2013-02-27
- ↑ 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
- ↑ "Country information: Botswana", Deseret News Church Almanac (multiple almanacs from various years) (Deseret News)
- ↑ Botswana stake first for the country
- ↑ New mission presidents by area for 2013
External links
- LDS Newsroom (Botswana)
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Official Site
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Visitors Site
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