Two New Branches Created in the Central African Republic (CAR); First Young Full-time Missionaries to be Assigned to the CAR

In a major development, the Church has organized two new branches—Bangui 2nd and Bangui 3rd—in the capital and most populous city of the Central African Republic (CAR), Bangui, where a single branch has operated since 1993. This marks the first time in over 30 years that more than one congregation has functioned in the country. During the 2000s and early 2010s, mission presidents visited the isolated branch approximately once every two to three years. In October 2012, Apostle Elder Jeffrey R. Holland dedicated the CAR for missionary work, just two months after the Church received provisional recognition from the government. Plans to assign full-time missionaries to Bangui were ultimately canceled after the mission president at the time felt spiritually impressed not to proceed with the assignment, despite approval from the Area Presidency. Weeks later, rebel forces captured the city.

The Church briefly operated a second branch in Bangui in the early 1990s; however, the two congregations were soon consolidated into a single unit. The CAR was initially under the jurisdiction of the Ivory Coast Abidjan Mission, but in 2005, administrative responsibility shifted to the newly created Ghana Cape Coast Mission. Oversight was transferred shortly thereafter to the Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa Mission. In 2014, the country was reassigned to the newly organized Republic of Congo Brazzaville Mission, and in 2020, it was transferred to the Cameroon Yaoundé Mission. The creation of the Africa Central Area in 2020, which included the CAR, signaled increased institutional focus on strengthening the Church in underreached regions of the continent.

The CAR government requires religious groups to have at least 1,000 members to formally register. As of year-end 2023, there were 278 Latter-day Saints in the country. Senior missionaries serving in the Cameroon Yaoundé Mission have reported imminent plans to assign full-time missionaries to Bangui which have either recently arrived or will soon arrive to begin more formalized missionary efforts.

The population of the CAR is approximately 5.3 million, with nearly 1.7 million residing in Bangui alone. Around 90% of the population identifies as Christian. The country has remained largely unreached for decades due to its remote location, limited accessibility from other African cities with significant Latter-day Saint populations, political instability, and historically few Church resources allocated to Central Africa. Few Church materials are currently available in Sango, the national language, which further limits member engagement and missionary outreach. In contrast to neighboring Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo—both of which have seen more consistent growth and missionary presence—the Church in the CAR remains in the early stages of development. Prospects for growth appear favorable; however, challenges such as low literacy rates, a lack of experienced local leadership, and ongoing political instability continue to pose major obstacles to long-term, sustainable Church development.