In late October 2025, the President of the Africa West Area Presidency, Elder Alfred Kyungu, met with Chadian government officials who requested the Church visit the country. The Prime Minister requested the Church continue to provide humanitarian assistance given the current refugee crisis from war in neighboring Sudan. Government officials emphasized that religious freedom is consistently upheld. Although Chad is not a closed country in terms of Christian proselytism, there remain barriers for the Church to obtain government registration primarily due to the absence of a local Latter-day Saint membership base. More information on religious freedom in Chad and registration requirements for religious groups can be found here.
The Church has no official presence in Chad. In the past 25 years, the Church has had isolated members in the country, including in N’Djamena and Doba. Chad is not assigned to any mission and any Church operations are overseen directly by the Africa West Area Presidency. Chad’s government requires all religious organizations to register with the Ministry of Interior, and registration must be initiated by local founding members who undergo background checks and sign the organization’s statutes. Because foreign missionaries or expatriates cannot serve as the legal founders of a new religious group, the Church would need a small number of Chadian Latter-day Saints to act as official signatories before registration could move forward. The absence of a local membership base therefore represents a primary barrier to obtaining legal status in the country.
Given these conditions, the most plausible path toward an eventual Church presence in Chad would likely begin with humanitarian initiatives that build local goodwill and with ministering to any isolated members or contacts already living in the country. As a small core of Chadian Latter-day Saints emerges—whether through members returning from living abroad, personal referrals, or informal home-based worship groups—the groundwork could eventually be laid for formal registration. Until such a membership base develops, however, the Church’s involvement in Chad will remain limited to humanitarian support and occasional administrative visits by area leaders.
10 comments:
Thanks for this insightful report, Matt! I appreciate your analysis and contextual information.
Fabulous!
Lake Chad is going through a similar environmental catastrophe to that of the Great Salt Lake. There may be huge opportunities to share experiences and overcome both lakes' crises. I can imagine Utahns and Chadians visiting each others countries
After reading this post, I couldn't help but wonder if online outreach could be part of the solution. I also wonder if there is a church unit close to the border in a neighboring country.
It seems like these kinds of reports of the Church preparing for establishment in new countries have significantly accelerated since President Oaks became the Prophet. Am I alone in thinking that his background in law/government is perhaps leading him to emphasize this more than previous Church presidents? Personally I would love to see this become his main legacy, similar to what we saw with temple building and President Nelson.
If this is relevant to church growth: I just read that sister missionaries can now serve at 18 after they graduate high school or it's equivalent.
The First Presidency just announced that women can now serve as missionaries at the age of 18, the same as young men. I look forward to any analysis you have on this update, Matt.
Some big missionary news this morning is the Church has lowered the minimum age requirement to 18 for sister missionaries to 18! I always wondered why when the initial age changes happened several years ago that both elders and sisters weren't lowered to 18. This should help bolster the missionary force as the gospel goes forth to more people than ever before!
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/women-missionary-service-age-18
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/women-missionary-service-age-18
On the question of church units close to the border of Chad the answer is no.
In the east of Nigeria church units stop about halfway through the country. The only church units even vaguely in northern Nogeria are far to the west. Cameroon the few church units are far to the South, and the very few church units in the Central Africa Republic are no where near the border.
Plus Cameron and Central Africa ln Republic are in a different area.
Nigeria has the depth and experience of leadership to in theory support expansion into Chad, but the membership is all supper far from the border, and the Enugu and Abuja missions especially have huge amounts of areas within their borders in Nigeria where expansion could occur.
Another key issue is where there are Cadians abroad who can be converted who are likely to go back to Chad. This may in fact be Switzerland, France and Belgium. So a second mission in Paris might be a step towards the Church going into Chad, Niger and more fully into Mali. We shall see at some point.
Thanks. Maybe Chad citizens who are members abroad could move back or otherwise help
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