Updated Country Profile - Sudan

Click here to access our updated Reaching the Nations country profile for Sudan. Individuals in Sudan have recently reported good relations between Christians and Muslims. However, the Sudanese government has heavily persecuted Christian groups. Nevertheless, most proselytism-focused Christian groups such as Evangelicals, Seventh-Day Adventists, and Jehovah's Witnesses, maintain a presence in Sudan. For example, there are eight Witness congregations in the greater Khartoum metropolitan area. As much as 20% of the population may be Christian although figures regarding religious demography in Sudan widely vary between religious watchdog groups and official government numbers. Latter-day Saint foreigners have lived in Khartoum from time to time, and have been successful sharing the Gospel with South Sudanese temporarily living in Sudan.

The Most Populous Metropolitan Areas Without a Reported LDS Church Presence

Cities almost always offer greater proselytism opportunity for the LDS Church than rural areas. Large populations concentrated in small geographic areas allow for high mission efficiency with even a small missionary force and few church resources. Cities are generally easily accessible. Rural areas, which tend to be sparsely populated, often require a large number of mission outreach centers to administer a small population and in many areas are difficult to access. Large cities often attract people throughout the region, country, or world to visit, temporarily work, obtain education, or become permanent residents. Latter-day Saint converts from these temporary visitors or residents have many times in the past facilitated the spread of the Church to other unreached areas or even rural communities when they return to their hometowns. The Church has taken advantage of the benefits of city-focused church growth outreach as manifest by the Church generally establishing congregations in the largest cities prior to expanding into smaller cities or rural areas.

There remain many large cities which do not have LDS congregations established. Below is a list of the 14 cities which rank among the world's 100 most populous cities which do not have a reported LDS congregation. Some of these cities likely have groups of foreign or native members, especially in nations with a restricted Latter-day Saint presence like China. Population data was taken from www.citypopulation.de

1. Tehran, Iran (12.8 million)
2. Wuhan, China (8.95 million)
3. Shenyang, China (6.8 million)
4. Chongqing, China (6.4 million)
5. Ahmadabad, India (5.95 million)
6. Chengdu, China (5.7 million)
7. Khartoum, Sudan (4.975 million)
8. Pune, India (4.85 million)
9. Chittagong, Bangladesh (4.625 million)
10. Shantou, China (4.6 million)
11. Alexandria, Egypt (4.575 million)
12. Harbin, China (4.4 million)
13. Surat, India (4.225 million)
14. Kanpur, India (3.675 million)

With the exception of English-speaking branches or small congregations for native members in China, none of the above listed cities appear likely to have LDS congregations created in the near future. Iran, Sudan, and Egypt have heavy restrictions and widespread abuse or religious freedom whereas cities listed above in India are located in areas with few Christians and generally strong anti-Christian sentiments. Bangladesh offers considerable religious freedom for Christians, but the small Bangladeshi Latter-day Saint community concentrated in Dhaka may delay any gains in national outreach for many more years.

First Branch Created in Southern Sudan

The first formal, independent branch of the Church was created in December 2009 in the capital of Southern Sudan. The Juba Branch met as a group prior to its organization as a branch. The first baptisms occurred in July 2009 in the Nile River when three Sudanese men were baptized. There were reports of new branches created in Sudan prior to this date from missionaries serving in Uganda, but these units appear to be dependent groups. Missionaries report that several groups likely meet in Sudan (both officially organized and interested individuals meeting in the Church's name without Church members).

In other news from the area, a group of LDS members in Djibouti primarily comprised of those in the US military has also fallen under the jurisdiction of the Uganda Kampala Mission.

First Branch(es) created in Sudan

According to several missionaries serving in the Uganda Kampala Mission, at least one branch has been established in Sudan. It is likely near the city of Wau, where six or seven unofficial congregations are meeting in the name of the Church. The Mission President visited the area last July and distributed Church literature to several individuals and gave them the responsibility to teach others about the Gospel. I will provide more information when it becomes available.

Furthermore, Sudan has been officially added to the Uganda Kampala Mission. The other two countries in the mission are Ethiopia and Rwanda.

The Church in Sudan

The mission president of the Uganda Kampala Mission recently returned from a special trip to a village in Sudan where many were inquiring about the Church and meeting unofficially in its name. He found over 2,500 people assembled to listen to him and his assistants teach them about the Gospel. There are six or seven congregations of these unbaptized Sudanese people located northwest of the city Wau. The Mission President gave the leaders of these unofficial congregations books and pamphlets about the Church, telling them to teach the people about the Church. The Church has no official presence in Sudan and hopes to gain one once conditions stabilize within.

This story excited me because it is the largest gathering of people learning about the Church who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The only other times I can find a comparable situation to this one was when many were meeting in the Church's name in Ghana and Nigeria 30 years ago. Those meetings were only in the hundreds, not the thousands though.

Update on Growth in the Church

News from the Uganda Kampala Mission

Members have been meeting together in the city of Gambela, Ethiopia and have been hoping for a branch to be established in the city. The mission president of the Uganda Kampala Mission, President Christenen, visited members in the city in the past few days. If a branch is organized in this city, it will be the first in the western part of the country and the fifth in the country.

Also, President Christenen will be travelling to southern Sudan this week to meet with members there. Reports are sketchy at this time, but there may be up to a couple thousand meeting in the name of the Church there.

News from the Kenya Nairobi Mission

Missionaries serving outside of Nairobi in an area called the Kilungu Hills are currently putting paperwork into Salt Lake for a new branch in the Matini area. Currently there are three branches in the hills and many of the youth are preparing to serve missions. This is an area that will probably become a district in the near future I believe.

Growth in the West Indies Mission

The West Indies Mission baptized over 200 converts last month. Sister Robinson, wife of the mission president, says the stake in Trinidad and Tobago will be created very soon. Most of the converts are still in Guyana.

The branch in Tobago has recently grown substantially. Attendance at worship services has been less than 10 until recently (the branch was organized last year). Now there are between 20-30 attending with baptisms occurring.

The Gospel in the Outback

Senior missionaries in Alice Springs, Australia report that many Aborigines have accepted the Gospel recently. A congregation meets out in the rural areas made up of these new converts (but has not been organized into a branch yet I believe). The missionaries are currently working on translating Church materials into very simple English and the local Aboriginal Language. This would be the first time Church materials have ever been translated into a language native to Australia.

Exciting developments in Africa

The Church has just given authorization for a branch to be created in Gulu, Uganda. This will be the first branch over 100 miles away from the capital, Kampala. Currently, a group functions in the city and has high attendance at Sunday meetings. The formation of a branch in this city has been delayed due to conflict in the region. Missionary activity has not been authorized for Gulu yet (as well as Rwanda which had its first branch organized in March).

The Mission President for the Uganda Kampala Mission has recently been given approval to look for member activity in the Sudan. Reports on member activity in this war-torn country are limited, but there may be as many as a couple hundred members meeting in the South of the Country (possibly in the vicinity of Juba). Many Sudanese refugees have been baptized in the United States (for example, a branch temporary functioned in Omaha, Nebraska in Nuer which is a language from this area). Some of these members have returned to their homeland. The southern part of Sudan is predominantly Christian, while the north is Muslim.