Due to political instability caused by the recent presidential election in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the LDS Church has withdrawn its non-African senior missionary couples serving in the DR Congo in the DR Congo Kinshasa Mission and is currently housing them in Johannesburg, South Africa. Senior missionary couples serving in nearby Cameroon and the Republic of Congo - two nations also part of the DR Congo Kinshasa Mission - appear unaffected. It is unclear whether the mission president has also withdrawn from the country or whether senior missionary couples were withdrawn from the DR Congo Lubumbashi Mission. Almost the entire full-time missionary force is staffed by native Congolese members and it is unclear whether these missionaries are under lock down or continue to proselyte in the Kinshasa area.
The current situation does not appear likely to significantly disrupt the growth of the Church in the DR Congo. However if political instability and violence interfere with the activities of local and native full-time missionaries for extended periods of time and mission leadership become unable to communicate with local church leaders, reduced church growth may result within the next year.
What about the planned building of the temple there?
ReplyDeleteSenior missionary couples returned to Kinshasa at the end of December after political instability subsided.
ReplyDeleteThere is still no word on when the groundbreaking will be for the temple in Kinshasa.
Senior missionary couples were never evacuated from the central and southern areas of the DR Congo.