On February 13th, the Church will organize its first district in the West African nation of Senegal. The creation of the new district will be just two weeks after the organization of the Saint-Louis Branch on January 30th, 2022, which is the third branch of the Church in the country. There is also one member group that operates in Mbour. The Church organized its first branch in Senegal in 2016. Senegal was assigned to a mission for the first time in late 2016/early 2017. Senegal was dedicated for missionary work in 2017 by Elder David A. Bednar. The first young, proselytizing full-time missionaries were assigned to Senegal and a second branch in Dakar opened in April 2018. At the time, there were approximately 60 active members in the entire country. A member group opened in Mbour in approximately June 2019. Mission leadership began to visit Saint-Louis in approximately March 2020. There are no recent membership data released by the Church for Senegal. The most recent membership statistical reported was at year-end 2018 when there were 108 members nationwide. Senegal currently pertains to the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission. Senegal appears highly like to have its own mission organized in the foreseeable future given there is no nearby mission, a significant population of 16.1 million just within the country of Senegal, no significant restrictions on religious freedom, and opportunities for a mission in Dakar to better service other nearby nations with an emerging Church presence such as Mali and The Gambia.
In regard to The Gambia, the first local members to receive the endowment will travel to the Accra Ghana Temple this month to receive these ordinances. Moreover, there are approximately one dozen individuals who may be baptized this month following a visit by area leadership to The Gambia to attend the inauguration of the president-elect. Sacrament meetings currently occur in a members' home in Banjul.
9 comments:
Hey, Matt! Encouraging news on Senegal and the Gambia. For anyone desiring more information on the Gambia, they can consult the following article:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2022-01-26/gambia-presidential-inauguration-west-africa-area-presidency-240889
The minister over religion made a surprising statement, as reported in that article. Aside from saying the Church is welcome in their nation, he said that the government will "facilitate" the Church establishing a presence there. As mentioned in another thread, I am hopeful this means an apostle could be sent soon to dedicate the Gambia for the preaching of the gospel.
On another note, Matt, referring to individuals "taking their endowments out" is a depricated term which, insofar as I have been able to ascertain, the Church is discouraging and attempting to phase out. When people go to the temple, they are not "taking [something] out." Instead, they are "receiving their own endowments". In my 6 years as a temple worker, both in regular training meetings and in the yearly devotionals (which typically featured apostles or other general leaders), they strongly discouraged the usage of the term "taking out [one's] endowments" on the basis I have described, and indicated that the correct term that should be used is "receiving [one's] endowment." Sorry if this is nitpicky, but that instruction coming from multiple general leaders may indicate what is considered acceptable in this case.
Thanks for maintaining a good stream of positive blog comments.
Great to see Senegal growing, and perhaps it would be a good location for a future mission of the Church of Jesus Christ.
This is very exciting news. I hope that by 2023 Senegal gets a mission.
Anyone have a sense of how long it would take to go from Dakar to where the temple is being built in Freetown.
@John Pack Lambert, Using Classic Maps site directions inquiry : Starting from Dakar Branch meetinghouse in Senegal to destination Kossoh Town Sierra Leone Stake center (just a few blocks from future temple site). Between 23.5 to 25 hours driving, depending on which of the 2 routes suggested taken. Totaling either 872 to 855 miles.
That is less than half the time it would take to get to Accra, which is the current closest temple.
That is maybe 2 hours less than my drive to Salt Lake City, in which I would pass broadly Detroit, Chicago, Nauvoo, Winter Quarters and maybe Vernal Temples, Winter Quarters being less than 3 miles from the interstate, maybe more like 1.
I am guessing though that drive time does not take into account delay time at the border. Does that route go through Tambacoubda, so you only have to cross into Guinea and then out of Guinea into Sierra Leone, or do you have to cross into The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau as well. If you do go Gambia way you also have to come back into Senegal. So realistically going to the temple by land from Dakar will take a whole week, and if you really budget time tight and get lucky at border crossings you might be able to leave sometime after Church on Sunday and be back before Church the next Sunday. Although I may be too optimistic on the ease of travel, the likelihood of avoiding your car getting stuck in the mud, and near day long border delays.
Does that route go through Tamba
The last line was a repeat I of some of the above cutting mid-word. Sorry if it is confusing.
@John Pack Lambert, to answer your question, according to the Classic Maps website using the Google Maps and directions as a template. The 1st route totaling 871.8 miles goes around The Gambia, through Tambacounda. With an estimated arrival time of 23 hours and 22 minutes. I m guessing it is based off the legal driving speed and optimal road conditions and I would venture to guess no rest stops.
The 2nd recommended route on the map is the shorter 854.8 miles going through The Gambia and down the coast through Ziguinchor, Senegal, passing near Bissau and Conakry. With an estimated drive time of 25 hours and 5 minutes. I am assuming under the same conditions. I am not sure if Google Maps directions takes into account border crossing delays or rest stops along the way or not.
I hope this answers your question.
According to Wikipedia, Senegalese citizens as well as citizens of the Gambia enjoy visa free access to many of its neighboring countries to the south, including Mali, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, and Cote D'Ivoire. It is not freedom of movement, but it is visa free.
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