Updated Country Profile - Equatorial Guinea

Click here to access the updated Reaching the Nations country profile for Equatorial Guinea - a small nation in Central Africa inhabited by approximately 800,000 people. Distance from the nearest mission headquarters, a comparatively small population, corruption in government, use of Spanish as the primary language for inter-ethnic communication, and a lack of local members who have joined the Church abroad and returned to Equatorial Guinea all appear factors that have delayed the establishment of the Church notwithstanding a predominantly Christian population, no societal abuses of religious freedom, and no legal barriers that prevent a Church establishment. The creation of the Cameroon Yaounde Mission in July will likely be an important impetus for a Church establishment due to more mission resources in the region. See below for the Future Prospects section of this article:

Definite opportunities exist for the establishment of congregations and mission outreach in Equatorial Guinea, and some Latter-day Saints are known to live in the country. Other denominations have taken advantage of the opportunities for religious freedom and proselytism and have experienced rapid growth, whereas The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has not yet utilized these opportunities. Too long a delay may result in missing a window of religious freedom, or entering under circumstances of decreased receptivity due to increasing materialism or an environment in which religious interest has waned and most religious seekers have already been discipled into other denominations. Nonetheless, there appear to be no specific plans for the Church to enter Equatorial Guinea at present. The creation of the Cameroon Yaoundé Mission in 2020 may present an adequate impetus to permit mission and area leadership to seriously consider the establishment of the Church in Equatorial Guinea.

Democratic Republic of Congo Kinshasa Mission to Split this Summer

Several missionaries serving in the Africa Southeast Area report that the Democratic Republic of Congo Kinshasa Mission will split this summer. In addition to the tremendous demands on the mission president administering to other nations like the Republic of Congo, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, and Equatorial Guinea, the mission has also been unable to serve all the needs of the DR Congo itself. Some districts in the interior have had attendance at district conference in the thousands. Several members live in areas without an organized congregation walk up to 200 miles for two weeks to attend Church meetings and gather additional Church literature and scriptures to share with fellow family and friends. Several groups and dependent branches also function throughout the country. Much of this growth occurs without missionaries permanently assigned to these areas. The Africa Southeast Area had over 10,000 convert baptisms in 2009.

A recent trip by the mission president to Burundi revealed hundreds of people meeting in congregations under the Church's name waiting for the reestablishment of the Church in the coming months. The Church had a branch in the 1990s in Bujumbura which was discontinued following many of the leaders emigrating out of the country. The return of the Church's presence will first occur in Bujumbura and in the coming years to unofficial congregations in rural areas. Situations likes these are approached carefully by the Church since the leaders of unofficial congregations of un-baptized members can often be more prone to apostasy. Furthermore conversion is stressed as an individual process and not a collective one. Similar reports have also come from Sudan in the couple years of large groups meeting and awaiting official Church establishment.

A new mission in Lubumbashi appears highly likely. The original DR Congo Kinshasa mission may be divided in three to create a Cameroon Yaounde Mission which could assist in the opening of missionary work in the Central African Republic (which has one branch) and Equatorial Guinea.