First Branch Created in São Tomé and Príncipe

The Church recently organized its first official branch in the African island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe. The São Tomé Branch is under the direct supervision of the Angola Luanda Mission and serves the capital city of São Tomé, where approximately 40% of the nation's population resides. The country has a population of approximately 210,000 and Portuguese is the official language.

The Angola Luanda Mission has overseen missionary efforts in São Tomé and Príncipe since the mission's creation in 2013. In March 2015, the mission president visited the country, met with isolated members, and conducted a sacrament meeting. In 2017, the first known Latter-day Saint from São Tomé and Príncipe began missionary service in the Cape Verde Praia Mission. Progress accelerated in 2025 when the first full-time missionaries were assigned to the country. Later that year, Elder Ronald A. Rasband dedicated the nation for missionary work, the first convert baptisms were performed, and a member group was organized.

The organization of a branch less than one year after the assignment of full-time missionaries highlights the receptivity of local residents and the rapid development of the Church in the country. Prospects for future growth appear favorable, particularly if full-time missionaries continue to be assigned on a consistent basis and recent converts are successfully retained, strengthened, and prepared for leadership responsibilities. Given the country's small population and concentrated urban center, sustained missionary efforts could establish a stable and self-sufficient local Church presence in the coming years notwithstanding remote location and a relative small population.

First Branch Created in Guinea-Bissau

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently created its first branch in the West African nation of Guinea-Bissau (population 2.2 million). The Bissau Branch was organized under the Espargos Cape Verde District.

Previously, Guinea-Bissau was under the direct supervision of the Africa West Area via the Africa West Area Branch until approximately one year ago, when it was assigned to a mission for the first time—namely, the Cape Verde Praia Mission.

There were 45 Latter-day Saints in Guinea-Bissau as of year-end 2013 (the most recent year with published membership data), most of whom appear to have been baptized and confirmed in other countries (especially Portugal) before returning to their homeland.

Several factors appear to have delayed the establishment of a formal Church presence in Guinea-Bissau:

• The absence of a U.S. embassy

• A comparatively small population (by West African standards)

• Its Portuguese-speaking population

• Its remote location

In recent years, both formal and informal missionary efforts have resulted in convert baptisms within Guinea-Bissau, under the supervision of the Cape Verde Praia Mission. Prior to the branch’s creation, the country pertained to the Cape Verde Praia Mission Branch. Full-time missionaries now appear to be serving in Bissau, further signaling an increased focus on outreach.

Prospects for Church growth in Guinea-Bissau appear highly favorable, given:

• Good receptivity among Bissau-Guineans

• The relatively light administrative burden of the Cape Verde Praia Mission, which currently oversees only Guinea-Bissau and the four stakes and one district in Cape Verde.

With the creation of the Bissau Branch, only three West African nations remain without an official branch of the Church:

1. Burkina Faso

2. Mauritania

3. Niger

Among these, only Burkina Faso has a known member group, which was slated to become a branch in 2020, although this has yet to occur.

Below is a list of West African countries and the year their first branch was organized:

• Ghana – 1978

• Nigeria – 1978

• Liberia – 1987

• Sierra Leone – 1988

• Côte d’Ivoire – 1989

• Togo – 1999

• Benin – 2005

• Senegal – 2016

• Guinea – 2017

• Mali – 2017

• The Gambia – 2022

• Guinea-Bissau – 2025

Two New Branches Created in the Central African Republic (CAR); First Young Full-time Missionaries to be Assigned to the CAR

In a major development, the Church has organized two new branches—Bangui 2nd and Bangui 3rd—in the capital and most populous city of the Central African Republic (CAR), Bangui, where a single branch has operated since 1993. This marks the first time in over 30 years that more than one congregation has functioned in the country. During the 2000s and early 2010s, mission presidents visited the isolated branch approximately once every two to three years. In October 2012, Apostle Elder Jeffrey R. Holland dedicated the CAR for missionary work, just two months after the Church received provisional recognition from the government. Plans to assign full-time missionaries to Bangui were ultimately canceled after the mission president at the time felt spiritually impressed not to proceed with the assignment, despite approval from the Area Presidency. Weeks later, rebel forces captured the city.

The Church briefly operated a second branch in Bangui in the early 1990s; however, the two congregations were soon consolidated into a single unit. The CAR was initially under the jurisdiction of the Ivory Coast Abidjan Mission, but in 2005, administrative responsibility shifted to the newly created Ghana Cape Coast Mission. Oversight was transferred shortly thereafter to the Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa Mission. In 2014, the country was reassigned to the newly organized Republic of Congo Brazzaville Mission, and in 2020, it was transferred to the Cameroon Yaoundé Mission. The creation of the Africa Central Area in 2020, which included the CAR, signaled increased institutional focus on strengthening the Church in underreached regions of the continent.

The CAR government requires religious groups to have at least 1,000 members to formally register. As of year-end 2023, there were 278 Latter-day Saints in the country. Senior missionaries serving in the Cameroon Yaoundé Mission have reported imminent plans to assign full-time missionaries to Bangui which have either recently arrived or will soon arrive to begin more formalized missionary efforts.

The population of the CAR is approximately 5.3 million, with nearly 1.7 million residing in Bangui alone. Around 90% of the population identifies as Christian. The country has remained largely unreached for decades due to its remote location, limited accessibility from other African cities with significant Latter-day Saint populations, political instability, and historically few Church resources allocated to Central Africa. Few Church materials are currently available in Sango, the national language, which further limits member engagement and missionary outreach. In contrast to neighboring Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo—both of which have seen more consistent growth and missionary presence—the Church in the CAR remains in the early stages of development. Prospects for growth appear favorable; however, challenges such as low literacy rates, a lack of experienced local leadership, and ongoing political instability continue to pose major obstacles to long-term, sustainable Church development.

Juba Branch Reopens in South Sudan

Today, the Church reinstated the Juba Branch in South Sudan. The Juba Branch was initially organized in November of 2009, but the branch closed in 2013 due to civil war and political instability. A member group operated in Juba prior to the reinstatement of the new branch. The new branch is under the direct supervision of the Uganda Kampala Mission. The population of South Sudan is approximately 11-13 million people. So far, there do not appear to be plans to assign full-time missionaries to South Sudan.

Prospects for rapid growth appeared favorable in the late 2000s prior to independence. At the time, the Church operated the Juba Branch with groups in additional cities such as Akobo and Nyamlel. There were groups of several thousand who requested baptism but were not baptized due to a lack of church infrastructure in the country, most notably in remote Nyamlel. Official church operations ceased by the mid-2010s due to war. Nevertheless, progress has been made with outreach among South Sudanese living abroad. A senior missionary couple began South Sudanese-specific outreach in Salt Lake City in 2019, and a Dinka/Nuer-speaking branch opened in 2021. The Church has had many South Sudanese converts join the Church in the United States, Uganda, Kenya, and Australia in particular. The first South Sudanese branch operated in Omaha, Nebraska in the mid-2000s, but the branch closed by the late 2000s.

First Branch Organized in Timor-Leste (East Timor)

The first branch in the nation of Timor-Leste (East Timor), the Dili Branch, was organized in January after many years of the congregation operating as a group under the supervision of the Indonesia Jakarta Mission. The branch appears led by a local priesthood leader. It is unclear whether government recognition for the Church was obtained and played a role in the organization of an official branch in Dili. In 2015, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland dedicated Timor-Leste for missionary work, and the first senior missionary couple was assigned to perform humanitarian work. The senior missionary couple held a private sacrament meeting in their home, and the first baptism of a child of record was in 2016. In 2017, the first meetinghouse was dedicated and used primarily for English classes. However, the first convert baptism in the country did not occur until 2019. By mid-2019, there were approximately one dozen Latter-day Saints in the country, and all of them appeared to be active in attending church regularly. Updated in mid-2019, the following Future Prospects section of the country profile for Timor-Leste on cumorah.com sums up the situation with the Church in the country pretty well, which is as follows:

The reason why the Church continues to lack official government recognition remains unclear as there do not appear to be any legal obstacles that prevent registration. It is unlikely that the Church will experience significant growth until such registration is obtained and young, full-time proselytizing missionaries are assigned. In the meantime, growth will most likely consist of high-quality converts who self-refer for information about the Church or who have personal connections with senior missionary couples or local members. Distance from mission headquarters in Jakarta, a comparatively tiny population, no translations of Church materials in Tetun, and an extremely small Church membership pose long-term challenges for future proselytism efforts through traditional means.

First Branch Created in North Cyprus

Last Sunday, the Church organized its first branch in North Cyprus and the Church's first meetinghouse in North Cyprus was also dedicated with approximately 100 in attendance. This marks one of the first times, if not the first time, in Church history when an official branch has been organized in a de facto country. The Church has generally avoided de facto nations, such as Transnistria and Abkhazia, largely due to a lack of mission resources in neighboring countries, the unclear legal status of these nations and whether proselytism is permitted, and political instability. It is unclear what city the new branch in Cyprus operates in, but it appears that it likely meets in northern Nicosia. Branch members appears to have highly diverse backgrounds with many from African nations. The new branch pertains to the Nicosia Cyprus District in the Adriatic South Mission. Essentially all Latter-day Saints in Cyprus speak English, and Church meetings are held in English. Extremely few native Cypriots have joined the Church in Cyprus. There were 534 Latter-day Saints in Cyprus as of year-end 2021. Approximately 20% of Church membership in Cyprus regularly attended church meetings in the late 2010s. For more information on the Church in Cyprus, click here.

Number of Branches in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania Doubles from Eight to Sixteen

The Church in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania recently organized eight new branches in the city, thereby doubling the number of branches from eight to 16. This marks one of the largest numbers of new congregations organized in a city in a single event in Church history. At least one of these new branches (Pugu) previously operated as a member group. Recently returned full-time missionaries who served in the Tanzania Dar Es Salaam Mission report that the mission has placed an emphasis on the organization of member groups in lesser-reached urban areas in cities, and that there has been a preference to organize new branches to improve the accessibility of the Church to the urban population rather than organize a stake in Dar Es Salaam as soon as possible. The creation of a second district in Dar Es Salaam appears imminent given there are 16 branches in a single district. Dar Es Salaam is one of the most populous urban agglomerations in Sub-Saharan Africa, with an estimated 6.75 million people as of early 2022.

This rapid expansions of the Church in Dar Es Salaam is undoubtedly due to the organization of the Tanzania Dar Es Salaam Mission - the first mission ever created in the country - which was created in 2020 from a division of the Kenya Nairobi Mission. The new mission has channeled greater mission resources and oversight into the Church's missionary and outreach expansion efforts. Recently, a member group was established in the city of Dodoma, the first branch was created in Moshi, and two new branches were organized in Arusha. There are several additional cities with isolated members that may have member groups organized soon. Furthermore, the Church also officially transitioned from English to Swahili as the language used in church services and proselytism several years ago. These developments have resulted in an acceleration of membership growth since 2019 as there was a 28.8% increase in membership between year-end 2019 and year-end 2021. Nevertheless, Church membership in Tanzania remains extremely small (2,309 members as of year-end 2021), and the Church has historically experienced slow growth since its initial establishment approximately 30 years ago.

First District to be Created in Senegal; Church Establishment Beginning in The Gambia

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.

First Branch Created in Northern Cote d'Ivoire

This weekend, the Church organized its first branch in northern Cote d'Ivoire. The Korhogo Branch was organized in the Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro Mission with approximately 30 people in attendance. Korhogo is the fourth most populous city in Cote d'Ivoire, and the city was previously the most populous city in the country without an official ward or branch. The Church has had a few members who have lived in Korhogo over the years, but there were not enough members to create a branch until recently despite repeated efforts from mission leadership to explore opportunities to organize a member group or branch. The Church in Cote d'Ivoire has experienced a dramatic slowdown to national outreach expansion since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Church in Cote d'Ivoire experienced one of the most significant declines in the number of monthly convert baptisms among high baptizing areas for the Church.

New Branch Created in Cairo, Egypt

The Church recently published an article on its Newsroom site regarding the recent visit of Church leaders to Latter-day Saints in Cairo. The article indicated that there is now an Arabic-speaking branch in Cairo to service members, most of whom are recent converts, who primarily originate from Arabic-speaking areas in Africa such as South Sudan and northern Nigeria. The Arabic-speaking branch appears to have been recently organized. The two Cairo branches are small, and there appear to be only approximately 60 active members in the two branches. For more information about the Church in Egypt, click here.

Holguin Branch Organized in Cuba

In a major development, the Church in Cuba has organized its first branch in a major city outside of Havana. The Holguin Branch was recently organized under the Havana Cuba District. The Havana Cuba District now includes five branches including one in the city of Havana, two on the outskirts of Havana in the town of Cotorro, and the district branch to service members who live outside of the Havana metropolitan area and Holguin. Holguin is the fourth most populous city in Cuba and has approximately 300,000 inhabitants. The Church has reported rapid membership growth in Cuba in recent years. There were 357 Latter-day Saints in Cuba according to official Church totals as of year-end 2018 (a 47.5% increase from year-end 2017). Cuba is not currently assigned to a mission, and the country is directly administered by the Caribbean Area Presidency. The number of branches in Cuba increased from one to two in 2014, three in 2017, four in 2019, and five as of April 2021. The Havana Cuba District was organized in 2017. There are approximately 11 million people who live in Cuba.

Significant Growth in the Republic of the Congo

The Republic of Congo Brazzaville Mission is currently in a significant period of growth. The Church recently organized its first branch in the northern city of Ouesso on the border with Cameroon. The mission president reported that the mission receives 20 self-referrals per day from individuals who have learned about the Church online. The mission had 74 baptisms in February despite having few full-time missionaries assigned to the mission and many of these missionaries having little experience. There are 90 people who are not members of the Church who attend the Institutes of Religion class on a university in Brazzaville. Moreover, 17 new wards and branches will be organized by June 2021 in the mission. Currently, there are 28 wards and branches in the entire country. A video on Facebook that provides these details and more (with English subtitles) can be found here.

First Branch in Kogi State, Nigeria Organized

The Church recently organized its first branch in the Nigerian State of Kogi. The Idah Branch was organized in the city of Idah and pertains to the Nigeria Enugu Mission. Kogi State has approximately 4.5 million inhabitants and numbered among the few predominantly Christian states in Nigeria without an official Latter-day Saint presence prior to the creation of the Idah Branch. The last time the Church organized its first branch in a state in Nigeria without a previous Church presence was when the Ado-Ekiti Branch was created in Ekiti State in 2016. Now, all states in southern Nigeria have at least one official ward or branch.

New Branch in Angola

The Church in Angola recently organized its second branch in the city of Huambo (approximately population: 600,000). The Sao Joao Branch was organized from a division of the Huambo Branch (renamed the Cidade Alta Branch). The Church originally organized a branch in Huambo in 2013, but the mission discontinued the branch in 2015 due to difficulties with leadership development. The Branch was reinstated in 2018 and the Church has grown rapidly in the city in the past couple years. The creation of the Church's second branch in Huambo is significant as Huambo is the first city in Angola outside of the capital city, Luanda, where multiple branches have been organized. There are three cities in Angola with an official Church presence: Luanda, Huambo, and Lubango. The Church operates one stake, one mission, and no districts in Angola.

Māori-Speaking Branch Organized in New Zealand

Last Sunday, the Church organized a Māori-speaking branch in the northern portion of the North Island of New Zealand. This is the first time in 70 years that the Church has operated Māori-speaking branch in New Zealand. The Church's article on the new branch organization can be found here.

New Branches Created in Botswana and Namibia

Last month, the Church organized two new branches in the Botswana/Namibia Mission in cities where no branches have previously operated. 

The Ongwediva Branch was created in northern Namibia and becomes the first branch to ever operate in this region of the country. The Church has operated a member group for a number of years in the small city of approximately 20,000 people. Remote location has posed a major difficulty for the Church to become established in Ongwediva as the nearest city in Namibia with a branch is Windhoek - more than 350 miles away. Other missionary-focused Christian groups have reported rapid growth in this area of the Church, and the creation of the new branch may present additional opportunities to channel resources into this area of Namibia. There are only three cities in Namibia with a branch: Windhoek (3), Ongwediva, and Swakopmund. Swakopmund was previously the most recently reached city in Namibia by the Church as the branch in the city was organized in 2015. Ongwediva was the ninth most populous city in Namibia without a branch prior to the branch creation.

The Serowe Branch was created in Botswana last Sunday. Serowe is the first city in Botswana to have had its first Latter-day Saint branch organized since 2014 when the Mogoditshane Ward was created. There are now nine cities in Botswana with a ward or branch. Serowe was previously the second most populous city in Botswana without a ward or branch.

Church Presence Established in Burkina Faso, West Africa

Mission leadership in the Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro Mission report that the Africa West Area has organized a member group in the capital city of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou. Moreover, authorization for the member group to become an official branch was also reportedly received from the area presidency. Burkina Faso has been assigned to the Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro Mission and mission leadership have visited members in Ouagadougou. However, the official branch has not yet appeared to have been organized. The Church is not officially registered with the government at present, but registration appears likely to be obtained in the near future. The first convert baptisms have also recently occurred in Burkina Faso as prospective members have been taught by full-time missionaries over the internet.

The establishment of the Church in Burkina Faso has been long overdue given widespread religious freedom, a sizable Christian minority, small numbers of Burkinabe who have joined the Church abroad, and relatively close accessibility to neighboring countries with a Church presence. Approximately 20 million people live in Burkina Faso. The population is 60% Muslim and 30% Christian. Burkina Faso numbers among two other West African countries where the Church has recently established an official presence (Senegal in 2016, Mali and Guinea in 2017). There remain several countries in the region without an official Church presence and no known member groups or branches, such as Chad, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Niger.

First City in Interior Benin Has Branch Organized

For the first time in Church history in the West African country of Benin, a branch has been organized in the interior of the country. The new branch was organized in the city of Bohicon, the seventh most populous city in the country with approximately 100,000 inhabitants. Since the organization of the first branch in Benin in 2005 (the Cotonou Branch), all other cities with congregations have been on the Atlantic coast, including Calavi (organized in 2014), Port Novo (2014), and Hilacondji (2017). Missionaries first began visiting Bohicon to investigate opportunities to organize a member group and teach isolated members and prospective members in 2017. The organization of the new branch is a major development for the Church in Benin as the Church has maintained an extremely limited national presence limited to a few cities along the Atlantic Coast.

See below for a map of Latter-day Saint congregations in Benin:

New Stakes Created in Canada, Guatemala, Nigeria, and the Philippines; New District Created in Cote d'Ivoire

Canada
The Church organized its second YSA in Canada in Calgary, Alberta on May 5th. The Calgary Alberta YSA Stake was organized from stakes in the Calgary area and includes the following six wards: the Brentwood YSA, Carburn Park YSA, Edworthy Park YSA, Highland Park YSA, Pine Creek YSA, and Priddis Valley YSA Wards. The new stake is the Church's eighth stake in Calgary.

There are now 26 stakes in Alberta, and 51 stakes and 3 districts in Canada.

Guatemala
The Church organized its second Q'eqchi'-speaking stake in Guatemala on May 5th. The Chulac Guatemala Stake was organized from the Chulac Guatemala District (organized in 1992). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Buena Vista, Chulac, Corralpec, Sajonte, and Semuy Wards, and the Searanx and Sepamac Branches. The Church's first Q'eqchi'-speaking stake was organized in Senahu in 2017.

There are now 50 stakes and 13 districts in Guatemala.

Nigeria
The Church recently organized a new stake in Abia State. The Umuahia Nigeria South Stake was organized from a division of the Umuahia Nigeria Stake. Information on which wards and branches are assigned to the new stake is currently unavailable; however, the stake had seven wards and eight branches prior to division. Thus, it is likely several branches became wards or new wards were organized in order for the new stake creation to occur, or some units from the Okpuala Ngwa Nigeria Stake were included in the new stake. The Umuahia Nigeria Stake was originally organized in 1996, but the stake was discontinued and divided into two districts in 2005 (Umuahia and Okpuala Ngwa). The Umuahia Nigeria Stake was reinstated in 2014, whereas the Okpuala Ngwa Stake was organized in 2015. Significant congregational growth has occurred particularly in the Umuahia Nigeria Stake since its creation.

There are now 57 stakes and 17 districts in Nigeria.

Philippines
The Church organized a new stake in Nigeria on May 5th. The Camarin Philippines Stake was organized from a division of the Novaliches Philippines Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Bagong Silang 1st, Bagong Silang 2nd, Camarin 1st, Camarin 2nd, and the Sampaguita Wards. There are now 29 stakes in the Metro Manila area.

There are now 109 stakes and 67 districts in the Philippines

Cote d'Ivoire
The Church organized a new district on April 28th. The Danané Cote d'Ivoire District was created from missions branches in the Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro Mission. The new district includes the following three branches: the Danané 1st, Danané 2nd, and Mahapleu Branches. The new district is the Church's third new district organized in Cote d'Ivoire in 2019, and all three of these new districts are located in the Montagnes District, where the Church operated no districts before 2019. Missionaries report plans to organize additional branches and districts in the Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro Mission. Likely locations for future districts include Issia, Meagui, Saioua, Sinfra, and villages in rural communities nearby Daloa and Yamoussoukro. For example, there are currently plans to organize a second branch in Issia, and possibly a second branch in Saioua. A second branch was recently organized in Sinfra, and two new branches were recently organized in Meagui. Also, several new wards/branches appear likely to be organized in Daloa given recent reports from missionaries.

There are now 14 stakes and 15 districts in Cote d'Ivoire. In contrast, the Church in Cote d'Ivoire reported only three stakes and one district in 2009. Thus, the Church in Cote d'Ivoire has by far experienced the most rapid growth within the international Church during the past decade. Given recent growth trends, it appears likely that the Church may announce a second temple in Abidjan considering half of the Church's 12 stakes in the city are ready to divide, the relatively small size of the temple for the rapidly growth Church in the country, historically high levels of temple attendance, and distance from the temple site in Cocody to many of the members in Abidjan. This would be an extraordinary development if another temple were announced as the Church only recent started construction on the Church's first temple in the country, the Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Temple. Yopougon appears the most likely candidate for Abidjan's second temple given this area of the city has five stakes and is on the west city of the metropolitan area, whereas Cocody is located on the east side of the metropolitan area.

New Branch in Tanzania

Earlier this month, the Church organized its fifth branch in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania called the Tabata Branch (English speaking). Although I usually do not report on the organization of new wards and branches, this development appeared particularly significant as the last time the Church created a new branch in Dar Es Salaam was in 2004. The last new branch to be organized in Tanzania was in 2011. Unlike many other Sub-Saharan African countries, the Church in Tanzania has grown slowly since the first branch was organized in 1992. There were 1,624 members and six branches in the entire country as of year-end 2017, yet the current population of Tanzania is approximately 55.5 million. Latter-day Saint annual membership growth rates have typically ranged from 4-10% in the past decade. To contrast, Jehovah's Witnesses reported nearly 19,000 active members and 455 congregations at year-end 2018, whereas Seventh-Day Adventists reported 568,571 members, 2,832 churches (large or well-established congregations), and 2,374 companies (small or recently established congregations) at year-end 2016. In other words, the total number of Adventist congregations (5,206) is more than three times the total number of Latter-day Saints report on Church records for the entire country. The growth trends of Adventists and Witnesses suggest that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints could likely experience similar results if the proper vision and planning is conducted to make the Church accessible and its message properly understood.

A lack of mission resources dedicated to the country and the placement of most of these resources outside of more receptive predominantly Christian areas appears to be one of the major reasons Latter-day Saint growth has been so slow. Also, it was not until the 2010s that the Church officially transitioned to use of Swahili in proselytism and church services - the predominant first or second language spoken by most Tanzanians. Prior to this time, English was the official language for the Church in the country. However, the long-term failure of local members and church leaders to find, teach, baptize, and retain new converts appears chiefly responsible for the lack of growth in the country as other countries who have had few mission resources allocated have reported much more rapid growth than the Church in Tanzania such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya. Nevertheless, Tanzania appears an excellent candidate for its own mission in the near future given its large population, relative safety and stability, and predominantly Christian population. Hopefully the organization of the new branch signals a renewed focus from mission, area, and district leadership to implement the proper vision and allocate adequate resources to accelerate growth and expansion.

Click here for historical Church data on the growth of the Church in Tanzania.