The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Uganda | |
---|---|
Area | Africa Central |
Members | 22,138 (2023) [1] |
Stakes | 3 |
Districts | 3 |
Wards | 18 |
Branches | 21 |
Total Congregations [2] | 39 |
Missions | 1 |
Family History Centers | 8 [3] |
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Uganda refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Uganda. A branch was created in Kampala in 1991, and by year-end 1991, there were 99 members in Uganda. In 2022, there were 20,693 members in 38 congregations.
Year | Membership |
---|---|
1991 | 99 |
1993 | 800 |
1995 | 1,300 |
1999 | 2,375 |
2004 | 3,788 |
2009 | 6,919 |
2014 | 13,248 |
2019 | 17,887 |
2022 | 20,693 |
*Membership was published as a rounded number. |
The first Ugandan to join the LDS Church was Charles Osinde, who was baptized in Scotland and returned to Uganda. [1]
The LDS Church was profiled in the Broadway musical The Book of Mormon that premiered in 2011. [5] The story follows two missionaries in Uganda.
In 2012, The New York Times profiled an LDS Church missionary, Jared Dangerfield, as he served in Uganda, "Each day he rises with the African sun to say his prayers before venturing into the urban wilderness of Kampala, Uganda, a churning kaleidoscope of motorcycles, street urchins, vegetable carts and pterodactyl-like storks that circle office towers and lampposts. They orbit above him as he makes his way up and down the muddy hills of the capital city, careful to keep his black pants and white shirt clean, scanning faces in search of those who will listen to him speak of his faith. His Mormon faith." [6]
As of February 2023, the following stakes and districts were located in Uganda.
Stake | Organized |
---|---|
Busia Uganda/Kenya District | 13 Jan 2019 |
Gulu Uganda District | 16 Jun 2019 |
Jinja Uganda Stake | 5 Dec 1993 |
Kampala Uganda North Stake | 17 Jan 2010 |
Kampala Uganda South Stake | 22 Jan 2017 |
Masaka Uganda District | 6 Jan 2019 |
Branches not part of a stake or district include:
The Uganda Kampala Mission Branch serves families and individuals in Uganda and South Sudan that is not in proximity of a meetinghouse.
The Uganda Kampala Mission was created in 2005 as a division of the Kenya Nairobi Mission. In 2012, the mission split again creating the Rwanda Kigali Mission. [7] As of January 2023, the Uganda Kampala Mission remains the only mission of the LDS Church in Uganda and also encompassesSouth Sudan.
The LDS Church has reported no official church membership and congregational figures. Member groups in Juba and Akobo operated starting in 2009 but was discontinued during a civil war in the mid 2010's. [8] All of South Sudan is included in the Uganda Kampala Mission Branch which serves individuals and families not in proximity to a meetinghouse.
Uganda is currently in the Johannesburg South Africa Temple district. On April 2, 2017, the Nairobi Kenya Temple was announced by Church President Thomas S. Monson.
On October 6, 2024, President Russell M. Nelson announced that a temple will be built in the capital city of Kampala.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Marshall Islands refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the Marshall Islands. As of 2022, there were 6,832 members in 13 congregations, making it the second largest body of LDS Church members in Micronesia, behind Kiribati. The Marshall Islands has the second most LDS Church members per capita in Micronesia, and the fourth most members per capita of any independent country in the world, behind Tonga, Samoa, and Kiribati.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Malaysia refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Malaysia. In 2019 membership was nine times what it was in 1999 and number of congregations more than doubled during the same time period.
Joseph Wafula Sitati has been a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 2009, when he became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He is the church's first black African general authority and the second general authority of black African descent.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hong Kong refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Hong Kong. In 2021, Hong Kong had the third most LDS Church members per capita in Asia behind the Philippines and Mongolia.
Three missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints started proselyting to white English-speaking people in Cape Town in 1853. Most converts from this time emigrated to the United States. The mission was closed in 1865, but reopened in 1903.The South African government limited the amount of missionaries allowed to enter the country in 1921 and in 1955. Starting around 1930, a man had to trace his genealogy out of Africa to be eligible for the priesthood, since black people were not permitted to be ordained. In 1954 when church president David O. McKay visited South Africa, he removed the requirement for genealogical research for a man to be ordained, stipulating only that "there is no evidence of his having Negro blood in his veins".
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a presence in Russia before the rise of the USSR, with the first baptisms occurring in 1895. Preliminary missionary efforts began before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the Russian government officially recognized the church in 1991. Membership increased in the 1990s and early 2000s. Missionary efforts were impacted by the 2016 Yarovaya law, which prohibited proselytizing outside of official church property. Current membership statistics are not available for Russia, but the church reported 19,946 members in 2009. As of February 2023, there were three stakes and three missions in Russia. In 2018, Russell M. Nelson announced that a temple would be constructed in a major city in Russia.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sierra Leone refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Sierra Leone. In 2022, Sierra Leone ranked as having the third most LDS Church members per capita in Africa, behind Cape Verde and Liberia.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Botswana refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Botswana. The first branch was organized in 1991 with fewer than 100 members. As of 2022, there were 4,031 members in 16 congregations in Botswana.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kenya refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Kenya. In 1981, two small congregations were created in Kenya. In 2022, there were 17,438 members in 57 congregations. On April 2, 2017, church president Thomas S. Monson announced that a temple would be built in Nairobi.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ivory Coast refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Ivory Coast. At year-end 1989, there were fewer than 200 members in Ivory Coast. In 2023, there were 63,058 members in 262 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Madagascar refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Madagascar. In 1990, a small congregation was created in Madagascar. In 2022, there were 14,353 members in 43 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has enjoyed its presence in India since the 19th century. As of 2019, there were local members, missionaries and multiple meetinghouses of the LDS Church in the country. The Church of Latter-day Saints stated in 2023, that there are 15,224 members from India.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kiribati refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Kiribati. In 1976 the first branch was organized in Tarawa. As at the 2020 Census, there were 6,720 people declaring as LDS members. According to LDS church, as of year-end 2022, there were 22,210 members in 43 congregations, making it the largest body of LDS Church members in Micronesia. Kiribati also has the most LDS Church members per capita in Micronesia, and the third most members per capita of any country in the world, behind Tonga and Samoa.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mozambique refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Mozambique.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Republic of the Congo refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the Republic of the Congo. The country was opened to the church's missionaries in 1991. Since then, the church has grown to 11,481 members in 32 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mongolia refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Mongolia. The first missionaries arrived in 1992 under request of the Mongolian government in effort to improve higher education in the country following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The first small branch was established in 1993. Since then, the LDS Church in Mongolia has grown to more than 12,000 members in 24 congregations. In 2022, Mongolia had the second most LDS Church members per capita in Asia behind the Philippines. In 2023 it was announced that the first temple will be constructed in Ulaanbaatar.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been present in Albania since at least the early 1990s. In 1993, there were approximately 100 members in the country. In 2022, there were 3,314 members in 14 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Lesser Antilles refers to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the Lesser Antilles. The Lesser Antilles is part of the Caribbean Area and is part of three missions. As of 2022, the LDS Church reported 9,959 members in 34 congregations in the Lesser Antilles.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Malawi refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Malawi. The first convert baptisms were performed in 1992. In 2022, there were 3,872 members in 12 congregations. Malawi was one of the fastest growing countries for LDS Church membership over the past decade.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Tanzania refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Tanzania. The first branch was organized in 1992. In 2021, there were 2,999 members in 23 congregations.