Kiribati
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21,853
Total Church Membership
Population vs. Church Members
2
Stakes
42
Congregations
2
FamilySearch Centers
History
In 1975 students from Kiribati who had attended Church-owned Liahona High School in Tonga returned to their home country as missionaries. The early converts of these young I-Kiribati missionaries established the first branch of the Church and held their meetings on the campus of their old school, the Auriaria Kokoi Ataria School on the island of Tarawa. Just two years later, the Church converted that school into the Moroni Community School (later Moroni High School).
As students of Moroni High School embraced the restored gospel and spread its message across the islands, the school gained a reputation as “a city on a hill” (see Matthew 5:14) and a place of study and faith. Despite early resistance from government and community leaders, the school and the Church have grown much in the years since Kiribati gained its independence in 1979. Now the Church is recognized as a positive influence in the social, educational, and cultural development of the country and is the third-largest Christian denomination in the republic.
For Journalist Use Only
Richard Hunter
New Zealand
Phone: 64(9)488-5572
Mobile: 64-21-240-7804
Africa
Total Church Membership
736,701
Members
2,476
Congregations
Missions
39Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
5Temples
Asia
Total Church Membership
1,259,094
Members
2,110
Congregations
Missions
45Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
8Temples
Europe
Total Church Membership
500,239
Members
1,350
Congregations
Missions
34Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
14Temples
North America
Total Church Membership
9,489,479
Members
18,476
Congregations
Missions
174Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
112Temples
Oceania (Pacific)
Total Church Membership
587,462
Members
1,301
Congregations
Missions
18Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
10Temples
South America
Total Church Membership
4,232,425
Members
5,602
Congregations