South Africa
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68,772
Total Church Membership
Population vs. Church Members
17
Stakes
193
Congregations
76
Family History Centers
1
Temples
4
Missions |
History
The first missionaries to South Africa arrived in April 1853, and in August, the first congregation was organized four miles from Cape Town. Two years later, there were three congregations totaling nearly 130 members. Missionaries were not sent to South Africa from 1865 to 1903 because of government restrictions and the inability to speak the Afrikaans language. A few years after missionaries returned to South Africa, the first Church building was built in Mowbray in 1916-17.
An area conference was held for the first time in October 1978, attended by 3,450 of the 7,200 members living in South Africa, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), and South West Africa (Namibia). In February 1992, another conference was held in Johannesburg with 4,200 in attendance, including a youth choir of 140. In February 1996, another regional conference had more than 5,000 in attendance with a choir of more than 100 local singers. Today, members of all origins work together to overcome cultural barriers that have been prevalent in South African society.
For Journalist Use Only
Leon Holmes
South Africa
Mobile: 27 83 309 2482
Phone: 27 11 969 2113
Phone: 27 11 645 1424
Africa
Total Church Membership
666,508
Members
2,327
Congregations
Missions
35Missions
Family History Centers
Temples
4Temples
Asia
Total Church Membership
1,230,515
Members
2,130
Congregations
Missions
44Missions
Family History Centers
Temples
8Temples
Europe
Total Church Membership
497,436
Members
1,374
Congregations
Missions
34Missions
Family History Centers
Temples
14Temples
North America
Total Church Membership
9,419,307
Members
18,256
Congregations
Missions
173Missions
Family History Centers
Temples
110Temples
Oceania (Pacific)
Total Church Membership
572,895
Members
1,283
Congregations
Missions
17Missions
Family History Centers
Temples
10Temples
South America
Total Church Membership
4,178,375
Members
5,570
Congregations