Introduction to the Session “Faith and Growth of the LDS Church in the DR Congo” – Dan Peterson
That’s fun to do this, because if you’re an academic, if you’re a professor, you talk for a living. So, you’re glib; you don’t have to know anything about what you’re talking about, but you can sound really convincing.
So that’s what I’m going to try to do here. I’ve been asked to chair this session, I guess because I’m the president of the Interpreter Foundation, and this project is really fascinating. The project that they’re going to be talking about is under the auspices of the Interpreter Foundation, so I’ll let them do that talking. Then we’ll see how this goes.
But I thought I would first introduce Jeff Bradshaw, who will then introduce Junior Bonza, and then we’ll get the ball rolling. I don’t know exactly what they have planned, but anyway, we’ll see.
Jeff Bradshaw is one of the vice presidents of the Interpreter Foundation. He has been a really productive member of our leadership, our board, and so on for years now. We’ve been just really thrilled to have him involved with us in our projects.
He has been responsible for many aspects of our work. He is by profession a cognitive scientist with a PhD from the University of Washington and is still involved with the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition—whatever that is.
I think that’s all I really need to say, except that Jeff has served two senior missions in Francophone Africa, and that partly explains the background of this marvelous project.
So, I will let Jeff take over and do the further introduction. Then we’ll be on our way. [Applause]
The “Not by Bread Alone” Film Series
The real reason we have all these complex introductions here is we just love the applause. We don’t get that when we teach in the university very often.
It’s very nice to be here. And Dan, we’re very much honored that you can join us, as well as my colleague and friend, Junior Bonza.
We’ll talk a little bit more about that first. But first, I want to show you a 10-minute introduction to the film series that we’re working on for the Interpreter Foundation.
That’ll give you a better feel in pictures than you could ever get in words. Once you’ve seen this, we’ll say just a few words more.
Then we’re honored to have Junior tell some bits of his story. We’ll be able to take some questions from any of you if you want to submit them. Junior will answer all of them, and then Dan will fill in as needed.
Thank you. We hope you enjoy the film. (film begins here)
African Latter-day Saint Faith Stories
Hi, I’m Junior Bonza. I grew up in Kinshasa, singing songs like this with my family every night.
Our new film series, entitled Not by Bread Alone, includes the story of how my family joined the Church in Switzerland. But my family’s conversion story has a lot in common with those of others in the DR Congo and French-speaking Africa.
This is why we named the film series Not by Bread Alone. Of course, this phrase comes from Jesus when He said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”
These are words that speak to the heart of African Christians. When poverty deprives, disease sickens, war menaces, and human predators victimize for the sake of wealth and power, hundreds of millions of steadfast and resilient Christians in Africa are sustained in their trials by their faith in Christ as they work for a better future.
Congolese Saints are not reticent in sharing their faith and their gratitude.
The more you get to know them, the more you will see that the kind of peace they find in Christ is not best expressed as a contemplative solo—a small, trickling feeling from a single individual—but rather in Congolese fashion: as a soaring group of voices, boldly singing in a chorus of joyful, loving praise.
It is a thundering waterfall of power and emotion.
The Growth of the LDS Church in DR Congo
What is special about the DR Congo?
First, it is located in the very heart of Central Africa. The DR Congo is vast—the second largest country in Africa—about the size of the eastern United States. It features lush rainforests and unique wildlife such as the mountain gorilla, the okapi, the super-smart bonobo, and very light insects.
The country is bordered by the Congo River, the deepest and most powerful river in the world.
The country is blessed with beautiful, intelligent, and enthusiastic children. But for Latter-day Saints, the DR Congo is special for another reason: it is one of the fastest-growing areas of the Church.
French-Speaking Africa and Church Expansion
The historic boundaries of French-speaking Africa cover a surprisingly large and populous portion of the entire continent. In fact, the Church is growing so quickly in these countries that some people think French might eventually become the most common language in the Church.
The DR Congo already has the second-largest Church membership in Africa, and the rate of growth and retention is phenomenal—even when compared with other African countries.
The geography of Church growth is also a fascinating subject. Over the last decade, membership has spread out from five centers of strength to dozens of faraway locations, whose numbers continue to increase quickly.
Stories of Faith and Sacrifice in the DR Congo
Many of these outposts of faith are in incredibly remote places.
Places like Likasi, where as a missionary I used to meet on Sundays in a small room with a handful of members—today Likasi has multiple stakes.
Laputa, a small village where the first stake was formed before any full-time missionary had ever served there.
There are currently 112 full-time missionaries serving from Laputa’s two stakes.
The Bateke Plateau, where Church members have traveled to gather family history from tribal leaders.
Kisangani, the home of the fearless Wagenya fishermen. In just a few years, the Church in Kisangani expanded from a single branch to a district with six branches.
Not by Bread Alone Film Series
Not by Bread Alone is not a lesson in geography or statistics. Instead, it tells the stories of faithful members like these, who have joyfully embraced the gospel—sometimes at great personal cost.
For example, the episodes present stories of bright and dedicated missionaries, elders and sisters, whose devotion becomes clear when we begin to learn their backstories.
This is Cedric Chiamwe, who worked selling bananas, traveling from town to town on his bicycle to earn the $250 needed for his missionary passport. It took him four years.
And this is Matthew Kalume Abi Lua. His family received a testimony of the restored gospel in the 1970s along with hundreds of other nearby Saints. But the villages where they lived were so remote that missionaries could not go there.
Unbaptized Converts Staying Faithful
Wondering what had happened to these Saints, two recently returned missionaries braved a long and risky journey to find out if these groups of converts still existed.
After many difficulties, they learned that these unbaptized converts were still true to their testimonies and had continued to hold Sunday School and study the Book of Mormon in their villages for nearly 50 years—almost completely on their own.
Matthew’s mother pleaded with the two young men to find a way for the twelve children to be baptized, but they were not authorized to do so.
Finally, at the age of 25, Batu convinced his father and mother to let him travel alone to the city of Lubumbashi, 600 kilometers away. There he could be taught, baptized, receive the priesthood, and be called to serve a full-time mission.
Movingly, he tells of how sweet it was to be able to take the sacrament for the very first time in his life.
Ripple Effects of Faith and Service
In one episode, Elder Willie Binene Subwe—now an Area Seventy—tells the story of the life-threatening journey from ethnic persecution he made with his family and thousands of others.
His young life was a string of disappointments. Then everything took a major turn for the better when he met Lily, whom the Lord had shown him in a dream.
Together, they raised their family, built a school, and with the help of the Church mobilized the entire village, day in and day out for a period of three years, to dig an 18-mile trench by hand through the forest to bring clean water to their families.
The Power of Generosity and the Temple
Another episode illustrates what we like to call the ripple effect of generosity—people in need being helped and then going on to help other people.
For example, David and Josephine Windsor lived with their boys in a one-room home of a few square meters on a noisy street in Kinshasa. They had no electricity or plumbing.
In the middle of the room was a pedal-powered sewing machine where David earned a living as a tailor. He is completely blind in both eyes. His wife has a handicap.
After joining the Church, David and Josephine dreamed of starting a school where disabled people could learn to sew and earn a living. Through the help of kind friends, that dream became a reality.
Here, David—who has never seen a school or his students with his own eyes—deftly teaches his class how to measure, cut, and sew.
After years of preparation, David and Josephine Windsor were sealed in the Kinshasa Temple.
Since 2019, five temples have been dedicated or announced for the two Congos. The temple is an oasis of peace for families, for the young and the old, for jovial logistics experts, hardy construction workers, dedicated gardeners, and diligent guilders.
The time has come to tell the full story of the Saints. Now, in this special moment, while new temples rise to witness the faithfulness of these spiritually sensitive people, our film series will remind the rising generation worldwide that the core of the bright, beating heart of Africa—the source of light and life and love of its people—is not the daily bread, but rather the True Word of God, now restored in its fullness to the earth. (end of film)
Sharing the Stories of African Latter-day Saints
I’ve seen that film many times, but it still touches me. I feel the devotion and faith of the people who I’ve been privileged to know in the DR Congo for the last while.
Thanks to some generous donors, we were able to extend that to a few other countries in Africa that are close by in the heart of Africa.
I’m not going to say too much about the other things we’re doing in the film series. If you want to learn more, you can go to the website: NotByBreadAloneFilm.com. You can learn more there—it exists equally well in French, as do all the videos, short videos, and episodes of the history.
Junior Bonza: A Witness of Church Growth in DR Congo
Hello, everybody. Well, don’t believe everything you said about me. Some of it is not right. I’m just a simple guy, but it’s so good to be with you today.
When we talked about coming over and meeting with you tonight, I thought, What am I going to share with them?
The videos are probably going to tell you a lot about what’s going on. But then my mind started focusing a little bit, and I decided today I will come for those who already know this: I want to confirm one truth—that the Church is true.
For those who don’t know that yet, I’m letting you know that the Church is true.
The Fulfillment of Prophecy
We all know about the prophecy of Daniel, who saw the little stone cut off a mountain without the help of any hand that rolled and kept rolling until it filled the whole earth.
I’m here to let you know and to tell you a little bit about the fulfillment of that prophecy.
I was born in Kinshasa, as mentioned earlier, but I’ve been in America, particularly in Utah, for over 20 years—24 years.
As I’m looking at two worlds, it’s easy: if you live in Salt Lake or anywhere else in Utah, as you leave your home, there’s a chapel almost around every corner. It didn’t use to be this way. The pioneers didn’t have chapels around corners everywhere. They built them and they grew, and now we’re here and we reap the benefits of what they did.
I want to tell you about that same story, but on the other side of the world, in Central Africa—particularly in the Congo.
The Beginnings of the LDS Church in DR Congo
To help you understand my position, and why I can talk about it this way: I have witnessed the growth—the birth, actually—and the growth of the Church over there.
My family, my parents, joined the Church in Switzerland in 1979. I’m not going to go into the details for the sake of time, but they were there on a scholarship from a different church—the Presbyterian Church.
While they were there, they met the missionaries and joined the Church right away.
You see the picture? These are the two missionaries, and in the blue pajamas—that’s me. And that’s my brother, Phil.
As soon as they joined the Church, the scholarship was canceled, and we had to go home. So we went home.
This was October 1979. The Church was nowhere to be found in the Congo. In fact, at the time, the only countries in Africa that had some type of representation for the Church were South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana. No French-speaking country on the continent had the Church.
So what were we going to do?
The First Baptisms in Central Africa
By the providence of God, in 1986 the Church was authorized to be established in the Congo.
Now, see the sixth person in the middle of the picture? That’s me, the little kid right there. I was being taught the missionary discussions because my brother and I did not get baptized in Switzerland. We were too young.
By 1986 we could be baptized. President and Sister Hutchings were the first missionaries to be assigned to the Congo, and my baptism was the very first baptism in the country.
As far as we’re trying to figure out, we haven’t found any record of another baptism anywhere in Central Africa before then. The Congo may have been the very first country in Central Africa to receive the gospel.
So, my baptism was probably the very first baptism in Central Africa.
Let me show you this. This is the day I was baptized. The kid in the blue shirt—that’s my brother. And I’m standing right next to that skinny little dude—that’s me.
This picture was taken maybe 20 minutes after I was baptized.
This was June 1986. Two baptisms: me and my brother.
The LDS Church Rolling Forth in Africa
Today, in 2024, we have about 30 stakes.
The Church has one temple in Kinshasa that’s dedicated. There is one being built in Lubumbashi. We have one where the site has been selected in Kananga. And we have one in Bukavu that’s been announced—not counting the one in Brazzaville, which is a different country but basically the same place because we used to be the same mission. It’s just across the Congo River.
Why am I telling you this?
So that you will receive confirmation that the Church is rolling forth. Africa is being blessed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is going everywhere.
The Church’s Rapid Growth and Missionary Efforts
I was speaking recently with Elder Thierry Mutombo. Elder Mutombo is the Africa Area President. He’s a very, very, very good friend—actually, family.
He was telling me that last year, if I were to ask you to guess: How many baptisms do you think they had in a year?
For the country, they had 18,000 new members.
A 20% Increase in Membership
That’s a 20% increase in one year.
There are now about 100,000 members, and the Congo is now the number one producer of full-time missionaries on the continent.
The other interesting thing is that those missionaries are coming mostly—60% of them—from Central Congo, the Kasai region.
That’s where Jeff was telling us, even in the video, where we had stakes organized without any full-time missionaries ever being there.
Stakes Organized Without Missionaries
Basically what happened was this: we had members who came from a different stake. Elder Binene, for example, and his family were kicked out.
They were refugees coming from Likasi and Kolwezi. From there, they went to Laputa—that’s the homeland. It was a place they had never been. These were kids and people who were born in Kolwezi.
Because of ethnic issues, they were told: Go home. Go home where your ancestors came from.
So they went back to Laputa, not knowing anything. But one thing they had was the gospel.
They kept it. Teaching continued. They taught the children and the neighbors.
Pretty soon you have congregations meeting under trees and in people’s homes.
When the report comes to Area Headquarters and they ask, What are we going to do with these people? The answer: Well, you are a stake now.
Just like that. And they keep going—growing and growing.
That little stone is filling the earth.
I believe now is the time for Africa.
Languages and Scripture Translation
We press for time, so I’m going to stop there.
We have ten minutes, right?
I was told you might have questions.
Stay up there, sir. Are there any questions?
English in the Congo is taught in language learning schools, but French is the official language. We have about 450 different dialects besides that.
By the way, the Book of Mormon is now translated in Lingala, and we just completed work in Chiluba.
Church Membership Across French-Speaking Africa
Oh, French-speaking members—yes, all of them are French-speaking.
Right now, we have probably about 118,000 members or so. That’s just for the DR Congo.
Now, the area includes countries that are not French-speaking. So the French-speaking countries include:
- DR Congo
- The Republic of Congo
- Gabon
- Cameroon
We also had Rwanda, but not anymore. So there are four countries that are specifically French-speaking.
I would assume, between all of them, probably around 150,000 members.
LDS Church Growth in West Africa
Then we have West Africa—places like Côte d’Ivoire. But that’s a different area.
The Cost of Missionary Work and Passports
When we talked about missionary passports, is it because they’re going to a different country?
Here’s the thing: many people are very, very poor. They cannot afford a mission.
So they use Church funds and help to go on a mission, but they are being asked to contribute something.
One thing they’re being asked to contribute is: at least get your own passport.
See if that’s possible, because you never know where you’ll be sent.
These missionaries are being sent to Ivory Coast and throughout Africa. They’re everywhere. In fact, recently we’ve had some of them come to the US and Europe.
So before your mission call comes, they want you to have your passport.
Challenges to Church Growth in DR Congo
Where’s the greatest source of opposition to the work?
Is it from the government? From other churches? From officials?
No, I think—not the government.
We are establishing very good relationships with the government.
In fact, the current Minister of Agriculture used to be a stake president.
So we’re establishing good relationships with them.
Personally—Jeff, I don’t know—but to me there’s no big opposition except maybe poverty.
Poverty pushes people to do things they wouldn’t do otherwise.
So to me personally, that might be the only thing.
Political Stability in the DR Congo
How stable is the political situation?
They’re working on it.
For the last five years, they’ve now had—for the first time in 2018—the first democratically elected president.
That’s trying to uproot systems that had been there for 60 years.
They’re working on making it a better way, but there are still a lot of problems. At least they’re on the right track.
Why the Congolese Are Open to the Gospel
What helped the people be prepared for such an expansion?
I’ve thought about that many times.
By nature, the Congolese people are Christian—98%, maybe 95%, I don’t know—Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, and so on.
But I would also say culturally, the beliefs and disposition of the Congolese people are very close to the Church.
Let me give you an example.
As missionaries, we’re teaching people about temple work—we’re doing temple work for our ancestors.
Many people might look at it like, What are you talking about? What are you doing with or for your ancestors?
But the Congolese people—that’s not unusual to them.
We believe that our ancestors are close to us. We believe they’re there, that they see us, that they’re close around us.
So when you tell them, I am going to be baptized for my grandpa, they say, Yeah, of course. Absolutely. Go ahead.
Also, their disposition is just believing.
No one says no to having the missionaries in their home.
That’s one thing. So many of us who have been on missions—we know the number one thing we want is to sit down with someone and bear testimony.
Now imagine a whole people who would never say, I’m not interested in having you sit down.
Once they sit down and you start talking to them, it makes sense.
The reason they never say no to having missionaries is because they believe in God.
If you are a representative of Christ, of course you’re welcome. Please, come and sit down and tell me what you have.
Even if, in the end, they don’t join, they at least want to give you the respect of listening to you.
The Pathway Program in the DR Congo
How’s Pathway working?
Pathway is working very well.
The Church educational system is working hard to put it together—even in places that are so remote they don’t have running water or internet connections.
Places like Bukavu still have issues, but in big cities like Lubumbashi and Kinshasa, a lot of people are enrolling.
It’s working and helping many people.
Retention Rates and Family History
In one of the stakes of Kinshasa—one of the 30 stakes there—I’ve heard they have 1,000 people enrolled in Pathway. About 50% are members and 50% are non-members.
Brother Mutombo said the retention rate is around 60–70% for the area. In the DR Congo, about 75%.
Family history?
In many places in the world, you don’t know who your ancestors are because there are no written records of who they were.
We have that problem in some areas too.
A lot of the history has been passed down orally.
The Church has established a program where contractors go into villages, recording these oral histories from all these villages and families.
That’s helping a lot because of the program they’ve implemented.
Translation and Vibrant Worship
Any current plan to translate more Church materials into Congolese languages?
Not right now.
The centers of strength are Lingala and Chiluba. Swahili already exists because of the Western and Eastern African countries like Kenya and Tanzania.
However, that Swahili is a little different, so I think last time I was talking to someone in Church translation, they may look into adapting it.
But right now, you have Lingala, Chiluba, and French, of course.
How Wards and Stakes Differ
How do the wards and stakes in DR Congo differ from here?
One big fact: the average age of those coming to Church and being baptized is 19.
That’s a major difference.
Most bishops I know are in their mid-20s to early 30s. The stake president might be 35.
Because they’re so new, they’re learning. There’s a lot of learning to be done.
One big challenge is: Where do we put them?
How do you build 10 stakes at once, quickly, in a place where you can’t even go by car?
That’s a big problem.
But when you go to Church, everybody is enthusiastic.
You should hear them sing. That’s one thing I miss a lot—singing in Church during sacrament meeting or otherwise.
You should see the choirs.
Every ward wants to have a choir. And that choir is a real choir.
The bishop doesn’t have to stand up and say, Those who want to come and be with Sister Peterson after Church in choir practice… No.
It’s very vibrant. Very, very vibrant.
Music in Church Services
Do we have traditional forms of music performed in Church that we don’t have here?
For official Church meetings—no.
The hymns are the same.
For other activities—yes. You may have African music being played.
But during Church services, it’s the exact same thing.
By the way, they’re also working on translating the hymns into Lingala.
Thank you so much. Thanks for your time. [Applause]
