The Miraculous Growth of the Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

In 1986, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then Zaire) had no official presence of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The foundation was laid when a small group, including the Banza family, began meeting under a carport at the home of a man named Mbuyi. On June 1, 1986, 14-year-old Junior Banza became the first person baptized into the Church within the country's borders, followed shortly by his younger brother. From these humble beginnings of just three initial members, the Church experienced what President Banza describes as a profound spiritual phenomenon. Forty years later, in 2026, President Banza returned to his homeland to serve as a mission president. By this time, the Church had expanded to include approximately 160,000 members, seven missions, a missionary training center, and a dedicated temple, with additional houses of the Lord in development. Reflecting on this transformation, President Banza expressed deep emotion, viewing the exponential growth of the faith in his home country as a direct manifestation of divine intervention. He considers his personal journey—from being the first convert to returning as a leader—to be a front-row seat to one of the most significant miracles of the modern era, illustrating the rapid spread of the gospel in a region that previously had no institutional Church presence.

Fuller account of this event (in the witness’s own words):

The First Baptisms in Central Africa. 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.