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The Church in South Africa


A Timeline of the Church in South Africa
Compiled by Matthew Lewis

August 28, 1852 Brigham Young calls three men, Jesse Haven, William H. Walker, and Leonard I. Smith, to serve as missionaries to South Africa.
September 15, 1852 Elders Haven, Walker, and Smith leave Salt Lake City, bound for South Africa.
April 18, 1853 Elders Haven, Walker, and Smith arrive at Cape Town, opening the South African Mission.
April 25, 1853 First public meeting of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in South Africa.
June 15, 1853 Henry Stringer, of Mowbray, is baptized, becoming the first person to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in South Africa.
August 16, 1853 The first branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is organized at Mowbray.
September 7, 1853 The second branch of the Church is organized at Newlands.
February 23, 1854 The third branch of the Church is organized at Beaufort.
April 12, 1865 The South African Mission closes. Since 1855, 278 converts to the church have emigrated to Utah.
July 25, 1903 Elders Warren H. Lyon, Wm. R. Smith, Thomas L. Griffiths and George A, Simpkins re-open the South Africa Mission.
1917 The first LDS chapel in South Africa, an addition to the first mission home in Mowbray, is completed.
1925 The first LDS chapel in Johannesburg, known as "Ramah" and located at 395 Commissioner Street, was finished.
November 1940 Due to the growing implications of World War II, overseas missionaries are reassigned from South Africa to other missions. Mission President Richard E. Folland and his family remain in South Africa, however, serving with only a few local South African missionaries. Their main activities involved traveling the country, as much they could under war-time restrictions, keeping the local organizations of the Church staffed and functioning. Proselyting activities continue but are severely curtailed.
1946 With World War II concluded, overseas missionaries are once again called to serve in the South Africa Mission.
1954 President David O. McKay visits South Africa, marking the first visit ever by a General Authority of the Church.
1960 South Africa Mission headquarters moves from Cape Town to Johannesburg.
1963 The church officially classifies the South Africa Mission as a foreign language mission.
March 22, 1970 The Transvaal Stake is created, the church's 505th stake and the first stake in South Africa, with Louis P. Hefer as Stake President.
June 10, 1970 The South Africa Mission is renamed to the South African Mission.
1973 President Spencer W. Kimball dedicates South Africa.
1973 The Book of Mormon is published in Afrikaans.
June 20, 1974 The South African Mission is renamed to the South Africa Johannesburg Mission.
October 22, 1978 The Sandton Stake is created from the Transvaal Stake with Johannes P. Brummer called to serve as Stake President. The Transvaal Stake is renamed to the Johannesburg Stake. The Sandton Stake is later renamed to the Pretoria Stake.
1979 President Spencer W. Kimball rededicates South Africa.
April 1, 1981 The church announces during General Conference that a temple would be built in Johannesburg.
November 29, 1981 The Durban Stake is created with Percy E.A. Winstanley as its first Stake President.
1981 The Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price are published in Afrikaans.
May 6, 1984 The Cape Town Stake is formed with Otto Wilhelm Miessner as its first Stake President.
July 1, 1984 The South Africa Cape Town Mission begins operation.
August 24, 1985 The Johannesburg Temple is dedicated.
July 1, 1987 The Zimbabwe Harare Mission, split off of the South Africa Johannesburg Mission, begins operation.
1987 Missionaries enter Swaziland for the first time.
1987 Selections from the Book of Mormon are published in Zulu. Shortly thereafter, Elder Spencer H. Osborn presents a copy, signed by President Ezra Taft Benson, to Dr. Mangosuthu G. Buthelezi, chief of the Zulus.
November 29, 1987 The Benoni Stake is created by Elder Spencer H. Osborn of the Seventy, by dividing the Johannesburg Stake. Jan G. Hugo is called as its first Stake President. The Sandton Stake is renamed the Pretoria Stake.
July 1, 1988 The Mascarene Islands Mission, split off of the South Africa Johannesburg Mission, begins operation.
September 1989 Missionaries enter Lesotho for the first time.
February 21, 1990 Swaziland is dedicated by Neal A. Maxwell.
February 22, 1990 Lesotho is dedicated by Neal A. Maxwell.
June 1990 Missionaries enter Botswana for the first time.
October 1, 1990 The Africa Area of the church is created with Richard P. Lindsay of the Seventy called to serve as the Area President.
July 1, 1991 The South Africa Durban Mission begins operation. It is comprised of the Mascarene Islands Mission and part of the South Africa Cape Town Mission.
August 21, 1992 Botswana is dedicated by Richard G. Scott.
August 22, 1992 Namibia is dedicated by Russell M. Nelson.
May 7, 1995 The Roodepoort Stake, South Africa's sixth stake, is created by J. Richard Clarke of the Seventy. It is comprised of portions of the Pretoria, Johannesburg and Benoni stakes. Christoffel Golden Jr. is called as the first Stake President.
February 18, 1996 Elder M. Russell Ballard addresses the largest LDS gathering ever assembled in South Africa, nearly 5000 people, at the Johannesburg Regional Conference.
February 15, 1998 The Bedfordview Stake, South Africa's seventh stake, is created by Elder Dennis E. Simmons of the Seventy. It is comprised of portions of the Johannesburg Stake and the Benoni Stake. Neil P. Fourie is called to serve as its first Stake President.
February 18-20, 1998 Church President Gordon B. Hinckley visits southern Africa. He addresses over 10,000 members in meetings in Zimbabwe, Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.
July 1, 1998 The Madagascar Antananarivo Mission begins operation. It is comprised of Madagascar, Reunion, and Mauritius, which previously belonged to the South Africa Durban Mission. As part of the change, Swaziland moves from the South Africa Johannesburg Mission to the South Africa Durban Mission.
August 15, 1998 The Africa area (created October 1990) is divided to create the Africa West and Africa Southeast Areas. Headquarters of the Africa Southeast area will remain in Johannesburg.
March 14, 1999 The Soweto Stake, South Africa's eighth stake, is created by Elder Dennis E. Simmons of the Seventy. It is comprised of portions of the Roodepoort Stake. Robert Eppel is called to serve as its first Stake President.
May 16, 1999 The Hillcrest Stake, South Africa's ninth stake, is created by Elder Ray H. Wood of the Seventy. It is comprised of portions of the Durban Stake. Garith Charles Hill is called to serve as its first Stake President.
February 17, 2002 The East London South Africa Stake is created from the East London District by Elder Robert C. Oaks of the Seventy.  It is South Africa's tenth stake.  Johann van Heerden is called as its first Stake President.
June 12, 2005 The Port Elizabeth South Africa Stake is created and is South Africa's eleventh stake.  Leslie Carl Palmer is called as the first Stake President.