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African Members Strengthen International Church
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah
— Samuel Lumore and his cousins Christian Yao and Godwin Kofi
Zometsi, all from Kpong, Ghana, discovered the missionaries of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as young schoolboys
and were later baptized members of the Church. For Evelyn Jepkemei,
a curriculum specialist in Nairobi, Kenya, contact with the Church
came through an American on a business assignment in Africa.
Evelyn and the young men from Ghana
represent some of many recent converts to the Church who live beyond
the North American continent. All signify the ever-increasing Church
population in many areas across the globe and also indicate the
rapid growth in Africa.
Samuel Lumore, Christian Yao and Godwin Kofi Zometsi, all cousins
from Kpong, Ghana,
were introduced to the Church while in their teens.
Photos © 2007 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
According to the Member and Statistical
Records Division at Church headquarters in Salt Lake City, Church
membership during 2006 increased by 7.5 percent in Africa and 3.5
percent in the next-fastest-growing country, Mexico.
“We are always enthused to recognize
the continued expansion of the Church,” noted Clifford W.
Higbee, director of the records division. “The membership
in Mexico, for example, crossed over the one million mark in July
2004 and neared 1.1 million at the end of 2006.”
Since 28 February 1996, a landmark
date, more than half of the members of the Church live outside the
United States and Canada. Of the current 12,560,869 reported members
worldwide, approximately 6.7 million live outside North America.
President Gordon B. Hinckley, in anticipating
this 1996 milestone, commented: “A crossover of that line
is a wonderfully significant thing. It represents the fruits of
a terrific outreach. The God of Heaven, whose servants we are, never
intended that this should be a narrow, parochial work.”
For recent converts to the Church,
such as Evelyn, Samuel, Christian and Godwin, the path to membership
is often blocked by challenges and obstacles.
Evelyn Kepkemei from Nairobi, Kenya, learned about
the Church from a professional colleague.
Evelyn, who now serves as a choir director
in her congregation in Nairobi, Kenya, found common doctrinal ground
with her colleague despite a number of previous misunderstandings
she had about the Church of Jesus Christ.
After a lengthy discussion and clarification
of incorrect ideas, Evelyn’s friend said to her, “Evelyn
… I know you seek the truth.” As soon as he made that
statement, Evelyn recognized a “most wonderful feeling; I
did not want it to end.” She studied with the missionaries,
accepted baptism and now counts the Church as “a vital part
of my life.” Though she lost friends and family, she found
a “joy that never leaves.”
The three young men from Kpong, Ghana,
grew up under the care of their grandmother Aku Hunyametor Pomevor
and farmed, peddled farm produce and tackled many odd jobs to help
support the extended family. School tuition was difficult to come
by, but the boys continued with their educations, even after their
nurturing grandmother passed away.
Friends introduced the Church to the
orphan cousins when they were in their early teens. Samuel described
his first meeting with a congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints. “I was welcomed to my satisfaction,”
he explained. “I fell in love and wanted to be a member. Once
in my lifetime, I felt very important in my shoes.”
Those shoes, and those of Samuel’s
cousins, Christian and Godwin, are trudging along the roads of Ghana
and Nigeria as each of the young men currently serves as a full-time
missionary for the Church.
As Samuel summarized his preparations for his missionary service,
he admitted: “My clothes are worn out, my shoes are not nice
and all my things need replacements, but all these troubles in my
poor young life do not make me change my mind or compromise. I will
go and serve the Lord.”
With such strength and testimony in
convert baptisms, the Church continues to increase membership in
Africa, in Mexico and in many parts of the world.
© 2007 Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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