Rwanda: Chronology

Early 1990s • RwandaHabimana Theoneste, who had been taught by missionaries in Lyon, France, returned to Rwanda and began sharing the gospel.

July 28, 1994 • RwandaFollowing the Rwandan genocide, the Church sent $760,000 USD worth of relief items to Rwanda, including food, medical supplies, clothing, blankets, and hygiene items.

2005 • Kigali, RwandaJohn Jackson, a United States embassy employee, organized meetings of Church members at his home. Meetings moved to the home of Nelson Samuel several years later.

March 16, 2008 • KigaliThe Kigali Branch was created with Eric K. Hyde as the first branch president.

August 23, 2008 • KigaliThe first baptismal service was held at Lake Muhazi.

2009 • KigaliThe first Primary organization was created with Agathe Rumanyika as president.

August 27, 2009 • Kigali

Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the country of Rwanda for the preaching of the gospel. The dedication took place on top of a mountain overlooking Kigali.

March 2010 • KigaliBrent and Cheri Andrus, the first missionaries assigned to Rwanda, arrived in Kigali.

2011 • RwandaThe Church sponsored humanitarian projects throughout the country, including clean water, sanitation, medical supplies and training, vision care, and neonatal resuscitation training.

2011 • KigaliEmmanuel Rukundo was called to direct a Church program to help alleviate unemployment in Rwanda.

May 2011 • KigaliThe first institute classes were held with Godfrey Musaazi as the instructor.

September 2011 • KigaliWith the help of local members, the Church began translating materials into Kinyarwanda.

October 2011 • KigaliJackson Ndayambaje became the first missionary called from Rwanda. He served in the South Africa Johannesburg Mission.

November 2011 • KigaliTo comply with government prohibitions, members were directed not to hold meetings in the meetinghouse but to hold individual family worship services in their own homes. Regular meetings resumed in July 2012.

August 13, 2012 • KigaliThe Kigali Branch held a Helping Hands Day and invited senior citizens to the meetinghouse, where they received reading glasses, crutches, and wheelchairs.

October 24, 2013 • RwandaThe Church received a provisional certificate to operate in Rwanda while proceeding to apply for legal recognition.

September 1, 2014 • KigaliThe Kigali Third Branch conducted a Helping Hands project, giving 265 pairs of glasses to members of the community.

March 26, 2017 • KigaliThe Kigali Rwanda District was created with three branches in Kagali and with Joshua Owino Opar as district president. A fourth branch was created in Kigali in 2019.

August 24, 2018 • KigaliThe Saints in Rwanda gathered to observe the annual All-Africa Mormon Helping Hands Day by contributing to the sanitation of their community.

September 13–15, 2018 • KigaliElder Joseph Sitati, a General Authority Seventy, delivered a key address on religious freedom for the third All Africa Religious Liberty Congress in Rwanda.