In Namibia, the first formal Church organization came in 1973 when Otto Krauss was called as the presiding elder. The first Church meeting had been held in the Krauss home in April 1972.

The first missionaries arrived in 1978, and the first branch (a small congregation) was organized in Windhoek in 1983, with Dieter Freiner as the first branch president.

A few weeks before Namibia gained its independence on March 20, 1990, four elders and one couple began proselytizing in Windhoek. At the time there were fewer than 20 members in the entire country. Namibian president-elect Sam Nujoma had stated at the time of independence that missionaries were welcome in his country.

The Church continued to grow. A Scouting program was organized in Windhoek that provided wholesome activities for the young men. In 1995 the seminary program for the youth was instituted. Members from Namibia joined some 5,000 other Latter-day Saints for the Regional Conference on February 18, 1996 -- the largest such gathering in South Africa.

The first Church-built chapel in Namibia was dedicated in Windhoek on July 6, 1997 by President James O. Mason of the Seventy, President of the Africa Area.

For Journalist Use Only

Womba Makuwa
Windhoek,
Namibia
Phone:  00 264 61 207 2621
Phone:  00 264 61 227359
Phone:  00 264 61 202 0229
Mobile:  00 264 81 22 95 836