Church Opens a New Mission in Kananga, DR Congo

On July 1, 2023 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints created a new mission headquartered in Kananga, Democratic Republic of the Congo with President Eric Kapanga and Sister Thérèse-Alberta Kapanga as the new mission leaders. This is the fifth mission of the Church in the DR Congo. The other four missions are Kinshasa West, Kinshasa East, Lubumbashi, and Mbuji-Mayi, from which this new mission was split.

President and Sister Kapanga currently preside over 74 full time missionaries, whose main purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

There are currently three stakes (akin to a diocese) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints within the new mission boundaries: Kananga, Katoka, and Malandji, as well as many smaller congregations. There are 416 missions worldwide.

On October 3, 2021, President Russell M. Nelson announced plans to construct a new temple in Kananga, which will be the Church’s third temple in DR Congo after Kinshasa (dedicated in 2019) and Lubumbashi (under construction).

President and Sister Kapanga have five children, and are members of the Kinsuka 3rd Ward, Kinshasa DR Congo Ngaliema Stake.

President Kapanga is a former high councilor, mission presidency counselor, district president, branch president, bishopric counselor, Sunday School teacher and institute teacher. He was born in Bunkonde, DR Congo, to Betukumesu Ngalamulume and Tupemunyi Léonie Mulumba.

Sister Kapanga is a former ward Relief Society president, temple ordinance worker, ward Primary president, branch Young Women president, Relief Society teacher and seminary teacher. She was born in Bunkonde, DR Congo, to Lungenyi Ntombolo and Bankanshima Mujinga.

President Kapanga expressed his joy for the warm welcome extended to them by local leaders of the Church and full-time missionaries in Kananga as well as the support of President Gamfina, former president of the Mbuji-Mayi mission.

President Kapanga said, "we are happy to serve in Kananga, and we will have no difficulty with the climate, the local language, the food and knowledge of the local conditions.”

For the full-time missionaries, the arrival of President and Sister Kapanga in Kananga is a great blessing because they have been serving far away from the presence of their former mission president in Mbuji-Mayi. Elder Loes and Elder Lomate, assistants to the president, said the arrival of President Kapanga is a blessing for the full-time missionaries and this will help them work hard to follow the instructions given in the new Preach My Gospel Manual for missionaries.