News Story

New Mormon District Created in Mombasa

Under the direction of Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Kenya Nairobi Mission President Gary Cook Hicken organized the Mombasa District (similar to a diocese) on 25 October 2015. This District was created from the three Church branches of Likoni, Changamwe and Bamburi which are spread across the coastal town of Mombasa.

The meeting to create the District was held at Castle Royal Hotel and was attended by over 250 members of the Church from Mombasa area. Several media houses attended the event with coverage in The Standard Newspaper the following day.

President Moses Msafiri was called as District President with Bernard Kiteto Mwambere as his 1st Counsellor and Jason Forborne as 2nd Counsellor in the Mombasa District Presidency.

President Hicken, who was the presiding priesthood authority at this event, was accompanied by his wife and his two counsellors, President Chirchir and President Balilemwa.

The creation of the District shows the steady growth of the Church in Kenya. Last year another District was created in Kilungu Hills, Makueni. The creation of a District is a significant milestone in Church growth. The leaders of the District supervise the branches in their area, making the work of a Mission President much easier.

President Msafiri joined the Church in 2015 with his entire family. At the time of his appointment, he was a lay member of the Church. He has had extensive Church leadership experience, serving as a Sunday School teacher, as First Counsellor in a Branch Presidency twice and also a Branch President (similar to a Catholic Bishop) twice. He is retired, after owning an electrical engineering company. The Mormon Church does not have a paid clergy and those who serve in leadership positions also pursue other occupations. President Msafiri and his wife, Precious, are parents of 5 children and 4 grandchildren.

During his remarks, President Hicken thanked Church members in Mombasa for their dedication and predicted that it may not be long before Mombasa gets its own Stake (multi-congregation). “It is just the beginning and the room is already full,” President Hicken remarked.

President Mwambere and President Forborne and their wives also shared their testimonies of Jesus Christ, expressing their love of the restored gospel and their willingness to serve in their new capacities.

President Mwambere, an employee of Kenya Ports Authority, and his wife are parents of 5 children. President Forborne, an entrepreneur, and his wife are parents of 3 children. This American family has lived in Mombasa for the last 2 years.

With the creation of this new District, Church members in Mombasa now have an opportunity to enjoy the blessings of the gospel more fully in a more decentralized and localized unit that will help in meeting the spiritual and temporal needs of Latter-day Saints in Mombasa region. 

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