Mission guide

Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa North Mission

A guide to Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa North Mission, and the people and history of this growing part of Africa.

  • French
  • Lingala
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About the mission

The Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa North Mission is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with Kinshasa as its main city. Kinshasa is the country's capital and sits along the Congo River, across from Brazzaville.

French and Lingala are the mission languages. French is widely used in government, education, and business, while Lingala is an important everyday language in Kinshasa.

At a glance

Country
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Main city
Kinshasa, 18,552,800 people in the city-province (2021)
Languages
French and Lingala
Time zone
West Africa Time (UTC+1)
Climate
Tropical wet and dry, with a rainy season from October through May and a dry season from June through September
City-province
9,965 square kilometers

A short history of the area

Kinshasa was known as Nshasa and was inhabited by Teke and Humbu people for centuries. Henry Morton Stanley established a trading post there in 1881, and the settlement became Léopoldville in honor of King Leopold II of Belgium. The Matadi–Kinshasa portage railway was completed in 1898, helping the city grow.

Léopoldville became the capital of the Belgian Congo in 1923 and received official city status in 1941. After independence in 1960, the city was renamed Kinshasa in 1966. Today, it is a major river port and the largest nominally Francophone urban area in the world.

The Church here

  1. 1970A small group of Latter-day Saints from abroad living in Kinshasa began holding Church meetings.
  2. 1979Church President Spencer W. Kimball sent Oscar McConkie to explore the possibility of organizing the Church in Zaïre, the country's name at the time.
  3. 1986The Church received legal recognition in the country, and the first full-time missionaries, Ralph and Jean Hutchings, arrived in February.
  4. 1987The Zaire Kinshasa Mission was officially organized, and membership reached 300 in July.
  5. 1996The Kinshasa Zaire Stake was organized on November 3.
  6. 1997After the country changed its name, the mission became the Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa Mission on August 12.
  7. 2010The Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa Mission split to form the Democratic Republic of the Congo Lubumbashi Mission.
  8. 2015The Kisangani Branch was organized in northern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Temples nearby

Brazzaville Republic of the Congo Temple

Under construction · Near Kinshasa

Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple

Dedicated April 14, 2019 · Near Kinshasa

The Book of Mormon here

Missionaries in this mission share the Book of Mormon in these languages. Tap a cover to read it free.

Cover art is an illustration. Links open the free edition on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Before you go

Phrases to learn

  • MboteHello
  • Sango nini?How are you?
  • MatondiThank you
  • MalamuGood or well

Foods to try

  • Maboké (fish steamed in banana leaves, especially associated with Kinkole)
  • Moambe chicken (chicken served with a rich palm-nut sauce)
  • Fufu (a soft staple made from cassava or other starchy foods)
  • Chikwangue (cassava bread wrapped and cooked in leaves)

Fun facts

  • Kinshasa and Brazzaville are the world's closest pair of capital cities, separated by a roughly four-kilometer-wide span of the Congo River.
  • Kinshasa was designated a UNESCO City of Music in 2015.
  • Stade Tata Raphaël hosted the famous 1974 boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, known as the Rumble in the Jungle.

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