Church History Corner
Africa’s First Stake
“This year we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the organization of Africa’s first stake.”
In April 1970, a little over 50 years ago, the headline of Cumorah’s Southern Messenger shouted the news: South Africa Forms Stake! It was the first stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organized on the African continent and a momentous and memorable event for Church members then living within the boundaries of the South African Mission.
Cumorah’s Southern Messenger was a monthly publication of the mission—and contained news of everything from baptisms and baby blessings to mission “conventions,” now called conferences.
Missionaries had been anticipating a visit by Elder Marion G. Romney (1897–1988), of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, to their March 1970 convention, but none of them who attended the convention meeting was prepared for Mission President Howard C. Badger’s introductory message. He read a letter from Elder Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985), then Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, announcing that Elder Romney had come to Johannesburg with instructions to form the first stake.
The unnamed Messenger editor wrote, “A spirit arose among all of us and we felt great happiness in the wonderful news that all of us here in the South African Mission have been striving for since the missionaries first came to this land in 1853.”
Louis P. Hefer was called as the first president of the new Transvaal Stake, which was formed in the Johannesburg area from the Transvaal District. President Hefer’s counselors were Ben de Wet and Olev Taim. Each of these three priesthood leaders was a convert to the Church of between 8 and 12 years, and each had served in numerous leadership positions during that time. Twelve other prepared and qualified men were chosen as high councilors.
Five of the branches in the former district were reorganized into wards at the same time the stake was created, and the branch presidents were ordained as bishops. The new wards and bishops included: Krugersdorp Ward (Bishop Daniel Cherrett); Johannesburg 1st Ward, (Bishop George Samuels); Johannesburg 2nd Ward (Bishop Johann Brummer); Pretoria Ward, (Bishop Michael Blight); and Springs Ward (Bishop Kenneth Armstrong). The Transvaal Stake also included the five remaining branches: Germiston, Vereeniging, East Rand, Klerksdorp and Carletonville.
During the 1970 missionary convention, President Badger assured his missionaries of the continuing growth that would take place in the Church and urged them to serve the Saviour with all their might, mind and strength, which missionaries throughout the following decades have also done.
It had been 117 years from the time the first missionaries arrived in Cape Town with the good news of Christ’s restored gospel until the creation of this first African stake. At the time there were approximately 6,000 members on the continent, most in South Africa and present-day Zimbabwe. But since the Transvaal Stake was created, the Church has seen phenomenal growth. Today there are more than 685,000 members in 34 African countries. They meet and worship together in 180 stakes and 98 districts.
During the missionary convention, Elder Romney delivered messages that are as pertinent now as they were then. He told his listeners to be patient in afflictions, and to strive to know God. “Happiness,” he said, “is finding the way the Lord is going and [going] the same way.”