L | A
By Eric Killelea
Book of Mormon
Bernard Mwelwa removed his glasses and held his breath before sinking into the waters of the tub-like font at the Galleria neighborhood chapel on Bering Drive in Houston. There at his baptism last Sunday, the 38-year-old Amazon worker, who's originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, publicly celebrated his commitment to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
After a quick wardrobe change, Mwelwa walked into a room full of three dozen fellow LDS members, all of which applauded what they believed was his rebirth into a spiritual life. "Merci," he said, folding his hands in thanks. "Merci. Merci."
Mwelwa is among the first 40 or so people to join the LDS church's French speaking branch here in Houston. Leaders of the church hope to grow the small congregation over the next few years, and imagine they might even launch a second branch soon given the increased number of immigrants moving to Texas from Haiti, and from African countries including Gabon, Ivory Coast and Congo.
The Salt Lake City-based church, known widely as the Mormon church, first lifted the ban on Blacks in the priesthood back in 1978, and has since tried to rid itself of a reputation for being a majority-white community.
Local members stressed to me that they were proud of the all-volunteer efforts to set up local branches for followers who communicate in Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Portuguese and American Sign Language.
The church now has four French language branches across the U.S., hosting congregations in Phoenix, Washington, D.C., Lexington, Ky. and Houston. It now has about 385,000 total members throughout the Lone Star State, up from 210,000 in 2000.
John Norton, who volunteers as president of the Houston Texas stake, a unit with about 2,500 members, said he'd been overseeing seven English-language congregations and three Spanish-language branches in the metro.
After missionaries from Utah reported they were meeting with a growing number of French-speaking people in Houston, the church in July 2023 began conducting live translations of its services into the European tongue.
LDS church leader teaches English to new French-speaking members of the church
"We just got to a point where we had enough French-speaking members," said Norton, who helped launch the Houston 7th Branch, adding that most individuals in the branch are English-proficient immigrants from Haiti and Africa who are connecting with the church while searching for homes, jobs and schools in the Houston area.
The church has since been installing African-born volunteer leaders who speak French to oversee services and provide language lessons to fresh-faced white missionaries. "Our goal and objective is to help people learn about Jesus Christ and his teachings," Norton said.
"The establishment of the Houston 7th Branch is a testament to the growing diversity and vibrancy of the Church in Houston," added Heather Goodman, former communications director of the Houston Texas Stake, in a statement. "We are committed to providing a spiritual home for all who seek to worship in their native language, and this new branch is a significant step in that direction."
At the Bering Drive chapel Sunday, Mwelwa, who speaks six languages, described in English how he was born into the Catholic Church in war-torn Congo and then attended Protestant churches while studying at a university in Kenya. Mwelwa moved to Houston in November 2023 to be closer to his sister and nephew, who are also Latter-Day Saints members.
Mwelwa's family introduced him to missionaries from Salt Lake City who were just then learning how to speak French. So he started a conversation with them, he said, because he remembered the Mormons who lived near his hometown in Congo. "I could see God through these gentlemen," Mwelwa said.
Mwelwa spent several hours attending a men's meetings and a larger service led in part by Congo-born Sylvestre Banhie, current president of the Houston 7th Branch, as well as church councilor Rigobert Ngwesi Butandu.
Nicholas Thompson, a councilor of the Houston Texas stake who had helped build the French-language congregation in Washington D.C., said he was helping the local leaders grow the new branch here. "The church is building on itself here and we hope it continues to grow," Thompson said.
After leading the baptism Sunday, Banhie guided Mwelwa to sit in a chair in front of members and stake representatives. Then Butandu and three missionaries laid hands on Mwelwa's head so they could help him receive the Holy Spirit.
By Eric Killelea
Book of Mormon
Bernard Mwelwa removed his glasses and held his breath before sinking into the waters of the tub-like font at the Galleria neighborhood chapel on Bering Drive in Houston. There at his baptism last Sunday, the 38-year-old Amazon worker, who's originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, publicly celebrated his commitment to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
After a quick wardrobe change, Mwelwa walked into a room full of three dozen fellow LDS members, all of which applauded what they believed was his rebirth into a spiritual life. "Merci," he said, folding his hands in thanks. "Merci. Merci."
Mwelwa is among the first 40 or so people to join the LDS church's French speaking branch here in Houston. Leaders of the church hope to grow the small congregation over the next few years, and imagine they might even launch a second branch soon given the increased number of immigrants moving to Texas from Haiti, and from African countries including Gabon, Ivory Coast and Congo.
The Salt Lake City-based church, known widely as the Mormon church, first lifted the ban on Blacks in the priesthood back in 1978, and has since tried to rid itself of a reputation for being a majority-white community.
Local members stressed to me that they were proud of the all-volunteer efforts to set up local branches for followers who communicate in Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Portuguese and American Sign Language.
The church now has four French language branches across the U.S., hosting congregations in Phoenix, Washington, D.C., Lexington, Ky. and Houston. It now has about 385,000 total members throughout the Lone Star State, up from 210,000 in 2000.
John Norton, who volunteers as president of the Houston Texas stake, a unit with about 2,500 members, said he'd been overseeing seven English-language congregations and three Spanish-language branches in the metro.
After missionaries from Utah reported they were meeting with a growing number of French-speaking people in Houston, the church in July 2023 began conducting live translations of its services into the European tongue.
LDS church leader teaches English to new French-speaking members of the church
"We just got to a point where we had enough French-speaking members," said Norton, who helped launch the Houston 7th Branch, adding that most individuals in the branch are English-proficient immigrants from Haiti and Africa who are connecting with the church while searching for homes, jobs and schools in the Houston area.
The church has since been installing African-born volunteer leaders who speak French to oversee services and provide language lessons to fresh-faced white missionaries. "Our goal and objective is to help people learn about Jesus Christ and his teachings," Norton said.
"The establishment of the Houston 7th Branch is a testament to the growing diversity and vibrancy of the Church in Houston," added Heather Goodman, former communications director of the Houston Texas Stake, in a statement. "We are committed to providing a spiritual home for all who seek to worship in their native language, and this new branch is a significant step in that direction."
At the Bering Drive chapel Sunday, Mwelwa, who speaks six languages, described in English how he was born into the Catholic Church in war-torn Congo and then attended Protestant churches while studying at a university in Kenya. Mwelwa moved to Houston in November 2023 to be closer to his sister and nephew, who are also Latter-Day Saints members.
Mwelwa's family introduced him to missionaries from Salt Lake City who were just then learning how to speak French. So he started a conversation with them, he said, because he remembered the Mormons who lived near his hometown in Congo. "I could see God through these gentlemen," Mwelwa said.
Mwelwa spent several hours attending a men's meetings and a larger service led in part by Congo-born Sylvestre Banhie, current president of the Houston 7th Branch, as well as church councilor Rigobert Ngwesi Butandu.
Nicholas Thompson, a councilor of the Houston Texas stake who had helped build the French-language congregation in Washington D.C., said he was helping the local leaders grow the new branch here. "The church is building on itself here and we hope it continues to grow," Thompson said.
After leading the baptism Sunday, Banhie guided Mwelwa to sit in a chair in front of members and stake representatives. Then Butandu and three missionaries laid hands on Mwelwa's head so they could help him receive the Holy Spirit.
