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back to Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo), African Traditional Religion
| Group | Where | Number of Adherents |
% of total pop. |
Number of congreg./ churches/ units |
Number of countries |
Year | Source | Quote/ Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| African Traditional Religion | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 357,700 | 0.70% | - | - | 2000 | *LINK* web page: "Geographical Distribution of Followers of ATR in African Nations "; (viewed 13 March 1999); Arranged by Chidi Denis Isizoh from the entries made in: Barret, D.B. World Christian Encylopedia. Nairobi (1982). | Table: "Geographical Distribution of Adherents of African Traditional Religion in the Continent of Africa "; Projection, made circa 1982. |
| Alar | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Bambuti | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 50,000 | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, Jim & Joann Biondi. From Afar to Zulu: A Dictionary of African Cultures. New York: Walker Publishing Co. (1995), pg. 129, 132. | "Mbuti: Population: 50,000; Location: Zaire; Languages: Mbuti and Efe "; Pg. 132: "Unlike most other African cultures, the Mbuti do not believe in ancestor spirits. Instead they pray to a god they call Molimo (the god of the forest). Many celebrations and festivals honor Molimo. The Mbuti believe that Molimo can intervene on their behalf and punish anyone who does them harm. They also believe that they please their god by living in harmony with the forest. " |
| Bambuti | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 20,000 | - | - | - | 1998 | Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 130. | "Efe and Mbuti: Alternate Names: Bambuti; Location: Ituri forest in northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire); Population: 20,000; Religion: Traditional tribal beliefs "; "Researchers believe that 'pygmy' peoples have lived in the rainforests of central Africa for more than 6,000 years. " |
| Baptist Community of Bandundu | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 24,371 | - | 30 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Baptist World Alliance web site; page: "BWA Statistics " (viewed 31 March 1999). | "Figures are for BWA affiliated conventions/unions only (no independents included). "; Table with 3 columns: Country, "Churches ", & "Members "; "1997/1998 Totals " |
| Baptist Community of Congo East | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 296,538 | - | 229 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Baptist World Alliance web site; page: "BWA Statistics " (viewed 31 March 1999). | "Figures are for BWA affiliated conventions/unions only (no independents included). "; Table with 3 columns: Country, "Churches ", & "Members "; "1997/1998 Totals " |
| Baptist Community of Congo West | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 252,000 | - | 600 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Baptist World Alliance web site; page: "BWA Statistics " (viewed 31 March 1999). | "Figures are for BWA affiliated conventions/unions only (no independents included). "; Table with 3 columns: Country, "Churches ", & "Members "; "1997/1998 Totals " |
| Baptist Community of Kivu | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 97,250 | - | 280 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Baptist World Alliance web site; page: "BWA Statistics " (viewed 31 March 1999). | "Figures are for BWA affiliated conventions/unions only (no independents included). "; Table with 3 columns: Country, "Churches ", & "Members "; "1997/1998 Totals " |
| Baptist World Alliance | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 720,159 | 1.47% | 1,244 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Baptist World Alliance web site; page: "BWA Statistics " (viewed 31 March 1999). | "Figures are for BWA affiliated conventions/unions only (no independents included). "; Table with 3 columns: Country, "Churches ", & "Members "; "1997/1998 Totals "; [BWA stats. in individual countries are sum of figures for member bodies of BWA in the countries.]; [County population figures for 1998 from United Nations data available here.] |
| Bopgandi | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Bwaka | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Catholic | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | 36.00% | - | - | 1959 | Bokenkotter, Thomas. A Concise History of the Catholic Church. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co. (1977), pg. 343. | "...achievement in the former Belgian Congo, now Zaire... By 1959 Catholics numbered about 36% of the population, and with Protestants added constituted a Christian portion that represented about half of the population. Native Congolese priests totaled about 400. " |
| Catholic | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | 48.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994) pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% " |
| Catholic | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 20,496,000 | 48.00% | - | - | 1994 | *LINK* Library of Congress Country Studies | Est. 42.7 million [total pop.] (1994). Majority Christian: 46 to 48 % Roman Catholic, 24 to 28 % Protestant, up to 16.5 % in Kimbanguist Church. About 1 % of population Muslim. Most other people practice traditional African religions. |
| Catholic | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 22,310,000 | 50.80% | 1,191 units |
- | 1995 | 1998 Catholic Almanac: Our Sunday Visitor: USA (1997), pg. 333-367. | Figures are as of Dec. 31, 1995. Number used for "congregations " is from number of Catholic parishes. |
| Catholic | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 21,910,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Catholic | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 23,720,180 | 50.00% | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* CIA World Factbook web site (viewed Aug. 1998) | Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and traditional beliefs 10%; Total population: 47,440,362. |
| Catholic | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 22,500,000 | 50.00% | - | - | 1998 | Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 471-472. | "Location: Democratic Republic of the Congo (the former Zaire); Population: 45 million "; "Nearly half of all Zairians practice Catholicism, and another third are Protestant, but typically Christian and traditional forms of religion are combined. " |
| Catholic | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | 42.00% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Nazarene web site: Nazarene World Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) | Table "Religions " |
| Catholic | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 23,249,270 | 50.00% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* official government web site of Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire) | Religions : Catholiques romains 50% ; Protestants 20% ; Kimbanguistes 10% ; Musulmans 10% ; autres 10%; [Total] Population : 46.498.539 (estimation) |
| Catholic | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | 50.00% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* web site: "Mining Company Guide to Geography " (viewed 1998) | "The Democratic Republic of the Congo... The country is about half Catholic has 250 different ethnic groups within its borders. " |
| Christianity | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | 50.00% | - | - | 1959 | Bokenkotter, Thomas. A Concise History of the Catholic Church. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co. (1977), pg. 343. | "...achievement in the former Belgian Congo, now Zaire... By 1959 Catholics numbered about 36% of the population, and with Protestants added constituted a Christian portion that represented about half of the population. Native Congolese priests totaled about 400. " |
| Christianity | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 34,200,000 | 90.00% | - | - | 1997 | Dostert, Pierre Etienne. Africa 1997 (The World Today Series). Harpers Ferry, West Virginia: Stryker-Post Publications (1997), pg. 92. | Estimates of % of population in principal religions, & est. 1997 total pop.; "Christianity (90%+, often with local beliefs and practices intermingled) " |
| Christianity | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 37,922,000 | - | - | - | 1998 | Ash, Russell. The Top 10 of Everything 1999. New York: DK Publishing (1998), pg. 76. | Table: "Top 10 Largest Christian Populations in the World "; Rank: #10 |
| Christianity - other | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 900,000 | 1.50% | - | - | 1998 | Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 135-136. | "Location: Egypt; Population: 60 million "; Pg. 136: "About 90% of Egyptians are Sunni Muslims, 8.5% are Coptic Christians, and 1.5% are other christian denominations -- Greek Orthodox, Eastern and Latin Rite Catholics, and Protestants. " |
| Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 5,300 | 0.01% | 22 units |
- | 1995 | Deseret News 1997-98 Church Almanac. Deseret News: Salt Lake City, UT (1996), pg. 188-408. | "Year-end 1995: Est. population [of country]; Members, [number shown in '# of adherents' column to left] " |
| Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 6,384 | - | - | - | 1997 | "LDS in Africa: Growing Membership Sees American Church with Unique Vision, " Salt Lake Tribune, 4 April 1998. Reprinted in Sunstone (June 1998, pg. 71). | Map: Membership totals as of December 1997. |
| Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 6,400 | 0.01% | 26 units |
- | 1997 | Deseret News 1999-2000 Church Almanac. Deseret News: Salt Lake City, UT (1998), pg. 267-410. | Information from a variety of sources. Figures for year-end 1997. |
| Church of the Nazarene | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 8,188 | 0.35% | 46 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* official organization web site: Nazarene World Mission Society | Church Statistics: Churches; 2 Jan 1998; total population: 2,345,409 |
| Churches of Christ | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 500 | 0.00% | 10 units |
- | 1995 | *LINK* official organization web site | table: "STATUS OF CHURCHES OF CHRIST IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA--1995 " (Campbellite) |
| Communaute des Eglises des Freres Mennonites au Congo | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 71,262 | - | 405 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Mennonite World Conference web site. Directory 1998. Web page: "Africa: Mennonite & Brethren in Christ Churches " | "CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC: Communaute des Eglises des Freres Mennonites au Congo (CEFMC); Members: 71,262; Congregations: 405 " |
| Communaute Evangelique Mennonite | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 21,000 | - | 196 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Mennonite World Conference web site. Directory 1998. Web page: "Africa: Mennonite & Brethren in Christ Churches " | "CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC... Communaute Evangelique Mennonite... Members (1990): 21,000+/-; Congregations: 196 " |
| Communaute Mennonite au Congo | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 83,575 | - | 900 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Mennonite World Conference web site. Directory 1998. Web page: "Africa: Mennonite & Brethren in Christ Churches " | "CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC... Communaute Mennonite au Congo (CMCO)... Members: 83,575; Congregations: 900 " |
| Coptic Orthodox | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 5,100,000 | 8.50% | - | - | 1998 | Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 135-136. | "Location: Egypt; Population: 60 million "; Pg. 136: "About 90% of Egyptians are Sunni Muslims, 8.5% are Coptic Christians, and 1.5% are other christian denominations... " |
| Eglises Baptistes Evangelical au Congo, 48th Comm. des | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 50,000 | - | 105 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Baptist World Alliance web site; page: "BWA Statistics " (viewed 31 March 1999). | "Figures are for BWA affiliated conventions/unions only (no independents included). "; Table with 3 columns: Country, "Churches ", & "Members "; "1997/1998 Totals "; [Listed in table as "48th Comm. des Eglises Baptistes Evangelical au Congo "] |
| Islam | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 500,000 | 2.00% | - | - | 1978 | Welch, Alford T. "Islam " in Hinnells, John R. (ed). A Handbook of Living Religions, Penguin Books: New York (1991) [reprint; 1st published in 1984], pg. 164-165. [Original src: Weeks, R. (ed.), "Muslim Peoples: A World Ethnographic Survey " (1978).] | Table: "Approximate Muslim populations and percentages of total populations " |
| Islam | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 2,400,000 | 10.00% | - | - | 1986 | *LINK* Web site: "Arabic Paper "; web page: "Muslim Countries of the World " (viewed 15 June 1999). [Written 1998.] | [NOTE: Unreliable statistical methodology.] "In 1986... Muslim Education Trust organization [U.K.] obtained... 1971 census & [info. from] Embassies of the respective countires... 1971 census showed the Muslim Minorities countries had around 308 Million Muslim.. "; "...add (784.5M [independent Muslim countries]+ 308M) = 1092.5 Million Muslims in 1971 "; Table shows country, "population " [number of Muslims in the country], & % Muslim. Total adds up to 317,391,000, so these figures are apparently intended to be estimates for 1986. |
| Islam | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | 1.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994) pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% " |
| Islam | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 427,000 | 1.00% | - | - | 1994 | *LINK* Library of Congress Country Studies | Est. 42.7 million [total pop.] (1994). Majority Christian: 46 to 48 % Roman Catholic, 24 to 28 % Protestant, up to 16.5 % in Kimbanguist Church. About 1 % of population Muslim. Most other people practice traditional African religions. |
| Islam | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 630,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Islam | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 4,744,036 | 10.00% | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* CIA World Factbook web site (viewed Aug. 1998) | Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and traditional beliefs 10%; Total population: 47,440,362. |
| Islam | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 380,000 | 1.00% | - | - | 1997 | Dostert, Pierre Etienne. Africa 1997 (The World Today Series). Harpers Ferry, West Virginia: Stryker-Post Publications (1997), pg. 92. | Estimates of % of population in principal religions, & est. 1997 total pop. |
| Islam | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | 1.50% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Nazarene web site: Nazarene World Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) | Table "Religions " |
| Islam | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 4,649,854 | 10.00% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* official government web site of Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire) | Religions : Catholiques romains 50% ; Protestants 20% ; Kimbanguistes 10% ; Musulmans 10% ; autres 10%; [Total] Population : 46.498.539 (estimation) |
| Islam | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 700,000 | 1.40% | - | - | 2000 | K. F. Bin Mohd Noor. "Muslims Statistics... for Year 2000 " [orig. src: Barrett. World Christian Encyclopedia, 1982] | Table; Listed in table simply as 'Zaire' |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 28,126 | 0.09% | 905 units |
- | 1983 | Botting, Heather & Gary Botting. The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (1984), pg. 53-59. | Table: "1983 Service Year Report of JWs Worldwide "; Adherent count here is from "1983 Peak Publishers " column; Location listed in table as "Yap " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 104,134 | 0.22% | 2,492 units |
- | 1997 | *LINK* official organization web site | Adherent/member count is for "1997 Peak Witnesses "; Memorial attendance (annual sacrament meeting) for same year: 574,736. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 108,710 | 0.22% | 2,477 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Jehovah's Witnesses official web site; section: "Statistics "; web page: "Worldwide Report " (viewed 16 April 1999). | Table: "1998 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; This adherent/member count is for "1998 Peak Witnesses "; [Location listed in table as "Congo, Dem. Rep. of "] |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | 1.00% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Nazarene web site: Nazarene World Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) | Table "Religions " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 123,718 | - | 905 units |
- | 1983 | Botting, Heather & Gary Botting. The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (1984), pg. 53-59. | Table: "1983 Service Year Report of JWs Worldwide "; Data from columns: "No. of congs. " and "Memorial attendance " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 574,736 | 1.20% | 2,492 units |
- | 1997 | *LINK* official organization web site | From 1997 Statistics "Memorial attendance " column. Count of all who attend this once-a-year meeting, whether or not a "publisher " in full standing. Most would be considered adherents. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 534,318 | 1.07% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Jehovah's Witnesses official web site; section: "Statistics "; web page: "Worldwide Report " (viewed 16 April 1999). | Table: "1998 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; "Memorial attendance " column indicates attendance at yearly communion meeting. [Location listed in table as "Congo, Dem. Rep. of "] |
| Jonaam | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | - | - | - | 1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Judaism | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 1,000 | 0.00% | - | - | 1998 | Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 135-136. | "Location: Egypt; Population: 60 million "; Pg. 136: "There are fewer than 1,000 Jews in Egypt. " |
| Judaism | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 320 | - | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Jewish Communities of the World web site (1998) | Table: World Jewry. "collected our data from demographic and other academic studies, community reports, and up-dates in the general media... consulted with experts to verify findings before reaching our assessments and estimates. " |
| Kimbanguist Church | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 3,500,000 | - | - | - | 1987 | Bishop, Peter & Michael Darton (editors). The Encyclopedia of World Faiths: An Illustrated Survey of the World's Living Faiths. New York: Facts on File Publications (1987), pg. 308. | "The largest such movement is probably the Kimbanguist Church (l'Eglise de Jesus-Christ sur la Terre par Prophete Simon Kimbangu), to which as many as 3,500,000 people may be affiliated in Zaire alone. " |
| Kimbanguist Church | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | - | - | - | 1991 | *LINK* Wilson, Andrew (ed). "The World Religions and their Scriptures " in World Scripture. International Religious Foundation, 1991. (viewed 9 July 1999) | "Among the Christian-based sects and new religions, many retain the Bible as their scripture, although it is given distinctive interpretation through the revelations to their founders... In the twentieth century, new Christian groups tend to be more charismatic. They include the independent churches in Africa such as the Kimbanguists in Zaire and the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star in Nigeria. " |
| Kimbanguist Church | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 8,000,000 | - | - | - | 1994 | Cox, Harvey. Fire from Heaven: The Rise of Pentecostal Spirituality and the Reshaping of Religion in the Twenty-First Century; New York: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. (1994), pg. 246. | "In Zaire, the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ on Earth of the Prophet Simon Kimbangu, founded by Kimbanu in 1921, and the first such denomination to affiliate with the World Council of Churches, has more than 8 million members, making it the largest independent church on the continent. " |
| Kimbanguist Church | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 7,045,500 | 16.50% | - | - | 1994 | *LINK* Library of Congress Country Studies | Est. 42.7 million [total pop.] (1994). Majority Christian: 46 to 48 % Roman Catholic, 24 to 28 % Protestant, up to 16.5 % in Kimbanguist Church. About 1 % of population Muslim. Most other people practice traditional African religions. |
| Kimbanguist Church | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 4,744,036 | 10.00% | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* CIA World Factbook web site (viewed Aug. 1998) | Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and traditional beliefs 10%; Total population: 47,440,362. |
| Kimbanguist Church | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 4,649,854 | 10.00% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* official government web site of Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire) | Religions : Catholiques romains 50% ; Protestants 20% ; Kimbanguistes 10% ; Musulmans 10% ; autres 10%; [Total] Population : 46.498.539 (estimation) |
| Kitawala | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | - | - | - | 1910 | McKown, Robin. The Republic of Zaire. New York: Franklin Watts (1972), pg. 49. | "... early 1900's... Another black Christian religion sprang up east of the Lualaba River. Called Kitawala, it was inspired by American missionaries. The Kitawalists were also persecuted. Two of their leaders were hanged and others were imprisoned. " |
| Luba | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Lunda | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Mennonite World Conference | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 175,837 | - | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* Mennonite World Conference web site; page: "Mennonite and Brethren in Christ World Membership Totals " (viewed 8 Aug. 1999). | Table: "Mennonite and Brethren in Christ World Membership Totals "; "based on the most recent data available... from 1996 or 1997... statistics indicate baptized members "; Dif. religious bodies: 3. |
| Mobutism | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | - | - | - | 1981 | Crim, Keith (ed.). The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions. San Francisco: Harper Collins (1989). Reprint; originally pub. as Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions, 1981; pg. 179. | "The close alliance of the Christian churches with colonial regimes has given way to two predominant types of post-independence patterns, both of which disestablish the churches from their hegemonic positions. These are the promotion of religious pluralism...; and the replacement of Christianity by a quasi-religious ideology such as 'Mobutism' (for President Mobutu) in Zaire, or Marxism... " |
| Mongo | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| other | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 320,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table; "other " = NOT Roman Catholic, Protestant, African Christian, primal-indigenous, Islam |
| Pentecostal | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 200,000 | - | - | - | 1976 | Quebedeaux, Richard. The New Charismatics: The Origins, Development, and Significance of Neo-Pentecostalism; Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co. (1976), pg. 46-47. | "thanks to Prudencio Damboriena and Walter Hollenweger's work, we can offer a very approximate estimate of total [Classical] Pentecostal adherents in nations where the movement has had a measurable impact... " (former Belgian Congo) |
| primal-indigenous | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | 3.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994) pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% "; Listed in table as "Traditional beliefs " |
| primal-indigenous | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 1,540,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table; listed in table as "traditional beliefs " |
| primal-indigenous | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 2,660,000 | 7.00% | - | - | 1997 | Dostert, Pierre Etienne. Africa 1997 (The World Today Series). Harpers Ferry, West Virginia: Stryker-Post Publications (1997), pg. 92. | Estimates of % of population in principal religions, & est. 1997 total pop. |
| primal-indigenous | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | 2.50% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Nazarene web site: Nazarene World Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) | Table "Religions "; listed in table as "animism " |
| Protestant | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | 14.00% | - | - | 1959 | Bokenkotter, Thomas. A Concise History of the Catholic Church. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co. (1977), pg. 343. | "...achievement in the former Belgian Congo, now Zaire... By 1959 Catholics numbered about 36% of the population, and with Protestants added constituted a Christian portion that represented about half of the population. Native Congolese priests totaled about 400. " |
| Protestant | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | 46.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994) pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% "; Protestant "includes all non-Roman Catholic denominations " |
Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo), continued 
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