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Kolo Seventh-day Adventist Churh.

Photo courtesy of Lerato J. Thotolo.

Lesotho

By Lerato J. Thotolo

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Lerato J. Thotolo (B.A. in Theology, Rusangu University, Monze, Zambia ) currently serves as the executive secretary for the Lesotho Conference in Maseru, Lesotho.

First Published: August 5, 2021

The Kingdom of Lesotho is a country whose border is completely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa on every side. The Adventist message arrived in Basutoland in 1896 when American missionary Stephen N. Haskell visited the small village of Kolo.

Vital Statistics

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Lesotho is administered under the Lesotho Conference, which is a constituent church administrative unit of the Southern Africa Union Conference, which forms part of the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division of Seventh-day Adventists. The Lesotho Conference currently has seven (7) ordained ministers serving 49 organized churches and 19 companies. The Adventist population as on March 31, 2021 was 10,740,1 with the population of Lesotho being approximately 2,142,2492 (2016 census has it at 2,007,201).3 The ratio of the Adventist membership to the population of the country is at roughly 1:199. The average growth rate has been at about 5 percent over the years, with the highest in the past ten years reaching 11.55 percent in 2015,4 owing to extensive evangelistic work that was done across the conference territory in that year. The Lesotho Field was organized in 1967 with 12 churches and 793 members. By March 31, 2021, the Lesotho Conference had 47 churches and 10,740 members, a growth of 9,947 members since the organizing of the Lesotho Field.

Additional statistics for the country of Lesotho (2018) are as follows: Adventist deaths per thousand–1.14; general population deaths per thousand–13; church membership per yen thousand population–45; population per membership ratio–224; percentage net growth–4 percent over the last year and 57 percent over the last ten years.

Overview of the Country

Lesotho is a landlocked country with a territorial area of 11,716 square miles (30,344 square kilometers). It is a mountainous country with a high elevation of between 5,000 and 11,000 feet (1,500 to 3,300 meters). The people of Lesotho speak Sesotho as the predominant language, while a small percentage situated in the southern part of the country speak Sephuthi, Sethepu, and isiXhosa. The official languages of the country, however, are Sesotho and English.

The Basotho people are a conglomeration of many clans that were gathered together under King Moshoeshoe I, the son of Mokhachane, the primary chief of the Bakoteli clan, in the early to mid-1820s. At the height of political unrest in the southern Africa region, during the great war of Umfecane, Moshoeshoe accepted several clans of people fleeing the embattled areas that had been their homesteads. He formed what we know today to be the Basotho nation. Some of the clans that sought refuge under Moshoeshoe I are the Bafokeng, Amangwane of Chief Matiwane, Amahlubi of Chief Mpangazitha, and the Batlokoa.5 Moshoeshoe I then rose to become the principal chief of the Basotho. He was well known for his diplomacy and ability to show mercy to his fallen adversaries.

Formerly known as Basutoland, Lesotho was proclaimed as a British Protectorate in 1868 and later placed under the rule of the Cape Colony. The Basotho were not very fond of the idea of being under the Cape Colony and requested to be ruled directly by Britain, which was enacted in 1884. Lesotho gained independence from British rule on October 4, 1968,6 and was renamed The Kingdom of Lesotho. Lesotho has since been ruled by a constitutional monarchy, currently under the rule of His Majesty King Letsie III, a friend of the Adventist Church.

Origins of Adventist Work in Lesotho

The Adventist message arrived in Basutoland in 1896 when American missionary Stephen N. Haskell visited the small village of Kolo. Haskell teamed up with David Kalaka, a Mosotho man who became interested in Adventism but was at that time not yet a baptized member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Kalaka served as an interpreter for Haskell until he got baptized in 1896. In 1899 an Adventist missionary couple, J. M. Freeman and his wife came to Basutoland to establish the first Adventist mission in the Kingdom of Lesotho.7 The Freemans, assisted by David Kalaka, opened a mission station in Kolo. Since the Foreign Mission Board did not have the financial resources to support the mission, all the Sabbath Schools worldwide were asked to send their offerings for the first two quarters of 1900 to Basutoland to “enable the mission to expand and develop.”8 The first baptism at Kolo Mission was held on August 17, 1901, when two sisters joined the Adventist Church.9

Early in 1902 a school was started at Kolo Mission.10 The work progressed slowly, and it was difficult to win the confidence of the Basutos. Literature work played a big role in the earliest evangelistic efforts to reach the Basutos. Ellen G. White’s books Steps to Christ and Coming of the Lord were translated into the Sesotho language and vigorously distributed. In addition to these books, the church also published a pamphlet on the seventh day Sabbath. Kalaka and Freeman took turns to use a horse and a cart to travel across the mission field, visiting many villages, selling literature, and preaching to the people. By the end of 1902, twelve Basutos had been baptized, beside Kalaka and his two sons.11

Shortly after Kalaka’s sudden death in 1904,12 J. M. Freeman moved to the Orange Free State in South Africa to work among the Dutch-speaking people. J. A. Chaney and his wife, Minnie, settled at the Kolo Mission to continue the Adventist work. The Chaneys were from the United States and initially served in Natal, South Africa, where they were assisted by Murray Kalaka, one of David Kalaka’s sons. The first congregation, at Kolo Mission, was organized in March 1906.13

In 1908, when the Chaneys left Basutoland, the Kolo Mission had 19 members.14 M. E. Emmerson and his wife replaced the Chaneys at the Kolo Mission. The Emmersons studied hard to learn the Sesotho language. Within one year they were able to converse with the local people in Sesotho and so won their confidence.15

The Adventist missionaries in Lesotho were very much interested in contributing to the health and education sectors of the country. In 1910 Emmerson traveled to the north of Basutoland to search for land with the hope of establishing another mission station. Emmerson secured land by God’s intervention. The principal Chief Jonathan of Leribe had a dream that prepared his heart for Emmerson’s visit. Chief Jonathan welcomed Emmerson and gave him 25 acres of land for the new Adventist mission.16 He also provided the stones for the mission headquarters building. The new mission station was named Emmanuel Mission, and H. C. Olmstead took charge of this new mission.17 The church established a children’s home, a school, and a clinic at the Emmanuel Mission.

Pioneers of Adventism in Lesotho

As stated in the previous section, there were many men and women who played an important role in the growth of the work in Lesotho. While the circumstances in the early days were harsh and sometimes those in power played political games, it is worth noting that the pioneers of the church in Lesotho rode high above the storms and by the grace of God advanced the work greatly.

Stephen N. Haskell visited the village of Kolo after having had interactions with David Kalaka in 1895 while conducting a camp meeting in Kimberly, South Africa. This visit opened the doors for those who would thereafter follow after him. David Kalaka was the first Mosotho to learn of the Adventist Church and its teachings, and as a result of his interest, Kalaka invited Haskell to Lesotho to introduce the Advent message. Kalaka went as far as translating the books Steps to Christ and Coming of the Lord from English to Sesotho. This probably came naturally to him as he was instrumental in the translation of the English Bible into Sesotho in earlier days.

Soon after Haskell opened the way, J. M. Freeman and his wife made their way to Kolo where they established the first Adventist mission station. While this was not without challenges, Freeman proved that it was possible to grow the work in Lesotho.

Shortly after Kalaka’s sudden death in 1904,18 and J. M. Freeman’s move to the Orange Free State in South Africa, J. A. Chaney and his wife settled at the Kolo Mission to continue the Adventist work. The Chaneys, assisted by Murray Kalaka, one of David Kalaka’s sons, were instrumental in setting up the first congregation in Kolo Mission, which was organized in March 1906.19

As already mentioned above, M. E. Emmerson and his wife replaced the Chaneys at the Kolo Mission and not long thereafter, Emmerson journeyed to the northern region of Lesotho where he established the second mission station, called Emmanuel Mission. Emmerson was then succeeded by H. C. Olmstead, who took charge of the new mission station. The church established a children’s home, a school, and a clinic at the Emmanuel Mission.

The early Basothos, who pioneered the work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Lesotho, included Ernest Abel (pronounced “Abiel”) Tsotetsi, who became the first youth director of the North Bantu Field, which encompassed the work in Lesotho, Swaziland, and the Transvaal, Free State and Natal provinces of South Africa. He later became the first president of the South Sotho Field, which reduced the administrative territory to Lesotho and the Free State Province in South Africa. Elliot Lekokoto Nteso was also another pioneer leader of the church in Lesotho, who became the first secretary-treasurer of the South Sotho Field and later a president and secretary-treasurer at different times of the Lesotho Field. He was the first to publish the history of the Adventist church in Lesotho, a product of his speech at the centennial celebrations in 1996 at Emmanuel Mission.

Spread and Development of the Message

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Lesotho thrived as a result of the church institutions that were set up in its territory. From its very inception, the church planted a school at Kolo Mission under the leadership of J. M. Freeman. Although the school is now defunct, it became the template on which the work of expansion was built. In 1910 Emmanuel Mission School was established at the newly formed mission station in the northern part of Lesotho, in the Leribe District of the country. The church also established a children’s home and a clinic on the mission land.

Today there stands a Health Center at Kolo Mission, where the school used to be, and at Emmanuel Mission there are now two schools, i.e., Emmanuel Primary School and Emmanuel High School. The children’s home is no longer running, and the clinic is now Emmanuel Health Center, and it has moved closer to the main road (Main North 1 connecting Mokhotlong to Maseru) for ease of access. Further north on the Main North 1 road, on the Botha Bothe Mission site, there is also another school called Nqabeni Primary School, which was established in 1988. It is also well placed on mission land outside of Botha Bothe town. One of the oldest Adventist primary schools in Lesotho is Ebenezer Primary School, situated in a village not far from the Caledon River, separating Lesotho and the Free State Province of South Africa.

The church also established a secondary school at Hangers Drift, Mokhethoaneng in the Berea District. The school was established in 1989 and still exists today as one of the beacons of hope for its community. In the heart of the capital city, Maseru, on the mission land where the church headquarters are located, there are also two schools that have been established. These are Maseru SDA Primary School and Adventville High School. Since the closure of the school at Kolo Mission, the church in the south has not had another educational institution, but plans are currently underway to establish a high school in Mohale’s Hoek as a means of reaching this area through evangelism and educational approaches simultaneously.

In 1951 the church established a hospital in Mapoteng, Berea District. This became the first and only Adventist Hospital in Lesotho. Through the services of this hospital, many have been reached with the Adventist message. Some of the converts become ministers in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Lesotho. A most notable figure was Paul Mohaulise Chobokoane, who, years after his conversion, became a chaplain at the hospital and later the president of the Lesotho Field and conference. Because of the education need observed on the hospital campus, of workers’ children who did not have an Adventist school to attend, the hospital assisted in the establishment of Maluti Adventist Community School English Medium (MACSEM) Primary School, which has grown to become one of the flagship Adventist schools in the country. The work of the hospital later gained a good reputation in the country because of the Vision Clinic’s work on cataract patients. This led to the establishment of several clinics and health centers across the country.

Institutions

Below are the schools and health facilities that have been established in Lesotho since the arrival of the Adventist Church in 1896.

Educational Institutions:

Kolo Mission School (1899); Emmanuel Mission School (1910); Maluti Adventist Hospital School of Nursing (1951); Adventville High School; Maseru SDA Primary School; Hangers Hope High School; Nqabeni Primary School; Ebenezer Primary School; MACSEM Primary School (1951).

Medical/Health Institutions:

Emmanuel Mission Clinic (1910); Maseru Adventist Clinic (1910); Tsoinyane/Pitseng Clinic (1910); Kolo Mission Clinic (1940); Maluti Adventist Hospital (1951).

Church Administrative Units

The Adventist work in Basutoland was overseen by the South African Union Conference. Basutoland and Orange Free State became attached mission fields under the Cape Conference. In 1913 the South African Union Conference organized the Free State Conference and placed the mission stations in Basutoland under this new conference. When the General Conference organized the African Division in 1919, the Basutoland mission stations, along with the Kaffirland, Zululand, and Bechuanaland mission fields were organized into the Southern African Mission Field and were attached to the African Division.

Kolo Mission

The first Adventist missionary who came to Basutoland was Stephen N. Haskell. Haskell was not sent by the church to Lesotho, but he came at the invitation of David Kalaka. Subsequent to his departure, the Foreign Missions Board then sent J. M. Freeman, who together with his wife worked for the advancement of the Adventist message among the Basotho. He was instrumental in the organizing of the first Adventist church in Lesotho and the establishment of a school at Kolo Mission. Freeman was succeeded by J. A. Chaney and his wife, who settled at Kolo Mission for some time and then left in 1908, leaving Kolo Mission with 19 baptized members.

Emmanuel Mission

M. E. Emmerson and his wife were sent to Kolo and having learned the Sesotho language within a year, Emmerson trekked to the northern part of Lesotho where in 1910, through the help of Murray Kalaka, he settled in a place in Leribe where they established Emmanuel Mission. The land on which Emmanuel Mission was established was granted by Chief Jonathan Molapo. Emanuel Mission saw the rise of a school, clinic, and children’s home. There the church grew in strides because of the influence of these institutions, some of which still operate today.

North Bantu Mission Field

The North Bantu Field comprised Lesotho, Swaziland, the Black people of the Free State, and Natal and Transvaal provinces of South Africa. The Adventist work in Lesotho was administered under the Kolo and Emmanuel Missions. Both missions were under the direct supervision of the North Bantu Field. Workers from Lesotho, including E. A. Tsotetsi, had important leadership roles in the North Bantu Field. Tsotetsi became the first North Bantu Field youth director in 1944.20 He also became the first president of what was later called the South Sotho Field.

South Sotho Field

Prior to the organization of the Lesotho Conference, the church in Lesotho was administratively administered first by the North Bantu Field and then by the South Sotho Field. The South Sotho Field was organized when the South African Union Conference was reorganized in 1961. The South Sotho Field encompassed all of Basutoland and the Bantu work in the Orange Free State Province of South Africa.21 The South Sotho Field was disbanded in 1963, and the Lesotho Field was organized in its place in 1967.

Lesotho Field/Conference

When the Lesotho Field was organized in 1967, it had 12 churches and 793 members.22 Three decades later, when the Lesotho Field was organized into Lesotho Conference, during the business session held in Maseru on October 16-18, 1999, the new conference had 25 organized churches and 3,959 members. As of March 2021, Lesotho Conference had 10,740 members, 47 organized churches, and 18 pastors (of whom six are ordained pastors).

Important Points in Membership

The Adventist Church arrived in Lesotho in 1896; the first baptisms were held on August 17, 1901 where two sisters were baptized at Kolo. When J. A. Chaney and his family left Lesotho in 1908, they left Kolo Mission with 19 members. The expansion of the work to the northern part of Lesotho in 1910 opened inroads of mission work that aided the increasing of accessions.

When Lesotho Field was organized in 1967, the membership was at 793.23 When Lesotho Field was organized into Lesotho Conference in 1999, the new conference had 3,959 members and 25 organized churches. The Lesotho Conference saw intermittent spikes in baptisms even though there was a steady increase in membership prior to the year 2000. In 2008 there was a spike in baptism of 673. This was a high accession that had not been reached in previous years, when an average 200 baptisms was seen. This was as a result of the Hope for Big Cities campaign initiative at which Evangelist Herry Mhando preached for four weeks in Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho.

The majority of baptisms realized in that year were a direct result of that campaign. The number of accessions remained high for a number of years thereafter, with 2009 reaching 447 baptisms and 336 in 2010. The next spike was seen in 2015 where lay members held campaigns across the country, and a record high of 844 baptisms was realized. As of the 2008 baptisms, the decline was not sharp, with 2016 realizing 667 baptisms.24 All of this represented the high points of accessions in the history of the Lesotho Conference.

Effect of Political Developments on Adventist Work

Lesotho has experienced several bouts of political unrest, at times violent insurrections by political cadres and at times even military mutiny. The history of Lesotho is replete with such cases that have left a trail of blood in the fight for democratic liberation in Lesotho.

Chelete Monyane (2009) narrates some political challenges that sometimes created an untenable environment for the evangelistic exploits of the church. He begins with the dissatisfaction of the monarchy, with the status they were given when Lesotho gained independence in 1966 when they were declared a constitutional monarchy, capping their power and removing them from the political playground. The party that won the first democratic elections of 1965, led by Dr. Leabua Jonathan, did not help the situation as it was openly anti monarchy. He ruled as prime minister until 1970 when he was outvoted at the polls but he toppled the state, taking power again until 1986 when the military removed him from power. The military also ruled, together with the monarchy, for eight years. Democracy was restored again in 1993 when the country held elections. Political stability lasted until the elections of 1998 that were followed by further political unrest.25

These periods of political unrest may have affected the work of the church, but there continued to be baptisms and accessions during that trying period. The church’s statistical record shows, however, that the year preceding the toppling of the Jonathan regime in 1986 saw a baptismal low of 74, and again the year following the elections of 1993 saw a baptismal low of 61.26 There seems to be a possible correlation between these low baptism figures and the political landscape of that time. There may have been other factors that influenced the trend more strongly than that. The reason behind this assumption is that in the years that were at the height of the instability, the church still won souls.

Adventism’s Place in the Country

The Adventist Church in Lesotho has made tremendous contributions in the fields of education, health, and humanitarian efforts. This has been the case since the establishment of a school at Kolo Mission in 1902.27 In 1910 another school was established at Emmanuel Mission, along with a clinic and children’s home, which made a major contribution toward the well-being of the people of Lesotho since that time. There are thousands from across Lesotho and South Africa who have passed through its hallways, some of whom became prominent members of their communities.

On March 7, 1951, Maluti Adventist Hospital was established as a Mission Hospital, situated in Mapoteng, about eighty kilometers northeast of Maseru. This hospital has been a center of hope for people from all walks of life, from all the corners of Lesotho. It is also the birthplace of Her Majesty Queen Masenate Bereng Seeiso, the wife to the current king, His Majesty King Letsie III.

As a result of the establishment of these institutions, we have seen their services in education and health spread across parts of the country through the establishment of schools, clinics, and health centers. These have been and continue to sway a great influence in the country and its well-being to this day. Maluti Adventist Hospital operates with a capacity of 150 beds and a comprehensive range of health-care services, primarily to the approximately one hundred thousand people living in the 264 villages in its health-service delivery area, but many more patients come from other parts of the country, as well. There are over five thousand admissions to the hospital per year, including 1,600 deliveries and 3,000 operations. Additionally, there are more than one hundred twenty thousand visits to the out-patient departments and clinics per year.28

Maluti Adventist Hospital also gave birth to the Maluti School of Nursing, now Maluti Adventist College, which was established in 1958, first as a school of nursing offering certificates and later diplomas in the general nursing program. In 1971 a diploma in Midwifery was added, first at certificate level but later at diploma level.29 All the schools combined have an average enrollment of 2,000 students each year and about eighty teaching and support staff.

The church also runs a humanitarian agency known as the Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA-Lesotho) that has been in existence since 1987. ADRA-Lesotho runs numerous programs geared at the betterment and development of the communities in which it operates. ADRA-Lesotho has run programs to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS, food security, hunger relief, offering education bursaries for students from less fortunate communities, providing disaster relief when there have been disaster situations across Lesotho, and many more.

It is, thus, safe to say that the Adventist Church in Lesotho has been a friend of the people and a positive influence to the people of Lesotho in their varied communities where the church exists and through its institutions.

Challenges to Mission and What Remains to Be Done

The Adventist Church in Lesotho has faced a number of challenges, emanating from both the external and internal environment. Over the years the major challenges have come from a gross lack of human resource, both ministerial and general. This has caused a divide between the territories in the highlands and those in the lowlands. While much has been done by way of serving the lowlands, much of the highlands remain largely under-serviced and unentered. This is partly because of the second challenge, a lack of financial stability. While there could be a myriad of reasons for this, one could surmise that there has been a lopsided approach to stewardship in the Lesotho Conference. Much of the promotion and practice of stewardship has been based on the stewardship of finances, leaving out those who are largely wealthy in livestock and agricultural produce enjoyed by the members across the country. The livestock has been more lucrative and for residents of the highlands where the church has a small and underrated presence.

Another historical challenge has been that the seat of the economy has been in the urban areas. These urban centers are Maseru, Hlotse, Butha Buthe, Mohale’s Hoek, among others. Much of the Adventist presence has been concentrated in these metropolitan centers. This means that developments such as schools, health facilities, and others have largely been focused here. This has left the rural church without these tools that aid in advancing the Advent message to large groups in a sustainable way. A clear case is that the Adventist Church began its missionary work in Lesotho at Kolo, Mafeteng, which falls in the southern part of the country. The church had a school and a mission station there. The mission land is still there even today, but the school was closed and only a health center now shares the grounds with the church building. In the entire south, consisting of four geographic districts, there is no Adventist school. This has meant that the Adventist presence in this pioneering region is merely over a thousand members. The regions with schools and other facilities boast well over three thousand each. This presents a mission challenge that needs to be attended to if the church is to grow in this region, as well.

Another challenge, historically, has been a seeming disunity among the clergy and laity alike. Although this may be a result of numerous other challenges, this has caused a slow growth pattern for the church across the country. This disunity has caused a gap between the clergy and the lay members in the promotion of evangelistic initiatives. For a while the clergy felt it a sacred right for them to be engaged in evangelism alone, and the laity watched from the sidelines. By the time this was resolved, the church had lost a great amount of time that could have been used for the growth of the church. The rise of “The Big 5,” a group of five evangelists consisting of Evangelists Molapo Seetsa, Sikeme Mofo, Neo Futho, Panyane Panyane, and Andrew Sele Kheswa from the Maseru district caused a stir both among the clergy and the laity alike, but their voices were heard and churches that were pioneered by these evangelists stand tall today. But some of these evangelists later left the church, partly because of lack of support from the clergy and the church at large.

As we look ahead, we see a world of possibilities as the church transforms its ministry to expand beyond its church, school, and health facilities’ walls. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has presented both a challenge and an opportunity. This post-modern era has exposed the church in Lesotho’s need to advance so that it has its own radio stations across the country. There is already great progress being made in that aspect through the undying support of the Adventist World Radio. The Conference Communications Department has also made inroads into the country through Social Media and other virtual platforms. While there is an array of opportunities, it goes without saying that there is need for better financial support in order to manage these developments. This calls for aggressiveness in the promotion of stewardship and offerings-collection strategies so as to ensure that the mission of the church is met and sustained until the end of time. There are also various attempts being made in equipping the laity with skills and opportunities to advance the taking of the Advent message far and wide across the country. In the area of Human Resource, the church has and continues to send pastors for ministerial training using full or partial sponsorships.

Sources

Freeman, J. M. “Basutoland Mission, South Africa.” ARH, March 10, 1904.

General Conference Office of Archives, Statistics and Research, 2021. Accessed June 1, 2021. http://adventiststatistics.org/view_Summary.asp?FieldID=C10223.

"History in Lesotho." Help Lesotho. n.d. Accessed May 11, 2021. https://www.helplesotho.org/.

Lesotho Bureau of Statistics. 2016 Key Findings. Statistical Analysis and Key Findings, Maseru: Lesotho Bureau of Statistics, 2016.

Lesotho Conference. Jordan.MyReport, 2020. Accessed May 3, 2021. https://jordan.adventist.org/.

Maluti Adventist College. Maluti Adventist College Website. n.d. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://www.mac.co.ls/index.php/en/about/about-us.

Maluti Adventist Hospital. "Maluti Adventist Hospital Strategic Plan 2015-2019." Mapoteng, Lesotho.

Monyane, Chelete. The Kingdom of Lesotho: An Assessment of Problems in Democratic Consolidations. Stellenbosch, 2009.

Nteso, E. L. Ma-Seventh-Day Adventist. Morija, Lesotho: Morija Printing Works, 1996.

Pheko, Kutloano. “The Birth and the Existence of Lesotho: A Diplomatic Lesson.” June 2017.

Robinson, Virgil E. Third Angel Over Africa. The Ellen G. White Research Centre Archives, Helderberg College, Cape Town, South Africa: unpublished manuscript.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. https://www.adventistyearbook.org/.

Stevenson, G. S. “The Work in South Africa Reorganized.” Southern Africa Division Outlook, March 15, 1961.

Swanepoel, L. Francois. “The Origin and Early History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Africa, 1886 – 1920.” M.A. Thesis, University of South Africa, 1972.

Worldometers.info. n.d. accessed May 3, 2021. https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/lesotho-population/.

Notes

  1. Quarterly Statistical Report, Lesotho Conference, March 31, 2021.

  2. Worldometers.info. n.d. https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/lesotho-population/ (accessed May 3, 2021).

  3. Lesotho Bureau of Statistics. 2016 Key Findings. Statistical Analysis and Key Findings, Maseru: Lesotho Bureau of Statistics, 2016

  4. General Conference Office of Archives, Statistics and Research. 2021. http://adventiststatistics.org/view_Summary.asp?FieldID=C10223 (accessed June 3, 2021)

  5. Kutloano Pheko, “The Birth and the Existence of Lesotho: A Diplomatic Lesson,” June 2017.

  6. Help Lesotho. “History in Lesotho.” Help Lesotho. n.d. https://www.helplesotho.org/ (accessed May 11, 2021).

  7. Virgil E. Robinson, Third Angel Over Africa (The Ellen G. White Research Centre Archives, Helderberg College, Cape Town, South Africa: unpublished manuscript), 126.

  8. Ibid.

  9. Ibid., 126.

  10. L. Francois Swanepoel, “The Origin and Early History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Africa, 1886 – 1920” (M.A. Thesis, University of South Africa, 1972), 122.

  11. Swanepoel, “Origin and Early History,” 123.

  12. J. M. Freeman, “Basutoland Mission, South Africa,” ARH, March 10, 1904, 17.

  13. Swanepoel, 124.

  14. Ibid.

  15. Ibid.

  16. Ibid.

  17. Ibid.

  18. Ibid., 17.

  19. Ibid., 124.

  20. E. L. Nteso, Ma-Seventh-Day Adventist (Morija, Lesotho: Morija Printing Works, 1996), 42.

  21. G. S. Stevenson, “The Work in South Africa Reorganized,” Southern Africa Division Outlook, March 15, 1961, 8.

  22. General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Office of Archives and Statistics, 106th Annual Statistical Report for Seventh-day Adventists (Takoma Park, Washington, D.C.: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 1968), 20.

  23. Ibid.

  24. General Conference Office of Archives, Statistics and Research, 2021. Accessed June 1, 2021. http://adventiststatistics.org/view_Summary.asp?FieldID=C10223.

  25. Chelete Monyane, The Kingdom of Lesotho: An Assessment of Problems in Democratic Consolidations. Stellenbosch, 2009.

  26. General Conference Office of Archives, Statistics and Research, 2021. Accessed June 1, 2021. http://adventiststatistics.org/view_Summary.asp?FieldID=C10223.

  27. Swanepoel, 122.

  28. Maluti Adventist Hospital, “Maluti Adventist Hospital Strategic Plan 2015-2019.”

  29. Maluti Adventist College. Maluti Adventist College Website. n.d. https://www.mac.co.ls/index.php/en/about/about-us (accessed June 3, 2021).

×

Thotolo, Lerato J. "Lesotho." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. August 05, 2021. Accessed February 19, 2025. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=8GXT.

Thotolo, Lerato J. "Lesotho." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. August 05, 2021. Date of access February 19, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=8GXT.

Thotolo, Lerato J. (2021, August 05). Lesotho. Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved February 19, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=8GXT.