More than 70% of the population of

Botswana Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory part of the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the sou ...

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

. Most are members of the Roman Catholic Church, Seventh Day Adventist Church,

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

United Congregational Church of Southern Africa The United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) is a prominent Christian denomination established in 1967, following the unification of various congregational movements within Southern Africa. Its origins can be traced back to the miss ...

, the

Methodist Church of Southern Africa The Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) is a large Wesleyan Methodism, Methodist denomination, with local churches across South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini, and a more limited presence in Mozambique. It is a member chu ...

, and African independent churches. Anglicans are part of the

Church of the Province of Central Africa The Church of the Province of Central Africa is part of the Anglican Communion, and includes 15 dioceses in Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Primate of the Church is the Archbishop of Central Africa. Albert Chama is the current archbi ...

. The

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

includes about 5% of the nation's population. The number of

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...

churches has been rising in the 21st century. Churchgoers participate in night prayers, evangelism and crusades. Midweek Bible study services are conducted in some churches. In these meetings, prayers are offered for the church, members, community, and leaders in the nation. Churches in Botswana include Pentecostal Protestant Church,

Assemblies of God The World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), commonly known as the Assemblies of God (AG), is a global cooperative body or communion of over 170 Pentecostal denominations that was established on August 15, 1989. The WAGF was created to provi ...

, Apostolic Faith Mission, Eloyi Christian Church, Pentecostal Holiness Church, Dutch Reformed Church in Botswana, Good News Ministries, Christ Embassy, Bible Life Ministries, Victory International Centre (VIC), Royal Assembly Ministries Int’l, First Love Church, and Winners Chapel International. The

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...

and

Serbian Orthodox Church The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodox Church#Constit ...

are present. Many of the churches are members of the Botswana Council of Churches. The churches normally meet occasionally to worship together under the name Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana. This body is like an organization of churches and it is the voice of the church.

History

One of the first missionaries to bring the gospel to Botswana was

David Livingstone David Livingstone (; 19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873) was a Scottish physician, Congregationalist, pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, and an explorer in Africa. Livingstone was married to Mary Moffat Livings ...

Major denominations

According to the country’s 2011 census, 79% of the population are members of Christian groups,US State Dept 2022 report
/ref> typically as

Anglicans Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

, Methodists, or as members of the

. A survey identified the distribution among these groups as 66%

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

, 7%

Roman Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

and 1% Other.

Catholic Church

The Catholic Church in Botswana is part of the worldwide

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, under the spiritual leadership of the

Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

in the

Vatican City Vatican City, officially the Vatican City State (; ), is a Landlocked country, landlocked sovereign state and city-state; it is enclaved within Rome, the capital city of Italy and Bishop of Rome, seat of the Catholic Church. It became inde ...

. Catholics represent about 5–6% of the total population. Initially Catholic missionaries were not allowed in Botswana by native tribes at the urging of Protestant missionaries who arrived first. Missionaries began to work in Botswana in 1928, and were noted for setting up schools and clinics. In 2006 the church in

Francistown Francistown is the second-largest city in Botswana, with a population of about 103,417 inhabitants and 147,122 inhabitants in its agglomeration at the 2022 census. It is located in eastern Botswana, about north-northeast from the capital, Gabo ...

started a program to treat refugees infected with

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

with anti retro viral therapy. As of 2011 there were thirteen seminarians preparing for the priesthood in Botswana. The church in Botswana is organised into the Diocese of Gaborone, which serves the southern portion of the country, and the Diocese of Francistown, which serves the faithful of northern communities.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The first branch was organised in 1991 with fewer than 100 members. As of 2022, there were 4,031 members in 16 congregations in Botswana.

Dutch Reformed Church

The Dutch Reformed Church in Botswana was founded by Swiss missionaries led by the Rev. Henri Gronin begun working in 1863 among the tribe Bakgatla, Kgafela in Saulsport and

Rustenburg Rustenburg (; , Afrikaans and Dutch language, Dutch: ''City of Rest'') is a town at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range. Rustenburg is the most populous city in North West (South African province), North West province, South Africa (549 ...

in South Africa. In 1870 part of the tribe moved north to Botswana and the missionaries followed them. The great chief was baptised and most of the tribe followed him. In 1966 when Botswana become independent, a Synod of the Reformed Church was formed. In the 1970s the church gained independence. The church in the following years expanded to Basarwa,

Bakalanga The Kalanga or BaKalanga are a southern Bantu ethnic group mainly inhabiting Matebeleland in Zimbabwe, northern Botswana, and parts of the Limpopo Province in South Africa. The BaKalanga of Botswana are the second largest ethnic group in th ...

and Bakgatla. The denomination has 6,000 members and 13 parishes with 50 house fellowships in 2 presbyteries and one Synod. The 14 churches are in : Muchudi, Muchudi East, Muchudi West, Sikwane,

Gaborone Gaborone ( , , ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Botswana, largest city of Botswana, with a population of 246,325 based on the 2022 census, about 10% of the total population of Botswana. Its metropolitan area is home to 534, ...

Tlokweng Tlokweng is a peri-urban settlement classified as an urban village located east of the capital of Botswana, Gaborone and falling under the jurisdiction of South East District Council. It can be considered part of the conurbation of Gaborone. ...

Lobatse Lobatse is a town in south-eastern Botswana, 70 kilometres south of the capital Gaborone, situated in a valley running north towards Gaborone and close to the border with South Africa. Lobatse has a population of 29,772 as of 2022. The town is ...

, Kgalagadi, Ghanzi, Maun, Makaleng, Selebi Phikwe, Boseja (Mochudi). The church subscribe the Reformed confessions: *

Apostles Creed The Apostles' Creed (Latin: ''Symbolum Apostolorum'' or ''Symbolum Apostolicum''), sometimes titled the Apostolic Creed or the Symbol of the Apostles, is a Christian creed or "symbol of faith". "Its title is first found c.390 (Ep. 42.5 of Ambro ...

Nicene Creed The Nicene Creed, also called the Creed of Constantinople, is the defining statement of belief of Nicene Christianity and in those Christian denominations that adhere to it. The original Nicene Creed was first adopted at the First Council of N ...

Canons of Dort The Canons of Dort, or Canons of Dordrecht, formally titled ''The Decision of the Synod of Dort on the Five Main Points of Doctrine in Dispute in the Netherlands'', is an exposition of orthodox Reformed soteriology against Arminianism, by the Nat ...

Heidelberg Catechism The Heidelberg Catechism (1563), one of the Three Forms of Unity, is a Reformed catechism taking the form of a series of questions and answers, for use in teaching Reformed Christian doctrine. It was published in 1563 in Heidelberg, Germany. Its ...

. The church is member of the

World Communion of Reformed Churches The World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) is the largest association of Reformed (Calvinist) churches in the world. It has 230 member denominations (227 members and three associate or affiliate members) in 108 countries, together claiming ...

. It is also a member of the Botswana Council of Churches.

Evangelical Lutheran Church

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana is an

Evangelical Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

church. It has a membership of 22,000, and has been a member of the

Lutheran World Federation The Lutheran World Federation (LWF; ) is a global Communion (religion), communion of national and regional Lutheran denominations headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of L ...

since 1986. It is also affiliated with its regional expression, the

Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa is a Lutheranism, Lutheran church in South Africa. The church has 580,000 Lutheranism#Baptism, baptized members in seven dioceses in South Africa, Botswana, and Eswatini, and is (by a wide margin ...

. The church's head is Bishop Mothusi Letlhage. It is a member of the Botswana Council of Churches.

Youth programs

While children were treated as small adults during the colonial era, the 1800s brought a wave of Sunday school programs (Protestants) and parochial schools (Catholics) specifically for that young population. By the late 1800s, over half of Botswana's young members were attending elementary schools run by local parishes.

Beliefs and attitudes

* 19 percent of Botswana Christians: believe in salvation through

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

, attend church regularly, study the Bible, invest in personal faith development through a church community, accept church leadership positions, and believe they are obligated to

evangelize Evangelism, or witnessing, is the act of sharing the Christian gospel, the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is typically done with the intention of converting others to Christianity. Evangelism can take several forms, such as persona ...

to others. * 20 percent are Professing Christians''.'' These persons are also committed to "accepting Christ as Savior and Lord" with an emphasis on personal spirituality over organized religion. * 24 percent are

Liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...

Christians'','' predominantly

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

and

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

. They are regular churchgoers, exhibit a high level of spiritual activity, and recognize the authority of the church. * 16 percent are Private Christians''.'' They own a Bible, but rarely read it. Only about one-third attend church. They believe in God and good works, but not necessarily within a church context. This was the largest and youngest segment. Almost none are church leaders. * 21 percent are Cultural Christians''.'' They identify as Christians, yet they do not view

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

as essential to salvation, exhibiting minimal religious behaviors and attitudes favoring a universality theology.

Conversion

A study from 2015 estimated that about 100 Botswana Muslims convert to Christianity each year, most of whom belong to an evangelical or Pentecostal community. It has been reported that conversion into Christianity is significantly increasing among East

Asians "Asian people" (sometimes "Asiatic people")United States National Library of Medicine. Medical Subject Headings. 2004. November 17, 200Nlm.nih.gov: ''Asian Continental Ancestry Group'' is also used for categorical purposes. is an umbrella term ...

Education

The majority of Botswana Christians attend co-educational public schools, mostly government operated. The Christian schools were built by churches such as Moeding College for the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa, and St. Joseph's College (established by the Roman Catholic Church). Although the schools are Christian schools, Botswana's government participates in their development, related infrastructure, and hiring practices (particularly in hiring teachers).

Media

Every week day public channel BTV broadcasts short religious programs.