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HANOI, Vietnam — The Vietnamese government officially recognized a committee made up of local members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Friday.
The move means the church will now have recognized leaders in Vietnam who have the legal standing to represent the church in the country, according to a church statement. The Interim Representative Committee of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is made up of three Vietnamese church leaders — the Hanoi district president and two Ho Chi Minh City branch presidents.
"This is a significant step for the Church in Vietnam," a statement from the church reads. "It provides for a body that is officially recognized by the government of Vietnam to act for the Church on a nationwide basis."
There are currently more than 1,600 members of the church living in Vietman, according to the church. There are two branches of the church in Ho Chi Minh City and one in Hanoi.
It provides for a body that is officially recognized by the government of Vietnam to act for the Church on a nationwide basis.
–church statement
The church does not currently send proselyting missionaries to Vietnam.
"The appointment of the representative committee will allow for additional dialogue and discussion with the government on this and other subjects," the statement reads. "As part of religious practice in Vietnam, the Vietnam government has invited the Church to have more members in more locations."
"Currently, Vietnamese 'branch builders' strengthen members and build branches at registered locations."
Official national certification was presented by the chairman of the Vietnam Government Committee for Religious Affairs, Pham Dung, in a ceremony at a church branch facility in Hanoi Friday morning.
The church in Vietnam will not be announcing any additional details about what the official recognition will entail until after terms are finalized with the government, Hanoi district president Hoang Van Tung said in the statement.
