Church of Jesus Christ opens first chapel in one of world's most Muslim nations

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met on Thursday with a delegation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a major Christian church headquartered in the United States. The meeting came as the denomination was officially registered by the Azerbaijani government and marked the inauguration of its first church building in Baku.

According to the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, the delegation thanked President Aliyev for the government’s decision to grant official registration to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, describing the move as “a manifestation of the care shown to representatives of all religions in Azerbaijan.”

The visiting delegation included senior church officials: David A. Bednar, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Jack Gerard, a member of the Quorum of the Seventy and First Counselor of the Europe Central Area Office; Miles Hansen, President and Board Director of the Stirling Foundation; and Paul Picard, a member of the Europe Central and Eurasian Quorum of the Seventy.

During the discussion, the sides recalled previous meetings between President Aliyev and church representatives. The delegation also congratulated the Azerbaijani leader on the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia that was initialed in Washington earlier this year, in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

President Aliyev expressed appreciation for the congratulations and underscored what he called the “historical importance” of the agreements reached in Washington, noting that they would play “an important role in the development of the region.” He also said that Azerbaijan-U.S. relations had entered a new stage following Trump’s re-election and pointed to several documents signed during his August visit to Washington as part of that process.

Both sides highlighted Azerbaijan’s efforts to promote intercultural and interreligious dialogue. The Presidential Administration reiterated that “tolerance is the way of life for the people of Azerbaijan,” emphasizing that representatives of different religions and nationalities have long lived together in peace and harmony.

Following the meeting, the delegation joined local guests in inaugurating the newly registered Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building in Baku — the first of its kind in the country. Photos released by Azerbaijani state media showed the new church facility and members attending the opening ceremony.

The event marked a new milestone for Azerbaijan’s officially recognized religious communities and highlighted the country’s engagement with international faith organizations.