The Gambia is a country of about 1.5 million inhabitants. Over 85% of these are Muslims with approximately 4% Christians. Even though the Christians are in the minority, they have much influence in the society because of the involvement of the church in the social institutions such as schools and hospitals. This has helped also to create generally good relationship between the Christians and the Muslims.

History
The first Spiritans arrived in Banjul in 1848 and for a long time the history of the local church was almost synonymous with that of the District. There is only one Diocese and the Bishop, Michael Cleary, is a Spiritan. The local church is in a process of transition as the number of the local clergy and of the local religious increases and the number of Spiritans decreases. The Spiritans are in the process of handing positions of responsibility over to the indigenous local clergy.

A lot of the catholic laity also are taking up places of responsibility both in the church and in the public offices in the social and political life of the country. A few other religious congregations and missionary institutes are now present in the Gambia since the last few years.

Mission engagements
Most of the members are involved in parish work especially in areas of first evangelisation among some tribes that are not Muslims and are open to Christianity, e.g. Mandiagos. There has been enormous growth of small Christian groups in areas where there had been little or no Christian presence through the promotion of small Christian communities. Particularly interesting is the famous Christian village development project in Kunkujang. The District has been traditionally involved in:

	works of education
	·social and development work, Justice and Peace
	inter-religious dialogue
	animation and administration in the local church through the pastoral centre and the diocesan secretariat.