The Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) is a permanent institution which is the Assembly of the Bishops of Tanzania whereby according to the norm of law, certain pastoral functions are jointly exercised on behalf of Christ’s faithful in view of promoting that greater good which the Church offers to all people especially through forms and programs of the apostolate which are fittingly adapted to the circumstances of our time and country.
In 1956 the Conference decided that time had come in Tanganyika to establish formally a national organization of all Bishops and to open permanent central office in the capital of Dar es Salaam. The organization was then officially born in the name of Tanganyika CATHOLIC WELFARE CONFERENCE (TCWC).
The activities of the organization were vested in six departments or sections namely: Education, Medicine, Social Welfare, Publicity, Legal Affairs and Insurance.
In the October 1957 Statutes of the organization were in place and the name changed from Tanganyika Catholic Welfare Conference to become Tanganyika Catholic Welfare Organization (TCWO).
In January 1958 the organization was officially registered by the Government under the Societies Registration Ordinance. The organization letter was registered as trustees under the Trustee’s Incorporation ordinance. With Tanganyika getting its political Independence in 1961 the name of the organization changed into Tanganyika Episcopal Conference. Its current name comes as a result of the new Status of this country after the Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. Thus in 1964 the organization became the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC).
It has thirty four (34) dioceses.