First Stake In Mongolia!

According to a mission blog of a senior couple serving in Mongolia (which can be found at http://mikeandmelba.blogspot.com/) the first stake in Mongolia will soon be organized! As noted in an earlier post from a few days ago, Mongolia is the country with the second most members without a stake. Nearly 10% of Mongolian members have served missions and membership stands at around 8,400. The vast majority of Mongolians are Buddhist. Not all of the dozen or so branches in Ulaanbaatar will be part of the new stake in the capital. A new district will also be created, named the Ulaanbaatar Mongolia East District. Another district already exists in Mongolia in Darkhan.

Membership has not increased as rapidly as it did in 2008 in Mongolia since 2004, growing by 9.36% last year. A couple mission branches not a part of a district also exist in Khovd and Choibalsan, each of which have been steadily growing to 150-200 attending sacrament meeting every week. One of the challenges the Church in Mongolia has had in the creation of a stake has been that 70% of the members are single (according to an article published in the Church magazine the Ensign a year or two ago).

One interesting note about members who have served as missionaries from Mongolia and received their Patriarchal blessings in other countries where there are stakes and patriarchs: All but the tribe of Zebulun have been found among the declared lineage of Mongolia missionaries (as of December 2003). For more information, visit http://www.cumorah.com/index.php?target=gospel_topics&story_id=8.

What an exciting time for the Church in Mongolia!