Sunday, February 6, 2011

Church Growth News

Update on cities opened for missionary work in Mozambique

Missionaries in Mozambique report that progress continues in cities opened for missionary work in 2010 as many have been baptized and sacrament meeting attendance has dramatically increased.  At present the Chimoio Group now has over 90 attending church meetings; Maxixe has 40 and Dondo has 120.  


Additional city in Uganda with an LDS presence

Full-time missionaries serving in Uganda report that a group has been organized in Masaka, Uganda.  The Church initially sent a humanitarian senior couple to perform a clean water project and had no intentions of establishing a congregation or assigning missionaries.  A former investigator who had met with LDS missionaries in Kampala recognized the senior couple and interest in the Church and its teachings increased among the population in the area.  When the water project was completed, the senior missionary couple brought full-time missionaries to Masaka to answer questions about the Church and distribute scriptures and proselytism pamphlets.  Hundreds of church pamphlets and 100 issues of the Book of Mormon were distributed.  Full-time missionaries returned, baptized a couple converts, and opened a small congregation that now meets regularly.  This instance illustrates the influence of humanitarian work on church growth, the high receptivity of Uganda and many other African nations, and the need for additional missionary resources to be dedicated to the region.  


While on the topic of Uganda, the Gulu Branch (organized in 2008) recently received a new meetinghouse and sacrament meeting attendance has reached 140.

LDS meetinghouse occurring in Nauta, Peru

A senior missionary couple has supervised the opening of Nauta to missionary work, which is located in the Iquitos area.  Currently there are approximately 50 attending meetings.  The group may soon become a branch as male converts remain active and are ordained to the priesthood.  

Correction on new stake in Honduras

I reported back in November that a new stake would be organized in Tegucigalpa.  It appears that the information I received was incorrect as no new stake has been organized.  I apologize for the misinformation.

2 comments:

Ryan Searcy said...

What about the reported new one in Guatemala?

Unknown said...

Is it likely that these groups in various cities in Mozambique will be made branches soon? 120 attending a group seems a lot, although all may not be baptized.