Saturday, December 12, 2015

New Stake Created in Canada; New Districts Created in Brazil and Cote d'Ivoire; Stake Discontinued in Idaho

Canada
Last Sunday, the Church organized a new stake in Alberta, Canada for the first time since 2001. The Calgary Alberta Bow River Stake was organized from a division of the Calgary Alberta East and Calgary Alberta South Stakes. The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Auburn Bay, Elliston Park, Mahogany, McKenzie, New Brighton, Sunridge, Valley View, and Willow Park Wards.

There are now seven stakes in the Calgary metropolitan area, 23 stakes in Alberta, and 48 stakes and three districts in Canada.

Brazil
The Church organized a new district in Para State, Brazil on November 29th, 2015. The Carajás Brazil District was organized from three mission branches in the Brazil Belem Mission, namely the Canaã dos Carajás, Marabá, and Parauapebas Branches. There are now seven stakes and two districts in Para State and 256 stakes and 39 districts in Brazil.

Cote d'Ivoire
The Church has recently organized two new districts from member branches in southwestern Cote d'Ivoire.

The Divo Cote d'Ivoire District was organized on November 22nd from the following four mission branches in the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission: the Divo, Konankro, Lakota, and Plateau Branches. The Church organized its first branch in Divo during the mid-2000s. Two additional branches were organized in Divo in 2013, whereas the first LDS branch in Lakota was organized in 2015.

The Soubre Cote d'Ivoire District was organized November 29th from the following four mission branches in the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission: the Meagui 1st, Meagui 2nd, Soubre 1st, and Soubre 2nd Branches. The first branch in Meagui was organized in late 2012, whereas the first branch in Soubre was organized in 2014. There are now nine stakes and five districts in Cote d'Ivoire.

Some of the most rapid growth witnessed in the global Church during the past 15 years has occurred in Cote d'Ivoire within the past three or four years. Prospects appear favorable for the organization of a third Ivorian mission in 2016, possibly with headquarters in Yamoussoukro or a city in central or southwestern Cote d'Ivoire. Several stakes in Abidjan appear likely to divide in the near future. Several additional districts appear likely to be organized in Abengourou, Adzope, and Bouake. See below for LDS units in Cote d'Ivoire.
Idaho
The Church discontinued a stake in Boise, Idaho. The Boise Idaho South Stake was discontinued and retained congregations were reassigned to neighboring stakes. This marks the first time that the Church has discontinued a stake in Idaho due to congregational decline. Congregational decline has occurred for several years in multiple stakes in the central and eastern areas of the Boise metropolitan area. This decline appears primarily attributed to active members moving out of the area, few convert baptisms, moderate member activity rates, and a lack of active members into these urban areas.

There are now 127 stakes in Idaho.

12 comments:

Christopher Nicholson said...

The Saijo Branch in the Hiroshima Japan Stake was recently created. As far as I'm aware, this is the first congregation to be created in Japan in quite some time, while several have been discontinued over the past few years. I hope it signals a lasting reversal of the Church's decline in that nation.

OC Surfer said...

I would surmise that the former Boise South Stake boundaries fell within or near Boise State University. So a lot of older homes near the university are increasing become more for students than families.

I don't see this stake consolidation, as a sign a major recent inactivity, but demographic shifts in the area.

It would be interesting to see how many YSA Wards were created in the area in recent years in the Boise YSA Stake that covers the same area.

OC Surfer said...

I would surmise that the former Boise South Stake boundaries fell within or near Boise State University. So a lot of older homes near the university are increasing become more for students than families.

I don't see this stake consolidation, as a sign a major recent inactivity, but demographic shifts in the area.

It would be interesting to see how many YSA Wards were created in the area in recent years in the Boise YSA Stake that covers the same area.

David Todd said...

I was curious, so I just went back through and read all of the blog posts from 2007, the year this was opened. It is amazing and awe-striking to see the changes that have progressed in just these few years. All of the places that temples were being predicted (which the majority now do or have been announced), countries with the most members and no stakes (which most have at least one now) and so much more. Thanks, Matt, for making this blog and keeping it going so that all of us can witness and be amazed at how the Lord truly has hastened his work.

Greg said...

On the 13th the Jurupa and Riverside stakes will be changing there boundaries.

John Pack Lambert said...

I believe that Soda Springs, Idaho saw the loss of a stake due to membership decline back in the early 1980s. This may have been primarily due to people moving out.

Are there districts in Cote D'Ivore that are likely to become stakes in the near future? How many stakes are there in Abijan?

Unknown said...

The population of Soda Springs and the neighboring valley locations (such as Grace and Bancroft) has fluctuated heavily over the last few decades. The mining jobs come and go. There is even significant seasonal fluctuation. While pretty, the valley is cold and remote (even by Idaho standards). The nearest supermarket is in Pocatello, 45 minutes of driving from Soda Springs. Most of that is through mountainous terrain along Fish Creek, which makes for frequent travel hazards during the winter months. In other words: without very gainful employment, most people tend to move out of Soda Springs quickly. Still, the town is - and has been throughout recent memory - predominantly LDS. At one point a couple years ago, the Soda Springs Stake was the highest-baptizing stake in the Utah Ogden Mission, with converts joining the Church on almost a weekly basis. I'm not sure about current trends in the Idaho Pocatello Mission, to which Soda Springs has been assigned since 2013.

For Cote d'Ivoire, there are eight stakes in the Abidjan metro area. Most of them will probably split within the next two to three years at least once. The "older" districts in San Pedro and Daloa may also be approaching stakehood soon, but most likely all current districts will become stakes within the coming years. An Ivorian member I met on my Mission recently said that within the five years between his past two travels to Cote d'Ivoire, membership in his home branch grew sufficiently to organize a stake in the same area. And things seem to still be speeding up.

BT said...

Elder Rasband visitedy family's stake today. He talked about his visit to Pakistan and said they expect to organize a stake there in 2016. Exciting stuff.

BT said...

*visited my family's stake

Grandpa and Grandma, Missionnaires extraordinaires said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Grandpa and Grandma, Missionnaires extraordinaires said...

Stake split on Dec 13 in Kananga DRC as posted with pics on Mission LDS de Kinshasa Facebook page:

From the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of Congo Mission today, Dec. 13, 2015:

"Stake Conference in the town of Kananga; 3100 people attended! The stake was divided today. People everywhere! All the rooms crammed, overflow in the parking lot, youth looking through the windows, others seated outside with no view...members came 3 hours in advance to have a seat in the chapel. After the conference we were assailed, as usual, for pictures! An unforgettable day!!"

Greg said...

La Sierra ward in Jurpa stake in california, has now been discontinued. Sadly