Wednesday, December 16, 2015

New Stakes Created in Arizona, the DR Congo, New Mexico, Nigeria, and Taiwan

Arizona
The Church organized a new stake in the Tuscon area on December 6th. The Tuscon Arizona South Stake was created from a division of the Sahuarita Arizona, Tuscon Arizona, and Tuscon Arizona Rincon Stakes. The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Cienega, Corona, Los Reales (Spanish), Midvale, Vail, and Valencia Wards and the Tucson Wilmot Branch (Correctional Facility). The Church recently organized another new stake in the Tucson area in October 2015 (Marana). Local members report the creation of these two new stakes has been to help focus on reactivation efforts in the Tuscon area.

There are now 100 stakes in Arizona.

DR Congo
The Church organized a new stake in the central DR Congo on December 13th. The Katoka Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake was organized from a division of the Kananga Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Katoka 1st, Katoka 2nd, Katoka 3rd, Malandji, Ndesha 1st, and Ndesha 2nd Wards. The Church organized its first stake in Kananga in 2011.

There are now 13 stakes and four districts in the DR Congo. The Church also recently announced the groundbreaking for the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple in February 2016. With no Angel Moroni and an apparently smaller building size than most temples, these accommodations appear attributed to the limitations the Church has with low levels of economic development and limited skilled labor in the country.

New Mexico
The Church organized a new stake in the Albuquerque area on December 6th. The Albuquerque New Mexico North Stake was organized from the Albuquerque New Mexico, Albuquerque New Mexico West, and Rio Ranch New Mexio Stakes. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Academy Heights, Bernalillo, Cibola, Enchanted Hills, La Cueva, and North Valley Wards.

There are now 14 stakes in New Mexico.

Nigeria
The Church organized a new stake in Abia State on December 6th. The Aba Nigeria South Stake was organized from a division of the Aba Nigeria Stake (renamed Aba Nigeria North Stake). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Aba Central, Eziama, Ohabiam, Osusu Aba, Umungasi, and Umuocham Wards and the Asa Amator Branch.

There are now 33 stakes and 19 districts in Nigeria.

Taiwan 
The Church organized a new stake in Taipei, Taiwan on December 13th. The Taipei Taiwan North Stake was organized from a division of the Taipei Taiwan East and Taipei Taiwan Central Stakes. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Peitou, Shihlin, Taipei (English), Tanshui, and Tienmu Wards.

There are now 15 stakes and one district in Taiwan.

10 comments:

Ryan Searcy said...

There are also 2 new stakes in Northwestern Las Vegas - the Skye Canyon and Shadow Mountain Stakes.

James Anderson said...

Sky Canyon is known to be new, Shadow Mountain may be a renaming.

OC Surfer said...

Both are new stakes.

OC Surfer said...

Both are new stakes.

Ryan Searcy said...

The Shadow Mountain Stake is a division of the Highland Hills and Tule Springs Stakes.

Fredrick said...

Wow! I cannot believe how many new stakes are being formed in the Las Vegas area. And I think there are enough units in three stakes in Henderson (Green Valley, Anthem and Warm Springs) to create another new stake there. I also think the Las Vegas South will be split to create a Pahrump Stake, if another ward is formed in Pahrump.

John Pack Lambert said...

Very exciting stuff. The Aba Nigeria Stake was the first organized in Africa outside of South Africa in May of 1988. It was organized by Elder Neal A. Maxwell and the first president was David W. Eka who would later be an Area Seventy. It would not be until 5 years later that a second stake would be organized in Nigeria in Benin City.

John Pack Lambert said...

I would love to see Green Valley, Anthem and Warm Springs stakes rearranged to make a 4th stake in that area. I spent part of my mission in the Warm Springs Stake.

I believe Pahrump has the same number of wards today as it did when I was on my mission 15 years ago. The same is true of Boulder City, Nevada. While the Church is growing the most on the edges of the Las Vegas Urban complex, it does not seem to be growing significantly in areas just beyond there.

I hope convert baptism retention rates are up from when I was on my mission. We baptized lots of people but had abysmal retention rates.

OC Surfer said...

Actually Pahrump's 4th Ward was created just a few years back, and they have a newer 2nd chapel which Was built to be the future Pahrump Stake Center.

OC Surfer said...

Actually Pahrump's 4th Ward was created just a few years back, and they have a newer 2nd chapel which Was built to be the future Pahrump Stake Center.