Still trying to catch up with everything. I apologize the following analysis is so delayed.
Four new stakes were recently created in late 2020
Brazil
The Church organized a new stake in Tocantins State, Brazil. The Palmas Brazil North Stake was organized from a division of the Palmas Brazil Stake on December 6th. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Luzimangues, Miracema, Palmas 1st, Palmas 2nd, and Paraíso Wards. The stake is the Church's second stake in Tocantins State where 1.6 million people reside. The Church organized its first stake in Tocantins State (the Palmas Brazil Stake) in 2007. The Church created its first branch in Tocantins State in 1990.
There are now 279 stakes and 39 districts in Brazil
Idaho
The Church organized a new stake in Nampa, Idaho on November 22nd. 26. Nampa Idaho Ridgevue Stake was organized on November 22nd, 2020 from a division of the Nampa Idaho North Stake and the Nampa Idaho West Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Nampa 1st, Nampa 3rd, Nampa 4th, Nampa 12th, Nampa 13th, Nampa 36th, and Nampa 41st Wards. There are now six stakes in Nampa.
There are now 135 stakes in Idaho.
Nigeria
The Church organized a new stake in Delta State, Nigeria on November 29th. The Ekete Nigeria Stake was organized from a division of the Warri Nigeria Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards and three branches: the Ekete, Orhuwhorun, Ovwian 1st, Ovwian 2nd, Ughelli 1st, Ughelli 2nd, and Ughelli 3rd Wards, and the Aladja, Otujeremi, and Ozoro Branches. The new stake is the Church's second stake to be organized in the Warri metropolitan area. The Church also discontinued the Sapele Nigeria District (organized in 2019) and reassigned the four branches that previously pertained to this district to the Warri Nigeria Stake. This decision was likely made to enable larger branches in the city to become wards in the foreseeable future, and to reduce the administrative burden on the Nigeria Benin City Mission - one of the missions in Africa with the most stakes and districts assigned.
There are now 60 stakes and 18 districts in Nigeria.
Wyoming
The Church organized a new stake in Wyoming on December 6th. The Casper Wyoming East Stake was organized from a division of the Casper Wyoming Stake. The new stake include the following six wards and one branch: the Casper 2nd, Casper 3rd, Casper 6th, Casper 10th, Douglas, and Glenrock Wards, and the Lusk Branch. The new stake was the second new stake organized in Wyoming in 2020 following the creation of the Sheridan Wyoming Stake.
There are now 19 stakes in Wyoming.
Utah
A new district was organized in Utah. The Great Salt Lake Utah District (Correctional Facility) was organized on January 3rd. The new district includes the following nine branches: the Lone Peak (Correctional Facility - Male), Olympus (Correctional Facility - Male), Oquirrh (Correctional Facility - Male), Promontory (Correctional Facility - Male), Timpanogos 1st (Correctional Facility - Female), Timpanogos 2nd (Correctional Facility - Female), Uinta (Correctional Facility - Male), Wasatch 1st (Correctional Facility - Male), and Wasatch 2nd (Correctional Facility - Male) Branches. The district is the Church's first district that is specialized for members who are in correctional facilities. Branches that in the new district previously pertained to ordinary stakes in the area.
There are now 612 stakes and two districts in Utah. The other district in Utah is headquartered in Wendover and has three branches.
California
A stake was discontinued in southern California. The Placentia California Stake (organized in 1954) was discontinued and retained wards were reassigned to neighboring stakes. There were five stakes in the stake prior to its discontinuation. This marked the second time in 2020 when a stake in California was discontinued as the Granada Hills California Stake closed earlier in the year. The closure of the stake in southern California is unsurprising and has been long overdue due to the steady decline in the number of active members in the area (northern Orange County). Tens of thousands of active Latter-day Saints have moved away from southern California in the past several decades. Few new converts have joined the Church and remained active to replace departing members. Moreover, non-White converts appear to comprise the majority of new members in the area, particularly among Spanish-speakers, which has further hampered efforts to strengthen existent English-speaking congregations. The Church in southern California has discontinued approximately one stake per year within the past decade. Additional stakes that have been discontinued in California in recent years include the Torrance California Stake (discontinued in 2019), the Garden Grove California Stake (discontinued in 2017), the San Diego California Sweetwater Stake (discontinued in 2016), Covina California (Spanish) Stake (discontinued in 2015), Huntington Park California West (Spanish) Stake (discontinued in 2012), and the Escondido California South Stake (discontinued in 2011).
There are now 151 stakes in California. The Church in California reached its all-time high for the number of stakes in 1995 when there were 162 stakes. The last time a new stake was organized in California was the Lake Elsinore California Stake back in 2013. The Church in California reached its all-time high for the number of congregations (i.e., wards and branches) in 2005 and 2006 when there were 1,386 congregations. There were 1,229 congregations in California as of year-end 2019. There were at least three new congregations organized in California in 2020 (all Spanish-speaking branches), whereas there were 13 wards and three branches discontinued in California in 2020 (most of which were English-speaking wards).
13 comments:
Great reporting. Good growth overall.
Did anyone else catch Elder Gong's announcement tonight at the YSA Face-to-Face devotional of the North Pole Alaska Stake created earlier today?
How can they have branches for all-female correctional facilities?
How can they have branches for all-female correctional facilities? Branch leadership is almost always stake missionaries.
Leadership and some other callings for these branches are brought in from other stakes in the region. Similar to YSA wards, couples are called as an assignment to serve in the correctional facilities branches (organize and hold Sunday meetings, etc.) for a length of time. My home ward and stake has had many couples serve in some of these branches over the years.
Correctional Facility branches are similar to hospital or care center branches. The branch presidency members are drawn from the nearest stake to those facilities. Generally, the weekly meetings would include lessons taught by the branch presidency members, their wives, Church members from the stake to which each branch is assigned, or, where appropriate approvals are granted, from members attending the services of those branches. Fairly straightforward.
If that is indeed true, put a small temple on the radar for Fairbanks, as that town is a suburb of Fairbanksm and it is several hundred miles from Anchorage from Fairbanks
Well, correctional facility branches do not administer the sacrament so it is not as hard in many ways as in a nursing home where the population is vast majority female and the males there likely are not health enough to assist with the sacrament anyway.
The branch presidency of any correctional facility branch will be non-inmated anyway.
So actually there is no problem from having no male inmates.
I believe branches at correctional facilities are like YSA wards and branches where the needed leadership comes from local stakes.
A care facility branch will function like a regular branch in a stake
They usually have a branch president and two council, an elder's quorum president, and a relief society president, and Sunday School president, so a branch council is possible.
Many times for the sacrament, one ward brings in aaronic priesthood holders to bless and pass, then after that part is done where the meeting is held they fan out to reach the rest of the building since here there are so many members in the places in Utah.
The meeting is often held in the common room for activities, everyone sits at the tables, hymn books are passed out before.
Atttended three meetings in the one I was in for stroke rehab our years ago. The last one before my ward stated taking me to my regular meetings gell before Halloween so they had it all decorated for that. Yes, this included pumplins, black cats, etc., and even a wicked witch on a broomstick!
Except in YSA wards they try to use existing members in the unit as much as possible. In inmate units there are clearer restrictions and they do not do the sacrament.
If Okinawa can get a temple with 1 stake we could get one in Fairbanks if they have 2.
Still in general members there can get to the temple more easily than can members in Beira or Maputo.
I am hoping this year exceeds 2020 for ground breakings.
We have 2 care centers in our stake boundaries. As Jim described, aaronic Priesthood come in to do the sacrament as he describes (pre-Covid). Branch leadership is provided from Stake members. It is a neat experience to be a part of these opportunities.
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