Below is a list of the countries where the Church reported a net
increase of four or more units for the year 2023. The annual percentage
increase for the number of wards and branches for each country is also
provided:
- Nigeria +41 (5.33% increase)
- Philippines +24 (1.89% increase)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo +20 (7.43% increase)
- Ghana +17 (4.82% increase)
- Mexico +13 (0.70% increase)
- Mozambique +13 (23.2% increase)
- Kenya +12 (21.1% increase)
- Ecuador +10 (3.15% increase)
- Zimbabwe +9 (9.89% increase)
- Liberia +8 (11.9% increase)
- Angola +6 (31.6% increase)
- Benin +6 (30.0% increase)
- Cote d'Ivoire +5 (1.95% increase)
- Peru +5 (0.64% increase)
- Republic of the Congo +4 (12.5% increase)
- Sierra Leone +4 (4.44% increase)
- United States -21 (0.14% decrease)
- Russia -12 (17.4% decrease)
- United Kingdom -10 (3.15% decrease)
- Hong Kong -9 (25.7% decrease)
- Canada -4 (0.81% decrease)
- Brazil -4 (0.18% decrease)
- Australia -4 (1.29% decrease)
Previous lists for annual congregational growth by country are available for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020-2021, and 2022.
A few observations to make about congregational growth in 2023.
First, the rate at which the number of congregations increases continues to lag behind membership growth rates for the worldwide Church - a trend that has continued year over year since 1998. The average ward or branch now has 548 members, whereas the average ward or branch had 405 members in 1998. This metric suggests that the Church has continued to experience compounding problems with low member activity rates in countries that have the most Latter-day Saints on the Church records. Generally, equal percentage growth rates for the number of total congregations and Church membership suggest that member activity rates are stable. This metric is not a perfect barometer for member activity rates. For example, this statistic does not track the progress of branches growing sufficiently to become wards, as wards require significantly more active members to operate than a branch. Also, this metric may make a country look like it is having improving member activity rates if many new branches are organized in cities with few members. Like any missiology statistics, they should be examined with several others to get a more accurate assessment of the health of the Church and growth trends.
Second, the United States has now had two years in a row when it ranked as the country with the largest net decrease in congregations for the entire world - a distinction never led by the Church in the United States prior to 2021. The Church in the United States reported a net increase of 105,774 members between year-end 2021 and year-end 2023, yet the Church reported a net decline of 83 congregations during this two-year period. This resulted in a net increase of 10 members for the average ward or branch during this time frame. Although this may appear alarming and suggest a decreasing rate of member activity and/or convert retention during this period, the Church reported a loss of seven members per average ward or branch between 2018 and 2021. Thus, the average number of members per ward or branch as of year-end 2023 (471) was not significantly different than what it was in 2018 (468). Furthermore, the net loss of congregations in the United States in 2023 (21) was nearly one-third the net loss of congregations in the United States in 2022 (62). In sum, there is no evidence from examining these statistics that the Church in the United States has experienced worsening member activity or convert retention rates within the past decade given the stability in the members-to-congregations ratio. Moreover, the number of stakes in the United States continues increase year over year. The Church reported 1,642 stakes in 2019, 1,658 stakes in 2020, 1,671 stakes in 2021, 1,681 stakes in 2022, and 1,693 stakes in 2023.
Third, most new congregations created in the Church were in Africa in 2023. This has been a longstanding trend for much of the past decade. The Church in the Philippines continues to experience steady congregational growth rates comparable to membership growth rates. Congregational growth rates have accelerated in a few Latin American countries, such as Ecuador and Mexico. However, the Church reported a net decrease in the number of congregations in Brazil. Typically, the Church in Brazil reports net increases in the number of congregations year over year.
4 comments:
Congregation consolidations are often delayed as long as possible, so thry often do not reflect recent changes.
Congregation creation often lags behind the growth that allows it.
I also have enough experience with small branches to know that there are advantages to larger units. My 1 branch today has higher attendance than its 3 predecessor branches did combined 25 years ago.
I noticed that Mozambique's 21% Congregation groth lags behind its 34% membership growth. However I do wonder how any groups there are there, and thus Congregation growth we did not see.
2 years ago my stake formed a Spanish-language group. Last year it formed an Arabic-language group. These groups are better attended than some of out inner city branches were in the 1990s. If the phenomenon of forming groups instead of branches is going on in the US in other areas, we may have hidden Congregation growth also happening. My stake has not had official Congregation growth, but had 2 hidden congregations form.
I meant to write this for the last few days; my computer access has been hampered.
I think it is very possible to add significant membership and still have unit attrition. In my home stake of Bloomington, Indiana, we have lost branches and wards (more branches or groups), while still adding converts. Historically Bloomington has branches in Brazil, Spencer, and even Clinton, but those have gone away. Some rural areas lose their populations and work forces, much of that having to do with jobs. More farmers cover more land these days, which leads to lesser people. See the Great Plains.
Meanwhile Bloomington has more or less thrived, adding people, jobs, members, and converts.
To the south the branch where my step-dad joined, Washington, has been removed from the Evansville Stake for a generation, it seems.
Make sense? This can happen in Salt Lake, North Dakota, or many other places.
Related but unrelated. My wife was sick today so she decided to watch Church from our old ward in Mattoon, Illinois. I ended up joining her for it after our local church service. Last time this happened, about a year ago, it was very evident that there were not many people (perhaps 30 or 40). Today, I think it was around 80 from what we could tell, including probably a dozen or so attendees we didn't recognize. An investigator gave a very compelling testimony about how their faith has grown since meeting with the missionaries. I know there have been quite a few baptisms in the last year or so, mostly of EIU students.
I think not giving up on these more isolated units is a good idea, especially if there is still a good foundation of a few very strong families. Wards can and will regrow around them.
There were two new wards organized in the Lewisville, Texas stake yesterday (the Argyle, and Stone Creek wards). The Lewisville Stake now has 11 wards and one Spanish Branch. There are several large Stakes in the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) area. My thoughts are within the next 2-3 years there will be 7-8 new Stakes created from existing area Stakes.
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