tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post2608933580708449332..comments2024-03-29T09:14:43.396-06:00Comments on Growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church): Worldwide LDS Congregational Growth Rates AccelerateMatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16030323360917985701noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-56250019314454055082014-05-25T13:11:56.879-06:002014-05-25T13:11:56.879-06:00This is the third time I have tried this, I will t...This is the third time I have tried this, I will try to not digress too much.<br /><br />I know of no Farsi outreach at all in Metro Detroit. In my part of hte city Indian outnumber Iranians. We now have an Indian family in our ward, although the husband joined the Church in India.<br /><br />There are several Chaldean members in my stake, that is people of Roman Catholic background from Iraq, and a few others of Lebanese and Jordainian descent, all as far as I know of Christian bakcground. I do not know of any converted efforts to outreach to the Arabic population.<br /><br />With over 1 million African-Americans, and strong opposition from some African-Americans to the building of new LDS chapels in Detroit almost a decade ago, we still have a lot of work to do there.<br /><br />There is a bilingual in Spanish branch in Detroit.<br /><br />The Church has a major problem of an overabundance of women to men in heavily African-American parts of the Metro Area. There is also the problem that children raised by single mothers, even where those mothers are church members, often succumb to the overwhelming negative influences of their neighborhoods.<br /><br />The prevalence of rape, premarital sex, drug dealing and the like in much of Detroit is something that I do not claim to understnad. It is beyond what I know.<br /><br />I see hope, such as the two married African-American members of our high council, the African-American relief society president in Roseville Ward with her member African-American husband and four children, her 13-year-old son is a solid, clean-cut, upstanding young man. <br /><br />Still, there is a lot that can be done, both in outreach and strengthening the members already baptized.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16422936531698994481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-38631072868237932612014-05-14T18:11:17.964-06:002014-05-14T18:11:17.964-06:00The Kahului Hawaii West Stake was created on 4 May...The Kahului Hawaii West Stake was created on 4 May. There are 6 wards in the stake:<br /><br />Hoolehua Ward<br />Kahului Ward<br />Kaunakakai Ward<br />Lahaina 1st Ward<br />Lahaina 2nd Ward (Tongan)<br />Wailuku WardMike Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10025612146815804945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-6450721265699747632014-05-13T14:51:28.858-06:002014-05-13T14:51:28.858-06:00Dumaguete Philippines is still showing up as a dis...Dumaguete Philippines is still showing up as a district with the following 9 branches:<br /><br />Bacong Branch<br />Bayawan Branch<br />Dumaguete 1st Branch<br />Dumaguete 2nd Branch<br />Dumaguete 3rd Branch<br />Siaton Branch<br />Sibulan Branch<br />Valencia Branch<br />Zamboanguita Branch<br /><br />Sometimes these things take time to get entered into the system, so I don't know if this is the current situation or it just hasn't been updated yet.Mike Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10025612146815804945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-58461888860356612642014-05-13T14:45:22.555-06:002014-05-13T14:45:22.555-06:00The New York Branch, Bo Sierra Leone District, Sie...The New York Branch, Bo Sierra Leone District, Sierra Leone Freetown Mission, was created on 6 April. There are now 9 branches in the district:<br /><br />Bo Branch<br />Lewabu Branch<br />Messima Branch<br />New Barracks Branch<br />New London Branch<br />New York Branch<br />Njagboima Branch<br />Njaie Town Branch<br />Sewa Road BranchMike Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10025612146815804945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-29793364849278087712014-05-13T00:13:28.432-06:002014-05-13T00:13:28.432-06:00Are there any news regarding the Dumaguete Philipp...Are there any news regarding the Dumaguete Philippines Stake? It seems that there's no date posted.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04072344521989558476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-59805502970120932792014-05-12T17:34:20.177-06:002014-05-12T17:34:20.177-06:00The Gleannloch Farms Ward, Klein Texas Stake, was ...The Gleannloch Farms Ward, Klein Texas Stake, was created on 11 May. There are now 12 wards and 1 branch in the stake:<br /><br />Champions Ward<br />Gleannloch Farms Ward<br />Inwood Ward<br />Klein Ward<br />Kleinwood Ward<br />Magnolia 1st Ward<br />Magnolia 2nd Ward<br />Memorial Springs Ward<br />Parkway Ward<br />Sam Houston YSA 1st Ward<br />Tomball 2nd Ward<br />Windrose Ward<br />Fallbrook Branch (Sign Language)<br /><br /><br />The Hatea Ward, Whangarei New Zealand Stake, was created on 11 May. There are now 6 wards and 4 branches in the stake:<br /><br />Hatea Ward<br />Hikurangi Ward<br />Punaruku Ward<br />Riverside Ward<br />Whangarei 1st Ward<br />Whangarei 3rd Ward<br />Bream Bay Branch<br />Dargaville Branch<br />Te Horo Branch<br />Wellsford Branch<br /><br /><br />The Jutaí Branch, Brazil Manaus Missio, was created on 8 May. There are now 10 independent branches in the mission:<br /><br />Boa Vista Brazil District<br />Itacoatiara Brazil District<br />Brazil Manaus Mission Branch<br />Coari Branch<br />Cruzeiro do Sul Branch<br />Formoso Branch<br />Ji-Paraná Branch<br />Jutaí Branch<br />Remanso Branch<br />Tefé Branch<br />Vilhena 1st Branch<br />Vilhena 3rd Branch<br /><br /><br />The Nova Conquista Ward, Fortaleza Brazil Bom Jardim Stake, was created on 4 May. There are now 8 wards in the stake:<br /><br />Bom Jardim Ward<br />Cecília Ward<br />Jatobá Ward<br />Lisboa 1st Ward<br />Lisboa 2nd Ward<br />Nova Conquista Ward<br />Palmares Ward<br />Sumaré Ward<br /><br /><br />The Peniche Branch, Santarém Portugal District, Portugal Lisbon Mission, was created on 11 May. There are now 6 branches in the district:<br /><br />Abrantes Branch<br />Caldas da Rainha Branch<br />Carregado Branch<br />Peniche Branch<br />Santarém Branch<br />Tomar Branch<br /><br /><br />The Quincy 2nd Ward, Nauvoo Illinois Stake, was created on 11 May. There are now 8 wards and 4 branches in the stake:<br /><br />Burlington Ward<br />Kirksville 1st Ward<br />Kirksville 2nd Ward<br />Macomb Ward<br />Nauvoo 1st Ward<br />Nauvoo 3rd Ward<br />Quincy 1st Ward<br />Quincy 2nd Ward<br />Fort Madison Branch<br />Hannibal Branch<br />Keokuk Branch<br />Mount Pleasant Branch<br /><br /><br />The Villa Canales 2nd Ward, Villa Nueva Guatemala El Frutal Stake, was created on 11 May. There are now 7 wards and 1 branch in the stake:<br /><br />El Frutal 1st Ward<br />El Frutal 2nd Ward<br />Margaritas Ward<br />Petapa Ward<br />Ribera del Río Ward<br />Villa Canales 1st Ward<br />Villa Canales 2nd Ward<br />Santa Elena de Barillas Branch<br /><br /><br />The Westlands Ward, Nairobi Kenya Stake, was created on 11 May. There are now 10 wards and 3 branches in the stake:<br /><br />Athi River Ward<br />Kayole Ward<br />Lucky Summer Ward<br />Mountain View Ward<br />Nairobi 2nd Ward<br />Nairobi 1st Ward<br />Riruta Ward<br />Upper Hill Ward<br />Westlands Ward<br />Zimmerman Ward<br />Kitengela Branch<br />Langata Branch<br />Ongata Rongai BranchMike Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10025612146815804945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-67769107939746145352014-05-12T14:17:09.460-06:002014-05-12T14:17:09.460-06:00John, what is being done to reach out to all the A...John, what is being done to reach out to all the Arabic speaking and Farsi speaking communities near Detroit? I'm actually surprised there's not an Arabic Branch yet...Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16584038076246018559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-19347275548152632882014-05-12T12:15:44.255-06:002014-05-12T12:15:44.255-06:00The Adriatic South Mission report that "Last ...The Adriatic South Mission report that "Last week they had the first baptism in Peja, Kosovo.... they did just open Peja and have another baptism this week and will be able to start meeting as a group in Peja and not have to travel an hour to attend church."<br /><br />Great news!Iris and Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13921248530075542115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-90609480646032613302014-05-12T10:41:45.651-06:002014-05-12T10:41:45.651-06:00Apparently Elder Zwick is coming in because the fo...Apparently Elder Zwick is coming in because the former mission president in Puerto Rico had a family emergency. I wouldn't be surprised if the former president is allowed to return if the family emergency gets resolved. See http://kenpatterson.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2014-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2015-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=17MLewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07980477456897087296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-73487445407705741742014-05-12T06:41:44.322-06:002014-05-12T06:41:44.322-06:00No real surprises with units consolidated to creat...No real surprises with units consolidated to create Florence stake. I'm glad there's Montevarchi Branch because Arezzo province would be lost in Florence Ward.<br /><br />I hope at some point they fix the boundary between Ancona Branch, and Pescara Ward in Rome East stake.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15033416229070502669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-47166721531319052752014-05-12T05:45:55.653-06:002014-05-12T05:45:55.653-06:00Like many patterns and trends, there are interesti...Like many patterns and trends, there are interesting what appears to be negative and positive goings on with the African-American population and the LDS Church.<br />Some people tried to count the overall number of black numbers in the US Church in the 2012 election, and I saw articles putting it at three percent. For an overall US population of 11-12 percent, that makes the US LDS numbers only at a quarter of what I think it should be. Hence the missionary work goes on.<br />Worldwide I imagine numbers of blacks as members being much better, and possibly over-proportional in places like France. The church does not count the race of its membership, and that is fine. But as far as what we see and hear, it is encouraging to see a more diverse membership spread across our country and the globe.<br />It is hard to fight some of the past history that comes across as negative. However, here is a comparison.<br />Mormons in the 1800s were known for having multiple wives. But if you look at lifestyles in the last 100 years, I would wager a lot that there is no more monogamous demographic than LDS people. Almost every other group of religious/secular people probably have more lifetime partners than Mormons in 2014. Is that boasting? No, I call that reality.<br />In the same manner, a church with historically very few African-American members will probably end up being the best, most empowering organization in this community that has struggled in our country's history. We see the changes every day. Jabari Parker may be the LDS Tiger Woods.<br /><br />All that said, the LDS Church grows from its diversity and increasing variegated membership and skill base. Rich and poor, people of all hues and languages.<br /><br />May the missionary work continue, it is the life blood of our faith.Eduardohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05019747288076783700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-23758647581643113012014-05-11T14:46:14.959-06:002014-05-11T14:46:14.959-06:00The Firenze (Florence) Italy Stake was created on ...The Firenze (Florence) Italy Stake was created on May 11, 2014. There are 5 wards and 7 branches in the stake:<br />Firenze ward (consolidation of the Firenze 1st and Firenze 2nd branches)<br />Prato ward (consolidation of the Prato and Pistoia branches)<br />Livorno ward<br />Pisa ward<br />Rimini ward<br />Ancona branch<br />Forlì branch<br />La Spezia branch<br />Montevarchi branch<br />Pesaro branch<br />Ravenna branch<br />Siena branch Xavier Raveauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08060524812236788294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-33615150235020286292014-05-11T14:41:54.548-06:002014-05-11T14:41:54.548-06:00In my mission we would at times see 9 and 10 year ...In my mission we would at times see 9 and 10 year olds, and older get baptized without their parents. I've known even more cases of such happening with people at 16 and 17.<br /><br />However, if you baptize a couple with 2 parents and 4 children, either baptismal age of below, and that is your entire branch, you end up with only 33% of the population adults, and 4 is no record for children. That also assumes both parents get baptized, often only one actually joins.<br /><br />In the US with lots of adult singles, and lots of grand-arents and great grandparents the stats are different. But in places iwth lower life expectancy, or with most of the members being recent converts who joined between the ages of 18 and 30 and are still under 45, having well over 50% of the population under age 18 is believable.John Pack Lamberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05086707132348039415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-64047619582234328762014-05-11T14:28:04.208-06:002014-05-11T14:28:04.208-06:00I have very sad news. The Warren Ward in the Bloom...I have very sad news. The Warren Ward in the Bloomfield Hills Michigan Stake was consolidated with the neighboring Roseville Ward. Over the last 3 years or so, 4 wards and 3 branches have been eliminated in the Detroit area.<br /><br />A stat that is part of the issue is seen at a single adult dance I went to recently. about 20% of the people there were African-Americans. Overall, there were about twice as many females as males, but among the African-Americans all were females. <br /><br />This is why in parts of Detroit that are over 95% African-American it is hard to form wards. For a braod array of reasons there are few African-American adult males in the church.<br /><br />One of the African-American ladies at the dance I mentioned is someone I am dating. If we do get married, which is a big if, I don't know where we would live, so I might soon help change stats for the church in parts of the city.<br /><br />In the suburbs I think we suffer from not having figured out good ways to reach out to African-Americans, when African-Americans are growing percentages in our areas. We also suffer from so many church members being here only for short-term work assignments. John Pack Lamberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05086707132348039415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-60387669251131538472014-05-11T07:04:50.607-06:002014-05-11T07:04:50.607-06:00I think it is good we don't release the number...I think it is good we don't release the numbers. Yes, in part because of the anti-Mormons, but also because of the members. I think that it would do more harm than good. I think more members would be discouraged by low stats than the motivated members. Furthermore, numbers can get in the way of ministering properly. We see that with missionary baptisms, as well as members. My aunt and uncle are currently missionaries with a branch that is trying its darnedest to become a ward. The branch meets all ward requirements (including active members) except total members. Because they know that is all they need, there is he strong temptation to just baptize unready investigators and to hold on to lost sheep's records, even if they know where they have moved. They always have to keep themselves in check against prioritizing numbers over souls.Grant Emeryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08719597556626187043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-11322669648596018192014-05-10T13:45:58.065-06:002014-05-10T13:45:58.065-06:00Of course, all the unknown and unclear real number...Of course, all the unknown and unclear real numbers that we cannot truly know (like who is truly active in a faith or congregation, per se) do not take away from the statistics, demographics and other information available, that is more empirically measurable. I find this blog site very interesting and a tremendous indicator of the dynamic trends of the LDS Church growth, despite the fact that we all know about individuals and even entire units that have fallen away over time.<br /><br />One things about anti-Mormons: many of them seem to be an indicator of the strength of the Restoration of Jesus Christ's faith in its complete nature in the end times. So, like many detractors tried to stop the original Church of Christ 2,000 years ago, it seems they have their place. Even new laws enacted that don't seem to match up with Gospel principles have some effect on the the growth of God's true religion.<br /><br />It's all for reasons that sometimes we do not comprehend now.<br /><br />And the Lord's work marches on.Eduardohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05019747288076783700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-83669843066550357092014-05-09T18:11:59.281-06:002014-05-09T18:11:59.281-06:00The definition of active and "retained" ...The definition of active and "retained" is hard to define, even with clear or transparent numbers divulged.<br /><br />Who pays tithing? How many go to extra-curricular activities? How many less active smokers play basketball at church, thus getting more fellowship than some who attend most Sundays?<br /><br />Each ward has its own paths towards re-activation, but I know many are visited by the missionaries, other priesthood, Relief Society and others, even though they do not show up as active.<br /><br />Numbers are indicators and elusive, and give a picture of the truth, but it is never totally clear what all the numbers absolutely mean.<br /><br />Glad only God will judge us in the end, who are "counted".Eduardohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05019747288076783700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-88747334225994882352014-05-09T17:11:43.493-06:002014-05-09T17:11:43.493-06:00The Frisco Texas Shawnee Trail Stake was created o...The Frisco Texas Shawnee Trail Stake was created on 4 May. There are 7 wards in the stake:<br /><br />Aubrey Ward<br />Cross Roads Ward<br />Frisco 2nd Ward<br />Little Elm Ward<br />Prosper 1st Ward<br />Prosper 2nd Ward<br />Prosper 3rd Ward<br /><br /><br />The Akanu and Amuma branches, Umuahia Nigeria District, Nigeria Port Harcourt Mission, were created on 20 April. There are now 13 branches in the district:<br /><br />Akanu Branch<br />Amuma Branch<br />Apumiri Ubakala Branch<br />Asaga Ohafia Branch<br />Ebem Branch<br />Ndoro-Oboro Branch<br />Nsirimo Branch<br />Old Umuahia Branch<br />Umuahia 1st Branch<br />Umuahia 2nd Branch<br />Umuahia 3rd Branch<br />Umuahia Nigeria District Branch<br />Umunwanwa Branch<br /><br /><br />The Kitengela Branch, Nairobi Kenya Stake, was created on 4 May. There are now 9 wards and 3 branches in the stake:<br /><br />Athi River Ward<br />Kayole Ward<br />Lucky Summer Ward<br />Mountain View Ward<br />Nairobi 2nd Ward<br />Nairobi 1st Ward<br />Riruta Ward<br />Upper Hill Ward<br />Zimmerman Ward<br />Kitengela Branch<br />Langata Branch<br />Ongata Rongai BranchMike Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10025612146815804945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-32956108623917031592014-05-09T08:20:28.742-06:002014-05-09T08:20:28.742-06:00I live in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area. The "sem...I live in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area. The "semi-Four Corners" area of northwest Arkansas, southwest Missouri, southeast Kansas, and northeast Oklahoma continues to see steady growth. On May 4, a new branch was created in the Fort Smith AR stake, and a new ward was created in the Rogers AR stake. A new meetinghouse is on the verge of completion in Skiatook, OK (Tulsa Stake), the first new building to be completed in this area in many years.<br /><br />In this area we have the following stakes - <br />Fort Smith AR: 8 wards, 6 branches<br />Springdale AR: 8 wards, 3 branches<br />Rogers AR: 12 wards, 3 branches<br />Joplin MO: 10 wards, 3 branches<br />Tulsa OK East: 10 wards, 2 branches<br />Tulsa OK: 9 wards, 2 branches<br /><br />That's a total of 57 wards and 19 branches, 76 total units, an average of 12.67 units per stake.<br /><br />A new stake in this area, even without creating any new wards or branches, would leave an average of 10.85 units per stake. Anecdotally, sacrament meeting attendance continues to grow in my stake. Two wards became three in early 2013; before the split, average attendance was around a total of 525-550, and since the split, total attendance in the three wards averages around 625-650.<br /><br />We are hoping for another new building and another stake soon!Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17246867188979056236noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-41261586316502258822014-05-09T07:58:14.823-06:002014-05-09T07:58:14.823-06:00For finances, I believe the reason the Church stop...For finances, I believe the reason the Church stopped publishing full reports in conference after 1958 was to avoid lawsuits for punitive damages. Every time there's a home teacher who abuses a kid, there's a salivating lawyer trying to find out the net worth of the Church.Brandon Plewehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18179862016794010481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-65154243588186578532014-05-08T17:54:20.971-06:002014-05-08T17:54:20.971-06:00Finances is another category I wish were reported....Finances is another category I wish were reported. I rather suspect that if the Church would actually release a financial statement with numbers in it, that we would be attacked for (1) not getting as much as has been predicted or for (2) "see I told you they didn't have the support."<br /><br />(Obviously, I think less is contributed than some estimate).<br /><br />I just don't see posting the information as doing anything but fueling anti-fire. I wish it weren't so.Mike Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10025612146815804945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-60826835790260701212014-05-08T17:49:58.659-06:002014-05-08T17:49:58.659-06:00Adam, take a look at the Evangelical Lutheran Chur...Adam, take a look at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. About 10 years ago it was about the same size (members and congregations) as the LDS Church in the US. But, it is going down fast and a wide gap has entered in.<br /><br />Brandon, I agree that we already get hit for including less actives. And that we should include them. There is a relatively constant movement between active and less active (both ways). They aren't static categories. <br /><br />I note that every church that does post membership and attendance figures shows 20-30% as the typical attendance nation-wide. The ELCA has a policy of deleting records for people who haven't attended in three years and they still average about 25% in weekly attendance nationwide.Mike Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10025612146815804945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-39476709339371661122014-05-08T17:06:05.954-06:002014-05-08T17:06:05.954-06:00I just remember looking at the membership numbers ...I just remember looking at the membership numbers for the Southern Baptist Convention because they have been declining in overall membership for the past couple years. Can you imagine how discouraging that must be for them? I kind of put myself in their shoes and tried thinking about if we were to see such trends in our church, taking into account how our church doctrine is that we will continue to grow until the end of times, stone cut without hands, etc. I could certainly see it discouraging a lot of members that are already struggling with their testimonies, especially in the "dangerous decade" of when most members leave the church. <br /><br />The good news is that I we are definitely in the upswing, as seen by the real growth we have experienced the past few years. Five to ten years from now I could see them beginning to release numbers containing more recent (much as the Philippine Area presidency is) because they will be on the more positive side. The 2000's were just really rough for a lot of areas. Adamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15716429933814861796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-9294957715854196322014-05-08T16:27:28.102-06:002014-05-08T16:27:28.102-06:00I don't know that publishing attendance figure...I don't know that publishing attendance figures would release the hounds; anti's are already all over us for "lying" about our membership because we count less actives. I'm still not sure what they expect; should we be writing people off as a lost cause without their approval?<br /><br />If anything, reporting attendance by state/country would help the members wake up to the amount of work we need to do.Brandon Plewehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18179862016794010481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-23021639273191169262014-05-08T16:14:33.093-06:002014-05-08T16:14:33.093-06:00I would rather be playing with statistics on LDS c...I would rather be playing with statistics on LDS congregations, but I'll find statistics where I can find them.<br /><br />The above statistics suggest that the Utah Circuit of the LCMS would have the equivalent membership for a stake if they were LDS stats. However, only 3 of the congregations are large enough to be wards. Of course, the Grace Lutheran Church in Sandy is large enough to make 2 wards. A lot of equivalents to branches.Mike Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10025612146815804945noreply@blogger.com