New Stakes Created in Malawi, Mozambique, Vanuatu, and Utah; New Districts Created in Brazil and the Philippines

Before I got through the country-by-country updates, I wanted to point out that there have been at least 28 stakes created in 2024 thus far which was four more stakes than were created during the first half of 2023. This is a significant accomplishment considering the increased standards for the creation of new stakes that went into effect January 1st, 2024. Moreover, there have been at least 14 new districts organized thus far in 2024 - approximately twice the number of districts created for the entire year for 2023 (7) as well as during previous years spanning 2020-2022. This development suggests that efforts to expand the Church's operations into previously unreached or lesser reached areas has returned to levels seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (there were 21 new districts organized in 2019).

Malawi

A new stake was created today in Malawi. The Blantyre Malawi Stake was organized from the Blantyre Malawi District. With six branches in the district, it is likely that all branches became wards in the new stake with perhaps just one exception (as new stakes usually have at least five wards). Information on which branches have become wards remains unavailable at this time. The original Blantyre Malawi District was organized in 2011 and has experienced modest growth over the decades. The new stake is the second stake to be organized in Malawi, and the first stake, which is in Lilongwe, was organized on June 2nd. This marks the second shortest time in Church history between the creation of the first and second stakes in a country (the shortest time was in Cambodia where the first two stakes were organized on the same day in 2014). With no more districts in the country and only one mission branch that was recently opened on Mzuzu, there appear good prospects for the expansion of the Church into additional cities now that there are more mission resources that can be repurposed from supporting the districts to national outreach expansion.

Mozambique

A new stake was created in Mozambique on June 16th. The Beira Mozambique Inhamízua Stake was organized from a division of the Beira Mozambique Manga Stake (which was also partially divided to create the Beira Mozambique Munhava Stake in May of 2023). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Cerâmica, the Dondo, the Inhamízua, the Rocha, and the Zona Verde Wards and the Mafarinha Branch. There are now four stakes in Beira - the first three of which were organized in 2015, 2017, and 2023.

There are now eight stakes and two districts in Mozambique.

Vanuatu 

A new stake was created in Vanuatu on June 18th. The Tanna Vanuatu Stake was organized from the Tanna Vanuatu District. The meeting to create the new stake had 2,700 in attendance, suggesting that there may be enough active members in Tanna to create a second stake in the foreseeable future if there is sufficient leadership and sustained activity rates to merit one. Information on which of the eight branches in the district have become wards is unknown at this time. There also appear to be several member groups that function in Tanna. The new stake is the Church's second stake to be organized in Vanuatu following the Port Vila Vanuatu Stake which was created in 2015. Districts in Luganville and Malakula also appear close to becoming stakes in the near future - both have large numbers of branches and impressive district conference attendance.

There are now two stakes and two districts in Vanuatu.

Utah

The Lehi Utah 3rd Stake (Tongan) was created on June 9th from the Orem Utah 2nd Stake (Tongan) and . The new stake includes the following 10 wards: the American Fork 2nd (Tongan), the American Fork 46th (Samoan), the Eagle Mountain 13th (Tongan), the Eagle Mountain 14th (Samoan), the Lehi 31st (Tongan), the Lehi 32nd (Samoan), the Lehi 41st (Tongan), the Lehi 42nd (Samoan), the Saratoga Springs 9th (Tongan), and the Saratoga Springs 12th (Samoan) Wards. 

There are now nine Tongan stakes in Utah. There are now 640 stakes and four districts in Utah.

Brazil

A new district was created in Brazil on June 23rd. The Ji-Paraná Brazil District was organized from branches in the Brazil Manaus Mission. The new district includes the following four branches: the Ariquemes, the Cacoal, the Ji-Paraná, and the Vilhena Branches. The Cacoal Branch is a newly organized branch in the district, whereas there used to be two branches in Vilhena that were consolidated into one branch. At one time, there was a district in Vilhena may years ago with at least three branches in Vilhena. Many member groups have historically functioning in cities nearby Ji-Paraná, such as in Jaru, Pimenta Bueno, and Rolim de Moura, although it is unclear whether these member groups still operate.

There are now 285 stakes and 41 districts in Brazil.

The Philippines

A new district was organized in the Philippines on June 16th. The Argao Philippines District was created from three branches that were previously assigned to the Talisay Philippines Stake, namely the Argao (organized in 2014), the Moalboal (organized in 2020), and the Sibonga Branches (organized in 1992). The new district compasses the southern third of Cebu Island which is almost entirely unreached in regard to the operation of official branches. The creation of the new district may signal efforts to expand into many small cities and towns in southern Cebu, especially since the creation of the Toledo Philippines Stake from the Toledo Philippines District in 2023.

There are now 130 stakes and 54 districts in the Philippines.

First Stake Created in Malawi

The Church organized its first stake in the African nation of Malawi on June 2nd. The Lilongwe Malawi Stake was organized from the Lilongwe Malawi District. All seven branches in the original district were reorganized into wards. Moreover, a new branch was also created when the new stake was organized. The new stake is comprised of the following congregations: the Kalambo 1st, the Kalambo 2nd, the Kawale, the Kasungu 1st, the Kasungu 2nd, and the Presidential Way Wards, and the Chinsapo Branch. 

The Church has had struggles for many years in Malawi with member retention and leadership development. The Church first organized a branch in Lilongwe sometime between 1991 and 2000, but the branch was discontinued in 2002. A branch in Lilongwe was later reinstated in 2007. A branch used to operate in Sitima - a small village approximately 50 miles northeast of Blantyre - from 1999 until 2008. The branch closed due to remote location and challenges with leadership development and sustainability. A branch once operated in northern Lilongwe that was closed in early 2020 (Kauma). The Church has worked for many years to create a stake in Blantyre, but the district has continued to not reach the minimum activity and priesthood standards to create a stake despite there being enough congregations and membership for the district to become a stake. In fact, the first meetinghouse in Blantyre was originally built to become a stake center (even though the building was constructed back in 2005 when there were only 540 members in the whole country).

Despite these challenges, much progress has occurred in the past decade with the Church's growth and stability. Sacrament meeting attendance in Lilongwe was only 30 people in late 2009, whereas today there is now a stake in Lilongwe with five wards and one branch in the city. Additional branches were created in Lilongwe in 2010 (Kauma which was discontinued in 2020), 2013 (Kalambo 1st and Presidential Way), 2016 (Kawale), and 2023 (Kalambo 2nd). Moreover, the Church has organized its first branches in northern Malawi since 2020. Kasungu is a city approximately 65 miles north of Lilongwe were a member group was organized in 2020 that quickly became a branch later that year. A second branch was created in Kasungu in 2022, and both branches have grown sufficiently to become wards in the new stake. The Lilongwe Malawi District was able to meet the more stringent qualifications to become a stake that were implemented for the worldwide Church as of January 2024. Earlier this year, a new branch was created in Mzuzu. Church membership increased by 23.3% in 2023 - the highest annual membership growth rate since 2011 when there were only 1,156 members as of the end of that year. As of year-end 2023, there were 4,776 members. The Book of Mormon translation in Chichewa is nearing completion, as only the books of Mormon, Ether, and Moroni have yet to be translated. 

The creation of the first stake in Malawi, combined with other recent developments in the Church's growth and expansion, signal that there is likely to be significant growth in the country in the near future. Unlike many other neighboring African nations, Malawi's population primarily speaks Chichewa which greatly simplifies translation work and missionary activity. Approximately two-thirds of the population is literate. The population of Malawi is approximately 21 million. Most Malawians are Christian. Malawi appears to be a strong candidate to have its own mission organized, as the country is administered by the Zambia Lusaka Mission and there has been significant recent growth in Malawi. The creation of a separate mission headquartered in Lilongwe may further sustain rapid growth that has recently begun. There are approximately one dozen cities in Malawi with at least 20,000 people without an official Latter-day Saint congregation. Prospects appear favorable to organize multiple congregations in Mzuzu where the first branch was recently organized, as Mzuzu is the third most populous city in Malawi with nearly a quarter of a million people. However, future mission outreach expansion will need to occur in rural communities, as only 18.3% of the country's population lives in urban areas. A temple announcement for Lilongwe is now a more likely possibility given a stake has been organized, although this appears unlikely until there are additional stakes organized.

First Stake Organized in Mozambique; New District Created in Zambia; First Stake to be Created in Zambia in March; Second District to be created in Malawi

Mozambique
On February 15th, the Church organized its first stake in Mozambique. The Maputo Mozambique Stake was organized from the Maputo Mozambique District. Information on which of the seven branches became wards in the new stake remains unavailable. Mozambique was the country with the fourth most members without a stake according to year-end 2013 membership data. The Church in Mozambique experienced rapid membership and congregational growth during the early 2000s although this growth dramatically decreased in the late 2000s. Membership and congregational growth has since rebounded in the 2010s as evidenced by the organization of six new branches within the past year and the organization of the first stake.

Click here to access the statistical profile on LDS growth in Mozambique at cumorah.com.

Zambia
Missionaries serving in the Zambia Lusaka Mission report that the Lusaka Zambia District will become a stake sometime in March. The Lusaka Zambia District has diligently prepared to become a stake for several years and has finally reached the minimal qualifications to become a stake. Currently the district has seven branches and most, if not all, of these branches will become wards when the new stake is organized. Zambia is currently the country with the ninth most Latter-day Saints without a stake based on year-end 2013 membership data.

Missionaries also report that the Church recently organized a second member district in the Copperbelt Region of northern Zambia. The Church reopened the Copperbelt to missionary activity during the early 2000s after several decades of no LDS presence in the area. The new district appears to be based in Ndola. No information is currently available regarding what congregations are in the new district. The Church currently reports five branches in the Copperbelt Region. Missionaries report plans to organize additional branches.

Malawi
Missionaries serving in the Zambia Lusaka Mission report that approval has been given to organize the Lilongwe Malawi District. The Church currently has four branches in the Lilongwe area (Kalambo, Kauma 1st, Kauma 2nd, and Lilongwe). Missionaries also indicate there are plans to organize additional branches in the Lilongwe area within the near future. The Church in Malawi organized its first district in Blantyre in 2011.

Recent Church Growth News

First LDS branch organized in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

The first LDS branch was recently organized in Uvira, DR Congo.  The Uvira Branch becomes the first LDS branch ever organized in the entire eastern or northern areas of the country.  Beginning in 2008, the Church has begun to organize new branches in previously unreached cities such as Gandajika, Kakanda, Kasumbalesa, Kipushi, Matadi, and Mwene-Ditu but with the exception of Matadi all of these cities are located within a day's drive from a city that already had an LDS congregation.  The organization of the new branch in Uvira was made possible by the opening of Burundi to missionary work one year ago and the diligence of local members in the Uvira area to cross the border and frequently attend church services in Bujumbura.

New branches in Malaysia; new ward in Singapore

Three new branches have recently been organized in Malaysia: The Cheras, Kota Kinabalu 2nd, and Masai Branches.  The Cheras Branch was organized in Kuala Lampur and the Masai Branch was organized in the Johore Bahru area.  A ninth ward in the Singapore Stake was also recently organized.  With ongoing congregational growth in the region, Singapore appears to be a likely candidate for a future temple within the next decade especially when districts in Malaysia mature into stakes. 


Rapid membership growth in Uganda

Full-time missionaries serving in the Uganda Kampala Mission report that the mission has so far in 2011 baptized over 1,600 converts, breaking previous records for the number of converts baptized in a single year since the mission was organized in 2005.  Convert retention appears moderate but particularly high in cities which recently had branches organized (Gulu, Lira, Masaka, Mbale, and Njeru).  Several senior missionary couples have recently been assigned to these cities and are providing valuable humanitarian and development work in addition to often working with church administrative affairs in these newly created branches.  Some of these congregations have over 150 attending church services on Sundays.

Malawi to be dedicated for missionary work

On the heels of the organization of the new Zambia Lusaka Mission and the creation of several new branches and groups in Malawi, members report that Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve will visit Malawi and offer a formal dedicatory prayer for the nation.  Malawi currently pertains to the Zambia Lusaka Mission and LDS congregations operate in Blantyre (4), Lilongwe (3), and Liwonde.  With nearly 16 million inhabitants, Malawi appears a very favorable nation to have its first LDS mission organized in the near future.

First LDS Districts Organized in Angola and Malawi; District Discontinued in Canada

Angola

The first LDS district in Angola named the Luanda Angola District was organized today and includes three branches in the capital city of Luanda (Cassequel, Luanda 1st, and Luanda 2nd).  The first LDS congregation in Angola was organized in the mid-1990s and full-time missionaries were first assigned in the late 2000s.  Angola currently has 932 Latter-day Saints meeting in three branches and several groups scattered throughout the country.  Prospects for a future LDS mission based in Luanda are extremely likely for the immediate future.

Malawi

The first LDS district in Malawi named the Blantyre Malawi District was organized a week ago and includes four branches in Blantyre (Blantyre 1st, Blantyre 2nd, Ndirande, and Zingwangwa); the latter two branches were organized at the same time the district was created.  Concentrated LDS missionary activity in Malawi commenced in the early 2000s in Blantyre.  Malawi will be included in the new Zambia Lusaka Mission which will be organized this July and include Malawi and Zambia.  Additional church growth developments in Malawi include the creation of the Lilongwe Branch in late 2007 and a second branch in Lilongwe a couple months ago (the Kauma Branch).  Both branches in Lilongwe do not pertain to a stake or district.  The first organized branch in Malawi, the Sitima Branch was discontinued a few years ago due to its remote location and administrative challenges.  Missionaries report that recently an LDS group has officially been organized for church services in the nearby, more populated city of Liwonde.  Currently there are six branches, one home group, and 925 members.

Cananda

The Saguenay Quebec District was recently discontinued and the three branches of the former district are now administered by the Longueuil Quebec Stake.  Few active members, long distances between the three branches, and few priesthood leaders likely contributed to the closure of the district. 

New Mission in Zambia in 2011

Missionaries serving in the Zimbabwe Harare Mission report that LDS apostle Elder Christofferson announced that next summer the mission will divide to create the Zambia Lusaka Mission. The new mission will likely be organized on July 1st and will include Zambia and Malawi. Zimbabwe is the least populated of the three countries current part of the Zimbabwe Harare Mission and has one of the highest percentages of Latter-day Saints in the population among continental African nations at around 0.15%, or one member per 661, whereas Zambia and Malawi have some of the lower percentages of Latter-day Saints in continental Africa (one member per 5,620 in Zambia and one member per 19,358 in Malawi). Zimbabwe currently experiences some of the most penetrating outreach by Latter-day Saints in Africa as most large cities have a church presence. There are 11.7 million people and 17,632 Latter-day Saints in Zimbabwe.

The Church in Zambia experienced rapid growth during the first half of the 2000s as membership grew from 725 in 2000 to 1,648 in 2005 and the number of congregations increased from four to 10. Missionary work began outside Lusaka for the first time in decades in the Copperbelt region along the DR Congo border. Branches were established in three cities (Kitwe, Luanshya, and Ndola). During the latter-half of the 2000s, membership grew to 2,395 in 2009 but there was no increase in the number of congregations during this period likely due to poor convert retention and a lack of trained leadership. The creation of the new mission will allow for greater mentoring from the mission president for local Priesthood leadership and increase the likelihood of additional areas opening for missionary work. The Lusaka Zambia District has been preparing to become a stake for several years now. At present the Church is only established in Lusaka and three cities of the Copperbelt region. Zambia has 13.5 million people.

The Church has experienced some of the poorest convert retention and member activity rates in Africa in Malawi, which has 15.5 million people. Missionaries report little progress over the past few years despite missionaries recently opening Lilongwe to missionary work and consistently working in Blantyre for several years. In 2009, there were almost 800 members in Malawi organized in three branches.

Angola, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Togo

I wanted to group these five countries together because they have a lot of similarities pertaining to the Church. Each currently have 600-800 members, between 2-4 congregations and proselyting missionaries serving in them from around the world. All of these countries have not had the Church established for very long. Membership in 2000 for these countries was the following: Angola (510), Cameroon (155), Ethiopia (344), Malawi (274), and Togo (117). At the end of 2007, membership grew to the following: Angola (759), Cameroon (639), Ethiopia (784), Malawi (705), and Togo (733).

From what I could find, only Ethiopia and Togo have been dedicated for the preaching of the Gospel, which occurred rather recently (2004 and 2007 respectfully). Ethiopia was dedicated by Elder Nelson and Togo was dedicated by Elder Bednar. All of these countries do not have a district organized in them yet but likely to have their first districts organized in the next year or two I believe. Another similarity they all share is that each have added a new congregation in the past 18 months.

It will be exciting to see how the Gospel spreads in these nations. The conditions appear to mirror Mozambique six years ago when once membership reached 800, rapid growth took place bringing membership in the country to over 4,000 in 2007. Branches were greatly multiplied in the country from 5 to 16 during that time as well. For that reason I think it is likely that if any new missions are announced in the coming month or two (most missions of the Church are announced in late February/early March and organized in July), these countries would be prime candidates in Africa. Other African countries I see as likely to gain additional missions in the near future include the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Lubumbashi), Nigeria (Benin City), and South Africa (Port Elizabeth).

Update of Church Growth

New Branch in Uganda

A new branch was recently created in the Jinja District of Uganda. The Mpumudde Branch is the fifth branch in the Jinja District and the 16th in Uganda.

City Opens for Missionary Work in Malawi

The capital city of Malawi received a branch of the Church last fall and has just opened to missionary work. Lilongwe and Blantyre are the only cities opened for missionary work at this time in the country. There are three or four branches in Malawi today.

City Opens for Missionary Work in Botswana

Last spring missionaries were sent to open the city of Molepolole to the preaching of the Gospel. A branch has been established and there are now three branches and two wards in the country. The city of Molepolole has around 54,600 inhabitants and was the largest city that did not have the Church established in it yet in Botswana.

Rapid Growth in Qatar

Although Muslims are not allowed to attend Church services and the Qatari government does not recognize the Church, the city of Doha has two wards in it for foreigners living in the country. The second ward was organized last year for Filipinos as a branch originally, but has rapidly grown since its creation. Members in both congregations are living there on business.

New Ward created in Taiwan

The 10th ward in the Kaohsiung Taiwan Stake was recently created in Taliao. The stake now has 10 wards and a branch. It is likely the stake will be divided soon since it is the largest stake it Taiwan at this time.