New Stake in Utah; Districts Discontinued in Guyana and French Guiana

Utah

A new stake was created in Utah last Saturday. The Riverton Utah Harvest Park Stake has eight wards and was created from a division of the Fort Herriman Utah Stake which had 15 wards prior to the creation of the new stake. There are now 547 stakes in Utah.

Guyana

Full-time missionaries serving in Guyana report that the Canje Guyana District was discontinued at the end of 2010 and branches pertaining to the former district now report directly to the West Indies Mission. Guyana experienced rapid membership and congregational growth in the late 2000s. Growth came to a dramatic halt following the removal of nearly the entire North American missionary force in September 2009 and the implementation of stricter standards for convert baptisms under a new mission president who began serving in July 2009. A combination of low convert retention, inadequate numbers of active priesthood leadership to fill branch and district presidencies, apostasy, and reliance on full-time missionaries for church administrative duties contributed to the discontinuation of the district. Many of the new congregations established in the late 2000s continue to operate under local leaders, indicating that some self-sustaining progress has been achieved in recent years. There are no signs that the Georgetown Guyana District will mature into a stake in the near future and much of the excitement and anticipation for strong church growth in Guyana exhibited only a couple years ago has disappeared. Increasing sacrament attendance has been reported in some branches in the New Amsterdam area over the past couple months.

French Guiana

Organized in 2009, the Cayenne French Guiana District was discontinued and the Kourou Branch was closed. Full-time missionaries serving in French Guiana reported that staffing leadership for congregations in Cayenne has been a major challenge. Inadequate numbers of local leaders appear the primary reason for the discontinuation of the district. The LDS Church has always struggled in French Guiana due to high rates of emigration and a transient migrant worker population.

First Branches Created in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo

Last spring the Church created administrative branches in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Montenegro to manage membership records and coordinate small LDS gatherings in the Balkans from the Europe Area headquarters in Germany. However no official branches were organized in any of these countries at the time. Progress has been made less than a year later as the first LDS branches were organized in Pristina, Kosovo and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Both branches appear to have native branch presidents and jurisdiction for both countries remains under the Europe Area. Administrative branches continue to function for both Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo despite the creation of the two new branches. LDS meetings also appear to occur regularly in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Church dedicated both Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo for missionary work last fall. No proselyting missionaries have been assigned, but senior missionary couples regular serve in the area.

Church Growth News

LDS branch officially created in Burundi

Senior couple missionaries serving in the DR Congo Lubumbashi Mission report that the first official branch has been created in the country of Burundi. LDS services have previously operated as a group. A branch once operated in Burundi in the 1990s, but was discontinued as members left the country as a result of war. Dozens of converts have been baptized since full-time missionaries were assigned last September. Prospects appear to be materializing for mission outreach to expand outside of Bujumbura in the coming months and years.

New stakes to be created

Full-time missionaries serving around the world report that new stakes will soon be created in the following locations:

• Donetsk, Ukraine
• Kananga, DR Congo
• Quetzaltenango, Guatemala area
• Granada, Nicaragua

It is unclear whether First Presidency approval has been granted for each of these potential stakes and I will provide updates once they become available.

Nepal Update

Although not recognized by the government and operating unofficially, the LDS Church in Nepal was reported by the Church to have 133 members in the sole branch headquartered in Kathmandu. No active proselytism occurs in Nepal and Nepalese youth have begun to serve full-time missions in increasing numbers in recent years.

City in Kazakhstan opening for missionary work

Full-time missionaries serving in Kazakhstan report that for the first time in LDS Church history, a second city will have full-time missionaries assigned. Only Almaty has LDS missionaries at present, but next month the capital city of Astana should also have full-time missionaries assigned. There have been plans for years to eventually open Astana for full-time missionary work and it is unclear whether current plans will materialize as past plans never came to fruition.

City in Uganda opens for missionary work; first branch to be created at the end of January

The city of Lira, Uganda has had full-time missionaries recently assigned and the Uganda Kampala Mission President will create the first branch in the city later this month. Full-time missionaries report that sacrament attendance has increased to over 50 and that there are now five priesthood holders.

New missions in 2011 rumors

Although no official plans have been announced, there has been discussion on new missions which may open in July 2011. I announced a couple months ago concerning plans to open a new mission in Lusaka, Zambia. Potential new missions which may be created this year are listed below. These potential new missions have been cited by full-time missionaries serving in the field.

• Ethiopia Addis Ababa
• Angola Luanda/Mozambique Beira
• Togo/Benin

Church planting in the United States

Full-time missionaries serving in Little Rock, Arkansas report that mission and stake leadership have experimented with church planting approaches recently. A group operates in the Little Rock area with a full-time missionary companionship assigned that has grown to 25 some members attending weekly - all of which are recent converts. Missionaries report that they started the congregation from scratch and are hoping to organize an independent branch from the group in the near future as local priesthood leadership develops. This church planting example illustrates the need for such missionary approaches worldwide for the LDS Church in order to improve convert retention, member self-sufficiency, and long-term church growth.

Stakes Likely to Split Outside the United States and Canada

The organization of new stakes is a strong indicator for church growth for the LDS Church as stakes require minimal numerical standards of active members, Priesthood holders, and functioning congregations. Once a stake has ten or more wards, it may divide to create a second stake dependent on the numbers of active members and Priesthood holders being sufficient to staff two stakes.

The last time I provided a list of stakes that may potentially split outside the United States was in September 2009. Below is an updated list of stakes which may divide to create additional stakes due to increases in the number of congregations. Congregation data was obtained from lds.org/maps. Member and missionary reports from around the world have contributed to the compilation of this list, as well as congregational growth trends in these areas. Some stakes listed currently have an inadequate number of congregations to divide, but based on recent congregational growth trends and missionary reports, will likely divide within the next year or two.

This list is not definitive and does not guarantee that stakes listed will be divided and new ones created. Local and area LDS leaders apply to the First Presidency to divide and create new stakes. The time frame for when most of these stakes will likely be divided is within the next two or three years based on past trends.

Your suggestions and input is valuable. Please offer constructive comments on additional stakes which may divide or be created from districts. The 2009 list can be found here.

Africa

Katuba Democratic Republic of Congo Stake: 9 wards, 1 branch
Kinshasa Democratic Republic of Congo Stake: 9 wards
Lubumbashi Democratic Republic of Congo Stake: 10 wards
Takoradi Ghana Stake: 10 wards
Tema Ghana Stake: 10 wards, 1 branch
Antananarivo Madagascar Stake: 12 wards, 2 branches
Benin City Nigeria Ihogbe Stake: 11 wards
Benin City Nigeria Ikpokpan Stake: 10 wards
Benin City Nigeria New Benin Stake: 15 wards
Lagos Nigeria West Stake: 10 wards, 1 branch
Roodepoort South Africa: 8 wards, 5 branches, two groups

Asia/Pacific

Newcastle Australia Stake: 10 wards, 2 branches
Butuan Philippines Stake: 10 wards, 1 branch
Makati Philippines Stake: 11 wards, 1 branch
Apia Samoa West Stake: 10 wards
Pesega Samoa Stake: 10 wards
Savaii Samoa Stake: 12 wards
Paea Tahiti Stake: 11 wards
Raromatai Tahiti Stake: 10 wards, 4 branches
Nuku'alofa Tonga Liahona Stake: 10 wards

Brazil

Brasilia Brazil Alvorada Stake: 10 wards, 1 branch
Hortolandia Brazil Stake: 10 wards, 1 branch
Juiz de Fora Brazil: 11 wards
Recife Brazil Jardim Sao Paulo: 8 wards, 4 branches
Santa Maria Brazil: 10 wards, 1 branch

Central America

Alajuela Costa Rica Stake: 10 wards, 2 branches
San Jose Costa Rica La Paz Stake: 11 wards, 1 branch
San Jose Costa Rica La Sabana Stake: 10 wards, 2 branches
Tegucigalpa Honduras Toncontin Stake: 10 wards, 1 branch
Managua Nicaragua Stake: 10 wards
Managua Nicaragua Bello Horizonte Stake: 8 wards, 3 branches

Mexico

Amecameca Mexico Stake: 10 wards, 1 branch
Celaya Mexico Stake: 11 wards
Chalco Mexico Stake: 10 wards
Chilpancingo Mexico Stake: 10 wards, 5 branches
Coatzacoalcos Mexico Puerto Stake: 13 wards
Ciudad Juarez Mexico East Stake: 11 wards
Ciudad Juarez Mexico La Cuesta Stake: 10 wards, 1 branch
Culiacan Mexico Stake: 10 wards, 1 branch
Jalapa Mexico Stake: 10 wards
Juchitan Mexico Stake: 10 wards, 3 branches
Mexico City Anahuac Stake: 11 wards
Mexico City Chapultepec Stake: 11 wards
Mexico City Cuautitlan Stake: 11 wards
Mexico City Culturas Stake: 11 wards
Mexico City Iztapalapa Stake: 10 wards
Mexico City La Perla Stake: 10 wards, 2 branches
Mexico City Tecamac Stake: 11 wards, 1 branch
Mexico City Tepalcapa Stake: 11 wards
Mexico City Valle Dorado Stake: 11 wards, 1 branch
Mexico City Villa de las Flores Stake: 10 wards
Oaxaca Mexico Monte Alban Stake: 10 wards, 3 branches
Puebla Mexico La Libertad Stake: 10 wards
Puebla Mexico Nealtican Stake: 12 wards, 1 branch
Saltillo Mexico Republica Stake: 11 wards
Teziutlan Mexico Stake: 10 wards, 3 branches
Veracruz Mexico Villa Rica Stake: 10 wards, 1 branch
Villahermosa Mexico Gaviotas Stake: 10 wards, 1 branch

South America (Spanish-speaking)

Buenos Aires Argentina Castelar Stake: 10 wards
Buenos Aires Argentina West Stake: 10 wards, 1 branch
Jujuy Argentina Stake: 10 wards, 3 branches
La Plata Argentina Villa Elvira Stake: 10 wards, 2 branches
Cochabamba Bolivia Stake: 11 wards
La Paz Bolivia Miraflores Stake: 12 wards, 1 branch
Santa Cruz Bolivia Canoto Stake: 11 wards
Guayaquil Ecuador Pascuales Stake: 10 wards, 1 branch
Luque Paraguay Stake: 10 wards, 3 branches
Arequipa Peru Manuel Prado Stake: 10 wards
Lima Peru Canto Grande Stake: 10 wards
Lima Peru Villa Salvador Stake: 10 wards
Montevideo Uruguay East Stake: 11 wards, 1 branch
Ciudad Ojeda Venezuela Stake: 10 wards, 1 branch
Maracay Venezuela Stake: 12 wards
Puerto La Cruz Venezuela Stake: 11 wards, 2 branches

Church Growth News

Brazil's most populous unreached city by the LDS Church now has an LDS congregation.

Located in the remote interior of Para State, the first known LDS congregation was recently organized in Maraba. The Maraba Branch services the city of 186,000 inhabitants that was formerly Brazil's most populous city without an official LDS congregation nearby. The only other Brazilian city with more inhabitants without an LDS congregation nearby is Mage, located nearby Rio de Janeiro. The nearby Piabeta Branch administers Mage. Mage appears likely to have its own congregation in the coming years as it the city supports a population of 216,000. There remain several additional cities with over 100,000 in northern Brazil without LDS congregations, such as Caxias, Araguaina, and Parauapebas.

New Stake to be created in Guatemala in January

Full-time missionaries serving in the Guatemala Quetzaltenango Mission report that a new stake will be organized next month in the Quetzaltenango area and that several new congregations will be created. Guatemala experienced rapid church growth in the 1980s and 1990s, but only one new stake was created in the 2000s as membership growth rates declined, low convert retention and member activity prevented the creation of new congregations and stakes, and several wards and branches were consolidated. I will provide more information once the new stake is created.

Growth accelerates in El Salvador

Full-time missionaries serving in El Salvador report many positive developments for 2010 as one of the two missions has baptized over 2,000 new converts this year and sacrament attendance has consistently increased to over 11,000 in one of the missions. Several stakes are close to splitting as branches have consistently become wards in recent years, but there has been no noticeable increase in total congregations in 2010 however. No significant increases in the number of congregations in the next year will likely indicate member activity and leadership development problems, but increases in sacrament attendance point to some improvement in activity rates in this nation that has historically seen some of the lowest member activity and convert retention rates worldwide.

District discontinued in Pennsylvania

The Brookville Pennsylvania District was discontinued and two of its seven original branches were discontinued. Most of the branches were absorbed into the Altoona Pennsylvania Stake. One of the branches - the Brookville Branch - has become a ward. There are now ten districts left in the United States, many of which are in remote areas or in the intercity. With the ongoing trend of district consolidations with stakes in the United States, it is possible that most remaining districts may be consolidated within the next decade as in 2000, there were 16 districts in 2000.

Three New Stakes Created in Brazil

Belem, Para State

Two of the three preexisting stakes in this northern Brazilian city located near the mouth of the Amazon River were reorganized into five stakes two Sundays ago. The Belem Brazil Cabanagem Stake had 11 wards and one branch and the Belem Brazil Cidade Nova Stake had nine wards and one branch prior to the creation of the two new stakes. The new Belém Brazil Entroncamento Stake has five wards (Aguas Lindas, Ananindeua, Entrocamento, Julia Seffer, Marituba) and one branch (Mosqueiro) and the Belém Brazil Icoaraci Stake has four wards (Agulha, Icoaraci, Maracacuera, Satelite) and one branch (Outeiro). Para state has experienced an unprecedented surge in the creation of new stakes as two additional stakes were created from districts earlier this year (Castanhal and Santarem), increasing the total number of stakes from three to seven in 2010. Full-time missionaries report that local Church and mission leaders are preparing the region for the announcement of a temple sometime in the near future.

Fortaleza, Ceare State

The 15th stake in the Fortaleza metropolitan area was created two weeks ago near the downtown area from a division of the Fortaleza Brazil Montese and Fortaleza Brazil West Stakes. The Fortaleza Brazil Benfica Stake includes the Benfica, Democrito Rocha, Expedicionarios, Jardim America, and Rodolfo Teofilo Wards. No other stakes appear likely to divide until additional congregations are created in the Fortaleza area. There are now 239 stakes and 49 districts in Brazil.

Four New Stakes Created

Guam

Elder L. Tom Perry organized the first stake on Guam last Sunday, named the Barrigada Guam Stake. The new stake was created from the Guam District and each of the five branches became wards. One of the five wards in the new stake functions on neighboring Saipan. In 2010, two countries/territories had their first LDS stakes established, which were Uganda and Guam. The creation of the new stake increases the likelihood of a future LDS temple to be build in Micronesia to service members in the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, the Marshall Islands, and Kiribati.

Brazil

The Church created the Pacajus Brazil Stake last Sunday from a division of the Fortaleza Brazil East Stake, which had nine wards and two branches. Consisting of five wards and one branch, the Pacajus Brazil Stake includes the Pacajus 1st, Pacajus 2nd, Pedras, Russas, and Tabajaras Wards, and the Aracati Branch. The Tabajaras Ward was formerly a branch prior to the creation of the new stake. LDS Church growth has been among the strongest worldwide in eastern Fortaleza as the Fortaleza Brazil East Stake was created in 2005 and has since divided in 2008 and 2010. The Aracati Brazil District operated from 2003 to 2008 until it was absorbed into the Fortaleza Brazil East Stake and two of its original three branches have since become wards. Growth has occurred in other areas of Fortaleza and a new stake has been created every year in the city since 2005. Located in the northeast of Fortaleza, the Fortaleza Brazil Stake has experienced rapid congregational growth in 2010 as the number of wards has increased from five to eight. The Church announced a temple for Fortaleza in October 2009. There are now 236 stakes in Brazil.

Venezuela

The Maracaibo Venezuela South Stake had 12 wards and two branches and was divided last Sunday to create the new San Francisco Venezuela Stake. Comprising seven wards in the southern areas of Maracaibo, the new stake consists of the Bolivar, El Caujaro, El Sol, La Canada, San Francisco, Union, and Veintecuatro de Julio Wards. The Maracaibo Venezuela South Stake now has five wards and two branches. Prior to the creation of the new stake, the last stake created by the Church in Maracaibo was in 2006. At present, only the Ciudad Ojeda Stake appears close to splitting among stakes in the Maracaibo area. Former LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley visited Maracaibo a decade ago and predicted that a temple would one day be build in the city. Temple attendance at the Caracas Venezuela Temple appears too low currently to merit the construction of a temple in Maracaibo in the immediate future, but prospects appear high for a temple in Maracaibo in the coming decade. There are now 28 stakes in Venezuela and six stakes in the Maracaibo area. For more information about prospects, challenges, and opportunities for LDS Church growth in Venezuela, please read an article recently written by me and David Stewart at Cumorah.com found here.

The Philippines

Becoming the first new stake of 2010, the Church created the Paniqui Philippines Stake from the Paniqui Philippines District last Sunday. The new stake consists of five wards (Anao, Gerona, Moncada 1st, Paniqui 1st, and Paniqui 2nd) and four branches (Cuyapo, Moncada 2nd, Panique 3rd, and Ramos). The stake is located not too far from Urdaneta where the third LDS temple in the Philippines will be constructed in the coming years. The creation of the new stake is a major accomplishment for the Church in that there have been no new stakes created in northern Luzon since 2001 and that several stakes were discontinued in the early 2000s in this area. Dozens of districts appear close to becoming stakes in the near future throughout the Philippines, but low member activity and poor convert retention have delayed the creation of additional stakes and congregations. For more information about the Church in the Philippines, I refer you to another article written by me and David Stewart on Cumorah.com found here.

New Stake in Brazil and New District in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Brazil

A new stake was created in Brazil last Sunday from a district in the Rio de Janeiro area. The Macaé Brazil Stake consists of five wards and one branch. Prospects appear high for the Church to announce a temple in Rio de Janeiro as at present members travel to the Campinas Brazil Temple to participate in temple ordinances. There are now 235 stakes in Brazil.

DR Congo

The Church created its fifth district in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the third largest city of Mbuji-Mayi. The Church had one branch in Mbuji-Mayi for several years which divided into two congregations in the late 2000s. At present, there are now four branches in the city that are part of the newly created district that pertains to the DR Congo Lubumbashi Mission, created last July. Church growth remains strong in the interior of the DR Congo in the cities of Mbuji-Mayi, Kananga, Luputa, Mwene-Ditu, and Ngandajika. The creation of a third mission for the DR Congo based in one of these cities appears highly likely in the coming years and with the exception of some mission leaders and senior missionary couples, would be staffed entirely by African missionaries. The population of the DR Congo stands at 70.9 million and Latter-day Saints numbered 23,600 at the end of 2009. In addition to the five districts now operating, there are seven stakes.

LDS Non-African Missionaries Evacuated from Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) - Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan Mission May Divide to Create New Mission in 2011

Full-time missionaries serving in the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan Mission report that plans are being finalized to remove all non-African missionaries serving in Cote d'Ivoire to Benin and Togo as a result of increasing political instability from a recent presidential election. Cote d'Ivoire has demonstrated high levels of self-sufficiency and sustainability as the Church was first established in the early 1990s at at present there are four stakes and a district. Political instability has continued to delay expansion of the Church into presently-unreached areas in the country over the past decade, especially outside the capital of Abidjan. Non-African missionaries have been withdrawn in the past and did not serve in Cote d'Ivoire from the mid-2000s to 2009. New congregations are regularly organized and local members serve missions in large numbers.

The administrative decision to relocate all non-African missionaries in the mission to Benin and Togo will facilitate the creation of a new mission for these two nations. Full-time missionaries report that the Church has been planning on creating a new mission to administer these two nations in the coming months. A mission based in Lome, Togo would greatly increase potential for the LDS Church to expand nationwide as the Church at present only operates in Lome, Togo and Cotonou, Benin. Distance and a lack of missionary resources has prevented a greater church establishment in these nations, which have no legal restrictions and highly receptive populations to the Church. The Church has not formally announced any plans to create a new mission as of yet.

The Church in Togo continues to grow rapidly. The first branch was created in the early 2000s and divided to create the Tokoin Branch in 2006. Additional branches were created in 2008 (Hédzranawoé), 2009 (Be-Kpota), and 2010 (Ablogame). The five branches in Togo belong to the Lome Togo District, created in late 2009. LDS membership has grown from 117 in 2000 to 1,034 in 2009.

The Church has grown less rapidly in Benin. There were 11 Latter-day Saints in 2004 and in 2009 there were several hundred. The first branch was created in 2004 (Cotonou). In 2008, the branch was divided in to three branches: Akpakpa, Gbedjromede, and Menontin. Currently the three branches are not part of a stake or district and full-time missionaries report that member activity rates are high and local leadership has been developed.

New Stake in Brazil and New District in Papua New Guinea

New stake in Brazil

The Church created a new stake in Brazil last weekend in Para State. The Castanhal Brazil Stake was created for the Castanhal Brazil District and includes five wards, all of which were created from the five branches in the former district. Full-time missionaries have reported that the district would soon become a stake for several months. The new stake become Brazil's 234th stake. There are now 49 districts in the country. Four stakes now operate Para state, one of which was created from a district (Santarém ) earlier this year.

A new stake will likely be created in Belem region of Para in the near future as the Belem Brazil Cabanagem Stake now has 11 wards and one branch as two new wards were recently created. Despite recent growth in Para, it remains one of the least reached states by the Church in Brazil as there are dozens of large cities without an LDS presence.

New District in Papua New Guinea

A new district was recently created in Sogere, Papua New Guinea from one branch in the Daru Papua New Guinea District. Four new branches were organized in the new district, bringing the total of branches to five. New branches in the district include the Bimaramio, Miruwo, Oropai, and Sisiami Branches. These branches likely functioned as groups or dependent branches prior to the creation of the district.

The Daru Papua New Guinea District now has six branches.

The creation of this new district is exciting and illustrates the potential for rapid church growth in remote, rural areas through coordination of member-missionary activity. Sogere and other villages with congregations in the new district are small villages not on most maps of Papua New Guinea and are located in the remote Western Province (or Fly Province) on the Indonesian border. Strong local Priesthood leadership appears to have been developed as other regions of Papua New Guinea have clusters of LDS congregations and yet remain outside the boundaries of stakes or districts.

The red shaded area on the map below is where the Sogere District was created.


View Sogere Papua New Guinea District in a larger map