In order for new stakes to be created, there has to be enough active members, which makes the increase in new stakes a good indicator for Church growth. Unfortunately we have not seen very many new congregations created in the United States this year compared to years past. We might end up having the fewest number of new congregations created in the U.S. this year in over a decade unless the pace at which new wards and branches picks up. However we will likely have at least a hundred new units created in 2009 in the U.S. Currently we have had somewhere around seventy created this year by my count.
- Huntsville Alabama Stake (13 wards)
- Wasilla Alaska Stake (10 wards, 3 branches)
- Gilbert Arizona Stake (11 wards, 1 branch)
- Flagstaff Arizona Stake (12 wards, 3 branches)
- Phoenix Arizona Deer Valley Stake (13 wards)
- Prescott Arizona Stake (13 wards, 2 branches)
- Taylor Arizona Stake (11 wards, 1 branch)
- Bakersfield California Stake (10 wards, 2 branches)
- Camarillo California Stake (12 wards)
- Poway California Stake (11 wards, 2 branches)
- Rocklin California Stake (13 wards, 1 branch)
- Roseville California Stake (12 wards)
- Arapahoe Colorado Stake (13 wards)
- Denver Colorado North Stake (11 wards, 1 branch)
- Meeker Colorado Stake (11 wards, 3 branches)
- Parker Colorado Stake (12 wards)
- Wilmington Delaware Stake (10 wards, 5 branches)
- Kahului Hawaii Stake(11 wards, 3 branches)
- Eagle Idaho Stake (13 wards)
- Chubbuck Idaho Stake (12 wards)
- Rigby Idaho Stake (12 wards, 1 branch)
- Louisville Kentucky Stake (11 wards, 5 branches)
- Cambridge Massachusetts Stake (12 wards, 3 branches)
- Omaha Nebraska Stake (11 wards, 2 branches)
- Las Vegas Nevada South Stake (11 wards)
- North Las Vegas Nevada Stake (12 wards)
- Sparks Nevada Stake (11 wards, 2 branches)
- Bloomfield Hills Michigan Stake (11 wards, 1 branch)
- Keizer Oregon Stake (12 wards, 2 branches)
- Colleyville Texas Stake (13 wards)
- Dallas Texas East Stake (12 wards)
- Houston Texas West (Spanish) Stake (11 wards, 2 branches)
- Round Rock Texas Stake (12 wards, 2 branches)
- American Fork Utah West Stake (12 wards)
- Eagle Mountain Utah Stake (11 wards)
- Eagle Mountain Utah East Stake (13 wards)
- Eagle Mountain Utah West Stake (13 wards)
- Enoch Utah Stake (12 wards)
- Fort Herriman Utah Stake (14 wards)
- Highland Utah Stake (13 wards)
- Hooper Utah Stake (12 wards)
- Huntsville Utah Stake (12 wards)
- Kanesville Utah Stake (12 wards, 1 branch)
- La Verkin Utah Stake (12 wards)
- Layton Utah South Stake (13 wards)
- Lehi Utah North Stake (14 wards, 1 branch)
- North Salt Lake Utah Parkway Stake (13 wards, 2 branches)
- Orem Utah Sunset Heights Stake (12 wards, 2 branches)
- Pleasant Grove Manila Stake (12 wards)
- Providence Utah Stake (12 wards, 1 branch)
- Providence Utah South Stake (15 wards)
- Provo Utah South Stake (12 wards)
- Richmond Utah Stake (12 wards)
- Salt Lake Utah (Tongan) Stake (12 wards, 2 branches)
- Santa Clara Utah Stake (15 wards)
- Smithfield Utah Stake (13 wards, 1 branch)
- South Weber Stake (12 wards)
- Spanish Fork Utah South Stake (14 wards, 1 branch)
- Tooele Utah North Stake (12 wards)
- Tremonton Utah South Stake (11 wards, 1 branch)
- West Point Utah Stake (11 wards, 1 branch)
- West Point Utah Lakeside Stake (11 wards, 1 branch)
- Buena Vista Virginia Stake (12 wards, 2 branches)
- Fredericksburg Virginia Stake (10 wards, 3 branches)
- Pasco Washington Stake (12 wards, 4 branches)
- Cheyenne Wyoming Stake (11 wards, 1 branch)
- Gillette Wyoming Stake (10 wards, 5 branches)
- Laramie Wyoming Stake (12 wards)
34 comments:
Thanks for the list. I served part of mission in the PG Manilla stake and the Provo South stake. Provo South was actually my last area.
I'm in the Parker Colorado Stake, and rumors of its split have been going on for months. We even just dedicated a new stake-center-sized chapel within the stake boundaries. I think our stake membership is currently between 4000 and 5000. But, you know, it happens when/if it happens. ..bruce..
In addition, are these stakes large enough to likely merit a possible split in the near future?
Cody Wyoming Stake (11 wards)
Colorado Springs East Stake (11 wards, 1 branch)
Joplin Missouri Stake (10 wards, 2 branches)
New York New York Stake (12 wards, 2 branches)
O’Fallon Illinois Stake (10 wards, 2 branches)
Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Stake (10 wards, 3 branches)
Richardson Texas Stake (14 wards)
Savannah Georgia Stake (10 wards, 2 branches)
Washington DC Stake (10 wards, 2 branches)
Yeah, I think all those stakes are likely to split as well. I just forgot to include them. I am not sure though about about the Colorado Springs North Stake. My father-in-law lives in the stake and it sounds like Colorado Springs won't get another stake for a few more years. There have been some wards combined recently in the Colorado Springs Stake.
I grew up in the Parker Colorado Stake before it split in 2003 to create the Castle Rock Colorado Stake. The growth in this area has been strong, nearly entirely due to new move-ins. I imagine that a new stake in the area would take congregations from the neighboring Arapahoe Colorado Stake as well.
That's good info on the Church in Colorado. Thanks.
I was wondering if there are any branches or groups in the United States or Canada that report directly to a mission. I am aware of the Yellowknife Branch which reports to the Canada Edmonton Mission, and the five branches in Newfoundland which report to the Canada Halifax Mission. A boring topic, perhaps, but are you aware of any others?
I am very interested in mission branches or groups that are not a part of a stake or district. I believe that there is one more branch in Canada in Nunavut for the 10 or so members in that area of the country. I am not aware of any branches or groups in the U.S. which are not a part of a stake or district.
I'm currently showing 138 congregations that have been created in the United States so far this year with 87 wards and 51 branches. Another stake to keep an eye on is the Wellsville Utah Stake, which added two more wards at the end of August for a total of 11 wards.
Rick, Matt counts about 70 new congregations in the US this year, not 138. Are you just counting new ones or are you deducting the closed wards and branches?
How about these stakes?
Kearney NE, 8 wards, 8 branches
College Station TX, 9 wards, 6 branches
Madison WI, 8 wards, 7 branches
Memphis North TN, 9 wards, 5 branches
Columbia MO, 9 wards, 5 branches
Yuma AZ, 9 wards, 4 branches
Nashville, Madison, McMinnville and Franklin TN, all large--43 wards and branches among them
I think that these stakes might split if we see a couple more congregations created or if congregations from other stakes are used to create a new stake. It gets much more difficult to predict where new stakes will be created when considering some may be created from multiple stakes.
It is a count of active units created in the United States in 2009. I am not deducting a count of units discontinued in the United States in 2009.
Thanks, Rick--that clears it up for me. By the way, I like your web page very much. It's very informative.
I wonder why that post was deleted. And what is this very informative website operated by Rick (rfelsted's comment).
Oh By the way, according to the missionaries a branch was created in Setiawan, west Malaysa. This is exciting because it has been at least 5 or 6 years since a branch was created in West Malaysia. Setiawan seems to be a second or even third tier city and apparently has chinese missionaries serving there.
Andrew, to see Rick's Web Page click on his name, then "My Web Page," then on statistics. Under temples find "temple district statistics," I believe. It will show you the number of stakes and districts in each district.
He has also compiled an amazing portfolio of temple pictures, including construction progress photos, site pictures, aerial photos, etc. Very well done.
Oh, I did not know that Rick, whoes comments I am so fimilliar with is the amazing founder of the lds temples website. I just absolutly love that sight and have been checking it almost dailey for almost 3 years.
You're making me blush. Thank you, guys!
The Houston Texas North Stake just received three new Spanish speaking wards from the Houston Texas West (Spanish) Stake. This brings the number of wards in the stake to 13, making it likely for it to split considering we have seen a steady growth in the number of wards in the Houston Texas North Stake.
Here in Raleigh NC, the adjoining stake, aka Apex NC, two wards will be created in the next 2 months along with having one chapel ready for dedication and another ready to break ground. With the addition of these 2 wards the Apex stake will be up to 10 wards and 1 branch. The Raleigh stake has 7 wards and 1 branch. I suspect with 17 wards and 2 branches another stake will be created sometime soon.
I am in the Cambridge, Massachusetts Stake, I attend the Lynn Spanish Branch, and we are growing a lot We have been apporved for a chapel too! Our new stake center is also being built as we speak.
I'm excited to hear about the upcoming growth in congregations in these places in the U.S. Hopefully we will see more wards and branches organized before the end of the year.
Re the Colleyville Stake -
A new stake center-sized building was created in an area covered by the Hurst Stake, a neighbor to the Colleyville Stake (and not on your list, but it has 10 wards).
Colleyville has 13 wards, yes, but that total includes two Tongan-speaking and one singles ward. I'm not sure how that weighs into the equation (Are singles wards easier to manage? Are language wards harder?)
Since there is no "stake" using the new building, I would expect the next stake in the Colleyville/Hurst area to be created out of both stakes, and to use that building. However, 23 wards is a little light for three stakes. Colleyville created a new ward last year and I would expect yet another ward split, as soon as they can find space.
I have family living in the College Station stake, and many of the 6 branches cited are very, very small. Brenham has perhaps 75 active members, and that may be the biggest of the branches. If you split that stake, you'd have 7 or 8 units in each stake, and 3 of each would be a branch.
The problem with CS is that it's kind of in the middle of nowhere. At least one of its branches is over an hour away. Geographically, it would be hard to split without the help of some Houston or Austin stake growing into it...
K, you say that 23 wards is a little light for 3 stakes, but I disagree. Two stakes would have 8 wards each and one would have 7.
These are all respectable sizes for stakes, although you're right...most of the Texas stakes are bigger.
I agree about College Station. Looking at the map there doesn't seem to be a natural basis for division, even though the stake is so big.
I think Scottsbluff NE and Sheridan WY are two likely new stakes, being divisions of Cheyenne WY and Rapid City SD for Scottsbluff and Gillette WY for Sheridan.
Each one would have enough wards and branches, but just barely. The membership may not quite make the necessary 1900 but it would be very close.
Rawlins, WY is another potential stake if the Laramie WY Stake is divided. But it only has 4 wards and 1 branch with a little under 1900 members, so it will be awhile.
The New York New York Stake (where I live) is close to splitting, BUT, a lot depends on the economy.
Our stake growth over the past decade has depended a lot on how the economy and how well Wall Street is doing, as members have moved into the city from elsewhere. Since the economy has been in the dumps for the past year, we have actually lost population.
I can say that a split has been expected among members here for at least the last couple years, and perhaps as much as 5 years. Of our 14 units, 2 or 3 are wards that are nearly large enough to be divided. I assume that once the economy turns around, and we start to see growth here, a split will follow fairly soon.
Is the split in New York projected to be north/south? There once was a NYNY East stake in the 80's, but that was before the Brooklyn, Queens, and Westchester stakes came.
Thanks for the information on the New York New York Stake. Hopefully we will see a second stake created in the coming year or two.
Don't know for sure howre how the split of the New York New York stake will happen. I've always assumed that it will be mostly into a north and a south stake (although they probably won't be called that). I'm guessing that most of the Upper West Side, Harlem and Inwood will be in the northern stake, while the Upper East Side and everything south of Central Park will be in the southern stake.
But, I have to emphasize that I'm not a local leader and I am therefore NOT in a position to really know. This is merely my guess.
Providence Utah and Providence Utah South Stakes will split into 3 Stakes on November 15th. The new Stake Center was built last summer.
Great news about the new stake to be created in Providence. I am a little surprised that the two stakes aren't being made into four stakes. I guess the trend lately in Utah is to make new stakes fairly large, with as many as 10 congregations.
Thanks for the info!
This is a very interesting blog. I wanted to let you know that it was just announced that the Huntsville Alabama Stake (the first in Alabama, created in 1968 now with 15 units) will be splitting at the end of October 2011. A new Madison Alabama Stake will be created with 7 units. The Huntsville Stake will have 9 units (one will be added from a neighboring stake). This is the first new stake in Alabama since 1985.
Post a Comment