A new stake was created in Brazil a couple weeks ago in the Campinas area. The Sumaré Brazil Stake was organized from the Hortolandia Brazil Stake and includes five wards. Church growth has been strong in the region as several new congregations have been organized in the area over the past year. The Hortolandia Brazil Stake was originally organized in early 2007 with seven wards and had ten wards and a branch prior to the creation of the new stake.
There are now 240 stakes and 49 districts in Brazil.
That's good to know the church is growing exponentially in Brazil. I'm really blessed to be part of the only true and living Church of Jesus Christ on Earth.
ReplyDelete"Valladolid Spain District discontinued. Branches reorganized under the León Spain District and Spain Madrid Mission."
ReplyDeleteThere hasn't been an update on this for over a week now. May I ask, how is the church growth fairing up in the following countries?
ReplyDelete1) Democratic republic of the congo
2) India
3) Madagascar
4) Nigeria
All of these nations have witnessed strong congregational and membership growth in 2008 + 2009 + 2010. Is this trend continuing into 2011?
Along with Tom's question on church growth -- I am wondering whether the growth of the church in Southern India makes it likely that Bangalore or Hyderabad will receive a temple before Delhi does? Knowing that an announcement is probably years ahead, what is the likelihood that Southern India will receive a temple before the capital?
ReplyDeleteAs a stake president I often remind the members that this church will fill the whole Earth.
ReplyDeleteSo far only the DR Congo is experiencing rapid congregational and membership growth in early 2011. Then again, a lot of countries have most of their new units organized within the same time frame (like last year, nearly all the new units in Nigeria were created during the first half of 2011). Membership growth remains strong in each of the four countries you mentioned, along with high convert retention rates.
ReplyDeleteAs for a future temple announcement for India, there was a prophecy made that a temple would be build in New Delhi some day. New Delhi as of late has experienced some of the greatest growth largely due to the establishment of the India New Delhi Mission in 2007. Since then the number of branches in New Delhi increased from three to seven. Granted many have few members, this is a positive step that has followed a church-planting approach that we have not seen in India for nearly two decades. Prospects for the first stakes organized are strongest for Hyderabad, but I think that it would be better to divide each branch into two or three congregations in order to cut down travel times, increase outreach, and work on a member-missionary level especially with ongoing challenges obtaining foreign missionary visas.
Erik,
ReplyDeleteFor now I am just focused on hoping a stake will soon be formed in southern India. I would also guess that the first temple in India would be built there. Nigeria and Brazil are two examples of countries where the first temple was not built anywhere near the capital. Germany is another even more complexed one.
My limited knowledge of the Church in India leads me to the impression the Church has always been stronger in the south, from the day Paul Thiavadross (sorry if I butchered his name) was baptized to the present.
At least as of about 10 years ago about 2/3rds of the missionaries serving in India were Indian citizens. I am not sure what the percentage is at present.
ReplyDeleteMember missionary work is clearly the best way to build the Church. The anti-foriegn missionary nature of India's laws also means that from a logistical standpoint it is much easier to have full-time missionaries who are citizens of the country. From a standpoint of teaching the gospel free from cultural baggage that does not need to be there local missionaries are also gnerally better.