Friday, August 26, 2011

New Stake Organized in Argentina

For the first time since 2004, a new stake was created in Argentina.  The Buenos Aires Argentina Ramos Mejía Stake was organized from the Buenos Aires Argentina Aldo Bonzi and Buenos Aires Argentina West Stakes and includes the following seven wards: The Atalaya, Haedo 1st, Haedo 2nd, Los Pinos, Ramos Mejia, San Justo, and Tablada Wards.  The new stake is Argentina's 71st LDS stake and the 24th stake in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area.  Unlike the LDS Church in other Latin American nations, steady congregational growth occurred in Argentina until the late 2000s.  For the past several years Argentina has experienced a steady decline in the number of LDS congregations primarily the result of the closure of dozens of branches.  The LDS Church reported 863 congregations in 2007 and currently operates approximately 826 congregations at present.  Notwithstanding the concerning trend of congregation consolidations, the organization of a new stake indicates that congregations and local leadership are stable in some areas of the country.

Full-time missionaries have also reported that a new stake will be organized in the near future in Mar del Plata. 

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