Fourth LDS Stake Created in Haiti

A week after the creation of the Church's third stake in Haiti, the Churh created its fourth stake yesterday from the Port-au-Prince Haiti North Stake.  The Croix-des-Missions Haiti Stake includes five wards in the northern portion of the city and becomes the 40th stake to be created in 2012.  With four stakes clustered in the capital, Haiti appears more likely to have a temple announced in the future although poverty and low living standards may deter a temple announcement for many more years.  The simultaneous creation of two new stakes and only five or six wards assigned to each of the four stakes suggests that the Church experiences self-sufficient local leadership and has sufficient numbers of active Melchizedek Priesthood holders to staff both stake and ward callings.  The Haiti Port-au-Prince Mission is entirely staffed by local members who numbered approximately 80 a year ago.