As reported in an earlier post, the Church created a new stake in Italy. The Milan Italy East Stake was formed last Sunday from a division of the Milan Italy Stake and includes the Cimiano, Lecco, Merate, Muggiò, and Pavia Wards and the Lodi Branch. Missionaries and members report steady growth in the Milan area over the past five years, with the number of active Melchizedek Priesthood holders increasing by over 100 within the boundaries of the original stake. Although some Italians have joined the Church in recent years, nonnative converts and members appear to have driven most of the recent growth. The Church recently reversed the decade-long trend of declining congregational totals within the past year as new units have been recently organized in Rome and Bergamo.
There are now eight stakes and five districts in Italy.
This is wonderful! I was shocked to hear that Italy was going to get a temple. I then listened to an interview with the then stake president of Rome (on the Mormon Channel) and he said that around 80% of the attendance in the Swiss temple came from Italy. Good for them!
ReplyDelete"nonnative converts and members appear to have driven most of the recent growth.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. American ex-pats or African/Asian immigrants? Or some third category I can't conjure?
I wanted to know if the Church's activity rate has improved at all in Winnipeg. Has the temple's announcement had any effect?
ReplyDeleteThe new Rexburg Married Student 4th Stake was created on last sunday.
ReplyDeleteThe Church News states that the new stake is called the Milan West stake, not East...?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/62866/New-stake-presidents.html