May 2013 Newsletter

Our monthly newsletter from cumorah.com providing church growth news and a summary of recently added resources to the website is now available.  Click here to access the newsletter.

Updated Missionary Numbers

In an article in the Deseret News, the Church reported 68,700 full-time missionaries serving as of May 29th, 2013.  Currently 22,500 members have received their mission calls but have not yet entered the Missionary Training Center (MTC) and an additional 6,200 members are in the process of completing their missionary applications.  Church officials project that the number of full-time missionaries will reach 85,000 this fall; a 47% increase from the approximately 58,000 missionaries serving in October 2012.

For more information about the recent increase in the full-time missionary force for the LDS Church, please refer to the following resources:

• Lowering the Minimum Mission Age: Analysis and Predictions for Growth for the LDS Church
• Analysis of New Missions to be Organized in July 2013
• Raising the Bar and Increasing the Number of Members Serving Missions
• 2012 Annual Statistical Report (blog post)
• April 6th, 2013 Update on the Number of Full-time Missionaries Serving  (blog post)
• March 27th, 2013 Update on the Number of Full-time Missionaries Serving (blog post)
• January 8th, 2013 Update on the Number of Full-time Missionaries Serving (blog post)

New Stake in Australia

A new stake was created in Australia.

The Sydney Australia Fairfield Stake was created from the Liverpool Australia and Sydney Australia Baulkham Hills Stakes and includes the following seven wards: The Fairfield (Tongan), Oatlands, Parramatta, Prairiewood 1st, Prairiewood 2nd (Spanish), Villawood 1st, and Villawood 2nd Ward (Samoan) Wards.  This new stake creation is of particular interest as a couple of the wards in the new stake were previously assigned to the Sydney Parramatta Stake - the first and only stake of the Church to be discontinued in Oceania.  The Sydney Parramatta Stake was discontinued in 2011 and combined with neighboring stakes in the Sydney area, namely the present-day Sydney Australia Baulkham Hills Stake.  The creation of the new Sydney Australia Fairfield Stake does not appear to be attributed to any upswing in member activity or convert retention improvements in the area but rather due to steady growth in the Liverpool Australia Stake over the past decade.  Considering the Church created two new stakes each in Brisbane in late 2012 and Melbourne in early 2013, a second new stake in Sydney or New South Wales may be forthcoming.  The creation of the new stake may also coincide with the ongoing growth of the Church in Australia among Pacific Islanders as evidenced by one of the wards in the new stake now being designated as a Tongan-speaking unit whereas it appeared to be assigned only as an English-speaking unit.

There are now 37 stakes and nine districts in Australia.

Updated List of the Countries with the Most Members without a Stake

Below is an updated list of the countries with the most Latter-day Saints without a stake.  Membership totals are as of 2012 and congregational and district totals are current.  Membership totals for mainland China and Pakistan are estimates as no official statistics are available.  The number of branches and districts in mainland China is not provided due to the sensitive nature of the Church in that country.  Previous lists of the most countries without a stake can be found here.

1. Cambodia - 11,469 members - 28 branches - 6 districts
2. China - 10,500 members?
3. Malaysia - 8,967 members - 33 branches - 8 districts
4. Liberia - 6,709 members - 20 branches - 2 districts
5. Mozambique - 6,029 members - 21 branches - 2 districts
6. Jamaica - 5,580 members - 19 branches - 2 districts
7. Vanuatu - 5,491 members - 31 branches - 3 districts
8. Guyana - 5,415 members - 13 branches - 1 district
9. Federated States of Micronesia - 4,565 members - 4 districts
10. Belize - 4,240 members - 11 branches - 2 districts
11. Pakistan - 3,500 members - 13 branches? - 3 districts
12. Zambia - 3,044 members - 12 branches - 2 districts
13. Armenia - 3,024 members - 11 branches - 1 district
14. Romania - 3,002 members - 18 branches - 2 districts
15. Czech Republic - 2,369 members - 13 branches - 2 districts
16. Albania - 2,299 members - 11 branches - 1 district
17. Bulgaria - 2,296 members - 9 branches - 0 districts
18. Cook Islands - 1,862 members - 5 branches - 1 district
19. Togo - 1,861 members - 11 branches - 1 district
20. Poland - 1,780 members - 14 branches - 2 districts

Prospects appear most favorable for the formation of stakes within the next few years in Cambodia, Malaysia, Liberia, Mozambique, Vanuatu, the Federated States of Micronesia, Belize, Zambia, Armenia, Albania, and Togo as all of these countries has at least one district that is close to reaching the minimum qualifications for a stake to operate.  Low member activity rates, an insufficient number of branches in individual member districts, and few full-tithe paying Melchizedek Priesthood holders will likely continue to delay the organization of stakes in other countries for several more years to come.

Country Statistical Profiles on Cumorah.com

At cumorah.com, we have recently begun posting our country statistical profiles that provide the most exhaustive LDS statistics available on the internet.  In over a year in development, these profiles are part of a total revamp on the website that can currently be accessed through our development website.  Click here to access our statistical profile for Albania and access other profiles that we have posted thus far through the drop down on the top of the webpage.  We have yet to work on our homepage and the webpage layouts so if you notice any errors please overlook these for now.  We hope to have the revamped website and all our resources up within the next month or so.  I have hesitated sharing the link to these before we officially launch the website, but I felt that the public would benefit from having access to these statistical profiles to obtain accurate and detailed church growth data.

New Stake in Guatemala

Last Sunday a new stake was created in Guatemala.  The Antigua Guatemala Stake was organized from the the Chimaltenango Guatemala Stake and includes the following six wards and one branch: The Antigua, Ciudad Vieja, Jocotenango, Parramos, San Lucas 1st, and San Lucas 2nd Wards and the San Pedro Las Huertas Branch.  Unlike most stakes in the country, the Chimaltenango Guatemala Stake has experienced steady congregational growth within the past decade which has necessitated the creation of a new stake.

There are now 41 stakes and 19 districts in Guatemala.

Congregational Growth by Country: 2012

Below is a list of the countries where the Church reported a net increase of four or more units for the year 2012.  The annual percentage increase for the number of wards and branches is also provided:

1. United States +114 (0.8% increase)
2. Nigeria +35 (11.1% increase)
3. Ghana +19 (14.7% increase)
4. Philippines +16 (1.4% increase)
5. Cote d'Ivoire +11 (26.2% increase)
6. Zimbabwe +10 (20.0% increase)
7. Democratic Republic of the Congo  +9 (8.4% increase)
8. Australia +5 (1.8% increase)
9. Cape Verde +5 (27.8% increase)
10. Haiti +5 (13.5% increase)
11. Togo +5 (83.3% increase)
12. India +4 (11.1% increase)
13. Madagascar +4 (12.1% increase)

The net increase in the number of wards and branches in these 13 countries totals 242; a larger number than the net increase in the number of wards and branches for the entire Church for the year 2012.  Five countries experienced a net decrease of four or more units during 2012 including:

1. Mexico -15 (0.8% decrease)
2. Russia -10 (9.2% decrease)
3. South Korea -8 (5.9% decrease)
4. Argentina -8 (1.0% decrease)
5. Canada -5 (1.0% decrease)

Decreasing numbers of congregations in Mexico and Argentina are particularly concerning as the Church has experienced a net decrease in congregations in these two countries for several years now notwithstanding church membership increasing by tens of thousands.