New Stakes Created in Costa Rica and Utah; District Discontinued in Costa Rica

Costa Rica
Two Sundays ago, the Church organized its sixth stake in Costa Rica.  The Heredia Costa Rica Stake was organized from the Alajuela Costa Rica Stake and includes the following five wards and two branches: The Belen, Flores, Heredia, Ojo de Agua, and San Francisco Wards and the San Rafael and Santo Domingo Branches.  As part of the new stake creation, the nearby Naranjo Costa Rica District was consolidated with the Alajuela Costa Rica Stake and two branches in the former district were upgraded to ward status.  There are now six stakes and four districts in Costa Rica

Utah
The Church organized a new stake in Utah last Sunday.  The Orem Utah Vineyard Stake was organized from the Orem Utah Sunset Heights Stake and includes the following seven wards and one branch: The Vineyard 1st, Vineyard 2nd, Vineyard 3rd (Spanish), Vineyard 4th, Vineyard 5th. Vineyard 6th and Vineyard 7th Wards and the Geneva Branch (Care Center).  There are now 564 stakes and one district in Utah.

First LDS Stake Created in Armenia

Last Sunday, the Church organized its first stake in the small Christian country of Armenia.  Located in the Caucasus Mountains and surrounded by Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, and the Republic of Georgia, Armenia is the world's oldest Christian country where the majority of the population adheres to the Armenian Apostolic Church.  The LDS Church began missionary activity in Armenia during the early 1990s and the Church organized the first member district in 1994.  In 1999, the Church organized the Armenia Yerevan Mission from the Russia Rostov Mission.  Steady membership growth occurred during the late 1990s and the 2000s and several additional branches were organized in Yerevan and additional cities.  In 2008, the Church organized a second member district in Yerevan with the goal to eventually organize two stakes in Yerevan within the medium term.  In 2011, the two districts in Yerevan were consolidated into a single district and four branches were closed in preparation to create ward-sized units. During the past decade, the Church has struggled with inactivity problems incurred by quick-baptism tactics employed during many years in the 2000s and the emigration of active membership.

Information on which branches in the district became wards in the new stake is not currently available and I will post this information once it becomes available.  As of year-end 2012, Armenia ranked as the country with the thirteenth most members without a stake with 3,024 members, 11 branches, and one district.  The new Yerevan Armenia Stake becomes one of the Church's most isolated stakes in the world as the nearest stakes to Yerevan are located in Kyiv, Ukraine (approximately 1,000 miles away) and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (over 1,200 miles away).  Due to visa restrictions, only 57 missionaries serve in the entire Armenia Yerevan Mission which includes Armenia and the Republic of Georgia.

For more information on LDS Church growth in Armenia, refer to our statistical profile, country profile, and LDS International Atlas on cumorah.com.

100th Stake to be Organized in Peru

Members in Peru report that in two weekends the Church will organized its 100th stake in the country through a division of the Lima Peru La Molina Stake.  Currently only three countries have more than 100 stakes: The United States (1,503), Brazil (247), and Mexico (226).  One country (Chile) once had more than 100 stakes currently has 74 stakes as a result of the consolidation of over 40 stakes a decade ago due to inactivity and leadership problems.  Once the stake is organized there will be 42 stakes in the Lima metropolitan area - the second highest for any metropolitan area outside the United States after Mexico City.

For more information on this development, visit a Facebook page by clicking here.

New Stake in Zimbabwe; New District in French Polynesia

Zimbabwe
A new stake as created last Sunday in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.  The Nkulumane Zimbabwe Stake was organized from the Bulawayo Zimbabwe Stake and includes the following four wards and four branches: The Nketa 1st, Nkulumane 1st, Nkulumane 2nd, and Tshabalala Wards and the Emganwini, Mzilikazi, Nketa 2nd, and Nkulumane 3rd Branches.  There are now five stakes and two districts in Zimbabwe.

French Polynesia
Last Sunday a new district was organized in French Polynesia.  The Taiohae Marquesas Islands District was organized from two former mission branches in the Marquesas Islands (Hiva Oa and Taiohae).  Additional branches may be organized within the boundaries of the new district considering there are only two branches in the new district.  There are now eight stakes and four districts in French Polynesia.

New Stake Created in Peru; District Discontinued in Peru

New Stake
Last Sunday, a new stake was created in Lima, Peru.  The Lima Perú Pachacamac Stake was organized from the Lima Peru Villa Salvador Stake and includes the following six wards: The Floresta, José Gálvez, Las Lomas, Lurin, Pachacamac, and Villa Alejandro Wards.  There are now 41 stakes in the Lima metropolitan area.

District Discontinued
The Church recently discontinued the Marcona Peru District.  With originally only two branches, the former district had one of its two branches closed and was consolidated with the nearby Nazca Peru District (which had one of its three branches closed).  The Nazca Peru District now has three branches within its boundaries.

There are now 99 stakes and 22 districts in Peru.