November 2013 Monthly Newsletter

We have posted our November 2013 monthly newsletter on cumorah.com providing updates on recent church growth developments worldwide and recently posted resources on our website.  Click here to access the newsletter.

Gabon Dedicated for Missionary Work

On November 5th, LDS apostle Elder David A. Bednar dedicated the Central African country of Gabon for missionary work.  Approximately 80 members, investigators, and visitors attended a special fireside held after the historic event.  The Church assigned its first senior missionary couple earlier this year to Gabon and missionaries report that the first young proselytizing missionaries will arrive any day to begin formal proselytism efforts.  The Church organized the Libreville Branch approximately a year ago.  Gabon is assigned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa Mission and has a population of 1.6 million people.  Prospects appear highly favorable for the Church to divide the mission in 2014 and create a separate mission headquartered in Cameroon to service Cameroon and Gabon.

Thank You for Your Comments and Discussion

I wanted to thank those of you who read my blog and leave comments.  Your discussions and points you make regarding LDS Church growth and missionary work are interesting and add a lot of depth and perspective.  Unfortunately my extremely busy schedule limits the time I can spend participating in these discussions, but I want everyone to know that I do read all of your comments and that I appreciate them. 

District Discontinued in Papua New Guinea

A district was discontinued in Papua New Guinea.

Originally organized in 1993, the Nine Mile Papua New Guinea District was consolidated with the Gerehu Papua New Guinea District.  The realigned Gerehu Papua New Guinea District includes the following five branches: Eight Mile, Gerehu, Makana, Nine Mile, and Tokarara.  Two branches were closed in the former Nine Mile Papua New Guinea District (Morobe and Saivara) and one branch was closed within the original boundaries of the Gerehu Papua New Guinea District (Waigani).  The consolidation of the two districts may be part of plans for the district to become a stake within the foreseeable future.  See below for an updated map of LDS units in the Port Moresby area.

View Wards and Branches in Papua New Guinea in a larger map
The Church has experienced congregational decline in the Port Moresby metropolitan area within recent years whereas rapid congregational growth has occurred in many other areas of the country during this time.  Earlier this year one of the wards in the Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Stake was closed and the stake now has a mere four wards and two branches.  A lack of LDS growth in Port Moresby may delay the announcement of a temple for Papua New Guinea as the Church currently lacks a sufficiently large center of strength that could support its own temple.

There are now two stakes and 11 districts in Papua New Guinea.

New Stake in Missouri; New Districts in Nigeria

Last Sunday, a new stake was created in Missouri in West Plains from a division of the St Robert Missouri Stake.  No information is currently available on whether additional stakes were involved with the creation of the new stake or what units pertain to the new stake.  This information will later be posted as a comment to this blog post.  There are now 15 stakes in Missouri.

Last Sunday, two new districts were created in Nigeria from a division of the Asaba Nigeria District.  The Agbor Nigeria District appears to include two branches (Agbor 1st and Agbor 2nd) whereas the Ogwashi-Nsukwa Nigeria District appears to include five branches (Adonte, Nsukwa, Ogwashi-Uku 1st, Ogwashi-Uku 2nd, and Ogwashi-Uku 3rd).  The strategy of the newly organized Nigeria Benin City Mission appears to center on helping each of these districts progress into stakes as opposed to facilitating the original Asaba Nigeria District to become a stake.  The realigned Asaba Nigeria District now appears to include just five branches (four in Asaba and one in Illah).  There are now 22 stakes and 21 districts in Nigeria.

New Stake in Colorado

Two Sundays ago, a new stake was created in Colorado.

The Brighton Colorado Stake was organized from a division of the Denver Colorado North Stake and includes the following six wards and one branch: The Brighton, Fort Lupton, Henderson, Monte Vista (Spanish), Reunion, and Riverdale Wards and the Northridge YSA Branch.  The new stake becomes the Church's 33rd stake in Colorado and the second new stake to be created in the state this year.

Several additional stakes appear likely to be organized in Colorado within the foreseeable future.  The Colorado Springs North Stake currently has 14 wards and may divide in the near future.  The Castle Rock Colorado and Highlands Ranch Colorado Stakes each have 11 wards at present and may divide to create a new stake headquartered in the Lone Tree area.  The Greeley Colorado and Loveland Colorado Stakes each have 11 wards and may divide to create a new stake. 

New Stake in Utah

Two Sundays ago, the Church created a new stake in Utah.  The Highland Utah Central Stake appeared to be created from at least two stakes in the Highland area, including the Highland Utah West Stake.  I will post which units are assigned to the new stake as a comment once this information becomes available. 

There are now 565 stakes and one district in Utah.

Reaching the Nations: International LDS Church Growth Almanac Available for Order

Approximately four years in the making, David Stewart and I have published our book Reaching the Nations: International LDS Church Growth Almanac (2014 Edition).  The almanac may be purchased through amazon.com.  Due to its thorough and comprehensive nature, the book is divided into two volumes.  We are also planning on having an eBook edition available.  See below for links to these volumes:

• Volume I
• Volume II

LDS Church Becomes Officially Registered with the Rwandan Government

At the end of last month, missionaries serving in the Uganda Kampala Mission reported that the Church had officially obtained government registration in Rwanda.  The Church had begun the registration process a year or two earlier and assigned the first young full-time missionaries in September 2012.  Government registration will now permit the Church to assign additional full-time missionary companionships and openly proselyte whereas missionaries previously worked off of member referrals.  The Uganda Kampala Mission had taken steps to expand outreach prior to receiving official registration.  Within the past year, the mission opened two new branches in Kigali and local members report steady increases in active membership in two of the three currently functioning branches.

Unprecedented Growth in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire

Within the past two years, the Church has begun to experience unprecedented growth in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.  The number of wards in Abidjan has increased from 30 at year-end 2011 to 46 at present; a more than 50% increase in less than two years.  This phenomenal growth stands as perhaps the most rapid church growth experienced within the past decade considering it takes the Church often a decade for 50% growth in church units to occur for even locations where high receptivity occurs. 

See below for a map of LDS units in Abidjan.


View Wards and Branches in Cote d'Ivoire in a larger map

October 2013 Newsletter

We have posted our October 2013 edition of our monthly newsletter highlighting recent church growth developments and new and updated resources on cumorah.com.  Click here to access the newsletter.