Third LDS Mission in the DR Congo to be Organized in July 2016

Missionaries serving in the DR Congo report that the Church will organize the Democratic Republic of the Congo Mbuji-Mayi Mission in July 2016 - the third mission to operate in the DR Congo. The new mission will be created from a division of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo Lubumbashi Missions. Some of the most rapid growth in the international church during the past decade has occurred in the central DR Congo. The Church reported only one district in the region in 2005, whereas the Church currently reports three stakes and two districts in the region.

At Least 66 New Stakes in 2015 - Highest Number Since 1998; At Least 32 New Districts in 2015 - Highest Number since 1994

With the announcement of three new stakes created on December 13th, the Church in 2015 has organized the largest number of new stakes since 1998. Accelerated stake growth in recent years has resulted from the organization of new stakes by dividing previously operating stakes and the advancement of districts into stakes. Slight accelerations in congregational growth rates have also prompted larger numbers of new stakes. Of the 66 stakes organized in 2015, 22 were created from member districts. In 2014, 20 of the 64 stakes organized were created from districts. The net increase of stakes in 2015 was lower than 2014 as the Church has discontinued seven stakes in 2015, whereas only one stake was discontinued in 2014.

District growth has also significantly accelerated in 2015. The Church has reported at least 32 new districts organized in 2015 - the largest number reported by the Church since 1994 when there was a net increase of 62 districts (and as many as 74 districts may have been organized in 1994). However, the Church has thus far reported a net decrease of three districts in 2015 as 13 districts were discontinued and 22 districts advanced into stakes.

These developments signal a modest improvement in "real growth" trends for the Church. It is important to note that the Church experienced its greatest numerical increases in stakes and districts during the late 1970s and in the 1990s notwithstanding fewer missionaries serving and fewer members of the Church. In the past couple years, stake and district growth has accelerated in Sub-Saharan Africa,  Asia, and Oceania, but has slowed or has stagnated in Latin America and Europe.

Final, official numbers for the number of stakes and districts at year-end 2015 will be available in April 2016 when the Church presents its annual statistical report.

New Stakes Created in Arizona, the DR Congo, New Mexico, Nigeria, and Taiwan

Arizona
The Church organized a new stake in the Tuscon area on December 6th. The Tuscon Arizona South Stake was created from a division of the Sahuarita Arizona, Tuscon Arizona, and Tuscon Arizona Rincon Stakes. The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Cienega, Corona, Los Reales (Spanish), Midvale, Vail, and Valencia Wards and the Tucson Wilmot Branch (Correctional Facility). The Church recently organized another new stake in the Tucson area in October 2015 (Marana). Local members report the creation of these two new stakes has been to help focus on reactivation efforts in the Tuscon area.

There are now 100 stakes in Arizona.

DR Congo
The Church organized a new stake in the central DR Congo on December 13th. The Katoka Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake was organized from a division of the Kananga Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Katoka 1st, Katoka 2nd, Katoka 3rd, Malandji, Ndesha 1st, and Ndesha 2nd Wards. The Church organized its first stake in Kananga in 2011.

There are now 13 stakes and four districts in the DR Congo. The Church also recently announced the groundbreaking for the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple in February 2016. With no Angel Moroni and an apparently smaller building size than most temples, these accommodations appear attributed to the limitations the Church has with low levels of economic development and limited skilled labor in the country.

New Mexico
The Church organized a new stake in the Albuquerque area on December 6th. The Albuquerque New Mexico North Stake was organized from the Albuquerque New Mexico, Albuquerque New Mexico West, and Rio Ranch New Mexio Stakes. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Academy Heights, Bernalillo, Cibola, Enchanted Hills, La Cueva, and North Valley Wards.

There are now 14 stakes in New Mexico.

Nigeria
The Church organized a new stake in Abia State on December 6th. The Aba Nigeria South Stake was organized from a division of the Aba Nigeria Stake (renamed Aba Nigeria North Stake). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Aba Central, Eziama, Ohabiam, Osusu Aba, Umungasi, and Umuocham Wards and the Asa Amator Branch.

There are now 33 stakes and 19 districts in Nigeria.

Taiwan 
The Church organized a new stake in Taipei, Taiwan on December 13th. The Taipei Taiwan North Stake was organized from a division of the Taipei Taiwan East and Taipei Taiwan Central Stakes. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Peitou, Shihlin, Taipei (English), Tanshui, and Tienmu Wards.

There are now 15 stakes and one district in Taiwan.

30,000 Congregation Milestone Reached

The Church reached 30,000 official congregations this month for the first time in its history. This milestone has taken a significant amount of time to reach due to decelerating congregational growth rates in the 2000s and early 2010s. The number of official congregations reached the 10,000 milestone in 1979 and the 20,000 milestone in 1992. Congregational growth has slightly accelerated in the mid-2010s although both numerical increases and percentage growth rates remain significantly less than in the 1980s and 1990s. In additional to official congregations, hundreds, if not thousands, of semi-official member groups also operate throughout the world.

For more information on LDS congregational growth rates, please refer to this article on cumorah.com.

New Stake Created in Canada; New Districts Created in Brazil and Cote d'Ivoire; Stake Discontinued in Idaho

Canada
Last Sunday, the Church organized a new stake in Alberta, Canada for the first time since 2001. The Calgary Alberta Bow River Stake was organized from a division of the Calgary Alberta East and Calgary Alberta South Stakes. The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Auburn Bay, Elliston Park, Mahogany, McKenzie, New Brighton, Sunridge, Valley View, and Willow Park Wards.

There are now seven stakes in the Calgary metropolitan area, 23 stakes in Alberta, and 48 stakes and three districts in Canada.

Brazil
The Church organized a new district in Para State, Brazil on November 29th, 2015. The Carajás Brazil District was organized from three mission branches in the Brazil Belem Mission, namely the Canaã dos Carajás, Marabá, and Parauapebas Branches. There are now seven stakes and two districts in Para State and 256 stakes and 39 districts in Brazil.

Cote d'Ivoire
The Church has recently organized two new districts from member branches in southwestern Cote d'Ivoire.

The Divo Cote d'Ivoire District was organized on November 22nd from the following four mission branches in the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission: the Divo, Konankro, Lakota, and Plateau Branches. The Church organized its first branch in Divo during the mid-2000s. Two additional branches were organized in Divo in 2013, whereas the first LDS branch in Lakota was organized in 2015.

The Soubre Cote d'Ivoire District was organized November 29th from the following four mission branches in the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission: the Meagui 1st, Meagui 2nd, Soubre 1st, and Soubre 2nd Branches. The first branch in Meagui was organized in late 2012, whereas the first branch in Soubre was organized in 2014. There are now nine stakes and five districts in Cote d'Ivoire.

Some of the most rapid growth witnessed in the global Church during the past 15 years has occurred in Cote d'Ivoire within the past three or four years. Prospects appear favorable for the organization of a third Ivorian mission in 2016, possibly with headquarters in Yamoussoukro or a city in central or southwestern Cote d'Ivoire. Several stakes in Abidjan appear likely to divide in the near future. Several additional districts appear likely to be organized in Abengourou, Adzope, and Bouake. See below for LDS units in Cote d'Ivoire.
Idaho
The Church discontinued a stake in Boise, Idaho. The Boise Idaho South Stake was discontinued and retained congregations were reassigned to neighboring stakes. This marks the first time that the Church has discontinued a stake in Idaho due to congregational decline. Congregational decline has occurred for several years in multiple stakes in the central and eastern areas of the Boise metropolitan area. This decline appears primarily attributed to active members moving out of the area, few convert baptisms, moderate member activity rates, and a lack of active members into these urban areas.

There are now 127 stakes in Idaho.

First LDS Branches Created in Benue State, Nigeria

The Church organized its first official congregations in the Nigerian state of Benue in November 2015. Branches were organized in the major cities of Makurdi and Otukpo. Located northeast of Enugu, Benue State is inhabited by approximately 4.3 million people and comprises the homelands of the Tiv people. The Tiv were previously the most populous, predominantly Christian people native to Nigeria that did not receive LDS outreach within their homelands. The establishment of an official LDS presence in Benue State is a significant development for the Church in Nigeria. The last time the Church organized its first branch in a previously unreached state was in Bayelsa State in 2009.

There remain four Nigerian States - Adamawa, Ekiti, Kogi, and Taraba - where Christians appear to constitute at least half the population yet no LDS congregations operate. Nine additional Nigerian states, all located in northern Nigeria, do not have an LDS presence but have predominantly Muslim populations.

See below for a map of LDS outreach in the Nigeria Enugu Mission - the mission that services Benue State.

Details on the Church in Pakistan

The Church has released statistical information on the Church in Pakistan for the first time since 2001. In a recent LDS Church News article, the Church reported it had 2,000 members and seven branches in 2007 and that it currently has 4,000 members, 13 branches, and three districts. The Church also reported the year Pakistan was dedicated for missionary work (2007 by Elder Dallin H. Oaks).

For more information about the Church in Pakistan, please refer to a recent case study I wrote for cumorah.com.

November Newsletter

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