Below is a list of the countries where the Church reported a net
increase of four or more units for the year 2017. The annual percentage
increase for the number of wards and branches for each country is also provided:
- Nigeria +101 (20.2% increase)
- Brazil +34 (1.7% increase)
- Cote d'Ivoire +28 (15.4% increase)
- Ghana +26 (9.4% increase)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo +12 (7.1% increase)
- Sierra Leone +12 (21.8% increase)
- Guatemala +10 (2.3% increase)
- Bolivia +7 (2.8% increase)
- Philippines +7 (0.6% increase)
- South Africa +6 (3.4% increase)
- Vietnam +6 (150% increase)
- Costa Rica +5 (6.7% increase)
- Liberia +5 (16.7% increase)
- Papua New Guinea +4 (5.3% increase)
- Samoa +4 (2.6% increase)
- Zimbabwe +4 (5.3% increase)
The net increase in the number of wards and branches in these 17 countries totals 271; a larger number than the net increase in the
number of wards and branches for the entire Church for the year 2017
(202). Ten countries experienced a net decrease of four or more units
during 2017.
- Mexico -29 (1.4% decrease)
- South Korea -12 (10.0% decrease)
- Netherlands -7 (21.2% decrease)
- United Kingdom -6 (1.8% decrease)
- Colombia -6 (2.3% decrease)
- Argentina -6 (0.8% decrease)
- Germany -5 (3.0% decrease)
- Belgium -5 (31.3% decrease)
- Portugal -4 (5.6% decrease)
- Japan -4 (1.5% decrease)
Previous lists for annual congregational growth by country are available for
2007,
2008,
2009,
2012,
2013,
2014,
2015,
2016.
10 comments:
It is interesting to see the US not on either list. It lead in number of new unit creations in 2016. How much this is a change in growth rates and how much it reflects policy changes on unit size before division and related issues I cannot say.
I think US was net zero congregations for 2017 if I'm not mistaken.
US congregations in 2017 decreased from 14227 to 14225, an increase of 43 wards and a decrease of 45 branches. In Utah in 2017 there was an increase of 39 units; an increase of 42 wards and a reduction of 3 branches. Texas had a growth of 11, with 17 new wards and 6 discontinued branches. At the other end of the growth-no growth spectrum, California lost 42 units; minus 36 wards and 6 branches.
To date in 2018 the Church has ten new stakes, one net new district, and 45 net new wards and branches (71 new wards and 26 fewer branches).
The US in 2018 has 2 new stakes, and 10 net new wards and branches (+26 wards and -16 branches). Brazil has 11 new W&B and Nigeria 10 new W&B.
The CDOL today reported 2 new wards and 2 discontinued branches, for no net change of wards and branches. In Bolivia there was a new ward and a discontinued branch, South America Northwest Area, and in Utah a new ward and a discontinued branch, Utah Salt Lake City Area.
Both cases were probably examples of branches upgraded to wards.
Are any of the discontinued branches just upgrades? Or actual discontinued units? What about when to nearby branches unite into a ward? Or a ward downgrades into two braches to prepare for future growth. Has any of this happened?
L Chris Jones Good questions, but I don't have the answer.
Today's CDOL has no changes in total stakes, districts, wards and branches.
Ray...How do you see where the discontinued units are? It seems like no matter how I search the CDOL I can't ever get anything to come up. I can see the changes, new units and other stuff.
Two branches being combined into one ward does at times happen. I cant speak to the most recent changes.
One thing I habe never understood is when a stake discontinues and forms a new ward how this differs from just changing names.
On the other hand while I was on my mission one of the Las Vegas area stakes kept a ward name but moved it so the ward had none of the area that had previously been that ward.
To Nephi:
I keep a record of the number of wards and branches in a country and check daily for any changes. This is how I know when new units are created or discontinued (wards or branches).
Only Bishops, bishoprics and stake officers are able to see the names of the new and discontinued units.
One reason for the decrease in California is all the people leaving the state and not just LDS, I have seen news stories that because of high taxes, high housing cost, and policies, people are leaving the state in droves, already 2 dozen companies are planning to leave or have already left. Some cities are even running out of Uhauls. I think we'll see California shrinking for at least a few years.
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