Due to many high-quality surveys and local member reports, I believe these profiles number among some of the most accurate and comprehensive country profiles we have posted since updating the almanac. These profiles include a significant amount of information about member activity and convert retention rates in these nations, as well as trends in these metrics over the past 20 years. Furthermore, we have also obtained information about "natural growth" in the Church in these nations (i.e. children born into the Church). Interestingly, there has been a significant "baby boom" in the Church in Estonia and Latvia in the past couple years although there has been no such increase in births in the Church in Lithuania. The Church remains very small in all the Baltic States with 950-1,350 members in each of these nations. However, the Church has been successful in the establishment of a core of local leadership capable of leading congregations with minimal support from mission leadership. Although membership growth rates has substantially slowed in the past 15 years to essentially stagnant membership growth at present (mainly due to few convert baptisms and emigration), convert retention rates have markedly increased in these nations to good-to-excellent levels. Furthermore, much of the recent progress in improving convert retention rates has occurred despite the number of full-time missionaries assigned to the Baltic Mission at the lowest levels seen since the early 2000s.
On another note, we are in the process of updating and revamping cumorah.com. There have been issues with ads being placed on the site due to outdated coding on the site. These ads will be removed once the updates are completed.
I knew an Estonian member at BYU. She was my dance partner.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if we are going to see a number of small temples announced in Eastern Europe over the coming 5-10 years, largely to reduce travel distances and to allow more regular access to the temple by bus, train or car (as opposed to by plane or boat). The Czech Republic, Hungary, Albania and the Baltic States collectively are all somewhere around the threshold of 3,000 to 5,000 members each, which - thinking about it - is about in the same ballpark as the smallest temple districts we have now: Copenhagen and (soon) Winnipeg.
ReplyDeleteI knew an Estonian member at BYU in the 90s. Her name was Aino, I guess the spelling goes. It's pronounced: I know.
ReplyDeleteThese countries seem pretty cool.
Didn't an apostle predict a temple in Vilnius one day?
ReplyDeleteI served in the Baltic Mission almost 10 years ago.
ReplyDeleteHere is some of what Elder Ballard said before he dedicated Lithuania:
Before offering the prayer of dedication of the land of Lithuania, Elder Ballard addressed the gathering, which included eight full-time missionaries assigned to Lithuania from the Russia St. Petersburg Mission: "From this small beginning, you will see the Church grow and prosper here. There will be many branches and then a district and, in the Lord's due time, there will be stakes. Who knows, if we could look out 50 years, perhaps a small temple. That all depends on us, really, and how diligent we are willing to be, and how wise and prudent we are willing to be as we proceed to establish the kingdom of God in Lithuania."
You can also find info on Latvia & Belarus in addition to Lithuania at the link below:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/archive/1993-06-12/4-european-lands-dedicated-5672
Also, I wonder if since Deseret Digital Media owns "thechurchnews.com" if it might be the new domain to replace mormonnewsroom.org down the road?
Does anyone here have direct contact with the Brethren at HQ in SLC? To have them correct both official Church Maps :
ReplyDeletehttps://www.lds.org/temples/map?lang=eng&templeName=concepcion-chile-temple
https://classic.lds.org/maps/#ll=40.774001,-111.895279&z=18&m=google.road&layers=temple,temple.construction,temple.renovated,stakecenter&q=Concepcion%20Chile%20Temple&x=find&find=temple:1153803
Also the official daily stats at :
http://www.fullerconsideration.com/dailystats.php
It has been over 30 days since the DEDICATION of the Church´s 160th operating temple in Concepcion Chile, but has as of yet not been located nor added to daily stats officially. Also, the Concepcion Chile Stake and all the others in the Temple District still show assigned to Santiago Chile Temple District.
Thank you.
Chris, I copied your post into the feedback form on the temple maps page:
ReplyDeleteI only slightly edited it, removed the all caps. I didn't use your name; hope you don't mind. I used to maintain what showed on the maps, just for a year as a contract employee. Anyone with access to the database could change how it maps though and maybe no one currently has ownership of that assignment.
Emily, Thank you for your assistance.
ReplyDeleteI had a reply to the feedback I left; it's pretty interesting. When I was at the Church Office Building I knew a few people who could edit the database that Maps read from. Back then there were lots of databases, but there was only one "Maps", now it's called Classic. The local units could also change how their own buildings and units mapped. I'd come into work some days and find chapels on the Arabian Peninsula and in the middle of the Indian Ocean because someone had removed a negative or 2 from their coordinates. It was embarrassing even if it only lasted over night. It looks like the local units are the only ones who have that control now; at least that's what they told me.
Delete"LDS Response Team responded on November 30, 2018 at 2:13 PM as follows:
Hello:
Thank you.
Local leaders control all of the information that displays on maps.
Please let them know what you found.
Please also let them know what you found about the new Concepcion temple and its district.
Best,
Response Team DF"
The new "São José dos Campos Brazil South Stake" was just reported also yesterday 11/29/2018 on http://www.fullerconsideration.com/dailystats.php...and confirmed on https://classic.lds.org/maps.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like the church is closing its MTCs in Chile and Spain
ReplyDeleteHello again, everyone! I have been somewhat off-the-radar for the last couple of weeks. In the early morning hours of November 18, I became significantly ill enough that I was admitted to the ER, and I spent the next 10 days in the hospital. During that time, my doctors dealt first with a few kidney stones, then with removing my appendix when it was found to be enlarged. I am grateful to have been able to come through that experience. I am resting comfortably at home, and we hope this is a step in the right direction. I am grateful to Matt for his continued reports on matters of Church growth, and to each of you for your ongoing insightful comments about the topics covered here. Thank you all.
ReplyDeleteAny idea why those MTCs would be closing?
ReplyDeleteI am guessing those MTCs were not operating at capacity. The trend has been fewer larger instead of more smaller MTCs.
ReplyDeleteI also noticed two newly called visitors centers directors are from Paris. This is a major milestone for the internationalization of the Church.
Emily, Thank you for your feedback. That would explain why there are currently 20+ Stake Office Centers, between 06/2017 to today, that have not been mapped on Classic LDS Maps.
ReplyDeleteSanta Cruz Bolivia Central (2017-06-25)
Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire Niangon Central (2017-12-03)
Freetown Sierra Leone East (2017-12-03)
Benin City Nigeria Sokponba (2018-02-18)
Benin City Nigeria Uzebu (2018-02-18)
Swedru Ghana
Samborondón Ecuador
Córdoba Argentina Chacabuco
Abeokuta Nigeria Ibara
Assin Foso Ghana South
Les Palmes Haiti
Logan Utah YSA 7th
Naples Florida
Rexburg Idaho YSA 11th
Lima Perú Mayorazgo
Santa Cruz Bolivia La Libertad
Coro Venezuela
Santaquin Utah East
Feira de Santana Brazil North
Sao Jose dos Campos Brazil South
Also, the Vineyard Utah Grove Park Stake Center was mapped within another stakes boundaries.
Also, the Sullana Peru Stake Center was mapped within another stakes boundaries.
Also, these 22 District Office Centers have not been mapped on Classic LDS Maps :
ReplyDeleteIpiales Colombia
Okinawa Japan Military
Newcastle South Africa
Chisinau Moldova
San Pedro Cote d'Ivoire
Gagnoa Cote d'Ivoire
Tanna Vanuatu
Mombasa Kenya
Douala Cameroon
Berbice Guyana
Alepe Cote d'Ivoire
Havana Cuba
Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
Kadoma Zimbabwe
Akure Nigeria
Tolagnaro Madagascar
Vanadzor Armenia
Kakata Liberia
Bibiani Ghana
Ilorin Nigeria
Minsk Belarus
Cococodji Benin
The closure of the two MTCs next month was announced back in March:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/two-missionary-training-centers-closing
Like was mentioned, the closure is probably due to the small size. The article says that the training centers are both part of church-owned buildings that serve other uses as well. Here is a list of all current training centers and what areas/languages they serve and teach:
https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/topic/missionary-training-centers