Today the Church announced the creation of the Africa Central Area, effective August 2020. The new area will be organized from a division of the Africa Southeast Area, which includes countries from Sudan in the north to South Africa in the south, and countries from Mauritius in the east to Cameroon and the Central African Republic to the west. Information on what countries will be assigned to the new area has yet to be released, albeit it appears most likely that the area will include countries from Sudan in the north to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) and Tanzania in the south, to Somalia in the east and Cameroon to the west. Kinshasa, DR Congo appears the logical headquarters for the Africa Central Area as it is the city with the most stakes (11) in Central Africa and East Africa where the only operating temple is located in these region (one temple is also announced for Nairobi, Kenya). The DR Congo is also the country in the region with the largest population with 85 million people, suggesting that placement of area headquarters in this nation would provide for more resources allocated to this area where rapid Church growth has consistently occurred since the Church's initial establishment in the mid-1980s. The establishment of the new area will provide for significant increases in resources to this region of Africa in regards to manpower, financial resources, and attention by international Church leaders regarding missionary work and outreach expansion.
The Africa Central Area will be the Church's third Africa-based area of the Church. The Church organized the Africa Area in 1990 (later renamed Africa Southeast) followed by the Africa West Area in 1998. North Africa was assigned to the Middle East/Africa North Area upon its creation in 2008. Additionally, it appears highly likely that the Church will organize a Nigeria Area in the foreseeable. The Church has reported its most rapid growth in Africa in West Africa during the past decade. Currently, the Church in Nigeria is approaching 200,000 members, 700 congregations (wards and branches), 58 stakes, 18 districts, seven missions, and two temples (one announced, one in operation).
45 comments:
Is this the furthest in advance a new area has been announced? In the past they seem to have been announced in April for the coming August.
What we're seeing in Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire will seem like snail speed compared to what we'll see if the DRC ever receives appropriate missionary and leadership resources. I've written about this before, I believe, but the DRC population is far less urbanized than that of Nigeria. Still, growth has been very rapid with just a dozen real centers of strength, and when resources are there to go into the smaller and mid-sized cities and towns, we'll likely see an explosive growth like we've never had it before in the Church.
I feel like a lot of us first worlders and relatively wealthy in healthy economies are substituting government and science for God and religion and that the restoration among the Gentiles, as prophesied in the scriptures, will take place more and more in places of humility and hunger, spiritual and literal.
Too many wealthy westerners are more caught up with same sex attraction issues and things of "modern justice", things that God may not value as much as families and covenants with his children. Temple ordinances, promises to parents and children. There are those hungry for this. Less and less on some more modern societies.
The scriptures are true, prophets of God do not lie. Israel is gathering, all the tribes are being found.
Africa is a huge part of it.
From Alabama Birmingham Mission to Arkansas Little Rock Mission :
1 Tupelo Mississippi Stake (520659)
From Argentina Posadas Mission (1925636) to Argentina Resistencia Mission (2012685) :
1 Posadas Argentina Stake (521795)
2 Apostoles Argentina District (613207)
3 El Dorado Argentina District (612685)
From Argentina Posadas Mission to Paraguay Asunción Mission (2011417) :
1 Ciudad del Este Paraguay Stake (525227)
2 Encarnación Paraguay District (609072)
3 Pilar Paraguay District (617385)
From Argentina Posadas Mission to Paraguay Asunción North Mission (2013568) :
1 La Paloma Paraguay District (615757)
I like your analysis Pascal. I hope you are right.
Sierra Leone should get a temple soon.
California Irvine Mission renamed California Newport Beach Mission (1987232).
From California Irvine Mission to California Newport Beach Mission :
1 Irvine California Stake (518743)
2 Laguna Niguel California Stake (515345)
3 Mission Viejo California Stake (509450)
4 Newport Beach California Stake (504971)
5 San Clemente California Stake (451088)
6 Santa Margarita California Stake (522007)
From California Carlsbad Mission (210283) to California Newport Beach Mission :
1 Carlsbad California Stake (503401)
2 Escondido California Stake (506478)
3 Vista California Stake (511005)
From Carlsbad California Mission to California Riverside Mission (2012618) :
1 Murrieta California Stake (519316)
2 Temecula California Stake (420328)
From Carlsbad California Mission to Unknown ??
1 Del Mar California Stake (519901)
From California Long Beach Mission (2013657) to California Anaheim Mission (2011301) :
1 Cerritos California Stake (502979)
2 Cypress California Stake (505536)
3 Huntington Beach California Stake (504602)
4 Huntington Beach California North Stake (508918)
5 Long Beach California Stake (501255)
6 Long Beach California East Stake (501913)
From California Long Beach Mission to California Arcadia Mission (2011166) :
1 Whittier California Stake (503088)
From Canada Halifax Mission (2013959) to Canada Montreal Mission (2018306) :
1 Dartmouth Nova Scotia Stake (517364)
2 Newfoundland and Labrador District (607592)
3 Saint John New Brunswick (519391)
From Florida Tallahassee Mission (2011034) to Alabama Birmingham Mission (2011611) :
1 Dothan Alabama Stake (518182)
2 Fort Walton Beach Florida Stake (524271)
3 Mobile Alabama Stake (510815)
4 Pensacola Florida Stake (505358)
From Florida Tallahassee Mission to Florida Jacksonville Mission (2012197) :
1 Panama City Florida Stake (507954)
2 Tallahassee Florida Stake (506540)
From Georgia Macon Mission (2012626) to South Carolina Columbia (2012790) :
1 Augusta Georgia Stake (510378)
2 Hilton Head South Carolina Stake (2134195)
3 Savannah Georgia Stake (510432)
From Georgia Macon Mission to Georgia Atlanta Mission (2013207) :
1 Columbus Georgia Stake (510351)
2 Macon Georgia Stake (504106)
From Georgia Macon Mission to Florida Jacksonville Mission (2012197)
:
1 Tifton Georgia Stake (507903)
From Florida Fort Lauderdale Mission (2012103) to Florida Tampa Mission (2011220) :
1 Fort Myers Florida Stake (516732)
John Pack Lambert, I do not see that anyone answered your question (although I might have missed that in earlier comments). As one who has extensively studied matters relating to the areas of the Church for around the last 15 years or more, I am in a position to provide you with some thoughts on this. The answer to your question is an intriguing one that goes back to things I have said in prior comments. In view of my study, I can tell you that I am not currently aware of any prior instance in which the Church announced an area division more than a year before it was to be effective.
That said, the closest example with which I am familiar is the Church having done so a few months before such changes have occurred. If someone knows of a case where the change has been announced this early, I'd appreciate knowing about it as well. But the reason for the timing of the announcement about this change is what hearkens back to something I have mentioned previously: We have had scores of examples demonstrating how President Nelson is very much ahead of the curve and acting decisively when the Lord prompts him to do so.
That's the short and direct answer to your question. For any who might indulge me in doing so, I would like to reiterate a few things I have said previously: By all accounts I have read, he, at 95 years of age (according to all accounts I have read) is apparently making it hard for his apostolic colleagues who are 2-3 decades biologically younger than he is to keep up with him. Again, that is not a notion mentioned by just a single source. If it were, I'd be more inclined to brush it off as a joke or overestimate. But in every reference made to President Nelson by any of his colleagues, all of them, down to and including Elder Soares, especially those who have traveled with him, speak highly of his energy and capacity. And given that his wife has offered supporting corroboration, inlcuding that he will not act his age, and that the man she greets each evening is different, and more energized and vigorous, than the man who left her the morning of the same day, I am not able to brush off such reports as just being jokes, quips, or foolish hopes. And I am stating that as one who has made the study of the ministry of our apostles and prophets a focus for the last 20 years at least.
By all accounts, President Nelson is truly using his prior professional acumen as a heart surgeon to consider innovative ways to both streamline, unify and simplify practices, materials, and procedures on a global scale while also being mindful of how decisions on a global scale will impact individuals, families, and every organizational division and subdivision of the Church, and is not afraid to tweak tradition to make the Church work more effectively in the lives of its' members while also placing more responsibility on individuals, families, and congregations for their own spirituality.
And from all I have read, i also know there is much more to come. Even the subtle changes have had a wide-scale impact. So for those of us who have testimonies of the gospel, we would be well-served to watch carefully for all such changes, both subtle and more significant. Given all that has been announced during President nelson's almost-1.5 years of service, I have a strong feeling he wasn't kidding either when he said that things will be moving at an accelerated pace, and that there is much more to come.
Having said all of this, I hope I have not come across as a know-it-all, which I know may have been the case previously. When it comes right down to it, my only reason for commenting the way I do here at times is because I have done the study to verify what I say in such circumstances. My intent this time, which I hope was achieved, was to provide what further context I could, not just into these changes but also into President Nelson's set goals and on his life expectancy as well. That said, I also hope my response here is helpful to anyone who reads it and might have any questions about anything I have said here. If my response in this respect has been helpful to any or all of you, I will consider it a complete success.
In the meantime, I am grateful to Matt for his most helpful analysis of the new area announcement, which I was counting on when I first heard about it, and I am likewise equally grateful to all of you as well for the way your comments have helped me personally in my understanding of things discussed here. May the Lord continue to bless us all in these discussions.
Also, for any that would like further insight and perspective from me about the creation of this newest area, or any other developments, you can read the latest posts or comment threads on my blog. With my ongoing thanks to Matt for allowing me to do so, I'd like to again share the web address from my blog, where I have recently covered not only this change, but also the events of the 2019 Mission Leadership Seminar.
http://stokessoundsoff.blogspot.com
I also should mention that I am working on a wide-scale revision of my list of potential locations in which a temple may be announced in the upcoming October General Conference. And additionally, this weekend, I plan on posting a series of reports on temple progress that has occurred during this second quarter of 2019. Just wanted to give that overview of recent and upcoming coverage, also for what it may be worth to anyone who reads it.
From Idaho Nampa Mission (1986139) to Idaho Boise Mission (2012154) :
1 Caldwell Idaho (509214)
2 Caldwell Idaho East (516481)
3 Eagle Idaho (521124)
4 Emmett Idaho (507261)
5 Kuna Idaho (523399)
6 Kuna Idaho East (1046276)
7 La Grande Oregon (500488)
8 Meridian Idaho (506389)
9 Meridian Idaho East (509205)
10 Meridian Idaho Linder (2074303)
11 Meridian Idaho North (368164)
12 Meridian Idaho Settlers Park (487007)
13 Meridian Idaho West (526088)
14 Middleton Idaho (537748)
15 Middleton Idaho East (2124289)
16 Nampa Idaho East (374504)
17 Nampa Idaho North (466808)
18 Nampa Idaho South (510025)
19 Nampa Idaho West (501344)
20 Nyssa Oregon (501905)
21 Ontario Oregon (517151)
22 Star Idaho (1641379)
23 Weiser Idaho (501352)
From Idaho Boise Mission (2012154) to Idaho Pocatello Mission (2013010) :
1 Burley Idaho (500771)
2 Burley Idaho West (516309)
3 Carey Idaho (500798)
4 Declo Idaho (500704)
5 Filer Idaho (512826)
6 Jerome Idaho (502073)
7 Kimberly Idaho (511587)
8 Oakley Idaho (500283)
9 Paul Idaho (506486)
10 Rupert Idaho (500941)
11 Rupert Idaho West (516805)
12 Twin Falls Idaho (500763)
13 Twin Falls Idaho South (562998)
14 Twin Falls Idaho West (505390)
15 Wendell Idaho (511013)
From Idaho Pocatello Mission (2013010) to Idaho Idaho Falls Mission (1986112) :
1 Blackfoot Idaho (500526)
2 Blackfoot Idaho East (515647)
3 Blackfoot Idaho Northwest (510769)
4 Blackfoot Idaho South (502332)
5 Blackfoot Idaho West (505552)
@Chris, I would imagine Del Mar CA Stake is moving to the San Diego Mission.
@OC Surfer, Yes, I confirmed late last night, Del Mar Stake was reassigned to California San Diego Mission.
Guatemala Guatemala City South Mission (2016400) renamed Guatemala Guatemala City Mission.
Guatemala Antigua Mission (2131757) organized.
From Guatemala Guatemala City Central Mission (2010321) to Guatemala Antigua Mission :
1 Antigua Guatemala Stake (1991353)
2 Chimaltenango Guatemala Stake (518433)
3 Patzicia Guatemala Stake (525871)
4 Solola Guatemala Stake (607975)
From Guatemala Guatemala City South Mission to Guatemala Antigua Mission :
1 Guatemala City Florida Stake (518417)
2 Guatemala City Milagro Stake (519960)
3 Guatemala City Montserrat Stake (524166)
4 Guatemala City San Cristobal Stake (2072955)
From Guatemala Guatemala City East Mission (2012324) to Guatemala Guatemala City Mission :
1 Guatemala City Bosques de San Nicolás Stake (524174)
2 Guatemala City Central Stake (518425)
3 Guatemala City Palmita Stake (523062)
From Guatemala Guatemala City (South) Mission to Guatemala Guatemala City Central Mission (2010321)
1 Guatemala City Mariscal Stake (512060)
From Guatemala Guatemala City (South) Mission to Guatemala Guatemala City East Mission (2012324)
1 Jalapa Guatemala Stake (522228)
Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa Mission (2012219) renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa West Mission.
Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa East Mission (2132761) organized.
From D.R. Congo Kinshasa (West) Mission to D.R. Congo Kinshasa East Mission :
1 Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Kimbanseke Stake (1069489)
2 Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Masina Stake (272167)
3 Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Mokali Stake (1978721)
4 Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Mpasa Stake (2118645)
5 Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo N'Djili Stake (2118653)
From Virginia Chesapeake Mission (1983156) to Virginia Richmond Mission (2011409) :
1 Chesapeake Virginia Stake (519294)
2 Newport News Virginia Stake (509213)
3 Virginia Beach Stake (504300)
From Virginia Chesapeake Mission to North Carolina Raleigh Mission (2011727) :
1 Goldsboro North Carolina Stake (515426)
2 Kinston North Carolina Stake (503657)
California Redlands Mission (2011735) renamed California San Bernardino Mission.
From California Rancho Cucamonga Mission (1985701) to California Arcadia Mission (2011166) :
1 Apple Valley California Stake (486671)
2 Chino California Stake (512222)
3 Upland California Stake (506427)
4 Victorville California Stake (516112)
From California Rancho Cucamonga Mission to California Riverside Mission (2012618) :
1 Ontario California Stake (512664)
From California Rancho Cucamonga Mission to California San Bernardino Mission :
1 Hesperia California Stake (518662)
2 Rancho Cucamonga California Stake (518824)
Starting next year, the cost for full-time missionaries to serve will increase from $400 to $500 a month, a 25% or $1800-$2400 total increase. I'm sure the Church wouldn't do this if it wasn't necessary, but it seems to me like this will make it much much harder for missionaries from third world countries to serve.
Good news about the area creation though. I always thought it was absurd for countries like Sudan and Democratic Republic of the Congo to be categorized as "southeast".
Christopher Nicholson, the increase in monthly missionary cost does not apply to “third world countries,” only to those nations to which the letter was sent.
Philippines Antipolo Mission (2131714) organized.
From Philippines Quezon City Mission (2012049) to Philippines Antipolo Mission :
1 Antipolo Philippines Stake (527467)
2 Morong Rizal Philippines Stake (613967)
3 Pasig Philippines Stake (517844)
4 Taguig Philippines Stake (1989685)
5 Taytay Philippines Stake (527750)
From Philippines Quezon City North Mission (1474987) to Philippines Quezon City Mission :
1 Caloocan Philippines Stake (513725)
2 Fairview Philippines Stake (364797)
3 Montalban Philippines Stake (365793)
From Philippines Quezon City Mission to Philippines Cavite Mission (1986465) :
1 San Jose Mindoro Philippines Occidental District (618047)
Still no word as to the consolidated Korea Daejon and New York Utica Missions. I will inform later.
I can't find the article from the Church News, but I believe the missionary cost increase only applies to a total of 16(?) countries in just North America and Europe.
Some missionaries are paid for their service, like most Africans serving in their home nations, or so I have heard.
@Eduardo: I didn't understand the point you're trying to make in the second paragraph, please elaborate
Ohhappydane33: Missionaries are not paid to go out, family, friends, and others donate funds to support them while they are out but that support is only for living expenses. The amount needed per month varies widely within countries or even states so this amount is an equalization to make mission service costs more predictable.
Bryce: many westerners are stopping to do traditional things like traditional marriage, have children, believe in God, attend Church, accept priesthood or any "old authority" or conventional wisdom on family rearing, etc.
Africa, among other places, will provide millions of elect children of God who will respond favorably to these values, the Church of Jesus Christ being one of many beneficiaries.
I am not trying to offend certain demographics or nitpick, but I believe God has eternal principles that are bigger than the now, as far as populist will, and the prophecies of ancient oracles will be fulfilled by the faithful of the latter days, many wealthy and empowered believing God has no such plan to gather them or simply deny His very existence and make up their own laws and rules.
Israel is happening. We choose individually and collectively how we embrace that reality or shun it.
I am grateful for and love sub-Saharan Africans embracing the Gospel and joining the House of Israel through Christ's covenants and ordinances.
Many international missionaries receive a stipend to serve their missions, funded by the Church. This was true in Chile in the 1990s and I am reasonably confident it is true now.
One question, as I informed last night about the California Irvine and Carlsbad Missions consolidations.
"California Irvine Mission renamed California Newport Beach Mission (1987232)."
And the outgoing CA Irvine Mission President Samuel Wayne Clark, Jr. and no assigned replacement President for the resulting new CA Newport Beach Mission (1987232 is the old CA Irvine unit #).
Would the newly assigned CA Carlsbad Mission President Weldon J. Reeves, who was scheduled to replace outgoing CA Carlsbad President Glen Blair Thomas, since the CA Carlsbad Mission was split, be reassigned (transfered) as new CA Newport Beach President, instead?
Here is the Church News articles stating President "Weldon J. Reeves, 55, and Kathryn N. Reeves, four children, Clear Lake 1st Ward, League City Texas Stake: California Carlsbad Mission, succeeding President Glen B. Thomas"..
https://www.thechurchnews.com/callings/2019-01-26/new-mission-presidents-called-to-serve-around-the-world-first-presidency-latter-day-saints-callings-48857
"North America West Area
Mission President Companion
California Bakersfield Jonathan G. Sandberg Sharon Jannelli Sandberg
California Los Angeles Valeri V. Cordón Glenda Cordón
California Newport Beach Weldon J. Reeves Kathryn N. Reeves"
https://www.thechurchnews.com/mission-presidents/2019
I missed a Stake transfer earlier.
From Georgia Atlanta Mission to Georgia Atlanta North Mission :
1 Cartersville Georgia Stake (485438)
In Mexico the monthly dues for missionary service is 3500 MXN per month, working out to roughly 180 USD. That will not be changed.
To be fair the Church has deep rural roots in south-east Nigeria, some stakes in Ikwa Ibom state are entirely in villages, and this is due to the work of Anthony Obinna and so many other villagers in the 1960s and 1970s. The Church still has villagers pleading to be baptized in Congo who get put off. With the Kinshasa Mission splitting hopefully the work will start spreading to more villages around Kinshasa and to the north-east of Congo.
To be fair the northern third of Nigeria has no church presence at all, the central third is little reached, and even in the south-east, even in Abia state where the temple is, there are places only assigned to the mission administrative branch.
The change only applies to 18 countries. These are the US, Canada, Japan and 15 countries in Europe. Missionaries from all other countries have their specific cost fixed by the area presidency based on their ability to pay. With missionaries from Nigeria and Congo largely serving in low cost of living areas it makes no sense to have them subsidize the cost of being a missionary in Japan.
Even at this the $400 was set in 2003. $400 in 2003 dollars is $560 per the consumer price index. Weather wages especially in the types of jobs people can normally get pre-mission have kept pace is a different story, but youth labor force participation is down while pressure to engage in college application building extra curricular activities is up so missionaries paying their own way is probably down.
18 countries. Japan is also included.
I was once in a YSA ward where a member served as a missionary through donations from other YSA ward members. He had been raised in the project's in Detroit.
Considering how cheap it is to live in some villages in Nigeria, some Nigerian missionaries may be paying a higher percentage of their own cost to serve than some American missionaries.
The Church also directly covers the training costs of all missionaries everywhere. Also American missionaries often serve places where the cost is way more than what they actually pay.
The 18 countries listed in the First Presidency letter are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.
From Korea Daejeon Mission (2012030) to Korea Seoul South Mission (1986236) :
1 Cheongju Korea Stake (515825)
2 Daejeon Korea Stake (527939)
3 Jeonju Korea Stake (518158)
From Korea Daejeon Mission to Korea Busan Mission (2016850) :
1 Gwangju Korea Stake (513938)
2 Suncheon Korea District (617008)
From Korea Daejeon Mission to Unknown ??
1 Shanghai China International District (English) (559431)
From Korea Seoul South Mission to Korea Seoul Mission (2016818) :
1 Seoul Korea South Stake (509329)
2 Seoul Korea West Stake (514977)
Abuja Nigeria North Stake (2069776) renamed Abuja Nigeria Kubwa Stake.
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