Due to the announcement of the Church's first temples in Kiribati and Vanuatu last month, I have updated the list of the countries with the most
members
without a temple using year-end 2019 membership totals. Temples
that service stakes, districts, and mission branches in each country are
identified. Previous lists are also available for April 2020, April 2019, October 2018, April 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013, mid-2011, late 2008, and late 2007.
I have put the country name in bold if that country has typically experienced rapid growth (annual
membership growth rate of approximately 8% or higher) within the past
two years. The Church has achieved significant progress with the announcement of temples in countries where no temples previously operated, particularly in areas with comparatively few members. This is the first time in decades that there are countries with less than 7,000 members ranked in the list of the 10 countries with the most members without temples.
1. Uganda
- 17,887 members
- 3 stakes, 3 districts
- 36 congregations (16 wards, 21 branches)
- Johannesburg South Africa Temple (Nairobi Kenya Temple announced)
- 15,032 members
- 4 stakes, 2 districts
- 47 congregations (25 wards, 22 branches)
- Johannesburg South Africa Temple (Harare Zimbabwe Temple announced)
- 14,538 members
- 5 stakes, 1 district
- 56 congregations (38 wards, 18 branches)
- Accra Ghana Temple (Freetown Sierra Leone Temple announced)
- 12,887 members
- 2 stakes, 3 districts
- 42 congregations (16 wards, 26 branches)
- Johannesburg South Africa Temple (Harare Zimbabwe Temple announced)
- 12,261 members
- 2 stakes, 1 district
- 24 congregations (12 wards, 12 branches)
- Hong Kong China Temple (Shanghai China Temple announced)
- 10,845 members
- 0 stakes, 6 districts
- 31 congregations (31 branches)
- Hong Kong China Temple (Bangkok Thailand Temple announced)
- 8,542 members
- 3 stakes - will be 4 stakes as of November 8th, 2020
- 27 congregations (17 wards, 10 branches) - numbers prior to Pointe-Noire Republic of the Congo Stake creation
- Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple
- 7,561 members
- 2 stakes, 1 district
- 24 congregations (15 wards, 9 branches)
- Hong Kong China Temple (Bangkok Thailand Temple under construction)
9. Marshall Islands
- 6,976 members
- 2 stakes
- 12 congregations (12 wards)
- Suva Fiji Temple (Tarawa Kiribati Temple announced)
10. Jamaica
- 6,668 members
- 1 stake, 1 district
- 18 congregations (6 wards, 12 branches)
- Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple
Hey, Matt! Thanks for this updated list. I am gratified to see that the Marshall Islands and Jamaica were indeed the nations added to this list. I do have one minor correction for you: According to Rick's temple site, Mozambique is actually now assigned under the Durban South Africa Temple district, not Johannesburg. That can be verified by the following web page:
ReplyDeletehttps://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/durban-south-africa-temple/district/
So that is an update from what you reported. I think everything else may be accurate. Also, by way of information for any other readers of this blog who may be interested, I have covered a few new developments on my own blog within the last several hours, and I'd welcome any feedback any of you has to offer. Thanks again to you, Matt, for the wonderful work you do on these updates for us, and for allowing me to sharing such updates from my blog on the threads here. And to anyone interested in reading the latest updates from me, you can find tem at the following web address:
https://stokessoundsoff.blogspot.com/
My thanks once again to you all.
Sorry, Matt. One other query: When President Nelson announced the Shanghai China Temple, he noted that it would be a temple solely for mainland Chinese members, and not for use by anyone else, including nonnative Chinese members or tourists from other nations. Given the specificity of that parameter for the temple is Shanghai, what is your reasoning for mentioning the Shangahi temple in reference to Mongolia? If I understand what President Nelson said correctly, only Chinese natives will utilize the Shanghai temple. That means that even if the Shanghai temple is closer geographically to Mongolia, any Saints living in Mongolia would still be assigned to the Hong Kong China Temple district. Or am I incorrect in that assessment? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteAlso, unless the Church of Jesus Christ Temples site is in error, isn't Jamaica assigned to the Panama City Panama Temple district rather than the Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple as you stated in this post? I'm basing that question off the following links:
ReplyDeletehttps://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/panama-city-panama-temple/district/
https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/port-au-prince-haiti-temple/district/
Thanks again, Matt, for any light you may be able to shed on these questions.
On Sunday, November 1st, the Navegantes Brasil stake was created in the state of Santa Catarina. The state now has 9 stakes and 1 district.
ReplyDeleteThe stake was created from a division of the Itajaí Brasil stake.
On Sunday, November 1st, the Navegantes Brasil stake was created in the state of Santa Catarina. The state now has 9 stakes and 1 district.
ReplyDeleteThe stake was created from a division of the Itajaí Brasil stake.
I looked back. On the 2013 list all those countries now have temples. 2015 and 2016 the only missing temple is one for Uganda.
ReplyDeleteI would put Mozambique ahead of Ugsnda for getting a temple based on the figures here. The problem is Mozambique has two sets of two stakes that are so far from each other that a temple in one of those cities will not much reduce the need for a temple in the other. We will see.
ReplyDeleteI hope Jamaica is close to getting a second temple.
I me and nt a 2nd stake for Jamaica. I hope Jsmaica is close to getting a second temple, but for now we just want it to get a first temple.
ReplyDeleteI have doubts that Mongolian members could go to the Shanghai Temple. Who knows though.
ReplyDeleteLiberia has the most stakes of any temple. How easy is it to travel from Liberia to Sierra Leone?
I really would not be surprised if a temple is announced for the Marshall Islands next year.
ReplyDeleteI also am rooting for a temple in Pangai, Tonga. Also a second temple in Samoa and at least one more in French Polynesia.
You have Mongolia on your list attending the Hong Kong temple, but with the Shanghai temple as a possible closer alternative once that temple is dedicated. I wonder if Mongolian saints will continue to attend in Hong Kong due to the unique political restrictions imposed on the Shanghai temple.
ReplyDeleteAny news or stories on how the Church is doing in Hong Kong since the protests and legal changes there? Super hard with the pandemic, but then again it seems infection and morbidity rates are not too bad in mainland China.
ReplyDeleteYeah, everyone is correct that the temple district for Mongolia would remain Hong Kong (since Shanghai is for Chinese citizens only). Foreign missionaries returned to the Hong Kong mission as of yesterday (they are currently in government mandated quarantine), and the Hong Kong mission president and wife returned earlier in the year to begin the mission again with native HK missionaries. Also, some of the HK foreign senior missionaries returned to the city earlier in the year as well.
DeleteForeign HK-called young missionaries actually returned to the city yesterday (source: family friend who serves in the mission), and the mission president and his wife returned earlier in the year to begin the mission again with the native HK missionaries there. Also, foreign senior missionaries returned to the city earlier this year as well.
DeleteYeah, everyone is correct that the temple district for Mongolia would remain Hong Kong (since Shanghai is for Chinese citizens only). Foreign missionaries returned to the Hong Kong mission as of yesterday (they are currently in government mandated quarantine), and the Hong Kong mission president and wife returned earlier in the year to begin the mission again with native HK missionaries. Also, some of the HK foreign senior missionaries returned to the city earlier in the year as well.
DeleteWhat has happened to the comments? Always interesting!
ReplyDeleteDiata Republic of Congo Stake (2156342)8 Nov 2020
ReplyDeleteMfilou 2nd Branch (2096447)
Diata Ward (378615) Paroisse de Diata
Mfilou 1st Ward (334642) Paroisse de Mfilou 1
Moungali Ward (334634)
Ouenze Ward (334014) Paroissse de Ouenze
Tsieme Ward (378631)
Navegantes Brazil Stake (2157578) 1 Nov 2020
Barra Velha Branch (483281) Ramo Barra Velha
Blumenau 1st Ward (59552) Ala Blumenau 1
Blumenau 2nd Ward (2017695) Ala Blumenau 2
Navegantes 1st Ward (281344) Ala Navegantes 1
Navegantes 2nd Ward (2131293) Ala Navegantes 2
Piçarras Ward (253618) Ala Piçarras
I just realized the Wikipedia list of Area Seventies is very out of date. The intro lists all 10 area authority seventy quorums, but they are still organized by the outdated list. I found several current general authroties on the list, the most odd was Elder Massimo de Feo who has been a general authority seventy for over 4 years. Elder Taylor Godoy was on there, who I think has been a general authority 2 years. Most of the others have only served since April. No updates after October general conference have been done. I put most October 2020 updates in, but there are still lots of people who need to be added, it needs to be changed to reflect current assignments, and there are some other changes needed as well. I would encourage anyone who wants to to try undertaking the edits.
ReplyDeleteI just did one more edit. I removed Elder Gerard who has been a general authority for 2 years. Also Elder Deschler, who was called as president of the Winter Quarters Temple back in 2016 so he has been succeeded. Elder Deschler is a notable academic and has an article in Wikipedia as does his predecessor as temple president Theodore H. Okiishi. President Deschler was succeeded as temple president by Rendall D. Bartlett in 2019. I strongly suspect one of President Bartlett's sons was one of my mission companions. I had a mission companion named Elder Bartlett from Nebraska. President Bartlett has six children.
So yes, that Wikipedia list is way out of date. Any help it bringing it up to date would be appreciated. This https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/leaders/additional-quorums-of-the-seventy?lang=eng#third-quorum link will allow you to see who the current area seventies are. I added Elder Aliche but we need to add in the time of his call, age (I think we use current age, but someone might want to recheck that), and where he lived when called.
What are the chances a temple will be announced for someone in Santa Catarina State? 9 stakes seems enough to support it, some of the temples built under President Hinckley had that many or fewer. Plus Santa Catarina State is where the church was originally organized in Brazil. If Neiafu can get temple with 4 stakes, and so can Coban, then I figure we will get one someone in Santa Catarina State.
ReplyDelete@JPL
DeleteYour conjecture about Santa Catarina State reminded me to complete a list I started a few months ago:
Brazilian States with Temples: (10)
AM|Amazonas
BA|Bahia
CE|Ceará
DF|Distrito Federal
PA|Pará
PE|Pernambuco
PR|Paraná
RJ|Rio de Janeiro
RS|Rio Grande do Sul
SP|São Paulo
Brazilian States without Temples: (17)
AC|Acre
AL|Alagoas
AP|Amapá
ES|Espírito Santo
GO|Goiás
MA|Maranhão
MG|Minas Gerais
MS|Mato Grosso do Sul
MT|Mato Grosso
PB|Paraíba
PI|Piauí
RN|Rio Grande do Norte
RO|Rondônia
RR|Roraima
SC|Santa Catarina
SE|Sergipe
TO|Tocantins
It will be interesting to me, as time progresses, to go down this list and check off each new state as new temples are inevitably announced for Brazil. I plan to do the same for other countries and their divisions, like Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines (just like I did with the counties of Utah, though not so in-depth).
Personally I believe that China's statistics on Covid-19 are total and complete lies.
ReplyDeleteIt would make sense for the Shanghai Temple to be open only to native Chinese members, but that's not what President Nelson actually said. He said, "The Shanghai Temple will not be a temple for tourists from other countries." Visitors coming from other countries because it's their closest temple, or expatriates living and working in China, would not be "tourists". I initially just interpreted his statement to mean that they're keeping this temple as low-profile as possible and don't want thousands of people from Utah swarming in to come see it.
ReplyDeleteIf I am following things right there have been 4 temple groundbreaking in the last two weeks.
ReplyDeleteMy ward had a baptism yesterday where a man was baptized by his step son. His wife is already a member. His step son is an adult and attends another ward or branch. I am not sure which one.
They lowered the allowed sacrament m.j rating attendance at least in Michigan from 75 to 50. We were told this was an area directive, but I think some parts of the area may have government limits below that.
To JPL and all who may be wondering about the Wikipedia Area Seventies page, I've been working periodically on an overhaul of that page based on the fact that it was 2-3 years out-of-date, but the processw involved troubleshooting errors and reconciling incorrect data with what the list should look like, so it took a while. As a result of a final push today, I got the overhauled list completed and published on the Wikipedia page in question earlier this afternoon, so that has been handled.
ReplyDeleteChristopher Nicholson, if you go back and review Presidnt nelson's remarks relative to Shaghai, this is his statement on that verbatim and in full: "Context for the plan for Shanghai is very important. For more than two decades, temple-worthy members in the People’s Republic of China have attended the Hong Kong China Temple. But in July 2019, that temple was closed for long-planned and much-needed renovation.
ReplyDelete<=
"In Shanghai, a modest multipurpose meeting place will provide a way for Chinese members to continue to participate in ordinances of the temple—in the People’s Republic of China—for them and their ancestors.
"In every country, this Church teaches its members to honor, obey, and sustain the law. We teach the importance of the family, of being good parents and exemplary citizens. Because we respect the laws and regulations of the People’s Republic of China, the Church does not send proselyting missionaries there; nor will we do so now.
"Expatriate and Chinese congregations will continue to meet separately. The Church’s legal status there remains unchanged. In an initial phase of facility use, entry will be by appointment only. The house of the Lord in Shanghai will not be a destination place for tourists from other countries."
So, President Nelson did in fact reference Chinese members when mentioning the temple to be built in Shanghai, and the fact that he reemphsized that Chinese congregations and non-Chinese congregations meet separately from other congregations, especially in the context of his other comments, is a clear indicator that the mainland Chinese and other members in China who cannot and do not worship together on Sunday will continue to be assigned to worship in separate temples. The Shanghai China temple is for mainland Chinese members only, and that is not likely to ever change, assuming that anyone outside of mainland China is even ever privy to information about the location, design, construction process, dedication, or operational hours of the temple. The Church will need to be careful in that particular case, given President Nelson's statement on what the tempe there will not change.
When looking at statements like that, I find it's best to also read the paragraphs immediately above and below the paragraph from which you are pulling information. When that isn't being done, people tend to miss key information. President Nelson's full statement relative to the Shaghai Temple paints a more complete picture than is evident by only looking at the part you mentioned. I mean no offense by mentioning that here. I just want to ensure that none of us are overlooking anything, and that the information shared here is complete, accurate, and contextually clear in terms of the big picture of any matter we discuss here.
JPL, to your comment on temple groundbreakings, not only have there been two each in the last two weeks, but that has been true for a third week:
October 31: Taylorsville Utah
November 4: Salta Argentina
October 7: Bentonville Arkansas and Red Cliffs Utah
October 14: Davao Philippines and Coban Guatemala
There are now just three temples left that were scheduled to have a groundbreaking in November: Antofagasta Chile, Mendoza Argentina, and McAllen Texas. Of those three, since he first two are in the same geographical area of the Church, and will have groundbreakings done by two different members of the area presidency, both could occur on the same day. The only question mark would be whether the McAllen Texas Temple groundbreaking would occur on the same day as the other two, or if all three might occur on different days, which is also possible. It will be interesting to see what happens there.
Si pues. I would be curious to see numbers of sub-ethnic groups, like how many Venezuelan or Haitian members in Chile or members of Sub-Saharan Africans in France.
ReplyDeleteHard to come by.
@Eduardo
DeleteMy Brazilian sister-in-law told me how her home country has gotten a lot of Venezuelan refugees, also. I also wonder how many of them are members, or conversely, how many might become members due to new opportunities of accessing the gospel in their new countries.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints deliberately avoids keeping racial data. I did at one point have a friend from France whose father was from Algeria who was a Church member. His wife was from French Polynesia and that may be where he joined the Church.
DeleteOver the years I had two Japanese-Brazilian friends in the US who had both lived in Japan for a time.
Sorry. Just now noticed an error in my last comment above. When I referenced the four temple groundbreakings that took place on October 7 and October 14, I meant November for both dates. That may go without saying, but I wanted to clarify it anyways.
ReplyDelete@Eduardo yes, especially because the Church does not collect or publish (at least that I've found recently) about ethnicity or race.
ReplyDeleteThe Church intentionally and deliberately does not keep racial data on members. It does keep birth location data but that is not in any way a proxy for the later. It publishes language data, but I have no strong evidence this takes into account people whose home language sufferers from their unit language.
DeleteThe Brazilian temples are all in the biggest cities, and there are some good sized ones left, like florianopolis or Natal, Sao Luis (Maranhão) is larger but has only one stake. Belo Horizonte is the largest city and metro without a temple, and Goiania is reasonably close to Brasilia so it will take Brasilia hitting capacity once opened to have one at Goiania.
ReplyDeleteMany of these states have smaller cities so it may be that we may want to check populations and distances, as well as stakes and districts within a reasonable distance of some of them to be able to take an educated guess as to where and which ones that may be more likely to get one. The state and federal routes in Brazil are generally good especially in the coastal states, some further inland are not without problems or are otherwise difficult to use.
There are a number of significant towns that may not even have a branch in them, simply because we do not have enough missionaries to cover all that we would want to. That will take time and effort to do.
@Jim Anderson
DeleteI appreciate the rundown and extra info about the Brazilian states.
I would point out that President Nelson has shown a willingness to push temples where the
DeleteI would point out that President Nelson has shown a willingness to push temples where they are needed.
DeleteCape Verde has 3 stakes. Okinawa has 1 stake and 1 district. Kenya Temple will only cover 5 stakes, but has at least 4 districts. Coban Temple will cover 4 stakes.
Guam has 1 stakes, Kiribati 2 and Vanuatu 1. Neiafu Tonga Temple will cover 4 stakes.
Papua New Guinea only has 2 stakes but 12 districts.
I think there is space in both Brazil and Mexico to see some more temples in outlying areas.
Since I am reading F. LaMond Tullis' "Marty's in Mexico: A Mormon Story of Revolution and Redemption" I am wanting to predict a temple for San Marcos. At least one in Hidalgo. I could see several more temples in Mexico, and if I knew Brazil better I would make similar predictions.
The McAllen Texas Temple groundbreaking is to take place this Saturday, 21 November 2020. Area Authority Elder Arthur Rascon will preside. The groundbreaking ceremony will be by invitation only and the exact time is kept secret to avoid crowds of people, who would most-likely fail to stay physically distant, leading to possible spread of Covid-19 and unfavorable publicity for the Church.
ReplyDeleteLate last week, local wards were assigned times in rotation to visit the temple site after the groundbreaking ceremony for when a professional photographer had been engaged to take photos of family groups. (No private photographs were to be allowed.) However, the First Presidency notified local stake presidents over the weekend that gatherings on the temple site would not be allowed during construction. We have all been instructed to avoid entering the construction site until the temple is ready for open house in late 2022.
On Monday, a fence around the construction site was nearly complete. A quantity of dirt had been delivered and piled on the back lot. Heavy equipment was parked at the site. The footprint of the temple itself was staked and rather visible from the street.
On Tuesday, the fence was complete and electricians were installing the main panel and other electrical panels to connect to the power grid.
By Wednesday, a construction trailer and portable toilets had been delivered.
We are happy that construction has begun.