First Branch Created in Northern Cote d'Ivoire

This weekend, the Church organized its first branch in northern Cote d'Ivoire. The Korhogo Branch was organized in the Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro Mission with approximately 30 people in attendance. Korhogo is the fourth most populous city in Cote d'Ivoire, and the city was previously the most populous city in the country without an official ward or branch. The Church has had a few members who have lived in Korhogo over the years, but there were not enough members to create a branch until recently despite repeated efforts from mission leadership to explore opportunities to organize a member group or branch. The Church in Cote d'Ivoire has experienced a dramatic slowdown to national outreach expansion since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Church in Cote d'Ivoire experienced one of the most significant declines in the number of monthly convert baptisms among high baptizing areas for the Church.

New Stakes Created in Brazil, Canada, the DR Congo, Idaho, Ohio, Sierra Leone, Utah, and Washington, DC; New District Created in Angola; Two Stakes Discontinued in California; Districts Discontinued in Canada and Russia

Brazil

The Church organized a new stake in São Paulo State, Brazil on November 14th, 2021. The Carapicuiba Brazil Stake was organized on November 14th, 2021 from a division of the Alphaville Brazil Stake and the Osasco Brazil Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Ariston, Carapicuiba, São Camilo, Vila Dirce, and Nova Granada Wards. There are now 47 stakes in the São Paulo metropolitan area.

There are now 281 stakes and 40 districts in Brazil.

Canada

The Church organized its second stake in Manitoba, Canada on November 14th, 2021. The Winnipeg Manitoba West Stake was organized from a division of the Winnipeg Manitoba Stake (originally organized in 1978 and renamed the Winnipeg Manitoba East Stake). The new stake includes the follow five wards and five branches: the Brandon, River Heights, St James, Waverley, and Wellington YSA Wards, and the Dauphin, Neepawa, Portage La Prairie, Selkirk, and Thompson Branches. Also, the Church discontinued the Fort Francis Ontario District (organized in 1970) as part of the new stake creation, and retained branches were reassigned to the Winnipeg Manitoba East Stake.

There are now 53 stakes and four districts in Canada.

DR Congo

The Church organized its second stake in the city of Luputa on December 5th, 2021. The Kabusanga DR Congo Stake was organized from the Luputa DR Congo Stake (originally organized in 2011). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Contoniere, Kabusanga 1st, Kabusanga 2nd, Luputa 1st, and the Mukukuyi Wards. 

There are now 25 stakes and 3 districts in the DR Congo.

Idaho

The Church organized a new stake in Rexburg, Idaho on December 12th, 2021. The Rexburg Idaho West Stake was organized from a division of the Rexburg Idaho Stake, the Rexburg Idaho Center Stake, and Rexburg Idaho Henry's Fork Stake. The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Hibbard 1st, Burton 2nd, Burton 4th, Oakbrook, Summerfield 1st, Summerfield 2nd, Willowbrook, and the Rexburg 13th Wards. There are now 23 stakes in the Rexburg area, including 11 young single adult stakes and four student married stakes.

There are now 136 stakes in Idaho.

Ohio 

The Church organized its third stake in Dayton, Ohio on November 21st, 2021. The Dayton Ohio North Stake was organized from a division of the Cincinnati Ohio East Stake, the Dayton Ohio Stake, the Dayton Ohio East Stake, and the Toledo Ohio Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Bellefontaine, Huber Heights, Lima, Piqua, Springfield, and Tipp City Wards, and the Greenville and St Marys Branches. This marks the creation of the first new stake in Dayton since 1979. Moreover, this marks the first time a new stake has been created in Ohio since 2007.

There are now 15 stakes in Ohio.

Sierra Leone

The Church organized a new stake in Sierra Leone on December 5th, 2021. The Kossoh Town Sierra Leone Stake was organized from the Kossoh Town Sierra Leone District. All seven branches in the former district were advanced to wards. The seven wards in the new stake are the Forut, Grafton, Ibo Town, Jui, Kossoh Town, Lumpa, and Waterloo Wards. The Kossoh Town Sierra Leone District was the last remaining district in the Freetown metropolitan area where there are now five stakes. 

There are now nine stakes and one district in Sierra Leone.

Utah

The Church organized a new stake in Smithfield, Utah on November 7th, 2021. The Smithfield Utah West Stake was organized from a division of the Smithfield Utah Stake, the Smithfield Utah North Stake, and the Smithfield Utah South Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Smithfield 1st, Smithfield 2nd, Smithfield 4th, Smithfield 8th, Smithfield 9th, Smithfield 16th, and the Smithfield 25th Wards. The Church announced plans to construct a temple in Smithfield in April 2021. There are now five stakes in Smithfield.

There are now 621 stakes and two districts in Utah

Washington, DC

The Church organized a second young single adult (YSA) stake for the Washington, DC area on November 14th, 2021. The Washington DC YSA North Stake was organized from the Washington DC YSA Stake, and the new stake includes congregations located in Maryland and the District of Columbia. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Annapolis YSA, Eastern Market YSA,
Friendship Heights YSA, Strathmore YSA, and the Waldorf YSA Wards. There are now three Washington DC Stakes, albeit only two of these stakes actually operate within the District of Columbia.

Angola

The Church organized a new district on November 21st, 2021. The Huambo Angola District was organized with three branches (one of which was organized on the day the new district was created). Branches in Huambo were previously assigned directly to the Angola Luanda Mission. The new district is a major milestone for the Church's growth in Angola as it marks the first time the Church has created a district outside of Luanda where one stake operates (organized in 2018). The Church initially organized its first branch in Huambo in May 2013, but the mission closed the branch in late 2015 and reverted the congregation back to a member group. The branch was reinstated in February 2018, and a second branch was organized in the city in late 2020. 

There is now one stake and one district in Angola, and it appears likely a second district will be organized in the foreseeable future for branches in the southern city of Lubango.

California

The Church discontinued two stakes in California in late 2021. The Pleasanton California Stake (organized in 1974) was discontinued, and the four wards and one branch in the former stake were reassigned to the Livermore California Stake. Also, the Jurupa California Stake (organized in 1990) was discontinued, and retained congregations were reassigned to the Ontario California Stake and the Riverside California Stake. 

There are now 147 stakes in California. The Church in California reported an all-time high of 162 stakes in 1995.

Russia

The Church discontinued the Moscow Russia District - a district that included small branches in cities surrounding the Moscow metropolitan area where one stake operates. All branches in the former district have been reassigned to the Russia Moscow Mission.

There are now three stakes and eight districts in Russia.

December 2021 Monthly Newsletter

Click here to access the December 2021 monthly newsletter from cumorah.com.

Stakes Likely to Split Outside the United States and Canada - January 2022 Edition

Below is an updated list of stakes that may split within the near future. Previous lists are available for December 2012, January 2014, December 2014, November 2015, November 2016, December 2017, and November 2019. Many of these stakes do not have the adequate number of congregations to divide on their own to create a second stake. However, the Church often organizes new wards immediately before or after the organization of a new stake. Also, the Church often creates stakes from the division of two or more stakes in an specific area. Moreover, there is also a significant number of large stakes that appear ready to divide in Africa, especially in the DR Congo and Nigeria. It is unclear why the creation of additional stakes in Africa has been postponed, but the COVID-19 pandemic appears a likely culprit.

AFRICA

• Aba Nigeria North (13 wards, 1 branches)
• Abak Nigeria (9 wards, 1 branch)  
• Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Niangon North (11 wards)
• Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire Niangon South (10 wards)
• Accra Ghana Kasoa (9 wards)
  
• Antananarivo Madagascar Ivandry (9 wards, 3 branches)
• Bedfordview South Africa (9 wards)
  
• Benin City Nigeria Ugbowo (10 wards, 3 branches)
• Benin City Nigeria New Benin (8 wards, 5 branches) 
• Benin City Nigeria Oregbeni (9 wards, 2 branches)
• Bo Sierra Leone North (9 wards)
• Bo Sierra Leone East (9 wards, 1 branch)
  
• Calabar Nigeria North (9 wards)
  
• Cocody Cote d'Ivoire (13 wards)
• Dokui Cote d'Ivoire (11 wards) 
• Durban South Africa (10 wards, 3 branches)
  
• Eket Nigeria (10 wards, 4 branches) 
• Enugu Nigeria (8 wards, 5 branches)
  
• Gaborone Botswana (9 wards, 2 branches)
• Ikot Ekpene Nigeria (11 wards, 1 branch)
• Kananga DR Congo (10 wards)
  
• Katuba DR Congo (11 wards) 
• Kinshasa DR Congo (10 wards)
  
• Kinshasa DR Congo Binza (10 wards) 
• Kinshasa DR Congo Kimbanseke (10 wards)
  
• Kinshasa DR Congo Lukunga (9 wards)
  
• Kinshasa DR Congo Mont Ngafula (9 wards, 1 branch) 
• Kinshasa DR Congo Mpasa (10 wards, 1 branch)
  
• Kinshasa DR Congo N'Djili (9 wards, 2 branches)
  
• Kolwezi DR Congo (9 wards)
  
• Kumasi Ghana Bantama (9 wards, 1 branch)
• Lagos Nigeria Agege (9 wards, 1 branch)
  
• Lagos Nigeria Egbeda (13 wards)
• Lagos Nigeria Ojodu (10 wards, 1 branch) 
• Lagos Nigeria Yaba (11 wards) 
• Lubumbashi DR Congo (11 wards, 1 branch)
  
• Mbuji-Mayi DR Congo (13 wards) 
• Monrovia Liberia (9 wards, 1 branch)
  
• Monrovia Liberia Bushrod Island (11 wards, 1 branch)
• Mwene-Ditu DR Congo (9 wards)
  
• Port-Bouet Cote d'Ivoire (10 wards, 2 branches)
• Port Harcourt Nigeria North (8 wards, 6 branches)
• Port Harcourt Nigeria West (8 wards, 5 branches)
• Port Elizabeth South Africa (9 wards, 3 branches) 
• Ruashi DR Congo (10 wards) 
• Soweto South Africa (9 wards, 1 branch)
  
• Ukat Aran Nigeria  (11 wards, 2 branches)
• Umuahia Nigeria (8 wards, 7 branches)
  
• Uyo Nigeria (10 wards)
• Uyo Nigeria South (9 wads, 3 branches)
  
• Yamoussoukro Cote d'Ivoire (10 wards, 1 branch)

ASIA

• Binalbagan Philippines (10 wards, 2 branches)
  
• Butuan Philippines (10 wards, 1 branch)
• General Santos Philippines (9 wards, 1 branch) 
• Goa Philippines (9 wards, 1 branch)
  
• Iloilo Philippines North (10 wards, 1 branch)
• Jakarta Indonesia (9 wards, 1 branch) 
  
• Mandaue Philippines (10 wards)
• Naga Philippines (10 wards, 2 branches)
  
• Tarlac Philippines (9 wards, 2 branches)
  
• Valenzuela Philippines (9 wards)

CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

• Mazatenango Guatemala (11 wards, 1 branch) 

OCEANIA

• Apia Samoa Central (10 wards)
• Ha'apai Tonga (9 wards, 5 branches) 
• Pago Pago Samoa (9 wards, 3 branches)
• Savaii Samoa Pu'apu'a (9 wards)
  
• Savaii Samoa South (9 wards, 1 branch)
  
• Upolu Samoa East (9 wards, 1 branch)
• Upolu Samoa Nu'umau (9 wards)
• Upolu Samoa Saleilua (12 wards)

SOUTH AMERICA

• Belém Brazil (9 wards)
• Belém Brazil Icoaraci (10 wards) 
• Curitiba Brazil  Boa Vista (10 wards, 1 branch)
• Curitiba Brazil Jardim do Sol (9 wards, 1 branch)
• Curitiba Brazil Luz (9 wards, 1 branch)
• Curitiba Brazil Novo Mundo (9 wards) 
• Diadema Brazil (9 wards)
• Esmeraldas Ecuador (12 wards, 1 branch) 
• Gravataí Brazil (9 wards)
  
• Guarujá Brazil (9 wards)
  
• Joao Pessoa Brazil Rangel (10 wards, 1 branch)
• Olinda Brazil (10 wards)
  
• Ponta Grossa Brazil Campos Gerais (9 wards)
• Praia Grande Brazil (12 wards)
  
• Pucallpa Peru (10 wards, 1 branch)
• Quito Ecuador Calderon (10 wads, 1 branch)
• Rio Branco Brazil (10 wards, 1 branch) 
• Santa Maria Brazil (10 wards, 1 branch)
• São Paulo Brazil Casa Grande (9 wards)
• São Paulo Brazil Guarapiranga (10 wards)
  
• Sao Paulo Brazil Sao Miguel Paulista (9 wards)