Metropolian Areas With the Most Stakes Without a Temple

As we are in a period of significant expansion in regard to the construction of new temples, I wanted to provide a list of the metropolitan areas in the world with the most stakes without a temple announced or dedicated. See below for a list of the 23 metropolitan areas of the world with at least four stakes without a temple. Metropolitan areas are defined as conglomerations of population centers and neighborhoods. These locations are ranked in order from the most stakes to the least stakes. There are dozens of metropolitan areas with three stakes, but they are not included on this list.

• Spanish Fork/Springville/Mapleton, Utah - 21 stakes
  
• Viña del Mar, Chile - 9 stakes (includes Valparaíso and Villa Alemana)
• Port Harcourt, Nigeria - 7 stakes
  
• San Jose, California - 7 stakes (includes outlying suburbs) 
• Cincinnati/Dayton, Ohio - 6 stakes
  
• Blackfoot, Idaho - 5 stakes
• Charlotte, North Carolina - 5 stakes
  
• Colorado Springs, Colorado - 5 stakes
• Honolulu, Hawaii - 5 stakes
  
• João Pessoa, Brazil - 5 stakes 
• Maracaibo, Venezuela - 5 stakes
• Murrieta, California - 5 stakes (includes outlying suburbs)
  
• Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, California - 5 stakes
  
• Price, Utah - 5 stakes (includes Helper and Wellington) 
• Hurricane, Utah - 4 stakes (includes La Verkin)
• Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada (4 stakes)
  
• Natal, Brazil - 4 stakes
• Rigby, Idaho - 4 stakes
  
• Santa Ana, El Salvador - 4 stakes 
• Santaquin, Utah - 4 stakes (includes Goshen)
  
• Sorocaba, Brazil - 4 stakes
• Taichung, Taiwan - 4 stakes (includes Chung Hsing)
  
• Uyo, Nigeria - 4 stakes (includes Abak)
  

New Stakes Created in the DR Congo, Madagascar, Mexico, and Utah

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)

The Church organized a new stake in the DR Congo on November 12th. The Dibindi Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake was organized from a division of the Mbuji-Mayi Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake (organized from a district in 2016). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Bipemba 1st, Dibindi 1st, Dibindi 2nd, Kanshi, Misesa, and Tshitenge Wards. The new stake is the Church's second stake in the city of Mbuji-Mayi where a mission was organized to service the central DR Congo in 2016. The Church plans to create a second mission in the central DR Congo in mid-2023 from a division of the DR Congo Mbuji-Mayi Mission. The new mission will be located in the city of Kananga where a temple was announced in October 2021. There are now eight stakes and one district in the Kasai region of the DR Congo. The first stake in the Kasai region was created in 2011.

There are now 26 stakes and three districts in the DR Congo.

Madagascar

The Church in Madagascar organized its first stake outside of the capital city of Antananarivo on December 11th. The Toamasina Madagascar Stake was organized from the Toamasina Madagascar District (organized in 2010). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Andranomadio, Ankirihiry, Mangarano, Morarano, and Toamasina Wards. There are now three stakes and two districts in Madagascar. The Church announced a temple in Antananarivo, Madagascar in October 2021. After a period of rapid membership growth between the late 2000s and early 2010s, annual membership growth rates have been moderate to slow during the past decade.

Mexico

A new stake was organized in Mérida, Mexico on December 4th. The Mérida México Caucel was organized from a division of the Mérida México Centro Stake and the Mérida México Chuburná Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Canek, Caucel, Herradura, Pensiones, and Santa Fe Wards, and the Hunucma Branch. The new stake is the Church's seventh stake in Mérida where the Church's first stake in the city was organized in 1977. 

There are now 227 stakes and 47 districts in Mexico.

Utah

The Church organized a new stake in Utah in Vineyard. The Vineyard Utah Springs Park Stake was organized on December 11th from a division of the Orem Utah Geneva Heights Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Geneva Heights 8th, Geneva Heights 10th, Geneva Heights 11th, Geneva Heights 12th, and the Lakefront Wards. 

There are now 629 stakes and two districts in Utah.

December 2022 Newsletter

 Click here to access the December 2022 newsletter for cumorah.com.