New Stakes Created in Malawi, Mozambique, Vanuatu, and Utah; New Districts Created in Brazil and the Philippines

Before I got through the country-by-country updates, I wanted to point out that there have been at least 28 stakes created in 2024 thus far which was four more stakes than were created during the first half of 2023. This is a significant accomplishment considering the increased standards for the creation of new stakes that went into effect January 1st, 2024. Moreover, there have been at least 14 new districts organized thus far in 2024 - approximately twice the number of districts created for the entire year for 2023 (7) as well as during previous years spanning 2020-2022. This development suggests that efforts to expand the Church's operations into previously unreached or lesser reached areas has returned to levels seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (there were 21 new districts organized in 2019).

Malawi

A new stake was created today in Malawi. The Blantyre Malawi Stake was organized from the Blantyre Malawi District. With six branches in the district, it is likely that all branches became wards in the new stake with perhaps just one exception (as new stakes usually have at least five wards). Information on which branches have become wards remains unavailable at this time. The original Blantyre Malawi District was organized in 2011 and has experienced modest growth over the decades. The new stake is the second stake to be organized in Malawi, and the first stake, which is in Lilongwe, was organized on June 2nd. This marks the second shortest time in Church history between the creation of the first and second stakes in a country (the shortest time was in Cambodia where the first two stakes were organized on the same day in 2014). With no more districts in the country and only one mission branch that was recently opened on Mzuzu, there appear good prospects for the expansion of the Church into additional cities now that there are more mission resources that can be repurposed from supporting the districts to national outreach expansion.

Mozambique

A new stake was created in Mozambique on June 16th. The Beira Mozambique Inhamízua Stake was organized from a division of the Beira Mozambique Manga Stake (which was also partially divided to create the Beira Mozambique Munhava Stake in May of 2023). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Cerâmica, the Dondo, the Inhamízua, the Rocha, and the Zona Verde Wards and the Mafarinha Branch. There are now four stakes in Beira - the first three of which were organized in 2015, 2017, and 2023.

There are now eight stakes and two districts in Mozambique.

Vanuatu 

A new stake was created in Vanuatu on June 18th. The Tanna Vanuatu Stake was organized from the Tanna Vanuatu District. The meeting to create the new stake had 2,700 in attendance, suggesting that there may be enough active members in Tanna to create a second stake in the foreseeable future if there is sufficient leadership and sustained activity rates to merit one. Information on which of the eight branches in the district have become wards is unknown at this time. There also appear to be several member groups that function in Tanna. The new stake is the Church's second stake to be organized in Vanuatu following the Port Vila Vanuatu Stake which was created in 2015. Districts in Luganville and Malakula also appear close to becoming stakes in the near future - both have large numbers of branches and impressive district conference attendance.

There are now two stakes and two districts in Vanuatu.

Utah

The Lehi Utah 3rd Stake (Tongan) was created on June 9th from the Orem Utah 2nd Stake (Tongan) and . The new stake includes the following 10 wards: the American Fork 2nd (Tongan), the American Fork 46th (Samoan), the Eagle Mountain 13th (Tongan), the Eagle Mountain 14th (Samoan), the Lehi 31st (Tongan), the Lehi 32nd (Samoan), the Lehi 41st (Tongan), the Lehi 42nd (Samoan), the Saratoga Springs 9th (Tongan), and the Saratoga Springs 12th (Samoan) Wards. 

There are now nine Tongan stakes in Utah. There are now 640 stakes and four districts in Utah.

Brazil

A new district was created in Brazil on June 23rd. The Ji-Paraná Brazil District was organized from branches in the Brazil Manaus Mission. The new district includes the following four branches: the Ariquemes, the Cacoal, the Ji-Paraná, and the Vilhena Branches. The Cacoal Branch is a newly organized branch in the district, whereas there used to be two branches in Vilhena that were consolidated into one branch. At one time, there was a district in Vilhena may years ago with at least three branches in Vilhena. Many member groups have historically functioning in cities nearby Ji-Paraná, such as in Jaru, Pimenta Bueno, and Rolim de Moura, although it is unclear whether these member groups still operate.

There are now 285 stakes and 41 districts in Brazil.

The Philippines

A new district was organized in the Philippines on June 16th. The Argao Philippines District was created from three branches that were previously assigned to the Talisay Philippines Stake, namely the Argao (organized in 2014), the Moalboal (organized in 2020), and the Sibonga Branches (organized in 1992). The new district compasses the southern third of Cebu Island which is almost entirely unreached in regard to the operation of official branches. The creation of the new district may signal efforts to expand into many small cities and towns in southern Cebu, especially since the creation of the Toledo Philippines Stake from the Toledo Philippines District in 2023.

There are now 130 stakes and 54 districts in the Philippines.

New Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa Missionary Training Center

Yesterday, the Church announced that an official missionary training center (MTC) will open in August 2024 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) to train missionaries in French destined to serve in this region of Africa. Although the Church has previously operated an unofficial MTC in Kinshasa for a couple of years, the new MTC will be housed in a new building with capacity of up to 200 missionaries at a time. This MTC marks the third MTC in Africa following MTCs in Accra, Ghana and Johannesburg, South Africa.

The announcement of the new MTC comes at a time when the Church has experienced a significant consolidation of MTCs worldwide from many smaller MTCs into larger regional ones. There will be 11 MTCs worldwide once the new center opens in Kinshasa. Other MTCs currently in operation are located in Brazil, England, Ghana, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand (opened in 2023), and Utah. At one point, there were 19 MTCs throughout the world in the late 1990s, although centers closed in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Japan, Samoa, South Korea, Spain, and Tonga to help conserve resources and provide higher quality training experiences for new missionaries. The Church has also operated an unofficial MTC in India for some time. The new MTC being located in the DR Congo instead of the Africa Central Area Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya is also unusual, as MTCs are usually located in the same city as the area offices.

The new MTC in Kinshasa has been greatly needed for many years. The DR Congo has supplied large numbers of young adults serving full-time missionaries for many years, and the training of these missionaries has been a challenge due to difficulties with securing visas and transportation to other countries. The Church in the DR Congo experiences some of the most rapid growth in the world, and many of these growth developments have been highlighted in this blog. In a couple weeks, the Church will organize two new missions in the DR Congo, bringing the total number of missions in the country to seven. The Church may have as many as half a million Latter-day Saints in the DR Congo by 2040 given historical growth trends. Growth in the DR Congo has come after decades of careful planning and high standards for convert baptism which has resulted in some of the highest member activity rates in the world (usually over 80%).

New Stakes Created in Utah (5), Idaho (4), the Philippines (2), Argentina, Chile, DR Congo, Ghana, Indiana, Nevada, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe; New Districts Created in Utah (2), Benin, Brazil, Ecuador, Honduras, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, and the Philippines; Stakes Discontinued in Australia and Utah; Districts Discontinued in Canada, Chile, Guatemala, and Ireland

With many new stakes organized in the United States recently, the Church surpassed 1,700 stakes in the United States for the first time. As of this post, there were 1,705 stakes and 8 districts in the United States.

Utah 

Five new stakes were created in Utah.

The Salt Lake Utah Central Stake (Tongan) was organized in May 19th from the Salt Lake Utah West Stake (Tongan) which was organized in 2019. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Kearns 9th, the Kearns 13th, the Midvale 14th, the Oquirrh 11th, the Taylorsville 5th, the Taylorsville 6th, and the West Jordan 8th Wards. There are now seven Tongan-speaking stakes in Utah.

The West Jordan Utah Wasatch Meadows Stake (Spanish) was organized on May 19th from various stakes in the Salt Lake County area. More than 1,000 attended the conference to create the new stake. The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Bingham Creek, the Cobble Creek 5th, the Copper Hills 5th, the Mountain View 4th, the Oquirrh Point 5th, the River 9th, the Westbrook 10th, and the Westland 5th Wards - all of which are Spanish-speaking congregations. The new stake is the Church's first Spanish-speaking stake to be created in Utah. There are nearly 180 Spanish-speaking wards and branches in Utah. More information about the creation of the new stake can be found here. This article noted that there are plans to create two more Spanish-speaking stakes and two more Tongan-speaking stakes in Utah in the near future.

The Eagle Mountain Utah Sweetwater Stake was organized on June 2nd from the Eagle Mountain Utah West Stake (organized in 2002). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Cedar Valley (Spanish), the Eagle Mountain 2nd, the Eagle Mountain 7th, the Eagle Mountain 11th, and the Sweetwater Wards. There are now 10 stakes in Eagle Mountain.

The Mapleton Utah Maple Canyon Stake was recently organized from the Mapleton Utah Stake (organized in 1975) and the Mapleton Utah West Stake (organized in 2016). The new stake includes the following nine wards: the Mapleton 4th, the Mapleton 14th, the Mapleton 16th, the Mapleton 22nd, the Mapleton 25th, the Mapleton 28th, the Mapleton 34th, the Mapleton 37th, and the Mapleton 40th Wards. There are now five stakes in Mapleton.

The Washington Utah Coral Canyon Stake was organized on June 2nd from the Washington Utah East Stake (organized in 2008) and the The new stake includes the following eight wards and two branches: the Copperleaf, the Coral Canyon 1st, the Coral Canyon 2nd, the Coral Canyon 3rd, the Highland Park, the Leeds 1st, the Leeds 2nd, and the Sienna Hills Wards and the Washington 10th and Washington 12th (Correctional Facility) Branches. There are now 29 stakes in the St. George metropolitan area.

Two new districts were created in Utah. The Salt Lake Basin District Correctional Facility District and the Wasatch Shoreline Youth District Correctional Facility District were recently organized to accommodate adults and youth who are incarcerated in Utah. The Salt Lake Basin District Correctional Facility District includes the following 11 branches: the Brigham City 27th, the Cache 3rd, the Duncomb Hollow, the Farmington 22nd, the Metropolitan 1st, the Metropolitan 2nd, the Oxbow, the Summit, the Tooele 16th, the Water Tower, and the Weber Branches. The Wasatch Shoreline Youth District includes the following 13 branches: the Alma, the Brigham City 28th, the Cache 4th, the Copper Hills, the Decker Lake, the Farmington Bay, the Lakeside, the Millcreek (in Ogden), the Millcreek (a duplicate name but a different branch located in Cottonwood Heights), the Riverside, the Slate Canyon 12th, the Weber Valley, and the West Ridge Branches. Prior to the creation of the districts, these correctional facility and youth center branches were administered by local stakes or the Great Salt Lake Utah District (Correctional Facility) which was organized in January of 2021.

One stake was discontinued in Utah. The Sandy Utah YSA Stake (created in 2011) was discontinued. Wards in the former YSA stake were reassigned to the Draper Utah YSA Stake and the Murray Utah YSA Stake (which each now have seven wards). This marks the first time a YSA stake has been discontinued in Utah. There are scores of YSA stakes in Utah.

There are now 639 stakes and 4 districts in Utah.

Idaho

Four new stakes were created in Idaho.

The Meridian Idaho Fuller Park Stake was organized on March 17th from the Meridian Idaho West Stake (created in 1997). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Cherry Lane, the Haven Cove, the Meridian 1st, the Meridian 12th, the Parkside, the Peregrine, and the St James Wards. There are now nine stakes in Meridian.

The Idaho Falls Green Valley was organized on June 9th from the Iona Idaho South Stake (organized in 2014) and the Iona Idaho Stake (organized in 1973). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Deloy, the Discovery, the Iona 6th, the Iona 9th, the Lincoln 1st, the Lincoln 4th, and the Old Mill Wards.

The Idaho Falls Pheasant Grove Stake was organized on June 9th from the Iona Idaho Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Berkley Park 2nd, the Lincoln 6th, the Lincoln 7th, the Lincoln 8th, the Red Rock 1st, and the Red Rock 2nd Wards. This marks a rare time in Church history when two new stakes were created from portions of a previous stake (Iona Idaho Stake). There are now 20 stakes in the Idaho Falls area (stretching from Ucon to Ammon). Given significant growth in the area, I will be moving Rigby, Idaho from the less likely locations to have a temple announced to the more likely locations to have a temple announced when I update the temple predictions map in September.

The Preston Idaho East Stake was organized on June 9th from the Preston Idaho North Stake (organized 1884) and the Franklin Idaho Stake (organized in 1983). The new stake includes the following eight wards and one branch: the Glendale, the Mink Creek, the Preston 4th, the Preston 5th, the Preston 8th, the Preston 9th, the Riverdale 1st, and the Riverdale 2nd Wards and the Legacy 3rd Branch.

There are now 142 stakes in Idaho.

The Philippines

Two new stakes and a new district were created in the Philippines. 

The Tubod Philippines Stake was created in March 10th from the Placer Philippines District (organized in 1996). The new stake includes the following five wards and four branches: the Alegria, the Bad-as, the Kitcharao, the Placer, and the Tubod Wards and the Bacuag, the Claver, the Mainit, and Matin-ao Branches. Since its creation in 2006, the Philippines Butuan Mission has had significant success with upgrading many of the districts within its boundaries into stakes. At the time of its creation, the mission had only one stake within its boundaries (Butuan). Now, there are five stakes within the mission located in Butuan (organized in 1989), San Francisco (organized in 2018), Tagum (organized in 2021), Mati (organized in 2022), and now Tubod (organized in 2024). There are four districts remaining in the mission - all of which have enough congregations to become stakes, although only Monkayo and Surigao appear likely to become stakes soon.

The Lapu-Lapu Philippines Stake was created on May 19th. The new stake was created from a division of the Mandaue Philippines Stake (organized in 1989). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Cordova, the Lapu-Lapu 1st, the Lapu-Lapu 2nd, the Maribago, and the Marigondon Wards. There are now seven stakes in the Cebu City metropolitan area, and there appear good prospects for the creation of an eighth stake in the foreseeable future from the Talisay Philippines Stake.

The Pandan Philippines District was created on April 14th from the Antique Philippines District and the Kalibo Philippines Stake. The new district includes the following five branches (provided with the year of creation for each branch in parentheses: Buruanga (2022), Culasi (2015), Ibajay (2024), Pandan (2023), and Tibiao (2023). The new district encompasses the northwestern corner of Panay Island which had no church presence until member groups began to be organized approximately a decade ago. 

There are now 130 stakes and 53 districts in the Philippines.

Argentina

A new stake was created in Argentina April 14th. The Buenos Aires Argentina Pilar Stake was organized on April 14th from the Buenos Aires Argentina Escobar Stake (organized in 1996) and the Buenos Aires Argentina Sarmiento Stake (organized in 1993). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Del Viso, the Derqui, the Pilar, the Tortuguitas, the Villa Verde, and the Vucetich Wards. There are now 28 stakes in the greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area stretching from Zárate to La Plata.

There are now 80 stakes and 25 districts in Argentina.

Chile

A new stake was created in Chile on March 24th. The Puerto Varas Chile was organized on March 24th from the Puerto Montt Chile Stake (organized in 1982). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Alerce, the Colón, the Frutillar, the Imperial, and the Llanquihue Wards and the Fresia Branch. The Puerto Varas Chile Stake is technically a reinstated stake, as the stake once operated from 1997 until 2002 when it was consolidated with the Puerto Montt Chile Stake. Given remote distance and now two stakes in the area, Puerto Montt appears a likely candidate for a temple announcement.

A district was discontinued in Chile. The Nueva Tolten Chile District (organized in 2001) was discontinued and consolidated with the Villarrica Chile District which now has seven branches. It is probable that this decision was made to prepare for the creation of a stake in the foreseeable future. 

There are now 79 stakes and 10 districts in Chile.

DR Congo

A new stake was created in the DR Congo on June 9th. The Bondoyi Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake was created from a division of the Mwene-Ditu Democratic Repubilc of the Congo Stake (organized in 2019). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Areodrome, the Bondoyi, the Kalubey, the Kamisaany, the Peage 1st, and the Peage 2nd Wards. The realigned Mwene-Ditu Democratic Repubilc of the Congo Stake now has six wards. The first branch was created in Mwene-Ditu in 2008 at the same time as the Ngandajika Branch. However, the Church has grown much more slowly in neighboring Ngandajika, as there is only one stake there which was created in 2023 (which has five wards and two branches). It is also important to note that the population of Mwene-Ditu is much larger than Ngandajika. It only took five years for a second stake to be created in Mwene-Ditu after the first stake was created. If this rate of growth continues, there may be as many as four stakes in the city by 2029. 

There are now 10 stakes in the Kasai Region of the DR Congo - an area which had no stakes in 2010. The first mission in the area was created in 2016 in Mbuji-Mayi followed by a second mission in Kananga in 2023. Both of these cities have had temples announced. The creation of at least two new stakes in Kananga appears likely this year, as the three stakes in the city have a combined 33 wards. Given recent trends in temple announcements, Mwene-Ditu and Luputa each appear likely candidates for temple announcements now, as each city has two stakes and are located in an area of the country that has experienced rapid growth with high convert retention and excellent member activity rates. Moreover, the Church has recently established branches in previously unreached cities in the Kasai Region, including Kamanda and Luiza - both of which had two branches organized in 2023.

Ghana

A new stake was created in Ghana on March 17th. The Ejisu Ghana Stake was created from the Kumasi Ghana University Stake (organized in 2016) and the Kumasi Ghana Suame Stake (organized in 2013). The new stake includes the following four wards and six branches: the Ejisu, the Kwamo 1st, the Kwamo 2nd, and the Mampong Wards, and the Agona, the Aprade, the Asamang, the Effiduasi, the Onwe, and the Seneagya Branches. Nearly all of the congregations in the new stake were previously part of the Kumasi Ghana University Stake which has experienced significant growth since its creation 8 years ago. There are now five stakes in the Kumasi metropolitan area (six if Konongo is included).

There are now 31 stakes and 11 districts in Ghana.

Indiana

A new stake was created in Indiana on June 2nd. The Columbus Indiana Stake was organized on June 2nd from a division of the Indianapolis Indiana Stake (organized in 1959), the Crestwood Kentucky Stake (organized in 2010), and the Cincinnati Ohio Stake (organized in 1958). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Batesville, the Columbus 1st, the Columbus 2nd, the Columbus 4th, the Franklin, the Madison, and the North Vernon Wards. Prior to the creation of the new stake, the Fishers Indiana Stake was the most recently organized stake in the state (organized in 2021).

There are now 13 stakes in Indiana.

Nevada

A new stake was created in Nevada on May 5th. The Logandale Nevada West Stake was organized on May 4th from the Logandale Nevada Stake (organized in 1912). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Cottonwood, the Hinckley, the Meadow Valley, the Muddy River, and the Pioneer Wards. The revised minimum standards to create new stakes likely enabled the creation of the new stake due to a relatively small membership in the area but with enough active membership to create a second stake. 

There are now 44 stakes in Nevada.

Nigeria

A new stake was created in Nigeria on March 17th. The Onna Nigeria Stake was organized from a division of the Ikot Akpaden Nigeria Stake and the Ikot Akpatek Nigeria Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Asong, the Ikot Anang 1st, the Ikot Anang 2nd, the Okom, and Udo Wards and the Ikot Nkan and the Ukpana Branches. There are now 14 stakes and one district in Akwa Ibom State.

A new district was created in Nigeria on May 12th. The Ifo Nigeria District was organized from three mission branches in the Nigeria Ibadan Mission, including the Ifo 1st, Ifo 2nd, and Owode Branches. The first branch was organized in Ifo in 2022, whereas the Owode Branch was created in 2024.

There are now 72 stakes and 15 districts in Nigeria.

Zimbabwe

A new stake was created in Zimbabwe on June 9th. The Bulawayo Zimbabwe Masiyephambili Stake was organized from a division of the Bulawayo Zimbabwe Stake (organized in 2005) and the Nkulumane Zimbabwe Stake (organized in 2013). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Emganwini, theFamona, the Nketa 1st, the Nketa 2nd, and Tshabalala Wards. There are now three stakes in Bulawayo. Given distance from Harare, Bulawayo appears a likely candidate for a temple announcement.

There are now 10 stakes and 1 district in Zimbabwe.

Benin

A new district was created in Benin on March 31st. The Bohicon Benin District was organized from the Bohicon Branch, and four new branches were created at the special conference to organize the district. These four new branches include the Dassa-Zoume, Parakou, Seme, and Tchaourou Branches (all of which were organized in cities that have never had branches except for the Seme Branch which is located in Bohicon). The conference to organize the new district had hundreds in attendance. The area covered by the new district had less than 100 members in 2019 and had 420 members at the time of the creation of the district. More information about the creation of the new district can be found here.

There are now two stakes and one district in Benin. The creation of 1-2 new stakes in Cotonou appears highly likely in the immediate future, as each of the two stakes have 10-11 wards.

Brazil

A new district was created in Brazil on June 16th. The Bacabal Brazil District was organized, and it is unclear which branches are assigned to the new district. However, it appears that the new district includes five branches in Bacabal, Codó, Itapecuru Mirim, Pindaré Mirim, and Santa Inês - all but one of which were previously under the direct supervision of the Brazil Teresina Mission. The Church had no presence in any of these cities until approximately 10 years ago, and most of these branches have been organized within the past few years.

There are now 285 stakes and 40 districts in Brazil.

Ecuador

A new district was created in Ecuador on March 17th. The Puyo Ecuador District was organized from three mission branches, including the Macas, Puyo, and Tena Branches. The Macas Branch is the newst branch in the district which was organized in 2023, whereas branches in Puyo and Tena were organized decades ago. The new district is the Church's first district to be organized in the Amazon Basin of Ecuador. Several new branches have also been organized elsewhere in eastern Ecuador, and prospects appear good for the creation of districts in Coca and Nueva Loja in the foreseeable future.

There are now 44 stakes and 5 districts in Ecuador.

Honduras

A new district was created in Honduras on May 12th. The Intibuca Honduras was organized from three mission branches, namely the Intibuca, the Jesús de Otoro, and the Marcala Branches, which were all organized in 1996-1997. The branches have historically had very few active members.

There are now 31 stakes and 6 districts in Honduras.

Pakistan

A new district was created in Pakistan on March 17th. The Faisalabad Pakistan District was organized from the Lahore Pakistan District. The new district includes three branches, namely the Faisalabad 1st, Faisalabad 2nd (organized in 2024), and the Mian Channu (organized in 2023) Branches. The Church has experienced significant growth in Mian Channu with church services sometimes including several hundred attendees. The creation of the new district came as a surprised, as the Lahore Pakistan District appeared to be the district closest to become a stake in Pakistan before the district was divided. 

There are now four districts in Pakistan.

Peru

A district was reinstated in Peru on March 24th. The Huaral Peru District was reinstated (the district previously functioned from 2010 until 2013). The district includes the following three branches and one group: the Chancay, the Huaral, and the Valle Hermoso Branches and the Peralvillo Group. The Valle Hermoso Branch and Peralvillo Group were reinstated. Prior to the reinstatement of the district, branches were under the direction supervision of the mission.

There are now 115 stakes and 18 districts in Peru.

Australia

A stake was discontinued in Australia. The Adelaide Australia Modbury Stake was discontinued, and all retained congregations were reassigned to the two remaining stakes in Adelaide. The Church in Adelaide has experienced no growth in regard to the number of congregations in decades, and the stakes were small and appeared likely to be reconfigured into two stakes as a result. 

There are now 40 stakes and 4 districts in Australia.

Canada

A district was discontinued in Canada. The Terrace British Columbia District (organized in 1980) was discontinued, and all four branches in the district were reassigned to the Prince George British Columbia Stake (which now has four wards and eight branches). 

There are now 53 stakes and 3 districts in Canada.

Guatemala

A district was discontinued in Guatemala. The Momostenango Guatemala West District (organized in 1993) was discontinued and all four branches in the former district were reassigned to the Momostenango Guatemala Stake (which now has six wards and four branches). It is possible that this decision was made so some of the larger branches in the former district may become wards or because there was sufficient strength in the Momostenango Guatemala Stake to have the stake administer to these branches rather than the mission.

There are now 52 stakes and 11 districts in Guatemala.

Ireland

A district was discontinued in Ireland. The Limerick Ireland District was discontinued and consolidated with the Dublin Ireland Stake. Two branches in the former district became wards, including the Cork and Limerick Branches, and one ward in the original Dublin Ireland Stake was discontinued (Terenure 2nd). Mission leaders have sought for decades to prepare the Limerick Ireland District to become a stake as it was close at times to meeting the minimum qualifications. Due to the lack of growth in the Dublin Ireland Stake, the reconfiguration of the country into a single stake was likely due to strengthen the stake and also permit the larger branches to become wards. Now, all of Ireland is assigned to the Dublin Ireland Stake.

First Stake Created in Malawi

The Church organized its first stake in the African nation of Malawi on June 2nd. The Lilongwe Malawi Stake was organized from the Lilongwe Malawi District. All seven branches in the original district were reorganized into wards. Moreover, a new branch was also created when the new stake was organized. The new stake is comprised of the following congregations: the Kalambo 1st, the Kalambo 2nd, the Kawale, the Kasungu 1st, the Kasungu 2nd, and the Presidential Way Wards, and the Chinsapo Branch. 

The Church has had struggles for many years in Malawi with member retention and leadership development. The Church first organized a branch in Lilongwe sometime between 1991 and 2000, but the branch was discontinued in 2002. A branch in Lilongwe was later reinstated in 2007. A branch used to operate in Sitima - a small village approximately 50 miles northeast of Blantyre - from 1999 until 2008. The branch closed due to remote location and challenges with leadership development and sustainability. A branch once operated in northern Lilongwe that was closed in early 2020 (Kauma). The Church has worked for many years to create a stake in Blantyre, but the district has continued to not reach the minimum activity and priesthood standards to create a stake despite there being enough congregations and membership for the district to become a stake. In fact, the first meetinghouse in Blantyre was originally built to become a stake center (even though the building was constructed back in 2005 when there were only 540 members in the whole country).

Despite these challenges, much progress has occurred in the past decade with the Church's growth and stability. Sacrament meeting attendance in Lilongwe was only 30 people in late 2009, whereas today there is now a stake in Lilongwe with five wards and one branch in the city. Additional branches were created in Lilongwe in 2010 (Kauma which was discontinued in 2020), 2013 (Kalambo 1st and Presidential Way), 2016 (Kawale), and 2023 (Kalambo 2nd). Moreover, the Church has organized its first branches in northern Malawi since 2020. Kasungu is a city approximately 65 miles north of Lilongwe were a member group was organized in 2020 that quickly became a branch later that year. A second branch was created in Kasungu in 2022, and both branches have grown sufficiently to become wards in the new stake. The Lilongwe Malawi District was able to meet the more stringent qualifications to become a stake that were implemented for the worldwide Church as of January 2024. Earlier this year, a new branch was created in Mzuzu. Church membership increased by 23.3% in 2023 - the highest annual membership growth rate since 2011 when there were only 1,156 members as of the end of that year. As of year-end 2023, there were 4,776 members. The Book of Mormon translation in Chichewa is nearing completion, as only the books of Mormon, Ether, and Moroni have yet to be translated. 

The creation of the first stake in Malawi, combined with other recent developments in the Church's growth and expansion, signal that there is likely to be significant growth in the country in the near future. Unlike many other neighboring African nations, Malawi's population primarily speaks Chichewa which greatly simplifies translation work and missionary activity. Approximately two-thirds of the population is literate. The population of Malawi is approximately 21 million. Most Malawians are Christian. Malawi appears to be a strong candidate to have its own mission organized, as the country is administered by the Zambia Lusaka Mission and there has been significant recent growth in Malawi. The creation of a separate mission headquartered in Lilongwe may further sustain rapid growth that has recently begun. There are approximately one dozen cities in Malawi with at least 20,000 people without an official Latter-day Saint congregation. Prospects appear favorable to organize multiple congregations in Mzuzu where the first branch was recently organized, as Mzuzu is the third most populous city in Malawi with nearly a quarter of a million people. However, future mission outreach expansion will need to occur in rural communities, as only 18.3% of the country's population lives in urban areas. A temple announcement for Lilongwe is now a more likely possibility given a stake has been organized, although this appears unlikely until there are additional stakes organized.