New Stakes Created in the DR Congo (3), Mozambique (2), Zimbabwe (2), Argentina, Benin, Brazil, Florida, Honduras, Idaho, Madagascar, México, North Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Zambia; New Districts Created in Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, and the Republic of the Congo; Stakes Discontinued in Utah (5) and the United Kingdom; Districts Discontinued in Argentina and Zambia

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)

Three new stakes have been created in the DR Congo.

The Lubumbashi DR Congo Bel-Air Stake was organized on March 8th from the Lubumbashi DR Congo Stake (organized in 1997) and the Ruashi DR Congo Stake (organized in 2017). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Bel-Air, Bongonga, Kilobelobe, Kiwele, Neflier, and Nyashi 2nd Wards. There are now seven stakes in Lubumbashi. Rapid growth has occurred in the city in the past couple decades, with the number of stakes increasing from one in 1997 to two in 2009, three in 2013, four in 2017, five in 2024, six in 2025, and seven in 2026.

The Kinshasa DR Congo Mont Amba Stake was organized on May 9th from a division of the Kinshasa DR Congo Ngaba Stake (organized in 2016). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Kisenso, Lemba 1st, Livulu, Mont Amba, and Plateau Wards. There are now 19 stakes in Kinshasa - more than any other metropolitan area on the Afro-Eurasian landmass.

The Kisangani DR Congo Stake was organized from the Kisangani DR Congo District (organized in 2023) on May 9th. Information on which of the nine branches in the district have become wards remains unavailable. The new stake is the Church's first stake in the northern DR Congo. The first branch in Kisangani was organized in 2015. 

There are now 49 stakes and 10 districts in the DR Congo. 

Mozambique

Two new stakes and one new district were created in Mozambique. It is important to note that some new wards and branches being created in Mozambique are not being readily updated on the Church's meetinghouse locator website, including branches becoming wards. As a result, some of the information contained below may not include some newly organized units or current information.

Beira Mozambique Chamba Stake was organized on March 15th from the Beira Mozambique Inhamízua Stake (organized in 2024) and the Beira Mozambique Manga Stake (organized in 2017). The new stake includes the following four wards and one branch: the Campo do Povo, Chamba, Chingussura, and Zona Verde Wards and the Matadouro Branch. There are now six stakes in Beira. Rapid growth has occurred in the city where the first stake was organized in 2015. The number of stakes in Beira increased from one in 2015 to two in 2017, three in 2023, four in 2024, five in 2025, and six in 2026.

The Nampula Mozambique Mutauanha Stake was organized on March 15th from a division of the Nampula Mozambique Stake (organized in 2021). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Muatala, Murrapaniua, Mutauanha, Namaita, and Substação Wards and the Luaha Branch. The Church's third mission in Mozambique, the Mozambique Nampula Mission, is scheduled to open this summer from a division of the Mozambique Beira Mission.

The Quelimane Mozambique District was organized on April 12th from mission branches in the Mozambique Beira Mission. The new district includes the following three branches: the Coalane, Quelimane, and the Samugue Branch. The Church in Quelimane has experienced numerous setbacks since the first branch was organized in 2005, including the apostasy of leaders and members in the late 2000s and early 2010s. It is unclear whether any of these former members have rejoined the Church or if recent growth in the city (the two other branches were created in 2023 and in 2026) has been due to new converts joining the Church.

There are now 12 stakes and four districts in Mozambique. 

Zimbabwe

Two new stakes were created in Zimbabwe.

The Mkoba Zimbabwe Stake was organized on March 22nd from a division of the Gweru Zimbabwe Stake (organized in 2011). The new stake includes the following four wards: the Mkoba 1st, Mkoba 2nd, Mkoba 3rd, and Mkoba 5th Wards. There are now two stakes in the city of Gweru.

The Harare Zimbabwe Kuwadzana Stake was organized on May 3rd from a division of the Harare Zimbabwe Stake (organized in 1999) and the Harare Zimbabwe Marimba Park Stake (organized in 2008). The new stake includes the following four wards and four branches: the Kuwadzana 1st, Kuwadzana 2nd, Kuwadzana 3rd, and Mufakose 2nd Wards and the Kuwadzana 4th, Norton, Warren Park, and Whitecliff Branches. There are now seven stakes in Harare. The number of stakes in the city increased from one in 1999 to two in 2008, three in 2014, four in 2016, five in 2024, six in 2025, and seven in 2026.

There are now 15 stakes and two districts in Zimbabwe. 

Argentina

One new stake was created in Argentina. The Tartagal Argentina Stake was organized on April 19th from the Tartagal Argentina District (organized in 1996) and the Oran Argentina District (organized in 1992). The new stake includes the following five wards and five branches: the Orán, Pizarro, Salvador Mazza, Tartagal, and Villa Saavedra Wards, and the Aguaray, Colonia Santa Rosa, Embarcación, Mosconi, and Pichanal Branches. The Oran Argentina District was also discontinued when the new stake was organized.

There are now 81 stakes and 23 districts in Argentina. 

Benin

A new stake was created in Benin. The Cotonou Benin Akpakpa Stake was organized on March 8th from a division of the Cococodji Benin Stake (organized in 2021) and the Cotonou Benin Stake (organized in 2016). The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Akpakpa, Avotrou, Finagnon, Jericho 1st, Jericho 2nd, and Porto Novo Wards and the Dowa and Gbegame Branches. There are now three stakes in Cotonou.

There are now three stakes and one district in Benin. 

Brazil

A new stake was created and a district was discontinued in Brazil. Bauru Brazil Jardim Santana Stake was created on March 8th from a division of the Bauru Brazil Stake (organized in 1992) and the Botucatu Brazil District becoming a stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Bela Vista, Jardim Santana, Jaú, Marechal Rondon, and Pederneiras Wards and the São Manuel Branch. There are now two stakes in Bauru.

There are now 290 stakes and 31 districts in Brazil. 

Florida

A new stake was created in Florida. The St Augustine Florida Stake was created on March 29th from a division of the Jacksonville Florida South Stake (organized in 2009). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Mill Creek, Palatka, Silverleaf, St Augustine 1st, and St Augustine Shores Wards and the Green Cove Springs and St Augustine 2nd (Deaf) Branches.

There are now 34 stakes in Florida. 

Honduras

A new stake was created in Honduras. The Santa Rosa de Copan Honduras Stake was organized on April 19th from the Santa Rosa de Copan Honduras District (organized in 1995). The new stake includes the following five wards and five branches: the Dolores, La Entrada, El Dorado, Miraflores, and Santa Rosa Wards, and the Copan Ruinas, Florida, Gracias, Nueva Ocotepeque, and San Marcos de Ocotepeque Branches. 

There are now 32 stakes and four districts in Honduras. 

Idaho

A new stake was created in Idaho. The Lewiston Idaho South Stake was organized on March 15th from the Lewiston Idaho Stake (organized in 1958). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: Grangeville 1st, Grangeville 2nd, Kamiah, Orchards 1st, and Orchards 2nd Wards and the Lewis-Clark YSA Branch.

There are now 149 stakes in Idaho. 

Madagascar

A new stake was created in Madagascar. The Antananarivo Madagascar Ampitatafika Stake was organized on March 1st from a division of the Antananarivo Madagascar Ampefiloha Stake (organized in 2023), the Antananarivo Madagascar Ivandry Stake (organized in 2011), and the Antananarivo Madagascar Manakambahiny Stake (organized in 2000). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Ambohidrapeto, Ambohimanarina, Ampitatafika, Itaosy, and Tanjombato Wards. There are now four stakes in Antananarivo.

There are now six stakes and one district in Madagascar. 

México

A new stake was created in Mexico. The León México Aeropuerto Stake was organized on March 8th from a division of the León México Stake (organized in 1996) and the Guanajuato México District (which became the new stake). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Guanajuato, Las Torres, Olímpica, Parque del Sur, and Silao Wards. There are now two stakes in León.

There are now 232 stakes and 41 districts in México. 

North Carolina

A new stake was created in North Carolina. The Mebane North Carolina Stake was organized on April 26th from the Durham North Carolina Stake (organized in 1987) and the Greensboro North Carolina Stake (organized in 1961). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Caswell, Elon, Hillsborough, Lake Mackintosh, and Mebane Wards and the Roxboro and Burlington (Spanish) Branches. 

There are now 22 stakes in North Carolina. 

Tennessee

A new stake was created in Tennessee. The Columbia Tennessee Stake was organized on March 22nd from the Franklin Tennessee Stake (organized in 1979) and the Murfreesboro Tennessee Stake (organized in 2012). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Columbia, Lawrenceburg, Linden, Spring Hill 1st, and Spring Hill 3rd Wards and the Lewisburg Branch. 

There are now 15 stakes in Tennessee. 

Utah

A new stake was created and four stakes were discontinued in Utah.

The Saratoga Springs Utah Mountain View Stake was organized on March 22nd from a division of the Saratoga Springs Utah North Stake (organized in 2004). The new stake includes the following six wards: the Harvest Hills 4th, Harvest Hills 5th, Harvest Hills 6th, Harvest Hills 7th, Wildflower 1st, and Wildflower 2nd Wards. 

Additionally, five stakes were recently discontinued in Utah, bringing the total number of discontinued stakes in Utah in 2026 to nine. Stakes discontinued included the Price Utah North Stake (organized in 1945), Price Utah YSA (organized in 1996), Sandy Utah Alta View Stake (organized in 1984), Taylorsville Utah North Stake (organized in 1973), and Wellington Utah Stake (organized in 1980). Like other recently discontinued stakes, stakes discontinued in the Salt Lake area have been in areas with a steady decline in active membership. The three stakes discontinued in the Price area have appeared to be attributed to essentially stagnant growth or decline for many years coupled with probable efforts to free up members in leadership positions to staff the new temple once it is completed.

There are now 639 stakes and seven districts in Utah. 

Zambia

A new stake was created in Zambia. The Copperbelt Zambia Stake was organized on April 26th from the Kitwe Zambia District (organized in 2005) and the Ndola Zambia District (organized in 2015 and discontinued when the new stake was organized). Information on which of the 11 branches in the two combined districts became wards remains unavailable.

There are now two stakes in Zambia and no districts. 

Kenya

A new district was created in Kenya. The Bomet Kenya District was organized on March 8th. The new district was organized from three branches in the Kenya Nairobi West Mission, including the Bomet, Kapkesosio, and Kyongong Branches. The first branch in Bomet was organized in 2023.

There are now four stakes and 11 districts in Kenya.

Nigeria

A new district was created in Nigeria. The Mangu Nigeria District was organized on March 8th from a division of the Jos Nigeria Stake (organized in 2024). The new district includes the following seven branches: the Chapkwai, Dadin Kowa, Gerkawa, Gindiri, Mabudi, Mangu, and Pankshin Branches. These branches have been primarily organized in villages and small towns in rural areas southeast of Jos. Rapid growth has occurred here, where all branches in the new district have been organized since 2024.

There are now 81 stakes and 14 districts in Nigeria. 

Republic of the Congo

A new district was created in the Republic of the Congo. The Nkayi Republic of the Congo District was organized on April 19th from five mission branches in cities between Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. The new district includes the following branches: the Bouansa, Dolisie, Madingou, Mindouli, and Nkayi Branches. The first branch in this area of the country was organized in 2019 in Dolisie.

There are now five stakes and one district in the Republic of the Congo. 

United Kingdom

Two stakes were discontinued in the United Kingdom. The Poole England Stake (organized in 1982) and the Ashton England Stake (organized in 1982) were recently discontinued and retained congregations were reassigned to neighboring stakes. The discontinuation of these two stakes has continued a recent trend of consolidating stakes in England in the past few years, as there were three stakes discontinued in 2023 in the London area and one stake discontinued in 2022 in Lichfield. It is probable that additional stakes may be discontinued in the United Kingdom in the coming months and years, as the Church in the United Kingdom has historically had small numbers of active members per ward or branch and few convert baptisms.

There are now 40 stakes in the United Kingdom.

**Please note that there are some recently organized stakes and districts that I have not yet reported in this post due to the large volume of recent stake and district creations. These will be reported in a future blog post**

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.

Church Enters Northern Benin - First Member Group Organized

The Church's meetinghouse locator website indicates that a chapel now operates in the northern Benin city of Parakou. Scores of individuals in Parakou have had significant interest in the Church's unofficial French Facebook. Parakou is the Church's first city in northern Benin to have a member group organized. Parakou is the third most populous city in Benin with approximately one-quarter of a million inhabitants.

Second Stake in Benin Created Today and Corrections to Updated Benin Reaching the Nations Article

Today, the Church organized its second stake in the West African nation of Benin. The new stake, the Cococodji Benin Stake, was organized from the Cococodji Benin District. The Cococodji Benin District was organized from a division of the Cotonou Benin Stake in late 2018. It is unclear whether any units from the Cotonou Benin Stake were reassigned to the new stake. A video of the conference can be found here. Likely thousands of members appear to be attending the conference in the video. For those French speakers, please try to find where the information is presented on the new stake organization and let me know which units were assigned to the new stake and which branches became wards.

I have received information from local members and leaders in Benin that estimates for member activity rates in Benin contained in the updated Reaching the Nations article are significantly less than what they actually are. Recent numbers indicate as much as 85% of recent converts continue to regularly attend church services. The Cotonou Benin Stake reported more than 80% of members regularly attend church services during early 2021, and there were approximately 100 converts baptized in the stake in 2020. These activity and retention rates stand in stark contrast to reports I had received from returned missionaries 2-4 years ago who reported the emergence of member inactivity and leadership development problems. I apologize for the inaccurate data, and I am very grateful for the updated information which appears likely to be very accurate. As with any updates I provide on this blog, or updates to the Reaching the Nations articles or other resources on cumorah.com, if you ever find inaccurate data please contact me so that way we can do our best to present accurate information. I will be amending the Benin country profile report sometime in the next week to reflect the new data we received.

Updated Country Profile: Benin

Click here to access the updated Reaching the Nations country profile for Benin. So much has changed for the Church in Benin since we originally posted this article on cumorah.com over 10 years ago. See below for the Future Prospects section of the article:

The Church in Benin has achieved significant growth within a short period of time as attested by the establishment of the Church’s first two stakes in the country within less than two decades of the first branch being organized. Convert retention and member activity rates are among the highest in the world, albeit there have been periods of time when there have been challenges with local leadership development and convert retention in the recent past. Recent experience has demonstrated that there are excellent prospects for rapid Church growth in Benin, but there is a need for strict fidelity to the timeless principles of effective missionary work—namely adequate and careful prebaptismal preparation, local member-led finding and fellowshipping efforts, emphasis on full-time mission preparation for youth, and proper mentoring and training of local leaders who are almost entirely recent converts from the past 5-10 years. The expansion of the Church into additional cities outside of Cotonou since the early 2010s is a welcome development especially given the mission’s focus during this time with the establishment of the first district in 2012 and the first stake in 2016. The creation of a separate mission for neighboring Togo appears likely in the foreseeable future, and this development may further help strengthen the fledgling Church in Benin.

Church Materials Beginning to be Translated into Fon

The Church recently added Fon to its languages with translations of Church materials. These materials can be accessed here, albeit none have been uploaded to the site yet. Fon is a language spoken in Benin by approximately two million people. There are 2.1 million Fon speakers worldwide.

First City in Interior Benin Has Branch Organized

For the first time in Church history in the West African country of Benin, a branch has been organized in the interior of the country. The new branch was organized in the city of Bohicon, the seventh most populous city in the country with approximately 100,000 inhabitants. Since the organization of the first branch in Benin in 2005 (the Cotonou Branch), all other cities with congregations have been on the Atlantic coast, including Calavi (organized in 2014), Port Novo (2014), and Hilacondji (2017). Missionaries first began visiting Bohicon to investigate opportunities to organize a member group and teach isolated members and prospective members in 2017. The organization of the new branch is a major development for the Church in Benin as the Church has maintained an extremely limited national presence limited to a few cities along the Atlantic Coast.

See below for a map of Latter-day Saint congregations in Benin:

New Stakes Created in Brazil (2), Utah, and Venezuela; New District in Benin

Brazil
Two new stakes were organized in Brazil.

The Feira de Santana Brazil North Stake was organized on November 18th from a division of the Feira de Santana Brazil Kalilandia Stake and the Camacari Brazil Central Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: Alagoinhas,  Conceição do Coité, Feira de Santana 3rd, Nova Esperança, Serrinha, and Sobradinho Wards. There are now three stakes in Feira de Santana, and 11 stakes in Bahia State. The capital of Bahia State, Salvador, was one of the 12 locations where President Nelson announced a new temple during the October 2018 General Conference.

The São José dos Campos Brazil South Stake was organized on November 25th from a division of the São José dos Campos Brazil Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Cicade Jardim, Jacarei, Jardim Satelite, Morumbi, and Parque Industrial Wards. The original São José dos Campos Brazil Stake numbered among the Church's oldest stakes in Brazil that has never appeared to have been divided to organize a new stake since its original creation in 1985. There are now 78 stakes and seven districts in Sao Paolo State. There are now 273 stakes and 38 districts in Brazil.

Utah
The Church organized a new stake in Santaquin, Utah on November 11th. The Santaquin Utah East Stake was organized from the Santaquin Utah Stake. The new stake includes the follow seven wards and one branch: the Santaquin 2nd, Santaquin 3rd, Santaquin 8th, Santaquin 12th, Santaquin 16th, and the Santaquin 22nd Wards, and the Santaquin 17th Branch (Care Center).

There are now 596 stakes and one district in Utah.

Venezuela
The Church organized a new stake in Venezuela on October 21st. The Coro Venezuela Stake was organized from a division of the Punto Fijo Venezuela Stake. The new stake includes the following four wards: the Alta Vista, Los Medanos, Manaure, and Puerto Cumarebo Wards. The Coro Venezuela Stake was originally organized as a district in 2005, but was consolidated with the district in Falcon in 2008 to prepare for the organization of a stake. The Punto Fijo Venezuela Stake currently has only four wards and one branch. The decision to divide the stake appears attributed to reduce travel times for members at a time when the Venezuelan economy is in crisis. Surprisingly, the stake appeared to meet the qualifications to operate two separate stakes instead of the stake returning back to district status.

There are now 34 stakes and five districts in Venezuela.

Benin
The Church organized a new district in the West African country of Benin. The Cococodji Benin District was organized from a division of the Cotonou Benin Stake. Currently, the Church's meetinghouse website shows only three branches assigned to the district (Agla, Cocotomey, and Hilacondji) albeit there appear to be at least two wards in the stake that appear to have been transferred to the district and downgraded to branch status (Cococodji and Hevie). The Cotonou Benin Stake had nine wards and eight branches prior to the creation of the new district. The Church in Benin has grown most rapidly and efficiently when member groups and branches have been organized rather than waiting for the number of active members to become adequate large to split large units or for branches to become wards. This decision to organize a district instead of waiting to have enough wards to create a second stake in Cotonou appears more likely to help the Church take advantage of good opportunities for growth in Benin where there were less than 100 members in 2005. Today, there are more than 3,000 members in Benin. There is now one stake and one district in the country.

New Stakes Created in Argentina, Arizona, Australia, Benin, Bolivia, the Czech Republic, the DR Congo, Nigeria, Tennessee, and Utah; District Reinstated in Ukraine; Stake Discontinued in Idaho; Districts Discontinued in the Czech Republic and Papua New Guinea

I have gotten a bit behind with all of the new stake creations. Here we go!

Argentina
The Church organized a new stake in Cordoba Province on May 8th. The Bell Ville Argentina Stake was organized from the Bell Ville Argentina District: The new stake includes the following five wards and four branches: the Arroyito, Bell Ville, General Paz, Lamadrid, and San Francisco 1st Wards, and the Las Varillas, Leones, Marcos Juárez, and San Francisco 2nd Branches.

There are now 75 stakes and 29 districts in Argentina.

Arizona
The Church organized a new stake in the Mesa area on May 1st. The Mesa Arizona Flatiron Stake was organized from a division of the Apache Junction Arizona Stake (renamed the Peralta Trail Arizona Stake) and the Mesa Arizona Salt River Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Boulder Mountain, Ironwood, Ocotillo, Signal Butte 1st, and Twin Knolls Wards, and the Adobe Branch (Spanish).

There are now 105 stakes in Arizona.

Australia
The Church organized a new stake in the Sydney area on May 1st. The Sydney Australia Prairiewood Stake was organized from a division of the Liverpool Australia and Sydney Australia Fairfield Stakes. So far, confirmation is available for only four of the wards assigned to the new stake: Green Valley 1st, Green Valley 2nd (Samoan), Prairiewood 1st, and Prairiewood 3rd (Samoan). It is likely that one or two additional wards are assigned to the new stake.

There are now 40 stakes and eight districts in Australia.

Benin
The Church organized its first stake in Benin on April 24th. The Cotonou Benin Stake was organized from the Cotonou Benin Stake. Missionaries report that the new stake includes eight wards and six branches. However, there is currently only confirmation on four branches that have become wards: Cococodji, Fidjrosse, Finagnon, and Menontin.

There is now one stake and no districts in Benin.

Bolivia
The Church organized a new stake in southern Bolivia on May 15th. The Tarija Bolivia Tabladita Stake was organized from a division of the Tarija Bolivia Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Central, Cuatro de Julio, Panamericano, Senac, and Tabladita Ward. Tarija now numbers among four other cities in Bolivia where the Church operates at least two stakes within a single city.

There are now 28 stakes and eight districts in Bolivia.

Czech Republic
The Church organized its first stake in the Czech Republic on May 15th. The Prague Czech Republic Stake was organized from the Prague Czech Republic and the Brno Czech Republic Districts. The new stake includes the following six wards and seven branches: the Brno, Hradec Kralove, Jicin, Ostrava, Prague, and Plzen Wards, and the Ceske Budejovice, Jihlava, Liberec, Olomouc, Trebic, Uherske Hradiste, and Zlin Branches. As part of the creation of the new stake, the Brno Czech District was discontinued.

There is now one stake and no districts in the Czech Republic.

DR Congo
The Church organized its fourth stake in the Kasai Region of the central DR Congo on April 24th. The Mbuji-Mayi Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake was organized from the Mbuji-Mayi Democratic Republic of the Congo District. The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Bipemba, Dibindi, Diulu, Misesa, Muya 1st, and Muya 2nd Wards, and the Tshikama and Tshitenge Branches. Mbuji-Mayi will also headquarter the Church's third mission in the DR Congo this July.

There are now 14 stakes and three districts in the DR Congo.

Nigeria
The Church organized a new stake in southeastern Nigeria on May 1st. The Ikot Eyo Nigeria Stake was organized from the Nsit Ubium Nigeria Stake (renamed Ukat Aran Nigeria Stake) and the Ibesikpo Nigeria District. The new stake includes the following four wards and six branches: the Ikot Ekwere, Ikot Eyo 1st, Ikot Eyo 2nd, and Ikot Eyo 3rd Wards, and the Ikot Akpan Abia, Ikot Ebre, Ikot Esen, Ikot Oku Iyan, Ikot Udofia, and Ndikpo Atang Branches. It is likely that one or more of these six branches have also been advanced into wards but this information may not be available due to delays in the Church updating this information. It is significant to note that Ikot Eyo is the location of the Church's first branch organized in Nigeria in 1978. The population of the local government area (LGA) of Nsit Ubium may be as high as 5-10% LDS at present due to steady growth within the past three and a half decades.

There are now 34 stakes and 19 districts in Nigeria.

Tennessee
The Church organized a new stake in Tennessee on May 1st. The Cookeville Tennessee Stake was organized from a division of the McMinnville Tennessee and Madison Tennessee Stakes. The new stake includes the following six wards and three branches: the Burgess Falls, Cookeville, Crossville, Jamestown, Lebanon 1st, and Tompkinsville Wards, and the Lebanon 2nd (Spanish), Livingston, and Sparta Branches.

There are now 12 stakes in Tennessee.

Utah
The Church organized a new stake in Utah County on May 15th. The Saratoga Springs Utah Mount Saratoga Stake was organized from a division of the Saratoga Springs Utah Crossroads Stake. The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Riverside 1st, Riverside 2nd, Saratoga Springs 7th , Saratoga Springs 10th, Sunrise Meadows 1st, Sunrise Meadows 2nd, Sunrise Meadows 3rd, and Sunset Haven Wards.

There are now 579 stakes and one district in Utah.

Ukraine
The Church reinstated a district in central Ukraine. The Dnepropetrovsk Ukraine District was organized from four mission branches that pertained to the Ukraine Dnepropetrovsk Mission. The new district includes the following five branches: the Dnepropetrovsk Livoberezhna, Dnepropetrovsk Pobedy, Dnepropetrovsk Tsentralny, Dnepropetrovsk Ukraine District, and Zaporizhzhia Branches.

There is now one stake and four districts in Ukraine.

Idaho
The Church recently discontinued a stake in Idaho. The Moscow Idaho University Stake was discontinued. Most wards in the former stake were student married wards and these congregations were consolidated with family wards in the Moscow area.

There are now 126 stakes in Idaho.

Papua New Guinea
The Church recently discontinued a district in Papua New Guinea. The Kuriva Papua New Guinea District was discontinued and all four branches in the former district were reassigned to the neighboring Gerehu Papua New Guinea District. Over 500 members attended the conference when the districts were consolidated (click here to access a news article on this conference). The decision to consolidate the districts appeared motivated from continued declining LDS growth in the Port Moresby area and a possible effort to organize a second stake in the region within the near future.

There are now two stakes and 11 districts in Papua New Guinea.

Continued Progress in West Africa

The Church continues to rapidly grow in West Africa. A report from a senior missionary couple who serves in the area indicates that the Church in 2014 set an all-time record for the number of convert baptisms in the Africa West Area as over 23,000 converts joined the Church during the year. This marks the seventh year in a row that the Africa West Area has set a new record for the number of new converts baptized in a single year. Membership and congregational growth rates in West Africa have been approaching unprecedented levels that are reminiscent of the explosive growth of the Church in Latin America during the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Here are some noteworthy LDS growth developments in the Africa West Area:

• Construction has started on a new missionary training center (MTC) in Accra, Ghana. The new facility will triple the capacity of the current Ghana MTC located in Tema, Ghana. The Ghana MTC has experienced steady increases in the number of missionaries it annually trains from less than 300 in the early 2000s to over 1,300 within the past two years.
• The following cities have had the first LDS branch organized within the past two months: 
• Abesim, Ghana
• Aflao, Ghana
• Bouake, Cote d'Ivoire
• Issia, Cote d'Ivoire
• Kugba, Nigeria
• Lakowe, Nigeria
• Snake Island, Nigeria
• The Church has continued to organize new branches in Sierra Leone despite the removal of full-time missionaries due to the Ebola epidemic. The most recently organized branch was the New England Branch in the Bo Sierra Leone East District.
• The Church reported significant net increases in the number of congregations in the following countries:
• Ghana (~40) - a 24% annual increase
• Nigeria (~40) - a 10% annual increase
• Cote d'Ivoire (~25) - a 35% annual increase
• Sierra Leone (~9) - a 30% annual increase

If membership and congregational growth rates remain stable in West Africa for the next decade, the Church may report the following statistics for year-end 2024. However, membership and congregational growth rates rarely remain stable for as long as a decade:

• Nigeria - 259,000 members, 1,078 congregations
• Cote d'Ivoire - 191,000 members, 1,950 congregations
• Ghana - 165,000 members, 829 congregations
• Liberia - 60,000 members, 63 congregations
• Sierra Leone - 45,500 members, 111 congregations
• Benin - 33,000 members, 152 congregations
• Togo - 24,600 members, 67 congregations

Click here to access statistical profiles on cumorah.com providing detailed statistics on LDS growth trends by country.

Unprecedented Membership and Congregational Growth in West Africa

An article published in the LDS Church News this past weekend provided what appears to be year-end 2013 membership statistics for the seven countries in the Africa West Area with an LDS presence.  The article indicates that there were nearly 20,000 convert baptisms in the Africa West Area.  See below for an analysis of membership growth numbers of these seven countries provided with annual percentage growth for 2013.

• Benin - 1,400+ members - more than 29.5% annual increase
• Cote d'Ivoire - nearly 23,000 members - no more than 23.6% annual increase
• Ghana - 57,000+ members - more than 8.8% annual increase
• Liberia - 8,000+ members - more than 19.2% annual increase
• Nigeria - 118,000+ members - more than 7.3% annual increase
• Sierra Leone - 13,000+ members - more than 11.5% annual increase
• Togo - 2,300+ members - more than 23.6% annual increase

To emphasize the significance of recent membership and congregational growth in the Africa West Area, I have created graphs for all seven of these countries that display membership and congregational growth trends since the establishment of the Church in each country.

BENIN

COTE D'IVOIRE

GHANA

LIBERIA

NIGERIA

SIERRA LEONE

TOGO

First LDS District Created in Benin

Last Sunday the Church created its first district in Benin.  The Cotonou Benin District consists of all six branches currently functioning in Benin including the Akpakpa, Fidjrosse, Finagnon, Gbedjromede, Gbegame, and the Menontin Branches.  Half of these branches were created earlier this year and missionaries report efforts to open additional groups in Cotonou within the near future. 

The Church created its first mission in Benin in July 2011 that also services neighboring Togo.  The Church has not opened any locations outside of Cotonou to missionary activity and has instead focused on opening new congregations in lesser-reached areas of the city. 

Recent Church Growth News

New Stake in Tonga
A new stake was created last Sunday in Tonga on the main island of Nuku'alofa.  The Nuku'alofa Tonga Matahau Stake was created from two stakes on the western side of the island.  There are now 18 stakes and two districts in Tonga.  The last new stake created in Tonga was in 2008.

New Stake in Texas
A new stake was created last Sunday in Texas.  The Heath Texas Stake was created from the Richardson Texas Stake and perhaps another nearby stake in the Dallas area.  I will provide more details on the new stake once they become available.  There are now 57 stakes and three districts in Texas

Number of Branches in Benin Doubles
The number of independent mission branches in the African country of Benin increased from three to six last month.  The three new branches were previously meeting as groups and include the Fidjrosse, Finagnon, and Gbegame Branches.  The Church has yet to organize these six branches into their own district and they continue to report directly to the Benin Cotonou Mission.  A shortage of priesthood leaders remains a serious challenge.

Group Organized in Previously Unreached City in Kenya
Missionaries serving in the Kenya Nairobi Mission report that a new group was recently organized in the previously unreached city of Naivasha, Kenya.  Senior missionaries indicate that there are upwards of 80 investigators attending church services and that group leadership is staffed by an isolated Latter-day Saint family.  Prospects appear good for the group to become its own branch in the near future.

City Opens for Missionary Work in Angola
Missionaries serving in the Mozambique Maputo Mission report that the Area Presidency recently approved the assignment of full-time missionaries to the Angolan city of Huambo.  The Church assigned proselytizing missionaries to Angola for the first time in 2008 but missionaries were only assigned to the capital city Luanda until just the past year or two when a second city (Lubango) opened.  Additional cities have small numbers of isolated members and investigators meeting and await the establishment of official LDS missionary activity.

Cities Opening in Brazil
Missionaries serving in the Brazil Belem Mission report that they have recently visited several large, previously unreached cities in Para State that have small groups of members meeting under the Brazil Belem Mission Branch.  Two cities in particular - Parauapebas and Paragominas - have been visited and missionaries helped increase church attendance to as high as 60 in one of the groups.  The Church has literally hundreds of additional cities to open with over 20,000 inhabitants and favorable conditions for church planting but has made little progress within the past ten years.  I have recently written a case study on expanding LDS outreach in Brazil for cumorah.com which will be posted in the coming month.

New Branches Created in Europe
Mission presidents report two new branches recently organized in Europe.  In Spain, the first LDS branch in Ibiza was created last Sunday and pertains to the Baleares Spain District.  The new branch has about 60 attending church services and has been a major success for the Spain Barcelona Mission.  Many of the branch members relocated to the island from Ecuador.  In the Belgium Brussels/Netherlands Mission, a new Portuguese-speaking branch was created in Rotterdam.  Two Brazilian missionaries have been assigned to the branch and the branch has become the first Portuguese-speaking branch in the mission.

Any other LDS growth developments you know of?  Please comment.

Benin Cotonou Mission

For the first time in two decades, the Church will organize a mission in a nation that at present does not have a stake or district.  The Benin Cotonou Mission will include both Benin and Togo which were formerly assigned to the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan Mission and will administer a population of 15.5 million.  The Church was first established in Togo in 1997 whereas the first full-time missionaries were assigned to Benin in 1998.  Steady membership growth has occurred over the past decade as church membership increased from 117 in 2000 to 1,034 in 2009 in Togo and from 11 in 2000 to 253 in 2008 in Benin.  The Lome Togo District was organized in late 2009 and today includes five branches.  There are three mission branches in Benin in the Cotonou area.  Currently there is only an LDS presence in Cotonou and Lome.  Prospects appear high for a future district in Benin within the next year.

Rapid membership growth will likely continue following the organization of the new mission and additional congregations may be organized in the Lome, Togo and Cotonou, Benin areas.  With the exception of nearby cities on the coast, no additional cities will likely open for missionary work for another year or two as the mission is organized and being staffed.  Cities which may be among the first to open to missionary work include Abomey (Benin), Godomey (Benin), Ouidah (Benin), Porto-Novo (Benin), and Tsevie (Togo) due to their large populations and close proximity to currently established branches.  Based on growth patterns and mission policies in other West African nations, the largest cities in central and northern areas of Benin and Togo may not open for missionary work for decades due to distance, poor living conditions, and differing ethno-linguistic groups.

The announcement of the new mission was rumored for months, but it came as a surprise that the mission will be based in Benin rather than Togo considering Togo has more members and LDS congregations.  The decision to base the new mission in Benin was likely due to Benin supporting a larger population than Togo (9 million versus 6.5 million).  Leadership development and member activity rates have ranged from moderate to high in both countries.

Five New Missions to be organized and Five Mission to be Consolidated this July

New missions will be organized in the following locations:

• Benin Cotonou
• Mexico Mexico City Southeast
• Peru Chiclayo
• Philippines Quezon City North
• Zambia Lusaka

Missions to be consolidated are as follows:

• Connecticut Hartford 
• Georgia Macon
• Portugal Porto
• Switzerland Geneva and France Toulouse to create the France Lyon
• Toronto Canada East and Toronto Canada West to create Toronto Canada

New Mission to be created in Benin

A new mission will be organized in West Africa to administered Benin and Togo called the Benin Cotonou Mission.  I will provide more details once they become available.

Church Growth News

LDS branch officially created in Burundi

Senior couple missionaries serving in the DR Congo Lubumbashi Mission report that the first official branch has been created in the country of Burundi. LDS services have previously operated as a group. A branch once operated in Burundi in the 1990s, but was discontinued as members left the country as a result of war. Dozens of converts have been baptized since full-time missionaries were assigned last September. Prospects appear to be materializing for mission outreach to expand outside of Bujumbura in the coming months and years.

New stakes to be created

Full-time missionaries serving around the world report that new stakes will soon be created in the following locations:

• Donetsk, Ukraine
• Kananga, DR Congo
• Quetzaltenango, Guatemala area
• Granada, Nicaragua

It is unclear whether First Presidency approval has been granted for each of these potential stakes and I will provide updates once they become available.

Nepal Update

Although not recognized by the government and operating unofficially, the LDS Church in Nepal was reported by the Church to have 133 members in the sole branch headquartered in Kathmandu. No active proselytism occurs in Nepal and Nepalese youth have begun to serve full-time missions in increasing numbers in recent years.

City in Kazakhstan opening for missionary work

Full-time missionaries serving in Kazakhstan report that for the first time in LDS Church history, a second city will have full-time missionaries assigned. Only Almaty has LDS missionaries at present, but next month the capital city of Astana should also have full-time missionaries assigned. There have been plans for years to eventually open Astana for full-time missionary work and it is unclear whether current plans will materialize as past plans never came to fruition.

City in Uganda opens for missionary work; first branch to be created at the end of January

The city of Lira, Uganda has had full-time missionaries recently assigned and the Uganda Kampala Mission President will create the first branch in the city later this month. Full-time missionaries report that sacrament attendance has increased to over 50 and that there are now five priesthood holders.

New missions in 2011 rumors

Although no official plans have been announced, there has been discussion on new missions which may open in July 2011. I announced a couple months ago concerning plans to open a new mission in Lusaka, Zambia. Potential new missions which may be created this year are listed below. These potential new missions have been cited by full-time missionaries serving in the field.

• Ethiopia Addis Ababa
• Angola Luanda/Mozambique Beira
• Togo/Benin

Church planting in the United States

Full-time missionaries serving in Little Rock, Arkansas report that mission and stake leadership have experimented with church planting approaches recently. A group operates in the Little Rock area with a full-time missionary companionship assigned that has grown to 25 some members attending weekly - all of which are recent converts. Missionaries report that they started the congregation from scratch and are hoping to organize an independent branch from the group in the near future as local priesthood leadership develops. This church planting example illustrates the need for such missionary approaches worldwide for the LDS Church in order to improve convert retention, member self-sufficiency, and long-term church growth.

LDS Non-African Missionaries Evacuated from Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) - Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan Mission May Divide to Create New Mission in 2011

Full-time missionaries serving in the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan Mission report that plans are being finalized to remove all non-African missionaries serving in Cote d'Ivoire to Benin and Togo as a result of increasing political instability from a recent presidential election. Cote d'Ivoire has demonstrated high levels of self-sufficiency and sustainability as the Church was first established in the early 1990s at at present there are four stakes and a district. Political instability has continued to delay expansion of the Church into presently-unreached areas in the country over the past decade, especially outside the capital of Abidjan. Non-African missionaries have been withdrawn in the past and did not serve in Cote d'Ivoire from the mid-2000s to 2009. New congregations are regularly organized and local members serve missions in large numbers.

The administrative decision to relocate all non-African missionaries in the mission to Benin and Togo will facilitate the creation of a new mission for these two nations. Full-time missionaries report that the Church has been planning on creating a new mission to administer these two nations in the coming months. A mission based in Lome, Togo would greatly increase potential for the LDS Church to expand nationwide as the Church at present only operates in Lome, Togo and Cotonou, Benin. Distance and a lack of missionary resources has prevented a greater church establishment in these nations, which have no legal restrictions and highly receptive populations to the Church. The Church has not formally announced any plans to create a new mission as of yet.

The Church in Togo continues to grow rapidly. The first branch was created in the early 2000s and divided to create the Tokoin Branch in 2006. Additional branches were created in 2008 (Hédzranawoé), 2009 (Be-Kpota), and 2010 (Ablogame). The five branches in Togo belong to the Lome Togo District, created in late 2009. LDS membership has grown from 117 in 2000 to 1,034 in 2009.

The Church has grown less rapidly in Benin. There were 11 Latter-day Saints in 2004 and in 2009 there were several hundred. The first branch was created in 2004 (Cotonou). In 2008, the branch was divided in to three branches: Akpakpa, Gbedjromede, and Menontin. Currently the three branches are not part of a stake or district and full-time missionaries report that member activity rates are high and local leadership has been developed.

Burundi Opening to Missionary Work In September

Missionaries serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo Lubumbashi Mission report that the country of Burundi will open for formal missionary work in September. Several exploratory trips have occurred in the past 18 months to assess conditions and locate members and prospective converts. On some of these trips, mission leaders reported hundreds meeting in the name of the LDS Church both in the capital Bujumbura and in remote areas of the country. These prospective Latter-day Saint converts have learned about the Church from members living in the country and from pastors who have obtained copies of the Book of Mormon and have begun teaching from LDS scripture. In late 2009, there were as many as a dozen unofficial congregations. The most recent exploratory trip occurred in the past few weeks in which mission leaders met with some members who have been waiting for years for the Church's official reestablishment.

In the early 1990s, Burundi opened to missionary work and had a branch established in Bujumbura in 1993. Due to ethnic conflict and political instability, the Church withdrew missionaries (who were assigned from the Ivory Coast Abijdan Mission) shortly thereafter and stopped reporting membership totals in 2001.

In September, eight young, full-time proselytizing missionaries and two senior missionary couples from the DR Congo Lubumbashi Mission will be assigned to Burundi and reside in Bujumbura. Few if any countries have opened to formal missionary activity in the past decade, let alone with so many missionaries. Neighboring Rwanda has had an official Church presence for about two years, yet only one senior missionary couple was assigned just in the past year. Other African nations which have received their first proselytizing missionaries in the past decade include Angola, Benin, Cameroon, and Togo. Formal missionary activity may begin soon in the Central African Republic.

Benin, Togo, and New Branches In Africa

Some exciting news from Africa regarding Church growth. The Church has had a presence in Benin and Togo for roughly 10 years and up until recently Benin had one branch and Togo had two. The Conotou Branch in Benin was split into three new branches a few months ago: The Gbèdjromédé, Mentonin, and Akpakpa Branches. A third branch in Togo was also organized recently, named the Hedzranawoe Branch. So now each country currently has three congregations each. However, the other two branches in Togo (the Lome and Tokoin Branches) will each be divided to create two new branches. Missionaries serving in Togo report that the soon to be five branches will then be organized into the first district in the country. Currently both countries are part of the Cote D'Ivoire Abidjan Mission.

New branches are also being organized currently in Sierra Leone, Cameroon and Kenya. There was rumor that the city of Mahajanga, Madagascar would be receiving its first branch right before the recent violence and political instability arose, but as of yet I have found no information that this has taken place.