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.

Corrections

There are a couple corrections I need to make based upon inaccurate information I have previously reported.

First, the Church has not realigned the Africa West Area boundaries. In fact, Chad has continued to pertain to the Africa West Area since its organization in 1998. Furthermore, Chad has been assigned to the Africa West Area Branch since the branch's creation in 2011.

Second, the new stake in Montana to be organized this month will be located in Missoula - not Billings.

I apologize for the misinformation.

Correction: Stake in Belize

Back in August, I announced that missionaries serving in the El Salvador San Salvador/Belize Mission reported that the first stake in Belize would be organized in the coming months. However, I have found no additional information to substantiate this report. There do not appear to be any imminent plans to organize a stake in Belize. I apologize for the misinformation.

Church Growth News

Update on cities opened for missionary work in Mozambique

Missionaries in Mozambique report that progress continues in cities opened for missionary work in 2010 as many have been baptized and sacrament meeting attendance has dramatically increased.  At present the Chimoio Group now has over 90 attending church meetings; Maxixe has 40 and Dondo has 120.  


Additional city in Uganda with an LDS presence

Full-time missionaries serving in Uganda report that a group has been organized in Masaka, Uganda.  The Church initially sent a humanitarian senior couple to perform a clean water project and had no intentions of establishing a congregation or assigning missionaries.  A former investigator who had met with LDS missionaries in Kampala recognized the senior couple and interest in the Church and its teachings increased among the population in the area.  When the water project was completed, the senior missionary couple brought full-time missionaries to Masaka to answer questions about the Church and distribute scriptures and proselytism pamphlets.  Hundreds of church pamphlets and 100 issues of the Book of Mormon were distributed.  Full-time missionaries returned, baptized a couple converts, and opened a small congregation that now meets regularly.  This instance illustrates the influence of humanitarian work on church growth, the high receptivity of Uganda and many other African nations, and the need for additional missionary resources to be dedicated to the region.  


While on the topic of Uganda, the Gulu Branch (organized in 2008) recently received a new meetinghouse and sacrament meeting attendance has reached 140.

LDS meetinghouse occurring in Nauta, Peru

A senior missionary couple has supervised the opening of Nauta to missionary work, which is located in the Iquitos area.  Currently there are approximately 50 attending meetings.  The group may soon become a branch as male converts remain active and are ordained to the priesthood.  

Correction on new stake in Honduras

I reported back in November that a new stake would be organized in Tegucigalpa.  It appears that the information I received was incorrect as no new stake has been organized.  I apologize for the misinformation.

First Stake In Mongolia Creation Postponed To June 7th

First off, I apologize for announcing that the first stake in Mongolia was created last Sunday when apparently it was not. The Mission President reports that the stake was originally to be organized on the 24th of May, but was postponed for two weeks due to elections. Again, I apologize for the misinformation.