New Stakes Created in Brazil, Cote d'Ivoire, the DR Congo, Hawaii, Idaho, Liberia, Montana, Nigeria, Portugal, the Philippines, and Virginia; New Districts Created in Liberia and Uganda; Districts Discontinued in Cote d'Ivoire, Japan, and Fiji

Brazil

A new stake was created in Brazil on January 26th. The Santa Maria West Stake was organized from the São Gabriel Brazil District (organized in 2001) and the Santa Maria Brazil Stake (organized in 1993). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Rosário do Sul, the Salgado Filho, the Santa Marta, the São Gabriel, and the Tancredo Neves Wards and the São Pedro Branch. The Church has sought for many years to divide the Santa Maria Brazil Stake which had 10 wards and one branch. The new stake is within the boundaries of a previously discontinued stake, the Rosário do Sul Brazil Stake, which operated from 1995 until 2001. There are now 27 stakes and four stakes in Rio Grande do Sul State. Santa Maria appears a likely location for a temple, as there is only one temple in Rio Grande do Sul located in Porto Alegre. A temple in Santa Maria could service 11 stakes and one district.

There are now 288 stakes and 37 districts in Brazil. 

Cote d'Ivoire

A new stake was created in Cote d'Ivoire on February 2nd. The Adzope Cote d'Ivoire Stake was created from the Adzope Cote d'Ivoire District (organized in 2016) and the Akoupé Cote d'Ivoire District (organized in 2017 and discontinued when the new stake was organized). The new stake includes the following four wards and five branches: the Adzope 3rd, the Affery 1st, the Affery 2nd, and the Akoupé 1st Wards and the Adzope 1st, the Adzope 2nd, the Adzope 4th, the Adzope 5th, and the Adzope 6th Branches. The four original branches in Affery were consolidated into two wards, the two branches in Akoupé were combined to make a single ward, and no branches were consolidated in the city of Adzope. Both district branches in the two districts were discontinued, which occurs whenever a district that has a district branch is organized into a stake. This new stake has followed the pattern seen with many other recently organized stakes in Cote d'Ivoire, such as in Gagnoa, Man, and San Pedro. Although it is discouraging that these districts have not been able to become separate stakes (which has appeared to be due to the significant slowdown in Church growth in the country during the past five years), it is nonetheless encouraging to note that these cities had no organized branches prior to approximately 10 years ago, and thus, there has been significant growth and leadership development in these nascent areas for the Church. The Adzope Cote d'Ivoire Stake is the first stake to be created in the cities to the immediate north and east of Abidjan that are outside of the metropolitan area.

There are now 22 stakes and nine districts in Cote d'Ivoire

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)

The Church organized a new stake in Kinshasa on February 9th. The Kinshasa DR Congo Limete Stake was organized from a division of the Kinshasa DR Congo Stake (organized in 1996) and the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of Congo Masina Stake (organized in 1999). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Kingabwa 1st, the Kingabwa 2nd, the Limete 1st, the Limete 2nd, and the Ndanu 1st Wards and the Ndanu 2nd Branch. The new stake is the Church's 15th stake in Kinshasa to be organized.

There are now 33 stakes and three districts in the DR Congo.

Hawaii

A new stake was created in Hawaii for the first time since 2014. The Puna Hawaii Stake was created from a division of the Hilo Hawaii Stake (organized in 1968). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Ka'u, the Kea'au, the Pahoa, the Waikahe 1st, and the Waikahe 2nd Wards. The Church has experienced steady growth on the western half of the Big Island of Hawaii, and there were only seven wards and one branch in the Hilo Hawaii Stake for many years in the mid-2000s. The neighboring Kona Hawaii Stake also appears likely to divide soon, as this stake has grown to 10 wards and one branch (up from eight wards in the mid-2000s).

There are now 17 stakes in Hawaii.

Idaho 

A new stake was created in Idaho on January 12th. The Idaho Falls Canterbury Park Stake was organized from a division of the Idaho Falls Taylor Mountain Stake (organized in 1996). The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Bristol Heights, the Carriage Gate, the Castlerock, the Gem Lake, the Park Taylor, the Stonebrook, and the Victorian Village Wards. There are now approximately 20 stakes in Idaho Falls.

There are now 143 stakes in Idaho.

Liberia

A new stake and a new district were created in Liberia.

The Thinker Village Liberia Stake was organized on February 2nd from a division of the Paynesville Liberia Stake (organized in 2017). Approximately 1,500 attended the conference to create the new stake, and each stake now has approximately 2,000 members which is the minimum required to create a stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Boys Town, the Duport Road, the Gbengbar Town, the Outland, the SKD Boulevard, the Thinker Village, and the Voker Mission Wards. There are now seven stakes in Monrovia - all of which have been organized within the past decade.

The Harbel Liberia District was created on January 12th from seven mission branches in the Harbel, Buchanan, and Tameque areas, including the Barclay Farm, the Buchanan 1st, the Buchanan 2nd, the Cotton Tree, the Dolo's Town, the Harbel, and the LAC Branches. The first branch in the area was organized in Harbel back in 2008. Over 900 attended the conference to create the new district. Harbel is the second city outside of Monrovia to have had a district organized.

There are now seven stakes and two districts in Liberia.

Montana

A new stake was created in Montana on February 16th. The Three Forks Montana Stake was organized from a division of the Bozeman Montana Stake (organized in 1979), the Butte Montana Stake (organized in 1953), and the Helena Montana Stake (organized in 1968). The new stake includes the following seven wards and two branches: the Belgrade 1st, the Belgrade 2nd, the Gallatin, the Sheridan, the Three Forks, the Townsend, and the Whitehall Wards and the Ennis and White Sulphur Springs Branches.

There are now 14 stakes in Montana.

Nigeria

A new stake was created in Nigeria on February 2nd. The Abuja Nigeria Karu Stake was organized from a division of the Abuja Nigeria Wuse Stake (organized in 2019). The new stake includes the follow five wards and three branches: the Jikwoyi, the Karu, the Masaka, the New Nyanya, and the Nyanya Wards and the Aso, the GRA, and the Orozo Branches. The new stake is the Church's fourth stake in Abuja, where a mission was organized in 2023 and a temple was announced in October of 2024.

There are now 79 stakes and 14 districts in Nigeria.

Portugal

A new stake was created in Portugal on February 16th. The Santarém Portugal Stake was created from a division of the Lisbon Portugal Stake (organized in 1981) and the Oeiras Portugal Stake (organized in 1989). The new stake includes the following five wards and three branches: the Alverca, the Bom Sucesso, the Carregado, the Santarém, and the Torres Vedras Ward, and the Abrantes, the Tomar, and the Vila Franca de Xira Branches. The Church previously operated a district in Santarém from 1991 to 2020, and the six branches that were part of the former district were reassigned to the Lisbon Portugal Stake or the Oeiras Portugal Stake in 2020. 

There are now eight stakes and one district in Portugal.

The Philippines

The Malaybalay Philippines Stake was created on February 2nd from the Malaybalay Philippines District (organized in 1992). Nearly 1,200 attended the conference to create the new stake. All six branches in the district were organized into wards, including the Malaybalay 1st, the Malaybalay 2nd, the Malaybalay 3rd, the Maramag, the Quezon Bukidnon, and the Valencia Wards. There are now 16 stakes and 12 districts on the island of Mindanao.

There are now 132 stakes and 55 districts in the Philippines.

Virginia 

A new stake was organized in Virginia on January 26th, 2025. The Brambleton Virginia Stake was created from a division of the Ashburn Virginia Stake (organized in 1995), the Gainesville Virginia Stake (organized in 2016), and the Oakton Virginia Stake (organized in 1963). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Algonkian, the Ashburn, the Brambleton, the Broadlands, the Sterling Park, and the Tall Cedars Wards and the Loudoun (Spanish) Branch. There are now 15 stakes in the DC metropolitan area.

There are now 23 stakes in Virginia.

Uganda 

A new district was created in Uganda. The Lira Uganda District was organized from three mission branches located in the city of Lira, including the Adyel, the Lira, and the Odokomit Branches. The first branch in Lira was organized in 2011. The new district is the Church's third district to be created in Uganda within the past four months.

There are now three stakes and five districts in Uganda.

Japan

The Nagasaki Japan District (organized in 1982) was discontinued and consolidated with the neighboring Fukuoka Japan Stake. None of the four branches in the former Nagasaki Japan District were discontinued. The decision was likely made to consolidate the district with the neighboring stake to conserve leadership resources and perhaps for branches in the former district to become wards eventually. Stagnant growth or decline has occurred on Kyushu for decades.

There are now 22 stakes and nine districts in Japan.

Fiji

The Taveuni Fiji District (organized in 1997) was discontinued and consolidated with the Labasa Fiji District (organized in 2017 but which previously operated from 1989 to 2008). The realigned district is now called the Vanua Levu Fiji District. This decision was probably made due to a renewed effort to create a stake on Vanua Levu and surrounding islands. There are now 11 branches in the Vanua Levu Fiji District. No branches were discontinued with the closure of the district in Taveuni. 

There are now four stakes and one district in Fiji.

New Stakes Created in Utah (3), Oklahoma (2), Peru (2), the Dominican Republic, the DR Congo, Ecuador, Idaho, Mozambique, North Carolina, Togo, and Washington; New District Created in the DR Congo; Stakes Discontinued in Utah (4), Florida (2), England, and Oregon; Districts Discontinued in Russia (3), Romania (2), Australia, Belarus, and Fiji

Utah

There new stakes were created and four stakes were discontinued in Utah.

The Lehi Utah Cold Spring Ranch was created on March 19th from the Lehi Utah Holbrook Farms Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Cold Spring Ranch 1st, the Cold Spring Ranch 2nd, the Evans Farm, the Hardman Farms, the Holbrook Farms 2nd, and the Holbrook Farms 3rd Wards. There are now 20 stakes in Lehi.

The Eagle Mountain Utah Porter's Crossing was created on April 16th from the Eagle Mountain Utah East Stake. The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Brookhaven, the Chilton Park, the Kiowa Valley, the Liberty Farms, the Porter’s Crossing, the Ranches Parkway 2nd (Spanish), the Skyline Ridge, and the South Pass Wards. There are now 10 stakes in Eagle Mountain.

The West Haven Utah North Stake was created on May 21st from the Ogden Utah West Stake and the West Haven Utah Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Riverbend, the Wilson 2nd, the Wilson 3rd, the Wilson 4th, and the Wilson 5th Wards and the Park (Care Center) and Water Tower (Correctional Facility) Branches.

The Salt Lake Foothill Stake (organized in 1957) was discontinued. The stake had five wards and one branch prior to its closure. One of the five wards was discontinued, and the retained congregations were reassigned to the Salt Lake Hillside Stake (renamed Salt Lake Wasatch Stake).

The Salt Lake Cottonwood Heights Stake (organized in 1978) was discontinued which had six wards and one branch prior to its closure. Three wards closed as part of the stake consolidation. Retained units were reassigned to the Cottonwood Heights Utah Brighton Stake, Salt Lake Butler West Stake, and the Salt Lake Cottonwood Stake.

The Sandy Utah Crescent Park Stake (organized in 1987) was discontinued which had six wards and one branch prior to its closure. Two wards closed when the stake was discontinued. All retained congreations were reassigned to the Sandy Utah Crescent North Stake (which was renamed to Sandy Utah Dimple Dell Stake).

The Kearns Utah Western Hills Stake (organized in 1981) was discontinued. The stake had five wards prior to its closure, and none of the wards were discontinued. Wards in the former stake were reassigned to the Kearns Utah Stake and the Kearns Utah Central Stake.

There are now 628 stakes and 2 districts in Utah.

Oklahoma

Two new stakes were created in Oklahoma on May 7th. 

The Gore Oklahoma Stake was organized from the Broken Arrow Oklahoma Stake (organized in 1978) and the Fort Smith Arkansas Stake (organized in 1978). The new stake is essentially a reinstatement of the Muskogee Oklahoma Stake which operated from 1983 until 1991 and which is the only stake to have ever been discontinued in Oklahoma. The new stake includes the following five wards and three branches: the Gore, Henryetta, McAlester, Muskogee, and Sallisaw Wards and the Eufaula, Poteau, and Talihina Branches.

The Owasso Oklahoma Stake was organized from the Bartlesville Oklahoma Stake (organized in 2014) and the Broken Arrow Oklahoma Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Claremore, Elm Creek, Lake Valley, Pryor, and Ranch Creek Wards and the Skiatook Branch. There are now three stakes in the Tulsa area

There are now 11 stakes in Oklahoma.

Peru

Two new stakes were created in Peru.

The Trujillo Perú Jerusalén Stake was organized on April 30th from a division of the Trujillo Perú Esperanza Stake (organized in 1998). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Arévalo, the El Milagro, the Jerusalén, the Los Robles, and the Nuevo Trujillo Wards. The new stake marks the first time since 1998 when a stake was organized in the city (there were three stakes created that year in Trujillo). There are now eight stakes in Trujillo.

The Iquitos Perú San Juan Stake was organized on May 21st from a division of the Iquitos Perú Nueve de Octubre Stake (organized in 1995). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Avianca, Los Delfines, San Juan, Santa Clara, and Secada Wards and the Nauta Branch. There are now four stakes in Iquitos. The Church previously operated five stakes in Iquitos from 1995 until 1998 when two of the five stakes were discontinued (Iquitos Peru Mi Peru and Iquitos Peru Sachachorro - both of which did not operate in the area of the new stake in Iquitos but instead functioned in central and northern areas of the city). A temple was announced for Iquitos in April 2023.

There are now 115 stakes and 17 districts in Peru.

Dominican Republic 

A new stake was created in the Dominican Republic. The La Vega Dominican Republic Stake was created from the La Vega Dominican Republic District and a portion of the Santiago Dominican Republic East Stake on December 18th, 2022. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Conani, Jarabacoa, La Espanola, Los Framboyanes, Moca, and Primavera Wards. The new stake is actually a reinstated stake, as a stake previously operated in La Vega from 1998 until 2009 when it was discontinued and divided into three districts (La Vega, Bonao, and Cotuí). With seven stakes in the Santiago area now, the region appears likely to have a temple announced given distance to Santo Domingo.

There are now 22 stakes and 8 districts in the Dominican Republic.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)

A new stake and a new district were created in the DR Congo. The Ngandajika Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake was organized from the Ngandajika Democratic Republic of the Congo District on March 12th. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Kabanda, Kabidimba, Mboka, Ngandajika, and Tshioji Wards and the Kalubanda and Kasonji Branches. The original district in Ngandajika was created in 2016, and the first branch in the city was organized in 2008. 

The Kisangani Democratic Republic of the Congo District was created on April 1st. All six branches in the city that previously reported directly to the Democratic Republic of the Congo East Mission now pertain to the new district, including the Kabondo, Kisangani, Lubunga, Makiso, Mangobo, and Tshopo Branches. The Church created its first branch in Kisangani in 2015.

There are now 27 stakes and 3 districts in the DR Congo.

Ecuador

A new stake was created in Ecuador. The Riobamba Ecuador Stake was created from the Riobamba Ecuador District on May 21st. All five branches in the former district (organized in 1992) became wards in the new stake, including the Bellavista, the Guaranda, the La Joya, the La Primavera, and the Los Álamos Wards. The area has appeared to have been preparing for some time to become a stake, as evidenced by the discontinuation of the short-lived Guaranda Ecuador District which operated from 2016-2019 with only two branches (which were merged into a single branch). 

There are now 44 stakes and 4 districts in Ecuador.

Idaho

A new stake was created in Idaho on March 26th. The Caldwell Idaho Snake River Stake was created from a division of the Caldwell Idaho Stake and the Caldwell Idaho East Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards and one branch: the Caldwell 16th, the Caldwell 4th, the Caldwell 6th, the Homedale 1st, the Homedale 2nd, the Marsing 1st, and the Marsing 2nd Wards and the Jordan Valley Branch. There are now three stakes in the Caldwell area.

There are now 138 stakes in Idaho.

Mozambique

A new stake was created in Mozambique on May 14th. The Beira Mozambique Munhava Stake was organized from a division of the Beira Mozambique Stake and the Beira Mozambique Manga Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Mananga, Manga Loforte, Maraza 1st, Mascarenha, Munhava, and Pioneiros Wards, and the Maraza 2nd  Branch. The new stake was primarily made from the Beira Mozambique Stake which had 145 men sustained to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood at the time of the conference. Moreover, the Church organized two new wards and one new branch when the new stake was created - all located within the newly organized stake. There are now three stakes in Beira (the two previous stakes were created in 2015 and 2017). A temple was announced for Beira in 2021. 

There are now six stakes and one district in Mozambique.

North Carolina

The Church organized a new stake in North Carolina on March 19th. The Wake Forest North Carolina Stake was organized from a division of the Raleigh North Carolina Stake and the Raleigh North Carolina South Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards and two branches: the Falls Lake, Franklinton, Henderson, Knightdale 1st, Wake Forest 1st, Wake Forest 2nd, and Zebulon Wards and the Creedmoor and Knightdale 2nd  Branches. 

There are now 20 stakes in North Carolina.

Togo

A new stake was created in Togo on May 7th. The Lomé Togo Agoe Stake was created from a division of the Lomé Togo Be Stake (organized in 2013), the Lomé Togo Tokoin Stake (organized in 2017), and a mission branch (Tsevie). The new stake includes the following three wards and five branches: Agoe Nyive, the Apedokoe, and Kélegougan Wards, and the Adetikope, the Adidogome, the Djagble, the Sanguéra, and the Tsevie Branches. It is highly likely that not all branches that have become wards have been updated in the Church's meetinghouse locator or the advancement of more branches into wards will occur in the immediate future (similar to what was seen in Nairobi, Kenya earlier this year when a third stake was also created in that city). 

There are now three stakes in Togo.

Washington

A new stake was created in Washington on February 26th. The Richland Washington South Stake was created from the Kennewick Washington Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Badger Canyon, the Badger Mountain, the Grandridge, the Meadow Springs, the Rancho Reata, the Temple Meadow, and the Willowbrook Wards. There are now seven stakes in the Richland area.

There are now 60 stakes in Washington.

Florida

Two stakes were discontinued in Florida in May. The Fort Lauderdale Florida Stake (organized in 1970) was discontinued and retained units were reassigned to the Coral Springs Florida Stake (organized in 1994) and the Miami Lakes Florida Stake (organized in 1998). The Miami Florida South Stake (organized in 1992) was combined with the Miami Florida Stake (organized in 2015). The Church in South Florida originally had four stakes between 2008 until 2014 when the Boynton Beach Florida Stake was organized followed by the Miami Florida Stake in 2015 (there were five stakes between 1998 and 2008 until the Spanish-speaking stake was discontinued in 2008). Each of the stakes had few congregations after the creation of these two stakes, and consequently, it appears that the Church has sought to strengthen the stakes by essentially reverting back to having only four stakes again in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area. 

There are now 32 stakes in Florida.

England

The Church discontinued a stake in the London area in May. The Watford England Stake (organized in 1996) was discontinued and congregations in the stake were reassigned to the St Albans England Stake, the Thames Valley England Stake (was previously called the Reading England Stake), and the London England Hyde Park Stake. Local members report plans to discontinue two additional stakes in the area by mid-2023 in order to reduce the leadership burden on a small number of active members in the area. This marks the first time the Church in Europe has ever gone through a significant redistricting of stakes on this scale. Thus far, there have not been any significant consolidation of congregations, however. The Church in the United Kingdom has experienced steady decline in the number of congregations for decades, and these changes are unsurprising given this trajectory and efforts to create stakes with larger numbers of congregations with more active members than historical averages. The discontinuation of the Watford England Stake marks the second time a stake has been discontinued in the United Kingdom.

There are now 43 stakes in the United Kingdom.

Oregon 

A stake was discontinued in Oregon. The Milwaukie Oregon Stake (organized in 1979) was discontinued. Three of the five wards in the stake also closed, and the retained units were reassigned to the Oregon City Stake and the Portland Oregon Stake. The Church in the more central areas of Portland has experienced a rapid decline during the past decade. There has only been one other instance of a stake being discontinued in Oregon, and this was the Portland Oregon East Stake in 2015. 

There are now 34 stakes in Oregon.

Russia

The Church discontinued three districts in Russia, including the Samara Russia District (organized in 2015 but previously operated and was reinstated in 2015), the Volgograd Russia District (originally organized in 2002, discontinued in 2013, and reinstated in 2015), and the Vladivostok Russia District (originally organized in 1996, but has gone through periods of being discontinued and reinstated). Branches in the former Samara Russia District and Volgograd Russia District were reassigned to the Saratov Russia Stake, whereas branches in the former Vladivostok Russia District now report directly to the Russia Novosibirsk Mission. The discontinuation of these districts has appeared to be the result of consolidating limited leadership and the closure of many branches in recent years which has accelerated as a result of religious freedom restrictions and the current war in Ukraine. 

There are now three stakes and three districts in Russia. In contrast, there were 3 stakes and 10 districts in 2018.

Romania

The Church consolidated its three districts in Romania into a single district in early 2023. The discontinued districts were the Bucharest Romania District (organized in 1982) and the Cluj-Napoca Romania District (organized in 2009). The Brașov Romania District now has 15 branches. A similar change was made in Poland in 2020 and may signal efforts to try to strengthen local leadership and perhaps create a stake at some point, although only a couple of branches appear large enough to become wards. The Church plans to reinstate the Romania Bucharest Mission (originally organized in 1993) next month after it was discontinued in 2018.

Australia

The Church discontinued the Norwa Australia District (organized in 1992) which has had three branches for many years. One branch closed as part of the changes (Ulladulla) which had only approximately 10 active members as of the mid-2010s. The two retained branches were reassigned to the Canberra Australia Stake which previously had only four wards and one branch (and has had this few units for decades). Moreover, the Norwa Branch was advanced into a ward, resulting in the realigned Canberra Australia Stake having five wards and two branches now. 

There are now 41 stakes and 6 districts in Australia.

Belarus

The Church discontinued the Minsk Belarus District which had two branches prior to its closure. The Vitebsk Branch closed as part of these changes. The Minsk Branch was reassigned to the Moscow Russia Stake and became a ward. There are now no districts in Belarus.

Fiji

The Church discontinued the Korovou Fiji District (organized in 2017) and the five branches in the district were reassigned to the Lautoka Fiji Stake and the Nausori Fiji Stake. No branches were discontinued as part of this district discontinuation.

New Stakes Created in El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Missouri, New York, Nigeria, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, and Texas; New Districts Created in Brazil, Cote d'Ivoire, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Sierra Leone; District Discontinued in Poland and South Korea

NEW STAKES

El Salvador
The Church organized a new stake in El Salvador on June 18th. The San Vicente El Salvador Stake was organized from the San Vicente El Salvador District (organized in 1995) and a portion of the San Salvador El Salvador Stake. The new stake includes the following three wards and five branches: the La Paz, Los Nonualcos, and Zacatecoluca Wards, and the Cojutepeque, Ilobasco, Sensuntepeque, La Espiga, and La Torre Branches. At least two of the branches have likely become wards. However, this information has not yet been updated in the official directory. The San Vicente El Salvador District was the last district of the Church in El Salvador. Now, the entire country is administered by stakes.

There are now 20 stakes in El Salvador.

Ghana
The Church organized a new stake in Ghana on June 25th. The Koforidua Ghana Stake was created from the the Koforidua Ghana District. The new stake includes the following seven wards and four branches: the Adweso, Asokore, Effiduase, Koforidua 1st, Koforidua 2nd, Oyoko, and Suhum Wards, and the Maase, Mile 50, Osiem, and Tafo Branches. Coincidentally, the original Koforidua Ghana District was also organized on June 25th in 1995. The Church experienced slow growth in Koforidua until a few years ago. Approximately half of the congregations in the new stake were organized within the past two years. Koforidua is the eighth metropolitan area or large city in Ghana to have had a stake organized.

There are now 20 stakes and 11 districts in Ghana.

Guatemala
The Church organized two new stakes in Guatemala.

The Senahu Guatemala Stake was organized from the Senahu Guatemala District on June 4th. The new stake includes the following five wards and four branches: the Providencia, Santiaguila, Seamay 2nd, Vega, and Yalijux Wards, and the Chijolom, Seamay 1st, Semarac, and Seriquiche Branches. As previously reported, the new stake is the first Q'eqchi'-speaking stake in the Church.

The Guatemala City Don Justo Stake was organized on June 18th from a division of the Guatemala City Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Arrazola, Don Justo, El Pajón, Fraijanes, Las Flores, and San José Pinula Wards. The new stake is the Church's 22nd stake in the Guatemala City metropolitan area.

There are now 48 stakes and 15 districts in Guatemala.

Honduras
The Church organized a new stake in Tegucigalpa on June 25th. The Tegucigalpa Honduras Villa Olímpica Stake appeared to be organized from a division of the Tegucigalpa Honduras La Esperanza Stake. No information is currently available regarding which congregations are assigned to the new stake. The new stake is the Church's 12th stake in the Tegucigalpa metropolitan area. Tegucigalpa also reports one of the highest percentages of Latter-day Saints of any major city of the world as the city appears to be at least 3.65% LDS.

There are now 30 stakes and five districts in Honduras.

Mexico
The Church organized a new stake in Mexico for the first time since 2013. The Puebla México Arboledas Stake was organized from the Puebla México Mayorazgo Stake (renamed the Puebla México Angelópolis Stake) on June 25th. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Castillotla, Dieciseis de Septiembre, El Refugio, Loma Bella, San Ramón, and Tres Cerritos Wards. There are now 13 stakes in the Puebla-Tlaxcala-Atlixco metropolitan area.

There are now 231 stakes and 41 districts in Mexico.

Missouri
The Church organized a new stake in the St Louis metropolitan area for the first time since 1987. The Hazelwood Missouri Stake was organized from a division of the St Louis Missouri North Stake (renamed the Lake St Louis Missouri Stake) and the St Louis Missouri Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Alton, Hazelwood, Maryland Heights, St Charles, St Peters, and Weldon Spring Wards, and the San Carlos Branch (Spanish). There are now four stakes in the St Louis metropolitan area.

There are now 18 stakes in Missouri.

New York
The Church organized its third YSA stake east of the Mississippi River on June 18th. The New York New York YSA Stake was organized from YSA wards and branches from several stakes in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The new stake includes the following five wards and five branches: the Harlem YSA, Hoboken YSA, Lincoln Square YSA, Manhattan YSA, and Waveny Park YSA Wards, and the Brooklyn YSA, East Brunswick YSA, Manhattan SA, Plainview YSA, and Queens YSA Branches. YSA stakes in the eastern United States also operate in Buena Vista, Virginia (organized in 2012) and Washington DC (organized in 2016).

There are now 17 stakes and one district in New York.

Nigeria
The Church organized its first stake in Bayelsa State, Nigeria on May 14th. The Yenagoa Nigeria Stake was organized from the Yenagoa Nigeria District. The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Akenfa, Iboghene, Kpansia, Onopa-Ovom, Opolo, and Yenezuepie Wards, and the Amassoma and Azikoro Branches. The Church organized its first branch in Bayelsa State in 2009 and organized the Yenagoa Nigeria District in 2013.

There are now 43 stakes and 15 districts in Nigeria.

Philippines
The Church organized three new stakes in the Philippines

The Puerto Princesa Philippines Stake was organized on May 21st from the Puerto Princesa Philippines District (organized in 1987). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Puerto Princesa 1st, Puerto Princesa 2nd, Roxas, Santa Monica 1st, and Santa Monica 2nd Wards, and the Coron and Taytay Branches. The new stake is the first stake to be organized on Palawan Island - home to 1.1 million people.

The Olongapo Philippines Stake was organized on June 4th from the Olongapo Philippines District (organized in 1978). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Cabalan, Calapacuan, Olongapo 1st, Olongapo 2nd, and Olongapo 3rd Wards, and the Mabayo and Morong Branches. The Church previously operated a stake in Olongapo between 1989 and 1993, but discontinued the stake and reverted it back to a district due to the eruption of Mount Pinatubo forcing the resettlement of many Latter-day Saints who lived in the area.

The San Jose del Monte Philippines North Stake was organized from a division of the San Jose del Monte Philippines Stake on June 18th. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Francisco Homes, Kaypian, Minuyan, Santo Cristo, and Sapang Palay Wards. Rapid growth has occurred in San Jose del Monte since the original San Jose del Monte Philippines District became a stake in 2013.

There are now 99 stakes and 75 districts in the Philippines. The Church will organized its 100th stake in the Philippines within the next couple months.

Sierra Leone
The Church organized its second stake in Sierra Leone on June 18th. The Kissy Sierra Leone Stake was organized from the Kissy Sierra Leone District. Most of the nine branches in the former district have appeared to be organized into wards in the new stake. Additionally, missionaries report that there are plans to organize three additional stakes before the end of the year in Bo and Kenema. Also, the Freetown Sierra Leone Stake now has 11 wards and one branch, and the stake appears likely to divide to create another stake. Thus, there may be as many as six stakes in Sierra Leone by late 2017 or early 2018.

There are now two stakes and six districts in Sierra Leone.

Texas
The Church organized a new stake in Texas on May 21st. The Tomball Texas Stake was organized from a division of the Klein Texas Stake and The Woodlands Texas Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Champions, Gleannloch Farms, Inverness, Magnolia 1st, Memorial Springs, Parkway, and Tomball 2nd Wards. The new stake is the Church's 18th stake in the Houston metropolitan area.

There are now 74 stakes and three districts in Texas.

NEW DISTRICTS

Brazil
The Church organized a new district in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil on June 4th. The Cabo Frio Brazil District was organized from a division of the Macaé Brazil Stake. The new district includes the following three branches: the Araruama, Búzios, and Cabo Frio. The Araruama and
Búzios Branches were organized in 2015.

There are now 266 stakes and 40 districts in Brazil.

Cote d'Ivoire
The Church organized a new district in Cote d'Ivoire on May 14th. The Alepe Cote d'Ivoire District was organized from a division of the Aboisso Cote d'Ivoire District. The new district includes the following five branches: the Ahoutoue 1st, Ahoutoue 2nd, Alepe 1st, Alepe 2nd, and the Alepe Cote d'Ivoire District Branch. Four of the five branches in the new district have been organized since October 2015.

There are now 11 stakes and 13 districts in Cote d'Ivoire.

Fiji
The Church organized a new district in Fiji on June 4th. The Labasa Fiji District was organized from a division of the Taveuni Fiji District. The new district includes the following seven branches: the Labasa, Nabua, Nakawakawa, Nuku, Savusavu, Seaqaqa, and Tukavesi Branches. The Church had previously operated a district headquartered in Labasa between 1989 and 2008.

There are now four stakes and three districts in Fiji.

Papua New Guinea
The Church organized a new district in Papua New Guinea on June 25th. The Lae Papua New Guinea District was organized from four mission branches in the Papua New Guinea Lae Mission. The new district includes the following four branches: the Lae, Ngasuwampu, Taraka, and Yalu Branches. Three of these four branches were organized in late May 2017.

There are now two stakes and 12 districts in Papua New Guinea.

Sierra Leone
The Church organized a new district in Sierra Leone on May 21st. The Makeni Sierra Leone District was organized from three mission branches in Makeni. These branches include the Makama, Rogbaneh, and Teko Road Branches. The Church organized its first branch in Makeni in 2013.

There are now two stakes and six districts in Sierra Leone

DISCONTINUED DISTRICTS

Poland
The Church recently discontinued the Bydgoszcz Poland District. The four branches that previously pertained to the district have since been reassigned to the Poland Warsaw Mission or the Warsaw Poland District.

There are now two districts in Poland.

South Korea
The Church discontinued a district in South Korea. The Hongseong Korea District was discontinued and two of the three branches in the former district were closed. Branches within the district have struggled for decades with few active members and a lack of priesthood leadership. The area previously administered by the district now pertains to the Daejeon Korea Stake.

There are now 13 stakes and five districts in South Korea.

New Stakes Created in Arizona, Brazil, Canada, Ghana, Guatemala, Liberia, Mozambique, Texas, and Washington; New Districts Created in Cote d'Ivoire, Fiji, Guyana, and Mexico; Districts Discontinued in Cambodia, Chile, and Peru

NEW STAKES

Arizona
Last Sunday, the Church organized a new stake in northern Arizona. The Flagstaff Arizona East Stake was organized from a division of the Flagstaff Arizona Stake (renamed the Flagstaff Arizona West Stake). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Doney Park, Flagstaff YSA 1st, Linda Vista, Mount Elden, Switzer Canyon, and Walnut Canyon Wards, and the Sawmill Branch (Correctional Facility).

There are now 113 stakes in Arizona

Brazil
The Church organized its first stake in Roraima State last Sunday. All five branches in the former Boa Vista Brazil District appear to have become wards in the newly organized Boa Vista Brazil Stake. Roraima was the last Brazilian state to not have a stake.

There are now 266 stakes and 40 districts in Brazil.

Canada
The Church organized a new stake in the Edmonton area in Alberta, Canada on April 9th. The Sherwood Park Alberta Stake was organized from a division of the Edmonton Alberta Bonnie Doon Stake and the Edmonton Alberta North Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and four branches: the Cherry Grove, Clarkdale, Fort Saskatchewan, Glen Allan, Nottingham, and Wood Buffalo Wards, and the Lloydminster, St Paul, Tofield, and Vermilion Branches.

There are now 24 stakes in Alberta, and 49 stakes and three districts in Canada.

Ghana
The Church organized a new stake in the Accra metropolitan area on April 23rd. The Teshie Ghana Stake was organized from a division of the Accra Ghana Christiansborg Stake and the Tema Ghana Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Adjorman, Nungua 1st, Nungua 2nd, Nungua 3rd, Teshie 1st, Teshie 2nd, and Teshie 3rd Wards. There are now 10 stakes in the Accra metropolitan area.

There are now 19 stakes and 12 districts in Ghana.

Guatemala
The Church organized a new stake in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala on March 19th. The  Quetzaltenango Guatemala Santa Fé was organized from a division of the Quetzaltenango Guatemala West Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Bougambilias, La Esperanza, Las Américas, San Mateo, and Villa Hermosa Wards, and the San Juan Ostuncalco Branch. The new stake is the Church's fourth stake in the Quetzaltenango metropolitan area.

There are now 46 stakes and 16 districts in Guatemala.

Liberia
The Church organized its second stake in Liberia on April 30th. The Monrovia Liberia Stake was organized from the Monrovia Liberia District. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Central Monrovia, Congo Town 2nd, Doe Community, Matadi, and Sinkor Wards, and the Congo Town 1st Branch. The Church initially organized the Monrovia Liberia District in 1989 and the district previously operated as a stake between 2000 and 2007.

There are now two stakes and two districts in Liberia.

Mozambique
The Church organized a new stake in Beira, Mozambique on March 19th. The Beira Mozambique Manga Stake was organized from the Beira Mozambique Manga District and the Beira Mozambique Stake. The new stake includes the following two wards and three branches: the Chingussura and
Mascarenha Wards, and the Chamba, Inhamízua, and Vila Massane Branches. It is likely that all three branches have been advanced into wards but that the official directly has not made these updates yet.

There are now three stakes and zero districts in Mozambique.

Texas
The Church organized a new stake in the Houston area on April 30th. The Conroe Texas Stake was organized from a division of the College Station Texas Stake, Spring Texas Stake, and The Woodlands Texas Stake. The new stake includes the follow five wards and four branches: the Conroe 1st, Conroe 2nd, Crighton, Huntsville 1st, and Montgomery Wards, and the Crockett, Heritage YSA, Huntsville 2nd (Correctional Facility), and Madisonville Branches. There are now 17 stakes in the Houston metropolitan area.

There are now 73 stakes and three districts in Texas.

Washington
The Church organized a new stake in the Seattle area on April 23rd. The Oak Harbor Washington Stake was organized from a division of the Everett Washington and Mount Vernon Washington Stakes. The new stake includes the following seven wards and three branches: the Anacortes, Mount Erie, Mount Vernon YSA, Oak Harbor 1st, Oak Harbor 2nd, Penn Cove, and South Whidbey Island Wards, and the Eastsound, Friday Harbor, and Lopez Branches.

There are now 62 stakes in Washington.

NEW DISTRICTS

Cote d'Ivoire
A new district was organized in Cote d'Ivoire on April 23rd. The Akoupé Cote d'Ivoire District was organized from a division of the Adzope Cote d'Ivoire District. The new district appears to include the following four branches: the Affrey 1st, Affrey 2nd, Affrey 3rd, and Akoupé Branches. With the exception of the 1990s before stakes were organized in the country, the new district appears to be the first time in the Church's history of Cote d'Ivoire when a district was divided to organize a new district.

There are now 11 stakes and 12 districts in Cote d'Ivoire.

Fiji
The Church organized a new district in Fiji on the main island of Viti Levu. The Korovou Fiji District
was organized from a division of the Nausori Fiji Stake and Lautoka Fiji Stake. The new district includes the following four branches: the Korovou, Levuka, Nasautoka, and Saioko Branches. The decision to organize the new district was likely due to the large number of member groups that operate on the eastern side of Viti Levu Island. For example, the new district appears to include at least two member groups, Moturiki and Waimaula, whereas there are approximately five additional member groups that appear to operate in the Nausori Fiji Stake.

There are now four stakes and two districts in Fiji.

Guyana
The Church organized a new district in Guyana on April 23rd. The Berbice Guyana District was organized from five former mission branches in the New Amsterdam area, including the Corriverton, East Canje, New Amsterdam, Rose Hall, and Rosignol Branches. One former mission branch, the Bushlot Branch, was discontinued when the district was organized. The Church previously operated a district in the area between 2005 and 2010 called the Canje Guyana District. The decision to reestablish the district may indicate improvements in local leadership development after significant leadership challenges and convert retention problems during the brief period of rapid growth in the late 2000s prompted the closure of the district to strengthen individual branches.

There are now two districts in Guyana.

Mexico
The Church organized a new district in Puebla State, Mexico on April 16th. The Puebla México Citlaltépetl District was organized from the Puebla México Amalucan Stake, Puebla México Fuertes Stake, and the Tehuacán México Stake. The new district includes the following six branches: the Citlaltépetl, Grajales, Libres, Serdán, Tecamachalco, and Tlachichuca Branches. Two of the branches were organized at the same time that the district was creaetd.

There are now 230 stakes and 41 districts in Mexico.

DISCONTINUED DISTRICTS

Cambodia
The Church discontinued the Phnom Penh Cambodia Central (Vietnamese) District approximately a couple months ago. The district was originally organized in 2001 and included three Vietnamese-speaking branches that met in Phnom Penh. One of the branches was closed when the district was discontinued. The two remaining Vietnamese branches now report directly to the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission. The Church has reported slow growth among the Vietnamese-speaking population in Phnom Penh during the past several years.

There are now two stakes and four districts in Cambodia.

Chile
The Church recently discontinued the Parral Chile District. The four branches that pertained to the former district have since been reassigned to the Linares Chile District. With seven branches, the Linares Chile District may be close to becoming a stake. The Linares Chile District used to operate as a stake between 1988 and 2002.

There are now 77 stakes and 16 districts in Chile.

Peru
The Church discontinued the Juli Perú District a couple months ago. The district was organized in 1995 and previously included three branches. The branches now pertain to the Puno Perú Central Stake.

There are now 101 stakes and 19 districts in Peru.

Georgia Macon Mission to consolidate with surrounding missions this July; New Mission Rumors

Full-time missionaries serving in the Georgia Macon Mission report that the mission will be consolidated with three neighboring missions this July.  Missions headquartered in Georgia and surrounding states tend to service few stakes, but receptivity has been higher in this area than many other regions on the United States in recent years.

Missionaries serving in the Fiji Suva Mission report that the mission may divide to create a separate mission for New Caledonia and Vanuatu.  I will provide more information when it becomes available.

Church Growth News and Developments

Island opens for missionary work in Fiji

Around the beginning of 2010 the island of Kadavu received its first permanent missionaries. Located south of Suva, Kadavu appears to be the first island in Fiji's Eastern Division to have a Church presence and missionaries. Only one missionary companionship serves on Kadavu and Church services are held in two locations: Kavala and Vunisea. The population of Kadavu is 10,000. No branches have been created and only two groups have Sunday meetings. Most of those attending meetings are youth and attendance is steadily growing.

Additional branches to be created in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Impressive membership growth and high convert retention continues in the DR Congo. Missionaries report that district conferences in the interior have had more in attendance than members on the records. In Kananga, there were 500 investigators who attended a conference held several months ago. Missionaries report that several new branches will be created in Luputa and Mbuji-Mayi this year and the latter may become its own district. A third branch was also recently created in Mbuji-Mayi. The district in Luputa is working towards become a stake within the next year. The number of missionaries serving in Lubumbashi has continued to increase and a new zone was created. The city of Kolwezi may open for missionary work soon. There are now eight wards in each of the Lubumbashi stakes.

Growth in Kenya

Missionaries report that the four branches in the Kilunga Hills southeast of Nairobi continue to grow rapidly in membership. The newest branch, the Mitini Branch, was created less than a year ago and now has around 300 attending meetings. More branches will be created soon to accommodate the strong growth. This area seems highly likely to be made into a district, in addition to several other areas with multiple mission branches. Difficultly access these areas and limited leadership have likely delayed the creation of more districts.

Much of northern Norway closes to missionary work; missionaries relocated to southern Norway

In a bold move, the Norway Oslo Mission has closed most of the proselyting areas in northern Norway and placed missionaries in Oslo and surrounding cities. Northern Norway has seen little growth; two districts used to function, based in Trondheim and Tromso, but both were discontinued in the early or mid-2000s. Missionaries report the mission is working hard to turn several branches into wards around Oslo in order for a stake stake to be created. These areas also appear the most receptive to the Church.

Botswana recap: New branches and zone

A lot of developments have occurred over the past year. Branches have been established in Molepolole (spring 2009), Mochudi and Kanye (both in late 2009). The first YSA ward was created in Africa in Gaborone. Francistown also opened for missionary work. A second zone was also just created due to the large increase in missionaries serving Botswana. For more information about the Church in Botswana, check out the country profile at Cumorah.com.

Atolls in the Marshall Islands open for missionary work

Missionaries report that Ailinglaplap and Ebon have recently opened for missionary work. Both these atolls have only a couple thousand inhabitants and missionaries have been assigned due to members requesting them. On Ailinglaplap, the chief of the island joined the Church on Majuro and has been instrumental in the Church's recent establishment on the atoll. Missionaries also serve on Jaluit and together with Ailinglaplap and Ebon none of these areas have branches established. Church meetings occur in groups. Also, on Christmas Island in neighboring Kiribati at least two groups are also meeting, one of which may become a branch soon in a small community named Banana.

The opening of a nation to the Church: Significant Angola developments

Members in Angola report that the first group has been organized outside of Luanda in Lubango. There are over 100,000 inhabitants in the city and the newly created group has around 15 investigators attending Sunday meetings. A missionary companionship have also recently been assigned to Lubango. Members report that several more groups will be created in Huambo and Moxico Provinces. The two branches in Luanda will also divide to create two additional branches in the near future. Currently six missionaries serve in the country with another six or seven awaiting visas. For more information about the Church in Angola, click on this link to Cumorah.com.

New area opens in Lesotho

Missionaries have recently been assigned to work in the small town of Leribe. Leribe is the hometown of Lesotho's queen and is located on the border with South Africa 75 miles northeast of Maseru.

Districts Dissolved

The Labasa Fiji and the Kadina Australia Districts have recently been dissolved. It is likely that the Labasa Fiji District was combined with the Taveuni Fiji District. This might have been done in preparation for a future stake, but I do not have information as to why this occurred (another reason could be because of inactivity or members moving away). Church growth in Fiji has been slow, but steady in recent years. The Kadina Australia District was probably absorbed into the stakes in the Adelaide area. During 2006, Australia had the highest membership growth rate of any developed country, at a little over 5%.