New Stakes Created in the DR Congo, Nigeria, and Utah; New District Created in Gabon; Two Districts Discontinued in French Polynesia

DR Congo

Today, a new stake was created in the DR Congo. The Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo UPN Stake was created from the Kinshasa DR Congo Mont Ngafula Stake (organized in 2006) which had 11 wards and one branch prior to the creation of the new stake. No information is available yet on which congregations were assigned to the new stake or whether congregations from additional stakes were taken to create the new stake. The new stake is the Church's 12th stake in Kinshasa and the first new stake to be organized in the city since 2019. Several additional stakes appear likely to be organized in Kinshasa in the near future, as most stakes in the city have enough congregations to divide. 

There are now 29 stakes and three districts in the DR Congo.

Nigeria

A new stake was created in Nigeria on August 18th. The Calabar Nigeria Etta Agbor Stake was created from the Calabar Nigeria Stake (created in 2002 and renamed the Calabar Nigeria Tinapa Stake) and the Calabar Nigeria South Stake (created in 2015). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Atimbo, Etta Agbor, Mayne Avenue, Nyanghasang, Uwanse, and Yellow Duke Wards and the Akpabuyo Branch. The new stake is the Church's fourth stake in the city of Calabar where a temple was announced in October of 2023.

There are now 73 stakes and 13 districts in Nigeria.

Utah

A new stake was created in Utah on August 11th. The Provo Utah East Bay (Spanish) Stake was created from area stakes and includes the following nine wards: the Bonneville 7th (Spanish), East Bay 2nd (Spanish), Franklin Park (Spanish), Freedom 3rd (Spanish), Lakeside 5th (Spanish), Parkway 6th (Spanish), Slate Canyon 1st (Spanish), Slate Canyon 14th (Spanish), and the Sunset 2nd (Spanish) Wards. The new stake is the Church's second Spanish-speaking stake in Utah following the West Jordan Utah Wasatch Meadows (Spanish) Stake which was created in May of 2024.

There are now 641 stakes and four districts in Utah.

Gabon

The Church organized its first district in the Central African nation of Gabon on August 4th. The Libreville Gabon District was created with four branches that previously were administered directly by the Cameroon Yaounde Mission, namely the Libreville 1st, the Libreville 2nd, the PK12, and the Université Branches. The Church organized its first branch in Gabon in Libreville in 2012 followed by additional branches in 2016 (Libreville 2nd), 2022 ( Université), and 2024 (PK12). The Port-Gentil Branch is the only branch in Gabon outside of Libreville, and the branch remains under the direct supervision of the Cameroon Yaounde Mission.

French Polynesia 

The Church's last two districts in French Polynesia were recently discontinued, and the branches that were assigned to the districts have been reassigned to stakes based on Tahiti. The two branches in the Taiohae Marquesas Islands District (organized in 2012) were reassigned to the Papeete Tahiti Stake. In the former Makemo Tuamotu District, the Makemo and Taenga Branches were reassigned to the Punaauia Tahiti Stake, the Fakarava Branch was reassigned to the Faaa Tahiti Tuamotu Stake, the Hikueru and Marokau Branches were reassigned to the Taravao Tahiti Stake, and the Hao Branch was reassigned to the Paea Tahiti Stake. The Makemo Tuamotu District Branch was the only branch that was discontinued. These changes were similar to the discontinuation of the Tubuai Australes District in 2016 and permits some of the larger branches in former districts to become wards and also reduce the administrative burden on the mission president to serve members living in districts. Moreover, this decision was also likely made because there were no feasible prospects for the districts to become stakes within the foreseeable future due to remote distance and small populations spread over large geographical areas. 

There are now 11 stakes and zero districts in French Polynesia.

New Temples Announced in April 2024 Part I: Outside the United States

Uturoa French Polynesia Temple 

The Uturoa French Polynesia Temple will be the Church's second temple in French Polynesia following the Papeete Tahiti Temple. Uturoa (population: 3,663) is a village located on Raiatea - one of the islands in the western Society Islands (Leeward Islands). Only two stakes appear likely to be assigned to the new temple which were organized in 1993 (Raromatai Tahiti Stake) and 2018 (Bora Bora Tahiti Stake). Slow, but steady, growth has occurred on the islands that are likely to be assigned to the new temple. I added Raiatea to the list of less likely locations to have a temple announced in September 2019. As of year-end 2023, there were 29,700 members in French Polynesia. Currently the two stakes in Raromatai and Bora Bora are assigned to the Papeete Tahiti Temple. Islands likely to be assigned to the new temple have a combined population of 36,000 people.

Chihuahua Mexico Temple

The Chihuahua Mexico Temple will be the Church's third temple in Chihuahua State, Mexico, and the 25th temple in Mexico following the Mexico City Mexico Temple (dedicated in 1983), the Colonia Juárez Chihuahua Mexico Temple (dedicated in 1999), the Ciudad Juárez Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Hermosillo Sonora Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Oaxaca Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Tampico Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Villahermosa Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Mérida Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Veracruz Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Guadalajara Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2001), the Monterrey Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2002), the Tijuana Mexico Temple (dedicated in 2015), the Puebla Mexico Temple (announced in 2018), the Querétaro Mexico Temple (announced in April 2021), the Torreón Mexico Temple (announced in April 2021), the Culiacán Mexico Temple (announced in October 2021), the San Luis Potosí Mexico Temple (announced in April 2022), the Mexico City Benemérito Mexico Temple (announced in April 2022), the Cuernavaca Mexico Temple (announced October 2022), the Pachuca Mexico Temple (announced October 2022), the Toluca Mexico Temple (announced October 2022), the Tula Mexico Temple (announced October 2022), and the Cancún México Temple (announced October 2023). I added Chihuahua to my list of less likely locations to have a temple announced in September 2019. The new temple will likely service four stakes and three districts in southern Chihuahua State. There are three stakes in the city of Chihuahua that were organized in 1976, 1987, and 1989. Church growth rates in Mexico have dramatically decreased within the past decade, albeit the Church has begun to experience steady net increases in the number of ward and branches again within the past couple years. There were 1,516,406 Latter-day Saints in Mexico as of year-end 2023. Currently, stakes in southern Chihuahua State are assigned to the Ciudad Juarez Mexico Temple, whereas the three districts are assigned to the Colonia Juarez Mexico Temple. The Church organized the Mexico Chihuahua Mission in 1988.

Florianópolis Brazil Temple

The Florianópolis Brazil Temple will be the Church's 23rd temple in Brazil following the São Paulo Brazil Temple (dedicated in 1978), the Recife Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Porto Alegre Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Campinas Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2002), the Curitiba Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2008), the Manaus Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2012), the Fortaleza Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2019), the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2022), the Belem Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2022), the Brasília Brazil Temple (dedicated in 2023), the Salvador Brazil Temple (announced in 2018), the São Paulo Brazil East Temple (announced in 2020), the Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple (announced in April 2021), the Vitória Brazil Temple (announced in October 2021), the Maceió Brazil Temple (announced in April 2022), the Santos Brazil Temple (announced in April 2022), the Londrina Brazil Temple (announced in October 2022), the Riberão Prêto Brazil Temple (announced in October 2022), the Teresina Brazil Temple (announced in April 2023), the Natal Brazil Temple (announced in April 2023), the Goiânia Brazil Temple (announced in October 2023), and the João Pessoa Brazil Temple (announced in October 2023). The Florianópolis/São José metropolitan area has been on my list of more likely temples to be announced for many years, as Florianópolis/São José is the most populous metropolitan area in Santa Catarina State (which was the Brazilian state with the most stakes without a temple prior to the temple announcement). The first stake in Florianópolis was organized in 1985, and two more stakes were later organized in the metropolitan area in 1993 and 2021 (although a previous stake once operated in Monte Cristo on the north side of the metropolitan area from 1993 until it was discontinued in 2001). Currently there are 11 stakes in Santa Catarina State - all of which appear likely to be assigned to the new temple. One district may also be assigned to the new temple (the União da Vitória Brazil District). The Church has experienced significant growth in Santa Catarina State within the past decade, as five stakes have been organized since 2013. Stakes and districts in Santa Catarina State have been assigned to the Curitiba Brazil Temple and the Porto Alegre Brazil Temple. The Church reported 1,494,571 Latter-day Saints in Brazil as of year-end 2023. The Church organized the Brazil Florianópolis Mission in 1993.

Rosario Argentina Temple

The Rosario Argentina Temple will be the Church's seventh temple in Argentina following the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple (dedicated in 1986), the Córdoba Argentina Temple (dedicated in 2015), the Salta Argentina Temple (announced in April 2018), the Mendoza Argentina Temple (announced in October 2018), the Bahía Blanca Argentina Temple (announced in 2020), and the Buenos Aires City Center Argentina Temple (announced in October 2022). The new temple will likely service 8-9 stakes and 4-6 districts in Rosario, Santa Fe, and surrounding areas. The Church has experienced slow growth in this area of Argentina. There are three stakes in Rosario that were organized in 1974, 1980, and 1995. The Church reported 481,518 Latter-day Saints in Argentina as of year-end 2023. The Argentina Rosario Mission was organized in 1972. Stakes in Rosario are currently assigned to the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple, whereas stakes in Santa Fe are assigned to the Córdoba Argentina Temple.

Edinburgh Scotland Temple

The Edinburgh Scotland Temple will be the Church's first temple in Scotland and fourth temple in the United Kingdom following the London England Temple (dedicated in 1958), the Preston England Temple (dedicated in 1998), and the Birmingham England Temple (announced in April 2022). The new temple will likely service the five stakes in Scotland and the one stake in Northern Ireland. Stakes in Scotland and Northern Ireland currently pertain to the Preston England Temple district. The Church operates one stake in Edinburgh that was organized in 1980. However, the oldest stake in Scotland was created in Glasgow in 1962. The Church has reported stagnant membership growth in Scotland for many years. Scotland has ranked among likely locations to have a temple announced for many years due to its sizable membership and distance from the nearest temple in Preston, England. Some of the lowest member activity rates in the British Islands has appeared to have contributed to the delay of a temple announcement for Scotland. Scotland has experienced a decline in the number of wards and branches over the past couple decades. The Scotland/Ireland Mission was organized in 1961. The mission originally only included Scotland, but Ireland was added when the Ireland Dublin Mission was discontinued in 2010. The Church reported 186,350 members in the United Kingdom in 2023. The Church reported approximately 23,000 Latter-day Saints in Scotland as of 2017, whereas there were approximately 26,000 Latter-day Saints in Scotland for most of the 1990s and 2000s.

Brisbane Australia South Temple

The Brisbane Australia South Temple will be the Church's sixth temple in Australia following the completion of the Sydney Australia Temple (dedicated in 1984), the Adelaide Australia Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Melbourne Australia Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Perth Australia Temple (dedicated in 2001), and the Brisbane Australia Temple (dedicated in 2003). The new temple will be the first time that the Church has announced a second temple for a single metropolitan area in Oceania. Although Brisbane is the location of the most recently dedicated temple in Australia, the city has experienced tremendous growth within the past two decades in regard to the number of stakes and congregations. There are now 12 stakes in the greater Brisbane area stretching from the Sunshine Coast in the north to the Gold Coast in the south. The Brisbane Australia Temple is located in the heart of downtown Brisbane and services all stakes in Queensland. The new temple will likely service approximately 6-8 stakes in southern Brisbane and the Gold Coast areas. The first stake in Brisbane was organized in 1960, whereas the most recently organized stake in the area was the Brisbane Australia Beenleigh Stake in 2018. The Australia Brisbane Mission was organized in 1973. There were 157,079 Latter-day Saints in Australia as of year-end 2023. Slow membership and congregational growth has recently occurred in the Brisbane area.

Victoria British Columbia Temple

The Victoria British Columbia Temple will be the Church's second temple in British Columbia following the Vancouver British Columbia Temple (dedicated in 2010) and the 11th temple in Canada. The new temple will likely service only two stakes - both of which are located on Vancouver Island. The Victoria British Columbia Stake was organized in 1975, whereas the Nanaimo British Columbia Stake was organized in 1997. Both stakes are assigned to the Vancouver British Columbia Temple and are small in terms of the number of congregations. Although no wards or branches have been discontinued on Vancouver Island within the past 15 or so years, there has been only one branch organized during this time. The Church reported 31,171 members in British Columbia as of year-end 2023. There were 203,339 Latter-day Saints in Canada as of year-end 2023. Church membership increased by 1.25% in 2023 - the highest annual membership growth rate seen since 2012.

Maracaibo Venezuela Temple

The Maracaibo Venezuela Temple will be the Church's second temple in Venezuela following the dedication of the Caracas Venezuela Temple in 2000. Maracaibo has been on my list of the most likely cities to have a temple announced for many years, and Venezuela was the country with the most Latter-day Saints with only one temple prior to the new temple announcement. Former Church President Gordon B. Hinckley proposed a temple in Maracaibo in 1999. There are five stakes in the immediate Maracaibo area (the first stake was organized in 1980), and there are two more stakes in nearby cities. Stakes in the area have had many wards discontinued in the past decade due to active members moving away from Venezuela, and unless members return or large numbers of converts are baptized and retained, multiple stakes will likely consolidate in the near future. The Church opened the Venezuela Maracaibo Mission in 1979. Altogether, the new temple will likely service 12 stakes and three districts. The Church reported 176,623 members in Venezuela as of year-end 2023. This summer, Venezuela will also transfer to the Caribbean area from the South America Northwest Area. All stakes in Venezuela are currently assigned to the Caracas Venezuela Temple.

15 New Temples Announced

Today, President Russell M. Nelson announced plans to construct 15 new temples in each of the following locations:

• Uturoa, French Polynesia
• Chihuahua, Mexico
• Florianópolis, Brazil
• Rosario, Argentina
• Edinburgh, Scotland
• Brisbane, Australia (south area)
  
• Victoria, British Columbia
• Yuma, Arizona
• Houston, Texas (south area)
  
• Des Moines, Iowa
• Cincinnati, Ohio
• Honolulu, Hawaii
• West Jordan, Utah
• Lehi, Utah
• Maracaibo, Venezuela

With today's announcement, there are now 350 temples announced, under construction, or dedicated. Moreover, the number of temples planned or dedicated has doubled since 2016 when four temples were announced in April.

New Stakes Created in the DR Congo, French Polynesia, and the Philippines; New District in Mozambique

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)
The Church organized a new stake in the city of Kananga in the Kasai region of the DR Congo. The Malandji Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake was organized from a division of the Kananga Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake and the Katoka Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Kamayi 1st, Kamayi 2nd, Kananga 1st, Kananga 2nd, Malandji 2nd, Tshinsambi, and Walikale Wards. The Church organized its first stake in Kananga in 2011 followed by a second stake in 2015. Kananga is the third city in the country to have three stakes in it after Kinshasa (11) and Lubumbashi (4). The new stake is the Church's sixth stake in the Kasai region.

There are now 23 stakes and one district in the DR Congo.

French Polynesia
A new stake was organized that includes Tuamotu Archipelago and Tahiti. The Takaroa Tuamotu District was organized into the Faaa Tahiti Takaroa Stake. The Faaa Tahiti Stake, renamed the Faaa Tahiti Tuamotu Stake, was also divided and five wards in the stake were transferred to the newly organized Faaa Tahiti Takaroa Stake. The Faaa Tahiti Takaroa Stake includes the following eight wards: the Ahurai, Farahei, Oremu, Puurai, Takapoto, Takaroa 1st, Takaroa 2nd, and Vairai Wards. Although information on which branches became wards in the new stake is not available on the Church's meetinghouse website, information from the Church's French Polynesia Facebook page indicates that all branches in the former district became wards in the Faaa Tahiti Takaroa Stake, whereas none of the branches in the Faaa Tahiti Tuamotu Stake became wards. This is the second instance of the Church creating a stake or assigning remote island branches to a stake in French Polynesia within the past five years (the first instance was the inclusion of the Austral Islands into the Papeari Tahiti Stake). This decision may have been made to provide local leadership support to outlying branches and prepare for the creation of a stake that solely operates in Tuamotu one day. Tuamotu is home to some of the oldest Latter-day Saint congregations in the world. For example, the Takapoto Ward was originally organized in 1844 and the Takaroa 1st Ward was first organized in 1851. The Community of Christ has slightly more congregations in Tuamotu than The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints per an article I wrote on cumorah.com five years ago. However, Latter-day Saints have a much larger presence on Tahiti than the Community of Christ. Furthermore, Latter-day Saints have reported slow-to-moderate growth rates in French Polynesia within the past decade (increase of 12 congregations and nearly 8,000 members), whereas the Community of Christ has reported a net increase of only two congregations per the Community of Christ's directory to 59 at present.

There are now 11 stakes and two districts in French Polynesia.

Philippines
The Church organized the Lubao Philippines Stake from the Dinalupihan Philippines District. All five branches in the former district became wards in the new stake, including the Dinalupihan, Floridablanca, Guagua, Lubao 1st, and Lubao 2nd Branches. The original Dinalupihan Philippines District was organized in 1998. The new stake is part of the Philippines Olongapo Mission where the Church has experienced significant progress with the maturation of districts into stakes within the past three years (only one stake in 2016 versus six stakes at present).

There are now 115 stakes and 63 districts in the Philippines.

Mozambique
The Church organized a new district in Mozambique. The Chimoio Mozambique District was created from three branches - two of which were organized the same day as the new district. Branches assigned to the new district include the Baixa, Chimoio, and Soalpo Branches. Chimoio is the fourth city in Mozambique to ever have a district organized after Maputo (2003), Beira (2003), and Nampula (2017). Additional cities appear likely to have new branches organized and have districts created within the foreseeable future, such as Marromeu, Quelimane, and Tete.

There are now four stakes and two districts in Mozambique.

New Stake in French Polynesia

The Church organized a new stake in French Polynesia on April 29th. The Bora Bora Tahiti Stake was organized from a division of the Raromatai Tahiti Stake and the Punaauia Tahiti Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Anau, Cumorah, Faanui, Maupiti, and Vaitape Wards, and the Haamene and Hipu Branches. All but one of the congregations (Faanui) are designated as Tahitian-speaking. The new Bora Bora Tahiti Stake includes LDS congregations on three islands: Bora-Bora (3), Tahaa (3), and Maupiti (1). The creation of the new stake in Bora Bora comes after many years of preparation by mission and stake leaders according to reports from full-time missionaries. More information about the creation of the new stake can be found here.

There are now 10 stakes and 3 districts in French Polynesia, whereas there were only 6 stakes and 3 districts in 2010. The Church has experienced a significant increase in membership growth, congregational growth, and stake growth during the past 5-6 years. For more information, click here.

New Stakes Created in French Polynesia and Honduras; New Districts Created in Ecuador and Peru; Districts Discontinued in French Polynesia and Honduras

French Polynesia
The Church organized a new stake in Tahiti on July 17th. The Taravao Tahiti Stake was organized from a division of the Mahina Tahiti and Papeari Tahiti Stakes. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Hitiaa, Taravao 1st, Taravao 2nd, Tautira, Toahotu, and Vairao Wards. The Tubuai Australes District was also discontinued and the five branches in the former district were reassigned to the Papeari Tahiti Stake. The decision to discontinue the district likely indicates plans for branches in the former district to become wards in the foreseeable future. No branches have been discontinued in the Tubuai Australes District within recent years.

There are now nine stakes and three districts in French Polynesia

Honduras
The Church organized two new stakes in Honduras.

The Comayagüela Honduras Bulevar Stake was organized on July 24th from a division of the Comayagüela Honduras Torocagua Stake. The new stake currently includes three wards and two branches: the Bulevar, Carrizal, and Jardines del Carrizal Wards, and the Ciudad España and
Zambrano Branches. With only three wards officially reported, it appears that either additional wards are assigned to the stake or both of the branches became wards when the stake was organized. These updates will likely be made in the near future. The organization of the new stake coincided with the discontinuation of the Talanga Honduras District. Organized in 1994, the Talanga Honduras District previously administered four branches - two of which now pertain to the Comayagüela Honduras Torocagua Stake. The remaining two branches in the Talanga Honduras District were reassigned to the Juticalpa Honduras District (previously the Catacamas Honduras District).

The Olanchito Honduras Stake was organized from the Olanchito Honduras District on August 7th. The new stake includes five wards and one branch: the Bellavista, Olanchito, Sonaguera, Tocoa, and Trujillo Wards, and the Coyoles Branch. Missionaries have reported within the past year or two plans for the district to become a stake. Originally the area was serviced by two districts headquartered in Olanchito and Tocoa (discontinued in 2009). The Olanchito Honduras District was originally organized in 1985.

There are now 27 stakes and five districts in Honduras.

Ecuador
The Church organized a new district in Ecuador on August 7th. The Guaranda Ecuador District was organized from a division of the Riobamba Ecuador District. The new district includes two branches: the Guaranda 1st and Guaranda 2nd Branches. Distance from Riobamba and prospects for greater growth in the Guaranda area appeared to have prompted the organization of the new district.

There are now 36 stakes and 10 districts in Ecuador.

Peru
The Church organized a new district in southern Peru on July 17th. The Majes Perú District was organized from a division of the Camaná Perú District and a mission branch in the Peru Arequipa Mission. The new district includes three branches: the Aplao, La Joya, and Pedregal Branches.

There are now 101 stakes and 20 districts in Peru.

Map Comparing LDS and Community of Christ (RLDS) Congregation Distributions in French Polynesia

As part of a new case study I am writing for cumorah.com, I have created a map that provides the location for LDS and Community of Christ (RLDS) congregations in French Polynesia.  The population of all inhabited islands in French Polynesia is also provided.  The case study will likely not be posted on cumorah.com until early 2014 but I thought that many readers would appreciate me posting this map now.  The LDS Church and the Community of Christ are among the largest Christian denominations in French Polynesia and some islands are predominantly LDS and Community of Christ.  The first full-time missionaries assigned to serve a foreign language and foreign culture mission began serving in French Polynesia in 1844.

Click here to view the map.

New Stake in Zimbabwe; New District in French Polynesia

Zimbabwe
A new stake as created last Sunday in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.  The Nkulumane Zimbabwe Stake was organized from the Bulawayo Zimbabwe Stake and includes the following four wards and four branches: The Nketa 1st, Nkulumane 1st, Nkulumane 2nd, and Tshabalala Wards and the Emganwini, Mzilikazi, Nketa 2nd, and Nkulumane 3rd Branches.  There are now five stakes and two districts in Zimbabwe.

French Polynesia
Last Sunday a new district was organized in French Polynesia.  The Taiohae Marquesas Islands District was organized from two former mission branches in the Marquesas Islands (Hiva Oa and Taiohae).  Additional branches may be organized within the boundaries of the new district considering there are only two branches in the new district.  There are now eight stakes and four districts in French Polynesia.

New Stake in French Polynesia (Tahiti)

Last Sunday, the Church created a new stake in French Polynesia.  The Mahina Tahiti Stake was organized from the Arue Tahiti and Papeari Tahiti Stakes and includes the following seven wards: The Faaripo, Hitiaa, Mahina, Matavai, Papenoo, Tiarei, and Tuauru Wards.  The Papeari Tahiti Stake now has seven wards and the Arue Tahiti Stake now has six wards and a branch.  The Church's two wards and one branch on the neighboring island of Moorea previously pertained to the Papeete Tahiti Stake but were transferred to the Arue Tahiti Stake as there were only four wards remaining in the Arue Tahiti Stake following its division.

There are now eight stakes and three districts in French Polynesia.

New Stakes Organized in Venezuela and Tahiti; New District Organized in Kenya

Venezuela

A new stake was recently organized in Venezuela.  The Cumana Venezuela Stake was organized from the Puerto La Cruz Venezuela Stake and includes the four wards in the city of Cumana (Ayacucho, Campeche, Cumana, and Sucre Wards), the Cumanacoa Ward, and the Mariguitar Ward.  Additional stakes may be organized in the near future in other areas of Venezuela, such as Maracay.  There are now 30 stakes in Venezuela.

Tahiti

A new stake was organized in Tahiti.  The Punaauia Tahiti Stake was organized from the Raromatai and the Paea Tahiti Stakes and includes the following eight wards: Anau, Manutahi, Matatia, Maupiti, Outumaoro, Punaruu, Punavai Nui, and Vaitape.  There are now seven stakes in French Polynesia.  

Kenya

A new district was organized in western Kenya.  The Eldoret Kenya District includes the Eldoret, Huruma, Kitale, Langas, Misikhu, Naitiri, Sikhendu, and Sosiani Branches.  There are now two districts and one stake in Kenya.