36 New Missions to be Created in 2024 Analysis: Asia and Europe

This post provides an analysis of new missions to be created in Asia and Europe in 2024, as announced by the Church on November 1st. 

New missions to be created in Asia and Europe in 2024 fall into three categories: reinstated missions that had previously closed (Germany Hamburg, Japan Sendai, Portugal Porto), a second mission in a country that previously had just one mission (Cambodia Phnom Penh East and Thailand Bangkok East), and new missions to be created in the Philippines (Philippines Dumaguete, Philippines General Santos, Philippines Tuguegarao). In 2010, the Church operated 36 missions in Asia, whereas there were 45 missions in Asia as of year-end 2022. However, this increase in the number of missions was primarily due to the Philippines, where the number of missions increased from 16 to 23 during this time period. In Europe, the number of missions decreased from 44 in 2010 to 37 in 2023. The Church in Europe reached an all-time high for the number of missions in 1997 when there were 55 missions. Most of the missions in Europe that have closed in the past 25 years have been in Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, and Spain. 

The three new missions to be organized in the Philippines is a major accomplishment that has come from significant increases in the number of Filipino Latter-day Saints serving full-time missions. The Philippines Area, which includes just the country of the Philippines, set a goal in May of 2021 to have 4,600 Filipino members serving full-time missions by the end of 2022. In May 2021, there were only 1,900 Filipino members serving full-time missions, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only half of the congregations in the Philippines had a full-time missionary companionship assigned. Therefore, the number of Filipinos serving full-time missions increased by 142% within 2.5 years. In a letter from the area presidency dated November 3rd, 2023, the area presidency stated: 

Brothers and Sisters, we express our deepest gratitude to you for heeding this call of [President Russel M. Nelson] by achieving the area goal to reach 4600 missionary applicants. We recognize the remarkable efforts of parents, leaders, and our dear youth to strengthen the rising generation and gather scattered Israel

CAMBODIA PHNOM PENH EAST 

The Cambodia Phnom Penh East Mission will be created from a division of the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission (organized in 1997). The Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission services only the country of Cambodia with its 16.9 million inhabitants. The new mission will likely include one stake and 1-2 districts. With such a small number of stakes and districts in Cambodia altogether at present (two stakes, three districts), the creation of a second mission in Cambodia likely signals efforts by the Church to expand outreach into additional areas of the country. Currently, the Church operates official branches in only six of the 24 provinces in Cambodia. The Church in Cambodia initially experienced rapid growth in the 1990s and 2000s, although annual membership growth rates have since slowed to 3-4%. The Church reported 16,317 Latter-day Saints in Cambodia as of year-end 2022. The first two stakes in Cambodia were organized in 2014, and the Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple was announced in 2018 and is currently under construction.

GERMANY HAMBURG 

The Germany Hamburg Mission will be a reinstatement of the former Germany Hamburg Mission (operated from 1938 until 2010). The new mission will likely be organized from the Germany Berlin Mission (organized in 1961), and it is unclear whether any areas of the Germany Frankfurt Mission (organized in 1938) may be included in the new mission. There are 83.3 million people in Germany and three missions (one of which also services Austria and areas of Switzerland). The Church used to operate six missions in Germany between 1991 and 2000. It is unclear why the Church did not reopen previously closed German missions in 2013 when there was a significant increase in the number of full-time missionaries serving, although the decision to organize a fourth mission in Germany may be attributed to greater receptivity and productivity of missions in the country in many areas. The Church in Germany has experienced stagnant membership growth since 2017, with church membership hovering around 40,000 during the past five years. The Church reported 39,748 Latter-day Saints and 14 stakes in Germany in 2022. Local member reports have noted several encouraging developments in Germany in the past couple years, such as an increase in the number of convert baptisms and several branches maturing into wards due to increasing numbers of active members. The Church announced plans to build a temple in Hamburg in April of 2023. Interestingly, only one stake has ever been discontinued in Germany (Neumünster Germany Stake in 2018), and this was what used to be a second stake in the Hamburg area. Since the stake was discontinued, there has been progress with branches becoming wards in the Hamburg Germany Stake, with the stake now having nine wards and six branches, making it one of the largest stakes in Germany. The new Germany Hamburg Mission will probably have 2-4 stakes within its boundaries when it is organized.

JAPAN SENDAI

The Japan Sendai Mission will be a reinstatement of the former Japan Sendai Mission which operated from 1974 until 2019. The new mission will likely be organized from a division of the Japan Tokyo Mission (organized in 1937) and the Japan Sapporo Mission (organized in 1970) and include one stake (organized in Sendai in 1980) and four districts (all organized between 1974 and 1987. The reinstatement of the mission in Sendai will likely help relieve the administrative burden on the Japan Tokyo Mission. Stagnant congregational growth has occurred in northern Honshu for decades. The Church most recently organized a new mission in Japan in 2013 when there were 58 new missions organized worldwide. There are currently six missions in Japan that service the national population of 123 million. The Church reached an all-time high of 10 missions in Japan from 1990 to 1996. The Church in Japan has reported extremely slow membership growth for decades of 0-1% per year, although there has been stagnant membership growth in Japan since 2019. The Church reported 130,251 Latter-day Saints as of year-end 2022 (which was nearly unchanged from the 130,340 Latter-day Saints reported as of year-end 2019).

PHILIPPINES DUMAGUETE

The Philippines Dumaguete Mission will be organized from a division of the Philippines Cebu Mission (organized in 1987), the Philippines Cebu East Mission (organized in 2013), and the Philippines Bacolod Mission (organized in 1974). The announcement of a mission in Dumaguete came as a surprise to me since the Church is relatively small in the Dumaguete area. The Dumaguete Philippines Stake was organized in 2014, and there is only one district that is in relatively close proximity to Dumaguete (Tanjay). It is likely that the Philippines Dumaguete Mission will include one stake and two districts in southern Negros Island. It is unclear what the Church may do to reconfigure the boundaries of other missions in the area, such as which mission will be assigned Bohol Island (one stake, one district) and northeastern Negros Island (one stake, one district). It is my opinion that Bohol Island will likely be assigned to the Philippines Dumaugete, which would result in the new mission having two stakes and three districts. The sole stake on Bohol Island was organized in Tagbilaran in 2015. The Church has experienced slow growth in southern Negros Island and Bohol Island, although there has been progress within the past decade such as organizing the first two stakes and creating the first branches in five cities (one of which was the first branch created on Siquijor Island in 2016). Also, the southern portion of Cebu Island may be assigned to the new mission given its long distance from Cebu City and no currently established branches in this area (municipalities in the extreme southern tip of Cebu Island have a combined population of 287,000 people and no congregations). If the mission includes the provinces of Negros Oriental, Bohol, Siquijor, and the southern tip of Cebu Island, there would be 3.2 million people within the mission boundaries.

PHILIPPINES GENERAL SANTOS

The Philippines General Santos Mission will likely be primarily organized from the Philippines Davao Mission (organized in 1977), although the letter from the Philippines Area Presidency from November 3rd noted that the new mission will result in a realignment of all three current missions on Mindanao (the others being the Philippines Butuan Mission which was organized in 2006 and the Philippines Cayagan del Oro Mission which was organized in 1988). It is probable that the new mission will include at a minimum southern Mindanao Island where there are two stakes (General Santos [organized in 1995] and Digos [organized in 1992] and three districts (Cotabato, Kidapawan, and Marbel) and the Zamboanga Philippines Stake (organized in 1985). It is possible the new mission may also include the Pagadian Philippines District. The new mission will likely include most of the traditionally Muslim areas of the southern Philippines, such as in the Cotabato area and the Sulu Archipelago (the latter of which has no official Church presence). The Sulu Archipelago has a combined population of 2.0 million people, Zamboanga Sur Province has 2.0 million people, and provinces in southern Mindanao near General Santos have 2.5 million people. Thus, the new mission will probably have 6.5 million people within its boundaries. Slow growth has occurred within this area of Mindanao, with no new stakes or districts organized for nearly 30 years. The new mission will likely allow for greater mission outreach in the area which has probably been lesser reached due to greater growth that has occurred in other areas of Mindanao, such as in Davao and in the Philippines Butuan Mission. Moreover, the General Santos Philippines Stake is also close to dividing to create a second stake in the city.

PHILIPPINES TUGUEGARAO

The Philippines Tuguegarao Mission will be organized from a division of the Philippines Cauayan Mission (organized in 1990) and the Philippines Laoag Mission (organized in 2004). A fun fact with this new mission is that a previous Philippines Cauayan Mission President once played an April Fool's Day joke on his assistants and office missionaries that a mission would be organized in Tuguegarao (that was about 5-7 years ago if I remember correctly). The new mission will likely include the two stakes in Tuguegarao (organized in 1989 and 2011), the Ballesteros Philippines Stake (organized in 2019), and two districts (Aparri and Gonzaga). It is also possible the new mission may include the Ilagan Philippines Stake (organized in 2000) and the Roxas Philippines Isabela District, although this stake and this district are within close proximity of Cauayan. It may make sense to relocate the Philippines Cauayan Mission to Santiago to be in a more central location (and also be in the same city where the temple will be built which was announced in October 2022). The announcement of the new mission in Tuguegarao further supports the trend of having temples and missions headquartered within the same cities (the Tuguegarao Philippines Mission was announced in April 2023). The Church has experienced steady growth in the area covered by the current Philippines Cauayan Mission and the Philippines Laoag Mission (of the 11 stakes in the two missions at present, six have been organized since 2011).

There will be 26 missions in the Philippines once the three new missions are organized. There has only been one other year when there has as many new missions organized in the Philippines (1990). The Church has never discontinued a mission in the Philippines. The first mission in the Philippines was organized in 1967. The number of missions in the Philippines increased to two in 1974, three in 1977, four in 1979, five in 1986, six in 1987, eight in 1988, nine in 1989, 12 in 1990, 13 in 1992, 14 in 2004, 15 in 2006, 16 in 2010, 17 in 2011, 21 in 2013, 22 in 2018, and 23 in 2019. The most recently created missions in the Philippines have been the Philippines Cavite Mission (2013), the Philippines Cebu East Mission (2013), the Philippines Legaspi Mission (2013), the Cabanatuan Philippines Mission (2018), and the Philippines Antipolo Mission (2019). The Church reported 853,254 Latter-day Saints in the Philippines as of year-end 2022. Currently, there are 126 stakes and 55 districts in the Philippines (soon to be 128 stakes and 53 districts on December 3rd when districts in Aguilar and Toledo will become stakes). Thus, the average Philippine mission will have five stakes and two districts when the three new missions are organized in 2024. There are 117 million in the Philippines. Thus, the average mission in 2024 will have 4.5 million people within its geographical boundaries.

PORTUGAL PORTO

The Portugal Porto Mission will be a reinstatement of the former Portugal Porto Mission (which has gone through multiple iterations of closing and reopening). The mission was first organized in 1987, closed in 2011, reinstated in 2015, and closed again in 2018. A third mission once operated in Portugal from 1990 until 2002 (Lisbon Portugal North). The Church currently has seven stakes and one district in Portugal. The reason why the Church has decided to open and close the Portugal Porto Mission is likely due to the relatively large number of congregations in Portugal that have made it challenging to administer with a single mission. It seems that this mission has reopened when there are sufficient numbers of full-time missionaries to staff a second mission in Portugal. The Church reported 46,849 Latter-day Saints in Portugal as of year-end 2022, making Portugal the European country with the third most Latter-day Saints after the United Kingdom (186,933) and Spain (63,524). Variable membership growth have occurred for the Church in Portugal in the past decade, although these annual membership growth rates have often ranged from 0-3%. There are approximately 10.2 million people in Portugal.

THAILAND BANGKOK EAST

One of the new missions that I have most anticipated for decades, the new Thailand Bangkok East Mission will be the Church's second mission in Thailand to be organized from a division of the Thailand Bangkok Mission (organized in 1973). The current Thailand Bangkok Mission includes the entire country of Thailand as well as neighboring Myanmar and Laos for a combined population of 134 million people. The new mission will likely include two stakes and one district in Thailand as well as Laos (where there is one branch in Vientiane), whereas the realigned Thailand Bangkok Mission will likely include two stakes and one district in Thailand and three mission branches in Myanmar. Currently, there are four stakes and two districts in Thailand. There were 23,450 Latter-day Saints in Thailand as of year-end 2022. The Church does not publish membership figures for Laos or Myanmar. The first stake in Thailand was organized in Bangkok in 1995, followed by two additional stakes in Bangkok that were created in 2014 and 2016. A stake was created in Ubon in 2015. The creation of the new mission in Thailand will likely help with the expansion of the Church into dozens of unreached provinces. The Church in Thailand has achieved variable membership growth rates in the past decade, although membership growth rates have typically been slow.

36 New Missions to be Created in 2024

Today, the Church announced plans to organize 36 new missions in 2024 due to a significant increase in the number of Latter-day Saints serving full-time missions. New missions that are scheduled to open in on July 1st, 2024, include:

• Argentina Tucumán
• Bolivia Cochabamba South
• Brazil Manaus South
• California Modesto
• Cambodia Phnom Penh East
• Chile La Serena
• Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa South
• Democratic Republic of the Congo Kolwezi
• Dominican Republic Santo Domingo North
• Ecuador Quito West
• Florida Tallahassee
• Germany Hamburg
• Ghana Accra North
• Ghana Takoradi
• Japan Sendai
• Kenya Nairobi East
• Madagascar Antananarivo North
• México Mexicali
• México Puebla East
• Montana Missoula
• Nevada Henderson
• Nigeria Calabar
• Nigeria Port Harcourt North
• Perú Lima Northeast
• Philippines Dumaguete
• Philippines General Santos
• Philippines Tuguegarao
• Portugal Porto
• Sierra Leone Bo
• South Carolina Charleston
• Texas Dallas South
• Texas El Paso
• Thailand Bangkok East
• Utah Salt Lake City East
• Utah Saratoga Springs
• Utah Spanish Fork

This is a major announcement that indicates confidence that the Church has placed on these increased numbers of members serving full-time missions being sustained for years to come. I will provide analysis on these new missions in the coming days. With these changes, there will be 450 missions in the Church - the most ever in the history of the Church. Also, the Church reported that there are now more than 72,000 full-time missionaries serving (of whom nearly 5,300 are senior missionaries).

New Temples Announced in April 2023 - Part III: Europe and North America

Hamburg Germany Temple

The Hamburg Germany Temple is the Church's third temple in Germany following the Freiberg Germany Temple (dedicated in 1985) and the Frankfurt Germany Temple (dedicated in 1987). The new temple will likely service only two stakes located in northern Germany. A third stake (Neumünster Germany Stake) used to operate in northern Germany, but the stake was closed in 2018 and consolidated with the Hamburg Germany Stake. The two stakes in northern Germany are now quite large in terms of the number of units and the geographical areas they cover (9 wards and 6 branches in the Hamburg Germany Stake, 7 wards and 5 branches in the Hannover Germany Stake). Moreover, one branch in the Hamburg Germany Stake recently became a ward. The Church has maintained a presence in Hamburg since 1852, and the Hamburg Germany Stake was organized in 1961. Stagnant growth has occurred for the Church in northern Germany for many decades. The Hamburg area is currently assigned to the Frankfurt Germany Temple which is an approximately 4-5 hour drive one way. There are approximately 40,000 Latter-day Saints in Germany. I added Hamburg to the less likely locations for a temple announcement in February 2023.

Lethbridge Alberta Temple

The Lethbridge Alberta Temple is the Church's fourth temple in Alberta following the Cardston Alberta Temple (dedicated in 1923), the Edmonton Alberta Temple (dedicated in 1999), and the Calgary Alberta Temple (dedicated in 2012). The new temple will likely service 8-9 stakes in southern Alberta, thereby greatly decreasing the size of the Cardston Alberta Temple district to perhaps as few as two stakes. The decision to announce a temple in Lethbridge was likely heavily influenced by improving accessibility to members who live in the four Lethbridge stakes. Lethbridge is a one-hour drive from Cardston. The new temple will also reduce the drive time to the temple for members other stakes nearby Lethbridge such as in Raymond, Taber, and Medicine Hat. The Church most recently organized a stake in Lethbridge in 2017 (a young single adult stake). The first stake was created in Lethbridge in 1951. Slow growth has occurred in southern Alberta for many decades. Lethbridge and nearby areas are assigned to the Cardston Alberta Temple district. There are nearly 200,000 Latter-day Saints in Canada. I added Lethbridge to the less likely locations for a temple announcement in February 2023.

San Jose California Temple

The San Jose California Temple is the Church's 11th temple to be built in California following the Los Angeles California Temple (dedicated in 1956), the Oakland California Temple (dedicated in 1964), the San Diego California Temple (dedicated in 1993), the Fresno California Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Redlands California Temple (dedicated in 2003), the Newport Beach California Temple (dedicated in 2005), the Sacramento California Temple (dedicated in 2006), the Feather River California Temple (announced in 2018 and scheduled for dedicate in late 2023), the Yorba Linda California Temple (announced in 2021), and the Modesto California Temple (announced in April 2022). The new temple will likely include nine stakes located in the San Jose area and south to Monterey. The first stake in the San Jose area was organized in 1946. The California San Jose Mission was organized in 1978. Steady decline has occurred in the San Jose area as several stakes have been discontinued within the past few decades. San Jose was one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the United States without a temple prior to the announcement. San Jose is approximately one hour away (in good traffic) from the Oakland California Temple where stakes in the San Jose area are currently assigned to attend. There were nearly 730,000 Latter-day Saints in California as of year-end 2022.

Bakersfield California Temple

The Bakersfield California Temple will be the Church's 12th temple in California. I have included Bakersfield on my more likely list of temple announcements for many years due to its distance from the Los Angeles California Temple (usually a 1.5-2.5 hour drive one way) which is the temple assigned for stakes in the Bakersfield area. The new temple will probably include six stakes - three of which are based in Bakersfield. The Church's first stake in Bakersfield was organized in 1951. The Church in Bakersfield has experienced very slow growth in the past two decades, and there have been only 1-2 congregations that have closed in the area within the past 15 years. The Church organized the California Bakersfield Mission in 2013.

Springfield Missouri Temple

The Springfield Missouri Temple is the Church's third temple in Missouri following the St. Louis Missouri Temple (dedicated in 1997) and the Kansas City Missouri Temple (dedicated in 2012). The new temple will likely service six stakes in southwestern Missouri. There are two stakes in Springfield (organized in 1973 and 1995) which appear likely to divide to create a third stake in the near future. Significant growth has occurred in this area of Missouri in the past 1-2 decades, and two of the six stakes in the area were organized in 2013 and 2014. Stakes in the area are currently assigned to the Kansas City Missouri Temple (an approximately three hour drive one way), although these stakes will likely be reassigned to the Bentonville Arkansas Temple when it is dedicated in September 2023 (a two hour drive one way). More than 75,000 Latter-day Saints live in Missouri. I added Springfield to the less likely locations for a temple announcement in February 2023.

Winchester Virginia Temple

The Winchester Virginia Temple is the Church's second temple in Virginia following the Richmond Virginia Temple (announced in 2018 and scheduled for dedication in May 2023). The announcement of a temple in Winchester came as a total shock to me given there are only two stakes in the area, and it is only approximately 1.5-2.0 hours by car from Winchester to the Washington DC Temple in Maryland. The one stake in Winchester was organized in 1977. The second stake likely to be assigned to the new temple is the Martinsburg West Virginia Stake which was organized in 2014. More than 97,000 Latter-day Saints live in Virginia.

Charlotte North Carolina Temple

The Charlotte North Carolina Temple is the Church's second temple in North Carolina following the Raleigh North Carolina Temple (dedicated in 1999). The new temple will likely include nine stakes - five of which are based in the Charlotte metropolitan area. Charlotte has numbered among the most likely locations to have a temple announced given a sizable number of stakes in the area that are 1.5-3.0 hours from temples in Raleigh and Columbia, South Carolina. The Church has experienced significant growth in the Charlotte area. The first stake in the city was organized in 1972 followed by additional stakes in 1986, 2006, 2018, and 2022. There were more than 94,000 Latter-day Saints in North Carolina as of year-end 2022.

Harrisburg Pennsylvania Temple

The Harrisburg Pennsylvania Temple is the Church's third temple in Pennsylvania followed by temples in Philadelphia (dedicated in 2016) and Pittsburgh (announced in 2020 and under construction). The new temple will likely service six stakes in central Pennsylvania. The oldest stake in the area was organized in 1979, whereas the newest stake was created in Gettysburg in 2021. Slow growth has occurred in the Harrisburg area where a mission used to operate until 2009. Stakes in the Harrisburg area pertain to the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple which is an approximately 2.0-2.5 hours one way by car. I added Harrisburg to the less likely locations for temple announcements in February 2023. There are approximately 52,000 Latter-day Saints in Pennsylvania.

15 New Temples Announced

Today, President Russell M. Nelson announced plans to construct new temples in 15 cities. These cities include:

• Retalhuleu, Guatemala
• Iquitos, Peru
• Teresina, Brazil
• Natal, Brazil
• Tuguegarao City, Philippines
• Iloilo, Philippines
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Hamburg, Germany
• Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
• San Jose, California
• Bakersfield, California
• Springfield, Missouri
• Winchester, Virginia
• Charlotte, North Carolina
• Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

With today's announcement, there are now 315 temples that are planned, under construction, or dedicated in the Church.

In the coming days, I will provide additional posts that conduct an analysis of each new temple announced.

New Stakes Created in Brazil, Georgia, Guatemala, and the Philippines; New District in Armenia; Stake Discontinued in Germany; Districts Discontinued in Brazil, Germany, and Ukraine

Brazil
A new stake was organized in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil on May 20th. The Santa Cruz do Sul Brazil Stake was organized from the Rio Grande do Sul Brazil District (originally organized in 1994) and Cachoeira do Sul Brazil District, and portions of the São Leopoldo Brazil Stake. Information on which congregations are assigned to the new stake is currently unavailable although it may be as many as 10 congregations. The Cachoeira do Sul Brazil District was organized in 1986 and included four branches before it was consolidated with the newly organized Santa Cruz do Sul Brazil Stake.

There are now 25 stakes and 6 districts in Rio Grande do Sul State, and 270 stakes and 38 districts in Brazil.

Georgia
A new stake was organized in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Coal Mountain Georgia Stake was organized from the Sugar Hill Georgia Stake and the Roswell Georgia Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Coal Mountain, Dahlonega, Fowler Park, Laurel Springs, Pilgrim Mill, and Sharon Springs Wards, and the Blairsville and Murphy Branches. There are now 10 stakes in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

There are now 17 stakes in Georgia.

Guatemala
A new stake was organized in western Guatemala. The Sololá Guatemala Stake was organized from the Sololá Guatemala District. Most of the seven branches in the former district, which was organized in 1979, appear to have become wards although information on which branches became wards remains unavailable. The new stake is located within the homelands of the Kaqchikel people. There are now four stakes located within the Kaqchikel homelands.

There are now 49 stakes and 14 districts in Guatemala.

Philippines
A new stake was organized in Mindanao, Philippines. The San Francisco Philippines Stake was organized from the Trento Philippines District (organized in 1999). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Prosperidad, San Francisco, Santa Josefa, Trento, and Veruela Wards, and the Rosario Branch. The new stake marks the first time in over two decades since a district has become a stake in Mindanao. There are now 12 stakes and 17 districts in Mindanao.

There are now 102 stakes and 73 districts in the Philippines.

Armenia
A new district was organized in northern Armenia on April 15th. The Vanadzor Armenia District was organized from a division of the Yerevan Armenia District. The new district includes three branches: Alaverdi (member group recently organized as a branch), Gyumri, and Vanadzor. Additionally, a member group may also continue to operate in Margahovit. The decision to divide the Yerevan Armenia District, which used to be stake from 2013-2016, suggests that the mission may be exploring opportunities for leadership development and outreach expansion in northern Armenia, and/or there are no realistic prospects for the Yerevan Armenia District to become a stake again in the foreseeable future. There are now two districts in Armenia.

Germany
One stake and two districts were discontinued in northern Germany during May 2018. The Neumünster Germany Stake (organized in 1981) was discontinued and consolidated with the Hamburg Germany Stake, marking the first time in LDS history that the Church has ever discontinued a German-speaking stake. Additionally, the only two districts in Germany, the Oldenburg Germany District and the Neubrandenburg Germany District, were discontinued. Retained branches in the former Oldenburg Germany District were reassigned to the Hamburg Germany Stake and the Hannover Germany Stake, whereas retained branches in the Neubrandenburg Germany District were reassigned to the Berlin Germany Stake. Emphasis on reducing the amount of members needed to fill leadership positions in order to free resources and reduce member burnout appeared primarily responsible for the changes. For example, most of the branches involved in the changes reported less than 20 active members for two or three decades. More information on the changes can be found here (NOTE: article is in German).

There are now 14 stakes in Germany.

Ukraine
The Church discontinued the Dnepropetrovsk Ukraine District (originally organized in 1999, discontinued in 2011, reinstated in 2016) and reassigned its branches to the Kharkov Ukraine District. It appears that the change may have been made in preparation to create a second stake in Ukraine.

There are now four districts and one stake in Ukraine.

New Stakes Created in Australia, New Zealand, and Nigeria; New Districts Created in Lebanon and Macau; Districts Discontinued in Brazil, Germany, and Venezuela

Australia
The Church organized a new stake in the Sydney area on May 17th. The Gosford Australia Stake was organized from a division of the Newcastle Australia and Sydney Australia Baulkham Hills Stakes. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Gosford, Normanhurst, Ourimbah, Toronto, Toukley, and Tuggerah Wards. There are now 38 stakes and eight districts in Australia.

New Zealand
The Church organized a new stake in Auckland on May 17th. The Auckland New Zealand Penrose Stake appeared to be organized from a division of the Auckland New Zealand Mt Roskill and Auckland New Zealand Panmure Stakes. Information on the names of congregations in the new stake is currently unavailable. There are now 29 stakes and three districts in New Zealand.

Nigeria
The Church organized a new stake in Calabar on May 17th. The Calabar Nigeria South Stake was organized from a division of the Calabar Nigeria Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Egerton, Etta Agbor, Mbukpa, New Airport, Uwanse, and Yellow Duke Wards. There are now 27 stakes and 20 districts in Nigeria

Lebanon
The Church organized a new district in Lebanon in late April. The Beirut Lebanon District was organized from a division of the Amman Jordan District. The new district appears to include two congregations: the Beirut Branch and the Cairo Branch. It is unclear why the Church decided to divide the Amman Jordan District as the district had only five branches prior to its division. The new Beirut Lebanon District appears to be the first district of the Church ever organized in this nation. Prospects appear favorable for passive missionary activity in Lebanon as there is no legislation barring proselytism or changing religious affiliation. Lebanon has the highest percentage of Christians among Middle East nations as 40% of the population is Christian.

Macau
The Church organized a new district in Macau on May 17th. The Macau China District is the Church's first district ever organized in this special administrative region of China. The new district includes the Macau 1st, Macau 2nd (English), and Macau 3rd Branches. The Macau 1st Branch administers Cantonese speakers whereas the Macau 3rd Branch administers Mandarin speakers. Missionaries are optimistic that the district can become a stake in the foreseeable future as there are currently 1,400 members in Macau - just 500 shy of the minimal criteria for a stake to operate. The branches previous pertained to the China Hong Kong Mission. The Church has experienced startling progress reactivating members and organizing new congregations in Hong Kong and Macau within the past year.

Brazil
The Church recently discontinued the Teófilo Otoni Brazil District. The district was originally organized in 2006 and had two branches for many years. Branches in the former district were reassigned to the Nanuque Brazil District. There are now 253 stakes and 38 districts in Brazil.

Germany
The Church recently discontinued the Erfurt Germany District. The district was originally organized in 2004 and had seven branches. Four of the branches were discontinued due to extremely few active members. Local members report significant problems with low receptivity and active members moving away from this economically depressed area of Germany. Retained branches were reassigned to the Leipzig Germany Stake and the Erfurt Branch became a ward in the stake. There are now 15 stakes and two districts in Germany.

Venezuela
The Church recently discontinued the Calabozo Venezuela District. The district was originally organized in 2005 and had two branches. The district had two if its branches recently discontinued. The retained branches have been reassigned to the Venezuela Caracas Mission.

New Stakes Created in Germany, Utah, and Zimbabwe; New District in Mexico; District Discontinued in Argentina

Germany
Last Sunday, the Church created a new stake in Germany. The Friedrichsdorf Germany Stake was organized from a division of the Frankfurt Germany Stake and includes the following six wards and one branch: the Friedrichsdorf, Hanau, Usingen, Wetterau, Wetzlar, and Wiesbaden Ward, and the Koblenz Branch. The organization of the new stake marks the first time the Church has created a stake in Germany since 1987 and suggests that there have been improvements increasing the number of active members in some areas of the country. The Church in Germany has also advanced one branch to a ward and created a Spanish-speaking branch within the past six months. There are now 15 stakes and three districts in Germany.

Utah
Two Sundays ago, the Church created a new stake in Hooper, Utah. The Hooper Utah Pioneer Trail Stake was organized from a division of the Hooper Utah Stake and includes the following six wards: the Freedom, Fremont, Hooper Landings, Muskrat Springs, Pioneer Trail, and Wildwood Wards. There are now 571 stakes and one district in Utah.

Zimbabwe
Two Sundays ago, the Church created a new stake in Harare. The Harare Zimbabwe South Stake was organized from a division of the Harare Zimbabwe and Harare Zimbabwe Marimba Park Stakes and includes the following five wards and two branches: the Chitungwiza, Highfield 1st, Highfield 2nd, Mbare, and Queensdale Wards, and the Epworth and Zengeza Branches. There are now three stakes in the Harare metropolitan area and six stakes and two branches in Zimbabwe. Prospects appear favorable for the announcement of a temple in Harare sometime within the next decade.

Mexico
On June 8th, the Church created a new district in Chihuahua State. The Cuauhtémoc México District was organized from a division of the La Sierra Mexico District and the Chihuahua Mexico Chuviscar Stake and includes the following five branches: the Anahuac, Cuauhtémoc, Guerrero, La Junta, and Reforma Branches. There are now 227 stakes and 37 districts in Mexico.

Argentina
The Church recently discontinued the Tandil Argentina District. Organized in 1990, the Tandil Argentina District included five branches - all of which now pertain to the realigned Olavarría Argentina District for a total of 10 branches in the district. The move was likely done in preparation for a stake to be organized in the area. There are now 73 stakes and 32 districts in Argentina.

More New Missions and Missions to be Discontinued

New Missions in Mexico

Missionaries report that at least two new missions will be organized in Mexico this summer.

The sixth mission in the Mexico City area will be created from a division of the Mexico Mexico City North and Mexico Mexico East Missions and will be named the Mexico Mexico City Northwest Mission. The new mission will include 10 stakes. Mexico City experiences some of the highest numbers of baptisms in the Church and regularly sees additional congregations created. The highest baptizing mission in Mexico last year was the Mexico Mexico City East Mission with over 3,000 converts. Retention has been a persisting problem in this area for decades and appears to have only slightly improved as congregational growth is less than membership growth. An additional mission will allow for greater focus on retention and increasing member activity by more frequent visits and training from mission leadership to local leadership. The new mission may increase the likelihood of a future temple in Pachuca in the coming years.

The Mexico Villahermosa Mission will be created by a division of the Mexico Tuxtla Gutierrez Mission. An additional mission in southern Mexico will provide greater missionary resources to open additional small cities and towns. These areas also have many Amerindian groups who have received increasing outreach such as in the San Cristobal de las Casas area. Several stakes in the Villahermosa area may split as they have added several new congregations over the past couple years.

Missions to be Discontinued in Europe

A member in Central Europe reported that the Switzerland Zurich and Germany Hamburg Missions will be discontinued. Central Europe has seen a trend of decreasing mission outreach over the past two decades. I will provide additional information once it becomes available. Like other areas experiencing mission consolidations, the number of missionaries serving in these areas have likely already been reduced over the years to prepare for consolidation. Many areas in Central Europe have seen small increases in convert baptisms with fewer missionaries through outreach to young adults. The Central European country which experienced the greatest increase in growth in 2009 was the Czech Republic.

A full report on which missions will be discontinued and created this summer will be included in the Church News this weekend.