Three Member Groups Organized in Juba, South Sudan

In the past few weeks, the Uganda Kampala Mission has organized three member groups in Juba, South Sudan, where the Juba Branch was reinstated earlier this year. The member groups are the Jebel, New-Site, and Shirkat Groups. Last Sunday, the groups had a combined attendance of approximately 80 people - nearly half of whom attended the Juba Branch. This marks the first time that the Church has operated multiple congregations in Juba. Member groups had previously functioned in a couple cities outside of Juba in the early 2010s, although these groups may not function anymore (such as in Akobo) or were never official member groups (like in Nyamliell). The creation of the member groups is a major development that has good potential to expand outreach and establish a center of strength for the Church in Juba. However, the unstable political situation in South Sudan poses a major barrier for the success of these fledgling member groups. Moreover, some countries where a similar approach to expansion has been pursued where only one branch operates in the capital city, most notably Mali, have had significant challenges and delays with member groups maturing into their own independent branches. It is unclear whether mission leaders have made efforts yet to establish member groups outside of Juba yet. Moreover, full-time proselytizing missionaries do not appear to have been assigned to Juba, and this may result in difficulties with these member groups growing in the near future.

Church Enters Northern Benin - First Member Group Organized

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

First LDS Member Group Opens in the Northern DR Congo

Mission leaders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa Mission report that a member group now assembles in Kisangani and that 32 converts were recently baptized into the group. The operation of the Kisangani Group constitutes the first time that the Church has operated in the northern half of the DR Congo and has occurred shortly after the Church organized its first member group in Bukavu located near the Burundi/Rwanda border.

See below for a map of known LDS congregations in the DR Congo outside of Kinshasa and Lubumbashi.



View Wards and Branches outside of Kinshasa and Lubumbashi (DR Congo) in a larger map

Recent Church Growth News

New stakes to be created in the United States

Members living in Houston, Texas report that a new stake will be organized this Sunday likely from the Houston Texas East and Friendswood Texas Stakes. Another new stake may also be organized before the end of the year in the Houston area. A new stake will also be created in Providence, Utah next month. I will provide more information on these new stakes once they are actually created.

So far this year there have been 43 new stakes organized. If we see more than 50 new stakes organized in 2009 it will be the largest number of new stakes organized in one year since 1998.

Growth in Madagascar

Missionaries report in a recent stake conference for the Antananarivo Madagascar stake that plans were nearly complete for the country's sole stake to be divided. Estimates on when the new stake would be organized were in October or November. As of yet no date has been set for the creation of the new stake. The stake has rapidly grown from six wards and four branches at the end of 2007 to 11 wards and three branches currently. At least one group/dependent branch is also meeting in the city preparing to become an independent Church unit.

Four missionaries were sent to open Mahajanga for the preaching of the Gospel; two six weeks ago and two more just in the past week or two. Approval for the first branch was just authorized for Mahajanga and members will be meeting in a larger rented space for Church meetings. Missionaries serving in the city report there are around 15-20 active Church members and about as many investigators attending Church meetings. Fianarantsoa also received its first four missionaries last month, were only a handful of members reside but dozens of investigators attend meetings weekly. Another group has also begun meeting in the city of Ambositra, which is between Fianarantsoa and Antsirabe.

Missionaries attending the recently held stake conference in Antananarivo also reported that two districts for Antsirabe and Tamatave would also be organized before the end of the year. No date has been set or reported for the new districts' creation however.

City opens for missionary work in Moldova

A senior couple serving in the Romania Bucharest Mission report that the city of Balti was opened for missionary work in Moldova. Balti is the second largest city in Moldova and has a few Church members already living in the city. The city had a temporarily Church presence in the early 2000s. A group will likely be formed if one has not already for Church meetings. Currently there are only two branches in Moldova: One in Chisinau and one in Orhei. The first district for Moldova was just organized this past January and also includes one branch in neighboring Romania.

9,000 members of the Church in Mongolia and a new branch

In a recent speech about religious freedom becoming more threatened in the United States, Elder Oaks recounted the history of the Church in Mongolia. He reported that membership now stands at 9,000, which is an increase of nearly 600 since the beginning of the year. Membership growth in Mongolia was very rapid in the late 1990s to the early 2000s and then slowed until the beginning of 2008. Considering there are two more months left in the year, we may see membership climb to 9,200 for the end of 2009. Membership grew in Mongolia by 9.36% last year and if membership totals 9,200 for 2009 the growth rate will drop a fraction to 8.95%. Also, a new branch was organized in Mongolia in Erdenet. The Erdenet Branch was divided and the Erdenet 2nd Branch was created. Erdenet is part of the Darkhan Mongolia District.

Group meeting in the southern Democratic Republic of Congo

A senior missionary couple serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo Kinshasa Mission reported that a group has been meeting in the city of Kasumbalesa, DR Congo. Kasumbalesa rests on the border with Zambia and has around 40 members and investigators attending Church meetings. The group is preparing to becoming a branch. A new branch was also recently organized in Kipushi, another nearby border town with Zambia.

Recent Church Growth News

New Congregations In Madagascar

Within the past couple months, several new branches were created in Madagascar. Missionaries report that both Tamatave (Toamasina) and Antsirabe each have three branches. In Antsirabe, one of the new branches is actually located in the small village of Manandona were branch members and investigators meet outside on dirt floors under a large tent. Rapid growth in congregations and membership is also occurring in the capital, Antananarivo, where Madagascar's sole stake will likely split into two stakes in the coming months. Districts will likely be organized soon in both Tamatave and Antsirabe. Still no word on if a branch or group has been created in Mahajanga. It will be interesting to see whether Church growth in Madagascar will have more in common with Africa or the South Pacific once members mature in the Gospel, considering Madagascar has influences from both regions of the world.

Rapid Growth In Linden, Guyana

The Church is growing rapidly in Linden, the largest city in the interior of Guyana. Missionaries were first assigned to the city back at the beginning of this year and today there are two groups functioning in the city, both of which are soon to be made branches. Today there is an entire zone (usually 8-20 missionaries) of missionaries serving in Linden.

New Group In Uganda

A small group of Church members in the city of Lira, Uganda have recently been authorized to hold Sunday meetings as a group. Lira is located in northern Uganda near Gulu, which had its first Church congregations created last year.

New Branch and Group

New Branch

Just a couple posts ago, I stated that I would not be surprised if the branch in Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo would be divided soon. President Livingstone divided the branch earlier this month, so now two branches meet in this, the third largest city in the country of 1.2 million.

New Group

Another new group was created in the West Indies Mission in the town of Parika, located west of Georgetown. It was created from the Vreed-en-Hoop Branch.

New Group in Suriname

A group was recently created in Suriname in Kwarasan. It is still too small to be a branch, but has a space rented out to meet in. I am not sure where Kwarasan, but figure it is in the outlying area around the capital.