17 New Temples - Analysis - Part I

This is part one of the analysis regarding new temples announced today due to the large number of announced temples. I will post part two within the next week.

Wellington New Zealand Temple

The Wellington New Zealand Temple will be the Church's third temple in New Zealand after the Hamilton New Zealand Temple (dedicated in 1958) and the Auckland New Zealand Temple (announced in 2018). The new temple will probably service six stakes on the southern North Island and the two stakes and one district on the South Island. There are three stakes in the Wellington metropolitan area - the most recent of which was created in 1997. The most recently organized stake in the probable temple district was organized in 2016 on the South Island. There were 115,236 Church-reported members in New Zealand as of year-end 2019. The Church has reported steady membership and congregational growth in New Zealand in recent years. Stakes in southern New Zealand pertain to the Hamilton New Zealand Temple.

There are now 19 temples planned or dedicated in Oceania (including Hawaii).

Brazzaville Republic of the Congo Temple

The Brazzaville Republic of the Congo Temple will be the Church's first temple in the Republic of the Congo. The Church reported 8,542 Latter-day Saints in the country as of year-end 2019. Based on year-end 2019 membership data (the most recent membership data published by the Church at the moment), the Republic of the Congo had the fourth most Latter-day Saints among countries without a temple. The Church has reported rapid membership growth in the Republic of the Congo since the mid-2010s. The first stake in the country was organized in 2013, and two new stakes were recently created in 2020. Moreover, the Brazzaville Republic of the Congo Temple will likely be within close geographic proximity to the neighboring Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple (dedicated in 2019) as only the Congo river separates the two cities. Thus, the two temples will likely be the two closest temples to one another on the Afro-Euroasian landmass when it the Brazzaville Republic of the Congo Temple is completed. There are three stakes in Brazzaville. The new temple will likely include the four stakes in the Republic of the Congo and two districts in Cameroon. The Republic of the Congo is currently assigned to the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple.

There are now 20 temples planned or dedicated in Africa.

Barcelona Spain Temple

The Barcelona Spain Temple will be the Church's second temple in Spain following the Madrid Spain Temple (dedicated in 1999). The new temple will likely service four stakes in northern Spain and perhaps the Baleares Spain District. The new temple follows the pattern of recent temple announcements in Europe that have favored locations with relatively few stakes within the prospective temple district. The Church organized its first stake in Barcelona in 1982, and the two most recently organized stakes in the area were created in 2009 and 2012. 

Membership growth rates in Spain have consistently outpaced essentially all other Western European nations for many years, with annual membership growth rates of 2-3% since the late 2000s. The number of congregations in Spain has been essentially stagnant for the past decade, although the number of wards increased from 67 in 2009 to 93 in 2019. Stakes in northern Spain pertain to the Madrid Spain Temple.

Birmingham England Temple

The Birmingham England Temple will be the Church's third temple in England following the London England Temple (dedicated in 1958) and Preston England Temple (dedicated in 1998). The new temple will likely service 8-10 stakes in central England. The last time a new stake was organized in the region was in Coventry in 1993. The Church in England during the past decade has experienced stagnant congregational growth, although the number of wards has slightly increased. Extremely slow membership growth occurs in England for most years. As for the United Kingdom as a whole, the Church has reported slight increases in membership since year-end 2016 from 185,848 to more than 190,000 at present according to the Church's news release today. In contrast, the Church in the United Kingdom reported stagnant membership growth or slight declines in membership between 2009 and 2016. Stakes in the potential new temple district are currently divided between the London England Temple district and the Preston England Temple district.

There are now 21 temples planned or dedicated in Europe.

Cusco Peru Temple

The Cusco Peru Temple will be the Church's fifth temple in Peru following the Lima Peru Temple (dedicated in 1986), the Trujillo Peru Temple (dedicated in 2015), the Arequipa Peru Temple (dedicated in 2019), and the Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple (announced in 2016 and under construction). The new temple will likely have one of the smallest temple districts in Latin America in terms of the number of stakes and districts assigned. Currently, it appears that there will likely be four stakes and five districts assigned to the new temple. It is important to note that the Cusco area has a high percentage of Amerindian peoples and travel is difficult due to the rugged terrain. There are two stakes in Cusco, and the first stake was organized in 1985. The most recently organized stake in the region is the Sicuani Peru Stake which was created in 2006. Stakes in the Cusco area currently attend the Arequipa Peru Temple. The Church in Peru has approximately 625,000 members per the Church's announcement today, and annual membership growth rates have generally ranged from 2-4% since the mid-2000s. Congregational growth rates accelerated immediately prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact of the pandemic on the Church in Peru has appeared significant given lockdowns and significant disruptions to Church operations.

Maceió Brazil Temple

The Maceió Brazil Temple will be the Church's 15th temple in Brazil and the first temple in Alagoas State where there are six stakes. There are five stakes in Maceió. The first stake in the city was organized in 1982 and the most recently organized stake was created in 2016. The new temple will likely have nine stakes and one district in its temple district. Stakes in Maceió currently attend the Recife Brazil Temple.

Santos Brazil Temple

The Santos Brazil Temple will be the Church's 16th temple in Brazil and the fourth temple in São Paulo State. The new temple will likely include five stakes and two districts that operate in the coastal areas of São Paulo State. The first stake in the Santos area was organized in 1973, and the most recently organized stake was created in 2007. Multiple new stakes appear likely to be organized in the near future in the Santos area due to steady congregational growth. The Santos area is currently assigned to the São Paulo Brazil Temple.

The Church in Brazil has reported slowing annual membership growth rates that have generally been 2-3% since the mid-2010s. The Church today reported that there are 1.5 million Church-reported members in Brazil, whereas there were 1,429,935 Church-reported members as of year-end 2019. This means that the Church in Brazil is about to surpass, or has surpassed, the number of Church-reported members in Mexico which has been the country with the second most Latter-day Saints according to official Church records.

17 New Temples Announced

This afternoon, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Russell M. Nelson, announced plans to construction 17 new temples in the following locations:

• Wellington, New Zealand
• Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
• Barcelona, Spain
• Birmingham, United Kingdom
• Cusco, Peru
• Maceió, Brazil
• Santos, Brazil
• San Luis Potosí, Mexico
• Mexico City Benemérito, Mexico
• Tampa, Florida
• Knoxville, Tennessee
• Cleveland, Ohio
• Wichita, Kansas
• Austin, Texas
• Missoula, Montana
• Montpelier, Idaho
• Modesto, California

With today's announcement, there are now 282 temples that are planned or dedicated. Furthermore, this is also the first time in Church history when the number of temples planned has surpassed 100.

New Stakes Created in Arizona, Canada, Ghana, Idaho, the Republic of the Congo, Texas, and Utah; Districts Discontinued in Poland, Portugal, and Spain

Arizona

The Church organized a new stake in Arizona on September 13th. The Queen Creek Arizona Heritage Stake was organized from a division of the Gilbert Arizona Gateway Stake, the Queen Creek Arizona North Stake, and the Queen Creek Arizona West Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Desert Mountain, Gateway Married Student, Hawes, Quail Creek, Queen Creek Station, Queens Park, and Remington Heights Wards. There are now nine stakes in Queen Creek, Arizona, and there are two additional stakes in San Tan Valley.

There are now 116 stakes in Arizona.

Canada

The Church organized a new stake in Alberta on October 11th. The Edmonton Alberta YSA Stake was organized from the Edmonton Alberta Bonnie Doon Stake, the Edmonton Alberta Gateway Stake, the Edmonton Alberta North Stake, and the Edmonton Alberta Riverbend Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Gateway YSA, Kingsway YSA, Mill Creek YSA, Mount Pleasant YSA, and Whitemund Creek YSA Wards. The new stake is the Church's third YSA (young single adult) stake in Alberta following the creation of the Lethbridge Elberta YSA Stake in 2017 and the Calgary Alberta YSA Stake in 2019.

There are now 27 stakes in Alberta and 52 stakes in Canada.

Ghana

The Church organized a new stake in Ghana on September 13th, 2020. The new stake is the Church's first stake to be organized outside of the United States since the Church temporarily suspended its Sunday worship services for wards, branches, and member groups in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Kumasi Ghana Suame Stake was organized from the Agona Ghana District and portions of the Kumasi Ghana Dichemso Stake. Information on which wards and branches are assigned to the new stake remains unavailable. A significant restructuring of the boundaries of stakes and districts in the region occurred as part of the new stake creation. Also, the Nkawkaw Ghana District was expanded to include congregations in the Konongo area, and the district was renamed the Kumasi Ghana Konongo District. There are now four stakes in Kumasi.

There are now 26 stakes and 10 districts in Ghana.

Idaho

The Church organized a new stake in Idaho on October 11th. The Rigby Idaho Holbrooke Stake was organized from the Rigby Idaho East Stake and possibility one or two additional stakes in Rigby. Currently, the Church reports only four wards in the new stake (Rigby 8th, Rigby 10th, Rigby 16th, Rigby 19th). As new stakes almost always have a minimum of five wards, it appears additional wards have not been assigned to the new stake yet per the Church's meetinghouse website or the creation of one or more new wards is imminent. The new stake is the Church's fourth stake in Rigby.

There are now 134 stakes in Idaho.

The Republic of the Congo

Today, the Church organized a new stake in the Republic of the Congo. The Pointe-Noire Republic of the Congo Stake was organized from the Pointe-Noire Republic of the Congo District which was originally created in 2015. Most of the eight branches in the district likely became wards although information on which branches have become wards is currently unavailable. The Church has maintained a long-term presence in Pointe-Noire with the first branch organized in 1997 albeit slow growth occurred in the city for the first 10-15 years. 

There are now three stakes in the Republic of the Congo. Member reports indicate a fourth stake in the country, the Diata Republic of the Congo Stake, will be organized on October 25th, 2020.

Texas

The Church organized a new stake in Texas on September 13th. The San Antonio Texas Pecan Valley Stake was organized from a division of the San Antonio Texas East Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Buena Vista (Spanish), Mission Creek, Pleasant 1st, San Antonio 1st, San Antonio 10th, and Woodlake Wards, and the Fort Sam Houston Military Branch. There are now eight stakes in San Antonio.

There are now 78 stakes and two districts in Texas.

Utah 

The Church organized a new stake in Utah. The Layton Utah Shoreline Stake was organized from a division of the Layton Utah Legacy Stake and the Layton Utah South Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Evergreen, Harmony Place, Layton 2nd, Pinehurst, Swan Lakes, and Weaver Lane Wards. There are now 14 stakes in Layton.

There are now 609 stakes and one district in Utah.

Poland

The Church discontinued a district in Poland. The Katowice Poland District, organized in 2004, included five branches and two member groups prior to its discontinuation. All branches in the former district were reassigned to the Warsaw Poland District. Moreover, the Warsaw Poland District was enlarged to include the entire country of Poland and the Church's 13 branches. This decision was likely made to consolidate limited leadership to staff both district and branch callings. Prospects for a stake in Poland appear highly unlikely for many more years even though there are over 2,000 members on Church records as none of the 12 non-administrative branches appear close to meeting the minimum criteria to become wards with perhaps only one or two exceptions.

Portugal

The Church discontinued a district in Portugal. The Santarém Portugal District, organized in 1991, was discontinued and the six branches that pertained to the former district were reassigned to the Lisbon Portugal Stake or the Oeiras Portugal Stake. This decision was likely made to conserve leadership and also to permit neighboring stakes to support these branches instead of the mission presidency. Only the Santarém Branch appears likely to become a ward in the near future among branches in the former district.

There are now six stakes and three districts in Portugal.

Spain

The Church discontinued a district in Spain. The La Mancha Spain District, organized in 1991, was discontinued and the three branches in the former district were reassigned to the Madrid Spain Central Stake. Branches in the district have been known to have very few active members for decades. This decision was likely made to conserve limited leadership in these branches and to have Spanish leadership in the Madrid Spain Central Stake to provide mentoring and support to the branches instead of the mission presidency.

There are now 15 stakes and one district in Spain.

Updated Country Profile - Spain

Click here to access the updated Reaching the Nations country profile for Spain. The Church in Spain has achieved significant membership growth during the past three decades. Today, there are more Latter-day Saints on Church records in Spain than in any other European country with the exception of the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, the number of congregations in Spain has not noticeably changed in approximately there decades even though Church membership has increased by 160%. The greatest progress that has occurred in recent decades has been the organization of many new stakes and the maturation of branches into wards due to augmentation in the number of active members. Nevertheless, the Church in Spain continues to struggle to sustainably expand its national outreach. See below for the Future Prospects section of this article:

The Church has significantly reduced its outreach in Spain since the mid-2000s as indicated by the closure of three of the prior five missions, the consolidation of approximately two dozen branches (many of which were the only branches that operated in a city), the closure of the Spain MTC, and the reduction of the full-time missionary force to less than half its prior level. With fewer full-time missionaries, low member activity rates, small Latter-day Saint family sizes, and increasing secularism and disinterest in organized religion among the Spanish population, the Church faces significant challenges in expanding national outreach for the long-term. Greater breakthroughs with the native Spaniard population and improved member activity rates are needed to sustain long-term growth. Nevertheless, the Church in Spain continues to report steady annual membership growth rates (i.e. 2-3%) and moderate convert retention levels (slightly more than 50% for one year after baptism). Notwithstanding this finding, the Church in Spain operated fewer official congregations in early 2020 (138) than it did nearly thirty years ago in 1991 (144) even though Church membership has increased by approximately 160%. Local Church leaders must undertake an active role in the promotion of effective member-missionary strategies and laying the groundwork to organize new congregations in lesser-reached or unreached areas within their stakes and congregations to help reverse the longstanding trend of stagnant congregational growth and better reach the Spanish population before societal conditions may further worsen and result in even more diminished receptivity to the Latter-day Saint gospel message.

New Stakes Created in the Philippines (2), Ghana, South Carolina, and Spain; District Reinstated in Argentina

Philippines
Two new stakes have been recently created in the Philippines.

The San Antonio Philippines Stake was organized from the San Antonio Philippines District on August 5th. The new stake includes the following four wards and two branches: the Cabangan, Castillejos, San Felipe, and San Marcelino Wards, and the San Antonio and San Narciso Zambales Branches. It is likely that the San Antonio and San Narciso Zambales Branches have also advanced into wards but that the official directory has not yet been updated this information. All six congregations in the new stakes are designated as Ilokano speaking. The original San Antonio Philippines District was organized as a district in 1993. There are now three stakes in the Philippines Olongapo Mission located in Balanga (organized in 1991), Olongapo (organized in 2017), and San Antonio (organized in 2018). Furthermore, local members indicate that the Dinalupihan Philippines District may become a stake in the near future.

The Tolosa Philippines Stake was organized from the Tolosa Philippines District on August 12th. Information on which branches have advanced into wards is currently unavailable. There were 10 branches in the district prior to its organization as a stake.

There are now 104 stakes and 71 districts in the Philippines.

Ghana
A new stake was organized on August 12th.

The Swedru Ghana Stake was organized from a division of the Winneba Ghana Stake. The new stake includes the following four wards and six branches: the Oboden 1st, Swedru 1st, Swedru 2nd, and Swedru 3rd Wards, and the Aboso, Asikuma, Breman Brakwa, Odoben 2nd, Swedru 4th, and Swedru 5th branches. It is likely that one or more of the branches in the new stake were upgraded to wards or will be upgraded into wards within the immediate future since there are only four wards in the new stake. Furthermore, the Winneba Ghana Stake currently has only four wards and one branch. It is likely that the Winneba Ghana Stake had the Ansaful 2nd Branch advanced into a ward, or that additional wards have been or will soon be organized.

There are now 24 stakes and 10 districts in Ghana.

South Carolina
A new stake was organized on August 19th. The Fort Mill South Carolina Stake was organized from stakes in the Charlotte metropolitan area. Information on which wards have been assigned to the new stake remains unavailable, but members report that the stake was organized from a division of the Charlotte North Carolina South Stake and the Gastonia North Carolina Stake. This marks the first time in 15 years since a new stake was organized in South Carolina when the Greenville South Carolina East Stake was organized.

There are now seven stakes in South Carolina.

Spain
A new stake was organized on August 12th.

The A Coruña Spain Stake was organized from the Santiago Spain District and the León Spain District. The new stake includes the following congregations: the El Ferrol, Gijón, La Coruña, Oviedo, Vigo 1st, and Vigo 2nd Wards, and the León, Lugo, Orense, Ponferrada, and Santiago de Compostela Branches. The new stake is the Church's first stake to ever be organized in Gacilia - an autonomous region in northwestern Spain that traditionally speaks the Galician language. Two branches were discontinued in the process of the new stake being organized - namely the Avilés and Benavente Branches in the former León Spain District.

There are now 15 stakes and 2 districts in Spain.

Argentina
A district was reinstated in Argentina on July 15th.

The Reconquista Argentina District was organized from a division of the Rio Parana Argentina District (renamed the Goya Argentina District). The reinstated district includes the following three branches: Reconquista 1st, Reconquista 2nd, and Vera Branches. The district was likely re-divided to reinstate the Reconquista Argentina District because there are no foreseeable prospects for the area to become a stake within the foreseeable future.

There are now 76 stakes and 29 districts in Argentina.

First LDS Stake to be Created in the Canary Islands in September

Members and missionaries report that the Church will organize its first stake in the Canary Islands this September.  Currently there are 10 branches in the sole district that operates in the islands.  It is unclear how many of the branches will become wards once the stake is officially organized.

The Church has a unique history in the Canary Islands.  Formal missionary activity began in the late 1970s and the population exhibited high receptivity to LDS missionaries.  In 1988, the Church organized a separate mission based in the Canary Islands (Spain Las Palmas) that also administered the Portuguese-administered Madeira Islands.  During the first year of operation, the Spain Las Palmas Mission baptized over 1,000 converts; essentially increasing the number of members on church records by 50%.  By 2001, there were three member districts (Fuerteventura, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife) and 18 branches in the Canary Islands.  Low member activity rates, a major decline in the number of convert baptisms, leadership development problems, and reduced missionary resources assigned to Europe resulted in the closure of the Spain Las Palmas Mission in 2006, the closure of two of the three member districts, and the number of branches declining from 18 to 10 by the early 2010s.  Missionaries reported efforts to create the first stake in the islands for many years.  The Canary Islands currently pertain to the Spain Madrid Mission.

Click here for an LDS Church News article on the Church in the Canary Islands written in 1990.

Two New Stakes in Spain

Two Sundays ago, the Church created two new stakes in Spain.  Like other stakes organized in Europe in 2012, the creation of these two new stakes resulted from years and decades of slow, steady growth.  No additional stakes appear likely to divide within the foreseeable future.

The Madrid Spain Center Stake was organized from the Madrid Spain East and Madrid Spain West Stakes.  The new stake consists of six wards (Madrid 1st, Madrid 2nd, Madrid 5th, Madrid 6th, Madrid 8th, and Toledo) and one branch (Aranjuez).  The Church created its first stake in Madrid in 1982 and its second second stake in Madrid in 1999.  The Madrid Spain East Stake now includes five wards and two  branches whereas the Madrid Spain West Stake now includes five wards and four branches.

The Cartagena Spain Stake was organized from the Elche Spain and Granada Spain Stakes and includes six wards (Cartagena 1st, Cartagena 2nd, Cartagena 3rd, Molina de Segura, Murcia 1st, and Murcia 2nd) and three branches (Huercal-Overa, Lorca, and Torrevieja).  The creation of the new stake in Cartagena coincided with changes in the stake boundaries of the Valencia Spain Stake.  The Elche Spain Stake now consists of five wards and three branches whereas the Granada Spain Stake consists of six wards and four branches and the Valencia Spain Stake consists of five wards.

There are now 13 stakes and five districts in Spain. 

New Stake Created in Spain

Earlier this month, the Church created a new stake in Spain.  The Lleida Spain Stake was created from the Hospitalet Spain Stake and Spain Barcelona Mission and includes four wards (Lleida, Sabadell 1st, Sabadell 2nd, and Terrassa) and three branches (Andorra, Zaragoza 1st, and Zaragoza 2nd).  Missionaries serving in the Spain Barcelona Mission report that the two branches in Zaragoza may become wards within the near future.  Currently the Hospitalet Spain Stake has only four wards and two branches.  With few wards in either stake, it appears that the decision to create the new stake in Lleida was under the expectation that some branches in both of these stakes will mature into wards and that some wards may divide to create additional units.

This Sunday, the Church will create two additional stakes in Spain in Madrid and Cartagena.  I will provide more details on these new stakes once they become available.  With the creation of three new stakes in 2012, there will be 13 stakes in Spain.

New Stakes to be Created in Italy, Mexico, and Spain

Three new stakes will be created within the next few months in Italy, Mexico, and Spain.  I will provide more details on these new stakes once they are officially organized and information becomes available.

Italy
Members and missionaries report that a new stake will be created in northern Italy next weekend in the Milan area.  The new stake will be the Church's eighth stake in Italy. 

Mexico
Members report that another stake will be created in Puebla, Mexico but it is unclear when this will occur.  The new stake will be organized from a realignment of two or more stakes based in Puebla and Tlaxcala and likely centered in the Almecatla area.  A new stake in the Puebla area was created earlier this year.  With the creation of this pending stake there will be 13 stakes in Puebla State and 226 in Mexico. 

Spain
Missionaries report that a realignment of stakes will occur in southern Spain in order to create a new stake based in Cartagena this December. The new stake will be the Church's 11th in Spain.

Melilla, Spain Reopens to LDS Missionary Work

A small Spanish exclave on the northern coast of Morocco, Melilla has recently had LDS missionaries assigned for the first time since 1996.  Melilla is now the only location in North Africa to have proselytizing LDS missionaries assigned.  The Spain Malaga Mission reopened the small autonomous city of Spain and has focused missionary efforts among the small group of member families living in Melilla who have met as a group for church services. Although no official religion statistics are available, the population of Melilla appears to be about half Muslim and half Christian or adhering to another faith.  An LDS branch once functioned in Melilla but appeared to had closed sometime in the early 2000s.  Approximately 80,000 live in the city.

The reopening of Melilla to missionary activity is an exciting development for the Church for two reasons.  First, it has been another recent incident of the Church expanding outreach in Spain notwithstanding the closure of two of Spain's original five missions within the past decade.  Several new branches have recently been organized within all three of Spain's LDS missions such as in Vic, Ibiza, and Vilagarcia de Arousa.  Second, Melilla has a large Muslim population and LDS missionaries may have the opportunity to teach Muslims if permitted by mission and area leaders.  The Church has comparatively few opportunities to reach Muslim populations within their native lands.

Missionaries have not reported plans to reopen Ceuta; the other Spanish exclave on Morocco's northern coast which also once had an LDS presence.  With a similarly-sized population to Melilla and the same political status with mainland Spain, Ceuta appears likely to receive LDS missionaries again the coming months and years to come.

Recent Church Growth News

New Stake in Tonga
A new stake was created last Sunday in Tonga on the main island of Nuku'alofa.  The Nuku'alofa Tonga Matahau Stake was created from two stakes on the western side of the island.  There are now 18 stakes and two districts in Tonga.  The last new stake created in Tonga was in 2008.

New Stake in Texas
A new stake was created last Sunday in Texas.  The Heath Texas Stake was created from the Richardson Texas Stake and perhaps another nearby stake in the Dallas area.  I will provide more details on the new stake once they become available.  There are now 57 stakes and three districts in Texas

Number of Branches in Benin Doubles
The number of independent mission branches in the African country of Benin increased from three to six last month.  The three new branches were previously meeting as groups and include the Fidjrosse, Finagnon, and Gbegame Branches.  The Church has yet to organize these six branches into their own district and they continue to report directly to the Benin Cotonou Mission.  A shortage of priesthood leaders remains a serious challenge.

Group Organized in Previously Unreached City in Kenya
Missionaries serving in the Kenya Nairobi Mission report that a new group was recently organized in the previously unreached city of Naivasha, Kenya.  Senior missionaries indicate that there are upwards of 80 investigators attending church services and that group leadership is staffed by an isolated Latter-day Saint family.  Prospects appear good for the group to become its own branch in the near future.

City Opens for Missionary Work in Angola
Missionaries serving in the Mozambique Maputo Mission report that the Area Presidency recently approved the assignment of full-time missionaries to the Angolan city of Huambo.  The Church assigned proselytizing missionaries to Angola for the first time in 2008 but missionaries were only assigned to the capital city Luanda until just the past year or two when a second city (Lubango) opened.  Additional cities have small numbers of isolated members and investigators meeting and await the establishment of official LDS missionary activity.

Cities Opening in Brazil
Missionaries serving in the Brazil Belem Mission report that they have recently visited several large, previously unreached cities in Para State that have small groups of members meeting under the Brazil Belem Mission Branch.  Two cities in particular - Parauapebas and Paragominas - have been visited and missionaries helped increase church attendance to as high as 60 in one of the groups.  The Church has literally hundreds of additional cities to open with over 20,000 inhabitants and favorable conditions for church planting but has made little progress within the past ten years.  I have recently written a case study on expanding LDS outreach in Brazil for cumorah.com which will be posted in the coming month.

New Branches Created in Europe
Mission presidents report two new branches recently organized in Europe.  In Spain, the first LDS branch in Ibiza was created last Sunday and pertains to the Baleares Spain District.  The new branch has about 60 attending church services and has been a major success for the Spain Barcelona Mission.  Many of the branch members relocated to the island from Ecuador.  In the Belgium Brussels/Netherlands Mission, a new Portuguese-speaking branch was created in Rotterdam.  Two Brazilian missionaries have been assigned to the branch and the branch has become the first Portuguese-speaking branch in the mission.

Any other LDS growth developments you know of?  Please comment.

Church Growth Developments in Colombia and Spain

First LDS congregation organized in Maicao, Colombia

The Church organized its first branch in the city of Maicao in northern Colombia.  With nearly 100,000 inhabitants, Maicao was the city with the fourth largest population unreached by the LDS Church prior to the organization of the new branch.  Within the past couple years, the Church established its first branch in neighboring Riohacha; possibly indicating coordinated mission efforts to expand outreach in Colombia's most populous cities that are unreached by the Church.  Both branches pertain to the Santa Marta Colombia District.

Missionaries assigned for the first time to Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain

Mission leadership in the Spain Barcelona Mission report that the first group was organized on the island of Ibiza and that full-time missionaries were permanently assigned.  The core of active membership in the small group consists of Paraguayan Latter-day Saints who relocated to the island but the Church has found a handful of local Spaniards who are members.  With approximately 150,000 inhabitants, Ibiza is one of the Balearic Islands and pertains to the Baleares Spain District.  The Church in Spain has renewed outreach expansion efforts within the past year as new branches were recently organized in Vic, Huercal-Overa, and Villagarcia de Arousa.

Church Growth News - Recently Created New Branches

New branch in Cambodia

For the first time since 2004 a new Khmer-speaking LDS branch was organized in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  The Teuk Thla Branch was created in the Phnom Penh Cambodia North District, becoming the sixth branch in the district.  The Phnom Penh Cambodia South District has seven branches whereas the Vietnamese district has only three branches.  LDS missionaries report that the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission may baptize as many as 1,000 converts this year.  Church attendance numbers appear to have increased in many LDS congregations in Cambodia but low convert retention remains a serious challenge which appears to be the primary obstacle in preventing the creation of the nation's first stake.  Currently Cambodia is the nation with the most Latter-day Saints without a stake.  There are now 25 branches and five districts in the LDS Church in Cambodia.

New branches in Malaysia

Two new LDS branches were recently organized in Malaysia bringing the total of LDS branches in the country to 30. The Masai Branch was organized from the Johor Bahru Branch and both branches pertain to the nearby Singapore Stake.  The Masai Branch becomes the first Malay-speaking branch to be organized in West Malaysia since the Butterworth Branch a couple years ago.  In East Malaysia, the Kota Kinabalu Branch was divided and the Kota Kinabalu 2nd Branch was created.  Kota Kinabalu is now the first city in Sabah State with more than one LDS congregation.

Congregational growth in northern Haiti

Three new LDS branches were recently organized in the Fort Liberte, Pivert, and Vertieres Branches, bringing the total of branches in the district to nine. The creation of the three new branches marks a significant development in the growth of the LDS Church in Haiti as there have been no recent instances of as many new branches organized at the same time in Haiti.   Currently there are two stakes, two districts and 36 congregations in the country.

New branches in Spain

For the first time in several years, two new LDS branches were recently organized in Spain.  The Vic Branch was organized in northeastern Spain near Barcelona and the Huércal-Overa Branch was organized in southern Spain.  Unlike many Western European nations, the LDS Church in Spain has experienced only a slight decline in the total number of LDS congregations over the past decade.  Additional congregation organizations may indicate sustained improvement in convert retention and greater efforts by mission leaders to expand national outreach.

Church Growth News

Stake discontinued in Australia

For the first time in LDS Church history in Australia, a stake was discontinued. The Sydney Australia Parramatta Stake was consolidated into several neighboring stakes in the Sydney area.  The number of congregations in many Australian stakes is much lower than other nations, which jeopardizes the continued operation of some stakes if large numbers of members move away and few new converts are baptized and retained.  Overall Australia has experienced moderate membership growth rates among industrialized nations but has experienced stagnant congregational growth.  For more information about the Church in Australia, please refer to an article written by me and David Stewart at cumorah.com. 

Approximately a dozen new branches to be organized in Sierra Leone and Liberia in 2011

Full-time missionaries serving in the Sierra Leone Freetown Mission that plans are being finalized to organize approximately a dozen new branches in Sierra Leone and Liberia.  The Church has experienced little congregational growth in both nations between the mid-1990s and 2009 notwithstanding LDS membership grew rapidly.  Missionaries also report that a future stake may soon be organized from one of the Monrovia districts.  

New wards in Nairobi, Kenya

For the first time since the organization of the Nairobi Kenya Stake in 2001, the Church has organized new wards in Nairobi, Kenya.  The Mountain View Ward (formerly the Westlands Branch) and the Kayole Ward were organized.  There are now seven wards and two branches in the stake.  LDS mission outreach remains severely limited in Nairobi as nine congregations provide outreach to a population of over three million.  Prospects appear favorable for the opening of additional congregations in Nairobi and the formation of districts for the dozens of mission branches in the coming years.

New branch established in remote area of Mozambique

One of the most remote LDS congregations in Africa, the Luaha Branch was officially organized from the Luaha Group and becomes the 19th LDS branch in Mozambique.  Latter-day Saints have lived in Luaha for several years and have demonstrated a strong degree of responsibility and desire regarding the gospel.  For more information about the Church in Luaha, please refer to an article posted on the Church's South Africa website at www.lds.co.za. 

Administrative branches discontinued for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo

Following the organization of the Pristina and Sarajevo Branches, the Church has discontinued the administrative branches for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.  Administrative branches continue to operate in Macedonia, Montenegro, and the Falkland Islands. 

District discontinued in Spain

Comprising three branches stretched over a large geographical area, the Valladolid Spain District was discontinued.  The Valladolid Branch now pertains to the Leon Spain District whereas the Salamanca and Segovia Branches are now mission branches under the Spain Madrid Mission.

Mormon Channel interview with former Nicaragua Managua Mission president

The Mormon Channel's Into All the World program conducted a phone interview with President Fraatz, the former mission president of the Nicaragua Managua Mission who served from 2007-2010.  Former President Fraatz reported that church attendance among many LDS wards in the Managua area had increased dramatically in recent months, with several wards now reporting over 200 active members.  Fraatz predicted that three to five new stakes would be organized in the new future due to strong growth and higher convert retention.  The interview can be found on the right-hand side of this blog and is interview number 51.

Two More Missions to be Discontinued in Spain and Italy

Italy

Missionaries serving in the Italy Catania Mission report that the mission will be discontinued this July. The mission will be absorbed into the Italy Rome Mission. Missionaries were notified that this consolidation will occur in part due to preparing members for the building of the Rome Italy Temple. The decision to consolidate the two missions was also likely influenced by the consolidation of the two districts on Sicily last year in preparation to create the first stake on the island. The Palermo Italy District may become a stake prior to the combining of the missions but no announcement has been made. Once the consolidation occurs there will be around 120 missionaries in the Italy Rome Mission. This consolidation will allow for greater missionary resources to be utilized in areas with more rapid growth and increase the responsibilities for local members in sharing the Gospel with others.

Spain

The Spain Bilbao Mission will be discontinued this July and a massive realignment of the three remaining Spanish missions will occur. Districts in Leon and Vigo will transfer to the Spain Madrid Mission and the Vitoria Spain Stake will become part of the Spain Barcelona Mission. The Canary Islands will become part of the Spain Madrid Mission and the Elche Spain Stake, La Mancha Spain District, and a couple mission branches will belong to the Spain Malaga Mission. Missionaries were very surprised about this change considering that the Spain Bilbao Mission had its most successful year in 20 years as the first stake within the mission was created and convert baptisms were up 81% from 2008 in 2009. The Spain Barcelona Mission also had a very successful year as measured by convert baptisms with 402 baptisms. The missions in Madrid and Malaga have also seen good success in the past year. The decision to combine the decision is an inspired one which has come as a result of greater leadership development and maturity among the local members. The establishment of the first stake in northern Spain was a result of local members taking greater responsibility in conducting the Church.

Below I have the letter from the mission president of the Spain Malaga Mission informing missionaries concerning the changes.

The First Presidency has determined that on 1 July 2010 the Spain Bilbao Mission will be dissolved and the boundaries of the Spain Barcelona and Spain Madrid Missions will be realigned to include the areas now served by the Spain Bilbao Mission. President Richard R. Clegg (from the Bilbao Mission) will be the new mission president of the Spain Málaga Mission. In conjunction with these changes, the Elche Stake (from the Barcelona Mission) and La Mancha district (from the Madrid Mission) will be associated with the Spain Málaga Mission. The Canary Islands (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Spain District) will be associated with the Spain Madrid Mission presided over by President Watkins.

This consolidation, together with many others, will be announced in the Church News on 13 February 2010. While these changes will impact certain missionaries this summer, the move will not affect our role as missionaries to baptize worthy converts. Rather, it is a reflection of the great success which we are experiencing in the growth of the Church in Spain.

This is an exciting and positive move as the Church continues to expand throughout the earth and as ward and stake leaders and members take a more active role in missionary work and the growth and development of the Church in Spain. It is an inspired response to a number of important changes in the work in Spain.

First of all, as you well know, the number of missionaries worldwide and the number of missionaries serving in Spain has been decreasing. This decrease is driven largely by a reduction in the total number of 18 and 19-year-olds in the population throughout North America and Europe. We started our mission with 120 missionaries and by July will have 74. Other missions are going through similar reductions. Overall, the number of missionaries serving in Spain will be less than 300 this year. This is a dramatic decrease from several years ago when we had nearly 800 missionaries in five missions in Spain.

Second, the growth of the stakes in Spain has reduced the amount of Church administration done by the missions. Before the creation of the Madrid Stake in 1982, mission presidents served as the ecclesiastical leaders of all members of the Church in Spain. With the recent creation of the 10th stake in the country - the Spain Vitoria Stake, created out of the Bilbao District of the Spain Bilbao Mission - most Church members now live in stakes led by local stake presidents, and missions have responsibility for fewer mission districts.

Finally, in 2002 the First Presidency announced certain changes which gave stake presidents and bishops the responsibility for missionary work in their stakes and wards. The stake presidents and bishops in Spain have taken on that new responsibility in a very effective way, so that even with the reduction in full-time missionaries, the work of baptizing worthy converts has increased dramatically.

We are excited about this coming change and what it says about the growth of the Church in Spain. While we look forward to welcoming into our mission the great missionaries and members of the La Mancha District and Elche Stake, we will deeply miss the wonderful missionaries and members of the Canary Islands. We know that this inspired change will help the work move forward in a country which we all love deeply. I have had the tender privilege of knowing and working alongside Presidents and Sisters Clegg and Watkins. I am confident those of you who will share that privilege will be greatly blessed by their dedication and love. I invite you to include them in your prayers now as they anticipate and prepare for these new assignments.

May God bless each of you with continued success in this great work of gathering the children of our Father in Heaven into His Kingdom through the waters of baptism.

New Stake In Spain

The Vitoria Spain Stake was created today in the Spain Bilbao Mission. The new stake becomes Spain's 10th stake and the first in northern Spain. The new stake includes five wards (the Santander, San Sebastian, Bilbao, Logrono and Pamplona Wards) and three branches (Las Arenas, Vitoria and Burgos). There were an estimated 700-850 in attendance for the stake's creation. Growth has been slow but steady in northern Spain. The new stake is the result of decades of missionary work. The Bilbao Spain District (which was used to make the new stake) was originally organized in 1980.

Districts Dissolved in Guatemala, Jamaica and Spain

Guatemala

The Ceiba Amelia Guatemala District was combined with the Santa Lucia Cotzumalguapa Guatemala District. This was likely done in preparation for a future stake in southern Guatemala. The district in Ceiba Amelia was organized in 1994 and the Santa Lucia Cotzumalguapa Guatemala District now has nine branches. We have not seen a new stake or district organized in Guatemala in 10 years while the number of congregations in Guatemala has dropped from 451 in 2000 to 418 in 2008. This drop in congregations has been due to a drop in branches, likely in a move to create larger congregations which are more self sustaining. The Church in Guatemala is strengthening though, as evidenced by the recent groundbreaking of the temple in Quetzaltenango. Church membership increases by around 5,000 every year and stands at 215,000.

Jamaica

The Montego Bay Jamaica District was discontinued and all the branches now report directly to the mission in Kingston. A missionary serving in the area reports that this was done in a move for strong Priesthood leaders in the district to shift their attention from functioning as a district to strengthening the individual branches in the western portion of the island. This will hopefully allow for greater growth in the branches in the near future. The growth of the Church has been slow, but consistent, in Jamaica with now around 6,000 members in 20 or so branches.

Spain

The Zaragoza Spain District was discontinued and the two branches which made up the district report to the mission president in the area. A new stake will be created in northern Spain, primarily from the Bilbao Spain District, in September and I imagine it is likely the two branches in Zaragoza will become part of the new stake. We have seen several districts discontinued this year which only had two branches.

Groundbreaking Set For Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple; Districts Dissolved in Spain

Temple Groundbreaking

The groundbreaking for the Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple will we held on March 14th, 2009. The temple was announced late in 2006 and will be the second in Guatemala. The new temple will likely serve 14 stakes and six districts in the Highlands of Guatemala. The first stake organized in Quetzaltenango was in 1975. Church growth was rapid and sustained as manifested by new stakes and districts created up until 1999. Since then one stake has been dissolved in Mazatenango.

Growth in terms of convert baptisms has picked up recently as missionaries in the Guatemala Quetzaltenango Mission report that the month of February 2009 was the second best month for the number of baptisms in the past five years (172). Currently the Mission President in Quetzaltenango is focusing on turning the districts into stakes in the region.

District Dissolved in Spain

The Badajoz Spain District was recently dissolved. The district was near the border with Portugal in southwestern Spain. It was originally created in 1993 and recently only had two branches. The remaining two branches in Barajoz and Cáceres are now mission branches.

The growth of the Church in Spain has been the strongest in Europe in the past 20 years. Membership has risen from 31,700 in 2000 to 42,900 at the end of 2007. The number of congregations has fallen however during that time from 143 to 133. This has in part been due to the creation of a couple stakes from districts in which sometimes a couple branches are used to create one ward, resulting with fewer congregations in the end. The number of wards between 2000 and 2007 has increased from 40 to 61 and the number of branches have fallen from 103 to 72.

The Church in Spain and Portugal

Some of the strongest growth the Church has experienced in Europe in the past 10 years has been in Spain. In 2000, Spain had 31,695 members in seven stakes and 40 wards. There were a total of 124 branches as well and 16 districts. In 2006 Spain had 41,188 members, the most out of any country in Europe except the United Kingdom. Today there are 66 wards, 55 branches, nine stakes, and nine districts. The stakes in Madrid have growth fairly large (around 18 wards and six branches in two stakes) as well as the Elche Stake (10 wards and four branches). New stakes are likely to be organized in these two regions of the country. The northern portion of the country still does not have a single stake in it, but rather five districts. Up until a year or two ago there were three districts in the Canary Islands but these have all been consolidated into one (perhaps to create a stake in the near future, but growth rates have been relatively stagnant here). The temple in Madrid was dedicated nine years ago.

Portugal is an interesting story. Growth was very strong in the late 80's, but has slowed significantly in the 90's. Membership increased from only 35,146 in 2000 to 38,130 in 2006. Yet Portugal has the highest percentage of members out of any country in Europe (0.36%). There are six stakes in the country with 35 wards as well as four districts (two are on islands). Portugal is the country with the second largest membership with no temple after Nicaragua. I imagine a temple will be built someday in Lisbon to serve the Cape Verde Islands as well. Portugal is probably the European country with the highest inactivity.

The yellow squares represent wards and the green squares represent branches