13 New Temples Announced - Analysis - Part I

One week ago, the Church announced plans to construct 13 new temples. This post provides an analysis of the first six of the 13 announced temples. I will provide Part II of this analysis within the next week.

Kaohsiung Taiwan Temple

The Kaohsiung Taiwan Temple will be the Church's second temple in Taiwan. The Church has maintained a presence in Taiwan for more than 60 years. The Church's first temple in Taiwan was dedicated in Taipei in 1984. The Church in Taiwan achieved significantly higher membership and congregational growth rates than other industrialized East Asian nations until the early 2010s. The announcement of the temple in Kaohsiung is a significant development given returned missionary reports have noted significant long-term challenges with leadership development and church growth in southern Taiwan for decades. For example, the Church discontinued the Pingtung Taiwan Stake (located immediately east of Kaohsiung) in 2019 - the first time the Church had ever discontinued a stake in Taiwan. The new temple in Kaohsiung will likely include at least four stakes in the new temple district (and perhaps as many as eight stakes if the four stakes in the Taichung area are included in the district). All of these stakes currently pertain to the Taipei Taiwan Temple district. Returned missionaries report that the greatest centers of strength of the Church in Taiwan are Taipei and Taichung. The Church organized its first stake in Kaohsiung in 1981, but it discontinued the Taiwan Kaohsiung Mission in 2009. There are now two missions in Taiwan. I added Kaohsiung to my list of less likely temple locations for future temples in September 2019.

Tacloban City Philippines Temple

The Tacloban City Philippines Temple will be the Church's eighth temple in the Philippines. The Church has maintained a presence in the Philippines for 60 years and reports more than 800,000 members on the records for the country. The Church in the Philippines has achieved an impressive turnaround with growth during the past decade after a decade of low membership growth rates and few new stakes and congregations organized. This has been evident by the number of temples in the Philippines (dedicated and announced) increasing from three in 2011 to eight today. The new temple will be the Church's third temple in the Visayas region of the Philippines after Cebu (announced in 2006 and dedicated in 2010) and Bacolod City (announced in 2019). Other temples recently announced by the Church include Urdaneta (2010), Alabang (2017), Cagayan de Oro (2018), and Davao (2018). The new temple will likely include five stake and six districts on the islands of Leyte, Samar, and Biliran - all of which are currently assigned to the Cebu City Philippines Temple. The Church organized the Philippines Tacloban Mission in 1990, and the Tacloban Philippines Stake was organized in 2007. I added Tacloban City to my list of more likely temple locations for future temples in September 2018.

Monrovia Liberia Temple

The Monrovia Liberia Temple will be the Church's first temple in the West African nation of Liberia. The Church has maintained a presence in Liberia since the late 1980s. The Church in Liberia has experienced two periods of rapid growth: 1987-2002 and 2011-present. Currently, the Church in Liberia has five stakes (all organized since 2016, albeit the original Monrovia Liberia Stake operated from 2000 to 2007). The Church continues to experience rapid membership growth notwithstanding the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently there are approximately 15,000 Latter-day Saints in Liberia. Rapid national outreach expansion has also occurred in the past five years with the number of cities/towns with an official congregation increasing from three in 2008 to nine at present. The new temple will likely include all five stakes and the one district in Liberia - all of which are currently assigned to the Accra Ghana Temple. Monrovia has ranked among the three most likely locations to have a temple announced on my prediction list for more than two years given the large number of stakes in the metropolitan area and continued rapid growth. The Church organized the Liberia Monrovia Mission in 2013. It appears likely a couple new stakes will be organized in Monrovia in the near future.

Kananga Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple

The Kananga Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple is the Church's third temple announced for the DR Congo after Kinshasa (announced in 2011, dedicated in 2019) and Lubumbashi (announced in 2020). Apostle Elder Neil L. Andersen visited the Kasai Region in 2016 (the area in the central DR Congo where Kananga is located) and counseled the members to prepare for a temple in the Kasai Region one day. The Kasai Region has experienced some of the most rapid growth of the Church in modern times. The first stake in the region was organized in 2011, and today there are six stakes. The creation of additional stakes appears imminent given steady growth in the number of congregations. The Church operates a mission headquartered in Mbuji-Mayi to service the Kasai Region which was organized in 2016. Kananga is currently the only city in Kasai with multiple stakes (3), and the first stake in the city was created in 2011. The new temple will likely include the six stake and one district in the Kasai Region, albeit many more stakes will likely be organized by the time a temple is completed. Previously trained construction crews utilized to build the Kinshasa temple will likely be utilized in the construction of the new temple in Kananga. The Kasai Region has been included on my list of likely temples for many years. Currently, the region pertains to the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple.

Antananarivo Madagascar Temple

The Antananarivo Madagascar Temple is the Church's first temple to be announced for Madagascar where there are approximately 13,000 Latter-day Saints. The Church was first established in Madagascar in 1990, and the Madagascar Antananarivo Mission was created in 1998. The new temple will likely service the Church's two stakes and three districts in Madagascar, its district in Mauritius, and its district in Reunion. Currently, Madagascar pertains to the Johannesburg South Africa Temple district. The first stake in Madagascar was organized in 2000. Antananarivo was added to the list of likely locations for new temples in September 2018.

Culiacán México Temple

The Culiacán México Temple is the Church's 17th temple to be announced for México where there are approximately 1.5 million members on Church records. I had included Culiacán on my list of more likely locations to have a temple announced until September 2018 when I transitioned the city to less likely locations for a temple to be announced as a result of concerns with violence in Sinaloa State and many ward/stake consolidations in the region. The Church organized a stake in Culiacán in 1977 and a mission in 1987. Stakes in Sinaloa State currently attend the Hermosillo México Temple. The new temple will likely service six stakes and four districts in Sinaloa and Sonora states. The Church in México has previously dedicated or announced the following temples: the México City México Temple (dedicated in 1983), the Colonia Juárez Chihuahua México Temple (dedicated in 1999), the Ciudad Juárez México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Hermosillo Sonora México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Oaxaca México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Tuxtla Gutiérrez México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Tampico México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Villahermosa México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Mérida México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Veracruz México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Guadalajara México Temple (dedicated in 2001), the Monterrey México Temple (dedicated in 2002), the Tijuana México Temple (dedicated in 2015), the Puebla Mexico Temple (announced in 2018), the Querétaro Mexico Temple (announced in 2021), and the Torreón Mexico Temple (announced in 2021).

13 New Temples Announced

Today, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans to construct 13 more temples in the following locations:

• Kaohsiung, Taiwan
• Tacloban City, Philippines
• Monrovia, Liberia
• Kananga, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Antananarivo, Madagascar
• Culiacán, México
• Vitória, Brazil
• La Paz, Bolivia
• Santiago West, Chile
• Fort Worth, Texas
• Cody, Wyoming
• Rexburg North, Idaho
• Heber Valley, Utah

There are now 265 temples in operation, under construction, or planned. 

I will provide analysis of these new temple announcements in the coming days.

New Stakes Created in the Philippines (2), Utah (2), Argentina, and Mexico; Stakes Discontinued in Chile (3) and Taiwan

Philippines
The Church has organized two new stakes in the Philippines.

The Baliwag Philippines Stake was organized from the Baliwag Philippines District. Organized in 2004, the former district had five branches at the time it became a stake on May 26th. All five branches appear to have become wards in the new stake.

Today (June 9th), the Church organized a new stake from a division of the Lipa Philippines Stake (organized in 2001). The Batangas Philippines Stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Batangas 1st, Batangas 2nd, Bauan, Rosario, and San Jose Batangas Wards, and the Ibaan Branch.

Additionally, the Church is scheduled to organize at least three more new stakes in the Philippines before the end of the month. Two of these stakes will be located in Iriga and Orion. I have not yet been able to confirm the location of the other new stake to be organized.

Currently, there are 111 stakes and 66 districts in the Philippines.

Utah
The Church organized its fifth Tongan-speaking stake in Utah on May 19th. The Orem Utah 2nd (Tongan) Stake was organized from a division of the Provo Utah Wasatch (Tongan) Stake (renamed Provo Utah 1st (Tongan) Stake. The new stake includes the following eight wards and one branch: the American Fork 2nd Ward (Tongan), Eagle Mountain 13th Ward (Tongan), Eagle Mountain 14th Ward (Samoan), Lehi 41st Ward (Tongan), Lehi 42nd Wad (Samoan), Orem 8th Ward (Tongan), Orem 13th Ward (Samoan), and Pleasant Grove 10th Ward (Samoan), and the Saratoga Springs 12th Branch (Tongan). It is unclear why the Church did not organize a Samoan-speaking stake instead of a second Tongan-speaking stake, albeit Tongan and Samoan-speaking units are often included in the same stakes in the United States.

The Nibley Utah West Stake was organized from a division of the Nibley Utah Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Nibley 6th, Nibley 7th, Nibley 8th, Nibley 9th, Nibley 10th, and Nibley 12th Wards.

There are now 602 stakes and one district in Utah.

Argentina
The Church organized a new stake in southern Argentina on June 2nd. The Tierra del Fuego Argentina Stake was organized from the Tierra del Fuego Argentina District. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Andino, Austral, Chacra, Monte Olivia, and Ushuaia Wards, and the Puerto Williams and Rio Grande Branches. Church leaders have prepared the district for many years to become a stake. For example, in 2014 the Church discontinued the Ushuaia Argentina District and combined it with the Rio Grande Argentina District to prepare the southernmost region of Argentina for a stake. With two stakes in the Tierra del Fuego region of South America (the other located in Punta Arenas, Chile), prospects appear favorable for a small temple in this isolated region of the world.

There are now 78 stakes and 28 districts in Argentina.

Mexico
The Church organized a new stake in Puebla, Mexico on June 2nd. The Puebla México Ometoxtla Stake was organized from a division of the Puebla Mexico Cholula Stake and Tlaxcala Mexico Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Almecatla 1st, Almecatla 2nd, Coronango, La Joya, and Ometoxtla Wards, and the Xoxtla Branch. The new stake is the Church's third new stake organized in the greater Puebla city area during the past decade. Unlike other major cities in Mexico, the Church in Puebla has reported steady congregational growth and no discontinued stakes. The Church announced a temple for Puebla in 2018.

There are now 221 stakes and 47 districts in Mexico.

Chile
Local members in Santiago report that three stakes were discontinued on June 2nd. These stakes include the Santiago Chile Gran Avenida Stake (organized in 1993), Santiago Chile Las Araucarias Stake (organized in 1995), and Santiago Chile O'Higgins Stake (organized in 1992). Unlike other areas of Santiago, the Church in southern Santiago has struggled with very low member activity rates for many years without noticeable success with improving church attendance. It is unclear how many wards were discontinued as part of the changes, but perhaps as many as 10-20 wards were closed in the process of the stake consolidations. Other areas of Santiago reported average-sized church attendance for South America (generally 75-150 active members) with some improvements in increasing church attendance in recent years. The decision to close these three stakes in southern Santiago does not appear related to any recent church growth developments, but rather a long overdue administration change in an area where mission and stake efforts to revitalize missionary work have been unproductive. Additionally, local members noted concerns with socialization problems at church in some units affected by the changes due to few active members. Several church meetinghouses will be sold due to these changes. This marks the first time since 2005 that a stake has been discontinued in Chile.

There are now 74 stakes and 16 districts in Chile.

Taiwan
For the first time in Church history, the Church has discontinued a stake in Taiwan. The Pingtung Taiwan Stake, organized in 2010, was discontinued and retained units were combined with the two Kaohsiung stakes. Southernmost Taiwan has struggled for many years with lower activity rates and a greater lack of church growth compared to other cities in Taiwan. These changes appeared associated with a lack of growth since the Kaohsiung Taiwan North Stake was organized in 2015, and problems associated with stakes and wards running with fewer than the minimum number of active members needed to properly operate. The Asia Area appeared to make an emphasis about five years ago to organize wards with fewer active members, likely in an effort to reduce travel times and assist in reactivation efforts (such as in Hong Kong). Additional ward and stake consolidations may occur in other areas of Taiwan, albeit reports from return missionaries indicate wards with more active members and with better growth trends in other major cities such as Taichung and Taipei compared to Kaohsiung. Thus, it appears more likely that some additional ward consolidations may occur if the Asia Area is placing an emphasis on the establishment of wards with larger numbers of active members. However, the greatest impact on recent church growth trends in Taiwan is a significant reduction in membership growth rates during the past five years to only 1-2% a year versus 3-10% a year in the 2000s. The Church in Taiwan has also historically struggled with very low member activity rates, which delayed the establishment of stakes in several areas of the country.

There are now 16 stakes in Taiwan.

New Stakes Created in Brazil, the DR Congo, Honduras, Nigeria, and Taiwan; New Districts organized in Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, and South Africa

Brazil
The Church organized a new stake in Parana State on June 19th. The Apucarana Brazil Stake was organized from the Apucarana Brazil District and the Maringá Brazil Stake. Most, if not all, of the five branches in the former district appear to have become wards.

There are now 20 stakes and one district in Parana State, and 261 stakes and 38 districts in Brazil.

DR Congo
The Church organized a new stake in the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo on June 26th. The Likasi Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake was organized from the Likasi Democratic Republic of the Congo District. Information on which of the 10 branches in the former district that became wards remains unavailable. The new stake is the Church's first stake to operate in the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo outside of Lubumbashi.

There are now 16 stakes and two districts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Honduras
The Church organized a new stake in San Pedro Sula on June 26th. The new stake was organized from a division of the San Pedro Sula Honduras and Satélite Honduras Stakes. The new stake appears to be named the El Carmen Honduras Stake or the San Pedro Sula Honduras El Carmen Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: Calpules, El Carmen, La Aldea, Las Lomas, and Ocotillo Wards, and San Juan Branch.

There are now 25 stakes and seven districts in Honduras. 

Nigeria
The Church organized a new stake in western Nigeria on June 26th. The Ile-Ife Nigeria Stake was organized from the Ile-Ife Nigeria District. Information on which of the 10 retained branches in the former district that became wards remains unavailable. The Ile-Ife Nigeria Stake is the Church's first stake in Osun State where four million people reside. The Church originally organized the Ile-Ife Nigeria District in 1999.

The Church organized a new stake in south-central Nigeria on June 19th. The Onitsha Nigeria Stake was organized from the Onitsha Nigeria District. Information on which of the nine retained branches in the former district that became wards remains unavailable. The Onitsha Nigeria Stake is the Church's first stake in Anambra State where 4.8 million people reside. The Church originally organized the Onitsha Nigeria District in 1988. Prior to the creation of the new stake, the Onitsha Nigeria District was the oldest district of the Church in Nigeria.


There are now 38 stakes and 17 districts in Nigeria.

Taiwan
The Church in Taiwan organized a new stake on June 26th. The Chiayi Taiwan Stake was organized from the Chia Yi Taiwan District. Information on which of the seven branches in the former district became wards remains unavailable. The Chia Yi Taiwan District was the last district of the Church in Taiwan as all others have become stakes. The Church in Taiwan has implemented an aggressive strategy to organize several new stakes within the past five years, resulting in the number of stakes increasing from 11 to 17.

Angola
The Church organized its second district in Angola on June 12th. The Viana Angola District was organized from a division of the Luanda Angola District. The new district includes the following three branches: Terra Nova, Viana, and Zango. Missionaries have reported within the past couple years plans for the organization of the first stake in Angola within the near future. However, the decision to divide the Luanda Angola District, which previously had eight branches, appears to indicate plans to organize several new branches in the Luanda metropolitan area to spur greater growth in this massive city of 6.8 million inhabitants.

Cote d'Ivoire
The Church organized a new district in central Cote d'Ivoire on June 5th. The Bouake Cote d'Ivoire District was organized from the following five mission branches that operate within the city of Bouake: Ahougnanssou, Bouake 1st, Bouake 2nd, Bouake 3rd, and Bouake 4th Branch. The Church originally established its first branch in Bouake in 1989. At least two branches functioned in the city in the early 2000s, but all branches were discontinued in the mid-2000s due to the First Ivorian Civil War. The Church reestablished official branches in Bouake in 2015.

There are now 10 stakes and eight districts in Cote d'Ivoire.

South Africa
The Church organized a new district in southwestern South Africa on June 12th. The George South Africa District was organized from two mission branches in the George area, namely George and Knysna. The decision to organize a district with only two branches suggests plans to organize additional branches in the area within the near future as districts typically have at least three branches.

There are now 15 stakes and five districts in South Africa.

New Stakes Created in Florida, Nevada, Taiwan, Texas, and Uganda; Stake Discontinued in Utah; District Discontinued in Bolivia

Florida
The Church organized a new stake in south Florida on January 10th. The Vero Beach Florida Stake was organized from a division of the Cocoa Florida, Sarasota, and Stuart Florida Stakes. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Fort Pierce, Palm Bay 1st, Palm Bay 2nd, Sebring, and Vero Beach Wards, and the Lake Placid and Okeechobee Branches.

There are now 30 stakes in Florida.

Nevada
The Church organized two new stakes in Nevada in December.

The Las Vegas Nevada Skye Canyon Stake was created from a division of the Las Vegas Elkhorn Springs and Las Vegas Nevada Lone Mountain Stakes. The new stakes includes the following six wards and two branches: the Centennial Pointe, Egan Crest, Grand Teton, Providence, Skye Canyon, and Valley Crest Wards, and the Beatty and Indian Springs Branches.

The Las Vegas Nevada Shadow Mountain Stake was organized from a division of the Las Vegas Nevada Tule Springs and the Las Vegas Nevada Highland Hills Stakes. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Aviary Park, Copper Crest, Deer Springs, Los Prados, San Miguel, and Waterfall Wards.

There are now 37 stakes in Nevada.

Taiwan
The Church organized a new stake in southern Taiwan on December 20th.

The Kaohsiung Taiwan North Stake was organized from a division of the Kaohsiung Taiwan East (renamed Pingtung Taiwan Stake) and Kaohsiung Taiwan West Stakes. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Chishan, Kangshan, Nantzu, Sanmin, and Tsoying Wards.

There are now 16 stakes and one district in Taiwan.

Texas
The Church organized its sixth stake in the San Antonio area on January 10th. The San Antonio Texas Cibolo Valley Stake was organized from a division of the San Antonio Texas East Stake. The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Cibolo, Converse, Garden Ridge, Live Oak, Randolph, Schertz, Universal City, and Woodlake Wards. One or two additional stakes appear likely to be organized in the San Antonio area within the near future.

There are now 65 stakes and three districts in Texas.

Uganda
The Church organized its second stake in Uganda on November 29th. The Jinja Uganda Stake was organized from the Jinja Uganda District (organized in 1993). The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Bugembe, Iganga, Jinja, Mpumedde, and Njeru Wards, and the Lugazi and Walukuba Branches. Missionaries report preliminary plans to organize a third stake in Uganda from a division of the Kampala Uganda Stake (organized in 2010) although the stake currently lacks a sufficient number of wards to create a second stake in the city (7 wards, 5 branches) unless several branches become wards.

Utah
The Church discontinued a stake in Salt Lake City in early January. The Salt Lake Sugar House Stake was discontinued and its wards and branches were reassigned to surrounding stakes. The Salt Lake Sugar House Stake is the twelfth stake in Utah to be discontinued since 2002. Stake growth in Utah nonetheless remains steady despite a dozen stake consolidations within the past 13 years. 111 new stakes have been organized in Utah since year-end 2001.

There are now 579 stakes and one district in Utah.

Bolivia
The Church recently discontinued the Titicaca Bolivia District. The five branches that previously pertained to the district now directly report to the Bolivia La Paz Mission. These branches operate in Aymara-speaking rural communities on the southeast shore of Lake Titicaca. The decision to discontinue the district appears attributed to problems with local leadership development and member inactivity.

There are now 27 stakes and nine districts in Bolivia.

New Stakes Created in Arizona, the DR Congo, New Mexico, Nigeria, and Taiwan

Arizona
The Church organized a new stake in the Tuscon area on December 6th. The Tuscon Arizona South Stake was created from a division of the Sahuarita Arizona, Tuscon Arizona, and Tuscon Arizona Rincon Stakes. The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Cienega, Corona, Los Reales (Spanish), Midvale, Vail, and Valencia Wards and the Tucson Wilmot Branch (Correctional Facility). The Church recently organized another new stake in the Tucson area in October 2015 (Marana). Local members report the creation of these two new stakes has been to help focus on reactivation efforts in the Tuscon area.

There are now 100 stakes in Arizona.

DR Congo
The Church organized a new stake in the central DR Congo on December 13th. The Katoka Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake was organized from a division of the Kananga Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Katoka 1st, Katoka 2nd, Katoka 3rd, Malandji, Ndesha 1st, and Ndesha 2nd Wards. The Church organized its first stake in Kananga in 2011.

There are now 13 stakes and four districts in the DR Congo. The Church also recently announced the groundbreaking for the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple in February 2016. With no Angel Moroni and an apparently smaller building size than most temples, these accommodations appear attributed to the limitations the Church has with low levels of economic development and limited skilled labor in the country.

New Mexico
The Church organized a new stake in the Albuquerque area on December 6th. The Albuquerque New Mexico North Stake was organized from the Albuquerque New Mexico, Albuquerque New Mexico West, and Rio Ranch New Mexio Stakes. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Academy Heights, Bernalillo, Cibola, Enchanted Hills, La Cueva, and North Valley Wards.

There are now 14 stakes in New Mexico.

Nigeria
The Church organized a new stake in Abia State on December 6th. The Aba Nigeria South Stake was organized from a division of the Aba Nigeria Stake (renamed Aba Nigeria North Stake). The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Aba Central, Eziama, Ohabiam, Osusu Aba, Umungasi, and Umuocham Wards and the Asa Amator Branch.

There are now 33 stakes and 19 districts in Nigeria.

Taiwan 
The Church organized a new stake in Taipei, Taiwan on December 13th. The Taipei Taiwan North Stake was organized from a division of the Taipei Taiwan East and Taipei Taiwan Central Stakes. The new stake includes the following five wards: the Peitou, Shihlin, Taipei (English), Tanshui, and Tienmu Wards.

There are now 15 stakes and one district in Taiwan.

New Stakes in Argentina, Chile, Idaho, South Africa, and Taiwan; New Districts in Aruba, Mexico, and Russia; Stake Discontinued in Oregon; Districts Discontinued in Malaysia

Argentina
The Church organized a new stake from the Olavarría Argentina District on June 21st. The new stake includes the following five wards and four branches: the Independencia, Mariano Moreno, Tandil 1st, Tandil 2nd, and Urquiza Wards and the Azul, Bolívar, Rauch, and Villa Aguirre Branches. The Church consolidated the Olavarría Argentina and Tandil Argentina Districts in 2014 in preparation to create the new stake. There are now 74 stakes and 29 districts in Argentina.

Chile
The Church organized a new stake from the Valparaíso Chile West District and the Valparaíso Chile Stake. The new stake appears to include just four wards: the Edwards, Levarte, O'Higgins, and Quebrada Verde Wards. Problems with an inadequate number of Melchizedek Priesthood holders appeared to delay the reestablishment of a stake from the Valparaíso Chile West District since 2002 when the original stake was discontinued. There are now 77 stakes and 19 districts in Chile.

Idaho
The Church organized a new YSA stake in the Rexburg area. The Rexburg Idaho YSA 10th Stake was organized from various YSA stakes in the area and includes the following 12 wards: the Rexburg YSA 6th, Rexburg YSA 9th, Rexburg YSA 26th, Rexburg YSA 30th, Rexburg YSA 34th, Rexburg YSA 42nd, Rexburg YSA 46th, Rexburg YSA 68th, Rexburg YSA 74th, Rexburg YSA 107th, Rexburg YSA 108th, and Rexburg YSA 109th Wards. There are now 128 stakes in Idaho.

South Africa
The Church organized a new stake in the Johannesburg metropolitan area on June 28th. The Mabopane South Africa Stake was organized from the Pretoria South Africa Stake and includes the following five wards: the Atteridgeville, Mabopane, Montana, Saulsville, and Soshanguve Wards. Senior missionaries note that the new stake leadership is solely comprised of black African members. There are now 15 stakes and three districts in South Africa.

Taiwan
The Church organized a new stake in Taiwan on June 21st. The Hualien Taiwan Stake was organized from the Hua Lien Taiwan District. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Hualien 1st, Hualien 2nd, Taitung 1st, Taitung 2nd, and Taitung 3rd Wards and the Yu Li Branch. The new stake had the minimum required members (1,900) needed to be organized into a stake, suggesting moderate member activity rates in the area. There are now 14 stakes and one district in Taiwan.

Aruba
The Church reinstated a member district in Aruba. The ABC Islands District was organized from mission branches in Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao and includes the following four branches: the Bonaire, Curaçao, Oranjestad, and San Nicolás Branches. The Church previously operated a district in Aruba from 2004 to 2009 and a separate district in Curaçao from 2005 to 2009. The district was also transferred from the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo East Mission to the realigned Trinidad Port of Spain Mission.

Mexico
The Church organized a new district in Mexico on July 12th. The Nochixtlan México District was organized from the Mexico Oaxaca Mission and the Oaxaca Mexico Monte Alban Stake. The new district includes the following four branches: the Anona, Nochixtlan, Santiago Tenango, and Tlaxiaco Branches. The new district presents church leaders with exciting opportunities to extend specialized outreach among the large Mixtec Amerindian population in the region. There are now 231 stakes and 38 districts in Mexico.

Russia
The Church organized two new districts in Russia in June.

The Samara Russia District was organized from mission branches in the Russia Samara Mission. The new district includes the following seven branches: the Avrory, Bezymyansky, Kazan', Novokuybishevsk, Samara Russia District, Toliatti, and Ulianovsk Branches. The Church previously operated a district in Samara from 1996 until 2013. The decision to reestablish a district in the city and its large geographical size suggest that mission and area leaders foresee realistic opportunities to establish a stake in the medium term.

The Moscow Russia North District was organized from mission branches in the Russia Moscow Mission. The new district includes the following seven branches: the Gor’kovsky, Lotoshino, Moscow Russia North District, Ryazan, Tverskoy, Yaroslavsky, and Zarechny Branches. The decision to organize the district indicates that there may be plans to create a second stake in Moscow in the coming five years.

There are now two stakes and five districts in Russia.

Oregon
The Church recently discontinued a stake in Oregon for the first time in the history of the Church in the state. The Portland Oregon East Stake was discontinued and its five wards were reassigned to neighboring stakes. The stake was originally organized in 1951 and included inner city areas in northern Portland. There are now 35 stakes in Oregon.

Malaysia
The Church recently discontinued a stake in East Malaysia. The Bintulu Malaysia District was discontinued and its three branches were reassigned to the Miri Malaysia District. Missionaries serving in the area noted that this decision was prompted by slow growth in the area over the past few years and plans from mission leaders to prepare the area for the establishment of a stake in the near future. Branches in Miri appear to currently meet qualifications to operate as wards. However, missionaries note that branches in Bintulu fall vastly short of these qualifications at this time. There are now seven districts in Malaysia.

New Stakes Created in Cote d'Ivoire, Mexico, and Taiwan; New District Created in Cote d'Ivoire; Stake Discontinued in South Korea; Districts Discontinued in Argentina and Australia

Cote d'Ivoire
The Church organized its first stake in Cote d'Ivoire outside of Abidjan on April 12th. The Yamoussoukro Cote d'Ivoire Stake was organized from a division of the Yamoussoukro Cote d'Ivoire District and includes the following five wards and two branches: the Agbanou, Bouafle, Koko, N'Zuessy 1st, and N'Zuessy 2nd Wards and the Habitat and Kokrenou Branches. The two remaining branches in the stake may have become wards although this cannot be confirmed. The district was originally organized in 2009. It is interesting to note that all three branches in the city of Bouafle became wards despite all of these units being organized since 2012.

The Church organized a new district from six branches in Daloa that previously pertained to the Yamoussoukro Cote d'Ivoire District to establish the Daloa Cote d'Ivoire District. All six of these branches were organized in early 2014 in what appeared to be one of the most successful examples of aggressive LDS Church planting initiatives.

There are now eight stakes and three districts in Cote d'Ivoire.

Mexico
The Church organized a new stake in Quintana Roo State on April 26th. The Playa del Carmen Mexico Stake was organized from a division of the Cancun Mexico and Cancun Mexico Kabah Stakes and includes the following six wards and one branch: the Cozumel 1st, Cozumel 2nd, Petén, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and Zacil Ha Wards and the Puerto Morelos Branch. There are now five stakes in Quintana Roo State.

Taiwan
The Church created its third stake in the city of Taichung on April 26th. The Taichung Taiwan South Stake was organized from a division of the two original Taichung stakes and includes the following five wards and one branch: the Chungming, Nantun, Peitun, Wuchuan 1st, and Wuchuan 3rd Wards and Taichung Branch (English). There are now 14 stakes and two districts in Taiwan.

South Korea
The Church discontinued a stake in South Korea for the second time in the Church's history in this nation. The Seoul Korea Gangseo Stake was discontinued and consolidated with the neighboring Incheon Korea Stake (renamed the Seoul Korea West Stake). Four wards were discontinued as part of the realignment, three of which were located in the Incheon Korea Stake. Having served as a full-time missionary in both of these stakes during the mid-2000s, it was not surprising that the stakes were consolidated due to many of the wards reporting few active members. The Church in Korea has continued to struggle with low member activity rates and many active members moving out of the country. There are now 15 stakes and six districts in Korea.

Argentina
The Church recently discontinued the Trenque Lauquen Argentina. The former district was originally organized in 1993 and had three branches. Two of the branches now report directly to the Argentina Bahia Blanca Mission whereas one of the branches now pertains to the Santa Rosa Argentina Stake. There are now 73 stakes and 30 districts in Argentina.

Australia
The Church recently discontinued the Mildura Australia District located in Victoria, Australia. The former district was originally organized in 1975 and had four branches. All four branches were reassigned to the Adelaide Australia Firle Stake and one of the branches became a ward (Mildura). There are now 37 stakes and eight districts in Australia.

New Stakes in Brazil, Mexico, and Taiwan

Brazil
On November 16th, the Church created a new stake in Brazil. The São José do Rio Preto Brazil South was organized from a division of the São José do Rio Preto Brazil Stake. The new stake included the following five wards and one branch: the Anchieta, Barretos, Catanduva, Parque Celeste, and Quinta das Paineiras Wards, and the José Bonifácio Branch. There are now 78 stakes and seven stakes in São Paulo State and 253 stakes and 39 districts in Brazil.


Mexico
On November 23rd, the Church created a new stake in Chihuahua State, Mexico. The Ciudad Juárez México Las Torres Stake was organized from the Ciudad Juárez México East Stake and includes the following four wards at the moment: the Aeropuerto, Ampliación, Granjero, and Hacienda de Las Torres Wards. It is like that additional wards will be assigned to the new stake as the Ciudad Juárez México East Stake currently has nine wards. There are now 228 stakes and 37 districts in Mexico.


Taiwan
On November 30th, the Church created a new stake in Taiwan. The Taipei Taiwan South Stske was organized from the Taipei Taiwan West Stake and includes the following six wards: the Ankang, Ching Hsin, Hsin Tien, Mu Cha Ward, Shuang Ho 1st, and Shuang Ho 2nd Wards. There are now 12 stakes and two districts in Taiwan.

New District in Taiwan

A new district was organized in Taiwan.  The Chia Yi Taiwan District was created from the Tainan Taiwan and Chung Hsing Taiwan Stakes and includes the following six branches: The Chia Yi 1st, Chia Yi 2nd, Hsin Ying, Hu Wei, Taipo, and Tou Liu Branches.  Of these six branches, four were wards in their previously assigned stakes.  The LDS Church has experienced stronger growth than most missionary-minded Christian denominations in Taiwan within the past few decades but continues to struggle with low member activity and convert retention rates.  The new district appears unlikely to become a stake within the near future until additional congregations are organized and operating units increase in the number of active members.  No stakes in Taiwan appear close to dividing within the near future.  Taipei Taiwan West Stake is now the stake with the most congregations in the country with nine wards and one branch.

There are now 11 stakes and two districts in Taiwan.

New Stake Created in Taiwan

A member has reported that a new stake was created last Sunday in Taiwan. It appears that the Kaohsiung Taiwan Stake was divided to create a second stake in the city. I will provide more details when they become available. There are now 11 stakes and two districts in Taiwan.

I originally posted this information on the Cities Without A LDS Church Presence Blog and I apologize for the mistake.

Update on Church Growth

Taiwan Reaches 50,000 Church Members

The Church News reported in a recently published article about the Church's 50th anniversary in Taiwan that Church membership in the country has reached 50,000. Today there are 102 congregations throughout the country, 10 stakes and two districts. Membership grows at a rate of around 4% a year and has increased by 20,000 in the past eight years. If membership growth rates remain constant Taiwan will have a projected 81,000 members in the year 2020.

11 New Stakes Created In June and Counting

It has been over a decade since we have had so many new stakes organized in so short a time frame. So far 11 stakes have been organized in the month of June, six of which were created from member districts. So far 25 new stakes have been organized this year.

The Church in Bosnia and Macedonia

The Church News provided interesting information about the Church in these two countries where the Church still has no official presence. It appears that both countries have groups established for members to meet in, but no branches. Macedonia only has one known family who are native Macedonians and Church members. Bosnia on the other hand had no reported Bosnian Church members and Church meetings consist of foreigners meeting throughout the country. Elder D. Todd Christofferson reminded members in Bosnia that they are laying the foundation for the Church in the future.

Recently Created Branches and Groups In Eastern Europe

A little over a year ago I reported on how the Church was aggressively opening new cities to the preaching of the Gospel in Eastern Europe. Only Mission branches or groups recently created are listed below. Meetinghouse locations and times are only available for both branches and groups on the country websites for Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Branches

Kaposvár, Hungary
Khmel'nyts'kyy, Ukraine
Kremenchung, Ukraine
Pärnu, Estonia
Szczecin, Poland
Zhytomyr, Ukraine

Groups/Dependent Branches

Shkoder, Albania
Pula, Croatia
Békéscsaba, Hungary
Szolnok, Hungary
Tatabánya, Hungary
Jelgava, Latvia
Gorlitz, Poland
Kielce, Poland
Torun, Poland
Zamosc, Poland
Craiova, Romania
Novo Mesto, Slovenia
Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
Pavlohrad, Ukraine

Mission Realignments In Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, Taiwan, and the United States

The Church News reported that the following changes will occur in the following countries pertaining to new missions and mission realignments:

Brazil

• -The Brazil Teresina Mission will be created from portions of the Brazil Belem and Brazil Fortaleza Missions. This area of Brazil is one of the highest baptizing and has seven of the 10 largest cities in Brazil without a congregation or missionaries serving in the city. By adding a third mission to the area, we will likely see many of these cities open to missionary work over the next few years.
• -The Brazil Belo Horizonte East Mission will be combined with the Brazil Belo Horizonte Mission. Belo Horizonte is located in one of the most populous states in Brazil and now will only have one mission to serve most of the people in the state of Minas Gerais. The Church still grows steadily in the Belo Horizonte area, with the newest stake in the city being created just a few months ago. However we have not seen as rapid growth in Minas Gerais as we have seen in most other states in Brazil.
• -The Brazil Rio de Janeiro North Mission will be relocated to Vitoria and renamed the Brazil Vitoria Mission. Stakes in the northern part of the Brazil Vitoria Mission will be taken from the Brazil Belo Horizonte East Mission and stakes in the southern part of the former Brazil Rio de Janeiro North Mission will be transferred to the Brazil Rio de Janeiro Mission. In other words, the mission in Vitoria will mainly include the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo, which has 3.5 million inhabitants. The missions in the Rio de Janeiro area were actually some of the lower baptizing missions in Brazil and now members in the three stakes and one district in Espirito Santo will have much more training and attention from a mission president than before. This will hopefully allow for more cities to open for missionary work in Espirito Santo which currently do not have a Church presence. The sole mission in Rio de Janeiro will serve some 15.5 million people.

Mexico

• -The Mexico Guadalajara and Mexico Guadalajara South Missions will have their boundaries redrawn and the Mexico Guadalajara South Mission will be renamed the Mexico Guadalajara East Mission. The one thing I have to say about this change is that the area east of Guadalajara has several of the largest cities without a Church presence in Mexico and the realignment could facilitate their opening to missionary work. Such cities include La Barca, Arandas and San Juan de los Lagos.

Nigeria

• -The two missions in Lagos, Nigeria will be combined into one mission. One mission used to exist in Ibadan and a few years ago was transferred to Lagos. Church growth in the area in and around Lagos has been slower than in other areas of Nigeria. There are two stakes in Lagos and five districts to the northeast of the city. I imagine that a mission will be created in the near future in Benin City (which is between the missions in Lagos and Enugu) considering the city is seeing some of the most rapid growth in the country.

Taiwan

• -The three missions in Taiwan will be consolidated into two with the dissolution of the Taiwan Kaohsiung Mission. The two remaining missions will cover the country of 23 million and 10 stakes and 2 districts. The number of missionaries serving in the country will also decline with fewer missionaries called to serve in Taiwan.

United States

• -The California San Francisco Mission will be combined with the California Oakland Mission and renamed the California Oakland/San Francisco Mission. The area around San Francisco has seen very little growth in terms of new congregations created. However mission leaders report throughout California that missionary work is going as strong as ever despite opposition for the Church's support of Proposition 8 last year. For the first time in several years, membership in California actually increased from the previous year some 6,000 members, indicating that this is likely the result of fewer members moving to other states and possibly an increase in convert baptisms.
• -The Pennsylvania Harrisburg Mission will be combined with the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission. There will now be just two missions in the state, with the other based in Philadelphia. Membership and congregation growth have remain constant for the past several years.

With these changes there will be a total of 344 missions in the Church; down from 348. This should not come as too much of an alarm to see a decrease in the number of missions for the Church. In 2001, we saw the number of missions in the Church fall from 334 to 333 and in 1981 we saw the number of missions fall from 188 to 180 and then drop to 178 the following year.

One of the reasons for this drop in missionaries is due to a demographic drop in the number of young men that are mission age in the United States. We might see a drop in the number of full-time serving missionaries for the year 2009, but should only be temporary. There might not be a drop at all considering areas like Central America and South Africa are seeing large increases in the numbers of missionaries serving just in the past year.

The Church News credits these changes in missions to "an ongoing effort to increase efficiency, balance needs and manage resources" (article can be found here). Unlike most times when missions are combined, this year it does not appear that this is due to these areas being unproductive for the Church, but rather less productive. For instance, in Taiwan the Church is seeing continued success with several congregations created a year and membership increasing by around 2,000 a year. Most congregations had four missionaries serving in each one and with the changes there will be just a companionship for each congregation.

In Brazil, the Church had a great year for growth last year. According to the Church's newest apostle Elder Neil L. Andersen, over 40,000 converts where baptized in Brazil in 2008. The number I was particularly excited about was the increase in congregations. There was an increase of 53 congregations last year in Brazil, the largest increase for one year in 10 years. The change in missions this year will hopefully allow for greater growth in the affected areas for years to come.

Update of Church Growth

New Branch in Uganda

A new branch was recently created in the Jinja District of Uganda. The Mpumudde Branch is the fifth branch in the Jinja District and the 16th in Uganda.

City Opens for Missionary Work in Malawi

The capital city of Malawi received a branch of the Church last fall and has just opened to missionary work. Lilongwe and Blantyre are the only cities opened for missionary work at this time in the country. There are three or four branches in Malawi today.

City Opens for Missionary Work in Botswana

Last spring missionaries were sent to open the city of Molepolole to the preaching of the Gospel. A branch has been established and there are now three branches and two wards in the country. The city of Molepolole has around 54,600 inhabitants and was the largest city that did not have the Church established in it yet in Botswana.

Rapid Growth in Qatar

Although Muslims are not allowed to attend Church services and the Qatari government does not recognize the Church, the city of Doha has two wards in it for foreigners living in the country. The second ward was organized last year for Filipinos as a branch originally, but has rapidly grown since its creation. Members in both congregations are living there on business.

New Ward created in Taiwan

The 10th ward in the Kaohsiung Taiwan Stake was recently created in Taliao. The stake now has 10 wards and a branch. It is likely the stake will be divided soon since it is the largest stake it Taiwan at this time.

Update on Church growth

New Congregations Created in Taiwan

A ward and a couple branches were created in Taiwan recently. The Nantou Ward and the Mingchien Branch were created in the vicinity of the city of Nantou. Growth in the region south of Taichung has been rapid, evidenced by a district maturing into a stake in the region (Chung Hsing) in 2004 and a new stake in Taichung organized last year. The Taitung 2nd Branch was created in the Hua Lien District, bringing the number of branches in the district to six. There are only two districts in Taiwan and 10 stakes. The other district, the Ping Tung District, has five branches outside of the southern city of Kaohsiung . The temple in Taipei serves only the members in Taiwan. The Kaohsiung Stake has gotten quite large and I imagine it will split within the next couple years. The yellow squares represent wards, the green squares represent branches.




New Branch in Lviv, Ukraine

Located in western Ukraine, the city of Lviv has around 1,000,000 people who live in the metropolitan area. Up to this point, only one branch existed in the city and recently it was divided. Again, this along with the new branch created in St. Petersburg suggests that the Church in working to gain new converts instead of gathering the active members (see earlier post about Church members per unit). The name of the new branch's name, the Sykhivs'ka Branch, comes from a southern suburb of the city.


Branch Created in St. Petersburg, Russia


Several years ago, the two districts in St. Petersburg were combined in preparation of a stake. The stake has not been organized as of yet, nor are there any stakes in Russia. I found it interesting that a new branch was organized in this city instead of allowing the existing branches to get larger to make wards in the future.