New Stakes Created in Utah (3), Oklahoma (2), Peru (2), the Dominican Republic, the DR Congo, Ecuador, Idaho, Mozambique, North Carolina, Togo, and Washington; New District Created in the DR Congo; Stakes Discontinued in Utah (4), Florida (2), England, and Oregon; Districts Discontinued in Russia (3), Romania (2), Australia, Belarus, and Fiji

Utah

There new stakes were created and four stakes were discontinued in Utah.

The Lehi Utah Cold Spring Ranch was created on March 19th from the Lehi Utah Holbrook Farms Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Cold Spring Ranch 1st, the Cold Spring Ranch 2nd, the Evans Farm, the Hardman Farms, the Holbrook Farms 2nd, and the Holbrook Farms 3rd Wards. There are now 20 stakes in Lehi.

The Eagle Mountain Utah Porter's Crossing was created on April 16th from the Eagle Mountain Utah East Stake. The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Brookhaven, the Chilton Park, the Kiowa Valley, the Liberty Farms, the Porter’s Crossing, the Ranches Parkway 2nd (Spanish), the Skyline Ridge, and the South Pass Wards. There are now 10 stakes in Eagle Mountain.

The West Haven Utah North Stake was created on May 21st from the Ogden Utah West Stake and the West Haven Utah Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Riverbend, the Wilson 2nd, the Wilson 3rd, the Wilson 4th, and the Wilson 5th Wards and the Park (Care Center) and Water Tower (Correctional Facility) Branches.

The Salt Lake Foothill Stake (organized in 1957) was discontinued. The stake had five wards and one branch prior to its closure. One of the five wards was discontinued, and the retained congregations were reassigned to the Salt Lake Hillside Stake (renamed Salt Lake Wasatch Stake).

The Salt Lake Cottonwood Heights Stake (organized in 1978) was discontinued which had six wards and one branch prior to its closure. Three wards closed as part of the stake consolidation. Retained units were reassigned to the Cottonwood Heights Utah Brighton Stake, Salt Lake Butler West Stake, and the Salt Lake Cottonwood Stake.

The Sandy Utah Crescent Park Stake (organized in 1987) was discontinued which had six wards and one branch prior to its closure. Two wards closed when the stake was discontinued. All retained congreations were reassigned to the Sandy Utah Crescent North Stake (which was renamed to Sandy Utah Dimple Dell Stake).

The Kearns Utah Western Hills Stake (organized in 1981) was discontinued. The stake had five wards prior to its closure, and none of the wards were discontinued. Wards in the former stake were reassigned to the Kearns Utah Stake and the Kearns Utah Central Stake.

There are now 628 stakes and 2 districts in Utah.

Oklahoma

Two new stakes were created in Oklahoma on May 7th. 

The Gore Oklahoma Stake was organized from the Broken Arrow Oklahoma Stake (organized in 1978) and the Fort Smith Arkansas Stake (organized in 1978). The new stake is essentially a reinstatement of the Muskogee Oklahoma Stake which operated from 1983 until 1991 and which is the only stake to have ever been discontinued in Oklahoma. The new stake includes the following five wards and three branches: the Gore, Henryetta, McAlester, Muskogee, and Sallisaw Wards and the Eufaula, Poteau, and Talihina Branches.

The Owasso Oklahoma Stake was organized from the Bartlesville Oklahoma Stake (organized in 2014) and the Broken Arrow Oklahoma Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Claremore, Elm Creek, Lake Valley, Pryor, and Ranch Creek Wards and the Skiatook Branch. There are now three stakes in the Tulsa area

There are now 11 stakes in Oklahoma.

Peru

Two new stakes were created in Peru.

The Trujillo Perú Jerusalén Stake was organized on April 30th from a division of the Trujillo Perú Esperanza Stake (organized in 1998). The new stake includes the following five wards: the Arévalo, the El Milagro, the Jerusalén, the Los Robles, and the Nuevo Trujillo Wards. The new stake marks the first time since 1998 when a stake was organized in the city (there were three stakes created that year in Trujillo). There are now eight stakes in Trujillo.

The Iquitos Perú San Juan Stake was organized on May 21st from a division of the Iquitos Perú Nueve de Octubre Stake (organized in 1995). The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Avianca, Los Delfines, San Juan, Santa Clara, and Secada Wards and the Nauta Branch. There are now four stakes in Iquitos. The Church previously operated five stakes in Iquitos from 1995 until 1998 when two of the five stakes were discontinued (Iquitos Peru Mi Peru and Iquitos Peru Sachachorro - both of which did not operate in the area of the new stake in Iquitos but instead functioned in central and northern areas of the city). A temple was announced for Iquitos in April 2023.

There are now 115 stakes and 17 districts in Peru.

Dominican Republic 

A new stake was created in the Dominican Republic. The La Vega Dominican Republic Stake was created from the La Vega Dominican Republic District and a portion of the Santiago Dominican Republic East Stake on December 18th, 2022. The new stake includes the following six wards: the Conani, Jarabacoa, La Espanola, Los Framboyanes, Moca, and Primavera Wards. The new stake is actually a reinstated stake, as a stake previously operated in La Vega from 1998 until 2009 when it was discontinued and divided into three districts (La Vega, Bonao, and Cotuí). With seven stakes in the Santiago area now, the region appears likely to have a temple announced given distance to Santo Domingo.

There are now 22 stakes and 8 districts in the Dominican Republic.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)

A new stake and a new district were created in the DR Congo. The Ngandajika Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake was organized from the Ngandajika Democratic Republic of the Congo District on March 12th. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Kabanda, Kabidimba, Mboka, Ngandajika, and Tshioji Wards and the Kalubanda and Kasonji Branches. The original district in Ngandajika was created in 2016, and the first branch in the city was organized in 2008. 

The Kisangani Democratic Republic of the Congo District was created on April 1st. All six branches in the city that previously reported directly to the Democratic Republic of the Congo East Mission now pertain to the new district, including the Kabondo, Kisangani, Lubunga, Makiso, Mangobo, and Tshopo Branches. The Church created its first branch in Kisangani in 2015.

There are now 27 stakes and 3 districts in the DR Congo.

Ecuador

A new stake was created in Ecuador. The Riobamba Ecuador Stake was created from the Riobamba Ecuador District on May 21st. All five branches in the former district (organized in 1992) became wards in the new stake, including the Bellavista, the Guaranda, the La Joya, the La Primavera, and the Los Álamos Wards. The area has appeared to have been preparing for some time to become a stake, as evidenced by the discontinuation of the short-lived Guaranda Ecuador District which operated from 2016-2019 with only two branches (which were merged into a single branch). 

There are now 44 stakes and 4 districts in Ecuador.

Idaho

A new stake was created in Idaho on March 26th. The Caldwell Idaho Snake River Stake was created from a division of the Caldwell Idaho Stake and the Caldwell Idaho East Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards and one branch: the Caldwell 16th, the Caldwell 4th, the Caldwell 6th, the Homedale 1st, the Homedale 2nd, the Marsing 1st, and the Marsing 2nd Wards and the Jordan Valley Branch. There are now three stakes in the Caldwell area.

There are now 138 stakes in Idaho.

Mozambique

A new stake was created in Mozambique on May 14th. The Beira Mozambique Munhava Stake was organized from a division of the Beira Mozambique Stake and the Beira Mozambique Manga Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and one branch: the Mananga, Manga Loforte, Maraza 1st, Mascarenha, Munhava, and Pioneiros Wards, and the Maraza 2nd  Branch. The new stake was primarily made from the Beira Mozambique Stake which had 145 men sustained to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood at the time of the conference. Moreover, the Church organized two new wards and one new branch when the new stake was created - all located within the newly organized stake. There are now three stakes in Beira (the two previous stakes were created in 2015 and 2017). A temple was announced for Beira in 2021. 

There are now six stakes and one district in Mozambique.

North Carolina

The Church organized a new stake in North Carolina on March 19th. The Wake Forest North Carolina Stake was organized from a division of the Raleigh North Carolina Stake and the Raleigh North Carolina South Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards and two branches: the Falls Lake, Franklinton, Henderson, Knightdale 1st, Wake Forest 1st, Wake Forest 2nd, and Zebulon Wards and the Creedmoor and Knightdale 2nd  Branches. 

There are now 20 stakes in North Carolina.

Togo

A new stake was created in Togo on May 7th. The Lomé Togo Agoe Stake was created from a division of the Lomé Togo Be Stake (organized in 2013), the Lomé Togo Tokoin Stake (organized in 2017), and a mission branch (Tsevie). The new stake includes the following three wards and five branches: Agoe Nyive, the Apedokoe, and Kélegougan Wards, and the Adetikope, the Adidogome, the Djagble, the Sanguéra, and the Tsevie Branches. It is highly likely that not all branches that have become wards have been updated in the Church's meetinghouse locator or the advancement of more branches into wards will occur in the immediate future (similar to what was seen in Nairobi, Kenya earlier this year when a third stake was also created in that city). 

There are now three stakes in Togo.

Washington

A new stake was created in Washington on February 26th. The Richland Washington South Stake was created from the Kennewick Washington Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards: the Badger Canyon, the Badger Mountain, the Grandridge, the Meadow Springs, the Rancho Reata, the Temple Meadow, and the Willowbrook Wards. There are now seven stakes in the Richland area.

There are now 60 stakes in Washington.

Florida

Two stakes were discontinued in Florida in May. The Fort Lauderdale Florida Stake (organized in 1970) was discontinued and retained units were reassigned to the Coral Springs Florida Stake (organized in 1994) and the Miami Lakes Florida Stake (organized in 1998). The Miami Florida South Stake (organized in 1992) was combined with the Miami Florida Stake (organized in 2015). The Church in South Florida originally had four stakes between 2008 until 2014 when the Boynton Beach Florida Stake was organized followed by the Miami Florida Stake in 2015 (there were five stakes between 1998 and 2008 until the Spanish-speaking stake was discontinued in 2008). Each of the stakes had few congregations after the creation of these two stakes, and consequently, it appears that the Church has sought to strengthen the stakes by essentially reverting back to having only four stakes again in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area. 

There are now 32 stakes in Florida.

England

The Church discontinued a stake in the London area in May. The Watford England Stake (organized in 1996) was discontinued and congregations in the stake were reassigned to the St Albans England Stake, the Thames Valley England Stake (was previously called the Reading England Stake), and the London England Hyde Park Stake. Local members report plans to discontinue two additional stakes in the area by mid-2023 in order to reduce the leadership burden on a small number of active members in the area. This marks the first time the Church in Europe has ever gone through a significant redistricting of stakes on this scale. Thus far, there have not been any significant consolidation of congregations, however. The Church in the United Kingdom has experienced steady decline in the number of congregations for decades, and these changes are unsurprising given this trajectory and efforts to create stakes with larger numbers of congregations with more active members than historical averages. The discontinuation of the Watford England Stake marks the second time a stake has been discontinued in the United Kingdom.

There are now 43 stakes in the United Kingdom.

Oregon 

A stake was discontinued in Oregon. The Milwaukie Oregon Stake (organized in 1979) was discontinued. Three of the five wards in the stake also closed, and the retained units were reassigned to the Oregon City Stake and the Portland Oregon Stake. The Church in the more central areas of Portland has experienced a rapid decline during the past decade. There has only been one other instance of a stake being discontinued in Oregon, and this was the Portland Oregon East Stake in 2015. 

There are now 34 stakes in Oregon.

Russia

The Church discontinued three districts in Russia, including the Samara Russia District (organized in 2015 but previously operated and was reinstated in 2015), the Volgograd Russia District (originally organized in 2002, discontinued in 2013, and reinstated in 2015), and the Vladivostok Russia District (originally organized in 1996, but has gone through periods of being discontinued and reinstated). Branches in the former Samara Russia District and Volgograd Russia District were reassigned to the Saratov Russia Stake, whereas branches in the former Vladivostok Russia District now report directly to the Russia Novosibirsk Mission. The discontinuation of these districts has appeared to be the result of consolidating limited leadership and the closure of many branches in recent years which has accelerated as a result of religious freedom restrictions and the current war in Ukraine. 

There are now three stakes and three districts in Russia. In contrast, there were 3 stakes and 10 districts in 2018.

Romania

The Church consolidated its three districts in Romania into a single district in early 2023. The discontinued districts were the Bucharest Romania District (organized in 1982) and the Cluj-Napoca Romania District (organized in 2009). The Brașov Romania District now has 15 branches. A similar change was made in Poland in 2020 and may signal efforts to try to strengthen local leadership and perhaps create a stake at some point, although only a couple of branches appear large enough to become wards. The Church plans to reinstate the Romania Bucharest Mission (originally organized in 1993) next month after it was discontinued in 2018.

Australia

The Church discontinued the Norwa Australia District (organized in 1992) which has had three branches for many years. One branch closed as part of the changes (Ulladulla) which had only approximately 10 active members as of the mid-2010s. The two retained branches were reassigned to the Canberra Australia Stake which previously had only four wards and one branch (and has had this few units for decades). Moreover, the Norwa Branch was advanced into a ward, resulting in the realigned Canberra Australia Stake having five wards and two branches now. 

There are now 41 stakes and 6 districts in Australia.

Belarus

The Church discontinued the Minsk Belarus District which had two branches prior to its closure. The Vitebsk Branch closed as part of these changes. The Minsk Branch was reassigned to the Moscow Russia Stake and became a ward. There are now no districts in Belarus.

Fiji

The Church discontinued the Korovou Fiji District (organized in 2017) and the five branches in the district were reassigned to the Lautoka Fiji Stake and the Nausori Fiji Stake. No branches were discontinued as part of this district discontinuation.

New Stakes Created in Utah (2), Colorado, Cote d'Ivoire, the DR Congo, Ghana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nigeria, and Togo; New Districts Created in Mexico and Mozambique; Stakes Discontineud in Mexico (2) and California

Utah
The Church in Utah recently organized two new stakes.

The Midway Utah West Stake was organized on October 15th. The new stake was created from a division of the Midway Utah Stake. The Midway Utah West Stake includes the following seven wards: the Deer Creek, Fort Midway, Homestead, Swiss Alpine, Wallsburg 1st, Wallsburg 2nd, and Wasatch Mountain Wards

The Saratoga Springs Utah Saratoga Hills Stake was organized on October 8th. The new stake was created from a division of the Saratoga Springs Utah Stake. The new stake includes the following eight wards: the Legacy Farms, Saratoga Hills 1st, Saratoga Hills 2nd, Saratoga Hills 3rd, Saratoga Hills 4th, Saratoga Hills 5th, Saratoga Springs 1st, and Saratoga Springs 2nd Wards.

There are now 591 stakes and one district in Utah.

Colorado
The Craig Colorado Stake was organized on October 15th. The new stake was created from a division of the original Meeker Colorado Stake (renamed the Rifle Colorado Stake) and the Golden Colorado Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and two branches: the Craig 1st, Craig 2nd, Meeker, Rangely 1st, Rangely 2nd, and Steamboat Springs Wards, and the Baggs and Granby Branches.

There are now 36 stakes in Colorado.

Cote d'Ivoire
The Church organized a new stake in Cote d'Ivoire on October 22nd. The Daloa Cote d'Ivoire Stake was organized from the Daloa Cote d'Ivoire District. Information on which of the eight branches in the former district that became wards remains unavailable. The Church organized its first six branches in Daloa in a single weekend in February 2014 - the most branches ever organized in a single weekend in a city where no official wards or branches previously operated. The Church organized branches in Daloa into their own district in April 2015 when the Yamoussoukro Cote d'Ivoire District became a stake. The period between the organization of the first official branch and the creation of the first stake in Daloa appears to be the shortest ever reported by the Church with the exception of the creation of stakes during the Mormon colonialism period in the Intermountain West during the 1800s.

There are now 13 stakes and 12 districts in Cote d'Ivoire. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the first stake created in Cote d'Ivoire. At least two more stakes in Cote d'Ivoire may be organized before the end of 2017. An article on this milestone can be found here.

DR Congo
The Church organized a new stake in Lubumbashi on October 22nd. The Ruashi Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake appeared to be organized from a division of the Lubumbashi Democratic Republic of the Congo Stake. Information on which wards are assigned to the new stake remain unavailable.

There are now four stakes in Lubumbashi, and 17 stakes and three districts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ghana
The Church organized a new stake in Ghana on October 22nd. The Abomosu Ghana Stake was organized from the Abomosu Ghana District. Information on which of the seven retained branches in the district became wards remains unavailable. Local missionaries reported that approximately 1,400 attended the special conference to organize the new stake. This is an impressive feat, especially for the Church's first stake in Ghana that entirely services rural communities.

There are now 21 stakes and 10 districts in Ghana.

Louisiana
The Church reinstated a stake in Louisiana. The Slidell Louisiana Stake was reinstated on October 15th. The Church originally organized the Slidell Louisiana Stake in 1985, but discontinued the stake in 2007 after many active members left the area due to destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. The new stake was organized from a division of the Denham Springs Louisiana Stake, New Orleans Louisiana Stake, Gulfport Mississippi Stake, and Hattiesburg Mississippi Stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and two branches: the Covington, Hammond, Picayune, Slidell, and Waveland Wards, and the Amite and Bogalusa Branches.

There are now seven stakes in Louisiana.

Massachusetts
The Blackstone Valley Massachusetts Stake was organized on October 22nd. The new stake was created from a division of the Hingham Massachusetts Stake and the Boston Massachusetts Stake. The new stake includes the following six wards and three branches: the Foxboro, Framingham 1st, Franklin 1st, Marlborough, Worcester 1st, and Worcester 2nd Wards, and the Framingham 2nd (Spanish), Franklin 2nd, and Worcester 3rd (Spanish) Branches. The new stake is the Church's second new stake created in Massachusetts within the past year.

There are now six stakes in Massachusetts.

Nigeria
A new stake was organized in Akwa Ibom State on October 15th. The Etinan Nigeria North Stake was organized from the Etinan Nigeria North District. Information on which of the seven branches in the district became wards remains unavailable. The Church now reports 11 stakes and one district in Akwa Ibom State - a larger number of stakes than in nearly all other individual African countries except Ghana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa, and Cote d'Ivoire. Furthermore, the Etinan Nigeria North Stake was initially organized as a district from the Etinan Nigeria Stake in March 2016. Thus, the Etinan Nigeria North Stake may hold the record for the shortest period of time in which the Church has organized a stake from when a district was first organized.

There are now 44 stakes and 16 districts in Nigeria.

Togo
The Church organized its second stake in the West African nation of Togo. The Lomé Togo Tokoin Stake was organized on October 22nd from a division of the original Lomé Togo Stake. Information on which of the 14 wards and three branches of the original Lomé Togo Stake are included in the new stake remain unavailable. The Church organized its first district in Togo in December 2009 and created its stake in Togo in December 2013.

Mozambique
The Church organized its first district in northern Mozambique on October 22nd. The Nampula Mozambique District was created from three branches that operate in the city of Nampula. Two of these branches (Murrapaniua and Mutauanha) were organized at the same time that the new district was created. Moreover, a couple new member groups were also recently organized in northern Mozambique in Maratane and Nacala.

There are now three stakes and one district in Mozambique.

Mexico
A new district was created in Oaxaca State. The Matías Romero México District was organized on October 8th. The organization of the new district occurred in conjunction with congregation consolidations in stakes within the Juchitán area. The new district includes the following four branches: Matías Romero 1st, Matías Romero 2nd, Mogoñe, and San Juan Guichicovi.

The Church recently discontinued the Ciudad Obregón México Yaqui Stake. Originally organized in 1984, the stake was discontinued and retained congregations were reassigned to the two remaining stakes in Ciudad Obregón. There were four wards and two branches in the stake before it was discontinued.

The Church recently discontinued the Mazatlán México West Stake. Originally organized in 2002, retained wards were reassigned to the sole remaining stake in Mazatlán. There were five wards in the stake before it was discontinued.

There are now 229 stakes and 42 districts in Mexico.

California
The Church recently discontinued the Garden Grove California Stake. Originally organized in 1961, there were only four wards and two branches in the stake before its discontinuation. Additional congregations closed when the stake was discontinued and retained congregations were reassigned to the Anaheim California Stake, Cypress California Stake, and the Huntington Beach California Stake.

There are now 154 stakes in California.

Continued Progress in West Africa

The Church continues to rapidly grow in West Africa. A report from a senior missionary couple who serves in the area indicates that the Church in 2014 set an all-time record for the number of convert baptisms in the Africa West Area as over 23,000 converts joined the Church during the year. This marks the seventh year in a row that the Africa West Area has set a new record for the number of new converts baptized in a single year. Membership and congregational growth rates in West Africa have been approaching unprecedented levels that are reminiscent of the explosive growth of the Church in Latin America during the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Here are some noteworthy LDS growth developments in the Africa West Area:

• Construction has started on a new missionary training center (MTC) in Accra, Ghana. The new facility will triple the capacity of the current Ghana MTC located in Tema, Ghana. The Ghana MTC has experienced steady increases in the number of missionaries it annually trains from less than 300 in the early 2000s to over 1,300 within the past two years.
• The following cities have had the first LDS branch organized within the past two months: 
• Abesim, Ghana
• Aflao, Ghana
• Bouake, Cote d'Ivoire
• Issia, Cote d'Ivoire
• Kugba, Nigeria
• Lakowe, Nigeria
• Snake Island, Nigeria
• The Church has continued to organize new branches in Sierra Leone despite the removal of full-time missionaries due to the Ebola epidemic. The most recently organized branch was the New England Branch in the Bo Sierra Leone East District.
• The Church reported significant net increases in the number of congregations in the following countries:
• Ghana (~40) - a 24% annual increase
• Nigeria (~40) - a 10% annual increase
• Cote d'Ivoire (~25) - a 35% annual increase
• Sierra Leone (~9) - a 30% annual increase

If membership and congregational growth rates remain stable in West Africa for the next decade, the Church may report the following statistics for year-end 2024. However, membership and congregational growth rates rarely remain stable for as long as a decade:

• Nigeria - 259,000 members, 1,078 congregations
• Cote d'Ivoire - 191,000 members, 1,950 congregations
• Ghana - 165,000 members, 829 congregations
• Liberia - 60,000 members, 63 congregations
• Sierra Leone - 45,500 members, 111 congregations
• Benin - 33,000 members, 152 congregations
• Togo - 24,600 members, 67 congregations

Click here to access statistical profiles on cumorah.com providing detailed statistics on LDS growth trends by country.

Unprecedented Membership and Congregational Growth in West Africa

An article published in the LDS Church News this past weekend provided what appears to be year-end 2013 membership statistics for the seven countries in the Africa West Area with an LDS presence.  The article indicates that there were nearly 20,000 convert baptisms in the Africa West Area.  See below for an analysis of membership growth numbers of these seven countries provided with annual percentage growth for 2013.

• Benin - 1,400+ members - more than 29.5% annual increase
• Cote d'Ivoire - nearly 23,000 members - no more than 23.6% annual increase
• Ghana - 57,000+ members - more than 8.8% annual increase
• Liberia - 8,000+ members - more than 19.2% annual increase
• Nigeria - 118,000+ members - more than 7.3% annual increase
• Sierra Leone - 13,000+ members - more than 11.5% annual increase
• Togo - 2,300+ members - more than 23.6% annual increase

To emphasize the significance of recent membership and congregational growth in the Africa West Area, I have created graphs for all seven of these countries that display membership and congregational growth trends since the establishment of the Church in each country.

BENIN

COTE D'IVOIRE

GHANA

LIBERIA

NIGERIA

SIERRA LEONE

TOGO

First Stake to be Created in Togo This Sunday

Missionaries serving in the Benin Cotonou Mission report that the Church will organize its first stake in Togo this Sunday.  The Church in Togo organized its first and only district in Lome in December 2009 making just four years for the district to become a stake - perhaps the shortest period of time in the history of the Church in modern times for a district to become a stake in a country that has previously never had a stake organized before.  The Church has also experienced rapid congregational growth as the number of branches has increased from one in 2005 to five in 2012 and 11 early 2013.  Missionaries also report that a twelfth branch will be organized shortly (Kodjoviakope) and that a new member group or branch will also be created soon in the Baguida area.  The advancement of many of the branches into wards is a testament to good member activity and convert retention rates as recently organized branches have quickly reached the minimum standards to function as wards.

For more information on the Church in Lome please refer to a recently completed case study here.

Benin Cotonou Mission

For the first time in two decades, the Church will organize a mission in a nation that at present does not have a stake or district.  The Benin Cotonou Mission will include both Benin and Togo which were formerly assigned to the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan Mission and will administer a population of 15.5 million.  The Church was first established in Togo in 1997 whereas the first full-time missionaries were assigned to Benin in 1998.  Steady membership growth has occurred over the past decade as church membership increased from 117 in 2000 to 1,034 in 2009 in Togo and from 11 in 2000 to 253 in 2008 in Benin.  The Lome Togo District was organized in late 2009 and today includes five branches.  There are three mission branches in Benin in the Cotonou area.  Currently there is only an LDS presence in Cotonou and Lome.  Prospects appear high for a future district in Benin within the next year.

Rapid membership growth will likely continue following the organization of the new mission and additional congregations may be organized in the Lome, Togo and Cotonou, Benin areas.  With the exception of nearby cities on the coast, no additional cities will likely open for missionary work for another year or two as the mission is organized and being staffed.  Cities which may be among the first to open to missionary work include Abomey (Benin), Godomey (Benin), Ouidah (Benin), Porto-Novo (Benin), and Tsevie (Togo) due to their large populations and close proximity to currently established branches.  Based on growth patterns and mission policies in other West African nations, the largest cities in central and northern areas of Benin and Togo may not open for missionary work for decades due to distance, poor living conditions, and differing ethno-linguistic groups.

The announcement of the new mission was rumored for months, but it came as a surprise that the mission will be based in Benin rather than Togo considering Togo has more members and LDS congregations.  The decision to base the new mission in Benin was likely due to Benin supporting a larger population than Togo (9 million versus 6.5 million).  Leadership development and member activity rates have ranged from moderate to high in both countries.

Five New Missions to be organized and Five Mission to be Consolidated this July

New missions will be organized in the following locations:

• Benin Cotonou
• Mexico Mexico City Southeast
• Peru Chiclayo
• Philippines Quezon City North
• Zambia Lusaka

Missions to be consolidated are as follows:

• Connecticut Hartford 
• Georgia Macon
• Portugal Porto
• Switzerland Geneva and France Toulouse to create the France Lyon
• Toronto Canada East and Toronto Canada West to create Toronto Canada

New Mission to be created in Benin

A new mission will be organized in West Africa to administered Benin and Togo called the Benin Cotonou Mission.  I will provide more details once they become available.

Church Growth News

LDS branch officially created in Burundi

Senior couple missionaries serving in the DR Congo Lubumbashi Mission report that the first official branch has been created in the country of Burundi. LDS services have previously operated as a group. A branch once operated in Burundi in the 1990s, but was discontinued as members left the country as a result of war. Dozens of converts have been baptized since full-time missionaries were assigned last September. Prospects appear to be materializing for mission outreach to expand outside of Bujumbura in the coming months and years.

New stakes to be created

Full-time missionaries serving around the world report that new stakes will soon be created in the following locations:

• Donetsk, Ukraine
• Kananga, DR Congo
• Quetzaltenango, Guatemala area
• Granada, Nicaragua

It is unclear whether First Presidency approval has been granted for each of these potential stakes and I will provide updates once they become available.

Nepal Update

Although not recognized by the government and operating unofficially, the LDS Church in Nepal was reported by the Church to have 133 members in the sole branch headquartered in Kathmandu. No active proselytism occurs in Nepal and Nepalese youth have begun to serve full-time missions in increasing numbers in recent years.

City in Kazakhstan opening for missionary work

Full-time missionaries serving in Kazakhstan report that for the first time in LDS Church history, a second city will have full-time missionaries assigned. Only Almaty has LDS missionaries at present, but next month the capital city of Astana should also have full-time missionaries assigned. There have been plans for years to eventually open Astana for full-time missionary work and it is unclear whether current plans will materialize as past plans never came to fruition.

City in Uganda opens for missionary work; first branch to be created at the end of January

The city of Lira, Uganda has had full-time missionaries recently assigned and the Uganda Kampala Mission President will create the first branch in the city later this month. Full-time missionaries report that sacrament attendance has increased to over 50 and that there are now five priesthood holders.

New missions in 2011 rumors

Although no official plans have been announced, there has been discussion on new missions which may open in July 2011. I announced a couple months ago concerning plans to open a new mission in Lusaka, Zambia. Potential new missions which may be created this year are listed below. These potential new missions have been cited by full-time missionaries serving in the field.

• Ethiopia Addis Ababa
• Angola Luanda/Mozambique Beira
• Togo/Benin

Church planting in the United States

Full-time missionaries serving in Little Rock, Arkansas report that mission and stake leadership have experimented with church planting approaches recently. A group operates in the Little Rock area with a full-time missionary companionship assigned that has grown to 25 some members attending weekly - all of which are recent converts. Missionaries report that they started the congregation from scratch and are hoping to organize an independent branch from the group in the near future as local priesthood leadership develops. This church planting example illustrates the need for such missionary approaches worldwide for the LDS Church in order to improve convert retention, member self-sufficiency, and long-term church growth.

LDS Non-African Missionaries Evacuated from Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) - Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan Mission May Divide to Create New Mission in 2011

Full-time missionaries serving in the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan Mission report that plans are being finalized to remove all non-African missionaries serving in Cote d'Ivoire to Benin and Togo as a result of increasing political instability from a recent presidential election. Cote d'Ivoire has demonstrated high levels of self-sufficiency and sustainability as the Church was first established in the early 1990s at at present there are four stakes and a district. Political instability has continued to delay expansion of the Church into presently-unreached areas in the country over the past decade, especially outside the capital of Abidjan. Non-African missionaries have been withdrawn in the past and did not serve in Cote d'Ivoire from the mid-2000s to 2009. New congregations are regularly organized and local members serve missions in large numbers.

The administrative decision to relocate all non-African missionaries in the mission to Benin and Togo will facilitate the creation of a new mission for these two nations. Full-time missionaries report that the Church has been planning on creating a new mission to administer these two nations in the coming months. A mission based in Lome, Togo would greatly increase potential for the LDS Church to expand nationwide as the Church at present only operates in Lome, Togo and Cotonou, Benin. Distance and a lack of missionary resources has prevented a greater church establishment in these nations, which have no legal restrictions and highly receptive populations to the Church. The Church has not formally announced any plans to create a new mission as of yet.

The Church in Togo continues to grow rapidly. The first branch was created in the early 2000s and divided to create the Tokoin Branch in 2006. Additional branches were created in 2008 (Hédzranawoé), 2009 (Be-Kpota), and 2010 (Ablogame). The five branches in Togo belong to the Lome Togo District, created in late 2009. LDS membership has grown from 117 in 2000 to 1,034 in 2009.

The Church has grown less rapidly in Benin. There were 11 Latter-day Saints in 2004 and in 2009 there were several hundred. The first branch was created in 2004 (Cotonou). In 2008, the branch was divided in to three branches: Akpakpa, Gbedjromede, and Menontin. Currently the three branches are not part of a stake or district and full-time missionaries report that member activity rates are high and local leadership has been developed.

Potential New Missions in Nations without a Latter-day Saint Mission

In an era of increasing opportunity for the Church to expand its presence worldwide but with no growth in the number of full-time missionaries over the past decade, there are many areas which appear suitable to have LDS missions established but have likely not had a mission organized due to inadequate missionary manpower. In the 1990s, many nations had their first LDS missions established but had fewer than 500 members and some with just one or two branches. Today there are many nations which enjoy religious freedom and experienced moderate to rapid membership and congregational growth. Below is a list of likely future LDS missions in nations without current LDS missions. Nations without LDS missions which appear most likely to have a mission headquartered in their country are all concentrated in Africa. These missions may be organized once the number of missionaries serving internationally increases, additional missionary resource redistribution occurs, or the complement (quota) of missionaries in established missions declines to allow the creation of additional missions.

• Togo Lome Mission (to administer Togo and Benin - combined population of 15 million, currently 1,200 members in seven branches)
• Cameroon Yaounde Mission (to administer Cameroon and the Central African Republic - combined population of 24 million, currently 1,250 members in six branches)
• Ethiopia Addis Ababa Mission (to administer Ethiopia and Djibouti - combined population of 86 million, currently 1,000 members in five branches)
• Burundi/Rwanda Mission (to administer Burundi and Rwanda - combined population of 20 million, currently less than 100 members in one branch)
• Zambia Lusaka Mission (to administer Zambia and Malawi - combined population of 27 million, currently 3,100 members in 13 branches)
• Angola Luanda Mission (to administer Angola - population of 12.8 million, currently 831 members in two branches and two groups)
• Tanzania Dar Es Salaam Mission (to administer Tanzania - population of 41 million, currently 950 members in five branches)

If the above missions were organized, missionary outreach would not only expand in the nations covered by these prospective missions but also would allow for expansion national outreach in the nations in which current missions operate. For example, the Kenya Nairobi Mission administers Tanzania currently and Kenya alone has a population of 39 million, a rapidly growing Latter-day Saint population of 9,400, and 36 wards and branches. There are tens of millions of Kenyans which reside in areas without nearby Latter-day Saint congregations. Reducing the demands on the mission president while simultaneously developing indigenous missionary resources and increasing the number of missionaries serving in the country allows for greater outreach to occur.

Relying on full-time missionaries is not a successful paradigm to ensure long-term growth. Rather, local members throughout the world need to participate in member-missionary efforts. These in turn result in better convert retention, increases in full-time missionaries serving, and leadership for the future.

Burundi Opening to Missionary Work In September

Missionaries serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo Lubumbashi Mission report that the country of Burundi will open for formal missionary work in September. Several exploratory trips have occurred in the past 18 months to assess conditions and locate members and prospective converts. On some of these trips, mission leaders reported hundreds meeting in the name of the LDS Church both in the capital Bujumbura and in remote areas of the country. These prospective Latter-day Saint converts have learned about the Church from members living in the country and from pastors who have obtained copies of the Book of Mormon and have begun teaching from LDS scripture. In late 2009, there were as many as a dozen unofficial congregations. The most recent exploratory trip occurred in the past few weeks in which mission leaders met with some members who have been waiting for years for the Church's official reestablishment.

In the early 1990s, Burundi opened to missionary work and had a branch established in Bujumbura in 1993. Due to ethnic conflict and political instability, the Church withdrew missionaries (who were assigned from the Ivory Coast Abijdan Mission) shortly thereafter and stopped reporting membership totals in 2001.

In September, eight young, full-time proselytizing missionaries and two senior missionary couples from the DR Congo Lubumbashi Mission will be assigned to Burundi and reside in Bujumbura. Few if any countries have opened to formal missionary activity in the past decade, let alone with so many missionaries. Neighboring Rwanda has had an official Church presence for about two years, yet only one senior missionary couple was assigned just in the past year. Other African nations which have received their first proselytizing missionaries in the past decade include Angola, Benin, Cameroon, and Togo. Formal missionary activity may begin soon in the Central African Republic.

New District in Togo

The Lome Togo District was created on December 20th. The new district includes four branches, one of which was newly created, named the Be-Kpota Branch. Membership in Togo was around 800 at the end of 2008. Today around a dozen missionaries serve in the country all in the capital city of Lome.

Benin, Togo, and New Branches In Africa

Some exciting news from Africa regarding Church growth. The Church has had a presence in Benin and Togo for roughly 10 years and up until recently Benin had one branch and Togo had two. The Conotou Branch in Benin was split into three new branches a few months ago: The Gbèdjromédé, Mentonin, and Akpakpa Branches. A third branch in Togo was also organized recently, named the Hedzranawoe Branch. So now each country currently has three congregations each. However, the other two branches in Togo (the Lome and Tokoin Branches) will each be divided to create two new branches. Missionaries serving in Togo report that the soon to be five branches will then be organized into the first district in the country. Currently both countries are part of the Cote D'Ivoire Abidjan Mission.

New branches are also being organized currently in Sierra Leone, Cameroon and Kenya. There was rumor that the city of Mahajanga, Madagascar would be receiving its first branch right before the recent violence and political instability arose, but as of yet I have found no information that this has taken place.

Angola, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Togo

I wanted to group these five countries together because they have a lot of similarities pertaining to the Church. Each currently have 600-800 members, between 2-4 congregations and proselyting missionaries serving in them from around the world. All of these countries have not had the Church established for very long. Membership in 2000 for these countries was the following: Angola (510), Cameroon (155), Ethiopia (344), Malawi (274), and Togo (117). At the end of 2007, membership grew to the following: Angola (759), Cameroon (639), Ethiopia (784), Malawi (705), and Togo (733).

From what I could find, only Ethiopia and Togo have been dedicated for the preaching of the Gospel, which occurred rather recently (2004 and 2007 respectfully). Ethiopia was dedicated by Elder Nelson and Togo was dedicated by Elder Bednar. All of these countries do not have a district organized in them yet but likely to have their first districts organized in the next year or two I believe. Another similarity they all share is that each have added a new congregation in the past 18 months.

It will be exciting to see how the Gospel spreads in these nations. The conditions appear to mirror Mozambique six years ago when once membership reached 800, rapid growth took place bringing membership in the country to over 4,000 in 2007. Branches were greatly multiplied in the country from 5 to 16 during that time as well. For that reason I think it is likely that if any new missions are announced in the coming month or two (most missions of the Church are announced in late February/early March and organized in July), these countries would be prime candidates in Africa. Other African countries I see as likely to gain additional missions in the near future include the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Lubumbashi), Nigeria (Benin City), and South Africa (Port Elizabeth).