Updated Country Profile - Trinidad and Tobago

Click here to access the updated Reaching the Nations country profile for Trinidad and Tobago. The Church has maintained a continuous presence in the country for over 40 years, yet there remain only 3,500 members (15% of whom regularly attend church - one of the lowest member activity rates in the Caribbean). The Church reported significant growth in Trinidad during the 2000s which ultimately culminated in the creation of the first stake in 2009, but this growth has significantly slowed in the 2010s primarily due to problems with securing an adequate number of full-time missionary visas, poor member-missionary participation, and very low member activity rates. See below for the Future Prospects section of this article:

The outlook for future growth appears mixed. The Church continues to operate a stake in Trinidad despite comparatively few members and low activity rates. Also, the reduced geographic size of the mission since 2015 permits greater mission president oversight and resources for proselytism and expansion. Moreover, the population remains receptive to proselytism efforts by the Church. However, the Church struggles with dependence on foreign, full-time missionaries to meet local proselytism needs. Given recent limitations with the number of visas granted to the Church for foreign full-time missionaries, the Church is understaffed in its missionary force on the islands. This situation underscores the need for greater self-sufficiency both in the Church in Trinidad and Tobago, and in the Caribbean as a whole, to meet local proselytism needs. The Church continues to struggle with greater local leadership development as evidenced by no new wards or branches organized since the late 2000s. As a result, no new wards or branches appear likely to be organized within the foreseeable future.

New Mission to be Created in the West Indies

Missionaries serving in the West Indies Mission report that in July 2015 the Church will realign the West Indies Mission and the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo East Mission to create the Barbados Bridgetown Mission. The new mission will include the following countries/overseas departments: Anguilla, Barbados, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The West Indies Mission will be renamed the Trinidad Port of Spain Mission and the realigned mission will include Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

First Stake in Trinidad and Tobago to be Organized The Weekend of February 28th, 2009

Sister Robison of the West Indies Mission reported that approval for the first stake in the West Indies Mission was given and the stake will be created the weekend of February 28th. In addition to strengthening the existing branches in the country for the past year to prepare for stakehood, a new branch was created last Fall in Port Fortin. Converts are joining the Church more than ever before in Trinidad and Tobago and missionaries are doing their best to keep them active. Last year the West Indies Mission baptized over 2,000 converts, most of whom where in Guyana.

Sister Robison's blog can be found here.

New Congregations in Trinidad and Pohnpei

Trinidad

Today a new branch was organized in Trinidad in the city of Port Fortin. A group was organized six months ago. There were almost 30 members and investigators in attendance at this historic event. This is the first branch to be created in the southern part of the country. I believe this is the 11th congregation on Trinidad. Still no word on when a stake will be created for the island.

Pohnpei

A new branch was recently created on the island. A group was also created in Nett which I believe is on Kosrae. Both of these islands are part of the Micronesia Guam Mission.

Update on Growth in the Church

News from the Uganda Kampala Mission

Members have been meeting together in the city of Gambela, Ethiopia and have been hoping for a branch to be established in the city. The mission president of the Uganda Kampala Mission, President Christenen, visited members in the city in the past few days. If a branch is organized in this city, it will be the first in the western part of the country and the fifth in the country.

Also, President Christenen will be travelling to southern Sudan this week to meet with members there. Reports are sketchy at this time, but there may be up to a couple thousand meeting in the name of the Church there.

News from the Kenya Nairobi Mission

Missionaries serving outside of Nairobi in an area called the Kilungu Hills are currently putting paperwork into Salt Lake for a new branch in the Matini area. Currently there are three branches in the hills and many of the youth are preparing to serve missions. This is an area that will probably become a district in the near future I believe.

Growth in the West Indies Mission

The West Indies Mission baptized over 200 converts last month. Sister Robinson, wife of the mission president, says the stake in Trinidad and Tobago will be created very soon. Most of the converts are still in Guyana.

The branch in Tobago has recently grown substantially. Attendance at worship services has been less than 10 until recently (the branch was organized last year). Now there are between 20-30 attending with baptisms occurring.

The Gospel in the Outback

Senior missionaries in Alice Springs, Australia report that many Aborigines have accepted the Gospel recently. A congregation meets out in the rural areas made up of these new converts (but has not been organized into a branch yet I believe). The missionaries are currently working on translating Church materials into very simple English and the local Aboriginal Language. This would be the first time Church materials have ever been translated into a language native to Australia.

Stakes in Guyana and Trinidad

According to Sister Robison, wife of President Robison of the West Indies Mission, paperwork for the first stake in Trinidad was approved by the area presidency. Paperwork has been sent to Salt Lake and if all goes well the stake will be organized this summer. Furthermore, Sister Robison stated that the first stake in Guyana will be organized in the near future as well. She did not specify where in Guyana it would be located, but most likely will be in Georgetown. The West Indies Mission website can be found at http://westindiesmission.com/ .


So far this year 13 new stakes have been organized worldwide.

Districts Maturing Into Stakes

One of the most exciting events many members in nations where the Church has been establish enjoy is when the district they reside in matures into a stake. This is particularly true for those countries in which a stake has never been organized before. The last country for which this was the case was Hungary back in 2006. This year, it is almost certain that Mongolia and Trinidad and Tobago will have their first stakes organized. Cambodia is also quite likely to have its first stake organized this year in Phnom Penh. Mongolia and Cambodia both have around 8,000 members in around 20 branches and have been preparing for stakehood. Growth has slowed in both of these nations, but a missionary in the Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Mission reported that in the first four months of this year, there have been more baptisms than during all of 2007. The number of native, Mongolian missionaries has risen from 19 back in August to 50 now in April. Furthermore, many families are joining the Church together.

I know I stress the importance of stakes a lot in this blog, but the formation of a stake is a very important event. It brings many blessings unavailable to members living outside of stakes, such as patriarchs. It takes an active, balanced membership to accomplish this feat, and therefore symbolizes Church growth in every aspect.

Here is a map of Trinidad and Tobago. The green squares are were branches are located. I also wanted to add that Church services were held for the first time in Point Fortin and the city has been opened to missionary work.