LDS Missionary Force in West Africa to Increase by 30%

Church leaders in West Africa report that the number of missionaries assigned to the Africa West Area will increase by 30% within the coming months.  The lowered minimum age for missionary service has dramatically increased the number of missionary applications received by Church Headquarters within the past few weeks.  The anticipated surge in the number of missionaries worldwide will enable the expansion of LDS missionary activity in West Africa.  It is unclear how the Church will distribute additional missionary manpower within West Africa but three new missions may be organized as a result if there is a commensurate percentage increase in the number of missions in the area.  Additional locations appear likely to open to proselytism in most West African countries with an LDS presence.  It is unclear whether the Church will take any steps to open additional countries to proselytism in the region such as Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Guinea-Bissau.

District Discontinued in Peru

Organized in 2008, the Huancavelica Peru District was discontinued.  The former district consisted of three branches located in Huancavelica, Lircay, and Pampas.  The Church originally operated a single branch in Huancavelica and organized a district following the organization of branches in Lircay and Pampas in the mid-2000s.  None of the branches were discontinued.  The Huancavelica and Lircay Branches now pertain to the Peru Lima East Mission whereas the Pampas Branch now pertains to the Huancayo Peru Stake.  Inadequate numbers of active priesthood holders to fill both district and branch callings and long distances between the three branches in the former district appear the primary reasons for the closure of the district.  Member and missionary reports indicate that local leadership remains strong and dedicated. 

There are now 98 stakes and 23 districts in Peru.

New Stakes to be Created

I am keeping track of new stakes that will be created before the end of the year according to missionary and member reports I have received.  These new stakes are listed below.

• Brisbane, Australia area
• Cartagena Spain
• Gaborone Botswana
• Kinshasa, DR Congo (two new stakes)
• Lafaiete Brazil
• Lambare Paraguay
• Lleida Spain
• Manaus Brazil Guarany
• Murfreesboro Tennessee

If you are aware of any other new stakes to be created or notice errors in this list, please comment.

New Stake in Bolivia

Two Sundays ago a new stake was created in Bolivia.  The Cochabamba Bolivia Sacaba Stake was created from a division of the Cochabamba Bolivia Universidad Stake and includes the following seven wards: The Amancayas, Arocagua, El Frutillar, Esmeralda, Huayllani, Sacaba, and Villa Graciela Wards.  The new stake becomes the Church's fifth stake in Cochabama and 25th stake nationwide.  Prospects appear favorable for the creation of additional stakes in Santa Cruz and La Paz within the near future as several stakes have reached the minimum number of wards to divide.

First LDS Stake in Botswana to be Created November 4th, 2012

Members in Botswana report that the Church will create its first stake in Botswana on November 4th.  The Church has worked for many years to create the first stake in Botswana.  The Church created its first official branch in 1991 and the following year organized a district headquartered in Gaborone.  In 1995, the district was closed and branches were reassigned to the newly created Roodepoort South Africa Stake.  The Church currently has three wards and four branches in Botswana that remain assigned to the Roodepoort South Africa Stake and one other branch (Francistown) and several groups (Gerald, Kasane, and Monarch) that report directly to the South Africa Johannesburg Mission.  With few exceptions, stakes must have at least five wards to operate and we will likely see a couple new wards formed in Gaborone or a couple branches mature into wards as part of the creation of the new stake.  Members report that the new stake will also include one congregation in neighboring South Africa (Mafeking).

In the late 2000s, mission leaders opened several new cities to proselytism and have reported excellent success as branches have been organized in Kanye, Molepolole, and Mochudi.  Prospects appear favorable for the creation of a separate mission for Botswana due to visa complications with missionaries transferring between Botswana and South Africa and expanding opportunities to open additional cities to proselytism.

Draft of Case Study on the Effect of Lowering the Minimum Mission Age on LDS Growth

I am currently writing a case study for cumorah.com  on the Church's recent decision to lower the minimum mission age in regards to how this will affect LDS Church growth.   I wanted to temporarily post the draft of the case study on my blog to receive your input and feedback prior to posting it on the Cumorah website.  

Please include your feedback under the comments section.

*I have posted the case study on cumorah.com.  Click here.

New Stake in French Polynesia (Tahiti)

Last Sunday, the Church created a new stake in French Polynesia.  The Mahina Tahiti Stake was organized from the Arue Tahiti and Papeari Tahiti Stakes and includes the following seven wards: The Faaripo, Hitiaa, Mahina, Matavai, Papenoo, Tiarei, and Tuauru Wards.  The Papeari Tahiti Stake now has seven wards and the Arue Tahiti Stake now has six wards and a branch.  The Church's two wards and one branch on the neighboring island of Moorea previously pertained to the Papeete Tahiti Stake but were transferred to the Arue Tahiti Stake as there were only four wards remaining in the Arue Tahiti Stake following its division.

There are now eight stakes and three districts in French Polynesia.

First LDS District Created in Benin

Last Sunday the Church created its first district in Benin.  The Cotonou Benin District consists of all six branches currently functioning in Benin including the Akpakpa, Fidjrosse, Finagnon, Gbedjromede, Gbegame, and the Menontin Branches.  Half of these branches were created earlier this year and missionaries report efforts to open additional groups in Cotonou within the near future. 

The Church created its first mission in Benin in July 2011 that also services neighboring Togo.  The Church has not opened any locations outside of Cotonou to missionary activity and has instead focused on opening new congregations in lesser-reached areas of the city. 

Recently Completed LDS Church Growth Case Studies

At cumorah.com, we have recently posted several additional case studies that examine various topics pertaining to missionary work and church growth.  These case studies include:

• LDS Growth in the Kilungu Hills, Kenya
  
• Small Island Countries, Territories, and Dependencies without an LDS Presence: Strategies for Outreach
  
• LDS Outreach among the Navajo
  
• Analysis of LDS Growth in Lima, Peru
  
• Prospective LDS Outreach among non-Slavic Peoples in the Northern Caucasus
  
• Methods for Expanding LDS Outreach in India
  
• Prospective LDS Outreach among the Tarahumara Amerindians
  
• LDS Growth in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
  
• Prospective LDS Outreach among Ancient Christian Denominations in the Middle East and North Africa
  
• Slow LDS Growth in Poland
  
• The Relationship Between LDS Growth and Increases in Missions
  
• Expanding LDS Outreach in Zimbabwe 

Any feedback on these case studies is appreciated and can be given as a comment under this post.

How Will Reducing the Minimum Age for Full-time Missionary Service Affect International LDS Church Growth?

With Saturday's historic announcement reducing the minimum age for missionary service to 18 for men and 19 for women, there is a high likelihood of the Church experiencing a significant increase in the number of members serving missions within just a matter of months.  This increase appears likely due to a higher percentage of women considering full-time missionary service prior to marriage and educational pursuits, perhaps an increased percentage of men serving missions as fewer become inactive or disqualify themselves from full-time missionary service following high school graduation and before reaching the previously appointed mission age of 19, and a renewed excitement and enthusiasm among many in the Church to serve full-time missions.  Over the past two years, the Church has already reversed its decade-long trend of declining or stagnant numbers of full-time missionaries serving as the full-time missionary force has increased by approximately 6,000.  The big question for church growth researchers is how will this recent increase and anticipated swell in the missionary force affect the number of converts baptized worldwide, convert retention rates, the ratio of convert baptisms to missionaries serving, the opening of additional cities to missionary work, the organization of new missions, and the opening of additional countries to proselytism?

I am currently in the process of writing a case study for cumorah.com examining the potential for church growth within the next five years as a result of this change in church policy.  Please provide your thoughts, predictions, concerns, and analysis under the comments section below.