Changes in ward size & stake sizes

[onefour1]

Isn't it wonderful that we have to deal with growing problems?

[zionminded]

Isn't it wonderful that we have to deal with growing problems?

If you remove the Philippines and some areas in Africa, the church isn't growing, but is losing active membership Mostly with younger members. Utah region grows due to baptism of record growth, but has been decreasing also.

[gkearney]

The issue here is one of shifting demographics and fixed resources. Much of the resources of the church are fixed and exist as building, schools and other physical assets built over the years. The issue that we now face is that the resources are unable to follow the demographic trends of the membership. So you end up with a number of building in western Europe for example, while your membership shifts to Africa. The church is not able to really move such physical resources around.

[Malietoa]

With the changes smaller wards make sense. There are less callings at the ward level than before. With the new ministering program larger wards are harder to maintain. Church is now on home centered church supported so probably will not be doing more activities during the week. Church is only 2 hours now so more possibility of smaller units.
The money needs to go to growing areas. Africa tends to have more units per building so they would need more buildings.

[brianj]

If you remove the Philippines and some areas in Africa, the church isn't growing, but is losing active membership Mostly with younger members. Utah region grows due to baptism of record growth, but has been decreasing also.

Utah is also growing significantly because of an influx of active church members. I really do think we need a word similar to aliyah to describe latter-day saints moving to the "Mormon corridor."

My stake was reorganized the weekend before last. The building we were meeting at had three wards but now has four, with the same number of people as the prior three wards. Both my ward and the ward I was previously in are much smaller geographical areas with no room for additional growth in housing. The bishop of my old ward is anxious because he doesn't know how he will fill callings. The bishop of my new ward feels the same thing, with added anxiety because my ward is nothing but apartments. I expect we'll see a new presidency every two or three months as people move out.

My experience leaves me wondering if there is something to the smaller ward rumor.

[mirkwood]

Our stake went from six wards to eight about a year or so ago. There are a number of places this has already happened.

[h_p]

We've got 10 wards in our stake. This is Texas, after all.

[Yahtzee]

We still have 12 wards here in Provo. I thought for sure we'd be reorganized by now.