Temple Site Possibilities: Africa West Area

Hello again, everyone! As we begin a new workweek, I am back with my third post about future temple possibilities. In this post, I will be sharing information I have compiled about prospective areas that could get a temple in the Africa West Area of the Church, then I will be inviting your comments. Let's get right into that.

First, let's talk about the general potential for future temples in the Church's Africa West Area. LDS growth experts have stated that there could be as many as 13 operating temples in this area by 2030. Given that statement, and the fact that there are only 3 such temples currently, that means 10 more will need to be announced in the next 13 years to make that possible. It could happen. I will explore some of those future possibilities later on in this post.

Before doing so, I wanted to share the information I have been able to compile about the current temples in the Africa West Area, and those that are in various stages in the construction process. There are three temples in that area at the moment, in Accra Ghana, in Aba Nigeria, and the one announced in 2015 for Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. As with the previous post, let's talk about each of these temples to set the background for locations I have felt may be prime locations for a temple.

Next, I want to talk about Nigeria. The Aba temple is the only one in that nation, and as far as I can tell, Aba is not home to one of the missions in Nigeria. That said, Nigeria does have six missions. The first such mission was created in Lagos in 1980, and since that time, 5 other missions have been established, including the Enugu, Calabar, Benin City, and Owerrri missions.

Additionally, the Aba Temple district covers 44 stakes and 16 districts, which in turn are comprised of 341 wards, and 249 branches, for a total of 590 congregations, which is a huge district by anyone's definition. Additionally, since the dedication of the Aba Temple in 2005, Nigeria has seen 22 new stakes created, along with 14 districts. It is clear to me that Nigeria could use another temple, and if the general growth in West Africa is any indication, that is bound to happen sooner rather than later.

Now, we turn our attention to Ghana. Before going into specifics on that nation, I wanted to note just how significant it is that I am talking about it now.  Just a short while ago, I received news that one of Ghana's districts had been upgraded to a stake on October 22. So that information will no doubt play a role in how soon a second temple might be announced for Ghana. That said, let's get into the specifics about Ghana.

That nation's first mission was created in Accra in 1985. 20 years later, the second mission was created in the Cape Coast area, and the final two missions were created within a year of each other, one in Kumasi, and a second for Accra. I don't know how the Church's announced intention to consolidate missions will affect Ghana. What I do know is that there are 20 stakes and 11 districts, which are in turn made up of 151 wards and 152 branches, which bring the total number of congregations in that nation to 303, which is a lot for one temple district,

Additionally, since the 2004 dedication of the one temple in Accra, Ghana has seen an increase of 3 missions, 14 stakes (including the one upgraded from a district), and 8 districts. That is significant growth any way it is considered. A second temple in Ghana makes a lot of sense for all of these reasons.

Now, a few words about the Ivory Coast. Only two missions are in that nation, both headquartered in Abidjan, the capital city, where that nation's first temple was announced in 2015. At the moment, the Ivory Coast has 13 stakes and 12 districts, which further break down into 106 wards and 101 branches. The total number of congregations in the Ivory Coast now number 207, which is a lot for one temple. And since the announcement of the Abidjan Temple on April 5 of 2015, the temple has not yet progressed to a groundbreaking. That said, since that temple was announced, the Ivory Coast has not only had its second mission established, but also 6 new stakes created, along with 10 districts. That kind of growth warrants another temple soon, but I also believe that we could even see a third in that nation within the next 30 years or less.

So, which temples made my list for the Africa West Area? I believe that a second temple in Nigeria is only a matter of time, and I have listed either Benin City or Lagos for that honor. So which might it be? Lagos seems more likely. It is 373.8 miles from the Aba temple. As the home city of the first mission to be established in Nigeria, there are five stakes there currently, which in turn have 41 wards and 5 branches, for a total of 46 congregations.

There is a compelling case in favor of Benin City as well. It is just under 200 miles from Aba, and even further from Lagos. The most recent mission created in Nigeria was established in Benin City. Benin City is also home to 6 stakes, which break down further into 51 wards and 14 branches, for a total of 65 congregations in that city.

As you can see, I have my own thoughts on the most likely location for Nigeria's second temple. But I see both cities getting a temple within the next 30 years or less.

In terms of Ghana's next temple, it seems apparent to me that Kumasi is the top contender, since there is a mission there (which has several branches within its jurisdiction). Additionally, I found three stakes in that city, which have a total of 22 wards and 15 branches, or a total of 37 congregations.

If and when the Ivory Coast gets another temple, I have felt that might be in Yamoussoukro, which is far enough away from Abidjan that a second temple there makes sense. While I didn't look at the geography of the Ivory Coast, I imagine that a second temple in Yamoussoukro would split the Abidjan district roughly in half. There may be other cities in that nation that could get a temple, but I think the next one there will be in Yamoussoukro.

Additionally on my list for the Africa West Area, I have Freetown Sierra Leone, Monrovia Liberia, and Lome Togo. Let's talk briefly about each.  The only mission in Sierra Leone was established around 10  years ago. Right now, there are 2 stakes and 6 districts, which are further divided into 17  wards and 48 branches, for a total of 65 congregations. Additionally, Sierra Leone ranks as the 6th in the top 10 nations that have the strongest Church presence but does not yet have a temple in any stage. That is significant, making Sierra Leone a high priority on my list of future temples for this area.

As far as a temple for Liberia, that makes sense for a couple of reasons. Monrovia is home to the only Liberian mission. Liberia also has two stakes (both in Monrovia) and two other districts. These four main units are divided further into 14 wards and 21 branches, for a total of 35 congregations. If we add the 2 districts (comprised of a total of 20 branches) that fall under the jurisdiction of the Monrovia mission, a temple there makes even more sense.

Finally, a temple for Lome Togo is a late addition to my list. In the nation of Togo, the Church operates no missions, but there are 2 stakes, which are further divided into 14 wards and 3 branches, or a total of 17 congregations. So a temple there makes a lot of sense, If not in the near future, then I see it happening prior to 2030.

Those are the choices I have on my personal list. That does it for this post. Any comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, especially any feedback any of you would care to give on my list. Thank you for the privilege of your time, and until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray the Lord's blessings upon you.

Temple Site Possibilities: Africa Southeast Area

Hello again, everyone! Here I am with the second in the series of posts I referenced just a few minutes ago. This post will examine potential future temple sites in the Africa Southeast Area of the Church. So, let's dive right in to it!

The Africa Southeast Area currently only has 1 temple in operation, the Johannesburg South Africa Temple. But there are also two under construction (in Durban South Africa and Kinshasa DR Congo). There are also two others announced (in Harare Zimbabwe, and Nairobi Kenya). Until all of these temples are a bit further along, it is difficult to know whether or not any others will be announced.

That said, the Kinshasa temple is anticipated to be dedicated next year, with Durban in 2019. Additionally, Elder Kevin S. Hamilton, who presides over the Africa Southeast Area, was quoted at some point in 2016 after the Harare temple was announced that a site announcement and groundbreaking would likely take place in short order during 2017. As we know, that has not happened as of yet, but may happen at some point early next year.

Also, our native Kenyan General Authority, Elder Joseph W. Sitati, represented the Church at a media event for the Nairobi Temple. He said that the Church usually takes a year or two after a temple announcement to announce a site (which, as far as I can tell, has been the average for temples in this area). So the groundbreaking for that temple might happen anytime in the next 2 or 3 years.

The Johannesburg Temple district is currently comprised of 54 stakes and 37 districts. Of those, a minimum of 17 stakes and 3 districts in DR Congo will be served by the Kinshasa Temple, and some surrounding nations that will be closer to the DR Congo than to South Africa will also be taken from the Jo-burg (as my mother, a native South African, affectionately calls it) district.

Additionally, other cities in South Africa will be part of the Durban SA Temple district, being closer to it than Jo-burg. And once both the Durban and Kinshasa Temples are completed, more will be known about their temple districts. And as the Harare and Nairobi Temples get further along in the construction process and are dedicated, that will also divide these districts further.

That said, in terms of potential future sites, I have the following possibilities: Antananarivo Madagascar; Maputo Mozambique; Lubumbashi DR Congo; and Cape Town South Africa.

First, Antananarivo is home to the only mission of the Church in Madagascar. In Madagascar, there are two stakes and two districts, which in turn comprise 14 wards and 15 branches, which totals 29 congregations, making that nation a strong contender for its own temple.

In Mozambique, Maputo is the headquarters of the only mission. Additionally, there are 3 stakes and 1 district, which in turn are comprised of 20 wards and 9 branches, bringing the total number of congregations in Mozambique to 29 as well.

As already noted, at minimum, the Kinshasa Temple will serve the 17 stakes and 3 districts in the DR Congo. Those stakes and districts are further subdivided into 137 wards and 42 branches, which is a total of 179 congregations. That is a lot of congregations for one temple, making it likely that another temple could be announced in that nation before too much longer. Additionally, the DR Congo is home to 3 missions. The first mission in that nation was established in Kinshasa, and the second one was created in Lubumbashi 7 years ago. Since that time, not only has another mission been created, but additionally, 6 stakes and 2 districts have also been created. Anyway that is considered, it is impressive. So I see a second temple in DR Congo as something that will happen sooner rather than later.

If and when South Africa might get its third temple is going to depend on how busy the other two are, before, during and after the construction of all other temples that are or will be constructed in the Africa Southeast Area. Many people have contended that George may be a better candidate for South Africa's third temple, if and when that happens, but I know that Cape Town is the third of the three most populous cities in that nation, and I see it as being the better candidate.

Additionally, when the Durban Temple is dedicated, Cape Town will be the only South African city with an LDS mission that does not have its own temple. And while we don't know how the Jo-burg district may be divided with that of Durban, what we do know is that South Africa as a nation has 16 stakes and 8 districts, which in turn is divided into 107 wards and 75 branches. That brings the number of South African congregations to a total of 182, which is large for one or even two temples, even if not taking the other nations into account. That is why I have felt a third temple in Cape Town may make a lot of sense.

So there you have it. I have now "sounded off" about my temple picks for the Africa Southeast Area, and now I want to hear your thoughts. Is there merit in any or all of these selections, have I missed any that I should be considering, and how might the prospects for temples in this area change with the completion of those under construction and announced? Let me know.

That does it for this post. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish each of you all the best and pray the Lord's blessings upon you.

Help Needed: Refining My Temple Site Predictions

Hello, everyone! This will be the first in a series of posts I will do over the next few days, and it serves as an introduction to these posts. As those who have been long-time followers of this blog are aware, for the last couple of years, my General Conference predictions, which are put together every six months well in advance of each conference, have included temple site predictions. Because I have come to value the comments I get in response to things I post, I am doing something I have not before done on this blog: requesting help in picking the most likely temple sites, especially in areas where I have found two or more locations that may be as likely as any others. I will share my thoughts and reasoning behind what I am thinking in this regard, then I will be giving all of you a chance to comment with your thoughts on what might be most likely. So, here goes!

As  I typically do, I am going to offer my list, in which I group potential temples first by area, then by potential likelihood within each area. I will provide any information I have that has led to my adding these locations to my list, then ask which locations you feel are more likely. And if there are factors I have not taken into consideration, that would be something else I would like to hear about. So, we will explore these possibilities over the next several days, going by each of the Church's geographical areas.

Before I end this introduction to the series of posts I will do, I want to thank you all for your valued input and support. Without it, I likely would overlook factors that may be very important to consider when looking into future temple site locations. With your help, I hope to make the list of temple site possibilities for the April 2018 General Conference the best and most accurate list I have ever done.

That does it for this post. Any comments are welcome and appreciated. Thank you for the privilege of your time, and may the Lord bless each of you in all that you do.