| The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Guyana | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Area | Caribbean |
| Members | 6,645 (2022) [1] |
| Districts | 2 |
| Branches | 12 |
| Family History Centers | 4 [2] |
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Guyana refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Guyana. The first branch (small congregation) was organized in Georgetown, Guyana in 1980. In 2022, there were 6,645 members in 12 congregations.
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1989* | 50 |
| 1999 | 1,026 |
| 2009 | 3,935 |
| 2019 | 6,264 |
| 2022 | 6,645 |
| *Membership was published as a rounded number. Source: Wendall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac Country Information: Guyana [1] | |
The first missionaries entered Guyana was as senior missionary couple, Benjamin and Ruth Hudson, who arrived on August 19, 1988. Sacrament meeting was held the next month which included the Abdulla family who was previously baptized in Canada. The first convert, Luanna Abdulla, was baptized on October 23, 1988. [3] The church was legally recognized in February 1989 and a branch in Georgetown was organized the following month. 23 members attended branch meetings when it was organized. 45 were in attendance in February 1990 when Elder M. Russell Ballard dedicated and blessed the land for missionary work. [4] Greater numbers of missionaries were assigned to Guyana over the years following the dedication. Seminary and institute commenced in the mid-1990s. President Desmond Hoyte was a special guest at a luncheon on September 15, 1992 that was hosted by Elder Stephen D. Nadauld of the Seventy and the Trinidad Tobago Mission president. [5]
In 2000, the first branch outside of Georgetown was organized in New Amsterdam. On 15 March 2003, the first meetinghouse was dedicated in Prashad Nagar, with 250 members present. [6] On December 21, 2003, the Georgetown Guyana District was organized. [5] [7] In 2009, Linden became the first city in the interior to open for missionary work.
In September 2009, the Guyanese government requested the Church to remove foreign missionaries who were claimed to have expired missionary visas. Missionaries reported that they were incarcerated for one day due to alleged visa violations. The Guyanese government enforced a new limit on the number of foreign missionaries able to serve in Guyana to around twenty. Later that month, the Church withdrew about forty of the sixty missionaries serving in Guyana. Local members were provided with the opportunity to serve as full-time missionary companions in order to keep proselyting areas open, but this approach was not sustained. Government officials expressed concerns that the Church had a larger missionary force than most Christian churches in Guyana notwithstanding the comparatively small number of Latter-day Saints in the country. [8] [9]
Interweave Solutions partnered with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 2014 to provide business training to its members in Guyana. After measurable success the First Lady of Guyana made it a key part of her office's agenda. [10] In 2016, Elder Dale G. Renlund attended a district conference in Georgetown. [11] In 2017, the First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger spoke to the youth at their youth conference on July 1, 2017, encouraging them to embrace education and instill moral values. [12]
The Church has conducted 170 humanitarian and development projects in Guyana since 1988. Most of these projects have been community projects although emergency response, maternal and newborn care, refugee response, vision care, and wheelchair donations have been provided. In 2011, a senior missionary couple was assigned to Georgetown to help the unemployed find sustainable employment. [13] [14] [15] Between 2007 and 2012, the value of church humanitarian aid projects was US$18,047,345. [16] In May 2019, Close to $1 Million US dollars in food was given to Guyana's Civil Defence Commission (CDC). [17] In May 2020, the Civil Defense Commission (CDC) received $20Million worth of food and hygienic supplies from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to assist those affected by COVID-19. [18]
As of February 2023, Guyana had the following districts and congregations: [19]
Berbice Guyana District
Georgetown Guyana District
All branches has its own meetinghouse. Congregations in a district are called branches, regardless of size.
District Centers (District offices) are located at the East Canje Branch and La Grange Branch Buildings.
Family History Centers (FHC) are located at East Canje Branch, Georgetown Branch, La Grange Branch, and Linden Branch buildings.
An Employment Resources Center is located in a Georgetown meetinghouse. [20]
In 1988, formal missionary work started in Port of Spain under the direction of the West Indies Mission in September 1983. Guyana was assigned to the Trinidad Tobago Mission when it was created 1 July 1991, and was reassigned to the West Indies Mission upon the closure of the Trinidad and Tobago Mission in 1994. The Barbados Bridgetown Mission was created in 2015 and was later renamed the Trinidad Port of Spain Mission. [5]
There are no temples in Guyana. Guyana is currently located within the Manaus Brazil Temple District. [21]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Marshall Islands refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the Marshall Islands. As of 2021, there were 6,977 members in 13 congregations, making it the second largest body of LDS Church members in Micronesia, behind Kiribati. The Marshall Islands has the second most LDS Church members per capita in Micronesia, and the fourth most members per capita of any independent country in the world, behind Tonga, Samoa, and Kiribati.
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sierra Leone refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Sierra Leone. At year-end 2009, there were 8,054 members in 17 branches in Sierra Leone. In 2021, there were 26,108 members in 86 congregations. In 2019, Sierra Leone ranked as having the second most LDS Church members per capita in Africa, behind Cape Verde.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Caledonia refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in New Caledonia. At year-end 1983, there were about 100 members in New Caledonia. In 2021, there were 2,483 members in 9 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Madagascar refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Madagascar. In 1990, a small congregation was created in Madagascar. In 2021, there were 13,547 members in 42 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Federated States of Micronesia refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). The church's first known missionaries arrived on July 5, 1978. As of December 31, 2021, there were 6,107 members in 23 congregations in FSM. The LDS Church has congregations in every state in the FSM.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Poland refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Poland. At year-end 1989, there were less than 100 members in Poland. In 2021, there were 2,089 members in 11 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mongolia refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Mongolia. The first missionaries arrived in 1992 under request of the Mongolian government in effort to improve higher education in the country following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The first small branch was established in 1993. Since then, the LDS Church in Mongolia has grown to more than 12,000 members in 24 congregations. In 2021, Mongolia had the second most LDS Church members per capita in Asia behind the Philippines.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been present in Albania since at least the early 1990s. In 1993, there were approximately 100 members in the country. In 2022, there were 3,314 members in 14 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Vermont refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Vermont.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Rhode Island refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Rhode Island.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Lesser Antilles refers to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the Lesser Antilles. The Lesser Antilles is part of the Caribbean Area and is part of three missions. As of 2022, the LDS Church reported 9,959 members in 34 congregations in the Lesser Antilles.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Romania refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Romania. A small branch was formed in Bucharest in 1991. In 2021, there were 3,087 members in 15 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cameroon refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Cameroon. The first branch was organized in Yaoundé in 1992. In 2019, there were 2,245 members in 14 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Belize refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Belize. The first branch was organized in Belize City in 1980. In 2022, there were 5,534 members in 12 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Caucasus refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. When the Church was registered in Armenia in 1995, there were approximately 200 members in that country. In Georgia, converts were not allowed to be baptized until 2003. In 2021, there were 3,537 members in 5 congregations in Armenia, and 258 members in 2 congregations in Georgia. With no stake or district as of 2021, all congregations in Georgia and Armenia are administered directly by the Church's Armenia/Georgia Mission.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Malawi refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Malawi. The first convert baptisms were performed in 1992. In 2021, there were 3,612 members in 12 congregations. Malawi was one of the fastest growing countries for LDS Church membership over the past decade.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Bulgaria refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Bulgaria. The first convert baptisms were performed in November 1990. In 2021, there were 2,395 members in 7 congregations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Croatia refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Croatia. The first missionaries arrived in Croatia in 1974. In 2021, there were 637 members in 6 congregations.
