This is from a former mission President of the France Toulouse Mission:
News from the mission field is exciting. Though there are currently less than 70 missionaries in the France Toulouse Mission the Lord has blessed them with many baptisms. The mission landscape will change this summer. When President Carter leaves, there will be a re-alignment of missions. La Mission Suisse de Genève will close with a part going to the Paris Mission and most combining with the Toulouse Mission to make a new mission, La Mission France de Lyon, which will be headquartered in Lyon. The new mission will reach from beyond Lausanne, Switzerland to the Spanish border. In effect this will be geographically much like the La Mission Franco-Suisse where President Merrell served in 1970.
Also Elder Andrew M Ford made a suprise visit to the ward here in England last Sunday. The Bishop said it's because the minimum numbers (like full tithe payers, M Priesthood holders etc) are too low so they may merge it with the other ward that meets in the same building. He said there are around 360 members on the ward list but I counted about 30ish there the other week. They have around 10 active M Phood holders but they need 15. He begged me to 'come back' (I hate that phrase) so I joked and told him to get on his hands and knees and kiss my feet to which he replied he'd do anything. He joked that they need me on the bishopric (they don't have a 2nd concellor due to numbers - it was a senior missionary but he left with no replacement). It would take then a while to 'get me back' because i would need a reconveined stake disciplinary council, then wait a year before even considering a restoration of blessings. Plus with my open fight with the church to keep the law and respect my rights in regards to access to my personal data, I don't think the prophet would want me anywhere near a disciplinary council. I wrote him and told him he doesn't even obey the commands of hid god and that he should stop his dishonesty and pretense. The high-ups hate me, and the local leaders are at my feet.
per the flock in Utah is what I always hear from them and how they are growing by leaps and bounds every where and cannot keep up with the construction of new Church buildings and stake centers
Lack of priesthood holders is a big problem outside the MoZone. It was one of the things that led to Official Declaration 2. How could they run the church in places like Brazil if so few could hold the priesthood?
I think the problem will only get worse. I foresee the day when the LDS church starts to de-priesthood-ize some callings so that women can do the jobs. It will resist giving the priesthood to women as long as it can, because Mormonism is all about male superiority. It's ironic it has a hard time attracting men.
If a new mission is created it's touted as good news because the church is growing, but if missions need to be combined the emphasis will be on covering a huge area--implying that...the church is growing! Did I miss anything?
From a current missionary's blog - this is when he's in the same area I was:
The Branch here has been struggling for a moment, Church used to be packed with about 75-80 people (I know that is only like the primary back in zion, but it's great here) and there is only about 35 people that are at church.
He also says that the investigators have been "dropping like flies" and that most of their time is spent contacting where no one gives them contact details.
Part of the reason for the change (mission to be headquartered in Lyon instead of Geneva) must be the recent change in Swiss policies regarding visas. (They now refuse to let American missionaries in.) Things got more complicated in Switzerland than in France, so the Lard sent a revelation about changing headquarters.
The LDS cult has no future in Europe. The only people who sometimes join these days are illegal immigrants who are dreaming of welfare, and a tiny minority of mentally challenged locals.
Thanks for the reminder about Switzerland. I had forgotten about that when I posted - despite it being raised by the international legal consul at the same time he mentioned my data access request.
Great news to read of the church diminishing in europe.
A few years ago - could be as many as five, the Wellingborough branch closed and it's members were dispersed to other wards, Kettering being one. This was after years of being told once they grew large enough they'd have their own ward, and a proper building. Happily that day never came.
My nephew is on his mission in northern Italy and has had zero luck whatsoever except for immigrants and like some of you have mentioned, the immigrants just want to be taught English or are lonely. He hasn’t even been able to convert any of the immigrants, though. I feel kind of sorry for the kid, though. He means well and I just cringe when I read his weekly emails (my TBM sister forwards to everyone in the world each week). He’s been gone just under a year now and recently his emails mostly just talk about the fun places he goes to visit on his day off. It’s as if he’s pretty much given up on converting anyone. He still sounds super TBM, though.
> > Also Elder Andrew M Ford made a suprise visit to > the ward here in England last Sunday. The Bishop > said it's because the minimum numbers (like full > tithe payers, M Priesthood holders etc) are > too low so they may merge it with the other ward > that meets in the same building.
I know of four wards here in the UK that have merged into two in the last year & the ward that I live in, had zero convert baptisms last year.....not one lol.
There must be loads of these merges/re-aligning of boundaries happening in the UK & Europe in general. There is definitely no convert growth in the UK. Those that join inevitably go less active & most of the BIC's certainly aren't having huge families anymore.
My TBM best friend growing up went to the Geneva Swiss Mission. He gave thousands to Prop 8, so I'm glad his mission is EXTINCT!
I lived in France for a time in the early 80's. I attended the Paris Singles Ward, and even then, the only people who the Missionaries could find to teach were poor, uneducated immigrants or gay men who were simply in love with the American Missionaries. It was hilarious. The Missionaries would show up to church with another poor gay man in tow, and the Members would just roll their eyes. Everyone knew what was happening except for the clueless Missionaries... and that was almost 30 years ago. There will always be a few crazy believers, but basically the church is dead in Europe.