36.

Creating, Changing, and Naming New Units

36.0

Introduction

Church members belong to congregations based on where they live (see Mosiah 25:17–24). These congregations are necessary for organizing and doing the work of the Church under the proper priesthood authority. Leaders of congregations are given priesthood keys to authorize the performance of priesthood ordinances. Congregations also help members strengthen each other’s faith as they worship God, learn the teachings of Jesus Christ, and serve.

Church congregations (also called units) include stakes, districts, wards, and branches. They are created, changed, or discontinued only as needed.

Leaders work to increase the spiritual strength of members before proposing to create a new unit or change a unit’s boundary. New units should be created only when the existing units are sufficiently strong.

For support in the United States and Canada, call 1-801-240-1007. Outside the United States and Canada, call the area office.

36.1

Creating or Changing Stakes and Districts

Stakes are created from districts or by dividing existing stakes. A stake or mission president may propose creating a new stake. He first ensures that it will meet the minimum requirements shown in the following table.

Minimum Requirements to Create a Stake

Number of members (active and less active)	2,000
Number of active, full-tithe-paying Melchizedek Priesthood holders capable of serving in leadership positions	150
Number of participating adults	500
Number of participating youth (recommended, not required)	100
Number of wards	5

• For more information, see “Boundary and Leadership Proposals.”

Districts are created from branches in a mission or an existing stake. There is not a minimum number of members or branches needed to create a district.

A district must have the level of strength needed for a stake for at least six months before a mission president can propose making it a stake.

Boundaries of a stake or district follow the boundaries of the units that are within it. To propose changing stake or district boundaries or transferring a unit to a neighboring stake or district, the stake or mission presidents involved plan and coordinate the recommendation.

A stake or mission president starts a new proposal at “Boundary and Leadership Proposals.” If he cannot use the online system, he can download paper forms by clicking on the link.

Approval of proposed stake changes comes from the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve. Generally, a decision can take up to eight weeks after receiving a completed proposal.

36.2

Creating or Changing Wards and Branches in Stakes

Wards and branches in stakes are created from existing units. A stake president may propose creating a new ward or branch in the stake. He first ensures that the new unit will meet the minimum requirements shown in the following table.

Minimum Requirements to Create a Ward or Branch in a Stake

	Ward	Branch
Number of members (active and less active)	Ward 250	Branch 20
Number of active, full-tithe-paying Melchizedek Priesthood holders capable of serving in leadership positions	Ward 20	Branch 4
Number of participating adults	Ward 100	Branch No minimum
Number of participating youth (recommended, not required)	Ward 20	Branch No minimum

• For more information, see “Boundary and Leadership Proposals.”

A stake president may propose changing a branch into a ward when the unit meets the minimum requirements and he has identified a candidate who could serve as bishop.

A stake president may propose realigning or discontinuing wards and branches when there is a clear need.

A stake president starts a new proposal at “Boundary and Leadership Proposals.” If he cannot use the online system, he can download paper forms by clicking on the link.

Approval of proposed ward or branch changes comes from the First Presidency. Generally, a decision can take up to six weeks after receiving a completed proposal.

36.3

Creating or Changing Branches in Missions

A mission president may propose creating new branches in a mission. There is not a minimum number of members needed to create a branch in a mission. However, new branches generally should have at least four priesthood holders. At least one should be an active, full-tithe-paying Melchizedek Priesthood holder.

A mission president starts a new proposal at “Boundary and Leadership Proposals.” If he cannot use the online system, he can download paper forms by clicking on the link.

The Area Presidency may give final approval or denial of a mission president’s proposal to:

• Create and name a new branch in a mission.

• Discontinue a branch in a mission.

• Change branch boundaries in a mission if the change does not affect a stake, a district, or another mission.

The Area Presidency must submit the approved proposal to Church headquarters for processing before the branch can be created or changed in the Church’s systems.

The Area Presidency may endorse but not give final approval of a mission president’s proposal to:

• Transfer a branch to another stake, district, or mission.

• Change the name of an existing branch in a mission.

• Change branch boundaries in a mission if the change would affect a stake, a district, or another mission.

• Create or change a mission branch for young single adults or single adults; members who speak a language other than the language of their unit; members who use sign language; members who are in care centers, treatment programs, or prisons; or members in the military.

In these situations, the Area Presidency reviews the proposal, and if they endorse it, they submit it for approval. Approval of proposed branch changes comes from the First Presidency. Generally, a decision can take up to six weeks after receiving a completed proposal.

36.4

Naming Church Units

The name of a unit should help identify it to those who live in the area. Generally, the names of existing units should not be changed.

If a unit name needs to be changed because of a boundary realignment, the stake or mission president starts a new proposal by using the online system at Boundary and Leadership Proposals. If he cannot use the online system, he can download paper forms by clicking on the link.

Only the First Presidency can approve these proposals.

Area Presidencies may approve proposals to create and name new branches in missions (see 36.3).

36.4.1

Naming Stakes and Districts

The first word in the stake or district name is one of the following:

• The city in which the stake or district headquarters is located

• Another city in the stake or district that is well known to the members

• A geographic feature within the stake or district boundaries

In the United States and Canada, the second word is the state or province in which the stake or district is located. In other countries, the second word is the name of the country.

When more than one stake or district is in the same city, the third word is an identifying characteristic within the unit boundaries. Some allowable identifying characteristics for stake and district names are shown below:

• Compass directions (north, south, east, or west)

• Community or neighborhood

• Geographic feature

Some identifying characteristics that are not allowed for stake and district names are shown below:

• Other directional terms (for example, southwest)

• Names of people

When the name of a city is the same as the state, province, or country, it is not repeated in the name. For example:

• Idaho Falls Taylor Mountain Stake, not Idaho Falls Idaho Taylor Mountain Stake

• México City Azteca Stake, not México City México Azteca Stake

36.4.2

Naming Wards and Branches

A ward or branch is named after an identifying characteristic within its boundaries. Some allowable identifying characteristics for ward and branch names are shown below:

• City

• Community or neighborhood

• Street

• Park

• School

• Geographic feature

Some identifying characteristics that are not allowed for ward and branch names are shown below:

• Compass directions (for example, east or northwest)

• Names of people

• Names based only on a view (for example, Temple View, Mountain View, or River View)

• Combining two names to create a new name

The name of only one identifying characteristic is used in the ward or branch name. If there is more than one ward or branch with the same name, a number is added as part of the name, such as Preston 1st Ward and Preston 2nd Ward.

The name of the ward or branch should be in the language of the area. If the language does not use the Roman alphabet, a translation using Roman characters should be included in the application.

36.5

Implementing Proposed Changes

36.5.1

Stake and District Changes

The approval letter for creating or discontinuing a stake or district generally indicates the date the changes will be made. This date should not be announced until the assigned General Authority discusses the details with the stake or mission president. The actual changes are not announced until the stake or district conference.

Stake or mission presidents notify Church headquarters or their area office after the changes have been made.

36.5.2

Ward and Branch Changes

After a stake or mission president receives approval for ward or branch changes, he generally has 90 days to present the changes to be sustained by the members. If he needs to delay longer than 90 days, he requests permission from the Office of the First Presidency.

Stake or mission presidents implement the proposal in LCR once the changes have been made. For help in the United States and Canada, call 801-240-6243 or email [e-mail]. For help outside the United States and Canada, contact the area office. Maps and units are not updated until they are recorded by Church headquarters.

36.6

Basic Unit Program

The Church has developed the Basic Unit Program for use by some small branches or small authorized gatherings of members, known as groups (see 37.7 for more information on groups). An Area Presidency may authorize the use of the Basic Unit Program in groups or branches where any of the following conditions apply:

• The Church is in its beginning stages.

• Members are scattered geographically.

• The number of members is small, and leadership is just beginning to develop.

• Members have special language needs.

• Members are in the military (see 38.9.4 for reasons a service member group might be created).

• Members are in care centers, treatment programs, or prisons.

Area Presidencies and other leaders emphasize that units using the Basic Unit Program should not expand organizations, meetings, and programs too quickly. Leadership is best cultivated when Church resources are in proper balance with members’ circumstances and needs.

Leaders also share the following principles with groups and branches using the Basic Unit Program:

• Seek inspiration from the Spirit to know what to do and how to do it.

• Teach the basic doctrine and principles of the gospel.

• Help members (1) understand and receive essential priesthood ordinances and (2) make and keep the associated covenants.

These units can hold Church meetings in a home, a rented building, or a Church-owned building (see 35.3). The mission, stake, or district presidency can provide information on obtaining and maintaining a meeting place for the group or branch.

If the group or branch has very few members, they hold only a sacrament meeting and a gospel instruction period for all members. For gospel instruction, members use the scriptures and Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church. If the scriptures have not yet been translated into the language the members speak, members use the Gospel Fundamentals manual for gospel instruction. As the Church grows, more translations of the scriptures, hymns and songs, and Church magazines will become available.

As the unit grows, Church leaders should organize an elders quorum and a Relief Society (see 8.3.3 and 9.3.2). As the number of members and potential leaders increases, the branch president may organize Aaronic Priesthood quorums and Young Women, Primary, and Sunday School organizations (see 10.3, 11.3.2, 12.3.2, and 13.2.2).