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MORMON CHURCH ORGANIZES FIRST "STAKE" IN ARMENIA
The following article by Joseph Walker appeared in the June 24,
2013 edition ofDeseret News
YEREVAN, ARMENIA - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
has organized its first stake in the Republic of Armenia.
A stake is a geographical unit of the church created for organizational
and ecclesiastical purposes. A stake is comprised of a number of
individual church congregations, called wards or branches.
It is similar in function to a diocese in other Christian
denominations.
According to an article posted on the LDS Newsroom website, Elder
Russell M. Nelson presided at a special meeting held June 16 in
Yerevan, during which the country's first stake was created. "We
have good (church) leadership here, strong people in the gospel,"
Elder Nelson said during the service.
Elder Nelson has been involved in the relationship between the people
of Armenia and the LDS Church since 1988, when he presented a check
from the LDS Church to Soviet Ambassador Yuri Dubinin to provide aid
to victims of a devastating earthquake in Armenia, which was then
still under Soviet control. Elder Nelson and LDS philanthropist Jon M.
Huntsman were involved in ongoing efforts to help rebuild
earthquake-torn areas of Armenia.
Two years later Armenia declared its independence from the Soviet
Union, and in early 1992 the first two LDS baptisms to be performed
in the newly independent nation took place. Today there are just more
than 3,000 Latter-day Saints in Armenia.
"This is a Christian nation," Elder Nelson said. "The spirit of
Christianity has been in Armenia a long time. Our relationship with
the government is outstanding."
The Yerevan Armenia Stake brings the total number of stakes in the
LDS Church to 3,025.
Photo cap: Varuzhan Poghosyan (left) translates as Elder Russell M.
Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles organizes the first stake
of the LDS Church in Yerevan, Armenia. Courtesy LDS Church.
http://hetq.am/eng/news/27702/mormon-church-organizes-first-%E2%80%9Cstake%E2%80%9D-in-armenia.html
The following article by Joseph Walker appeared in the June 24,
2013 edition ofDeseret News
YEREVAN, ARMENIA - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
has organized its first stake in the Republic of Armenia.
A stake is a geographical unit of the church created for organizational
and ecclesiastical purposes. A stake is comprised of a number of
individual church congregations, called wards or branches.
It is similar in function to a diocese in other Christian
denominations.
According to an article posted on the LDS Newsroom website, Elder
Russell M. Nelson presided at a special meeting held June 16 in
Yerevan, during which the country's first stake was created. "We
have good (church) leadership here, strong people in the gospel,"
Elder Nelson said during the service.
Elder Nelson has been involved in the relationship between the people
of Armenia and the LDS Church since 1988, when he presented a check
from the LDS Church to Soviet Ambassador Yuri Dubinin to provide aid
to victims of a devastating earthquake in Armenia, which was then
still under Soviet control. Elder Nelson and LDS philanthropist Jon M.
Huntsman were involved in ongoing efforts to help rebuild
earthquake-torn areas of Armenia.
Two years later Armenia declared its independence from the Soviet
Union, and in early 1992 the first two LDS baptisms to be performed
in the newly independent nation took place. Today there are just more
than 3,000 Latter-day Saints in Armenia.
"This is a Christian nation," Elder Nelson said. "The spirit of
Christianity has been in Armenia a long time. Our relationship with
the government is outstanding."
The Yerevan Armenia Stake brings the total number of stakes in the
LDS Church to 3,025.
Photo cap: Varuzhan Poghosyan (left) translates as Elder Russell M.
Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles organizes the first stake
of the LDS Church in Yerevan, Armenia. Courtesy LDS Church.
http://hetq.am/eng/news/27702/mormon-church-organizes-first-%E2%80%9Cstake%E2%80%9D-in-armenia.html