stake (LDS Church)
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| stake (LDS Church) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Stake (Latter-day Saints) |
| Caption | Meetinghouse of a stake in Utah |
| Classification | Restorationist |
| Orientation | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Founded | 19th century |
| Founder | Joseph Smith |
| Area | Worldwide |
stake (LDS Church) is an administrative unit within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints modeled after a biblical metaphor. Stakes coordinate multiple wards and branches, provide regional leadership, and serve as an intermediate organization between local congregations and central headquarters in Salt Lake City. Stakes play roles in worship, welfare, temple preparation, and missionary oversight.
History
The concept of a stake traces to early 19th-century developments under Joseph Smith in Kirtland, Ohio, Nauvoo, Illinois, and later in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory under Brigham Young. Early stake creation related to migration events like the Mormon Exodus and organizational responses to crises such as the Utah War and conflicts involving United States Congress legislation. As The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints expanded internationally during missions in Great Britain, Hawaii, Mexico, Canada, Chile, Brazil, Japan, Samoa, Philippines, Germany, and France, stakes formed to manage growth alongside institutions like the Genealogical Society of Utah and temples including Salt Lake Temple and Laie Hawaii Temple. Stake development paralleled administrative reforms by leaders such as Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Heber J. Grant, David O. McKay, Ezra Taft Benson, Gordon B. Hinckley, and Russell M. Nelson.
Organization and Leadership
A stake is presided over by a stake president, who serves with two counselors as part of a stake presidency, and assisted by a stake high council and a stake clerk. Stake presidents are often selected from experienced leaders like former ward bishops, mission presidents, or area seventies, with keys conferred from general authorities including members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles or the First Presidency. Supporting offices include the stake relief society presidency, stake young men presidency, stake young women presidency, stake primary presidency, stake Sunday School presidency, stake executive secretary, and stake patriarch. Stake councils coordinate with auxiliary organizations such as the Relief Society, Primary, Young Women, and Young Men. Stakes report to area presidencies overseen by the Quorum of the Seventy and interact with general officers like the Presiding Bishopric and various departments based in Church Administration Building and Temples and Family History Department.
Membership and Wards
Stakes typically comprise five to twelve wards, though sizes vary by location, with branches serving smaller populations. Wards are led by bishops who preside with two counselors and a ward clerk; branches are led by branch presidents. Wards and branches provide sacrament meetings, weekly activities, Sunday instruction, and ministering assignments coordinated through stake councils. Membership rolls reflect records maintained by the Church History Library and administrative systems such as the Member and Statistical Records equivalent maintained at headquarters. Stake demographic composition often mirrors regional patterns seen in areas like Utah, Idaho, Arizona, California, Texas, Florida, New York, Ontario, Quebec, Mexico City, Santiago, São Paulo, Lima, London, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, and Manila.
Functions and Activities
Stakes oversee ecclesiastical functions including worthiness interviews for temple recommends issued for temples such as Jordan River Temple or Laie Hawaii Temple, high priest group assignments, and organizational training for bishops and relief society presidents. Stakes administer welfare programs coordinated with the Church Welfare Program and humanitarian initiatives in partnership with organizations like the Red Cross during disasters. Educational functions include stake-sponsored institutes, seminary coordination with institutions like Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University–Idaho, Brigham Young University–Hawaii, and involvement with religious education offices. Stakes organize cultural events, stake conferences, youth conferences, leadership training with visiting general authorities such as members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, area authorities, or General Relief Society Presidency members, and manage property such as meetinghouses and stake centers. They may host stake-level service projects in cooperation with civic bodies like AmeriCorps or municipal governments.
Geographic Boundaries and Creation
Stakes are delineated by the Church’s area authorities and historically adjusted during population shifts, migration events, and missionary successes in regions like the American West, Pacific Islands, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Creation of a stake requires sufficient active membership, priesthood holders, and leadership, often following criteria devised by general authorities and field manuals issued by offices in Salt Lake City. New stakes emerge from stake divisions, ward realignments, or by consolidating branches, and are sometimes formed in concert with construction of temples or growth in urban centers such as Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Provo, Mexico City, Lima, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Santiago de Chile, Tokyo, and Manila.
Variations and Equivalents in Other Faith Traditions
Analogous administrative units appear in other denominations and faith organizations: the diocese in the Roman Catholic Church, archdiocese structures, the synods within Lutheran Church bodies, the presbyterys in Presbyterian Church (USA), and episcopal units such as diocese (Anglican) in the Anglican Communion. Organizational parallels also exist with ecclesiastical provinces in the Eastern Orthodox Church, regional bodies in Methodist Church of Great Britain, and the administrative districts of international ecclesial organizations like The Salvation Army and Seventh-day Adventist Church. Such comparisons highlight shared needs for regional governance among institutions including World Council of Churches participants and national church bodies.