Church to add 55 new missions

As the Church of Jesus Christ grows rapidly around the world, leaders announced the creation of 55 new missions, effective July 1, 2026. The expansion will bring the total number of missions worldwide to 506, according to a news release from Church headquarters in Salt Lake City.

The new missions will accommodate a rising number of missionaries and allow for better support of congregations across the globe. The Church said the increase reflects the continued enthusiasm of young members choosing to serve full-time missions.

“It is inspiring to see the number of young Church members who continue to answer the call to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world,” said President Dallin H. Oaks, president of the Church of Jesus Christ. “These missionaries are helping to bless the lives of hundreds of thousands of people every year who are choosing to be baptized into the Lord’s Church.”

The number of young teaching and service missionaries, along with senior missionaries, has grown from just over 65,000 at the end of 2022 to nearly 72,000 at the end of 2023, and now exceeds 84,000. Missionaries serve in more than 150 countries and teach in more than 60 languages.

Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who chairs the Church’s Missionary Executive Council, said the additional missions will help balance the number of missionaries in each area. “These additional missions help to balance the number of missionaries in each mission, allowing mission leaders to better support and mentor the missionaries they lead,” he said.

The 55 new missions will be established by adjusting the boundaries of existing ones. They will be located in regions including Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America, and the Pacific.

In Africa, new missions will include areas such as Kinshasa North, Kisumu, and Kampala East. In Brazil, three new missions will be organized in Guarulhos, São Bernardo, and Sorocaba. Additional missions will be created across Canada, Europe, Mexico, the Philippines, and the United States, including new missions in Arizona, Texas, and California.

“It’s a blessing to see how each missionary contributes to the individuals they teach and serve as they share the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ,” Elder Cook said.

According to the Church, the new missions reflect a continued rise in missionary service and the growing number of congregations around the world.