Brazilian Convert Retention?

[mapman]

Membership numbers and the number of self-identifying people are simply different numbers. It's the same for all churches. That being said, it is indeed sad that there is that big of a difference. We have come a long way from the baseball baptisms, but it seems that we can still do a lot more to increase convert retention.

[Whiskeypete]

so another question....if 19% self identify as members...would it be safe to say that about 40% of that number would be considered active? If so that would leave a measly 90,278 that actually participate in the church in Brazil...

Probably not. If there were only 90,000 active members and 233 stakes, that would only be 300 or so active people per stake. Or about 40-50 per ward. You woudn't see any new wards or stakes being created, let alone temples being built.

Based on the number of wards and stakes, the 230,000 estimate of actively participating members is probably pretty close. And very close to the number who self-identify to census workers.

[Avatar4321]

All this really goes to show is we need to step up our work effort and listen to the Spirit.

[Craig Paxton]

All this really goes to show is we need to step up our work effort and listen to the Spirit.

Or that the Mormon conversion process isn't working...

[firepatch36]

Im going to post here what I did on the other thread.

I have a dog in this fight, my wife and children are Brazillian.

I know of at least 15 who have moved to the US.

I served my mission in Miami speaking Portuguese and periodically we'd track into inactive Brazilian members.

[Calm]

I served my mission in Miami speaking Portuguese and periodically we'd track into inactive Brazilian members.

There was that large of a Portuguese community there? Never would have thought it. I would assume most were from Brazil.

We had a Brazilian family up in our ward in Canada. Last name was Polish.

[firepatch36]

There was that large of a Portuguese community there? Never would have thought it. I would assume most were from Brazil.

We had a Brazilian family up in our ward in Canada. Last name was Polish.

There eight of us missionaries who spoke Portuguese when I was there (1999-2001). There was a Brazilian branch in Miami and in Boca Raton they would attend an English ward and we'd translate. Everyone I talked to was Brazilian except a few from Portugual, an Angolan, a guy from Capo Verde and a woman from the Azores and another from Madeira. I was hard finding them sometimes; but there were enough to talk to.

[Calm]

Very interesting.

My brother was in the first group of 8 missionaries to be sent on a Spanish speaking mission to Australia. At the time everyone we told went "huh"? Then there was my son's best friend who went on a Mandarin speaking mission to New Zealand. The world's population is sure mobile these days.

[Duncan]

Last time Herman's Hermits performed in Draper was a few years ago. The Draper Utah Temple up on the mountain was nearing completion, and Peter Noone pointed it out. Then he joked about Ebenezer Brown, the Mormon pioneer who founded Draper, being the ancestor of Mrs. Brown in the Hermits' hit song "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter."

Peter has great stage presence.

they don't make musicians like Peter Noone anymore...except for Weird Al but it's a dying breed

[semlogo]

Interesting article...

http://www.sltrib.co...latter.html.csp

Thoughts?

I served in Brazil. Unfortunately, these figures seem to reflect real activity rates I saw in the wards I served in (a decade ago). Factors that probably contribute to low activity/affiliation rate:

High focus on numbers at all costs, especially before I got there (not that I had anything to do with changing things - previous mission presidents were more "sales oriented"). Missionaries were baptizing kids and random people who were completely unconverted, just to meet unrealistic numbers goals.

Cultural issues. The one-sized fits all culture doesn't really work well in Brazil. I think the meetings are too somber, too American protestant.

Also Brazilians are very nice, very agreeable, and may agree to being baptized just because they don't like to say no. Elders/Sisters also have a hard time saying no even if they know people aren't really ready.

I think the answer is mandatory waiting times (six months, I'd say) between teaching and baptism, and more local control over the structure of meetings. Just my opinion.