Virgin Islands
561
Total Church Membership
Population vs. Church Members
2
Congregations
History
The first missionaries called to St. Croix were Elders Thomas Williams, Eric Leach, Gregory Collier and Kurtis Gibbons, who arrived 28 January 1981. They held meetings in the home of a member, Jack Cluet, with about 15 attending. A branch (a small congregation) was organized 8 February 1981. A meetinghouse was later built on the island. Branches have been established also on St. John and St. Thomas.
On St. Thomas, various expatriate families lived on the island. In 1969, one of these was the Earl Keele family. He arrived May 1969 and his wife, Celia, and two children followed in August. The family held a home Sunday School as part of the San Juan Branch in Puerto Rico.
In 1970, another family, James and Carolyn Boykin, joined the group. The first convert was baptized in January 1976. Other families arrived and the St. Thomas Branch was created 13 December 1977. The first missionaries came to the island in June 1978. The first branch meetinghouse was opened 16 July 1978.
A devastating hurricane, Hugo, struck St. Croix in September 1996, destroying the homes of many members. A shipment of food from the mainland and use of the branch meetinghouse helped alleviate the disaster conditions.
For Journalist Use Only
Rafael G. Gutiérrez
Caribbean Area
Office: (809) 487-0120, Ext. 2233
Fax: (809) 533-2340
E-mail
Africa
Total Church Membership
621,448
Members
2,150
Congregations
Missions
34Missions
Family History Centers
Temples
3Temples
Asia
Total Church Membership
1,206,148
Members
2,139
Congregations
Missions
45Missions
Family History Centers
Temples
8Temples
Europe
Total Church Membership
493,970
Members
1,382
Congregations
Missions
34Missions
Family History Centers
Temples
12Temples
North America
Total Church Membership
9,336,465
Members
18,071
Congregations
Missions
182Missions
Family History Centers
Temples
109Temples
Oceania (Pacific)
Total Church Membership
562,341
Members
1,253
Congregations
Missions
17Missions
Family History Centers
Temples
10Temples
South America
Total Church Membership
4,093,363
Members
5,541
Congregations