Details
History
About 7,000 Latter-day Saints in a dozen congregations reside in Belgium. The Brussels Belgium Temple will be the Church’s first temple in Belgium. Brussels, a major international center, is the European country’s capital. A convert from Turkey was the first member to arrive in Belgium in 1888. Missionaries laboring in Switzerland and Germany were also sent to Belgium, and the first chapels built for French-speaking members in Europe were completed in the 1930s. There are now more than a dozen temples in Europe.
The Church undertook a massive consolidation of wards and branches in Belgium in 2017 that resulted in the only ward or branch being closed in several cities. Today, there are 12 congregations in Belgium and two congregations in neighboring Luxembourg. Local members have noted that travel to The Hague Netherlands Temple is difficult for many Belgian members due to reliance on public transportation. Moreover, Belgium was the sovereign European country with the most members without a temple announced or dedicated prior to the announcement of the Brussels Belgium Temple (there were 6,605 members in Belgium as of year-end 2019). The new temple will likely service the two Belgian stakes (Antwerp [organized in 1994] and Brussels [organized in 1977]) and the Lille France Stake. Finally, members report that a site for the new temple has appeared to have already been secured. It is anticipated that the new temple may provide greater awareness of the Church in Europe, given Brussels’ prominence in European politics and cosmopolitan demography. The Church has had a continual presence in Belgium since the late 1880s. Belgium currently pertains to The Hague Netherlands Temple.
Announcement
On on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021, President Russell M. Nelson announced plans to construct the Brussels Belgium Temple at the 191st Annual General Conference. About 7,000 Latter-day Saints in a dozen congregations reside in Belgium. The Brussels Belgium Temple will be the Church’s first temple in Belgium. Brussels, a major international center, is the European country’s capital. A convert from Turkey was the first member to arrive in Belgium in 1888. Missionaries laboring in Switzerland and Germany were also sent to Belgium. The first chapels built for French-speaking members in Europe were all completed in the 1930s. There are more than a dozen temples in Europe.[1]The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, “At April 2021 Conference, Prophet Announces 20 More Temples to Be Constructed,” 4 Apr. 2021.
Temple Site
No site location has been officially announced for the Brussels Belgium Temple.
Temple Rendering
Renderings of the Brussels Belgium Temple and site plan have not yet been publicly released.
Groundbreaking
The Brussels Belgium Temple is currently in the planning stages. No groundbreaking date has been announced.
Dedication
Dedication Order
Description
Location
Sources and Links
Additional Articles
Sources/Citation
References
| ↑1 | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, “At April 2021 Conference, Prophet Announces 20 More Temples to Be Constructed,” 4 Apr. 2021. |
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