The digital age continues to forge unexpected alliances, as evidenced by the recent collaboration between one of YouTube's biggest stars and a global religious organization. Jimmy Donaldson, better known to his 460 million subscribers as MrBeast, has entered into a philanthropic partnership with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through its volunteer service platform, JustServe.
This unlikely pairing brings together the world's most popular content creator with a faith-based organization that has long emphasized community service and humanitarian aid. The connection centers on Beast Philanthropy, Donaldson's charitable initiative founded in 2020, which operates on a separate YouTube channel that has attracted nearly 29 million subscribers. The organization pledged from its inception that 100 percent of its profits would support charitable causes worldwide.
The partnership, first announced in January 2024, directed MrBeast's massive audience toward the church's JustServe application. This digital platform matches volunteers with service opportunities across various organizations, regardless of religious affiliation. In a social media post announcing the collaboration, Beast Philanthropy acknowledged the frequent inquiries from followers eager to participate in the causes featured in MrBeast's viral videos.
"We've recently partnered with @JustServe, an app that helps match volunteers with the right organization," the announcement stated. "We believe that volunteering and helping other people is one of the greatest things that you can do, not only for others but for yourself."
The church's official website confirms its Diamond sponsor status on Beast Philanthropy's platform, highlighting a shared mission to provide assistance without discrimination. According to the site, the church "seeks out and renders aid to all without regard to religious affiliation, race or nationality," combining financial donations with volunteer efforts to alleviate suffering and promote self-reliance globally.
However, the relationship appears to have cooled since its initial launch. Church representatives confirmed the partnership but noted that collaboration has become dormant in recent months. The reasons for this pause remain unclear, though such fluctuations are not uncommon in high-profile partnerships as organizations assess impact and realign priorities.
While the MrBeast collaboration captures headlines, the LDS Church has been experiencing remarkable growth in its organizational structure. Independent researcher Matt Martinich, who tracks church expansion at ldchurchgrowth.blogspot.com, reports that the faith has created 28 new stakes in just the past three months. This surge pushes the 2025 total beyond 90 stakes, marking the highest annual number since 2016.
A stake represents a regional cluster of congregations, typically comprising several wards and branches. This level of growth indicates significant membership expansion and organizational development, particularly in international regions.
The geographic distribution of these new stakes reveals fascinating trends in the church's global footprint:
Utah County leads with five new stakes, reinforcing the state's position as the church's heartland. This brings Utah's total to 647 stakes, far surpassing any other region.
The Democratic Republic of Congo and the Philippines each welcomed four new stakes, demonstrating the church's strengthening presence in these nations. The Congo now operates 45 stakes, while the Philippines has reached 141.
Mozambique and Spain each added two stakes, bringing their totals to 10 and 17 respectively. These additions represent significant milestones for areas with smaller LDS populations.
Single new stakes emerged across diverse locations: Arizona (120 total), Brazil (289), Canada (56), Chile (81), Republic of Congo (5), Idaho (147), Kiribati (4), and Mexico (231).
This widespread growth pattern illustrates the church's successful international expansion strategy, moving beyond its traditional American base to establish stronger roots in Africa, Latin America, Oceania, and Europe.
The Congo developments prove particularly noteworthy. A children's choir performed during a special conference for the Kinshasa Stake, symbolizing the vibrant community emerging in Central Africa. With nine stakes total across both Congos, this region represents one of the fastest-growing areas for the faith.
The Philippines continues its long-standing importance to the church, with 141 stakes making it one of the largest concentrations outside the United States. The four new stakes reinforce the archipelago's strategic significance.
Even in traditionally Catholic regions like Spain and Latin America, the church steadily builds its presence. Spain's two new stakes suggest accelerating growth in Western Europe, while Brazil and Mexico's additions maintain their positions as leading LDS nations after the United States.
The partnership with MrBeast, even if currently inactive, reflects the church's willingness to embrace modern digital platforms to advance its humanitarian mission. Donaldson's influence among younger demographics could prove invaluable for volunteer recruitment, particularly for service projects requiring manual labor or community participation.
Simultaneously, the stake growth demonstrates traditional organizational expansion, suggesting the church's dual approach to growth: leveraging contemporary digital tools while strengthening conventional religious structures. This strategy allows the faith to reach both tech-savvy youth through platforms like JustServe and build lasting community institutions through new stakes.
The Diamond sponsorship level indicates significant financial investment in Beast Philanthropy's operations. While exact figures remain undisclosed, such partnerships typically involve substantial contributions that enable large-scale charitable projects. The church's involvement may have helped fund some of MrBeast's famous cash giveaways or community improvement projects.
Looking ahead, the dormant status of the MrBeast partnership raises questions about future collaborations between religious organizations and digital influencers. As Generation Z and Millennials increasingly turn to social media for inspiration and community, such alliances could become more common. However, aligning the values and methods of a 200-year-old religious institution with those of a modern content creator presents inherent challenges.
The stake growth trajectory suggests the LDS Church will continue its geographic diversification. Africa, in particular, shows promise as a major growth region, with the Congo developments potentially foreshadowing expansion into neighboring nations. The Philippines and Latin America remain stable strongholds, while Europe presents opportunities for gradual establishment.
For MrBeast, the partnership with a religious organization may have represented an experiment in channeling his philanthropic efforts through established institutional frameworks. His brand thrives on direct, often spectacular acts of generosity captured on camera. Collaborating with a structured organization like the LDS Church might have required adjustments to his spontaneous style.
The JustServe platform itself benefits from increased visibility regardless of the partnership's current status. Millions of MrBeast fans were introduced to the app, potentially creating lasting awareness among demographics that might not typically engage with religious-sponsored volunteer platforms.
Both developments—the high-profile partnership and the record stake creation—highlight the evolving nature of religious organizations in the 21st century. The LDS Church simultaneously engages with global pop culture phenomena while expanding its traditional institutional footprint worldwide.
This dual strategy may define successful religious organizations moving forward: maintaining core structures and beliefs while adapting outreach methods to contemporary communication channels. The MrBeast partnership, however brief, demonstrated willingness to meet younger generations where they are—on YouTube and social media.
As 2025 progresses, observers will watch whether the Beast Philanthropy collaboration revives or if the church pursues similar partnerships with other digital influencers. Meanwhile, the stake growth numbers will continue reflecting demographic shifts and missionary success across continents.
The intersection of viral philanthropy and organized religion creates fascinating possibilities for addressing global challenges. Whether through MrBeast's attention-grabbing generosity or the church's sustained community building, both approaches aim to mobilize people toward service and compassion.
In an era of increasing secularization, such collaborations may become essential for religious institutions seeking relevance among digitally native populations. The LDS Church's experiment with MrBeast represents a bold step into this new territory, even if the path forward remains uncertain.
Ultimately, these parallel developments—digital partnership and physical expansion—demonstrate how modern faith organizations navigate complex landscapes. They must balance tradition with innovation, local community building with global outreach, and institutional stability with adaptive flexibility.
The story of MrBeast and the LDS Church serves as a case study in contemporary religious strategy, where even the most unexpected partnerships can illuminate new paths for humanitarian impact and community growth.