Stake High Council more callings ?

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sbradshaw
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Re: Stake High Council more callings ?

#11

Post by sbradshaw »

There are only a few things that specifically need to be delegated to high councilors, so branching from what Zane suggests, it might be a good thing to evaluate (if you haven't already) if there are any assignments given to the limited high councilors that could be given to others instead.
Samuel Bradshaw • If you desire to serve God, you are called to the work.
russellhltn
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Re: Stake High Council more callings ?

#12

Post by russellhltn »

See how much is Handbook and how much is "tradition".

Handbook 2: 18.2.2: "The bishopric schedules high councilors to speak as assigned by the stake president. The stake president determines the frequency of such assignments. It is not necessary for high councilors to speak in sacrament meeting every month."
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Re: Stake High Council more callings ?

#13

Post by lajackson »

idefaye wrote:
lajackson wrote: A high council has 12 members. Many years ago, stakes were authorized to call alternate high councilors, but that position was specifically ended.
Any place I could find the official communication regarding this, to transfer it my the stake presidency ?
The 1976 General Handbook of Instructions allowed up to six alternate high councilors. The number was approved by the First Presidency or by a General Authority at the time of a stake conference at which he was presiding.

The 1983 General Handbook of Instructions allowed the stake president to call alternate high councilors when there were more than 12 units in a stake and it was necessary to assign one high councilor to each ward and branch.

The 1998 Church Handbook of Instructions no longer makes reference to alternate high councilors. The high council consists of 12 high priests, and provisions are included in the Handbook to ask other high priests in the stake to participate in a disciplinary council when all 12 high councilors are not available.

So somewhere between 1983 and 1998, alternate high councilors went away.

Sorry I couldn't get it closer. I keep throwing things away.
idefaye
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Re: Stake High Council more callings ?

#14

Post by idefaye »

lajackson wrote:
idefaye wrote:
lajackson wrote: A high council has 12 members. Many years ago, stakes were authorized to call alternate high councilors, but that position was specifically ended.
Any place I could find the official communication regarding this, to transfer it my the stake presidency ?
The 1976 General Handbook of Instructions allowed up to six alternate high councilors. The number was approved by the First Presidency or by a General Authority at the time of a stake conference at which he was presiding.

The 1983 General Handbook of Instructions allowed the stake president to call alternate high councilors when there were more than 12 units in a stake and it was necessary to assign one high councilor to each ward and branch.

The 1998 Church Handbook of Instructions no longer makes reference to alternate high councilors. The high council consists of 12 high priests, and provisions are included in the Handbook to ask other high priests in the stake to participate in a disciplinary council when all 12 high councilors are not available.

So somewhere between 1983 and 1998, alternate high councilors went away.

Sorry I couldn't get it closer. I keep throwing things away.
Thank you so much for all this detailed research !
idefaye
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Re: Stake High Council more callings ?

#15

Post by idefaye »

zaneclark wrote:Here's a wild idea... There seems to be no limit on the number of stake assistant clerks, so appoint a bunch to help with all the units. They could essentially do what the HC do, bring messages from the presidency and report back. I'm sure some will say they have no authority, but as a former HC a couple of times, I don't remember having much authority...:-)
I am not comfortable with for many reasons. The HC has authority to speak and represent the presidency. He extends callings and set appears to callings as specified under the direction of the presidency. This is authority.
Besides, this has been tried in our stake and the member called was also used as a third counselor in the presidency. When a general authority visited, we were asked to correct this at once.
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Re: Stake High Council more callings ?

#16

Post by russellhltn »

lajackson wrote:So somewhere between 1983 and 1998, alternate high councilors went away.
Question, was there a corresponding change to HC assignments (such as speaking)? The current handbook specifically says monthly talks by the HC is not necessary. I'm not sure if that's addressing a custom or custom based on prior direction.
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Re: Stake High Council more callings ?

#17

Post by lajackson »

russellhltn wrote:Question, was there a corresponding change to HC assignments (such as speaking)? The current handbook specifically says monthly talks by the HC is not necessary. I'm not sure if that's addressing a custom or custom based on prior direction.
I think it is relatively new, but I will check this evening. Back to the library.

In the meantime, I find it interesting that, in the current Handbook, speaking in sacrament meeting is at the end of the list of high councilor responsibilities. I think there is an order in their responsibilities for a reason.

A stake with only five wards starts with 15 high councilor assignments to make. This is before any of them are assigned to work with stake auxiliaries and programs, to oversee missionary, temple, and family history work, and last of all, to represent the stake presidency by speaking in sacrament meetings and other settings.

A stake presidency that struggles with high council assignments might want to carefully read Handbook 2, 15.3.1 and then start with a clean slate as they prayerfully make assignments in the order they are listed there.

It is obvious that a high councilor will have many assignments. The more inspired the assignments, the better the stake presidency will be represented by the high councilors and influence the stake.
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Re: Stake High Council more callings ?

#18

Post by lajackson »

russellhltn wrote:Question, was there a corresponding change to HC assignments (such as speaking)? The current handbook specifically says monthly talks by the HC is not necessary. I'm not sure if that's addressing a custom or custom based on prior direction.
Back in the days when we still used to check our email by candlelight, the stake president assigned a high councilor to visit sacrament meeting once a month and be the principal speaker. He took another high councilor, elders quorum president, high priests group leader, or returned missionary with him, who also spoke. The bishop got to provide a youth speaker.

The 1983 General Handbook of Instructions just mentions the assigned high councilor speaking once a month.

The 1998 Church Handbook of Instrutions has them speaking usually once a month, though the stake president was allowed to adjust the frequency of speaking assignments according to the needs of the ward.

The 2010 Handbook currently says the stake president determines the frequency off high councilor speaking assignments, and specifically says it is not necessary for high councilors to speak in sacrament meeting every month.

So it appears that the move away from monthly began in the late 1990s and was codified by 2010.

Codified is an interesting word. In most stakes, I think high councilors still speak monthly, although I know of a stake that has stake conference in April and October, so the stake presidency does not send out high councilors in those months because the Church also holds General Conference. That, Fast Sunday, and often Easter in April would leave a bishop with only one or even no Sunday at all to teach his members in sacrament meeting.

On the other hand, I have found that most branches are more than happy to have a high councilor visit (and speak) several times a month.
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Re: Stake High Council more callings ?

#19

Post by russellhltn »

lajackson wrote:On the other hand, I have found that most branches are more than happy to have a high councilor visit (and speak) several times a month.
Probably related to the "better him than me" theory. ;)
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lajackson
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Re: Stake High Council more callings ?

#20

Post by lajackson »

Here is one more suggestion for the stake president with only 12 high councilors and 17 units.

We get so used to having "high council" Sunday in a stake that it is easy to forget that there are more Sundays in the month when the high council might visit and speak. The stake presidency might send out 12 speakers on the 2nd Sunday and 5 more on the 3rd or 4th Sunday. Every unit gets visited. Half the high council speaks twice one month and then only once the next month.

This works in an area where the units are spread out. It gets easier when more than one unit meets in a meetinghouse. We used to cover 18 units by having a high councilor speak in all three or four sacrament meetings in one meetinghouse on the same Sunday.

Many years ago, one stake executive secretary casually mentioned to me that part of his responsibility was not only to schedule the high council speaking assignments in his stake, but to arrange the airlines tickets, as well. That must have been fun trying to stay under budget.
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