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How to make a missionary an acting branch leader

Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2015 10:13 am
by rchomskis
Hello, I am a district clerk/executive secretary in Lithuania. Recently in one of our smaller branches a missionary (an Elder) was called to be an acting branch leader. Can someone pin point me to the steps I need to take so that this missionary can have access to leadership information for his branch? I understand that leadership callings are not managed in MLS anymore, but in LCR (or at least I don't see an option to do this on my District MLS computer). Do I have to request this missionary's membership record from his home ward in order to be able to see him on my district membership rolls and therefore to be able to select him for the position? Or is there a way in LCR to manage out-of-unit branch leadership info on a district level? Thank you very much for your help! This question has been bothering me for two weeks now and I still can't figure out what to do.

Re: How to make a missionary an acting branch leader

Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2015 11:20 am
by scgallafent
Contact the Global Service Center to make the change. I have logged the issue so that it can be corrected.

Re: How to make a missionary an acting branch leader

Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2015 11:41 am
by rchomskis
scgallafent wrote:Contact the Global Service Center to make the change. I have logged the issue so that it can be corrected.
Thanks for the reply. :)

I am pretty sure I will have to do this same branch leadership "calling management" in the near future. Will I then have to call GSC again or will there be a possibility to do this by stake/district clerks on LCR?

Also, whats the correct way of assigning missionaries to branch leadership positions? To temporarily move their membership records from their home wards into the branch they're serving (that's what mission president told me to do, but I still don't think that's the correct way), or to try to add them as out-of-unit leaders when the option becomes available on LCR? Thank you again :)

Re: How to make a missionary an acting branch leader

Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2015 9:31 pm
by sbradshaw
Assigning them as an out-of-unit leader is usually the way it should be done. But there may be differences with missionaries and branches/districts that I'm not aware of (as opposed to leaders called to serve in Young Single Adult wards, for example).

Re: How to make a missionary an acting branch leader

Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 9:30 am
by scgallafent
rchomskis wrote:I am pretty sure I will have to do this same branch leadership "calling management" in the near future. Will I then have to call GSC again or will there be a possibility to do this by stake/district clerks on LCR?
For the branch where you have an acting branch leader, you will need to contact the GSC until this particular issue is resolved. You should not have any issues assigning branch presidents in your other branches.
rchomskis wrote:Also, whats the correct way of assigning missionaries to branch leadership positions? To temporarily move their membership records from their home wards into the branch they're serving (that's what mission president told me to do, but I still don't think that's the correct way), or to try to add them as out-of-unit leaders when the option becomes available on LCR? Thank you again :)
Do NOT move the missionary's record from his home ward. The proper sequence is to do the following:
  • Have an existing leader with rights to manage out-of-unit members add the missionary as an out-of-unit member
  • Change the leadership assignment using your role as district clerk
We know this isn't an ideal workflow and it is being reviewed.

The mission also has the ability to record this change in assignment, but is still subject to the issue with managing out-of-unit members.

Re: How to make a missionary an acting branch leader

Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 2:51 pm
by scgallafent
A missionary would normally be assigned as a branch president and not as an acting branch leader. Is there a reason you are using the acting branch leader position?

Re: How to make a missionary an acting branch leader

Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 3:28 pm
by sbradshaw
The LDSTech wiki indicates that "acting branch leader" should be used for missionaries:
The “acting branch leader” is used in cases where a missionary is serving in a branch president’s position while on a mission. An “acting branch leader” position filled by a missionary does not require a setting apart date or the day he actively begins serving. In CDOL, if the name of the missionary is not available, the mission president is normally entered in the position, although it can be filled by a district president.
However, the LDSTech wiki is only semi-official. Is there an official source anywhere?

Re: How to make a missionary an acting branch leader

Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 3:45 pm
by russellhltn
While the Wiki may not be official, that information appears to have been entered by an employee of Member and Statistical Records Division. So, I'd say the information is pretty good.

Perhaps there's some confusion between a senior missionary whose mission is to serve as a branch president, and different type of missionary (example: proselyting) who is placed there temporarily.

Re: How to make a missionary an acting branch leader

Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 4:09 pm
by scgallafent
The product manager is taking this back to the appropriate councils for review.