Tech Forum

We have a missionary whose family moved from one ward to another in our stake about two months ago. His membership records are in the new ward. How do we get his Ward Missionary subcategory moved to the new ward also? Will his Ward Missionary subcategory be moved automatically (hasn't happened yet) and if so, how long will it take?

Your bishop has to call the Missionary Department in SLC and let them know your ward is picking up the financial obligation for the missionary. The financial obligation does not transfer with the membership record.

Only the bishop of the receiving ward can do this, if I understand the process correctly.

4ward4ever wrote:Your bishop has to call the Missionary Department in SLC and let them know your ward is picking up the financial obligation for the missionary. The financial obligation does not transfer with the membership record.

Only the bishop of the receiving ward can do this, if I understand the process correctly.

A bishop, clerk or other representative in either ward can call but both bishops must first agree on the transfer date. See the Ward missionary fund article in the Wiki for more information.

eblood66 wrote:A bishop, clerk or other representative in either ward can call but both bishops must first agree on the transfer date. See the Ward missionary fund article in the Wiki for more information.

Information sent to me directly from MLS Support was that my bishop had to make the call for a missionary who's family had moved into our ward. Either way, the process is not automatic - the two bishops should discuss the timing and then a contact has to be made to affect the change.

4ward4ever wrote:Information sent to me directly from MLS Support was that my bishop had to make the call for a missionary who's family had moved into our ward. Either way, the process is not automatic - the two bishops should discuss the timing and then a contact has to be made to affect the change.

It's possible that the policy has changed but as ward clerk of the ward a missionary moved out of, I called to make a transfer about 6 months ago. Of course, my bishop talked to the other bishop first.

If anyone has direct experience that the policy is now more strict it would be good to know so we can update the wiki. I've got a similar case again in a couple weeks. If the other bishop needs to make the call I'd love to know before my bishop contacts him.

eblood66 wrote:It's possible that the policy has changed but as ward clerk of the ward a missionary moved out of, I called to make a transfer about 6 months ago. Of course, my bishop talked to the other bishop first.

If anyone has direct experience that the policy is now more strict it would be good to know so we can update the wiki. I've got a similar case again in a couple weeks. If the other bishop needs to make the call I'd love to know before my bishop contacts him.

As a ward clerk and even stake clerk, I was told by LUS that the bishop's had to first communicate (basically to agree on the transfer date) and that one of the bishops then had to be the one to call it in. So I was not given direction on which bishop had to call it in, but that it did have to be a bishop.

A large factor is probably the person you are talking to. Where some of us have been told it had to be a bishop, that is probably the policy, while those who have been able to do it as a clerk probably communicated with a less rigid analyst.

crislapi wrote:A large factor is probably the person you are talking to.

I certainly agree.

crislapi wrote:Where some of us have been told it had to be a bishop, that is probably the policy, while those who have been able to do it as a clerk probably communicated with a less rigid analyst.

Or it's also possible that the policy is that a clerk can be authorized to make the call, but those who were told that the bishop had to do it probably communicated with an overly rigid analyst.

Personally, as a clerk I try to offload as much work from the bishop or stake president as I can. I find it hard to believe that a clerk, who is trusted to do all sorts of things regarding finances and membership records under the bishop's direction, cannot be trusted to transfer missionary financial responsibility once the bishops have communicated and agreed on the transfer.

crislapi wrote:I was not given direction on which bishop had to call it in, but that it did have to be a bishop.

I'd think it would go smoother if the ward accepting the responsibility for future payments called it in.

Alan_Brown wrote:I find it hard to believe that a clerk, who is trusted to do all sorts of things regarding finances and membership records under the bishop's direction, cannot be trusted to transfer missionary financial responsibility once the bishops have communicated and agreed on the transfer.

The key to the whole matter is that the finance department believe that the receiving bishop is willing and ready to make the change at the beginning of the determined month. They are most confident of this when the receiving bishop makes the call.

I agree with Alan. Let the clerk do it. The call will go best if the clerk of the receiving ward makes it clear that both bishops have communicated, have agreed on the transition month, and that the receiving ward bishop has asked the clerk to make the call on his behalf.