Tech Forum

I am a new stake clerk. I have been told that there has been a recent change in the process for recording Melchizedek Priesthood ordinations, and that the stake now prints the ordination certificate.
I have looked in both Church Handbooks, but I cannot find the step by step process for these ordinations. Can someone direct me to the right source or at least tell me what the process is?
Thanks.

I'm not sure what you mean by "step by step".

In the stake MLS, you can enter the information by clicking on "More" in Reports/Forms, then "Melchizedek Ordination Record".

For the certificate, you go to the same place but click on "Certificates".

watroussb wrote:I am a new stake clerk. I have been told that there has been a recent change in the process for recording Melchizedek Priesthood ordinations, and that the stake now prints the ordination certificate.
I have looked in both Church Handbooks, but I cannot find the step by step process for these ordinations. Can someone direct me to the right source or at least tell me what the process is?
Thanks.

You can find a step-by-step process at Record Melchizedek Priesthood Ordinations on the Record Keeping and Technology Support site.

As for who prints the ordination certificate, it is true that the stake can record the MP ordination, and that the stake can print the certificate, but either of those tasks can be performed at the ward level, too. Each stake has flexibility in how it implements the MP approval and ordination process.

When I was ward clerk, I tried to get my stake clerk use the new features with no success. I resorted to the old way is has been done for years:
1. Ward Clerk provides ordination recommend form to the Bishop
2. Stake representative witnesses the ordination
3. Stake provides the ordination recommend back to the Ward Clerk
4. Ward Clerk updates the Membership record and prints the certificate
5. Ward Clerk sends the certificate to the Stake for signature
6. Ward Clerk receives the certificate from the stake and provides it to the member

Steps 3-5 can be handled more effectively if the Stake updates the record and prints the certificate. The breakdown I witnessed most often was the information never came back from the stake to show the ordination was accomplished. Only when the stake questioned why the ordination was not recorded was I successful at getting information back from them that it had, in fact, been accomplished.

If you know who is doing the ordination and the date it is to take place you can print out the certificate before hand and have it ready to be signed at the ordination. Then record the ordination in MLS once it has been accomplished. The ordination does not have to me accomplished in order to print a certificate.

The difference that is being mentioned is that the stake can record a mp advancement. I think its funny you were looking for an actual process....

JohnShaw wrote:I think its funny you were looking for an actual process....

I am glad they are defining an actual process.

I have always found it intriguing that stakes that think through and establish an actual process usually get their Melchizedek Priesthood ordinances recorded on the membership records, and rarely have to scramble to update records later when temple ordinances and missions come along.

Gary_Miller wrote:If you know who is doing the ordination and the date it is to take place you can print out the certificate before hand and have it ready to be signed at the ordination. Then record the ordination in MLS once it has been accomplished. The ordination does not have to me accomplished in order to print a certificate.

True, and that happened (rarely). Usually I only knew that there is going to be an ordination - I almost never knew who and the when almost always happened when the stake representative was available which we could not predict. For AP, it is commonly the father, but for MP not so obvious.

lajackson wrote:

JohnShaw wrote:I think its funny you were looking for an actual process....

I am glad they are defining an actual process.

I have always found it intriguing that stakes that think through and establish an actual process usually get their Melchizedek Priesthood ordinances recorded on the membership records, and rarely have to scramble to update records later when temple ordinances and missions come along.

100% agree. I do quality and process improvement for a living. If you don't plan the process, a process plans you. Too often we forget the links and potential failures that can occur, especially when there are multiple data hand-offs where a simple miss breaks the chain. Simplification of the steps will always yield fewer errors. With all the handoff's that used to be required to get MP ordinations properly recorded, it's a testamant to all involved that we do as well as we do.

As you can tell, there are a variety of ways in which this can be accomplished. I've found it most efficient to process Priesthood ordinations, prepare the certificates, obtain the Stake President's and High Councilor's signatures, then provide the certificate and original form to the assigned High Councilor. From there, the High Councilor takes them to the Ward Clerk. The Ward clerk files the form and provides the certificate to the member (or Mother/ wife so it doesn't get wrinkled). I also maintain a copy of the form just in case it has to be re-printed.

I've got an actual step-by-step chart that shows the process from beginning to end.

Regards,

Brother Van Der Heyden
Stake Clerk
Washington Utah East Stake