Tech Forum

Is there a way to set up a requiring fast offering expense, such as an automatice electronic payment. For example, a widowed sister that recieves help with rent every month. My guess is that the answer is "no" but my bishop wishes to have it researched.

You probably mean 'recurring' fast offering disbursement. I haven't heard of a way but someone else may have an answer one way or the other.

I think that's where a good Ward Clerk comes in.

GeoCPU wrote:... such as an automatice electronic payment

Wards have no capability of making EFTs. The only mechanism they have is cutting checks.

While you can't make an EFT, perhaps you can prepay the landlord for a year and ask for monthly receipts
as the "Credit" is applied over time. It may save some paperwork, but not quite sure how the church looks
on such a disbursement.

I would just set up a reminder in your clerk's office, or you can do it with Google calendars.

atticusewig wrote:While you can't make an EFT, perhaps you can prepay the landlord for a year and ask for monthly receipts
as the "Credit" is applied over time. It may save some paperwork, but not quite sure how the church looks
on such a disbursement.

I don't think that's a good idea. Things happen. Getting a refund on the unused portion could be a major headache.

I don't think so, because it seems like there are two policies that conflict with such a payment. First, in most cases fast offering assistance is intended to be temporary. The number one objective of all welfare assistance is to help the member become self-reliant. Even members who receive long-term assistance do all that they can. An automatically recurring payment would tend to decrease oversight over that expense, and might encourage reliance by the member, in direct opposition to the first principle.

Second, the bishop has to approve all of the fast offering expenses. To me, setting a payment on autopilot results in the bishop not actually approving each of the expenses.

I'm not saying that the bishop can't approve expenses that recur, just that he has to approve each one. I agree with RussellHltn that a good Ward Clerk is invaluable in keeping track of any recurring expenses, maybe by providing the bishop with a monthly Fast Offering Recipient report and having the bishop preapprove any expenses that will occur in the next month. That way, the member's needs remain visible to the bishop, but he isn't constantly having to handle specific requests directly from the member.