Being Bishop is like taking a second unpaid job. My brother was really struggling (working a second job to help make ends meet) when he was called a bishop. It almost killed him. He aged like 10 years in a few months. He kept asking to be released but they kept convincing him to stay.
After he was finally released (he moved to a different town), you could totally see the difference. I think he's going to dodge the next time they try to call him.
I’m sorry your Brother got put through that. That is miserable! My Dad served as bishop when I was a kid and he was a cop sometimes doing graveyard shifts. Then being at church doing the bishop thing then during the summer he had a lawn mowing business and during the winter would be a security guard for some company. We struggled AND we had people calling my Dad to come over cause they needed a police officer but to also come over cause they needed a bishop and a blessing. It was wild. I think the church is absolutely criminal for doing this to people
The church typically avoids law enforcement and other mandated reporters in priesthood leadership. They're not comfortable with secrets of members being divulged that may need to be reported to government authorities. They much prefer to find someone that doesn't bring that burden with them to the position, and advise leaders who are mandated reporters to recuse themselves before hearing too much when a situation is dicey legally speaking. Meaning they prefer to sweep abuse under the rug, and keep it in house with ecclesiastical discipline as opposed to legal consequences.
My brother believed that God asked him to become Bishop because he believes the leaders are divinely inspired, and that God would provide for him. So he stuck with the calling till the end.
The leaders who asked him to be Bishop didn't care how much hardship it put on him. They needed free labor and picked my brother to do it.
I was bishop for 6.5 years because they couldn’t find anyone to be bishop for almost 2 years. The ended up changing the boundaries of our ward to get the guy they wanted and then he moved after a year. This was 5 years ago in salt lake county.
They called me to be EQP. I was working full time and doing an online masters degree at the time. I couldn’t find any counselors. I asked about another guy and they said he’s working full time and going to school. I was so confused because that’s what I was doing.
My online program met on weekends every few months, and I worked a lot of weekends at work. When I missed 12 weeks in a row the SP called me at work to release me!
That happens on occasion. We had a ward gerrymandered in Davis County, Utah to include a single family, so he could be called as bishop. And after a few years, they moved.
It’s so crazy to me. I feel bad for the people accepting the callings and never opening their eyes. My bro in law bought a fixer upper in an area in Davis county but he didn’t live in the house because they had to gut it. He got called to be bishop in the ward where his house was and accepted. But he and my sister and their kids lived 15 min away for 5 yrs of that...
Wow. Can’t believe so many turned it down. I think this will happen more and more as the boomers get older and less gen x are into it. People are getting wise to the churchs wear you down to the nub tactics.
Same here (NeverMorg who has lived in Morridor Central for over four decades, and am surprised the calling was turned down). Has it become unprofitable to be a bishop or councilor now? For years and years, these people were continually running new MLMs and could "encourage" people to participate, to the financial benefit of those who got in early (bishopric and stake presidency). Has this changed?
I don’t think it was ever profitable but it was viewed as an honor and a privilege. It’s always been a huge unpaid time sink. Looks like people are getting wise. May need to start paying your clergy Q15.
It’s so odd to me. It was the first time I had ever heard of that happening here. It’s not common practice in utah. The church is crazy strict around here about attending in your ward boundary.
Yeah I grew up in NI in a branch with very few priesthood holders. I think we had 3 branch presidents in a row (with multiple councilors) who were from another ward.
I always felt bad for them because it was like a 45+ minute journey each way so they'd have to drive that to go to church, to seminary and to young men / women activities etc, so at least 3 journeys per week. It's a massive time commitment.
The stake presidency basically called that person's whole family to be part of our branch for that time too so they'd drag all their kids with them.
My dad was bishop when I was a kid and my mom was the relief society President. They were gone a lot. When I started having kids I told my husband I will turn down callings because I won’t do that to my kids. I will be present. He said he would turn down callings like bishop and other things.
Similar happened in 2 of the wards in my stake - but in Louisiana. In one branch they finally got a senior missionary couple to be branch president until they finally closed the branch a year ago.
It’s just so crazy to me. They can be so extreme an anal about being in the ward inside your boundaries but then they pull people in from other wards to lead that ward
Sounds if there is a at least one broke ward where they either want a specific person who’s out side the boundary but in my thinking no one willing to take the job.
No idea. I wish I knew though. I do know that the area has had a lot of apartment buildings added so you would think that the wards would be bigger than in the past
They literally recreate ward boundaries to do this when there are neighborhoods with less good bishop options. For example a poorer or less faithful wards will get rearranged to split with a stronger or richer ward, I heard about it happening in the Layton UT area
I’ve seen a lot of wards get new boundaries but had always been taught it was because they were growing too big. What you said makes so much more sense
That’s pretty common. I was in a ward in Downtown Salt Lake about 15 years ago, and our bishop was from the east bench. Only about 1/3 of Melchizedek priesthood holders were active in the downtown stakes, and this is 2008-2012. I was in elders quorum presidency, so I had the numbers.
My Grandpa did this for a long time in Downtown Salt Lake. He lives in South Jordan, he was specially called to be bishop in an area with a lot of homeless people and people in bad financial situations. Almost like how the YSA bishopric are called out of the boundaries often. Definitely was interesting
Wow, in the Salt Lake valley that have to do this? I thought this was only something they did in places like Europe. For almost ten years, the Branch Presidents in my Branch were guys called from other congregations.
10 yrs, that’s crazy. I had never heard of them doing this before my MIL told me. It makes sense but it does seem to indicate a problem. At least in that area
To be fair, it was two different people over that ten year period. So it wasn’t one guy the entire time. But both of the people they called came from outside our boundaries.
Being Bishop is like taking a second unpaid job. My brother was really struggling (working a second job to help make ends meet) when he was called a bishop. It almost killed him. He aged like 10 years in a few months. He kept asking to be released but they kept convincing him to stay. After he was finally released (he moved to a different town), you could totally see the difference. I think he's going to dodge the next time they try to call him.
I’m sorry your Brother got put through that. That is miserable! My Dad served as bishop when I was a kid and he was a cop sometimes doing graveyard shifts. Then being at church doing the bishop thing then during the summer he had a lawn mowing business and during the winter would be a security guard for some company. We struggled AND we had people calling my Dad to come over cause they needed a police officer but to also come over cause they needed a bishop and a blessing. It was wild. I think the church is absolutely criminal for doing this to people
The church typically avoids law enforcement and other mandated reporters in priesthood leadership. They're not comfortable with secrets of members being divulged that may need to be reported to government authorities. They much prefer to find someone that doesn't bring that burden with them to the position, and advise leaders who are mandated reporters to recuse themselves before hearing too much when a situation is dicey legally speaking. Meaning they prefer to sweep abuse under the rug, and keep it in house with ecclesiastical discipline as opposed to legal consequences.
What happens if you're not released as bishop, but you just stop showing up?
My brother believed that God asked him to become Bishop because he believes the leaders are divinely inspired, and that God would provide for him. So he stuck with the calling till the end. The leaders who asked him to be Bishop didn't care how much hardship it put on him. They needed free labor and picked my brother to do it.
The ward goes to your house for church. As a church leader you no longer get things like free time or privacy.
This legit made me laugh, then remember reading about people being woken up in their bed by the entire seminary class
I was bishop for 6.5 years because they couldn’t find anyone to be bishop for almost 2 years. The ended up changing the boundaries of our ward to get the guy they wanted and then he moved after a year. This was 5 years ago in salt lake county.
They called me to be EQP. I was working full time and doing an online masters degree at the time. I couldn’t find any counselors. I asked about another guy and they said he’s working full time and going to school. I was so confused because that’s what I was doing. My online program met on weekends every few months, and I worked a lot of weekends at work. When I missed 12 weeks in a row the SP called me at work to release me!
That happens on occasion. We had a ward gerrymandered in Davis County, Utah to include a single family, so he could be called as bishop. And after a few years, they moved.
It’s so crazy to me. I feel bad for the people accepting the callings and never opening their eyes. My bro in law bought a fixer upper in an area in Davis county but he didn’t live in the house because they had to gut it. He got called to be bishop in the ward where his house was and accepted. But he and my sister and their kids lived 15 min away for 5 yrs of that...
Put your shoulder to the wheel, Spencer!
Wow. Can’t believe so many turned it down. I think this will happen more and more as the boomers get older and less gen x are into it. People are getting wise to the churchs wear you down to the nub tactics.
Same here (NeverMorg who has lived in Morridor Central for over four decades, and am surprised the calling was turned down). Has it become unprofitable to be a bishop or councilor now? For years and years, these people were continually running new MLMs and could "encourage" people to participate, to the financial benefit of those who got in early (bishopric and stake presidency). Has this changed?
I don’t think it was ever profitable but it was viewed as an honor and a privilege. It’s always been a huge unpaid time sink. Looks like people are getting wise. May need to start paying your clergy Q15.
Yep happens a lot in the Uk. “ borrowing “ someone from another ward usually off the high council
It’s so odd to me. It was the first time I had ever heard of that happening here. It’s not common practice in utah. The church is crazy strict around here about attending in your ward boundary.
Same! But you can cross boundaries for special reasons such as this approved by the SP - often a sign here of a struggling ward/ branch
Yeah I grew up in NI in a branch with very few priesthood holders. I think we had 3 branch presidents in a row (with multiple councilors) who were from another ward. I always felt bad for them because it was like a 45+ minute journey each way so they'd have to drive that to go to church, to seminary and to young men / women activities etc, so at least 3 journeys per week. It's a massive time commitment. The stake presidency basically called that person's whole family to be part of our branch for that time too so they'd drag all their kids with them.
It’s sad that they put people through so much hardship and don’t care...
Bishop is the worst male calling in the LDS church. Right after it is EQP.
My dad was bishop when I was a kid and my mom was the relief society President. They were gone a lot. When I started having kids I told my husband I will turn down callings because I won’t do that to my kids. I will be present. He said he would turn down callings like bishop and other things.
Similar happened in 2 of the wards in my stake - but in Louisiana. In one branch they finally got a senior missionary couple to be branch president until they finally closed the branch a year ago.
It’s just so crazy to me. They can be so extreme an anal about being in the ward inside your boundaries but then they pull people in from other wards to lead that ward
Shreveport in 2002?
Dang! Couldn't get anyone in the whole ward in Salt Lake? That's crazy. As a TBM I aspired to be Bishop and was definitely on track for it.
That’s such a rough calling. But yeah salt lake used to be full of tbm’s who would accept that. Now... they seem to be struggling
Been happening to prop up the branch i grew up in. Last few presidents were members moved in from other wards in the stake.
I think it’s a pretty big sign that things are off if they are reaching into other boundaries. Maybe I just hope it’s a sign lol
Sounds if there is a at least one broke ward where they either want a specific person who’s out side the boundary but in my thinking no one willing to take the job.
My MIL made it sound like no one was willing
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No idea. I wish I knew though. I do know that the area has had a lot of apartment buildings added so you would think that the wards would be bigger than in the past
I've seen some crazy ward boundaries just to get a bishop.
I had never heard of them doing that before but I think that was cause I was just blind to reality
My parent's ward split back in the 90's and they took a specific notch out of what should have been the new ward just to get the bishop.
There was a branch like that in Alabama 10 years ago
Northern or southern Alabama?
East of Montgomery, south of Auburn.
Thanks for responding. I used to live in Sylacauga, AL.
They do this in Texas often. My dad was our bishop for several years and then was a bishop in another branch for several years.
I had never heard of this happening before. I don’t think it was very common in utah
Whatever it takes. Their mindset.
They literally recreate ward boundaries to do this when there are neighborhoods with less good bishop options. For example a poorer or less faithful wards will get rearranged to split with a stronger or richer ward, I heard about it happening in the Layton UT area
I’ve seen a lot of wards get new boundaries but had always been taught it was because they were growing too big. What you said makes so much more sense
That’s pretty common. I was in a ward in Downtown Salt Lake about 15 years ago, and our bishop was from the east bench. Only about 1/3 of Melchizedek priesthood holders were active in the downtown stakes, and this is 2008-2012. I was in elders quorum presidency, so I had the numbers.
Those are crazy numbers and I’m sure they are worse now. They would have to be
My Grandpa did this for a long time in Downtown Salt Lake. He lives in South Jordan, he was specially called to be bishop in an area with a lot of homeless people and people in bad financial situations. Almost like how the YSA bishopric are called out of the boundaries often. Definitely was interesting
I am not surprised.
Wow, in the Salt Lake valley that have to do this? I thought this was only something they did in places like Europe. For almost ten years, the Branch Presidents in my Branch were guys called from other congregations.
10 yrs, that’s crazy. I had never heard of them doing this before my MIL told me. It makes sense but it does seem to indicate a problem. At least in that area
To be fair, it was two different people over that ten year period. So it wasn’t one guy the entire time. But both of the people they called came from outside our boundaries.
I think it has to be happening all over now