LDS Bishops and church callings

[prisonchaplain]

Just a few quick questions that will help me in a discussion I'm having at another site.

1. Do LDS bishops typically put in 40 volunteer hours each week? I understand that they are always "on-call," but an expectation of 40 hours of weekly service seems excessive, from my outsider perspective.

2. How much time to typical members spend volunteering for church callings, outside of actual programs, such as teaching primary during the Sunday 3-hour block?

3. How hard is it for a member to reject a calling, due to being overextended?

[Wingnut]

1) I've never heard an actual numerical figure, but I know there are some former bishops on here who could answer it better.

2) Depends on the calling. For example, I'm the ward music director. I choose the music for Sacrament meeting, and then I lead it on Sundays. I typically plan an entire month of music in one sitting, and it takes about 15 minutes. The Primary teacher probably spends more time preparing her weekly lesson, though.

3) Overextended how? In their personal lives? Or already in callings? If they already have a "big" calling (or multiple callings), it's unlikely that another will be extended to them concurrently. Most members have the mindset, however, that you can't (or don't) say no to a calling. You just don't. I know people who do. I shared my own story on here a few months ago (I think) about how I didn't feel right about a calling extended to me, but that if it was truly what was wanted of me, that I would do it. The counselor in my Bishopric who extended the call listened to me thoughtfully, carefully, and sympathetically. Two weeks later, he came back and told me that the Bishopric felt strongly about that calling. By then I had received my own confirmation that it was in fact right. Some people will tell you that you can't reject a calling, but no one has a gun to their head.

[Madriglace]

Bishops put in alot of hours ... some weeks it could be 40 or others could be 140 and the time on their knees and in prayer is endless. It really isn't expected it just is ... they take the call very seriously and most tend to do their job very well.

The hours the rest of us put in varies according to what we are called to do or what we are involved in. I spend sveral hours a week on my 2 callings and do as much toward the Humanitarian project as I can. Plus VisitingTeaching.

It is up to the member whether to accept or reject a calling. I have never turned down a calling ... I did however tell the Bishop that I don't do Primary or Nursery ... the little kids scare me to death .. but I absolutely LOVE the teenagers ... go figure. Elder Eyring has said that the Lord magnifies those who magnify their callings ... so if we willingly fulfill what we have been asked to do blessings will come that will allow us to do what we have been asked to do. The Lord never asks without giving.

[cjmaldrich]

1.) I've never heard of any expected number of hours for any calling. But as mentioned, bishops are very very busy people and I wouldn't be surprised if a good number of them do put in 40+ hours per week to the work. They go to meetings, perform interviews, figure out the Lord's will, visit members, oversee finances, give or be available for counsel at all times (My wife and I would e-mail our bishop nightly as part of our counsel, and he would usually respond with at least a page worth of guidance for each of us), and so on. In the midst of all that, they have to figure out how to have a paying job, spend quality time with their family, and have time for themselves...

I'm sure I've strayed away from the point of your question, but it shouldn't be mistaken or discounted that the calling of a bishop is one of the toughest church "jobs" there is. Plus I don't know what kind of people you're conversing with... But while it's hard and seems like such a great sacrifice that could destroy a man's life, there are so many blessings from it. After my father-in-law was released after 7 years, my wife's family could spend hours talking about all of the blessings that they got and all of the experiences that made it more than worth it.

2.) I'm a financial clerk, and there are two of us. We alternate staying after the 3-hour church block to take care of finances (usually around two hours to count/enter donations, process and write checks, take care of bills, balance the books, get the bishop's signature, etc.) and occasionally one of us will be called in during the week to take care of an urgent financial task. Other callings vary. My wife spends about 15-20 hours a month outside of church usually as the Visiting Teach coordinator.

I think it also depends on the needs of the ward. I probably spend about as much free time performing the duties of my current calling as I did as a counselor in the Elder's Quorum presidency at a small branch before moving. It's not that I was lazy, but that the ward I'm in now is so much larger that the finances alone require as much attention as the needs of 15-20 guys who mostly still lived at home and didn't have a whole lot of things requiring my attention.

3.) You just open your mouth and say, "NO!" I tried to not accept the call to be in the Elder's Quorum presidency on the basis that I was going to school full time during the day, working full time at night, and rarely had time to do anything other than church on Sunday. In fact I had asked two weeks prior to be released from my previous calling because I was unable to work out a schedule that would allow me to continue fulfilling my duties once I started school again. I definitely felt that there was some pressure on me to accept. I'm not angry or bitter about it; in fact I'm glad that I did accept it because it was a great blessing for me and everything really worked itself out better than I had imagined it would.

I think that any good respectable priesthood leader who is extending a call has put in the time and prayer to figure out whether you are the person for the job or not. Despite what we may think ourselves to be fit for, the Lord knows what we are fit for. So I don't see the pressure to accept a calling (I don't know if this is a regular thing or not - it's just my observation on the basis of one of the four callings that I've had in my life; the only one that I tried to say no to ) as a leader trying to exert their power and authority over you. Instead, it's more that they received a confirmation that they need to call you.

This can go into the topic of revelation and how it works, but I've already typed a ton of things... So for a simple answer to your question, No one is required to accept a call, but I would say that resistance on the part of a person being called (without a serious reason like moral or ethical issues) could lead to a certain amount of pressure from the priesthood leader or fellow church members - sometimes a lot of pressure and sometimes a little.

[Misshalfway]

I don't think the expectation set of bishops is calculated or measured in terms of hours spent on the job. I agree that maybe some weeks are heavier than others. I suppose it all depends on the needs of the people and the need for the bishop's involvement -- something most bishops give without a second thought. But yeah....they work long hours in addition to their professions and the demands of family. So do the rest of the people who work in the church, but some callings just require more time than others. Sometimes the callings in the youth or callings in the Relief Society are time takers too.

But I will say that bishops, as well as every other person who serves in any particular calling, are counseled to be wise about how they use their time and to serve in balance. It is often said that no other success can substitute for failure in one's home. I think perhaps it may be pitfall for some to sacrifice family time for the needs of the ward thinking that this is what makes a great servant. Such a sacrifice isn't in line with the expectations of the office as each member of the church is responsible for their own lives and bishops are not there to fix everyones lives. I suppose it is often the case that bishops ( and other leaders) need to learn the beauty of delegation as Moses did and perhaps learn the value of a short sermon.

Sometimes it is prudent, and even supported by confirmation of the Spirit to decline a calling or to leave a calling early. Stuff like this happens all the time. Everyone must serve and should serve and shouldn't try to shirk their duties to the body of the church. But it is not necessary to extend oneself beyond capacity to ones detriment to call themselves a good Christian. In fact, part of the lesson of serving is learning "how to serve" properly with regards to time commitment and proper health.

But if you ask me, most Mormons waste and wear out their lives in service to the church and would err on the side of serving too much. :) And many serve in more than one calling at one time.

And....I am NOT back. Just a momentary relapse. I am going back to my leave.

[TruthSeekerToo]

Just a few quick questions that will help me in a discussion I'm having at another site.

1. Do LDS bishops typically put in 40 volunteer hours each week? I understand that they are always "on-call," but an expectation of 40 hours of weekly service seems excessive, from my outsider perspective.

2. How much time to typical members spend volunteering for church callings, outside of actual programs, such as teaching primary during the Sunday 3-hour block?

3. How hard is it for a member to reject a calling, due to being overextended?

I have no idea for #1

2. This is tricky to add up. If you don't count the time the teacher actually teaches you still have to count the time spent planning the lesson. The choir is voluntary but the pianist and choirister are callings-so I guess we'd count their time but not the choirs time? The Enrichment activities (women's meeting) are voluntary to go to, but the committee is called and has to be there. So you can see how this gets tricky.

There is just no way to average this number!

I would estimate about 15-20 hours a month for myself. That does not include choir or attending ward or stake parties or baptisms or church. That includes my leadership calling, meetings, visiting teaching and planning talks or lessons.

3. In reality it is easy. There is an expectation of willingness to serve, though. Sometimes a bishop has a very difficult time filling a position. People do say no. Lots of them.

And they say no for all different reasons, not just being overextended.

[Vort]

Just a few quick questions that will help me in a discussion I'm having at another site.

1. Do LDS bishops typically put in 40 volunteer hours each week? I understand that they are always "on-call," but an expectation of 40 hours of weekly service seems excessive, from my outsider perspective.

I don't know what's typical. My brother, a new bishop, is putting in about 30-35 hours a week right now. The previous bishop put in about 20 hours a week, but left things a real mess for my brother.

You need to understand that the calling of bishop may be the most time-intensive calling in the Church, other than full-time callings like missionary service or being called as a full-time General Authority.

2. How much time to typical members spend volunteering for church callings, outside of actual programs, such as teaching primary during the Sunday 3-hour block?

There really is no "typical" time; it depends on the calling. If you are a quorum or auxiliary president, you will probably spend between five and twenty hours a week. If you are a counselor in a presidency, you will probably average two or three hours a week, a little more on some weeks. If you are a class teacher, you will spend an hour or two a week preparing your lesson, and often that's all. Clerks might find themselves spending several hours a week outside of Church, with financial clerks putting in some hours at the end of the year. And so on...many members spend little or no time outside Church on their callings.

Home teaching (for the men) and visiting teaching (for the women) is another matter. These positions are not callings, strictly speaking, and require an average of probably a couple or three hours a month.

3. How hard is it for a member to reject a calling, due to being overextended?

In their candid moments, bishops of my acquaintance have suggested that it's all too easy for people to reject callings. The Church is a volunteer organization, and while accepting callings is strongly encouraged, as far as I know there are no tangible consequences for not accepting a calling. You can still get a temple recommend, still act in full fellowship, and in fact no one (besides the bishopric) will ever know you turned the calling down, unless you tell them.

[prisonchaplain]

Thank you all for your responses. From them I've distilled that my personal estimate of 20-hours per week for bishops seems a bit low, but that active members spend an average 2-10 hours per week on their callings, if they are more than semi-serious. I also have a better picture of why many say that being LDS is hard work.

[Jim108]

Hello Prison Chaplain, I have a good friend who is an LDS bishop. I can tell you this. He is a very hard worker and has very little free time. As a matter of fact I don't think he has any free time. When he is not at work he is off doing church business. He is just about the most giving man I have ever met and his love for Jesus is overflowing. His ward is lucky to have such a person. Jim

[havejoy]

When I was Relief Society president I spent an average of 20 to 25 hours each week on my calling. The Bishop was way, way busier than I with his. I'd have to say he averages 30 plus hours every week with some weeks being a lot more. I know he's taken vacation from work to be at funerals, sometimes for folks who weren't members but wanted him anyway.

[Moksha]

3. How hard is it for a member to reject a calling, due to being overextended?

I understand that this is quite difficult for many members. They feel that they are putting off the work the Lord wants them to do. That is why taking on a major calling involves the sustaining consent of the spouse.

[Palerider]

Just a few quick questions that will help me in a discussion I'm having at another site.

1. Do LDS bishops typically put in 40 volunteer hours each week? I understand that they are always "on-call," but an expectation of 40 hours of weekly service seems excessive, from my outsider perspective.

2. How much time to typical members spend volunteering for church callings, outside of actual programs, such as teaching primary during the Sunday 3-hour block?

3. How hard is it for a member to reject a calling, due to being overextended?

PC....

In a typical week I put in around 25-40hrs a week. Thats a wide range but I can't put an actual number on it..alot will depend on whats going on and what you are dealing with. You are not given a set number of hours you have to put in.

2. Anyone working in Primary may spend from 30 minutes to 3hrs in primary on a weekly basis...

3. After praying about callings I have spoken with people and asked them to fullfill a certain calling. There have been some that felt there was too much going on for them to give the calling their full attention. At that point I would challenge them to go home and thnk and pray and get back together the following week. Sometimes they would not accept and other times they would accept after thought and prayer.

[Guest]

Additional perspective to question #2 and 3:

2 weeks after I was baptized, I was called to teach in Relief Society. That was CRAZY. I wanted so badly to say No, but, it was my very first calling and frankly, I was more scared to say No than to fail infront of a class...

Since I was new to the church and has not even finished reading the Book of Mormon, nor got to know the General Authorities besides the Prophet, I spent about 40 hours per week just researching background information on the lesson (Teaching for our Times which is usually based on one of the talks made by the General Authorities). 40 hours of preparation for a 1 hour lesson. That was crazy.

I've had several callings after that, but looking back, I have to say that calling was the most important one I've ever had. It made me grow in the gospel by leaps and bounds. Sure, I made a fool of myself several times, calling sacrament "mass" and calling the prophet "that really old guy, Mr. Hinckley".

[Finrock]

Additional perspective to question #2 and 3:

2 weeks after I was baptized, I was called to teach in Relief Society. That was CRAZY. I wanted so badly to say No, but, it was my very first calling and frankly, I was more scared to say No than to fail infront of a class...

Since I was new to the church and has not even finished reading the Book of Mormon, nor got to know the General Authorities besides the Prophet, I spent about 40 hours per week just researching background information on the lesson (Teaching for our Times which is usually based on one of the talks made by the General Authorities). 40 hours of preparation for a 1 hour lesson. That was crazy.

I've had several callings after that, but looking back, I have to say that calling was the most important one I've ever had. It made me grow in the gospel by leaps and bounds. Sure, I made a fool of myself several times, calling sacrament "mass" and calling the prophet "that really old guy, Mr. Hinckley".

Hey anatess! Good to meet you online.

I really just wanted to comment that I liked reading your experience because to me it was a real life example and evidence of the divine source of church callings. I'm happy that you accepted that calling and that instead of allowing it to discourage you, you exercised faith and it turned out to be a great blessing for you. I think that is really awesome. :)

Kind Regards,

Finrock

Edited April 17, 2009 by Finrock
Those naughty spelling errors!

[Snow]

Thank you all for your responses. From them I've distilled that my personal estimate of 20-hours per week for bishops seems a bit low, but that active members spend an average 2-10 hours per week on their callings, if they are more than semi-serious. I also have a better picture of why many say that being LDS is hard work.

Hard work maybe but the pay and fringe benefits are no small potatoes.

[Hemidakota]

1) I've never heard an actual numerical figure, but I know there are some former bishops on here who could answer it better.

2) Depends on the calling. For example, I'm the ward music director. I choose the music for Sacrament meeting, and then I lead it on Sundays. I typically plan an entire month of music in one sitting, and it takes about 15 minutes. The Primary teacher probably spends more time preparing her weekly lesson, though.

3) Overextended how? In their personal lives? Or already in callings? If they already have a "big" calling (or multiple callings), it's unlikely that another will be extended to them concurrently. Most members have the mindset, however, that you can't (or don't) say no to a calling. You just don't. I know people who do. I shared my own story on here a few months ago (I think) about how I didn't feel right about a calling extended to me, but that if it was truly what was wanted of me, that I would do it. The counselor in my Bishopric who extended the call listened to me thoughtfully, carefully, and sympathetically. Two weeks later, he came back and told me that the Bishopric felt strongly about that calling. By then I had received my own confirmation that it was in fact right. Some people will tell you that you can't reject a calling, but no one has a gun to their head.

1] yes

2] not always...it is usually up to the assigned bishopric member who is in-charged of the Sacrament meeting.

3] no other calling is extended to a bishop or any member of the bishopric. They have assigned duties within the ward over different areas of responsibility.

[LDSVALLEY]

Just a few quick questions that will help me in a discussion I'm having at another site.

1. Do LDS bishops typically put in 40 volunteer hours each week? I understand that they are always "on-call," but an expectation of 40 hours of weekly service seems excessive, from my outsider perspective.

2. How much time to typical members spend volunteering for church callings, outside of actual programs, such as teaching primary during the Sunday 3-hour block?

3. How hard is it for a member to reject a calling, due to being overextended?

Most Bishops I know put in many hours but I have no total. In my current calling as a Ward Mission Leader I spend 15 hours per month in 14 meetings (Not normal Sunday service meetings.) I figured out 18 hours of time preparing for meetings, 4 hours home teaching each month, 4-8 hours per month preparing to teach Gospel Principle Class each week. An estimate of another 8 or so hours per month visiting new members, helping members in need etc. I live 25 minutes each way from our chapel and end up there 3 times per week on average.

I have had callings that required much less time it depends on what the calling is and the area you are in.

Oddly enough when I ignore my calling to get stuff done around the home I actually get less done then when I squeeze it in around my calling so the Lord does bless us for what we put in.

We can always refuse a calling, with most Bishops you can simply say no I'm too busy. Personally I have found that my calling has helped me deal with life even when our family is going through very hard times and I have always gotten more out then I put in. Most people who refuse callings seem to not see that aspect of it. Work hard and you are rewarded in some way. It's not when it is convenient or you get the reward first we work first and receive blessings in some way. Obviously this is a general statement.

Callings are from the Lord, I have had ones I have hated (young Men's comes to mind, I don't relate well to teens.) But after being released saw the reason for it in spite of being very bad at it in my opinion at least.

[Wingnut]

2] not always...it is usually up to the assigned bishopric member who is in-charged of the Sacrament meeting.

According to the CHI, the Ward Music Director selects the hymns for Sacrament meeting, and they are approved by the Bishopric counselor.

3] no other calling is extended to a bishop or any member of the bishopric. They have assigned duties within the ward over different areas of responsibility.

Members of the bishopric aren't the only ones with "big" callings.

[Just_A_Guy]

Hard work maybe but the pay and fringe benefits are no small potatoes.

Well, for a lot of us, it's the retirement package that seals the deal.

[Madriglace]

Thank you all for your responses. From them I've distilled that my personal estimate of 20-hours per week for bishops seems a bit low, but that active members spend an average 2-10 hours per week on their callings, if they are more than semi-serious. I also have a better picture of why many say that being LDS is hard work.

A friend of mine who was baptized just over a year ago said that being LDS is a way of life not just being a member of a church. We are counseled to be anxiously engaged in a good cause and what better cause than the Lords work.

[Traveler]

Thank you all for your responses. From them I've distilled that my personal estimate of 20-hours per week for bishops seems a bit low, but that active members spend an average 2-10 hours per week on their callings, if they are more than semi-serious. I also have a better picture of why many say that being LDS is hard work.

Once when I felt overcome with many things in my life I went to my priesthood leader to discuss what was happening. I explained that I felt that my church calling was taking me away from home too much and that I needed to spend more time with my family. He smiled and said then spend more time with your family – that is your first priority; the L-rd will fill in for you as needed.

I have heard several give their impression that someday when we meet our Savior that he is not going to ask us about our church callings. That his first questions are most likely to be about how well we served those closest to us – beginning with our wife and children then our extended family and community. The most important calling is not about our church but about every person we meet – including and especially those that feel they have no place in church.

BTW if I have not thanked you lately – Thanks for all you do with the down hearted in prison.

The Traveler

[Traveler]

Well, for a lot of us, it's the retirement package that seals the deal.

You and Snow sound like Eternal Life Assurance Salesmen

The Traveler

[Palerider]

Hard work maybe but the pay and fringe benefits are no small potatoes.

This last time I served as a Bishop...one of my highlights was being Interviewed by Elder Oaks of the 12. Awesome expierence...:)

[Snow]

This last time I served as a Bishop...one of my highlights was being Interviewed by Elder Oaks of the 12. Awesome expierence...:)

How much were you paid to do the interview?

[Palerider]

How much were you paid to do the interview?

lets see.....large sums of money................:):)