We discussed this topic in ward council last week, come to think of it, it has been discussed many times, and we still are no nearer a final decision then we were a year ago. We were debating, for lack of a better term, whether or not the bishopric should issue 2nd and 3rd callings to “responsible” members to the work of the Lord gets completed or should they continue in seeing the work not done by members who choose to not do their callings for whatever reasons they have.
When we were living in good old Sask, at one point for nearly a year I was in the ward and stake primary presidency. Our stake at the time compassed the entire province and part of Manitoba. It meant a lot of travel. Hubby also had a ward and a stake calling at the same time as did a lot of members. With our membership numbers now so much greater then 20 years ago what is going on with the members that they either don’t want callings, can’t have callings, or choose to not to do their callings?
Another Primary President in another ward in our city called me last week desperately asking if their scouts could join up with our troop as they could not get 2 leaders called. Sad sad state of affairs.
You know, when I was in my first married ward, I was somehow sorted into the pile of members that was not considered solid enough to handle a responsible calling. I’m not sure how that happened, as I was a strong member at the time, with a TR, a list of responsible callings I’d held in the past, etc. I was VP of a local company, had lots of great organizational skills, no kids yet, and plenty of free time. And yet I didn’t have a calling for a long period of time, and when I did, it was a calling with very few responsibilities. I didn’t particularly care – I’m not a calling seeker – but it was odd to see certain women and men in the ward with two very demanding callings, while others of us relaxed. It was strange. Other than the fact that DH and I were a bit reserved, and the other folks were very outgoing and involved in social things in the ward, there wasn’t much difference between us.
I see this happen a lot, and I think the bishopric just gets a comfort level with certain people and uses them too much. They often are unwilling to extend callings to people who they don’t know very well. Maybe they don’t know what strengths other people have. Who knows.
In the Worldwide Leadership Training Broadcast yesterday, the counsel given by L. Tom Perry was that individuals should have no more than one calling. Given the rate at which callings are extended in our ward, it is not unusual for someone called to a new calling to serve in their previous one for another month or two.
When I heard that commnent last night I poked the person next to me and sort of chuckled as we had just talked about that in our presidency meeting a couple of days before. We had submitted some names for people to be substitute teachers and the Bp had replied back to pick members from the “members with no callings” report. I had told him that the people on that list did not come to church. How can I in all conscience ask them to come and teach little children at last minute when they didn’t even come out?
I guess I spoke to early and should have waited until last night. Then I would have known not to ask those who already have callings. And Kim isn’t it normal to not be released for a month or two when you get a new calling? :)
If it is normal, then the two previous wards I attended were abnormal.