Stake Temple & Family History Consultants vs. Ward Temple & Family History Consultants
Not sure where to ask this question and hoping someone will take pity on me and bless me with enlightenment (not really a "community" type question) …
What is the difference between Stake & Ward Temple & Family History Consultants? I seem to recall someone saying that a Stake Temple & Family History Consultant calling was for the Director(s) (old terminology) only, but reading through the various guides (Operations Guide & General Handbook of Instructions), it mentions both Ward & Stake callings. It gives specific duties for the Ward calling, but it, basically, states that the Stake calling helps the Ward Temple & Family History Consultants. The guides say that both the Stake & Ward callings help in the FSC's as assigned.
The Stake just re-organized the various wards (just about doubled) but, with the fruit-basket turnover of filling positions (all Ward callings were released), re-calling the Ward Temple & Family History Consultants are not the priority. Luckily, all of my staff love the work and continue to staff the FSC, but I need to get this resolved and I want to make sure I have a correct understanding of this before I start talking to Bishops &/or my Stake High Councilor.
Any help is greatly appreciated. And, if this is not the correct forum for this question, please feel free to send me where I'm supposed to be.
Thanks,
Lorraine Sandeen
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This would also be a good question for the Stake High Councilor with Temple & Family History assignment, Area Temple & Family History Advisor (we don't have one) and the Stake Presidency member who has the T & FH assignment.
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@Lorraine Sandeen & @Chas Howell
These are questions that leaders in any capacity, not just Temple & Family History (T&FH), should be aware of and be self-studying in the Handbook (and other critical places listed below as well). It seems that many people don't realize the Handbook is now entirely available to anyone in the Church, regardless of any calling they may have. We each have a responsibility to study the Handbook closely regarding our own personal calling(s), and there we'll find most of the basic answers we need. The other resources (including Leader and Clerk Resources - LCR) also point us to specific training.
(once you are properly signed into the Church website)
With respect to T&FH, the starting point is Chapter 25 of the Handbook. It covers Member & Leader Participation in T&FH Work (25.1), Organizing T&FH Work in the Ward (25.2), Organizing T&FH Work in the Stake (25.3), and other related topics in Chapters 25.4 and 25.5.
In Chapter 25.2 we find specific direction regarding responsibilities related to bishoprics (starting at 25.2.1), elders quorum and Relief Society presidencies (25.2.2 - KEY leadership roles in each ward/branch!),ward T&FH leaders (25.2.3), ward T&FH consultants (25.2.4), ward councils (25.2.5), the creation and maintenance of a ward T&FH plan (25.2.6), ward T&FH coordination meetings (25.2.7 - includes who should be attending these), and the temple preparation course (25.2.8).
Next in Chapter 25.3 we find stake responsibilities, positions, etc., in similar fashion including the following: stake presidencies (25.3.1), stake adult leadership committees (25.3.2), high councilors (25.3.3), stake RS presidencies (25.3.4), stake T&FH consultants (25.3.5), FamilySearch Centers (25.3.6 - including purpose, callings, staffing, etc.), and Area T&FH Advisers (25.3.7).
With respect to the specific questions above, there can be multiple stake T&FH consultants! But only one is designated as the FamilySearch Center (FSC) director (a term that is back in use, but is NOT the calling name entered in Leader & Clerk Resources [LCR] for the calling!!!!). All Centers are overseen by the stake presidency for the stake in which those centers exist (with the exception of the few very large centers that are overseen by their respective Area Presidencies). There can be multiple FSCs in a stake, and the stake presidency calls each director (some directors are responsible for more than one Center). Those callings are entered by the stake clerk, and MUST be entered exactly as listed in the LCR directory of callings, not typed in manually with any deviation in wording or even punctuation. If they are not properly entered, Salt Lake will not know who's in those callings, and will not include those people in the period emails that go out, informing them of their duties, training resources, etc. That is also true of other ward and stake T&FH callings (ward callings are entered by the ward clerk, also through LCR). For example, I hold the following callings, as entered in LCR:
"Temple and Family History Consultant--FamilySearch Center" (that's the "Director" calling title)
"Stake Temple and Family History Consultant" (that's NOT the calling entry for a FSC "director")
and
"Ward Temple and Family History Leader"
Besides the director(s) of the FSC(s) in a stake, other stake T&FH consultants may also be called. Generally, their function is to assist the high councilor over T&FH with training in the stake, as directed, and they may also serve as FSC staff members.
Ward consultants' responsibilities are clearly spelled out in 25.2.4. They may also be assigned to serve as FSC staff, though the Handbook is not clear as to who makes that assignment. My personal experience is that it is most effectively done when ward T&FH leaders consult with their EQ and RS presidencies as to which ones would be best to be assigned to the FSC (with the bishop's approval, of course), and with proper coordination with the FSC director since he/she needs to have people with good interpersonal skills, and willingness to learn what's needed to serve in that capacity. The director would be responsible for making sure his/her staff members are properly trained to serve in the FSC.
Note that the Handbook was changed last year by the addition of the word "generally" as in, "Each center is generally staffed by assigned stake and ward temple and family history consultants." This would seem to allow for exceptions by inviting others to also serve as staff members based on willingness and interest, and also with bishop and stake approvals of course. The same would be true of non-member community staff members (of which some FSCs in North America make very good use of non-member staff!). Just be sure the FSC director approves any community volunteers and assigns them at times when stake and/or ward consultants are also present in the Center. Questions in the Centers regarding temple ordinances should be addressed by stake/ward assigned staff members, not community volunteer staff members, for obvious reasons. However, it would be good to make sure the community staff members are at least basically familiar with the concept of temple ordinances and family history work so they understand the concepts despite their non-member "understanding," and so they can properly answer and direct questions that come up to the staff members properly qualified to answer temple ordinance T&FH questions.
@Chas Howell Are you certain you don't have an Area T&FH Adviser? Anyone with access to the Church Directory of Organizations and Leaders can enter the name of the Area in which they reside and drill down through the various T&FH organization levels within the Area to determine whether there is, in fact, an Area T&FH Adviser. IF there is one assigned, the Area Presidency and Area Seventies determine just what and how much involvement they have with, "help[ing] stake presidents fulfill their responsibilities for temple and
family history work. Advisers assist stake presidents in their efforts to teach high councilors, stake Relief Society presidencies, stake adult leadership committees, and stake temple and family history consultants
about their responsibilities." (25.3.7 - third paragraph down in that section)The above ought to keep anyone involved in T&FH callings busy for "a little while!!!" 😁
Just my 2¢ plus a whole lot of official direction from the Church with which we should each become significantly aware
Two more major recommendation:
1: For FSC directors and staff, as well as stake tech support people that assist Centers, it is highly recommended that each of those people attend the first and third Wednesday evening meetings at 7:00pm in three different time zones (Eastern, Pacific, and Hawaii). Direct links to those meetings are found on the "FamilySearch Center Leaders and Staff" Community page. The meetings are one hour, open forum Q&A meetings where we're free to ask any questions pertaining to tech support in the 1st Wednesday meeting, and other general policy and other questions in the 3rd Wednesday meetings. The meetings are led by the two senior tech support people from FamilySearch (Elders Richins and Skinner), and Sister Pountain (and occasionally others) for the 3rd Wednesday night meetings. All relevant questions pertaining to those two subject areas are fair game, and are directly answered by both those senior FS support people as well as other experienced Center directors around North America. It's the "best kept secret" in FamilySearch! Very few of the thousands of directors and staff members and tech support reps from stakes actually attend the meetings, sadly. And if you can't make the time in the meeting closest to your time zone, just log into either of the other two meetings before or after your closest time zone - each meeting is a little different, because the "agenda" is simply controlled by the questions coming in from each time zone meeting.
2: Navigate to the LCR are once you are signed into the Church website. Immediately to the left of your sign-in at the very top right corner, is a 3x3 box of little squares. Click that "Resources" menu and select "Leader and Clerk Resources." It will take you to a page with your current calling(s) as entered in LCR. If you have more than one, click the little "down arrow" near the top of the page next to your calling title and unit #, and your other calling(s) will appear. Click a different calling title, and you'll find the same thing with each calling - your name, your calling title, and three areas for specific training and assistance to that particular calling ("Communications" "Resources" and "Organization Training"). There is a wealth of information there!
Just my 2¢ plus a whole lot of official direction from the Church with which we should each become significantly aware and familiar.
—Chris
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Ooops - my first "2¢" comment was intended to be deleted and moved to the bottom above my signature, but I ended up seeing the duplication more than 4 hours later - thus no editing possible. Just disregard the first one immediately above the "Two more major recommendation[s]" heading . 😎
—Chris
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Thank you so much for your help with this. I did read all of the sections in the General Handbook of Instructions that you mentioned, as well as the information in the Operations Center Guide Book. However, since the Ward T&FHC's had a basic list of duties and since the Stake T&FHC's duties were more general (except for staffing the FSC), I wanted to make sure I understood everything before approaching Bishops & Stake Presidents.
Based on my reading of the Handbook, the Ward T&FHC's are called by the Bishopric and serve under the direction of T&FH Leader or, if there is no one called to fill that position, the Elder's Quorum Presidency member called to handle that position. For some reason, there is the idea that there is no need to call Ward T&FHC's; that they should simply work as an assignment by the EQ & RS. Thus, I want to meet with the Bishop and discuss, but I want to be SURE before I have that conversation.
Also, if Stake T&FHC's are an option, it might be easiest/best to go that route. All was fine with Ward T&FHC's called and staffing the center until the Stake was re-organized with new Wards added and all Ward positions were released. I agree that Ward T&FHC's are the best way to handle this, but, if they re-organize the Stake again, I will be in the same boat.
Just trying to figure out all of my options. And, I do appreciate your input - it has helped me to better understand how all of this works.
Thanks,
Lorraine Sandeen
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@Lorraine Sandeen Mod note: Community is a public online forum. For your privacy, your question was
edited to remove private information. Please see the Community Code of Conduct for more details.0 -
I did not intend to be disrespectful in any way and, if I've offended anyone, I sincerely apologize. Thank you for the info.
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