Idea for your consideration

Silent Dawning, I appreciate your take on callings versus assignments. Because of my upbringing in the church I had always done 110% in things. I also saw the pain and anger it created between my parents. Once, in my twenties I was called as a ward mission leader. I had always enjoyed the spunky Elders that seemed to have a true desire to do the Lord’s work and it brought me back to my mission days. After going out with the Elders almost weekly, I was called as the WML (Ward Mission Leader). As the WML I was doing everything by the book, took new converts to institute classes to get more from the scriptures, did extra leadership meetings, I even cancelled a job interview for a service project for a part member family (thinking that the Lord would bless me beyond what that job could have provided me). Boy was I wrong. I ended up being released a month after this and my new Bishop’s reasoning was, “you need to move on with life and start a career so you can start having a family (kids).” I was shocked I thought I was supposed to put in two years in this calling, and I had only put in 5 months. I then realized that I turned down an awesome job interview in a museum that would have been great for me as a foundation for a career in Museum science.

The part member family was essentially just given handouts and didn’t even care about the service I provided. I felt cheap and slapped in the face. In some ways I actually felt demoted since I was a member of the inner circle of the ward council, now I wouldn’t be able to attend and just felt dejected. I was very confused–it took me three more years to even get a career started after that point. I had job interview after job interview with no avail. Now, I just do what I’m told and treat my calling like an assignment like you say. I realize now, that since our service is voluntary in the church we only need to do what is necessary. We aren’t paid and it really doesn’t matter if I get released/fired from a calling or quit since there will always be another calling, but it does matter if I lose my job and can’t provide for my family.

I am now callingless (by choice), but was asked to help out in Cubs over the summer. I’m actually enjoying myself a bit — it misses all the alligators of callings. I was asked to do it as an assignment, not as a calling. It’s casual, and also benefits my son. It’s fun and doesn’t involve tired, worn out programs or scripted service.

Sounds fun, but aren’t there quite complex background checks for working with children these days?

If I am asked to take on a calling, could I not ask to do it on an assignment basis for a while if it is small and at the ward level — just to see how it goes? …

Then, if I find it is something I don’t want anymore, I can just give notice.

I’m not sure I see the difference between a calling and what you are proposing as an assignment.

It looks to me like it is just that for an assignment, you are not called, sustained, and set apart by ward leaders. That’s just a formality, isn’t it?

Can you clarify what you think the main differences are?

Many. One, when it’s time to move on, you just tell the leader that you are giving a couple week’s or one month’s notice, after which time you will be unavailable. A month passes, and you stop functioning with integrity. No waiting for the Bishopric to move on the release on their own sweet time, no people expecting you to hold down the calling after you’ve had enough because you haven’t been released and your name appears all over the website — you are in control of your time, just as a volunteer should be.

Two, If someone calls you about doing something in the capacity of the calling, you just tell them you are not doing it anymore and pass it on to the person you report to. No more feeling like a half-miler because your name is all over the calling and your heart isn’t in it. Three….and if the Bishopric decides to take 6 months to find a replacement, it’s THEIR problem, not yours as you are no longer attached to the calling — you never were — it was only an assignment that you have left.

After my last experience, it is MUCH better way to leave a calling rather than waiting for a formal release.

There are noises about calling me to a leader in one of the scouting organizations and I think I will just decline but say I’m more than willing to act in the function as a supportive parent, taking on all the responsibilities for as long as is practical for me.

By the way, I no longer buy into the spiritual blessings that supposedly flow from being set apart, so an assignment is enough to give me a sense of spirituality, along with a personal prayer of faith.

I am now callingless (by choice), but was asked to help out in Cubs over the summer. I’m actually enjoying myself a bit — it misses all the alligators of callings. I was asked to do it as an assignment, not as a calling. It’s casual, and also benefits my son. It’s fun and doesn’t involve tired, worn out programs or scripted service.

Sounds fun, but aren’t there quite complex background checks for working with children these days?

Not sure — but I’ve undergone formal background checks before, without having been formerly called or installed. Such as when I underwent a check to be a volunteer on a field trip for my son’s school. I don’t see any relationship between the need for a background check and the need for a formal call….

in one ward i attended, the bishop (through someone else asking me) wanted me to attend meetings to fill in for the ward mission leader if he couldn’t make it, as well as to conduct baptismal services in the ward. I believe I said I had to think about it and later decided I couldn’t do it because of family obligations. You would have thought I had slapped the bishop in the face because of how he treated me afterwards.

there is the cultural expectation in the mormon church to not say no to a calling. that’s all good and fine but I’ve come to a place where anything to do with church has to be a “free-will” offering. if that was part of the mormon church’s culture then that would be great but it’s not.

Mike

I already have the stigma based on asking to be released from a calling sometime ago, and also telling the BP I don’t WANT a calling right now. So, I don’t really care about what they think in terms of stigma. I agree wholeheartedly about the free-will offering. Too much duty-driven offering leads to burnout.

Personally, I’m starting to like the assignment-basis-only approach as it makes service a free will offering. Also, there is movement in the new CHI of making things more of an assignment than a calling — Social Activities organizers, and the Single Adult Leaders, said one brother I know. These people aren’t called from what I understand (I’m sure about the Social Activities organizers, but not so sure about the Single Adult Leaders).

And by the way, I think the approach of callings and releases has its flaws anyway — like trying to get the benefits of an employee-employer relationship even thought its a volunteer “contract”. And in some ways its worse because as an employee you can always quit if if you want. In not accepting money for your labor anymore, you have a right to leave the position without reason or excuse. With a Church calling, you are stuck there until your will is consistent with the will of the leaders in the area you are in.

Your approach, then, is not to distinguish between an assignment and a calling. Paraphrasing, whether you are formally released from a calling or stop doing an assignment is not significant. It is the Bishopric’s problem either way, and ultimately, what is best for the individual is what ultimately matters.

I hope I have that right.

For me, I agree with the paragraph, although I do feel there are stigmas attached to stopping one’s service without being formally realeased, even after a request has been given to do so.

Also, I personally took a personality test and scored very strong in a factor called Reliability. People strong in this trait tend to take responsibiilties very seriously, and really struggle with their name attached to something, without giving it 100%. So, for people with this trait, staying in a calling, not yet formally released, and not functioning is extremely anst-producing. Very true in my case.

So, that is why I would favor an assignment over a release.

If they have no problems taking 3 weeks from the time they extend a calling to me, until the time they announce it over the pulpit and then take 6 months to set me apart, and then are in no hurry to officially release me … then they are setting the tone that the official calling status is not really as important as getting the work done, serving, and being patient while the red tape takes time to cut through the formalities.

Exactly! I thought the same over and over again. Our HC would say “Big decisions are made in the board rooms of corporate America, but the decisions made in this quorum leadership are more important”. I found that really hard to believe when they just let it all fall apart with no communication while they took their sweet time to let me out of it.

[As an aside, I think the handbook should reconsider telling HC to say “The Stake President cares about you” as a matter of habit in their Sacrament meeting talks. That was also hard to swallow after my experience…]

With my own mental set, I would need to be released before I felt I was free of any responsibility. The way you put the rest of your post, Heber13, helps me see the perspective that other members may be taking when they decide they aren’t doing a calling anymore. It always baffled me how they could just not show up etcetera. Now I see their perspective; the release didn’t mean much — they were in control and after notifying the leadership, let it be their problem. They took the free time back and enjoyed it. Problem solved.

Regarding the “The Stake President cares about you” thing — I just scoured both handbooks and don’t see it there anymore. It wouldn’t surprise me if it was in the old handbook. I seem to remember reading it there when I had one back in my Bishopric days. But I hear it all the time — and I’ve heard it in California, Canada, and now here where I live. Standard fare. When I was on the High Council I remember saying it too but I can’t remember why:) If I was on the HC now, I’d shun that one with a 10 foot pole.

I like your perspective on assignments. I may consider that next time they ask me to accept a calling. For certain callings it could work well — like front-line callings, teaching callings, cub callings, and maybe even secretarial or assistant secretary positions. For others it wouldn’t work at all.