Active – Less Active – Inactive

[Anonymous]

I have a question. I would appreciate an “official” answer, if possible, and not just opinions.

What are the Church’s guidelines in terms of considering a member “inactive” or “less active”? I could have sworn I heard that the use of the word “inactive” has been discouraged for several years, but I could be wrong about that. I have also been of the opinion that if a person attends Church even once a month, he is considered to be an “active” member. Someone on another forum said, “A person is considered inactive unless he attends Church three consecutive Sundays a month.” How about it? Any former bishops or ward clerks out there who could provide me with something of an “official” answer to these questions? Thanks so much for your help.

[Anonymous]

The official, statistical answer at the global level is that if someone attends one Sacrament Meeting per month, they are considered to be active. This is because there is a recognition that many people have practical restrictions on their ability to attend Sunday meetings.

At the local level, it tends to be whatever the local leadership feels about each member.

The movement away from “inactive” to “less active” was a reaction to the realization that many who were being called “inactive” weren’t really “inactive”. It also was to move away from classifying everyone who wasn’t “fully active” in such an extreme way.

Frankly, I use both – since I think both have real, practical, accurate application. Some people are less actve, but some really are inactive.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Ray. I had said exactly the same thing — that once a month was considered “active” — and boy, did I ever get told that was wrong. So, could you just tell me where you got this information? Was it the Bishop’s Handbook or what?

[Author]

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