Missionary work among members is largely a family affair, said Elder Charles Didier of the Presidency of the Seventy. To help members feel the spirit of missionary work, and to improve the effectiveness of conversion and retention efforts, the Church is reorganizing responsibility for local missionary work.
In letters dated Feb. 28 and March 28, the First Presidency outlined changes that will center missionary work in the wards. Bishops are now charged with the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel.
"Missionary work is really done at the ward level," said Elder Didier, executive director of the Missionary Department. "This change in procedure was done to help members be involved. Missionary work is so much easier at the ward level. This is where we meet, where referrals are made. Missionary work is largely a family affair."
The First Presidency stated that missionary efforts are most effective when members work with missionaries, and that efforts to share the gospel are to be centered in the family and organized at the ward level.
As the presiding high priest in the ward, the bishop is responsible for sharing the gospel. The development of investigators as well as the retention of converts is organized in ward priesthood executive committee and ward council meetings. In these meetings the efforts of full-time missionaries, ward missionaries and ward officers and teachers are coordinated.
To accommodate these changes, stake mission presidencies and stake missionaries are to be released, and a high councilor is to be assigned to assist the stake presidency in promoting missionary work and retention efforts in the wards and stake.
Stake missionaries will now be referred to as ward missionaries, as the callings of ward mission leader and ward missionary are now ward rather than stake callings.
The value of these changes, said Elder Didier, is to "promote the personal involvement of every member in finding people to teach, friendshipping those being taught and fellowshipping new converts. The intent of these changes is to fix responsibility at the ward level and to awaken priesthood quorums to their duty."
The bishop is to call a ward mission leader with whom he will determine the number of ward missionaries that are needed.
The ward priesthood executive committee becomes the ward missionary committee. It expands to the ward council to include the auxiliary leaders. The bishop uses these meetings to encourage member missionary efforts, and to coordinate retention and reactivation efforts.
The assignment of ward mission leader is as an assistant or an adviser to the bishop and the priesthood executive committee regarding missionary activities, something like an executive secretary for missionary work. The ward mission leader sets a personal example in finding and friendshipping and coordinates with priesthood leaders, auxiliary leaders and members, as well as full-time missionaries.
The ward mission leader also organizes convert baptisms and proposes agenda items for the priesthood executive committee. He is to ensure that new converts receive attention.
Melchizedek priesthood leaders also set a personal example in finding and fellowshipping, as well as encouraging members to be anxiously engaged in sharing the gospel. Priesthood leaders should encourage fathers to take the lead in helping their families share the gospel.
They should also organize quorum or group committees to promote sharing of the gospel, retention and activation. As taught in the scriptures, the "simple efforts of prayer, following the Spirit, and opening your mouth," make a difference.
"There needs to be an infusion of enthusiasm at every level of the Church," said President Gordon B. Hinckley during a satellite broadcast in February 1999 concerning missionary work. "Let this subject be dealt with in sacrament meeting. Let it be discussed by the priesthood and Relief Society in their weekly meetings. Let the Young Men and Young Women talk about and plan ways to help in this important undertaking. Let even the Primary children think of ways to assist. . . . I invite you to become a vast army with enthusiasm for this work and a great overarching desire to assist the missionaries in the tremendous responsibility they have to carry the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue and people."
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