Ward Mission Funds for a Missionary not in the Ward

Hey all, first time posting here, hoping this is the right place. I looked for this answer in the Wiki, but I didn't see it. If I missed it, please feel free to advise me where it was.

Last week while entering donations, we ran across a donation that a brother had made for the Ward Mission fund, specifically for a certain missionary. The problem is that while the Elder's parents are part of this ward in Arizona, the Missionary himself left out of a ward in Idaho, and his Ward Mission Fund is still with that ward. (To clarify, the brother who made the donation is not in any way related to the Elder, just a well-meaning saint.)

How should we deal with this check? I spoke to our Stake Clerk and he had no idea. We considered starting a new Ward Missionary Fund in the Elder's name, but MLS would not allow us to. One member of the bishopric suggested we put the funds into the general ward missionary fund and issue a check to the ward that has the Elder's fund, but we weren't sure if we could do that. Otherwise, we'll just contact the brother who made the donation and suggest he send the donation to the ward in Idaho.

Do the parents make donations to the Idaho ward? Is there a reason you don't want to transfer financial responsibility from the Idaho ward to your own ward? (No need for details. These are yes or no questions.)

rdunn42 wrote:Hey all, first time posting here...

Welcome to the forum!

rdunn42 wrote:How should we deal with this check?

If you have not processed the check, and I am guessing you haven't, then contact the donor and explain the preferred procedure. That procedure would be to return the check to him and have him mail the donation to the ward with financial responsibility for the missionary. If that is what he wants to do, then provide him the ward name and address. Also instruct him to put his mailing address & MRN on the donation slip to ensure he will receive a tax valid statement at year end for the donation.

He can also have the donation category changed to the general missionary fund or the ward missionary fund, or any other category for that matter.

rdunn42 wrote:One member of the bishopric suggested we put the funds into the general ward missionary fund and issue a check to the ward that has the Elder's fund, but we weren't sure if we could do that.

I would only do this if the donation has already been processed. If it has not, then returning the check is the simplest and least expensive method.

mrrad wrote:Do the parents make donations to the Idaho ward? Is there a reason you don't want to transfer financial responsibility from the Idaho ward to your own ward? (No need for details. These are yes or no questions.)

To be honest, it hasn't come up. I assume the parents make donations to the Idaho ward, but I'm a fairly new Ward Clerk and I only became aware of the issue because I was handling tithing for the Financial Clerk, who was out sick. I will discuss with the bishopric if we want to make that change.

Thank you for all your help with the issue, especially jdlessley.

I have learned that the church generally does not transfer the financial responsibility for a missionary until a request is made by the new ward.

Your Bishop should speak to the parents of the missionary and decide if your ward is going to take on the financial responsibility for that missionary. If the Bishop decides the ward is taking on that responsibility then the Bishop needs to contact the families previous Bishop who has the responsibility and set a date for the account to be transfered. Then using the MLS messaging system a clerk needs to send an email informing church headquarters that the Bishops have talked and decided that on such and such date that the new ward will take on the financial responsibilities. Include the Missionaries full name and his membership number.

This request can some times take weeks to complete.

jtm24 wrote:...then the Bishop needs to contact the families previous Bishop who has the responsibility and set a date for the account to be transfered. Then using the MLS messaging system a clerk needs to send an email informing church headquarters that the Bishops have talked and decided that on such and such date that the new ward will take on the financial responsibilities.

Thanks for the detailed instructions. They describe quite well the procedure I've been through several times myself.

The only thing I would add is the effective date that is agreed upon by both bishops CAN be retroactive to some prior date as well. CHQ will handle all the details of adjusting both ward missionary accounts. This happens sometimes when a missionary's parents unknowingly make donations to a new ward they move to (and the clerk accepts those donations ), during which time the old ward is still being debited for the missionary.