Homeless Member

We have a member in our ward that is homeless and the area he frequents is not near our ward boundary. He has family in our ward that has confirmed all of this but they no longer have a way to contact him. He is not active and I was wondering if there is any direction about where his record should go. We don't have a way to contact him so I'm not sure what to do with his record. I'm sure this has come up in the past. What is the best course of action?

wrpollock wrote:I'm not sure what to do with his record. I'm sure this has come up in the past. What is the best course of action?

Membership records are kept in the ward where the member lives, or in some cases in another ward that can best meet the person's needs.

The bishops and stake president(s) involved are in the best position to determine where the record should be kept, and they have sufficient guidance in Handbook 1, 13.6 to help them make a proper decision.

I would start by speaking with my bishop and asking for his guidance.

wrpollock wrote:We have a member in our ward that is homeless and the area he frequents is not near our ward boundary.

It would be better for the Bishop, and the Quorum responsible for this member to apply some ministering. We can worry about what ward the record should be in after his temporal welfare needs are taken care of. (Not applying that the bishop is not already helping him)

Gary_Miller wrote:It would be better for the Bishop, and the Quorum responsible for this member to apply some ministering. We can worry about what ward the record should be in after his temporal welfare needs are taken care of. (Not applying that the bishop is not already helping him)

This looks to be an issue the two wards will need to cooperate in. I'm not sure how effective it would be to start ministering to him with one group and then hand him off to another. Given the limited information, I tend to doubt that he'll go back to his family any time soon. We don't know how far his "haunts" are from the ward who has his record. It might be better for the ward that does cover that area to work with him as they may be able to have more frequent contact.

In fact it's possible the best ward would be yet another that has a homeless shelter in their area with the idea being that it's likely he may end up there.

I don't see this as a one-size-fits-all solution. The leaders have to come together to figure out what's best for the member.

What if the member doesnt have a physical address and is not considered homeless but moves around every week. What should be done with this individuals records.

millermeganmichelle wrote: Thu Dec 14, 2023 3:31 am What if the member doesnt have a physical address and is not considered homeless but moves around every week. What should be done with this individuals records.

The Handbook doesn't seem to have any direct statement on that. But there is this:

33.6
For situations not addressed in this section, leaders should contact the Global Services Department or the area office.

33.6.4
When leaders are unsure how long a person will be away, they keep the record in the ward that can best meet the member’s needs.

In some areas, bishops may be assigned to deal with transients on a rotating basis.