A ward supporting a missionary in a different ward

Our Bishop asked a unique question of us clerks the other day.

Can our ward help finance a missionary in another ward?

Will our ward need to cut a check to the other ward each month, or can we setup an automatic payment system?

Thanks for any advice!

loganturner wrote:Can our ward help finance a missionary in another ward?

You didn't state whether that ward was in your stake or not. The MLS Software Manual says (on page A-11):

The only checks that may be written from the ward missionary fund are to help support older couples or Churchservice missionaries called from the ward, when their personal funds are insufficient to cover the cost of their missions. The stake president may also direct the ward to write a check from the ward missionary fund to the stake or to another ward in the stake.

If the ward is in your stake, then the answer is definitely yes according to the above, assuming the stake president authorizes the transfer. If the ward is in another stake, then the above would seem to imply that it is not within policy, but I would recommend that you consult with your bishop and stake president, who would then consult with their counterparts in the other stake.

loganturner wrote:Will our ward need to cut a check to the other ward each month, or can we setup an automatic payment system?

Regardless of the answer to the first question, there is no option for setting up any sort of automatic transfer between wards. I suppose that if both bishops agree, they could ask the Finance Department to take portions of the monthly payment from two wards, rather than just the usual one ward, but I've never heard of that happening and I don't know if their systems have that flexibility.

Thank you for the information.
The two wards are not in the same Stake.

I can't think of a reason why a Bishop would want to have his ward fund a missionary from a different stake.

If it is because a member of his ward wants to make donations for that missionary, there is no reason they can't donate directly to the other ward.

If it is because the other ward does not have sufficient ward missionary funds, that would be something the other bishop should discuss with his stake president.

Greggo wrote:I can't think of a reason why a Bishop would want to have his ward fund a missionary from a different stake.

Example 1: A student has made friends in his ward while he was there, but is "leaving" from his "home" ward where his parents live. His friends wish to help.

Example 2: A Family with a mission-aged daughter has recently moved. They are well-known and liked in their old ward, but unknown in their new ward.

The point being that human relationships are not constrained by ward and stake boundaries and that people prefer to support people they know.

Good suggestions.

RussellHltn wrote:Example 1: A student has made friends in his ward while he was there, but is "leaving" from his "home" ward where his parents live. His friends wish to help.

Example 2: A Family with a mission-aged daughter has recently moved. They are well-known and liked in their old ward, but unknown in their new ward.

For both these examples, members in the former ward can contribute directly to the new ward.

If the bishop wants to have his ward contribute 100% as if the missionary was from his ward, I'm sure he can arrange this with CHQ, as similar arrangements are often made when families move during their son/daughter's mission. I understand that such actions can even be made retroactively.