Enable "Send a message" to custom calling

Hi, wondering if anyone knows if we can enable the "send a message" feature in LCR for a custom calling. Like a "Ward communications specialist," for example. Anyone know?

ajosepholsen wrote:wondering if anyone knows if we can enable the "send a message" feature in LCR for a custom calling.

No. Custom callings carry zero "keys" in LCR. Nor can LCR rights be assigned except by holding a calling that grants rights.

You might be able to give them the rights to edit calendars, but that's about it.

This makes it a little tough for us to follow Elder Cook's counsel to send a midweek communication to the ward, when only ward leaders have access to that functionality.

Our stake said we can call additional assistant clerks to send messages but I don't believe sisters can have that calling (according to HB1 13.4.3) which makes it hard since we've called a sister to be our communications chair. I'd be interested if anyone has found a good solution for this.

bjtwede wrote:but I don't believe sisters can have that calling (according to HB1 13.4.3)

That is correct.

And frankly, I don't think that's a good idea because all your assistant clerks have admin rights to things like the calendar and making changes to the membership records. Probably far more power than intended.

Our communications person simply sends the completed midweek email to a clerk who copies and pastes into a message and sends.

There s a debate about if we should continue using a header message with an attachment or scrap the formatting and put everything in the body of the message.

We ran into the same issue. We found a workaround for now to assign our communications person as "Website administrator" in lds.org which seems to give them the ability to send out emails.

andrewoler wrote:We ran into the same issue. We found a workaround for now to assign our communications person as "Website administrator" in lds.org which seems to give them the ability to send out emails.

Keep in mind that grants them access to other things as well. For example, I think that makes them admin over the calendars.

andrewoler wrote:We ran into the same issue. We found a workaround for now to assign our communications person as "Website administrator" in lds.org which seems to give them the ability to send out emails.

Are you sure about this? It would be great but I can't see Website Administrator listed in the access table.

The website administrator has no more ability to send messages than do any other unit members using the copy and paste of email addresses found in the LDS.org Directory.

Thanks. It looks like it was probably a coincidence. Our communications person was also the RS secretary and at the same time I assigned her as Website administrator, she was granted the ability to send emails. But now that you mention they don't have ability to send messages, I do notice that the emails she has sent say that it was sent by her, "whose calling is Relief Society Secretary." So I suppose you are correct.

Is there any solution to this yet?

andrewoler wrote:Is there any solution to this yet?

No. Nor do I expect to see one.

Such things are determined by the Brethren, not the users.

Does anyone know of any new progress on this? My situation is similar, where we have called a sister in the ward to serve as our Communications Coordinator, but I cannot find a calling to assign her giving her permissions to email the entire ward. Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks.

TimothyCHale wrote:Does anyone know of any new progress on this? My situation is similar, where we have called a sister in the ward to serve as our Communications Coordinator, but I cannot find a calling to assign her giving her permissions to email the entire ward.

Given that the church is a top-down organization, and that calling is not found in any Handbook, I don't foresee any progress.

At this point your options are:

• Call the sister to Assistant RS Secretary
• Have her put the message together and forward it to someone who does have permission
• Assign the task to someone like the Executive Secretary or Clerk to carry out that task.

TimothyCHale wrote:Does anyone know of any new progress on this? My situation is similar, where we have called a sister in the ward to serve as our Communications Coordinator, but I cannot find a calling to assign her giving her permissions to email the entire ward. Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks.

It is not possible to grant LCR access based on a custom calling and I do not expect that is something that will ever be added.

Hi,

We just called a sister to be the "Email Communication Specialist" for our ward. Has anything been updated in the system since the last post? She is ready to work and has an obstacle of not having the tech needed from the church to fulfill that calling.

lareme wrote:Hi,

We just called a sister to be the "Email Communication Specialist" for our ward. Has anything been updated in the system since the last post? She is ready to work and has an obstacle of not having the tech needed from the church to fulfill that calling.

According to the access table, if she was given a the STANDARD calling of "Email Communication Specialist" she should have access to the Send A Message tool. She should wait about 24 hrs from when the calling is entered in LCR (or transmitted to SLC if entered in MLS) for the permissions to flow through the systems. Also, her membership number must be associated with her member account that she will use to access LCR where the tool resides.