Mission Fund

We have a member that donated to a mission fund for a missionary that has not yet been approved/created so we cannot put it into their specific mission fund. Do we put it in the general mission fund until their missionary account has been created and then do an adjustment? Our concern is that if we leave it in the general mission fund for three months, it might get applied to another missionary or we might not be able to adjust it at a later date.

I would put it in the ward mission fund. Then when appropriate transfer the donated money into the missionaries account when created. Don’t put it in the general mission fund, as you have no control over that fund.

Biggles wrote:I would put it in the ward mission fund. Then when appropriate transfer the donated money into the missionaries account when created. Don’t put it in the general mission fund, as you have no control over that fund.

That makes sense. After re-checking, we did put it in the Ward Mission Fund account. Does the amount balance stay there or how does it get withdrawn from the Ward Mission Fund? I just don't want it being automatically withdrawn for another missionary until we can transfer it to the correction missionary account at a later date.

It will stay in that account for a long time. If you have excess funds, in the Ward Mission Fund for a considerable time, the Stake might request some of it for a another Ward that is struggling to fund one of their missionaries. You can then explain why you might have more monies than you actually need. At the appropriate time you use the Transfer function in MLS.

Nothing ever gets automatically withdrawn from the top level Ward Mission Fund. The only way anything leaves that category is if you transfer it to another ward missionary subcategory or transfer it to the stake. In both case your unit has to initiate the transfer. The stake will generally only ask for excess ward missionary funds if you have than 2-3 months worth of funds total for all of your missionaries (discounting any funds--like this--that were prepaid and are intended for specific missionary).

Regards senior missionaries putting monthly payment into general missionary fund while serving. How come our yearly statements shows up as 000 in general mission fund, when we have contributed a monthly amount over 25months into that fund?

mereanat wrote: Thu May 04, 2023 8:21 pm Regards senior missionaries putting monthly payment into general missionary fund while serving. How come our yearly statements shows up as 000 in general mission fund, when we have contributed a monthly amount over 25months into that fund?

Unless things have changed since I was stake finance clerk, general missionary is always swept by Church headquarters, so the balance will always be zero. It's treated similarly to tithing: always swept, always zero balance. Might the donations have been intended to go to ward missionary?

mereanat wrote: Thu May 04, 2023 8:21 pm Regards senior missionaries putting monthly payment into general missionary fund while serving. How come our yearly statements shows up as 000 in general mission fund, when we have contributed a monthly amount over 25months into that fund?

Is this is balance statement or a contribution statement? As rmrichesjr points out, the General Missionary will always as a zero balance as the funds are swept to Church Headquarters. If this is a donation statement, then we have a valid question.

mereanat wrote: Thu May 04, 2023 8:21 pm Regards senior missionaries putting monthly payment into general missionary fund while serving.

You may wish to check with your ward clerk to see that the funds were being placed in the correct account. As others have said, the General Missionary Fund is always swept. But I do not believe your senior missionary monthly payments should have been going into that account.

I no longer have access to the letter that explains the process used by senior missionaries.

lajackson wrote: Thu May 04, 2023 9:37 pm I no longer have access to the letter that explains the process used by senior missionaries.

I think that's covered in General Handbook 24.3.4.2.

It appears to me that senior missionaries serving away from home works much like the traditional young missionary.