Out of Unit Limitations

So I have a weird 1 in a million situation. My father-in-law was teaching English in China and serving as Branch President. He was sent back to the USA during the pandemic and has been here for over a year and is awaiting news to return. Even though the branch in China is non existent because most of the people have left, the District President doesn't want to release him, as they need a Branch President for organizational purposes.

Anyways, we have called him to help out in the Elders Quorum here, but we don't have his records. I figure we just never make it official on the church records or we do a Out of Unit Member. I'm curious if we do the latter, will it automatically release him as a BP? Same scenario for my Mother-in-law.

Moving his records would release him. I don't think adding him as a out-of-unit member would change anything.

If you don't make him an out-of-unit member, he'll never have access to anything on-line with your ward.

I just don't want to give him a calling here and then have it remove the one in China

An out-of-unit record and calling has no affect on the member's record or callings in the unit in which the membership record resides.

The one negative of an out-of-unit record is that you cannot make any official ministering assignment within the system for the member.

The above is correct in my experience – creating an out-of-unit membership record and assigning a calling to that record in the USA ward won't affect his "real" record and his calling in the branch in China. He will still be recorded as the branch president there.

Here's the relevant General Handbook section on out-of-unit member records:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/stu ... e_number68

There are a lot of callings that anyone could fill (even a non-member!), but the one thing that comes to mind is that if the calling has specific requirements in the Handbook, like temple worthiness, I would be hesitant in extending the calling without coordinating with the district leaders in China, since the stewardship for ordinances and worthiness interviews is through the ward/branch where his actual records are. Maybe you already have coordinated with them, or maybe the calling doesn't have any special qualifications.

This is does raise an interesting question - since he's been here for "over a year", his temple recommend is going to expire pretty soon. Normally, only the unit with the real record can issue a new one. However, I do have to wonder how that works for mission presidents or temple presidents since they could also be the same situation and physically far from their home ward.

Also, given the shift in political climate, he might want to take a hard look at the likelihood of him returning anytime soon.

If I remember correctly if you are going to be in a unit for more than 3 months you are supposed to move your records anyway. it seems like the right thing to do is to move his records. (see Handbook 33.6.4)

Again if I remember correctly within CDOL it won't release him as branch president when you move his records. It will just put him on a list that may get the District President contacted to see what they are going to do about replacing him.

If you move his record, it will release him as Branch President. If you add him as an out-of-unit member, he will retain his calling as Branch President where his actual record resides.

stephenwhitmer wrote:If you move his record, it will release him as Branch President. If you add him as an out-of-unit member, he will retain his calling as Branch President where his actual record resides.

CDOL releases most positions when records move out but there are a few that it doesn't auto-release. Branch President is one of them that it skips.

We have a missionary couple who would like access to our stake directory and were instructed to contact me to have them added. As a stake clerk, I receive an "access denied" when I follow the out of unit members and callings link from the help center LCR procedures. What do I need to do?

2dwilsons wrote:We have a missionary couple who would like access to our stake directory and were instructed to contact me to have them added. As a stake clerk, I receive an "access denied" when I follow the out of unit members and callings link from the help center LCR procedures. What do I need to do?

The instructions seem to be written for a ward clerk.

If I remember correctly, as a stake clerk, you can add them to a stake calling. But you can't add them to a unit. But a stake calling may be enough.

Not 100% sure, but I think their Out of Unit details would initially need to be setup by the clerk in the ward that they are residing in.

Biggles wrote:Not 100% sure, but I think their Out of Unit details would initially need to be setup by the clerk in the ward that they are residing in.

Manage Out-of-Unit Members wrote:Manage Out-of-Unit Members allows a unit to request and access limited membership information for those whose membership records are not assigned to the ward, but attend regularly because of a leadership assignment in the unit or a family situation.

An out of unit record is created in the unit where the member will serve. If that calling is in a stake or a district the out of unit record is created at the stake/district. The member record remains in the unit where the member lives, or resides.

jdlessley wrote:

Biggles wrote:Not 100% sure, but I think their Out of Unit details would initially need to be setup by the clerk in the ward that they are residing in.

An out of unit record is created in the unit where the member will serve. If that calling is in a stake or a district the out of unit record is created at the stake/district. The member record remains in the unit where the member lives, or resides.

Out of unit records can't be created at the stake/district level

jdlessley wrote:If that calling is in a stake or a district the out of unit record is created at the stake/district.

This requires specific membership edit permissions. Stake/District clerks do not have a number of membership edit permissions to include Manage Out-of-Unit Members permission.

jonesrk wrote:Out of unit records can't be created at the stake/district level

How would an out of unit calling at the stake level be recorded? For example, a YSA stake presidency?

I realize the stake can't make them a "member", but I thought they could put them in a calling.

When adding the position, you enter the membership record number of the person who should be assigned to the position.

scgallafent wrote:When adding the position, you enter the membership record number of the person who should be assigned to the position.

And presumably that will give them access to things like calendar and directory that they are serving in?

I'm thinking this is a the process that 2dwilsons is looking for.

russellhltn wrote:

scgallafent wrote:When adding the position, you enter the membership record number of the person who should be assigned to the position.

And presumably that will give them access to things like calendar and directory that they are serving in?

That should give them access to the appropriate systems.