ward missionary

[Portia]

What's a ward missionary? My idea of what it was must have been quite wrong. I thought it would be the person in charge of organizing the missionaries in the area. I didn't know it was a sex-inclusive position, either.

[Whistler]

I think it means helping the missionaries out in general and going to Gospel Principals and being friendly with the investigators and new converts (and also going to investigator firesides and stuff if they're available). At least, that's what it seems like my dad does and he has that calling.

[yayfulness]

Ward missionary = member specifically assigned to help the missionaries and help with missionary work. Can be pretty much anybody (I think including entire families).

Ward mission leader = member in charge of coordinating work between the missionaries and the ward. Always a man.

[Portia]

Yay bureaucracy. Thanks.

[Owlet]

It's kind of implied, but I thought I'd also mention that when I was a ward missionary it was one of our responsibilities to reach out to those that were less active as well. Although, in our case it was more figuring out who had recently moved out of the ward and didn't transfer their records.

[Yarjka]

Ward missionary = the calling people get if they don't have a calling (especially if they are new to the ward)

[Concorde]

Ward missionary = the calling people get if they don't have a calling (especially if they are new to the ward)

So is it really that time intensive?

[Indefinite Integral]

Ward missionary = the calling people get if they don't have a calling (especially if they are new to the ward)

So is it really that time intensive?

Depends on the ward you are in and what area you live in. The calling of ward missionary is a completely different beast in Utah than it is on the east coast, for example. It is different in a large ward vs. a small one, different in a singles ward vs. a family ward.

In one of my singles wards in Utah, the ward missionaries were just asked to show up to do visits for one hour a week on Wednesday night. As a missionary, I was regularly calling the ward missionaries (and everyone else in the ward, but they were usually the first we'd call) pleading with them to come to teaching appointments with us. Most missionaries in Utah cover at least a whole stake, which means they have lots of members to draw from. Where I was, you had at least one set of missionaries assigned to each ward (if not having multiple companionships assigned to the same ward).

[vorpal blade]

The time commitment of a ward missionary does depend on the ward, the ward mission leader, the bishop, and how proactive you are in your calling. Like many other callings how much time and energy you devote to it is up to you, unless you are just trying to do the bare minimum.

I was a stake missionary (before they had ward missionaries) and I was asked to put in 10 hours a week. Sometimes I spent the time going door to door tracting. I learned to give the discussions in English. Nowadays they have the full time missionaries do the actual teaching, with the ward missionaries more in a support position and a fellowshipping position.

Here is what the Church Handbook says about ward missionaries.

5.1.4 Ward Missionaries
The bishopric and the ward mission leader determine how many ward missionaries are needed in the ward. Ward missionaries serve under their direction. Priesthood holders, sisters, and married couples may serve as ward missionaries. They need not have assigned companions, but they should not go alone when visiting in homes. A man and a woman do not make visits together as ward missionaries unless they are husband and wife.

Ward missionaries are called to a specified term of service, such as two years. They normally do not have other Church responsibilities, except for assignments as home teachers or visiting teachers, preferably to part-member or less-active families. They do not wear name tags.

Ward missionaries find and prepare people for the full-time missionaries to teach. They also assist in fellowshipping and teaching investigators.

Ward missionaries visit members’ homes to encourage members to seek missionary experiences, identify people the missionaries could teach, and prepare people to be taught.