Correlation between church leadership and work history

[MikeWaters]

This is something that seems pretty apparent to the casual observer. Observant members that are successful in secular work tend to be overrepresented in church leadership at the local level, and above.

There are a couple of arguments that are made here. One, that it shouldn't be this way, that the Lord will make "simple things" strong. Who cares if someone went to college? Or has a professional degree.

The other argument is that these people are often more administratively skilled and better suited to running organizations.

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A Bishop has so much on his plate, that the last thing he can deal with is someone is unreliable and flaky.

You may pray all day, read your scriptures 30 minutes every morning, have a testimony that causes random lawn furniture to explode into flames of Godly fire.....but if you won't answer emails and return phone calls, who honestly gives a damn? If you don't do the job you said you would do, if you aren't reliable, if you cause your leaders to have to babysit you in everything you do, then what?

If you can't connect the dots in your work life, and you can't connect the dots in your interpersonal relationships, the chances that you can do it in your church leadership calling goes dramatically down.

Doesn't mean you are rich. Doesn't mean you have a prestigious job, position, or extensive education. You just really ought to be able to work hard and connect the dots in whatever you do.

And one other thing: if you don't really intend to fulfill your calling, do everyone a favor and don't accept it in the first place. You will lose those opportunities and blessings either way, but at least if you refused it, someone else can do it and thus those other people don't have to suffer because of your sloth. But better yet, just step up and do your job. 99% of these jobs merely require showing up.

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I don't know if I was the best Scoutmaster. But I showed up. And that's what I hope those boys think about when they were adults. Br. Waters wasn't the best, but he was there. And now I have a choice of whether to be there or not.

[Archaea]

By showing up you defeat 80% of the people.

In a volunteer organization you need reliable people.

[wuapinmon]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

This is something that seems pretty apparent to the casual observer. Observant members that are successful in secular work tend to be overrepresented in church leadership at the local level, and above.

There are a couple of arguments that are made here. One, that it shouldn't be this way, that the Lord will make "simple things" strong. Who cares if someone went to college? Or has a professional degree.

The other argument is that these people are often more administratively skilled and better suited to running organizations.

------------

A Bishop has so much on his plate, that the last thing he can deal with is someone is unreliable and flaky.

You may pray all day, read your scriptures 30 minutes every morning, have a testimony that causes random lawn furniture to explode into flames of Godly fire.....but if you won't answer emails and return phone calls, who honestly gives a damn? If you don't do the job you said you would do, if you aren't reliable, if you cause your leaders to have to babysit you in everything you do, then what?

If you can't connect the dots in your work life, and you can't connect the dots in your interpersonal relationships, the chances that you can do it in your church leadership calling goes dramatically down.

Doesn't mean you are rich. Doesn't mean you have a prestigious job, position, or extensive education. You just really ought to be able to work hard and connect the dots in whatever you do.

And one other thing: if you don't really intend to fulfill your calling, do everyone a favor and don't accept it in the first place. You will lose those opportunities and blessings either way, but at least if you refused it, someone else can do it and thus those other people don't have to suffer because of your sloth. But better yet, just step up and do your job. 99% of these jobs merely require showing up.

---------------------

I don't know if I was the best Scoutmaster. But I showed up. And that's what I hope those boys think about when they were adults. Br. Waters wasn't the best, but he was there. And now I have a choice of whether to be there or not.

My branch president in New Orleans held that people need to be allowed to fail. If stuff doesn't get done, it doesn't get done. People's lives are complicated, and I think it's easy to assume that folks are lazy when there are often incredibly complicating matters that they don't feel comfortable sharing. I learned this during my years in a branch presidency. People rarely share their struggles until everything breaks down.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by wuapinmon

My branch president in New Orleans held that people need to be allowed to fail. If stuff doesn't get done, it doesn't get done. People's lives are complicated, and I think it's easy to assume that folks are lazy when there are often incredibly complicating matters that they don't feel comfortable sharing. I learned this during my years in a branch presidency. People rarely share their struggles until everything breaks down.

I agree that there are times that people should be allowed to fail.

Doesn't mean that I want failure.

There is such thing as trying and not trying.

Maybe you are depressed, and this prevents you from answering phone calls. Ok. Does that mean we cancel summer camp for the boys, for example?

So you don't like the people you are called to work with. Does that excuse passive-aggressive behavior where you don't do your job?

I'm venting a little bit.

Most of the times, in such cases, the best thing is to approach the person who is failing in their calling (and often failing in life in general) and try to gently investigate and provide support.

[wuapinmon]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

I agree that there are times that people should be allowed to fail.

Doesn't mean that I want failure.

There is such thing as trying and not trying.

Maybe you are depressed, and this prevents you from answering phone calls. Ok. Does that mean we cancel summer camp for the boys, for example?

So you don't like the people you are called to work with. Does that excuse passive-aggressive behavior where you don't do your job?

I'm venting a little bit.

Most of the times, in such cases, the best thing is to approach the person who is failing in their calling (and often failing in life in general) and try to gently investigate and provide support.

Agreed, completely. When your problems spill over into ruining things for other people, like summer camp, or being a jerk on the phone when the ward clerk calls the EQP for numbers and you don't have them yet, and he gets all angry and yells at you that it's not his job, and you find out his mom is in the hospital, but you still think he's a dick, because when your dad died you weren't a dick, you probably should let someone in the bishopric know that you're struggling.

You also have the issue of someone asking to be released, and the bishop telling them no.