District high councilors?

[dwsmith2]

Just to double check here (since I don't have access to LCR currently): there are district high councilors (or district councilors) correct? And does LCR impose a priesthood office restriction on district high councilors (meaning, are they allowed to just be elders instead of high priests)?

[russellhltn]

Looking though the General Handbook, I can't find any evidence of a district counterpart to a stake high councilor. District presidency, yes. But not high council.

[dwsmith2]

Right, there's almost nothing in the General Handbook about districts, and nothing about district councils. But a previous post in the Tech forum noted that "district high councilor" was changed in LCR to "district councilor" a few years ago. Is that position still in LCR? If so, are there priesthood office restrictions included with it?

[scgallafent]

There is a district council. Section 30.7.8 of the General Handbook has a little bit of information. District councilors are not required to be high priests -- a district does not have a high priests quorum.

[russellhltn]

Section 30.7.8 of the General Handbook has a little bit of information.

I looked at that section, but all I found was District president, Counselors in the district presidency, "District councilors and district clerk, assistant clerks, executive secretary, and organization leaders" No mention of a high council (are they "district councilors" that are not "counselors in the district presidency"? Otherwise, presidency councilors are mentioned twice.)

0.5 says "References to wards and stakes also apply to branches, districts, and missions." That's as close as I can come. Still, I'm thinking "district" is supposed to be "stake lite", so I'd expect some differences.

Nothing in 5.3 (High Council) hints at any different priesthood requirements for districts.

Based on what you're saying, it appears the handbook is overly sparse in this area.

[scgallafent]

Section 30.7.8 of the General Handbook has a little bit of information.

I looked at that section, but all I found was District president, Counselors in the district presidency, "District councilors and district clerk, assistant clerks, executive secretary, and organization leaders" No mention of a high council (are they "district councilors" that are not "counselors in the district presidency"? Otherwise, presidency councilors are mentioned twice.)

0.5 says "References to wards and stakes also apply to branches, districts, and missions." That's as close as I can come. Still, I'm thinking "district" is supposed to be "stake lite", so I'd expect some differences.

Nothing in 5.3 (High Council) hints at any different priesthood requirements for districts.

Based on what you're saying, it appears the handbook is overly sparse in this area.

The Handbook tends to be a little sparse when it comes to districts. Remember that a district exists inside of a mission and the mission presidency is going to be working with and training the district presidency. Rather than being a "stake lite," look at it more as a small group of saints that are going to someday have grown in number and developed enough leadership experience to become a stake.

There isn't a "high council," but there is a district council that fills some of the roles that a high council fills in a stake. They are the "district counCILors" and are separate from the district president's counSELors.

[BrianEdwards]

I'm thinking there must be some official guidelines the Mission President uses when organizing Districts (calling District Counselors, calling District Councilors, etc). Of course even if it's just printed, it may not be generally available.

Interestingly, the Church still has their Branch Guidebook (from way back in 2001) on their website https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/man ... k?lang=eng. As one might imagine, something 19 years old has a lot of out-of-date references... the way things have changed recently, even something from two years ago would likely be out-of-date!

[russellhltn]

They are the "district counCILors" and are separate from the district president's counSELors.

Potayto, potahto

I still say the Handbook is lacking it's usual clarity on the subject. Particularly on the requirements for district councilors.

[lajackson]

They are the "district counCILors" and are separate from the district president's counSELors.

Potayto, potahto

Hardly. [smile]

The counSELors in a bishopric counsel with him in ward matters. The Ward CounCIL is a group of ward leaders who also counSEL together with the bishopric.

The stake president also has counSELors, along with a High CounCIL that provides counSEL to the stake presidency.

Similarly, the district president has counSELors and a district also has a DIstrict CounCIL that functions in a manner similar to the stake high council.

I see the words council and counsel, councilor and counselor, misused all the time, almost as often as I see the incorrect capital D after the hyphen in the name of the Church.

Then again, in an earlier life I was the branch president of a 470 member branch in a mission district, because there were not yet any stakes in the area. Only stakes have wards.

[sbradshaw]

I'm guessing the Mission President's Handbook might have more details about districts, since all districts are under a mission.