Membership clerk

A membership clerk is an assistant ward clerk or an assistant stake clerk with responsibility for keeping membership records complete and accurate.

Responsibilities

• Help the ward clerk keep accurate membership records for all members of the ward/branch including:
  • Record ordinances and priesthood ordinations
  • Track and record calling changes
  • Use the Membership Validation Report to ensure records are correct
• Locate members who have moved out of the ward so records can be properly moved.
• Create new membership records for children under age eight.
• Ensure that the records of families who have moved into the ward are received from the previous ward or are requested.
• Pre-populate forms and certificates for the bishopric's use.

Resources

• Handbook 1: Stake Presidents and Bishops
• MLS Membership Supplement

Tips

• Be proactive. As obvious as it is that events need to be recorded, local leaders do not always inform the clerks of changes that need to be made in membership records. Births, blessings, baptisms, priesthood ordinations, and the like sometimes happen and the clerk is not told. Clerks should regularly discuss possible changes with bishopric members, quorum presidents, the Relief Society president and the ward mission leader to make sure that everything is being recorded accurately and in a timely manner.
• Ward membership clerks should pay particular attention to Melchizedek priesthood ordinations. These happen at the stake level, so you might not be "in the loop" when these occur. Once the ordination is complete, the stake leader (stake presidency member or high councilor) who attended the ordination must forward the paperwork back to the ward clerk. If you don't get the paperwork, follow up.
• For a powerful example of the value of a proactive membership clerk, see the training lesson titled Receiving and Using Membership Records  .