Bishops are selected by the Stake President (SP), but must have First Presidency Approval. They are told not to interview ward members about who would make a good bishop ( I wrote about this last week). The bishop “must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach ” (1 Timothy 3:2).
The form the Stake President fills out includes questions about if the prospective bishop has ever had any disciplinary actions taken against him, regardless of the outcome. It also asks if he has ever had a divorce. I was specifically asked these questions several times by my Stake President. I asked my SP why the concern about a divorce. He referenced the 1 Tim 3:2 verse about “husband of one wife”. I asked him how my GGGrandfather could have been called as bishop when he had five wives! He didn’t have an answer and changed the subject. I also learned later that I was not the first choice for bishop (no surprise to anybody that knows me) and that the first choice had been rejected by the FP due to a divorce years before in his life. (the SP did not tell me this, I learned it from a source years later). The no divorce rule is not absolute, it all depends on how long ago the divorce was, the circumstances of the break up, and if the ex-wife lives in the area. I’ve known men who had a divorce and were called as bishop.
While the SP’s I’ve known generally tend to be successful business men (my last 4 were a Dentist, CEO, Surgeon, and Business Executive), bishops tend to be working class people. My last three bishops have been two high school teachers and a sheriff.
While I was bishop, we had a stake conference with a visiting 70. He ask to meet with just the bishops. In that meeting, he said that the brethren wanted to make sure that when we were released we still had a job and a wife, and that too many times that was NOT the case. He told us our wife and job came first before being bishop. He said the average time served church wide was 3.5 years, and that many times they found bishops moving away from their ward just to get out of the calling.
I think Stake Presidents select bishops that think and act like they do. Except when they don’t have a choice. The bishop I replaced has served over 7 years. With the SP’s first choice rejected as explained above, my SP was forced to pick a bishop that was a little more heterodox than he was.
I invited my RS President to PEC all the time, my thinking being that how could I make divisions about the ward without the majority of the congregation being represented. (This was 20 years before the brethren also thought this would be a good idea) I told him about it during a bishops council meeting. He was concerned, but then to his credit said “read the church handbook so you know when you are deviating from the norm, and then do what is best for your ward”.
Another time he was upset that a lady in my ward had become an “internet minister” so she could officiate at the wedding of her best friend and her fiancee, both of whom were in my ward. He wanted me to do something about it after the fact, but I told him what is done is done, but I would have a talk with the sister in question. I did, and told her it was probably not a good idea to do that, and just go down to the court house next time and register to perform the wedding. I really didn’t care.
So the SP really has a lot of leeway in who he picks, but then has to live with the result. My friend who was a SP told me of one bishop that he did not pick but inherited from the previous SP. This bishop was not following the handbook, and he wanted to release him before the five year mark. But Salt Lake rejected his request, and told him it was his responsibility to train him better. But on another occasion he did release a bishop early because he could not keep confidences and the ward had lost confidence in him. Salt Lake approved that early release without hesitation.
So what has been your experience with bishop selection? Has it been obvious who the next bishop would be, or was it a complete surprise with audible gasps from the congregation (yup, I heard them when I stood up in middle of the chapel!). Where any of your bishops released early that didn’t include a move?
Wheat & Tares 
I have lots of experiences with picking a Bishop. About the divorce rule, we were told that for a “family ward” you can’t serve as a Bishop for at least 20 years after the divorce, so guys who got divorced in 1998 can now be considered. If you are divorced you can’t ever serve as a YSA Bishop. In our stake they have a divorced now remarried man serving as a Bishop, except he got divorced prior to joining the Church in 2005. The worst two Bishops I have had one was a janitor and that guy was a tyrant, he was out of control. The other was a retired pharmacist, he quit the calling actually after a few years with no move. I’ve learned that Bishops are called the “Father of the ward” but not necessarily act the like father of the ward and let’s face it if you needed help with something other people can help you. My Stake in Canada they seem to have this program of calling semi committed men to serve in leadership callings and then act all surprised when things go awry. Right now there is a Bishop here who thinks that Naziism should be given the benefit of the doubt and women who get raped, molested etc. were asking for it. if I had a problem, screw going to him, i’d take it elsewhere. There is a ward here that in the last 20 years 3 of their bishops have gone inactive, although one moved and I heard is coming back to church but the other two are not the case. We have a ton of inactive ex high councilors, branch presidents, our patriarch went inactive as well
I was first councilor to a bishop who went inactive after 3 months. I was acting bishop for 12 months, but obviously did not impress the stake president because he called someone else who after 3 years was disfellowshpped for paying his personal bills with tithing funds. I think I was not sufficiently a yes man, which the SPs I’ve known seem to value.
I then moved to an area where the church is more conservative. At one stage a small branch was formed with a number of men with leadership experience, but a newer member, who was very conservative was called as branch president. He said a number of times from the pulpit that he was the Lords anointed and he expected our obedience. He was a high school teacher, and was trying to get the sex education class stopped. I was the president of the P&C and asked for a demonstration of the sex ed class for the P&C, and we voted to support it. He tried to excommunicate me for apostacy for not supporting him, but I was a HP, and the SP didn’t ex me, at which point the BP resigned in disgust. The next BP called me as his councillor.
Since then I have had 2 Bishops refuse me TR, but be overruled by thei SP. I have not held a calling or given a talk since the first of these, except for cleaning coordinator, and then Temple cleaning supervisor jointly with my wife.
I wonder if my church life would have been different if at some stage I had been a Bishop. I have the perception that once past 50 no more progress if not been a bishop. Do you have to have been a Bishop to be called into temple presidency?
I was first councilor to a great bishop before all this, but thelast 30 years not many good bishops.
I don’t have any experience with the selection process… only with the results. I remember two bishops who did a great job of getting to know the people in the ward and then using the people’s abilities to strengthen the community. They both used my love/training for music, either in or out of official meetings. One would occasionally ask me for feedback related to my professional background.
I also remember one bishop who didn’t communicate very effectively with me. I wrote a blog post on my personal page that described a couple of ways I disagree with Mormon (oops… the Church’s) orthodoxy. This bishop seemed to miss the point when he talked with me about it. He came across as more focused on what I might write next instead of on understanding and answering my differences, though his stated goal was to work through the differences. I assume he really wanted to listen and work through, but didn’t know how. He also said some things that (I think) were meant to sound reassuring, like that he wasn’t starting formal discipline, and my temple recommend wasn’t at stake. In that context, those comments came across as veiled threats about what he might do next time. I tell myself that he meant well throughout. He just got stuck between what I needed on one side and what higher-ups wanted on the other, and ended up going with the higher-ups. I respect his decision, even though it didn’t help our relationship.
To come back to the questions: I was there when one of the two effective bishops’ call was announced, and was surprised, but only a little. I thought he was a really good fit for the ward. For the other, I moved in right after he was called, and no one seemed surprised. The ward loved him and showed it.
For the last 20 years I have not been surprised at all at any of those that are called to be bishop. I have pegged about 90% in that time (some were not that hard to deduce). In my wards they have always been professionals. We have probably 1.5 years before our next bishop is called and I have already told someone they are next – they didn’t like it. Not the fake modesty, but more of “Oh please NO!!”
I do know of a bishop that was released after only about a year. I wasn’t in the ward, but some people started talking about his wife and spreading some rumors. He stood up to her and apparently ruffled feathers. He has a great marriage, but I suspect he was OK getting released. He never cared much of what other people thought of him.
I have seen in some other wards something along the joke that my dad told me, “Callings in the church are made sometimes by inspiration, too often by relation, and more times than we want by desperation!”
One of my favorite bishops was a Chief of Police. Unlike what one might expect from someone in that profession, he was a people first person, very much spirit of the law—not letter of the law. (and ended up serving as a bishop well over 6 yrs. (when I moved away he was still bishop). Other bishops have included teachers, dentist, and businessmen.
When my husband was young, one of their ward’s favorite bishops was released and then excommunicated for having an extramarital affair with another woman in the ward.
I have several close family members who are now or were in the past called as bishops. They all report that the main problem their SPs faced was that virtually no one accepts a call to be bishop, so a pulse and a p… became the main qualifications. It also helps to come from a family prominent in the church in your area.
Elizabeth, I too have heard this is an issue. I had a friend that was really shocked to be called and he told the SP, “well I guess I can’t turn down the calling” and the SP’s response was, “Oh, you would be surprised just how many turn it down!”. Interesting note that my friend was getting called as the bishop of 2 years decided to move (and he was put in place when the bishop of 3 years moved). My friend stayed about 2 years until he decided to also move, but I do honestly think this was secondary.
I have been in wards with many qualified people, so I have only felt after-the-fact that the choice was obvious. I don’t think I’ve had a bishop released early, but one of them probably should have been if rumors were true, and he moved out of the ward even though his term was complete.
Which brings up a problem with people being released: rumors and gossip may abound when anything is perceived to be out of the ordinary.
Being called as a bishop in a 600-1000 person rich Salt Lake ward is probably completely different than being called to a ward of 250-300 person ward (150 active, probably less than 5 potential bishops). My experience has been in the “mission field”.
-I’ve never seen a working class bishop- they are always white collar and in the top 10% tithe payers in the ward. Bishop is a leadership track and pipeline for the stake. Which means- they need to be board-of-director (a.k.a. High Council) material.
-If you love in a military area, calling an enlisted man to preside over LDS officers can be problematic. I’ve never seen it happen.
-Bishops serve for about 5 years. Most burn out around that time.
– During my life I’ve had 13 bishops.
1 was released for having an affair
2 were young (early 30’s) and too green to really handle the mantle
2 had cognitive deficiencies due to accidents and health
1 suffered from massive depression and other mental health issues
2 were in early stages of spiritual development and I would counsel them rather than the other way around
5 were wonderful servants and truly humble and loving shepherds
Mortimer, I certainly don’t know what your experiences are, but my last bishop on active duty was enlisted – the Halawa Ward (now the Pearl Harbor-Hickam Ward). I wasn’t in a leadership calling so I never saw the inner workings of the ward, but from the outside, it appeared to function well.
I’ve really enjoyed these posts about the mechanics of calling SPs and bishops. Thanks for the insider view on these callings.
I have had pretty uniformly good bishops, and have always had good relationships with them. I’m Executive Secretary (a calling I had once before a long time ago) and so see the sausage being ground pretty close up, and it hasn’t been a problem for me. These have been good, committed men trying their best.
I of course have no interest in being a bishop and am pretty confident that I’m safe. I don’t wear the priesthood uniform, I wear a (closely trimmed) beard, and I have a reputation as an intellectual, so not exactly the profile leaders would be looking for.
But just in case I have a little speech in my head were a SP ever to lose his senses and try to call me. Basically I would say that my wife prefers me with the beard, and so she is the one who holds the keys of the kingdom on that subject, even more so that the Prophet himself. Some places might be desperate enough that not even that little speech would work, but I think I’m pretty safe where I live now.
I found it particularly interesting that there’s an awareness that bishops move to get out of the calling. Honestly, I’ve known quite a few bishops who have moved while they were bishops, and maybe that’s why they did. Who knows? It’s a big burden. I moved to Singapore to get out of my nursery calling! (Well, not solely that, but it did get me out of it).
I was thinking about the “best” bishops i’ve had and one characteristic generally came through. In their jobs they work with people. The worst ones i’ve had work with objects. The pharmacist and janitor and i’ve had a baker who was awful and another one in the middle was an accountant. Great jobs but not always working with people. I think they found or should have found that what you can demand, ask, whatever from objects isn’t what you can ask of people.
I grew up in a military ward, ever bishop we have had was an enlisted man (including my dad), except for one warrant officer (who began as an enlisted man). It can work or not work depending way more on personality than military status.
I’ve seen way to many wards go straight to the dumps due to poor leadership. Typically there are better saints available and willing, but the SP doesn’t want them. The yes-man comment is true to life.