How LDS Bishoprics Track Callings Without a Spreadsheet
Most bishoprics keep their open callings on a printed list, a shared spreadsheet, or in the bishop's head. A simple ward calling tracker — built around the actual stages a calling moves through (proposed, approved, extended, sustained, set apart) — saves the bishopric hours each month and keeps every counselor on the same page without anyone having to ask, again, where things stand.
Why a spreadsheet stops working around month two
A spreadsheet works for the first few weeks. Then the second counselor edits a row from his phone, the executive secretary edits the same row from his laptop, and nobody knows whose changes won. By month two, the bishopric is back to deciding callings in real time during the meeting because the document is no longer trusted.
A calling-tracker workflow fixes this by being explicit about what stage a calling is in, who is responsible for the next step, and what conversation needs to happen before it can move forward. The bishopric stops debating status and starts making decisions.
The stages a calling actually moves through
Most callings move through the same six stages, in order. Naming the stages — and only moving callings between them — keeps the workflow honest:
- Proposed — a name surfaced in a bishopric meeting and is being weighed prayerfully.
- Approved — the bishopric has agreed on the candidate and is ready to extend.
- Extended — the calling has been extended to the member, awaiting acceptance.
- Accepted — the member has accepted and is ready to be sustained.
- Sustained — the calling has been sustained in sacrament meeting.
- Set apart — the member has been set apart and the calling is fully active.
Candidate lists belong on the calling, not in a separate document
When counselors think of a possible name for a calling between meetings, they should be able to add that name to the calling itself, not to a separate scratchpad. That way, by the time the bishopric meets, the candidate list is already there to discuss — not reconstructed from memory.
A good candidate entry is brief: name, a one-line note on suitability, and who suggested it. Anything longer drifts into pastoral notes that don't belong in a shared workspace.
What to leave out
A calling tracker is not the place for interview content, worthiness conversations, or any record that belongs in the bishop's private notes. Keep it focused on the position: title, organization, current holder, status, candidates. The tool stops being useful — and becomes a liability — the moment it starts collecting confidential pastoral data.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a calling tracker and LCR?
LCR is the Church's official record of who holds which calling. A calling tracker is the bishopric's working document for everything before that — the conversations, the candidate names, the in-progress extensions. LCR is the final ledger; the tracker is the workspace.
Should the executive secretary or the bishop own the tracker?
Usually the executive secretary keeps it current and the bishop sets the direction. The tool should support both — the bishop adds callings and decisions, the executive secretary fills in candidates and moves cards through the stages.
What happens to a calling when someone is released?
Archive it. The archived calling becomes the history of who served, when, and for how long. New bishoprics inherit that record and don't have to start from scratch when they want to understand patterns.
Can counselors edit each other's notes?
Yes — that's the point of a shared workspace. The tracker should show who changed what so there's no mystery, but everyone in the bishopric should be able to move cards and add candidates.