Owen Pochman living the dream

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

It's not worth the church's time to keep members from participating in church that aren't participating to begin with.

in your opinion is it misguided to "clean out the rolls". i.e. those saying they attend a different church, hold a disciplinary council. Pass out forms to take names off records, etc.

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

in your opinion is it misguided to "clean out the rolls". i.e. those saying they attend a different church, hold a disciplinary council. Pass out forms to take names off records, etc.

Since when do you have to hold a disciplinary council for people who request their names to be taken off the rolls?

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

Since when do you have to hold a disciplinary council for people who request their names to be taken off the rolls?

I was saying BOTH.

1) asking people to take their names off
2) excommunicating those that claim to affiliate with other denominations.

In other words, an organized effort at the local level to reduce membership.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

in your opinion is it misguided to "clean out the rolls". i.e. those saying they attend a different church, hold a disciplinary council. Pass out forms to take names off records, etc.

I think doing as someone else described a different thread--going door-to-door to inactives and asking if their names should be removed--is a terrible mistake.

I once helped a guy come back into the church who'd left it when he was 18. He went into his bishop, told him he didn't believe in the church anymore, and the bishop tells him to write a letter to have his name removed.

Years later in his mid-20's, the guy comes back into activity, meets a girl and wants to marry in the temple. All the while he is unaware that he is no longer a member. Imagine his surprise when we told him he had to be re-baptized first. Obviously, he didn't really understand what he was doing as a teenager.

Though I try not to be judgmental because it's hard to know all the circumstances, it left me annoyed at his former bishop. I actually saw the photocopy of the letter the church kept at HQ ... this pathetic hand scrawled message. If the kid was hell-bent on going inactive, the bishop should've just let him rather than making the problem worse. Stay in touch, continue to love him, and who knows but that they will repent and return. Isn't that what the scriptures say?

They did end up married in the temple, by the way.

[MikeWaters]

So if you knew your Bishop was 1) doing this or 2) planning to do this, would you do anything to let him know you thought it was a mistake?

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by Tex

I think doing as someone else described a different thread--going door-to-door to inactives and asking if their names should be removed--is a terrible mistake.

I once helped a guy come back into the church who'd left it when he was 18. He went into his bishop, told him he didn't believe in the church anymore, and the bishop tells him to write a letter to have his name removed.

Years later in his mid-20's, the guy comes back into activity, meets a girl and wants to marry in the temple. All the while he is unaware that he is no longer a member. Imagine his surprise when we told him he had to be re-baptized first. Obviously, he didn't really understand what he was doing as a teenager.

Though I try not to be judgmental because it's hard to know all the circumstances, it left me annoyed at his former bishop. I actually saw the photocopy of the letter the church kept at HQ ... this pathetic hand scrawled message. If the kid was hell-bent on going inactive, the bishop should've just let him rather than making the problem worse. Stay in touch, continue to love him, and who knows but that they will repent and return. Isn't that what the scriptures say?

They did end up married in the temple, by the way.

I don't agree with Mike's take on cleansing out church membership lists.

But certainly we should allow a member to remove their name off the list if they so desire.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by jay santos

I don't agree with Mike's take on cleansing out church membership lists.

But certainly we should allow a member to remove their name off the list if they so desire.

I never said it was my position.

[Indy Coug]

Our bishop had the EQP and HPGL go out and visit the members that either hadn't been home taught or refused to let home teachers in. The mission was 3-fold.

1. To ascertain if they still were in ward boundaries
2. To ask them if they would accept home teachers
3. If they refused to allow home teachers, to ask them if they would like to have their names removed from the records of the church.

If they requested to have their names removed, they would tell them they had to submit a request in writing and mail it to the bishop to start up the paperwork.

As far as I know, only one or two people took the initiative to have their names removed.

The net result of this was that correct addresses were found for several members and several more were home taught and came to church than before; IMO a net gain.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

Our bishop had the EQP and HPGL go out and visit the members that either hadn't been home taught or refused to let home teachers in. The mission was 3-fold.

1. To ascertain if they still were in ward boundaries
2. To ask them if they would accept home teachers
3. If they refused to allow home teachers, to ask them if they would like to have their names removed from the records of the church.

If they requested to have their names removed, they would tell them they had to submit a request in writing and mail it to the bishop to start up the paperwork.

As far as I know, only one or two people took the initiative to have their names removed.

The net result of this was that correct addresses were found for several members and several more were home taught and came to church than before; IMO a net gain.

what about excommunication for the person who says "I am Baptist now."

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

what about excommunication for the person who says "I am Baptist now."

I don't think that was an option.