In the LDS Church, the largest Latter Day Saint denomination, bishops are
called from among the members of a local congregation, known as a ward, and serve without pay for four to seven years though the length of service varies. A bishop must be a worthy Melchizedek priesthood holder and is usually married. The bishop serves as the presiding high priest of the ward. A bishop simultaneously serves as the president of the Aaronic priesthood and president of the
priests quorum in the ward. In a
branch, the
branch president fulfills the same functions as a bishop; however, a branch president does not need to be a high priest. The bishop is often called "the father of the ward" as he is the priesthood leader who is most intimately involved with individual church members. The bishop is not paid for the time he devotes to his position. All local positions in the LDS Church operate as a lay ministry; members donate their time to perform the duties assigned with each calling. Each bishop serves with two counselors, who together form a bishopric. The counselors to a bishop are generally high priests, but there are exceptions, such as in a
singles ward, where the counselors may be
elders. The immediate priesthood leader of the bishop is the
stake president, who provides direction, training and counsel to the bishops of the wards within his
stake boundaries; the stake president is assisted in these duties by two counselors and a
stake high council. New bishops are recommended by the stake president, but each bishop is formally approved by and called in writing by the church's
First Presidency. Prior to ordination, the proposed ordination of a bishop must also be accepted by
common consent by the members of the ward.
Duties The bishop holds the primary responsibility for everything in the ward, both spiritually and temporally. Although he can delegate specific assignments to his counselors, the ultimate responsibility falls to him. His duties include presiding over and conducting meetings and worship services; serving as president of the ward's priests quorum; acting as a "judge in Israel" or "common judge"; providing temporary financial relief for ward members; serving as the presiding high priest of the ward; and organizing and managing the ward's
organizations. After being called, a bishop is ordained a high priest (if he does not already hold that priesthood office) and then ordained a bishop and
set apart as the bishop and presiding high priest of the specific ward. He is also given the priesthood "keys" which authorize him to serve as a representative for the Lord in performing his duties. The ordinations, setting apart, and the conferral of keys is performed by the
laying on of hands by the stake president. After a bishop is released from his responsibilities over the ward, he retains the priesthood office of bishop for life. Once each month, normally the first Sunday of the month, a "fast and testimony meeting" is held and no specific speakers are assigned. Instead, those attending the ward that day are invited to stand and bear
testimony of Jesus and his work and influence. •
President of the priests quorum – The bishop is the president of the Aaronic priesthood and the priests quorum in the ward. He selects two priests to serve as first and second assistants to the bishop. The bishop assists (along with parents) in preparing each priest to worthily serve as a
missionary and to prepare to receive the
ordinances of the
temple. He also provides guidance and encourages the spiritual and temporal learning of every young priesthood holder. He is responsible for new member baptisms and missionary work in the ward. •
Judge in Israel – Members are interviewed by their bishop in order to receive a
temple recommend. The bishop signs the recommend to indicate that the member is following basic tenets of the church and is worthy to enter the temple. Additionally, members seek guidance from the bishop in overcoming personal challenges. Serious sins must be confessed to the bishop who helps members through the repentance process. In some cases, the bishop presides over a
church membership council where the outcome can include formal or informal membership restrictions or
withdrawal of membership, depending on the severity of the sin and the attitude of the member. Additionally, the bishop also has the authority and duty to counsel members on spiritual matters, and sits as a "common judge" in the event of disputes between ward members. Bishops typically withdraw from involvement in matters which have been taken to the law. •
Provide temporally for the members of the ward – The bishop also has the responsibility to oversee the payment of
tithes and
offerings in a ward, including the duty to accurately account for all money donated. The bishop also has the authority to authorize financial assistance, specifically the disbursement of
fast offerings donated to help the poor, and other assistance to members, according to the church's guidelines. Bishops can also provide "in kind" assistance in the form of food and household goods from the
bishop's storehouse (which is managed by the Presiding Bishop [see below]). The bishop disburses funds, authorizes distribution of food from the bishop's storehouse, or provides other appropriate assistance after evaluating the needs of the family and the resources available in the ward. •
Serve as the presiding high priest for the ward – As the presiding high priest, the bishop leads meetings and has the priesthood authority to issue callings, approve the performance of ordinances, such as baptisms and the administration of the
sacrament. The high priests that reside in several wards that form a
stake are part of a quorum led by the stake president. In the ward, the bishop gives direction to and coordinates the efforts of the
elders quorum president in performing their duties. (In each stake, the members of ward bishoprics, the stake high council, and any functioning patriarch form the stake high priest quorum, presided over by members of the stake presidency.) •
Organize and manage the other organizations in the ward – The bishop is responsible for calling and setting apart a local president for each of the church's organizations. These organizations are the
Sunday School,
Relief Society,
Young Men,
Young Women, and
Primary. He also calls and sets apart Aaronic priesthood
quorum and Young Women class presidents. The bishopric then approves the recommendations made by each organizational or quorum president for two counselors, a secretary, instructors, and other callings. In doing this, the bishop strives to help manage the time donated by members of the ward.
Branch presidents In small congregations that are not large enough to be a ward, a holder of the Melchizedek priesthood is usually called to be the
branch president. In rare instances where no worthy Melchizedek priesthood holder is available, a priest in the Aaronic priesthood may instead be called as the branch president. The branch president generally has the same responsibilities as a bishop and is assisted by two counselors. A branch president and his counselors may or may not be a high priest, and a branch president is not ordained to the priesthood office of bishop.
Presiding Bishop The LDS Church also has a Presiding Bishop who oversees the temporal affairs of the church (including its
welfare services) and provides assistance and instruction to the various bishoprics worldwide.
Traveling bishops The calling of "traveling bishop" was prominent during the early Utah period of church history from roughly the 1850s-1880s. Traveling bishops were not assigned to a specific congregation, but were tasked to visit various wards and branches to take care and supervise over temporal matters. ==Bishops in Community of Christ==