How are MTC bishops/branch presidents called? Interested in the process

[nuclearfuels]

also, how long do they serve? 

[longview]

What would be the problem for missionary trainees to disperse throughout the BYU student wards and neighboring wards that are within walking distance? They could go in five-somes with instructions to NOT separate.

[Stargazer]

36 minutes ago, longview said:

What would be the problem for missionary trainees to disperse throughout the BYU student wards and neighboring wards that are within walking distance? They could go in five-somes with instructions to NOT separate.

As I understand it, the MTC facility has its own meeting facilities, and dispersing the missionaries to student and family wards is unnecessary. Probably also distracting, both to missionaries and ward members. I did not attend the MTC in Provo, but its predecessor the Language Training Mission, which had its own meeting room that served as cafeteria and chapel. We didn't have a bishop in our section, for the German/Dutch/Afrikaans missionaries, but a director and his staff, who seemed to have served that function.

[bluebell]

45 minutes ago, longview said:

What would be the problem for missionary trainees to disperse throughout the BYU student wards and neighboring wards that are within walking distance? They could go in five-somes with instructions to NOT separate.

According to AI there are 56 branches in the Provo MTC. Those branch presidencies are pretty hands-on, they meet with the missionaries often, do interviews, etc. And not just on Sunday. Plus, the branches are typically language specific so that the missionaries can practice their skills.
 

What would the benefits be, trying to have neighboring wards absorb these missionaries?  How would the ward Bishoprics oversee the missionaries, do interviews, and counsel them when needed?

[Rain]

1 hour ago, longview said:

What would be the problem for missionary trainees to disperse throughout the BYU student wards and neighboring wards that are within walking distance? They could go in five-somes with instructions to NOT separate.

Time.  Time spent in training bishops (there would need to be many more if they only had a small group of 5 or 6 than if they had 30 or 20).  Time for the missionaries to get to those places rather than on campus.  Time for those bishops spending time away from family and ward members.  Time in so many ways.

[Rain]

3 hours ago, longview said:

What would be the problem for missionary trainees to disperse throughout the BYU student wards and neighboring wards that are within walking distance? They could go in five-somes with instructions to NOT separate.

Also walkability.  The MTC can have as many as 3700 missionaries.  At 6 missionaries per ward that is 616 wards. Provo area wards are small, but not that small. 

[Calm]

I made ChatGPT do the work and it came up with 5 churches within walking distance of the Provo MTC.  I went to the Church meetinghouse locator and counted 89 congregations marked nearby (a lot were marked as meeting on BYU Campus).  They would have to create additional wards to fit in all the missionaries, so let’s assume a total of 100 congregations close enough to walk to.  That would be up to 37 missionaries per ward if split evenly.

I am trying to figure out how much time it would take the clerks of all those wards to deal with the paperwork vs just having them divided up at the MTC.  Missionaries spend how long at the MTC these days (google says 3 to 9 weeks).  A lot of missionaries would likely be gone before they were really noticed.  Do wards spend the time welcoming the 30ish new members every few weeks or not?

Then there is how would you incorporate these missionaries into these wards.  Do you ignore ministering for them, what about their involvement in ward activities?  What benefit is there to these missionaries that could not be filled by MTC wards given the restrictions placed on them?

There are significant benefits to having MTC wards.  The most obvious one is, imo, those in language missions get to hear Sunday services in the language they are learning.  The third one is the bishop is focused on the needs of missionaries solely and not also families and all the variations that come in Provo wards.  The second one imo is the previously mentioned mass of paperwork.  A dozen or two clerks have deal with it rather than 100 wards’ clerks (surely at least two people would have to know how to process them in and out per ward).  The paperwork can be reduced I assume because it’s not a separate system than the MTC one when the missionaries are assigned to MTC wards, so it just gets inputted with everything else where it would have to be dealt with almost like a typical move in if the usual wards.  I don’t know how much paperwork that actually involves now, I assume not much inputting of info, but most clerks I have had experience with like to doublecheck to make sure info is correct and that takes time calling or finding the individuals on Sunday.  I suppose they could just ignore that side of membership for MTC missionaries, but if so, again what is the benefit?

9 hours ago, Rain said:

Time.  Time spent in training bishops (there would need to be many more if they only had a small group of 5 or 6 than if they had 30 or 20).  Time for the missionaries to get to those places rather than on campus.  Time for those bishops spending time away from family and ward members.  Time in so many ways.

 

Edited May 7 by Calm

[Calm]

11 hours ago, longview said:

They could go in five-somes with instructions to NOT separate.

I wonder what percentage of missionaries would take advantage of the lack of surveillance to have some adventures?

Are MTC missionaries allowed to go wandering on Pdays?  I wonder if when they go to the temple (assuming they do, but maybe not), do lists get checked to make sure they did go?

[Rain]

36 minutes ago, Calm said:

I wonder what percentage of missionaries would take advantage of the lack of surveillance to have some adventures?

Are MTC missionaries allowed to go wandering on Pdays?  I wonder if when they go to the temple (assuming they do, but maybe not), do lists get checked to make sure they did go?

Keep in mind I was there 30+ years ago. Basically aa long as we were in class and in our dorms at curfew we were good. We did need permission to go places off MTC campus, including the temple, but no one would have known if we were where we said we were going. On campus and out of our dorm we were always supposed to be with our companion, but my companion refused to eat breakfast and I had to eat it so my branch president gave me permission and no one seeing me without her ever questioned me except for our fellow district members.

[bluebell]

8 hours ago, Calm said:

I wonder what percentage of missionaries would take advantage of the lack of surveillance to have some adventures?

Are MTC missionaries allowed to go wandering on Pdays?  I wonder if when they go to the temple (assuming they do, but maybe not), do lists get checked to make sure they did go?

I was there in the late 90s. We were allowed to wander on p days but only at the MTC. You were never allowed off campus without special permission, except going to the temple. And you generally did that with your entire district according to a set schedule.

[Calm]

46 minutes ago, bluebell said:

I was there in the late 90s. We were allowed to wander on p days but only at the MTC. You were never allowed off campus without special permission, except going to the temple. And you generally did that with your entire district according to a set schedule.

Would it have been relatively easy to skip out and come back within a certain amount of time without getting caught?

[bluebell]

25 minutes ago, Calm said:

Would it have been relatively easy to skip out and come back within a certain amount of time without getting caught?

If you could convince the other 9 to 11 people in your district to all go rogue at the same time, then it would probably be possible. But since you’re on foot and you only have a couple of hours you couldn’t do too much. If you played sick, then you and your companion could probably get into some mischief if you were really determined during that time. But then again, if you were really determined, you could just walk out the front doors at any point. There really wasn’t anybody forcing you to be where you were supposed to be, and if you didn’t want to be there, you didn’t have to be. 

[nuclearfuels]

On 5/7/2025 at 1:00 AM, Rain said:

in

On 5/7/2025 at 10:18 AM, bluebell said:

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On 5/7/2025 at 9:50 AM, Calm said:

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On 5/6/2025 at 1:09 PM, Stargazer said:

it,

On 5/6/2025 at 12:22 PM, longview said:

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Okay. so thank you all for your input about missionary trainees going to church off the MTC Campus. 

Bychance do any of you know How are MTC bishops/branch presidents called? 

Surrounding stake presidencies, I guess, call former bishops?

[bluebell]

11 hours ago, nuclearfuels said:

Okay. so thank you all for your input about missionary trainees going to church off the MTC Campus. 

Bychance do any of you know How are MTC bishops/branch presidents called? 

Surrounding stake presidencies, I guess, call former bishops?

Sorry, I don’t. 

[longview]

17 hours ago, nuclearfuels said:

By chance do any of you know How are MTC bishops/branch presidents called? 

I can recall my days at Utah State University in the first half of the 1970's where I was invited by a friend in my third year to come to church. I became reactivated and started attending Church Institute which I enjoyed very much. I do remember the bishops and others were drawn from among the institute staff and instructors to serve in campus wards.

I suppose that the MTC staff and instructors and language specialists would number in the thousands? Could they have some kind of rotation going where one third of the staff will serve for 5 or so years in ward callings in addition to their regular duties at the MTC?

[The Nehor]

I liked my branch president in the MTC. One of his counselors though was a racist weirdo.