Called to be a Chapel Missionary
pewsitter June 2013
A Mormon disabled friend called me today. He and his wife had a meeting with their SP [stake president] last night. is SP told them the church was starting a new missionary program where the missionaries would be at the chapel every day giving tours of the building, lessons to investigators and less active members.
The local mission needs adult active married members to be at the chapel while the missionaries are there to chaperon, open and lock the building doors, be part of tour groups, ask specific questions of the missionaries at certain times during the tours, and use the internet to search for ways to contact less active members using social media such as Face Book, Twitter, etc.
The SP said this would be a senior mission call and he and his wife would have to fill out mission papers since they would be called as missionaries and they would report to the mission president. The call would be for 1 year and they would live at home. The SP wants my friend and his wife to pray about going on this mission and to meet with him in a month and let him know if they will accept this calling of the lord.
My TBM friend of course is excited to be called as a full time missionary because he is a convert and did not go on a mission. Since he is now disabled, he would never be allowed to go on a normal mission. His TBM wife however is not happy about what the SP is doing to their family (she has had several run ins with the SP's wife). The wife works full time (primary bread winner) and this mission would require her to quite her job and lose her retirement benefits. The TBM wife feels like the SP is doing this to get back at her and my TBM friend feels like god is testing them to see how faithful they really are. Will they really give all they have or not?
I think the SP is using them to help fill his quota for the new chapel missionaries. The SP does not care she will lose her retirement or job. The SP told them the lord had inspired him to call them as the first chapel missionaries from his stake. The SP told them that he needs at least 2 or 3 couples from each building in their stake to be chapel missionaries.
I forgot to ask if they will also be janitors and scrub the toilets while waiting on all the tourist to show up.
Another inspired program from the inspired prophet.
nowayjoe
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
Ready
fire
Aim
whiskeytango
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
Well, I guess we are starting to see how this new program will work. The members are going to be expected to find people to be taught,attend open houses and provide non-mormon or "less active" FB friends to bother.
Bobihor
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
How is this even a mission anymore? It just sounds like free labor to me.
Chloe
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
Requiring a person to give up their job and retirement benefits is insane.
Perhaps the wheelchair bound husband cannot fully appreciate the load his wife is carrying in supporting their family.
I hope the husband comes to his senses.
Devoted Exmo
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
This is practically criminal! She should tell them they'll only do the job if the SP replaces her retirement 100%!
snuckafoodberry
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
Surely there can't be that many tours. I wonder if they will br required to clean the building in between visits.
Brethren,adieu
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
Maybe wife could play dumb and act like its a job interview.
"So, SP, I stand to lose some retirement benefits at my current job if I leave now. if I accept your offer, what are the church's retirement benefits?"
sherlock
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
Which is exactly why it won't work. You can re-badge it any way you want, but the reality is that most members have no interest whatsoever in doing missionary work. The TBMs that are motivated to help, have either a) a severe lack of any non-member friends b) already burnt bridges with previous failed invitations.
And if TSCC [this so called church] really thinks that a plate of cookies or a tour of the chapel is enough to bribe a switched on and well-informed less active back to church...
releve
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
I must by a prophet. I predicted this as soon as I heard the announcement. The buildings are the responsibility of SP so he has to control the keys.
Of course he doesn't care if she loses benefits. He has a quota to fill. The poor lady. The primary breadwinner, with a disabled husband, she should be receiving service not giving it.
releve
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
A lot of the senior missions are free labor. I have neighbors who are CPAs and served on the City Creek Project. Not just free labor, free professional service.
Jonny the Smoke
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
What do they think non-mormons think LDS chapels are...Disneyland?
They act like throngs of people are magically going to show up at the local chapel and ask for tours, information, baptism, worthiness interviews, temple endowments, cleaning assignments, etc.
If anyone shows up, they'll see a bland, drab building with no classical or modern architecture, no beuatiful artwork or sanctuary.....stuffy, stale air, cherrios in the seats and on the floor, etc.
And if they come back and attend a meeting, they'll see disinterested poeple sitting in the pews, screaming children, listen to some dullard speak from the pulpit, etc.
Xyandro
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
I liked the "ask specific questions of the missionaries at certain times during the tours" part. Sounds like they're trying to manipulate the "investigators."
whiskeytango
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
Yes, asking the "questions they should have asked" per Bob Millet.
A ANON
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
Sitting in a lonely church building all day long with little to do? Then sitting in the same place most of Sunday through boring meetings?
How many non-Mormons are really going to find it attractive to go to the building anyway?
The number of those VERY FEW neighbors who MAY want to show up will be exhausted in the first weeks or so, then what happens until the end of a year?
... And the next year?
If people don't want to talk to you on their doorstep, why will they want to drive over to your church building to talk? Why would the second approach be more effective than the first?
These Chapel Missionaries will sit and wait, and wait, and wait.
If this is their "Grand Solution", the church is truly desperate.
deconverted2010
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
This doesn't surprise me, here in our area there are couples that are called as senior missionary couples but do not have to leave their home. Some of these 'calls to serve' have substituted positions that used to be paid jobs years ago. I.e. the couples serving at the bishops storehouse, job employment, and other "office" jobs.
What this does for these couples is that it gives them such a superiority complex it is hard to even say hello. They were their name tag daily and members are suppose to refer to them as Elder X and Sister X.
I guess 10%+ of the income is not enough, 100% free labour is also required.
I hope your friend thinks this one through and does not throw away her retirement benefits. I read a story of a man who was also advised by a leader to leave his school to work for the church and was not able to continue. I have to search see if I find it, it was heartbreaking.
And thanks for sharing this. It helps put the pieces together.
stillburned
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
snort...Bob Millett... that guy, I guarantee you, knows it isn't true but still writes his heart out...
summer
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
You know, I've thought of a way that they could get people into the church that would actually benefit the community.
The local food banks in my area partner with community organizations to do the distribution for them. The school that I work at is one such distribution point. Several area churches are other distribution points (notably, *not* the local LDS ward house.) You print up notices that the food bank will arrive on a certain day, focusing on needy area communities. You get a few volunteers to help set up and manage the distribution. That's pretty much it. Once people find out that you are a distribution point, they will show up reliably to pick up their food. Word spreads like wildfire.
That would be so freaking easy. Set it up inside the building. Have people walk past the chapel. Mishies could offer to show the building off to any interested takers. They could walk boxes of food to people's cars.
The church could even donate some of their own food. (*cough* *cough*) Would it ever occur to the church to do something this useful for their communities?
CA girl
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
I would feel so sorry for your friend if she is strong-armed into quitting her job and giving up her retirement for a plan doomed to failure. Would you want to go tour a Jehovah's Witness building, unless it had some sort of architectural significance? Or a Scientology meeting place? The combination of boring, modern buildings and notorious religious recruiting makes all these places unattractive to the average person. It's outrageous to think anyone will show up and to ask people to give up their retirement to sit around waiting for people who will never arrive is even worse. And the idea of supervising other adults (i.e. missionaries) is a whole other topic ...
dk
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
Are they hoping homeless people come by for a tour? Because, most people work during the day, and if they have a late shift, they're trying to get some sleep.
How old is the wife? Is she over 65, but working to make extra income? I'd go for the retirement benefits, but that's because I've seen how the church "takes care of its own".
Levi
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
shhhhhhhh!
Don't give them any ideas.
Where did I hear something about "pearls before swine"?
darksided
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
and it's people like your friend who will fall for it because they are too nice to say no and they want to be faithful. So sad.
Devoted Exmo
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
Is there any way you can call this friends wife and reassure her that it's not a good idea to give up her job and retirement as you're sure this experiment won't last for long and then she'll be stuck!
raiku
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
This is getting more and more like the cult of Scientology's "slave labor" in their military style SeaOrg.
In some ways the LDS church has gotten more healthy such as by ending the mimicking of throat slitting in temple rituals and stopping polygamy.
However, in manipulating members and taking more and more of their time and money in the last 10 years, maybe they are steadily getting worse due to their shrinking membership and tithing.
==========
http://free-from-scientology.blogspot.com/
ABC's Lateline has obtained a draft copy of that investigation's report, which contains allegations of false imprisonment and forced labour.
"The allegations ... may potentially be a breach of the provisions of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (cth) dealing with slavery," the draft report says.
"The Fair Work ombudsman will refer the witnesses' allegations to the relevant authority for further investigation."
The report also shows that some workers in the church's elite Sea Org unit were getting paid as little as $10 a week.
The Church of Scientology argued that Sea Org members were not covered by the Fair Work Act because they were in holy orders.
But this was rejected in the draft report which said: "This is not a persuasive view and is not consistent with the law."
The church argues all their religious work is done by volunteers, however, the draft report said: "It is likely the Church of Scientology has incorrectly classified as volunteers or voluntary workers people who are entitled to be classified as employees."
That means many current and former workers could be owed large amounts of back pay.
In the draft report, the ombudsman insists the Church of Scientology appoint an independent consultant who will review its records so they comply with employment laws and awards.
==========
Surrender Dorothy
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
So are they going to run the air conditioner every day or turn up the heat every day in the winter in every meetinghouse? Will they start begging for money for the meetinghouse/building fund?
Why don't they just convert one of the classrooms into a bedroom and let the mishies live there. They have a kitchen and bathrooms. Do the meetinghouses with baptismal fonts have showers? P-day could be spent cleaning their "house" i.e., the entire building.
I, too, love that they are going to have ringers in the tour group. The acting will be worse than the wooden performances in the middle-of-the-night commercials for one of the local kids' dentists.
Cymorg
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
Lol, get the hot tub...i mean baptismal font ready!
Bobihor
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
Reminds me of ol' Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redmeption (great movie). **SPOILER** At least he escaped in the end. :)
Chicken N. Backpacks
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
Seriously, a complete, and I mean compleeeeete tour of a typical chapel would take about 10 minutes, unless there numerous stops for FPS' and such balderdash.
"Now this stained glass window was made in France in 1822 and assembled by John Adam's cousin. Over there is where one of our nations most famed poets is buried. And the spot you're standing on is where the famous photograph was taken of Dr. Martin Luther King meeting with the future president of the United States"
Oh, sorry, that's another church tour, not the mormon one....
darksided
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
nope, they keep that room behind closed doors even when you're already a member
paintinginthewin
maybe drug addicts and street people will flood certain chapels
It will be difficult to supervise in some cities or neighborhoods of California. I predict problems with the turning halls- no line of sight supervision, counting and keeping track just like any open city community center near homeless centers and rehab. It will take very strong supervision to 'keep' the building & not to loose it to the street.
who wants in a building - access to computers- circular hallways without security visual monitors- in some places, they are going to have a problem
releve
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
I could be way out of line here, but I'm going to ask the question anyway. The husband is disabled, the wife is a woman and we all know that women get paid less than men. Could they be receiving assistance from TSCC? Is TSCC going to put pressure on the elderly and disabled members, who are receiving assistance, to accept these babysitting missions as payment?
I can seriously see TSCC doing that sort of thing. Isn't that kind of what they do to DI workers?
raiku
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
"I, too, love that they are going to have ringers in the tour group. "
That's so fake. I guess part of it could be so that if some guy walks in he doesn't think he's the ONLY touring non-member there. But if they really have members pretend to be non-members, that's so dishonest.
gentlestrength
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
Transparency is the end of this tyrant, the Internet is just a part of the transparency that they are experiencing.
Speaking truth to "power", real or fantasy is what is happening.
Devoted Exmo
Re: Called to be a Chapel Missionary
The churches policy is to help no one, if possible. You are to get state, federal or family help first. And if you can't, they might provide short term assistance (unless you're connected). So for the rank and file disabled, there's no way they're getting any kind of help.
"Recovery from Mormonism - www.exmormon.org"