New bishops often seek general advice about their calling, and I frequently hear from them. One of the primary risks these leaders face is being overwhelmed by the administrative demands that come with the position.
It’s common for a new bishop to find himself in numerous meetings where the bishopric or ward council is trying to establish their footing. However, I always advise new bishops to resist this administrative temptation.
Experienced bishops understand that these administrative demands will always be present and will continually require more time, so they can be addressed later. The most significant piece of advice I offer to new bishops is to embark on what I call a “ward couch tour.”
By this, I mean the new bishop should set a goal to visit every home in the ward, sitting on each family’s couch in their living room. Depending on the ward’s size and geography, completing this within the first six months would be ideal.
This approach provides every ward member with a personal interaction with their new bishop. While the bishop could simply shake hands at church or engage in hallway conversations, these brief encounters won’t have the same impact. Similarly, waiting for members to come to the bishop’s office for tithing settlement isn’t sufficient.
There’s something uniquely valuable about the bishop stepping into each member’s world by entering their home. Being in their personal space can teach him more about the people he’s leading than any quick handshake between church classes ever could.
This practice also affects the psyche and commitment of ward members. When they attend church, they’ll see their bishop and immediately recall their personal interaction with him. They begin to feel a personal connection with their bishop, which builds trust and strengthens their commitment to the ward.
Most importantly, this approach has the potential to encourage repentance when someone needs to schedule an appointment with the bishop.
A key to accomplishing this is to keep it simple. The bishop shouldn’t task his executive secretary with setting up visit appointments for each family. Instead, he can dedicate one or two nights a week to drive to an area of the ward and knock on doors. Even if members don’t invite him in, a brief conversation on their doorstep still serves the purpose.
This tactic is also effective for elders quorum presidents, Relief Society presidents, and other ward leadership roles. The message is clear: set aside the administrative demands and focus on personal connections by visiting members in their homes.
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