In this episode we head all the way over to El Puerto de Santa Maria and interview Bishop Tony Batanero. You will find this interview inspiring as we discuss his conversion to the gospel, his service as a full time missionary in Missouri and Canada. He shares his experience of losing his mother during his mission and how that impacted his testimony. He claims that the best calling in the Church is stake executive secretary. He served in that calling for 6 years and was then called in September of 2015 as the bishop of his ward.
Shawn Hammond is a bishop in Colorado Spring, Colorado. He’s also had the opportunity to serve as a Young Men’s president, elders quorum president, and was also blessed to serve in the California Sacramento Mission in the early 2000’s.
We hear it all the time in sacrament meeting; the invitation, coming from the lectern, to “stand after your name is read.” This means members of your ward are getting a calling. Most callings that are extended to us require no leadership responsibilities.
Adam Barrow is a BYU graduate, accountant, father, past elders quorum president, elders quorum counselor, executive secretary, and currently serves as the secretary in his elders quorum. These are various callings he has received while living in San Francisco, California, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Salt Lake City, Utah.
Let’s face it! The only people that are qualified to be bishop are those that have a PhD in human psychology, with a masters in Family Relations, and an MBA from Stanford for good measure. The type of problems and crises church leaders face are sometimes staggering. Thankfully, each bishop holds the priesthood, is blessed with keys, and has awesome support (counselors, ward council, etc.).
Recently I had lunch with a friend. This wasn’t just a friend but also a past bishopric counselor of mine. At the time of our lunch I had recently been released as bishop and he had recently been called as bishop in a different ward. These scenarios led to a discussion about leadership vacuums.
Imagine if you sat on the board of directors for a large Fortune 500 company that needed to find a new CEO to improve the dismal progress of the company. You are not allowed to conduct any formal interviews. You can only choose from people that live in a specific geographical neighborhood (about 350 people). To top it off, you have to make your decision in only 2 weeks.
Paul Barker is currently serving as 1st counselor in a Young Single Adult (YSA) Stake in the Phoenix, Arizona area. He has also served in a few bishoprics, and as a bishop. In this episode we focus on the unique characteristics of being a leader in a YSA stake and how these stakes are more elite compared to conventional family wards. We also discuss the unique approaches to home teaching, how activities play an important role in YSA wards, and how to appeal to those that don’t enjoy large social activities.
Thomas Wirthlin McConkie may have the most “Mormon” name in all of Zion. 🙂 That doesn’t mean his story is a typical Mormon story. Thomas has recently released a helpful book called Navigating Mormon Faith Crisis: A Simple Development Map. This would be an excellent read for a leader in the Church who is seeking further understanding of those in the midst of a faith crisis. You can also find helpful resources at MormonStages.com.
Al Doan and Geoff Openshaw are the hosts of the very popular This Week in Mormons Podcast. I listen to their podcast weekly and they tend to make me laugh while they give me the run down of Mormon happenings. I encourage you to subscribe to the episode and you will find it entertaining.
