Your job is to make the bishop's limited time count. You're his air traffic controller — managing the calendar, preparing the room, scheduling interviews, and keeping everything moving so he can focus on people.
Day One
Do These Things First
Meet with the bishop.↗ text him Ask him: "How do you want to communicate? How should members request an interview? What's already on the calendar I need to know about?" Then listen more than you talk.
Get on the bishopric group text. You should be on every channel the bishop and counselors use. If one doesn't exist, suggest creating it: bishop, both counselors, you.
Find the calendar. Is it a shared Google Calendar? church calendar ↗ A physical binder? Someone's memory? Locate it and get access. Everything else depends on this.
Find the agenda system. Where are previous bishopric meeting agendas and minutes? Google Doc folder, email chain, a binder? If nothing exists, you're building from scratch — that's fine.
Confirm meeting times. Bishopric meeting (usually Sunday morning before sacrament), Ward Council (usually first or second Sunday monthly), any standing auxiliary or welfare meetings.
Ask how interviews are currently scheduled. Do members text the bishop directly? Text you? Sign-up sheet? Online form? Know the system before someone tries to use it.
Your Role
What the Executive Secretary Actually Does
The bishop is responsible for the spiritual welfare of every person in the ward. His time is finite. Your job is to protect and maximize that time — scheduling it thoughtfully, preparing him for meetings, and handling logistics he shouldn't have to think about.
In practice, this means five things:
Schedule and manage interviews — coordinate between bishop and members
Prepare agendas for bishopric meetings and Ward Council
Coordinate sacrament meeting — speakers, conducting, program
Gather agenda items from auxiliaries for Ward Council
Keep the calendar current — the bishop should never double-book
The best executive secretaries are anticipators. They see what's coming before the bishop has to ask. Tithing settlement starts in November — you build the system in October. Temple recommends expire every two years — you flag them before they lapse. A good exec sec creates calm.
Weekly Rhythm
Every Sunday
Before church
Arrive early. Have the bishopric meeting agenda ready. Check the calendar — interviews scheduled, any settings apart, logistics the bishop needs to know before he walks in the door.
Bishopric meeting
Run the agenda or support the bishop as he does. Take notes: decisions made, who owns each action item, by when. After: send a short recap to the group text. At the end of the meeting you should be able to answer: "What are we doing, and who's doing it?"
Sacrament meeting
Speakers confirmed, program ready (if you handle it), the conducting bishopric member knows the order before they walk to the stand. If a speaker cancels last-minute, you solve it quietly before it becomes a problem at the pulpit.
Interviews
Before or after church, the bishop meets with members. You coordinated the scheduling, members know when to come, and you know who's on the list. No surprises.
Ward Council Sunday
Agenda already distributed to auxiliary presidents — ideally Saturday. They should walk in knowing what they're reporting on, not reading the agenda for the first time.
During the week
Respond to interview requests, update the calendar, follow up with speakers. If someone's speaking in two Sundays, a mid-week check-in is considerate, not intrusive.
Monthly / Seasonal
Bigger-Picture Rhythm
First week
Reach out to auxiliary presidents: "Do you have anything for Ward Council this month?" Set a deadline for responses. Most will have something; some need prompting.
Ward Council prep
Compile agenda from auxiliary reports. The bishop usually sets the tone and opening topics — bring him a draft. Distribute the agenda before Council Sunday, not the morning of.
Quarterly
EQ and RS presidents each meet with the bishop individually for ministering interviews. These should be on the calendar and protected — they get quietly squeezed out if you're not watching for them.
Oct – Dec
Tithing settlement season. Every household meets with the bishop, typically in November and December. You're booking his Sundays in 10–15 minute slots across several weeks. Start building the sign-up system in October. See the Interviews section.
Ongoing
Temple recommends run on a 2-year cycle. Work with the ward clerk to flag members whose recommends are approaching expiration. A proactive call from you means fewer members accidentally lapsing.
Interviews
Scheduling the Bishop's Time
This is the core of the calling. The bishop needs to meet with a lot of people. The easier you make that for both sides, the more good gets done.
Common Interview Types
Temple recommend interviews — 2-year renewals, new recommends; bishop interviews all ward members, stake presidency handles the second interview
Youth interviews — Bishop meets with youth 1–2x per year; coordinate with YM/YW presidents
Tithing settlement — Annual; every household, November–December
Ministering interviews — EQ and RS presidents, each quarter
Convert baptism interviews — Coordinate timing with missionaries or WML; tied to the baptism date
Callings — settings apart — After a calling is sustained, you schedule the setting apart with the bishop or a counselor
General member interviews — Someone just needs to speak with the bishop; schedule it without needing to know why
Tithing Settlement
Build a sign-up system members can use starting in October — physical sheet, digital form, or text-based scheduling, whatever the ward is comfortable with. Publicize it early. The goal is a full calendar before anyone has to be chased down in December.
Members won't always know why they're being asked to schedule time with the bishop. You don't need to explain it. "The bishop would like to meet with you — here are a few available times" is the whole message. Protect confidentiality in both directions.
Contacting Members
Text works for most scheduling. Keep it warm and simple: "Hi Brother/Sister [Name], this is [your name], Executive Secretary. Bishop [Name] would like to meet with you. Would Sunday at [time] work, or is there another time that's better?" You're not scheduling a performance review.
Agendas
Preparing Meetings
A good agenda is a map, not a script. Keep it short. Everyone should be able to look at it and immediately know where the meeting is going.
Bishopric Meeting (Weekly)
Opening prayer
Calendar — what's coming this week and next
Interviews — who's scheduled, pending requests
Sacrament meeting — upcoming speakers, topics, any logistics
Welfare / individuals (bishop leads this portion)
Action items from last week — status
Any auxiliary items or Ward Council prep
Closing prayer
The bishop may run it differently. Adapt. The agenda is a tool, not a rule.
Ward Council (Monthly)
Collect items from: EQ President, RS President, Primary President, YM President, YW President, Sunday School President, Ward Mission Leader, Ward Clerk. Bishop opens with a focus. Each auxiliary reports briefly. End with action items.
Ward Council is most effective when it starts with people, not programs. Who needs help this month? Who hasn't been seen? Let the agenda provide structure; let the Spirit direct where the real conversation needs to go.
Sacrament Meeting
Coordinating the Most Visible Meeting
The bishop determines topics, themes, and special occasions. You handle the logistics so the meeting runs smoothly without him having to manage it from the stand.
Speaking Assignments
Extend speaking assignments on the bishop's behalf, confirm topics and time limits
Keep a rolling schedule 4–6 weeks out — don't be scrambling every Saturday night
A mid-week reminder to speakers is standard and genuinely appreciated
Know who you'd call on short notice if a speaker cancels Sunday morning
Conducting
The bishop or one of the counselors conducts each week. Make sure whoever's conducting knows the order before they sit down: speaker sequence, approximate times, hymns, prayers, any announcements. No surprises from the pulpit.
Program
Some wards produce a printed program; others don't. Ask what the practice is. If you do handle programs, keep a simple template you can update in under ten minutes on Saturday.
Key Contacts
Who You Work With Regularly
Bishop
↗ text
Your entire calling flows from this relationship. Know how he likes to communicate. Know his priorities.
1st & 2nd Counselors
↗ text
They're in the meetings, on the calendar, and conducting sacrament on rotation. Copy them on agendas and recaps.
Ward Clerk
↗ text
Your closest operational partner. LCR records — membership moves, expiring recommends, ordinance dates, financial reports.
Auxiliary Presidents
RS, EQ, Primary, YM, YW, Sunday School — gathering their Ward Council items monthly, scheduling settings apart. Build a brief, functional relationship with each one.
Ward Mission Leader
Convert baptism interviews go through you for scheduling. He also brings names to Ward Council.
Quick Notes
Operational Notes
Log your calendar system, agenda format, meeting schedule, and anything worth handing off when you're released.