Skip to content

Agent Bishop (Clerk) Responsibilities

Welcome to the Agent Bishop section of the Ward Clerk Knowledge Base. This section covers the unique responsibilities for clerks serving in agent bishop capacities, primarily related to building management and coordination.

Overview

In stakes with multiple wards sharing a meetinghouse, one ward's bishop typically serves as the "agent bishop" for the building. The ward clerk of that ward often takes on specific building-related coordination responsibilities on behalf of the agent bishop. These duties go beyond typical ward clerk responsibilities and involve facility management, coordination between wards, and liaison work with stake and facilities management.

Key Responsibilities

Building Committee Coordination

Role: Serve as chair of the building committee

Responsibilities:

  • Schedule and conduct regular building committee meetings

  • Include one counselor from each ward's bishopric that uses the building

  • For stake centers, coordinate with stake representative

  • Discuss and approve how wards work together on building-related issues

  • Document decisions and communicate to all wards

Typical Meeting Frequency: Monthly or as needed

Supply and Materials Management

Responsibilities:

  • Purchase materials for the meetinghouse library (toner, paper, supplies)

  • Purchase other approved items for the building

  • Coordinate bulk purchases to save costs

  • Maintain inventory of shared supplies

  • Bill other wards for their portion of shared expenses

Budget Coordination:

  • Track expenses by ward

  • Calculate fair distribution (often by ward size or usage)

  • Submit invoices/expense sharing requests to other wards

  • Maintain records of shared expense history

Building Maintenance Coordination

Role: Serve as point of contact for building maintenance

Responsibilities:

  • Coordinate with the stake Physical Facilities Representative (PFR)

  • Submit maintenance requests and work orders

  • Follow up on outstanding maintenance issues

  • Communicate with other wards about planned maintenance

  • Ensure building issues are resolved in timely manner

Important: Facilities Management (FM) group handles actual repairs. The agent bishop clerk coordinates requests, not actual work.

Building Access and Security

Responsibilities:

  • Organize security measures (locking/unlocking schedule)

  • Coordinate key distribution among wards

  • Ensure building is properly secured

  • Address security concerns or incidents

  • Update access as leadership changes occur

Security Checklist:

  • Building locked after all activities

  • Keys accounted for and properly distributed

  • Emergency contact list current

  • Alarm system (if applicable) properly managed

Member Building Cleaning Coordination

Role: Organize member cleaning of the building

Responsibilities:

  • Create cleaning assignment schedule

  • Coordinate with other wards on cleaning rotation

  • Assign cleaning dates to ward families

  • Provide cleaning checklists and instructions

  • Follow up on missed assignments

  • Address cleaning quality issues

Typical Schedule:

  • Weekly cleaning assignments per ward

  • Rotation ensures fair distribution

  • Deep cleaning before special events

  • Professional cleaning as needed/approved

Building Scheduler Assignment

Responsibility: Work with bishop to call a building scheduler

Building Scheduler Role (separate calling):

  • Manage online building calendar

  • Approve/coordinate building use requests

  • Prevent scheduling conflicts between wards

  • Ensure activities comply with building use policies

  • Communicate schedule changes to affected groups

Note: The agent bishop clerk doesn't typically do the scheduling but ensures someone is called and trained for this role.

Coordination Best Practices

Communication

  • Regular Updates: Keep all affected wards informed of building issues

  • Shared Calendar: Maintain visible schedule of maintenance, cleaning, and events

  • Contact List: Keep current contact information for all ward representatives

  • Documentation: Record committee decisions and share meeting minutes

Financial Transparency

  • Clear Billing: Provide detailed expense breakdowns to other wards

  • Consistent Methods: Use same calculation method each time for shared costs

  • Timely Invoicing: Bill other wards promptly to avoid confusion

  • Budget Tracking: Help wards anticipate building-related expenses

Facility Care

  • Preventive Maintenance: Don't wait for things to break; plan ahead

  • Prompt Response: Address issues quickly before they become major problems

  • Quality Standards: Maintain building appearance and functionality

  • Resource Management: Use Church resources efficiently

Common Challenges

Multiple Ward Coordination

Challenge: Different wards have different priorities and resources.

Solution: - Focus on shared interests (building preservation, cost reduction) - Rotate committee meeting locations to be fair - Document decisions to prevent revisiting same issues - Build relationships with clerk counterparts in other wards

Maintenance Request Follow-Up

Challenge: Facilities Management requests sometimes fall through cracks.

Solution: - Keep log of all submitted requests with dates - Follow up every 2 weeks on pending items - Build relationship with stake PFR - Escalate appropriately if no response - Document everything for accountability

Working with Stake PFR

The stake Physical Facilities Representative (PFR) is your primary contact for building maintenance. Reference the contact information from your stake for Brother [PFR Name].

Best Practices:

  • Provide clear, detailed description of issues

  • Include photos when helpful

  • Communicate urgency appropriately

  • Don't bypass PFR to contact FM directly

  • Thank PFR for assistance and follow-through

  • Building Committee Meeting Template (Coming Soon)

  • Maintenance Request Log Template (Coming Soon)

  • Cleaning Assignment Schedule (Coming Soon)

  • Shared Expense Tracking Sheet (Coming Soon)

  • Common Maintenance Issues Guide (Coming Soon)