ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION

One of the most remarkable features of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fact that administration of its eleven-million membership is accomplished almost entirely through a volunteer ministry.

Responsibility for worldwide administration, supervision and policy making is the responsibility of the President of the Church, his two counselors and the Council of Twelve Apostles.  These General Authorities reside in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, headquarters of the Church.  The First Presidency and the Twelve travel frequently throughout the world, meeting with local leaders and members.

For administration purposes, the Church has divided the world into 30 areas.  Experienced Church leaders are assigned to supervise Church activities in those areas.

Albania, Austria, Bahrain, Bosnia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lebanon, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Oman, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, United Arab Emirate and Yemen belong to the Europe Central Area.

A stake president leads each stake, which usually comprises several hundred members of the Church. To assist him in administration, a number of stake officers are appointed by the stake president to help train and supervise leadership at the local level. The stake president and all officers in stakes and branches are volunteers. Most members – men, women and youth – hold some kind of office or responsibility.  This involvement of the whole membership in administering the local congregation is a marked characteristic of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Responsibilities of service may include administration, counseling, teaching (adults, teenagers or children), home visiting, missionary work or organization of social activities or service projects.

At the head of the local congregation stands the branch president.  Usually he is a family man and, like all other officers, is unpaid. While continuing to earn his own living in his chosen occupation, much of his free time during evenings and on weekends is devoted to serving the local Church membership.

The basic unit of that membership is the family. The Church teaches that it is in the family that values and standards can best be taught, shared and exemplified. Strong emphasis is placed on parental responsibilities, with the Church seen as a major resource to help each family member develop socially, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.