Tech Forum

Recent changes to the General Handbook, 33.10 were announced in an email message today. The content of that message is:

Changes to Technology Specialist Callings

Recent changes in the General Handbook, 33.10 allow stake presidencies and bishoprics to call one or more technology specialists to serve at the stake and ward level. Men, women, and youth may fill these callings.

Ward Technology Specialist

Ward technology specialists should receive support and training from stake technology specialists.

Stake Technology Specialists

Two stake callings have been renamed. The stake or district assistant clerk—technology specialist (STS) and the assistant technology specialist (ATS) will now both be known as technology specialists (TS).

Technology specialists who are called by the stake have access to manage the following tools in order to support meetinghouses used by multiple wards or branches:

• tm.ChurchofJesusChrist.org
• meet.ChurchofJesusChrist.org
• webcast.ChurchofJesusChrist.org

More details for the callings are found in General Handbook, 33.10

Ward technology specialists should receive support and training from stake technology specialists. Then right below that it says stake technology specialists are now known as technology specialists.

Understand how they had to explain where the training comes from, but as we can see from this example, dropping the word stake from the stake calling title seems to open an effectual door to confusion.

Will wards and branches have organizations in the webcast portal or is the expectation that those continue to be created and managed at the stake level?

One reason it would be nice to have ward / branch organizations is so that they can fully manage and troubleshoot issues without needing the stake technology specialist to be involved.

garystroble wrote:Ward technology specialists should receive support and training from stake technology specialists. Then right below that it says stake technology specialists are now known as technology specialists.

Understand how they had to explain where the training comes from, but as we can see from this example, dropping the word stake from the stake calling title seems to open an effectual door to confusion.

Reading 33.10, it's calling them "stake technology specialists". However, going to in CDOL, I'm now just "Technology Specialist", but listed at the stake level. Previously, I was "Assistant Stake Clerk - Technology Specialist". It also means I'm no longer attached to the stake presidency.

Note that the stake position is now open to "men, women, and youth".

Either way, I highly doubt if we'll be moving away from the "STS" title as it's too confusing given there are ward callings as well. Perhaps in time the word "Stake" will work it's way into the official title like many other callings, such as "Stake Single Adult Representative", "Stake Physical Facilities Representative", "Stake Music Chairman", etc.

trevorlauder wrote:Will wards and branches have organizations in the webcast portal or is the expectation that those continue to be created and managed at the stake level?

Given the language of the letter (emphasis added) "Technology specialists who are called by the stake have access to manage the following tools ..." I don't think that will change.

Any change would require a change in coding for the portals. Developer resources are really stretched thin. You're also not missing out of much. Each unit only has one license and its assigned to a email. That's the extent of the management.

Prior to this change, my stake had one STS and four assistants. Now all five of us are simply listed as Technology Specialists. So I guess our STS got demoted?

Although I was called to be an Assistant STS, I only work in my ward, which is the only ward in my meetinghouse. So I asked the bishop and stake president whether it would make sense to release me from my stake calling, and move me to the ward calling.

drepouille wrote:Prior to this change, my stake had one STS and four assistants. Now all five of us are simply listed as Technology Specialists. So I guess our STS got demoted?

I'm not sure as the ATS had the same rights as the STS, so I think it's more like the ATS got promoted. But it's true your only STS is no longer special. When you have so many STS, I'd think it would be important to come to agreement about who does what so there's cooperation and not too many cooks in the kitchen.

drepouille wrote:Although I was called to be an Assistant STS, I only work in my ward, which is the only ward in my meetinghouse. So I asked the bishop and stake president whether it would make sense to release me from my stake calling, and move me to the ward calling.

Makes sense, but you'll probably find you lose access to some of the on-line tools.

russellhltn wrote:

drepouille wrote:Prior to this change, my stake had one STS and four assistants. Now all five of us are simply listed as Technology Specialists. So I guess our STS got demoted?

I'm not sure as the ATS had the same rights as the STS, so I think it's more like the ATS got promoted. But it's true your only STS is no longer special. When you have so many STS, I'd think it would be important to come to agreement about who does what so there's cooperation and not too many cooks in the kitchen.

drepouille wrote:Although I was called to be an Assistant STS, I only work in my ward, which is the only ward in my meetinghouse. So I asked the bishop and stake president whether it would make sense to release me from my stake calling, and move me to the ward calling.

Makes sense, but you'll probably find you lose access to some of the on-line tools.

russellhtn is right on both accounts. I don't know what rights the ward/branch level calling will be given but since it was a new position type they won't have rights immediately

russellhltn wrote: Either way, I highly doubt if we'll be moving away from the "STS" title as it's too confusing given there are ward callings as well. Perhaps in time the word "Stake" will work it's way into the official title like many other callings, such as "Stake Single Adult Representative", "Stake Physical Facilities Representative", "Stake Music Chairman", etc.

One of the reasons it doesn't have the "Stake" in the name is they wanted the Stake and District ones to be the same position type.

I went out to meet.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and found that I now have the ability to request both Zoom and Meet accounts. I have no need to do so, but there it is.