Missionary Finances (2024)

Policy and Principles

The primary responsibility to provide financial support for a missionary lies with the individual and the family. Generally, missionaries should not rely entirely on people outside of their family for financial support.

Missionaries and their families should make appropriate sacrifices to provide financial support for a mission. It is better for a person to delay a mission for a time and earn money toward his or her support than to rely entirely on others. However, worthy missionary candidates should not be prevented from serving missions solely for financial reasons when they and their families have sacrificed according to their capability.

General Guidelines

The ward missionary fund is used solely for donations relating to ward members who are serving as full-time missionaries. Ward missionary funds should not be sent directly to individual missionaries. Nor should ward missionary funds be used for any missionary activities in the ward or stake.

Stake presidents and bishops inform missionaries and others who contribute to the ward missionary fund that these contributions, including those that are prepaid, cannot be refunded. This is true even if a missionary returns home before the expected return date for any reason. Because contributions cannot be refunded, prepaying the cost of a mission is discouraged.

When tithes and other offerings are given to the Church, they belong to the Lord, to whom they are consecrated. The essence of all such contributions is that they are freewill offerings made without reservation of purpose, retention of control, ownership in any form, or expectation of any benefit by the donor other than the Lord’s blessings. It is therefore improper to refund contributions given to the Church. Doing so would violate the spirit of freewill offerings. In some countries, refunding contributions could also cause legal and income tax complications for both the contributor and the Church.

Church leaders and members should not ask those outside the boundaries of their own Church units to contribute missionary financial support, except for family members.

Missionaries, parents, other family members, and friends make commitments to contribute a specific amount to the Church’s ward missionary fund. This commitment amount is equalized in certain countries (see General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 24.6.3.2). In other countries, the commitment amount is not equalized (see General Handbook, 24.6.3.3). If necessary, the stake president or bishop may ask members within the stake or ward boundaries to contribute to the ward missionary fund. Budget and fast-offering funds may not be used to meet missionary contribution commitments.

The contribution commitment applies only to the following teaching missionaries:

1. Single men ages 18–25
2. Single women ages 19–39

The contribution commitment does not apply to missionary couples, sisters ages 40 and older, or Church-service missionaries.
The bishop ensures that the monthly contribution commitment amount for each missionary serving from the ward is available in the ward missionary fund. These contributions need to be available regardless of whether it is an equalized or nonequalized amount. Each month, Church headquarters withdraws the contribution commitment from the ward missionary fund. The Church uses such funds to cover overall missionary costs, which vary by location.

The Church has equalized the contribution commitment requested to help cover the overall costs for the service-related expenses of missionaries whose home wards are in designated countries (contact the area office for a list of these countries). The commitment is the same regardless of where these missionaries serve. The general procedure is given below:

1. To have the necessary funds available, bishops accept donations from missionaries, from their families and friends, and from all ward members. If necessary, the stake president or bishop may ask stake or ward members to help support these missionaries by contributing to the ward missionary fund. However, Church leaders are not to solicit funds for any purpose, including the support of missionaries, outside the boundaries of their own Church units.
2. The bishop, with the stake presidency, should determine when ward missionary funds exceed reasonable ward or stake needs. Any excess should be sent to the administrative office by check or by letter indicating the amount of excess by unit.
3. If there is a need to redistribute missionary funds within the stake or ward, it may be done in any of the following ways depending on the area:
   
   • Transfer between the corresponding units or Ward Missionary subcategories.
   • Print checks if transfer is not available.
   • Inform the administrative office of the amount and destination to redistribute.
4. Church headquarters charges the ward missionary fund for the prior month that the missionary served. The amount charged will be a prorated amount based on the number of days served for any partial months. This includes the first and last month and any other months where the missionary is not in the mission field.
5. In some countries, the administrative office charges the ward checking account the monthly amount for each missionary.

Note: The contribution commitment does not apply to missionary couples, sisters ages 40 and older, or Church-service missionaries.
The service-related expenses of the missionaries listed under the previous headings are covered through contributions; however, additional expenses are paid with personal funds. These expenses include clothing purchases and repairs, bicycle purchases and repairs, medical costs not paid by the mission, and approved telephone calls home. Other personal expenses, which should be kept to a minimum, might include cameras, souvenirs, gifts, traffic fines, and damage to apartments or vehicles caused by the missionary’s misconduct or negligence. Bishops should encourage family members to donate the contribution commitment before sending personal funds to their missionaries.

For missionaries from countries that do not participate in the equalized contribution program, personal expenses for needed items while in the mission field may be paid by the mission if approved by the mission president. These items may include replacement clothing, bicycles, or medical and dental care.

Financing Couples and Sisters Ages 40 and Over

Regardless of where they serve, missionary couples and sisters ages 40 and older whose home wards participate in the equalized contribution program contribute an assigned monthly housing and vehicle (if applicable) amount to their home ward missionary fund. The bishop ensures that the monthly housing and vehicle amounts are available in the ward missionary fund for each couple or sister. Each month, Church headquarters withdraws the housing and vehicle amounts from the ward missionary fund.

Church headquarters uses these funds to help cover the costs of missionary housing, transportation, and similar costs worldwide. The bishop may use other general contributions to the ward missionary fund to help cover the monthly housing and vehicle amounts for missionary couples and sisters ages 40 and older when they meet all of the following requirements:

1. The missionary’s home ward is in a country that is designated by the Church to participate in the equalized contribution program.
2. The missionary does not have adequate means to provide support.
3. Funds are available in the ward missionary fund.

Missionary couples whose home wards do not participate in the equalized contribution program contribute at least a minimum monthly amount to help cover missionary housing costs. This amount is established by the Area Presidency. Missionaries make their contributions to the General Missionary Fund through the ward or branch they attend in the mission field.
Missionary couples and sisters ages 40 and older are responsible for all personal expenses of missionary service that are not covered by the Church using ward missionary fund donations.

Sisters ages 40 and older from countries that are not designated to participate in the equalized contribution program are not called as full-time missionaries unless they can fully support themselves financially.

Charges to the Ward Checking Account

For those wards that have their monthly amounts automatically taken out of their accounts by the administrative office, each missionary’s subcategory in the Ward Missionary account will be charged the equalized monthly payment amount. This charge will begin in the month the missionary leaves home for the mission field. The amount charged will be a prorated amount based on the number of days served for any partial months. This includes the first and last month and any other months where the missionary is not in the mission field. The bishop will receive information about the monthly amount when he receives notification of the missionary’s call. Bishops should make sure there are enough funds in each missionary’s account to cover these charges.

Change in the Missionary’s Home Ward

When a missionary’s home ward changes (such as when his or her parents move), wards should use the following guidelines:

1. The bishop of the missionary’s previous ward should notify the bishop of the new ward that his ward is now the missionary’s home ward. The bishop of the former ward cannot transfer financial responsibility for the missionary’s support to the new ward unless the bishop of the new ward agrees and willingly accepts the responsibility for the support. Then either bishop may notify the administrative office of the change and request that the new ward be made the funding unit.
2. When the primary support is being supplied by the parents of the missionary, they should contribute support funds to the new ward. If the new ward does not agree to accept responsibility, responsibility continues with the old ward.