How Public Affairs Is Organized

Stake Public Affairs Councils

 

The stake public affairs council is the basic unit of public affairs work in the Church. Except in areas where Church members make up a large percentage of the population, or where other circumstances suggest otherwise, every stake should have a public affairs council. The priesthood adviser to this council is a member of the stake presidency. There are no ward public affairs councils or ward directors of public affairs.

Stake public affairs councils base all of their objectives and activities on the objectives of the stake presidency. Priesthood advisers should attend public affairs council meetings as schedules permit and should give frequent direction on the council’s plans. Priesthood leaders should also actively participate in outreach to key opinion leaders.

Through the Area Seventy, the stake priesthood adviser may call on the appropriate multistake, specially named regional, national, or area director of public affairs for help in training the stake public affairs council.  Funding for stake public affairs councils is provided by the stake.

Multistake Public Affairs Councils

Multistake public affairs councils should be organized in areas where multiple stakes share the same key opinion leaders (such as media or government officials). The priesthood adviser to this council is typically an Area Seventy.

Multistake councils help coordinate relationship building, media relations, and other activities between stake public affairs councils in the multistake area so that outreach efforts are not duplicated. Multistake councils also sponsor and implement opinion leader, media, and other public affairs initiatives across the participating stakes. At the invitation of priesthood leaders, they may also provide training to stake public affairs councils. Stake directors of public affairs in a multistake area should be invited to participate in the multistake council.

The priesthood adviser may call on the appropriate national, specially named regional, or area director of public affairs for help in training and supporting a multistake council. Funding for multistake public affairs councils is provided by the stakes in the multistake area.

National and Specially Named Regional Public Affairs Councils

Area Presidencies may organize a national public affairs council for each country where multiple countries make up a single Church area. This council is a coordination, training, and support body for the stake and multistake public affairs councils within the country. National public affairs councils may also sponsor and implement nationwide opinion leader, media, and other public affairs initiatives. Support for this council is provided by the area public affairs council. An Area Seventy serves as the council’s priesthood adviser.

Area Presidencies (or the supervising member of the Presidency of the Seventy in the United States and Canada) may organize specially named regional public affairs councils in areas with a high concentration of stake and multistake public affairs councils. Specially named regional public affairs councils are not organized in areas where there is an existing national public affairs council. This council is a coordination, training, and support body for the stake and multistake public affairs councils within a portion of the area designated by priesthood leaders.

Specially named regional public affairs councils may also sponsor and implement opinion leader, media, and other public affairs initiatives. Support for these councils is provided by the area public affairs council. An Area Seventy serves as the council’s priesthood adviser. Directors of stake and multistake public affairs councils served by the respective specially named regional council should be invited to participate in the council.

Area Public Affairs Councils

Each Church area has an area public affairs council. The director of the area council may be either a full-time Church employee or a called director from the area. This council is a coordination, training, and support body for national, specially named regional, multistake, and stake public affairs councils within the area. Area councils may also sponsor and implement area-wide opinion leader, media, and other public affairs initiatives. National and specially named regional directors of public affairs should be invited to participate in the area public affairs council.

For Areas in the United States and Canada

Coordination, training, support, and funding for area public affairs councils in the United States and Canada are provided by the Public Affairs Department under the direction of the supervising member of the Presidency of the Seventy and the Public Affairs Committee of the Church. A member of the Presidency of the Seventy or an assigned Area Seventy serves as the priesthood adviser to the area council.

Area public affairs councils in Utah differ from other area councils in that they do not support other public affairs councils in the area.

For Areas outside the United States and Canada

Coordination, training, support, and funding for area public affairs councils outside the United States and Canada are provided by the Public Affairs Department under the direction of the respective Area Presidency and the Public Affairs Committee of the Church. A member of the Area Presidency or an assigned Area Seventy serves as the priesthood adviser to the area council.