Thousands of women will have a new opportunity to lead in Sunday School presidencies in nearly 32,000 congregations around the world, according to a policy update announced Wednesday by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Sunday School presidencies in wards and branches, as the church’s congregations are known, may now consist of all women for the first time, or all men as had been the practice.
The move was announced in a letter from the First Presidency to general authorities and officers of the church and the leaders of wards, branches and stakes, regional organizations of five to 12 congregations.
“The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have determined that, effective immediately, the bishop may call a man or a woman to serve as ward Sunday School president,” the First Presidency stated.
“If a man is called as Sunday School president,” the letter stated, “he must hold the Melchizedek Priesthood, and his counselors and secretary must be male members of the ward. If a woman is called as Sunday School president, her counselors and secretary must be female members of the ward.”
In 2018, the church changed the Sunday School schedule so that congregations hold the 50-minute class twice a month instead of weekly, alternating with other classes.
Church leaders said the move from three-hour church blocks on Sundays to two hours was designed to create a more home-centered church. In fact, Wednesday’s announcement of a broadened leadership opportunity arrives during a dynamic era of scripture study in the church centered on the 2013 launch of the “Come, Follow Me” curriculum.
Women have taught and guided “Come, Follow Me” classes, discussions, podcasts and more. Now many will have an additional role.
The new policy was part of other updates made Wednesday to the church’s General Handbook.
Other Handbook updates
The General Handbook was updated in several areas, according to a news release issued Wednesday.
- Reorganized and revised language emphasizing ordinances and covenants as central in God’s work of salvation and exaltation (see chapter 1).
- Added clear explanations of the covenants and blessings associated with each ordinance necessary for salvation and exaltation (see 3.5).
- Clarified who presides at district and branch conferences (see 6.3).
- Added information about the length of Aaronic Priesthood and Young Women camps (see 10.2.1.3, 11.2.1.3).
- Updated information about Valiant super activities, previously called day camps (see 12.2.1.3).
- Updated information about calling men or women to ward Sunday School presidencies (see 13.2.2.1 and the official First Presidency letter).
- Added information about accessing patriarchal blessings digitally (see 18.17.2).
- Clarified policies about meetinghouse use on Monday nights (see 20.5.3).
- Updated information about the missionary age for young women and single men serving as senior missionaries (see 24.2).
- Added a new section about caring for the earth (see 38.8.6).
Expanded opportunities for women
The update to Sunday School presidencies is another in a long line of adjustments over the past 15 years that have increased or accelerated leadership and service opportunities for women.
In 2012, the church lowered the minimum age for sister missionaries from 21 to 19. The age was lowered again to 18 last year.
In 2013, women began to offer opening and closing prayers during general sessions of general conference.
That same year, the church created new missionary leadership roles for women called sister training leaders.
In 2015, women were added as permanent, official members of three major church executive councils — the Missionary Executive Council, the Priesthood and Family Executive Council and the Temple and Family History Executive Council.
In 2019, women began to serve as official witnesses for baptisms and for temple sealings, roles previously filled by men with the priesthood.
In 2022, the First Presidency began to endorse women as chaplains.
Throughout these years, church leaders have emphasized women’s voices in ward councils, where they help lead congregations and advise bishops and other priesthood holders.
Women always have led and filled in the presidencies of the Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary organizations in each congregation and at the stake and general (international) levels.
No change to stake and general presidencies
The general Sunday School presidency, which oversees the program worldwide, will continue to consist of men.
The same will be true for the Sunday School presidencies in each of the church’s 3,600 stakes.
A member of each stake council, composed of men who hold the priesthood, has called to serve as the stake Sunday School president since 2019. That adjustment was announced at the church’s October general conference that year as part of a series of organizational adjustments designed to work in tandem to strengthen the church’s youth.