In a recent candid conversation, Stassi Cramm, the first female prophet of the Community of Christ, discussed the Kirtland Temple sale & highly publicized sale of historic sites. She offered insights into the church’s current financial & addressed the complexities of continuing to lead a worldwide, diverse body on issues of inclusion and mission.

President Cramm, who was ordained in June 2025 and previously served nine years in the First Presidency, emphasized that her approach centers on faithful agility and discerning God’s ongoing call for the church.

https://youtu.be/blYLTxtHqVk

Don’t miss our other conversations with Stassi: https://gospeltangents.com/people/stassi-cramm/

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Gospel Tangents

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Navigating Finances and Faith: An Update from Community of Christ President Stassi Cramm

In a recent candid conversation, Stassi Cramm, the first female prophet of the Community of Christ, offered insights into the church’s current financial reality following the highly publicized sale of historic sites, including the Kirtland Temple, and addressed the complexities of continuing to lead a worldwide, diverse body on issues of inclusion and mission.

President Cramm, who was ordained in June 2025 and previously served nine years in the First Presidency, emphasized that her approach centers on faithful agility and discerning God’s ongoing call for the church.

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The $200 Million Kirtland Temple Sale Question: Financial Stewardship

The sale of the Kirtland Temple and associated properties to the LDS Church generated almost $200 million. This revenue was immediately invested into the church’s endowments, which are intended to provide some foundational income for the annual budget.

However, Cramm confirmed a widespread projection that this sale alone did not generate enough to fully endow the operations of the church into perpetuity. The current financial model still relies significantly on Worldwide Mission Tithes (tithing) as an essential element of discipleship.

Based on current trends, if the number of financial supporters continues to slowly decline, the Community of Christ will face additional financial questions around the year 2030.

Cramm noted that the church’s leaders, including the Council of 12 and the Presiding Bishopric, are focused on defining what the church “needs to be” in the future. The goal is not merely to keep the lights on, but to do so while faithfully being who God needs them to be in the world.

This strategy involves:

• Fostering new communities of disciples committed to the church’s mission.
• Engaging in social ministries and justice activities.
• Empowering new forms of leadership from younger generations.
• Innovating stewardship, including looking at different investment strategies and business ventures aligned with the church’s mission.

President Cramm concluded that success must be measured in faithfulness terms, rather than “worldly terms” like turning a profit or hitting a specific number of members in the pews.

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Inclusion, Ordination, and the Gay Apostle Question

The conversation also turned to the church’s approach to LGBTQ+ inclusion, a topic that remains widely discussed both in the U.S. and within the global church.

Community of Christ policy allows the World Conference to establish broad principles, while national or field conferences can weigh in on particulars based on local needs and discernment. This approach acknowledges that in some parts of the world, discussing inclusion topics can be life-threatening or illegal.

When asked whether an openly gay apostle might be called under her administration, President Cramm emphasized a key distinction regarding ordination policy:

Sexual Orientation is Not the Barrier: Cramm clarified that sexual orientation has never been a criteria for whether or not someone can be ordained in Community of Christ. Gay individuals were being ordained even before 2013. Relationship Status Was the Issue: The barrier prior to 2013 was the relationship part. If a gay person was ordained and wanted to live with a partner in a committed relationship, policies related to cohabitation and lack of legal/covenant marriage mechanism meant they could not remain ordained. The 2013 changes in the U.S. addressed this injustice by allowing ordination for those in same-gender relationships.

Ultimately, when considering priesthood calls, including that of an apostle, the focus should not be on sexual orientation, but on “who is God calling”. However, political considerations in conservative areas do play a role in making assignments for all priesthood members, ensuring that their ministry will be well-received in that area.

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Doctrine of Disagreement

The ability to navigate complex and divisive issues is central to Community of Christ culture. Even following the acceptance of women’s priesthood in 1984, which caused some to walk out of conference, the church has learned to live in a space of faithful disagreement.

Cramm noted that she had received opposing votes against her call in June 2025 from individuals who still do not support women in the priesthood but remain committed to other aspects of the church’s mission.

The principles of faithful disagreement acknowledge that members are all trying to discern God’s will, but due to human imperfections, they do not always reach the same conclusion. This means:

• People who disagree are not judged as unfaithful or immediately ostracized.
• Members must cultivate Christlike love, which is a choice that comes from a deep understanding of God’s love for everyone, allowing them to respect an opposing opinion even if they do not share it.

Cramm observed that the divisive nature of decisions like the 1984 priesthood revelation and the recent sale of the Kirtland Temple underscore the need for the church to achieve a high degree of consensus on critical matters, often moving beyond a simple majority toward 80% agreement or more before adopting new policies that aim to be transformative.

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Role of Scripture

Finally, President Cramm addressed the recurring accusation that the Community of Christ is “moving away from the Book of Mormon”.

She emphatically denied this characterization, noting that the church’s belief statement upholds the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants as two additional books of scripture supporting the testimony of the Bible. If the church were trying to move away from it, they would need to rewrite that statement.

Cramm explained that the perception of the Book of Mormon playing a smaller role stems from the church being non-creedal; they do not require members to use specific scriptures when preaching or teaching. Furthermore, Community of Christ has not taken an absolute stance on the historicity of the Book of Mormon, which sometimes causes concern among those who view it as a test of faith.

Cramm acknowledged a practical shortcoming: the church’s version of the Book of Mormon is not available in French and Spanish. Given that French may be the dominant language spoken in Community of Christ on a given Sunday morning globally, this unavailability means large segments of the church do not have easy access to it. Despite this, leadership currently has no plans to de-canonize the Book of Mormon.

 

Don’t miss our other conversations with Stassi: https://gospeltangents.com/people/stassi-cramm/

Copyright © 2025

Gospel Tangents

All Rights Reserved