Service Couples

Senior Service Couple Opportunities at the BYU Jerusalem Center

The  Jerusalem Center has a limited number of volunteer service positions for expatriate Latter-day-Saint couples.

Nature of the Opportunity

By agreement with the government of Israel, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not send missionaries to Israel, the West Bank, or Gaza. As such, a Senior Service Couple assignment at the BYU Jerusalem Center is not a missionary assignment, but rather an opportunity to donate a couple's time and talents in support of Brigham Young University's Jerusalem Center. 

There are usually three Senior Service Couples living and working at the Center. Assignments are for a period of between 12 and 18 months. Each of the assignments is specific to the needs of the Center:

• One couple handles medical matters, manages the Center's housing facilities, and helps manage the Center's cafeteria. One of the spouses must have a medical degree.
• One couple manages the Center's hosting programs and assists with the Center's concert, music, and art programs. One of the spouses must be an experienced organist and be familiar with tracker organs. One of the spouses must have experience with choral music and organizing and directing choirs. (This could be the same spouse who has the organ-related skills)
• One couple works with the Center's Executive Director, Associate Director for Administration, and Latter-day-Saint Charities on the Center's and Latter-day Saint Charities' humanitarian outreach efforts in East Jerusalem, Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel.

Service Couples also generally hold leadership and teaching callings in the Israel District and/or the Jerusalem Branch.

Please note that service couples do not lecture or teach classes at the Center, nor do they work at the Center in administrative or support-staff positions.

Financial and Living Arrangements

The Jerusalem Center provides round-trip airfare and covers approved Center business and Church-service-related expenses. Service Couples are responsible for all other personal expenses:

• Couples rent furnished apartments in the Jerusalem Center from BYU.
• Couples also pay a fee for mileage-limited access to vehicles in the Center’s carpool for personal use.
  • The current apartment rental rate and carpool access fee is $550/month.  (The amount is adjusted September 1 of each year.)
• Couples are responsible for their own groceries and miscellaneous expenses. 
• Couples can purchase meals in the Center’s cafeteria on a meal-by-meal basis if they decide not to eat in their apartments for a particular meal.
• Couples are responsible for medical insurance premiums and for deductible and co-insurance payments for medical care.
  • Couples qualify for Senior Missionary insurance plans provided by the Church.

Health and Mobility

The Jerusalem Center is an 8-story building with no elevators below the top three levels. Offices for Service Couples are on the 8^th (top) level. Service Couple housing is on floors 2, 3, and 4. The Center’s main office and access to the carpool are on the 7^th level. So there are lots of stairs. Both spouses must be in good physical condition and cannot have hip, knee, ankle, or foot problems or other medical issues that limit mobility and vigorous physical activity. Medical care in Israel is excellent, but neither spouse should require frequent or ongoing access to medical care. 

Interested in Being Considered for an Assignment?

To be considered for a service opportunity, please submit the following information by clicking on the appropriate box below:

1. Letter of Intent — A brief introduction and statement of interest. Please include the dates when you will be available for a service assignment.
2. Current résumé for each spouse — your résumé should include education, professional experience and background, Church-service experience, and hobbies or special interests.
3. Recent photo of the two of you together.

All submissions will be kept on file for future consideration as Service Couple rotations occur. If your availability changes or you'd like to update your information, feel free to follow up.

Selection Process

The process for inviting couples to serve is informal. Invitations to serve are made by BYU President Shane Reese, based on the recommendation of Dr. James R. Kearl, Assistant to the President for the Jerusalem Center.

Based on the Center’s specific needs and a review of the materials couples have provided, Dr. Kearl interviews a small group of potential couples a few months ahead of an expected rotation. In addition to professional and service-related experience, he considers each couple’s compatibility with current Center personnel. With the permission of each couple he interviews, he also consults with their local Church leaders.

A Note About Planning

While we are grateful for your interest, given the limited number of Jerusalem Center Senior Service Couple opportunities, please do not make long-term plans based solely on the possibility of a Jerusalem Center assignment. We are unable to make future commitments or provide feedback on your chances of being selected for an assignment based only on the materials you submit. Hence, we encourage you, as we do all interested couples who contact us, to remain open to a variety of Church-service opportunities worldwide available through the Church’s Missionary Department.