Attempt to get congregation records under Privacy Act, need info

jwfacts

Last week i sent a letter to the the Australian Bethel requesting my congregation records as follows:

Please supply me with all information held by the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York, Inc. and all related organisations in regards to me, as per my rights under the Privacy Act 1988. This includes, but is not limited to information held by the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of Australia, Inc., and the xxx Congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses.

There response was;

Please be advised that we are not prepared to release any confidential information held by the Society or other bodies mentioned in your letter. We also advise that none of the bodies you mention in you letter are organiations under section 6C the Privacy Act 1988 and therefore do not come within the Act.

As far as I can tell the Act does apply to the Society, however 6C states that the corporation must have over $3 million turnover. As the congregation does not have over $3 million they may not be bound, possibly a reason the congregations have recently set up as individual bodies.
However, I did work at bethel and that must have over $3million. My assumption from the Societies response is that the corporation I listed is not the one that employed me as a bethlite.
Does anyone know the name of the corporation that I would have been employed with when at bethel, as they have information on me that i think I legally can access?

What-A-Coincidence

i hope this helps...

Announcement – Br. John Barr. The “faithful and discreet slave” has en-trusted to it responsibilities higher than those granted to their legal corpora-tions. In the charters are set out matters that are limited in scope. In caring for the interests on the earth, the Governing Body earnestly endeavors to follow the precious truths in the Bible. Ever since its incorporation in 1884, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania has played an important role but it is merely a legal instrument available for use by the “faithful and discreet slave” when necessary. The Governing Body has determined that certain adjustments should be made. Brothers Carey Barber, John Barr, Mil-ton Henschel, Theodore Jaracz, Albert Schroeder, Lyman Swingle and Daniel Sydlik all submitted their resignations as directors of the Pennsylvania Cor-poration. Members of the corporation accepted these resignations. In their place the following brothers were appointed: Don Adams (President), Robert Wallen (Vice-President), William Malenfant (Vice-President), Richard Abra-hamson (Secretary & Treasurer), Danny Bland, Philip Wilcox and John Wis-chuk. On October 5, 2000 at a meeting of the directors of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. Brothers R. Abrahamson, D. Ad-ams, H. Dies, M. Henschel and L. Swingle gave their resignation as directors. Others were appointed in their place.

In view of the range of work, 3 new corporations were set up to be directed from headquarters. They are the Christian Congregation of Jeho-vah’s Witnesses, the Religious Order of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Kingdom Support Services, Inc. The Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses will look after the legal aspects of activities in the United States – religious, educational and charitable – as they relate to the congregations. The Reli-gious Order of Jehovah’s Witnesses will act as a legal entity for the Religious Order of Jehovah’s Witnesses [which includes Bethel volunteers], who in support of Isaiah 6:8 have taken a vow of obedience and poverty. Kingdom Support Services, Inc. will provide engineering support and design of Society pro-jects. It will be the deed holder of all vehicles used at headquarters that are not personal vehicles. Adjustments were made with 3 other legal entities. The Board of Directors of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New Jersey has changed. A Florida corporation holds the title to land in Florida. Several of the brothers resigned and were replaced by other directors. Valley Farms Corporation, which holds title to land in New York, has also made adjustements on the board of directors. All of these serve under the spiritual direction of the Governing Body. We are confident that the formation of these 3 new corporations and adjustments in the others will serve to greatly assist the organization in getting the Kingdom work accomplished.

jwfacts

Thanks, they are some names i will add to my next letter and see where it gets me.

Quotes

They claim to be legal entities under the law only when it suits them!

You might want to have your family lawyer draft a letter; or find out who at the gov't is policing this Act and lodge a formal complaint.

~Q

What-A-Coincidence

by the way...the message above was from a talk given at the 2000 Annual Meeting. And is also located in WTLIB

w01 1/15 p. 28 How the Governing Body Differs From a Legal Corporation

Snoozy

Just to let you know. I am in the USA and they refused my request also!

They must be sooooooooooooooooo afraid!

Snoozy Q..

jwfacts

I have lodged a formal complaint with the Australian Government Office of the Privacy Commissioner. I rang them today and they could not see why the Watchtower would refuse my request, did not think it would be legal so wanted to look into it for me. I look forward to updating everyone on how it goes.

Stephanus

I have lodged a formal complaint with the Australian Government Office of the Privacy Commissioner. I rang them today and they could not see why the Watchtower would refuse my request, did not think it would be legal so wanted to look into it for me. I look forward to updating everyone on how it goes.

It'll be interesting to see where and how far this goes. I'm guessing they'll be leaning heavily on Section 116 of The Constitution in an attempt to confuse the issue.

It might be worthwhile to find out if there's a State Govt. privacy law similar to the Federal one - the requirements may be less demanding than the Fed. act.

jwfacts

What does section 116 state?

I was thinking the WTS letter was going to draw on Ecclesiatical privelege but they didn't, at least not yet.

They are incorporated in NSW, so I will check out the NSW privacy laws.

ozziepost

jwfacts:

It was "Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society of Australia"

There's a slim chance they could hide under IBSA but my bets are on WTBTSA.

Attempt to get congregation records under Privacy Act, need info

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