The solution to the (male) elder scarcity is obvious. :-)
Loss of Elders
by metatron 42 Replies latest jw friends
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garybuss
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under_believer
Gary yeah right. Changing the power structure in any meaningful way would be like sprinking snail-death into the watchtower's wheaties. They depend on the patriarchy, it's central.
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looking_glass
I would be interested to know the stats of the US and Europe when it comes to men v. women in the org. I had read some where that in Eastern Europe that the men out numbered the women in the org. But I don't know if that is true or not. So I wonder if the lack of young men becoming elders is a condition primarily in the State or across the board.
As for my congo growing up there were tons of young eager broz. And as for the people I grew up w/, I was one of the few girls in the area. However, in its current state, of those of us who were raised as JWs, I would say 70 to 75% have left. I can only think of one guy who is currently an elder. He always towed the party line and never thought outside the box (or tower) so it makes sense he is still in and leading the group as a whole. The rest of the crew are either out or inactive.
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Virgochik
XBEHERE, you have a PM.
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greendawn
The more the hierarchy disintegrates the better it gets because don't forget the elders are the local whip boys of the WTS, they are not really there to serve the R&F but the interests of the org, they themselves probably can't see the sense of spending their time and energy without any profit but just to serve the interests of the corporation.
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doinmypart
The WTS has a problem keeping elders/finding brothers to appoint as elders.
In one congregation the BOE were trying to find out if they could appoint a 25 year old as an elder. The PO called a few congregations asking the elders if they knew of anyone appointed at that age, or if there was any correspondence from WTS on the matter.
Another congregation has about 90 publishers and 4 elders. Two of the elders are in their 80s and have serious health problems. The other two elders are in their 50s and stretched thin; one elder is the PO, WT Conductor, Accounts...the other elder is the TMS Ov, Secretary, Literature, and Magazines. One of the 80 year old elders is Service Ov, but gets most of his field service time witnessing to the in-house aids that care for him through the week. The only MS in the congregation is in his 70s and has been a MS for about 20 years. Some MTS grads were sent there a few years ago. These guys were elders in the 25-35 year old range. One of the grads got married and moved away, the other grad got tired and moved back home.
Another congregation has four elders. Elder1 is in his 60s and suffers from depression. Elder2 is in his 50s regularly works 60 hr/weeks and his wife attends half the meetings. Elder3 is in his 40's and is a Super-Elder...substitute CO, city overseer, longtime pioneer. Elder4 is in his 40s and has the reasoning skills of a lemming (this elder couldn't understand why one publisher who was raped had emotional problems). This congregation has had 6 MS for the last 2 years, but none of them can qualify for elder, and it isn't for lack of trying. The MS want to be elders, but they are worse than Elder4 in their lack of reasoning and thinking skills.
Another congregation has 140+ publishers and 6 elders. Over the last decade they have talked to the branch about splitting the congregation, but they don't have enough elders and "strong" publishers. The MS become elders, the more experienced elders move away, the new elders get tired of dealing with so many publishers and eventually tire out or get removed. The PO is a brother that was reinstated, pioneered, appointed MS, then elder all within the last 10 years.
It isn't all bad from the WTS perspective. One congregation in the circuit has 9 elders, 7 MS, and 10 pioneers. Attending this congregation is like being in some weird, nightmarish state. The majority of the publishers talk about JW stuff all the time even away from the KH. On Saturdays they go out in early morning service, meet back at 9 a.m. and again at 1 p.m.; and regularly have large groups meet for Sunday service! I keep waiting for this congregation to hit it's peak and everyone suffer burnout, but they have kept this pace for years.
In the last 12 months I personally know of 4 elders (in a circuit of 1200) that have quit.
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fullofdoubtnow
In my old hall there are 2 or 3 elders in their 50's and the rest are, well elderly, and are limited in what they can do. They did appoint a couple of younger ones a few years ago, one in his 30's and one in his 20's. The one in his 30's is now in jail for child abuse, and the one in his 20's is disfellowshipped, so they are back to square one. I haven't been in a while, but there was no - one who I would have thought "qualified" as an elder when I was still attending, and I hear things haven't changed.
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jojochan
One of the most hilarious things you can witness is a meeting with the Circuit Overseer in which various brothers get into a debate
about which one of them should shoulder real responsibility - which they're all trying to avoid. ( "Brother Lax can certainly do the school....
.... "Why, No I can't - and , in fact, you should do it!").
LMAO!! That is so true!
Then the work trickles down to the ministerial servants. I remember when I was in; that THAT was the issue. One brother had said in one meeting right in the C.O's face that he had "Too much on his plate".
"Paper Elders" you gotta love 'em.
jojochan.
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Dismembered
Up here in the great north woods it's the same. One guy was made an "elder" by virtue of going to 5 consecutive meetings. Prior to that, he was rarley seen at meetings, as he was to busy with work for the 25 years or so I attended. Another one who struts around like a peacock, with his pathetic "elder" button pinned to his chest has failed to clean the shit off his nose and cheeks that is the result of "divine appointment". a.k.a. brown nosing. He looks like the pussy who swallowed the canary.
Dismembered
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buffalosrfree
Sometimes the loss of Elders, is no loss at all. I know of one congregation where two elders are in the 90's. a couple of others in their 80's, and they have been basically useless for years. In name only elders, although one or two still head the book study which has got to be hoot. How does the society expect that these people can motivate or upbuild anyone when it's all they can do to get themselves dressed in the morning with out dribbling all over themselves.