"Mole" Elders

by Alligator Wisdom 15 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  Alligator Wisdom

  Have any here had one in their congregation?

  An elder is assigned to a congregation, usually by the CO, in order to clean it out. Especially in regards to the elder body who may be going off tangent by WTS accordance . I knew of one, Brother ******, who went around to various congregations in the Los Angeles (South Bay) area. He was very straight forward and bold, but not warm at all. I suppose any of the elders in those congregations in the circuit would cringe when Brother ****** was assigned to their Hall. However, the other members in the congregation would deem it as a "God sent" considering that they cried out for rectification of some sort. Yes, many elders were removed from their pedestals.

  Did you know of any such "mole" elders? What were they like? How long were they in your congregation before moving on?

  Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother NOT Exerting Vigorously by WTS standards) As much as we need to expose WT policy and the way elders behave while in a position of authority we also need to be careful about personal privacy. -- Lee
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  candidlynuts

  we got one in the early 80s but he stayed..

  changed our warm close congregation into a cold strict unpleasant place.. cut out all social gatherings... if you gave a small gathering the elders demanded you know that every one in attendance had an acceptable amount of time regularly turned in. it was very strictly policed.

  it went from over 100 members and over 200 that attended memorials to maybe 60 members currently and less than 100 attend memorial now.
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  agapa37

  I rather find this type of action rather encouraging. Especially in regards to the elder body who may be going off tangent by WTS accordance. Are you 100% positive that is the reason? Could it be that it is for the reason of getting "Bad Shepards" out from the flock for the benefit of them. From my experience in the Org. that is very much needed. That is a positive action on the part of the Org in my opinion.
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  stillajwexelder

  Yes - but at the time it was needed
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  james_woods

  We had this in the late sixties in a certain congregation in Oklahoma City. The CO at the time wanted to control who was going to replace our Congregation Servant (ex-bethel guy who had moved to California). There was no issue with apostacy, lack of service, funny committee business, or anything else. CO just wanted to be able to say who got the job.

  The new guy was, to put it kindly, rather a young immature egomaniac. He was also a bombastic speaker, a person of quite crude manners, and a control freak. The congregation was generally horrified. Let me give you a sample: He actually said in a closing prayer: "Thank you Jehovah for the special spirit you have given the congregation in the past few weeks since I have been appointed here to serve"!!!!! WTF???

  How in the world the CO thought this was a good thing was quite beyond us. I wonder if the modern examples this thread mentions could be affected by the same underlying issues in many cases - by that I mean:

  Ego, politics, control issues, power grabs....as much as "congregational cleanness"?
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  Lady Liberty

  
  Yes, in a neighboring congregation, the whole elder body was removed, because they would not support the C.O.s suggestion to disfellowship a elder. The elder was accused of going to his disfellowshipped daughters wedding, and there was one elder who went to the C.O. about it. Had he done his investigation, he would have found that the accused elder did NOT go because he was afraid of the problems it would cause, but his WIFE went. While she was gone to the wedding, he went on a fishing trip. Everyone assumed they went together, and when he tried telling everyone he wassn't there but went fishing while his wife was gone, half of the hall believed him half didn't. So there became a division. And the elder that took him to the C.O. was one that didn't buy the fishing trip story.

  Since the elders refused to disfellowship him, at the C.O.s advise, because there was no proof, the C.O. had the ENTIRE elder body removed. Then one elder the C.O. had removed, the C.O. secretly "hired" him back as a "mole". This mole was to report back to him anything those brothers said or did. So he could hold it against them as murmerers. The new brothers that were brought in worked right with the C.O.

  The elders that were removed had NO warning what so ever, one night during the C.O.s visit, the new elders showed up and the C.O. deleted all the elders at one time. Then he told the congregation that these new elders that were brought in from neighboring halls were the "cream of the crop". Then, a talk was given on homosexuality, and some other things, which of course lead the WHOLE congregation to believe that, that was the reason for the removal. The elders that had been removed as you can imagine were besides themselves! Can you imagine going to the C.O.s visit only to be removed without suspecting it and then to be basically accused of homosexuality, etc..??

  Because the elders who were removed were so distraut over the whole ordeal, they went directly to the Society, behind the C.O.s back. One of the elderly elders had a couple of strokes over the whole thing, most were in deep depression..as most of you know how it feels to be falsley accused (like being called a apostate!!). It took MONTHS and MONTHS finally, the Society sent in and after a thorough investigation, they were asked to return as elders. Most didn't. It was a huge scandal. It divided the entire circuit. It was amazing the power and control they had.

  Sincerely,

  Lady Liberty
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  daniel-p

  When I was young it was my greatest aspiration to be one of these "mole" elders, with the power to make @#$% go down, and make things right. Basically the kind of fantasy a child might have of being a superhero who fights evil and brings good cheer to all... or something like that. Later I realised the only time a "mole" elder is brought in is when the sins of the particular elder body in question can no longer be ignored by the CO, and can't be swept under the rug any more. It has nothing to do with any grievances of the congregation's members, it's just a matter of if that elder body has crossed the line with the CO, DO, or presented a real PR problem that needs damage control.
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  freetosee

  Due to problems within the BOE we had three new elders come to your cong. One was directly sent by the society, a special pioneer. At first I thought it was answered prayers and was looking forward to a new spirit in the cong, but was soon disappointed as the new elders were worse then the old ones. They were business men, cold and power hungry. I think the main purpose is to keep control over the congregations. They didn’t bring much encouragement or warmth. Two of them later got sent to Gilead, so they must have done a good job. Although one was a missionary for only about half a year. His wife took off with a Argentinean man and was d’fed. So he went back home. fts
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  minimus

  Terry Angelacos was that type of Circuit Overseer. He was the cleanup man in the 80's. He RELISHED deleting presiding overseers. He would brag about how many elders he had a hand in removing. He brought down one PO that was a former Branch Servant and one of the most connected elders that I ever had met. Of course he got me too.
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  Dismembered

  Min,

  Terry was the kind of CO many prayed for. The fat little pudge, walked tall and carried a big stick was a BIG prick. The org needs more nice men like him.

  Dismembered