I pioneered for a year back in 72 I was dumb and young. Looking for direction. I guess I was looking for Gods approval because I never got my parents approval.
Did anyone else wonder why?
by Jerohobobonadad 21 Replies latest jw friends
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OnTheWayOut
Many pioneer for the title and status. I have talked to many publishers who weren't able to prove they could keep up with the hours
of a pioneer, so I asked them to put in the hours for a few months, then it would be retroactive. Only one person ever did it. The
rest aux. pioneered until they got approval to regular pioneer.
Also, every instance I know of when a person got in trouble (was reproved by a Judicial Committee), and lost their title, they never kept
up their hours until they re-gained the title.
It says "Look how faithful I am." Of course, there are many sincere ones who don't have this problem.
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Woofer
My mom wasn't approved to pioneer because I was "seeing" a brother from another hall and they didn't approve of it. We never really dated, he would come and visit my hall and sit with me. Thats about it.
It made me sick how they would try and interfer with EVERY aspect of your life.
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cyberdyne systems 101
I only auxilary pioneered a few times so not sure i'm that qualified to answer, but (lol) i'd say its another form of control, you are so right there is no reason why anyone could not do as many or as few hours as they pleased, but introduce a 'priveledge' governed by the society and local Elders and you have another tool. You can claim that pioneering is a better 'career' than the world has to offer, you have to be approved and so on. Of course its not biblical to place a title or amount of preaching hours on anyone but as we know the WTS loves to add to its members burden.
CS 101
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Satanus
Btw, jerohobobo.., i like your name
S
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carla
Never being a jw, I don't understand how the elders can 'approve' or disapprove of anyone doing the hours. Isn't that what jw's are supposed to do anyway? Sounds like the whole pioneer thing is just to attain a certain status in the cong. I know a Christian guy who truly lives his beliefs, he isn't preachy but has lost count as to the many he has interested in the Bible, not his church but in Jesus. Many don't even know what church he goes to because he is often out of the state or country.
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greendawn
That's a good point they are a very regimentalised religion, normally everyone should preach as and when they feel like it and no one should be checking on them. The problem here is that we have a commercial enterprise trying to act like a religion. Preaching is not a requirement for all christians (and the JWs are only marginally christian anyway) this is a function for only a part of them. If the apostles had to preach that doesn't mean that all had to do so even back in those days.
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jwfacts
It is a good point, preaching should come from the heart. The WTS reasoning behind being a pioneer is that having the hour 'goal' makes a person more likely to exert themselves to make the hours. The reasoning is wrong, because if preaching is not coming from the heart, then what is the point. Many people I pioneered with barely went witnessing, but reported that they were getting their hours in, they were pioneers only because it was expected of them.
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OnTheWayOut
I don't understand how the elders can 'approve' or disapprove of anyone doing the hours. Isn't that what jw's are supposed to do anyway? Sounds like the whole pioneer thing is just to attain a certain status in the cong. I know a Christian guy who truly lives his beliefs, he isn't preachy but has lost count as to the many he has interested in the Bible, not his church but in Jesus.
Yes, you can do the hours if they don't approve you. So there is something to the status. I knew a brother who really enjoyed helping people in the congregation or discussing the Bible with folks, but did not want to be an elder nor a pioneer. He just loved the freedom. He was more productive than all the pioneers.
Pioneers only get three things that others do not.
1) Yearly meeting in December with representatives from their own elder body- so their problems and issues can be addressed. A standard outline from WTS is covered by 2 brothers.
2) Yearly attendance at a Friday meeting before 2-day circuit assemblies. Demonstrations, encouragement, local needs, etc. A standard outline from WTS is covered.
3) Personal meeting with CO everytime he visits their congregation. A gripe session in included and, of course, A standard outline from WTS is covered.
Extra meetings and standard outlines, plus personal gripe sessions with the elders and CO- YeeHAA
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OnTheWayOut
I tried pioneering for one year. I DID NOT GET MY EXTRA HELPING OF HOLY SPIRIT to clear up my doubts. I had more doubts when the year was up.