Sacking of entire bodies of elders

yaddayadda

I once heard about nearly an entire body of elders in a congregaton that got demoted/sacked from being elders because of some scandal in their congregation that they collectively covered up or didn't deal properly with. I think it was about some relative of a dominant elder that should've got disfellowshipped but they all brushed it under the carpet. The Branch heard about it and sent a Circuit Overseer especially out to investigate it and he sacked nearly all of 'em and some new ministerial servant school graduates were quickly assigned to come in and take their place. Have you ever heard of this kind of thing happening? I wonder if a whole body of elders have all been sacked or disfellowshipped wholesale for 'turning apostate' or similar?

troubled mind

That happened in the hall here, back in the eighties . Gossip and the handling of marking an influential Elders daughter, caused our whole Elder body to be reproved , disciplined or deleted . A neighboring body came in to judge and then an Elder from Bethel was sent to whip everyone back into shape . Several of the original Elders never returned others moved some just took a while to get back priviledges .

95stormfront

yeah...I've heard of it happening in one particular Hall with only one elder getting a pass because he was new. Most of the elders are now dead save one that I know of who'se, just now, only getting privileges enough to read for the bookstudy group he belongs to. Last I heard, even he was thinking of stepping aside from reading.

Fleshybirdfodder

I've heard of similar things. http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/114675/1.ashx A couple of militant elders from our congregation had to move to one 30 minutes South of us to take over because of some delicious scandal there. I don't think the whole body was disbanded though.

FBF

OnTheWayOut

Yes. We had an elder move into our congregation because he was the only one spared from the axe in his old congregation, and they dissolved that cong. In a big city, you can dissolve one cong. if necessary. He said it was mishandling of a judicial matter, but he never said how, and I never found out. The publishers were spread to other congs., but we only got the elder's family, so nobody was gossiping about the problem in my congregation. Eventually, the CO had a problem with that elder, and he moved to a different circuit before the CO did anything about it. (Yes, it's quite a circus.)

Amazing

In Alameda, California in the 1980s, an entire Body of Elders was sacked, and the Presiding Overseer, Jesse James (real name) was disfellowshipped. This is a true story. One of the Elders who was innocent, and reported the problems to the Society, was sacked for appearances sake ... but later offered Eldership again after a few months. He used to work at Bethel, and is highly respected. The Society, through a Circuit Overseer, appointed a Special Committee. They also brought in Elders from other congregations to form a new Body of Elders. I am aware of the facts in the case, as I was a personal friend of the innocent Elder mentioned. I worked with him for a few years at the same company. I would reveal the facts of the scandal as he related them, but I am unsure of the liability involved since his statements are hearsay to me. Given the Society reads this forum, and they know me well, so I will only report the events that I have as they are well known.

Jim Whitney

5thGeneration

Yes, it happens.

Mostly when some wrongdoing is covered up by the body.

OnTheWayOut

Yes, it happens.
Mostly when some wrongdoing is covered up by the body.

So what happens when some wrongdoing is covered up by the [Governing] body?

DaCheech

In sicily, Italy.... it happened also

exjdub

Wilton, New Hampshire about 7-8 years ago.

The whole body was sacked, but I hear that most are back serving now. They got sacked for being inept at handling a congregation matter (actually there was a lot of CYOA and lying going on, as well as predatory maneuvering). The Society sent the CO, who was doubly inept and corrupt, so he butchered the whole thing. The CO was arrogant on top of it, which caused him to make mistakes and mis-steps, so they had to send in a Special Committee. The Special Committee took them out (except the CO). All because one elder had stumbled a brother over a personal loan, which the elder refused to pay, and the body decided to counsel (and tried to pursue judicially, but decided not to when they were under scrutiny) the stumbled brother and those that tried to help him instead of the crooked elder.

Interestingly, the crooked elder that the CO and the body was trying to protect lived in a 4000 sq ft. house out in the country. The CO stayed with this elder and his family in the lap of luxury every time he visited the congregation, as well as when he was visiting the Milford congregation, who shared the Hall with Wilton. So twice a year, for 2-3 weeks at a time, the CO lived in his own wing of the house and was wined and dined. Hmmmmm....I wonder why the CO was trying to protect the crooked elder?

I am thankful every day for those events, for if they did not occur, I would still be a JW drone. As painful as it was at the time, seeing the "truth about the Truth" was the best thing that ever happened to me. Special thanks also to the temporary body that was cobbled together from the circuit to serve as the replacement body. I couldn't have left without your special brand of love boys! For that I am eternally grateful to you.

Side note: I was quite pleased to learn this Summer that Wilton has lost some of the best, most loving, people they ever had in the congregation. Those individuals are now members of this forum.

Wilton NH: Home of infamous pedophile Paul Berry, who is now in prison. Keep up the good work Wilton, we need as many on our side as we can get!

exjdub

Sacking of entire bodies of elders

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