by MinisterAmos 21 Replies latest jw friends
I have the list of all cong. members, their phone number, address, cell phone number, email address.
This list was never official, was only issued to the elders. It's common knowledge that it exists.
As a non-elder now, I won't get any updated list.
Also, this past year, the Borg told the elders to get everyone's current info for emergency contact,
so I guess lists are allowed to be official now.
why would you specify, and adamantly, that only "current dubz" respond?
Ummm maybe because only people who are active will know what's happening today?
Thanks!
I'll reply as my last meeting was only a few years ago. . .When we first moved to Colorado the secretary's wife, who is a realtor, asked us for our full names, address and phone numbers, she said it was for the congregation publisher list for her husband. Only elders and some servants were allowed to see this list, not us.
Withing 2 weeks of her request, we started receiving her advertising mailers for her real estate business, the only way she got our address was through her request. So apparently, SOME publishers were allowed to access the list for their own purposes.
The way such lists work in dubdom is:
1. The CO visits and in the elders' meeting points out that the Society discourages the use of such lists and that we should stop maintaining and distributing them.
2. The elders talk among themselves later and determine that the lists are valuable tools for keeping track of everybody and, besides, the friends really like having them as it creates a sense of community. One elder says "that's just the CO's personal opinion" and everyone agrees.
3. The list goes on being maintained and distributed.
Exception: Once in a while, a group of elders, usually led by by die-hard company man PO, will insist on following the letter of the law per the CO's comments, and the list either goes away or is only made available to elders. Before long, hower, the system breaks down. A Min. Svt. needs access and so gets a copy of the list. An elder's wife makes a couple of copies for the pioneers. In a matter of months, copies are circulating to just about anyone who asks for it.
My mom has one next to her phone. I guess it's to remind her of her real family of spiritual brothers and sisters. Funny... non of her non-Witness kids get any calls from her.
FBF
Current Dubz only
this past year, the Borg told the elders to get everyone's current info for emergency contact
This is absolutely true. The United States (only one I can speak about)
has approved keeping the list for emergency contact purposes for all the elders to have.
This is a fact.
I know that in my family's congregation (they are still in) the lists are done according to the Book Study Groups, and the Book Study Conductors are the ones who are in charge of checking on the folks in their groups in case of a regional emergency (or Armageddon, I suppose.)
Baba.
These lists are another example of straining the gnat and swallowing the camel. There were never any official list where I came from.
I was the secretary and used the Secretary program. You could use it to print a complete list on names and phone numbers. I used to include them on the book study list that I handed out to the conductors with the monthly bible bashing report.
We had an over officious elder move in who wanted a copy of the whole lot, I told him I dont usually hand the full thing out, but he insisted. He likes to keep tabs on every one.
You'd think that with all the privacy laws these days hand them out, even to "approved" publishers would be a no no, but then how else can you keep everyone subdued in dubdom?
the distribution of "friends" personal info is now forbidden
The reason the list is not to be circulated is so that when the police come to put all the witnesses in jail, it would be harder for them to round all the JW's up. When Babylon falls, witnesses expect to be rounded up and thrown in jail - a list makes this easy. Therefore - no list.
The reason the list is not to be circulated is so that when the police come to put all the witnesses in jail, it would be harder for them to round all the JW's up.
They say that, but: They really mean they don't want anybody sending a letter to the entire congregation explaining why they and their entire family left after seeing the light.
It's the same reason that big companies, when they fire someone, escort him from the building without allowing him access to the computer on his desk - they don't want him firing off a nasty email to the entire corporate mail list.
