Here's something I found interesting after researching the UK Charity records from Gill's thread "trouble in Paradise." The trustees apear to be the body of elders. Most congregations that I knew had 5 to 7 names listed, some more than 10. When I checked the 8 congregations I had known growing up I knew most of the elder's names. In fact there hasn't been much of a change in 30 years. In one congregation I knew 4 of the 5 elders from 20 years and they must all be in 70s. The only other one was a guy I knew growing up, he's about 5 years younger than me. The other new elders I saw were all men of the 'window washing business' calibre or worse. There were names missing but I know some of these are deceased. Hardly anything has changed at that lexel since the mid-80s, not much progress and hardly anyone promoted. 3rd. PS the one name I know was the father of several kids I went to school with. None of them stayed JWs and I know they were shocked to find out I had quit. Well, back in the 80s the Dad was made a MS. We used to be in hysterics if he had the announcements part of the Service Meeting and had to read a letter from the WTS. He was not a great reader and when he came to words he couldn't read he'd rush through it sounding like the Swedish Chef from the Muppet Show. I couldn't sit anywhere near my sister or we'd crack up.
Few new Elders?
by Thirdson 2 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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stillajwexelder
We used to be in hysterics if he had the announcements part of the Service Meeting and had to read a letter from the WTS. He was not a great reader and when he came to words he couldn't read he'd rush through it
All changed. There has been great emphasis on reading in the last few years. A good reader would tend to be use now.
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blondie
Factoring the "musical chair elders" that move from congregation to congregation:
Where do elders come from?
1) Men contacted in the ministry who study and become JWs, then MS, then elders. The last one like that is this area was 25 years ago.
2) Men who grew up in a JW family who managed to get baptized and not df'd in their 20's, became MS, then elders.
What if males from JW families do not get baptized and stop attending?
What if males from JW families do get baptized but stop attending?
What if males from JW families do get baptized but then df'd or da'd and do not come back?
What if elders step down (aside) because of the pressure and stress and not being able to uphold the BOE decisions?
What if elders are removed because they "offend" some on the body of elders by not supporting the group decisions?
What if both set of ex-elders stonewall any efforts to get them back into the fold as elders?
What if honest, Christian elders are removed by the CO because they will not support the WTS agenda (sometimes really the CO agenda)?
What you are left with are elders that are growing older, dying, or getting to ill to be more than a figurehead. Also, more and more male JWs are being appointed MS and elders that wouldn't have been been appointed chair arranger in the past.
I heard from a JW that they the public talk speakers for 5 weeks in the row were so bad that the talk arranger is not going to exchange with them any more. Five elders so bad that they cannot be endured.
Blondie