I found this on Beliefnet (public post that you don't have to be a member to view):
I just read the article and unless we're reading two different articles, what I understood isn't exactly what you understood. Let me expand on that:
The question is: "Does the "faithful and discreet slave" endorse independent groups of Witnesses who meet together to engage in Scriptural research or debate?"
What does the word "endorse" mean?
endorse
verb [trans.]
1 declare one's public approval or support of : the report was endorsed by the college. See note at APPROVE .
-recommend (a product) in an advertisement.
NOTE:
Endorse implies a more public and official expression of support and is used primarily in reference to things that require promotion or publicity (: endorse a political candidate), while commend is to make a formal and usually public statement of approval or congratulation ( | he was commended for his heroism).
This is important to point out because some may equate the research findings and publications that some may make as what Jehovah's Witnesses as a whole believe.
The article goes on to say that the organization has set up many means of providing spiritual food for Jehovah's people in the form of congregation meetings, conventions, assemblies, and its publications (although the article doesn't mention it, there are the various schools as well).
1 Cor. 1:10 is cited and I think this is a VERY important scripture. We as Jehovah's people need to be in the same mind and line of thinking. To achieve that, Jehovah works through his organization on earth, just as he has always done. In this case, it is the faithful slave who has been entrusted with Christ's domestics on earth.
They go on to repeat that they do not endorse any websites, literature, or meetings that are not under its oversight.
Does this mean that it is forbidden to do extra study? No, they go on to say that it is commendable to use our thinking abilities in support of the good news. They also counsel us that any personal pursuits should not detract from what the congregation is accomplishing today.
They go on to cite the Apostle Paul's warning:
3 Just as I encouraged you to stay in Ephesus when I was about to go my way into Macedonia, so I do now, that you might command certain ones not to teach different doctrine, 4 nor to pay attention to false stories and to genealogies, which end up in nothing, but which furnish questions for research rather than a dispensing of anything by God in connection with faith. 5 Really the objective of this mandate is love out of a clean heart and out of a good conscience and out of faith without hypocrisy. 6 By deviating from these things certain ones have been turned aside into idle talk, 7 wanting to be teachers of law, but not perceiving either the things they are saying or the things about which they are making strong assertions.
This is good counsel. And this isn't the first time I've read it. I studied it in the book called "Worship the Only True God."
I always try to apply this scripture. I don't like getting into debates with people. It never achieves anything. At the end, it's a just a bunch of words and idle talk.
And of course they recommend our own Encyclopedia and Summary of the Bible because they put a lot of work into them and we can be sure that we're getting accurate knowledge.
That's my take on this. Nothing really new.