Keep us updated on his exit.
I think WBTS will long gone before he leaves.
The Service Overseer nearly cried from the podium.
by 5go 29 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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5go
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choosing life
Those begging parts were always so embarrassing. I have never seen a church go over how the older ones can leave their estate to them when they die. Problem is, it still seems to work. We had a few die and leave a bundle to the cong. Kinda like buying your way into the new system?
And then the stoeies about someone leaving an expensive diamond ring in the contribution box at the convention. I wonder if that is true or if they are just hinting?
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M.J.
I can't remember where I saw the quote, but didn't Charles Russell state something to the effect that if the day comes when we start to solicit money, it's time to shut down the whole operation?
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SnakesInTheTower
CL:
I have never seen a church go over how the older ones can leave their estate to them when they die. Problem is, it still seems to work. We had a few die and leave a bundle to the cong
your ("your" being used only in the geographic sense) congo just got a remodel with the works....all because one old sister left them a bunch of money...and you know what? they got an another check recently that they did not even know was coming from the estate....no loan for them........yet they dont share that money with any of the other congos as per her wishes.
SnakesInTheTower (of the "grrrrrrrrrrr " Sheep Class)
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SirNose586
I can't remember where I saw the quote, but didn't Charles Russell state something to the effect that if the day comes when we start to solicit money, it's time to shut down the whole operation?
It was an old Zion's Watchtower, which was quoted by a more recent WT. To paraphrase, it said, "When the Lord of all the mountains of silver and gold fails to provide for his own interests, we know we no longer have his blessing," or something to that effect.
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Nathan Natas
14
It sent out traveling representatives who gave public talks and visited the congregations and served them with spiritual admonition, but never did these take up collections, either privately or publicly. The collection plate was absolutely banned from all congregational meetings, and all meetings were advertised under the legend "Seats free, no collection". "Freely ye have received, freely give," Jesus told the missionaries he sent out. Since this was Jehovah’s organization and work, it was felt he would provide the money for carrying on his work by his spirit moving upon his devoted people. So support of the work was left to voluntary contributions. In this way Jehovah God, whose is all the silver and the gold, has provided the money to this day, both for the local congregations and for the legal Society. This is another evidence that he is back of this visible organization.-- The WATCHTOWER, July 15, 1950 page 215, "Organized Testimony to the New World"
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frozen one
Maybe it was fake tears to induce people to give more to Jehovah
A method used to great effect by Jimmy Swaggart and others...
Is this the first time you have seen the speaker getting worked up while giving a speech at the hall?
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Nathan Natas
A few months ago, Gary Buss reminded me of Rutherford's "Coal test."
It's an interesting little story, and I'll let the WTB&TS tell it:
"...I continued in the pilgrim service until 1918, when a ban was put on all public meetings on account of the flu. I telegraphed headquarters asking what I should do. The reply was to come to headquarters in Brooklyn. Here, too, I have experienced Jehovah’s great love.
BETHEL SERVICE
I arrived at the Society’s headquarters, called Bethel, at a time when religious persecutors were taking advantage of the war to whip up a feeling of hatred for the Lord’s people. This resulted in the unjust sentencing of the directors of the Society, including Brother Rutherford, to four twenty-year prison terms that were to run concurrently. Hatred for us was so rampant in New York that no one would even sell us coal, although winter was coming on. So we got in touch with Brother Rutherford, who advised us to move to Pittsburgh and to keep the work going as much as possible.
-- The WATCHTOWER, Sept. 15, 1964 pages 571-574 "Experiencing Jehovah’s Love" (As told by Hugo Henry Riemer)
...But then, during a period of intense persecution in 1918, while officials of the Society were unjustly imprisoned, their headquarters (located in Brooklyn, New York) was dismantled. The plates for printing were destroyed. The greatly reduced staff moved the office back to Pittsburgh to the third floor of a building at 119 Federal Street. Would this bring to an end their producing of Bible literature?
Should They Do Their Own Printing?
After the release of the Society’s president, J. F. Rutherford, and his associates from prison, the Bible Students assembled at Cedar Point, Ohio, in 1919. They considered what God had permitted to occur during the preceding year and what his Word indicated that they should be doing during the days ahead. Announcement was made that a new magazine, The Golden Age, was to be published as an instrument to use in pointing people to God’s Kingdom as mankind’s only hope.
As it had done in the past, the Society arranged for a commercial firm to do the printing. But times had changed. There were labor difficulties in the printing industry and problems in the paper market. A more dependable arrangement was needed. The brothers prayed about the matter and watched for the Lord’s leadings.
First of all, where should they locate the Society’s offices? Should they move the headquarters back to Brooklyn? The Society’s board of directors considered the matter, and a committee was appointed to check into the situation.
Brother Rutherford instructed C. A. Wise, the Society’s vice president, to go to Brooklyn to see about reopening Bethel and renting premises where the Society could begin printing operations. Desirous of knowing what course God would bless, Brother Rutherford said: “Go and see whether it is the Lord’s will for us to return back to Brooklyn.”
“How will I determine as to whether it is the Lord’s will for us to go back or not?” asked Brother Wise.
“It was a failure to get coal supplies in 1918 that drove us from Brooklyn back to Pittsburgh,” Brother Rutherford replied. “Let’s make coal the test. You go and order some coal.”
“How many tons do you think I should order to make the test?”
“Well, make it a good test,” Brother Rutherford recommended. “Order 500 tons.”
That is exactly what Brother Wise did. And what was the outcome? When he applied to the authorities, he was granted a certificate to get 500 tons of coal—enough to care for their needs for a number of years! But where were they going to put it? Large sections of the basement of the Bethel Home were converted into coal storage.
The result of this test was taken as an unmistakable indication of God’s will. By the first of October 1919, they were once again beginning to carry on their activity from Brooklyn...
-- Jehovah's Witnesses, Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Chapter 26, page 578
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Nathan Natas
Here's a reference to the original statement by CTR and a link to the WR of 8/1878:
Meeting the Challenge of Inflation—Fulfilling our commission to preach “this good news of the kingdom” despite the economic crisis
1 When the disciples were sent out in the first century to preach the electrifying message, “The kingdom of the heavens has drawn near,” they were given some specific instructions concerning financial support of their work. “Do not procure gold or silver or copper for your girdle purses,” Jesus said, “or a food pouch for the trip, or two undergarments, or sandals or a staff.” (Matt. 10:7-10) Their undistracted attention was to focus on spiritual matters, the giving of a thorough witness concerning God’s kingdom. If they put Kingdom interests first in their lives, their material needs would be provided. “The worker is worthy of his wages.”—Matt. 6:32, 33; Luke 10:4, 7.
2 In modern times it has been the same with Jehovah’s people, as the history of the last 100 years shows. Rather than soliciting funds or sponsoring money-making schemes for the building of great cathedrals and ornate palaces for a clergy class, Jehovah’s people have put the emphasis on comforting depressed mankind with the glorious message of God’s kingdom by Christ Jesus—the only hope of the world. (Matt. 12:21) This Scriptural viewpoint of priorities was clearly set out in the second issue (August 1879) of the Society’s official publication. There it was stated: “‘Zion’s Watch Tower’ has, we believe, JEHOVAH for its backer, and while this is the case it will never beg nor petition men for support. When He who says: ‘All the gold and silver of the mountains are mine,’ fails to provide necessary funds, we will understand it to be time to suspend the publication.”
3 This policy has served well as our guideline ever since. “Seats Free—No Collections” has always been the slogan wherever we have held our meetings, and Jehovah has added his blessing. In modern times, as in the first century, our preaching work has been supported in large measure by unsolicited and wholly voluntary contributions. (Rom. 15:26; 2 Cor. 9:13) In this respect Brother Russell himself took the lead. He closed out his partnership with his father and spent his personal fortune of a quarter-million dollars in the Kingdom work. Many other faithful ones with similar devotion to Jehovah followed this example...
-- Kingdom Ministry, December 1980
The page from Watchtower Reprints
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IP_SEC
The Service Overseer nearly cried from the podium.
You still go to those things???
