Were You Ever Hopeful That A New Elder Would Make Things Different? (page 2)

minimus

We had an Italian elder that did most everything different. His thinking, experience and suggestions were not like the rest of the body's. But he was quite sharp and a bit eccentric and emotional. Either you loved him or were irritated by him.

stillajwexelder

Many thought that when Freddie died things would be different - they seem to have got worse

Many think that when Ted Jackass dies things will be different.

Same on a body of elders

MadTiger

Elders know that it can help. That's why they block certain individuals from being appointed -- they smell their doom.

stillajwexelder

I know when a brother was appointed who was very approachable and all the congo loved him, but other elders were jealous

Frank75

".... a CO who took delight in doing the exact opposite of what BOE wanted. The CO who appointed 3 elders who the Body did not think were ready ..."

I saw this happen on occasion. What you were left with was elders who were treated so badly by the others as an outsider or illegitimate elder, that they soon gave out or moved away, which was fatal in itself given JW letters of introduction.

We had one guy in a Spanish congo that was the nicest elder I had ever met, so nice I didn't think he was an elder until he said so to my surprise. He even worked in my business for a while and was very kind, loving, somewhat honest (a Latin thing as well as JW LOL) and hard working. I was surprised to find out he was an elder as he only ever was seen giving announcements. He was also an assistant bookstudy conductor to a "Gringo" elder (which most of the elders were) and in 3 years had only taken the study once. In 3 years he had never given a talk outside of the school, #2 and #4. How many congregations have so many elders that assistants are elders?

He told me they would meet without him, talked behind his back and constantly challenged his qualifications every CO visit.

I am sure people can point out positive results when this happens, but that would be rare.

Going to the Society or CO/DO is mostly going to fall on deaf ears. It's like the police getting a wife complaining her husband beats her, so they call him up and ask him. He denies it then lays the worst beating on her he has ever done!

It is the structure of it that is bad, not necessarily the people.

Frank75

WTWizard

I never thought a new hounder would make much difference. Usually, when you get a new hounder, the lead hounder is still in charge and will impose his will on the other hounders. That's how they get trained, and they usually turn out like cookie-cutter hounders. The few that don't have no influence since the lead hounder, or the hounder-hounder, can cancel any decisions that might derail the agenda.

Even when we get a new lead hounder, they are usually if not always as bad to worse than the one they replace, and almost always following the same agenda. They had a lead hounder with the agenda of keeping me single and celibate at all costs in our congregation to stifle my potential happiness and get more work out of me, and his replacement inherited the exact agenda! And that through at least 4 hounder-hounders. And they wonder why I left.

Perhaps if they got a new GOD, there would have been some hope as long as Jehovah doesn't get to continue running, like a boss program, in the background.

jaguarbass

When I was a witness we were waiting for the Big A to come in 1975. And no amount of new elders or old elders could engineer that one.

Enjoying freedom

My experience was that elders fall into two categories:

Those who came into the religion late in life, after setting themselves a career, good income, home, flashy car etc. Then become a JW, elder, and stand on the platform telling everyone to lead "simple lives".

The second category are the elders that were brought up as JWs, so don't usually have a professional qualification, therefore by necessity have to undertake menial jobs and are on a low income. The only time they get to a wear a suit and feel important is at the hall, the power goes to their heads so they suddenly start getting bossy and display egotistical tendencies.

In my opinion the elder that is more likely to become dispondent and disheartened is the one that has had a "life" before becoming a JW, or who has gone against religious policy and obtained a qualification and career (very rare!).

In my experience it isn't often that you will find a JW raised elder with no professional qualifications/ low income job actually leave the religion.

I have no intention of upsetting anyone here - these are just my observations. And of course there will always be exceptions to the rule (which no doubt someone will tell me!).

Enjoying freedom

OnTheWayOut

I did not even realize there was a need for change or "new blood" until after
I was a new elder. Once I was in the club and slowly saw the problems, I
knew the club was part of the problem and not part of the solution.

So- NO.

lfcviking

It was nice to see a new face appear, especially if he was a good speaker. Most of our Elders in the KH were old and so there public speaking skills were a bit crusty. So it was good to get someone who could actually wake you up while your dozing off on a Thursday evening meeting.

Were You Ever Hopeful That A New Elder Would Make Things Different?

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