by avishai 18 Replies latest jw friends
During the vietnam war, the JW's were insistent on stating that pioneers were "clergy" and I don't think they've ever revised that. Now, many states have included "clergy" as mandatory reporters in cases of child abuse, so in the case of JW's, culpability for non-reporting would apply to pioneers (and possibly publishers) AS WELL as elders. Interesting, no?
Here's a list of states w/ their respective mandatory reporting codes..
If I'm not mistaken, I think they extended "minister" status to all (baptized) JWs in the early 1980s.
"Jehovah's Witnesses have no clergy-laity division. All baptized members are ordained ministers, and all who attend services, including children, have an opportunity to participate."
Wow...
Then I guess those still in that know of something better start reporting!!!
I wonder if this might induce the Society to redefine who is considered a "minister" for legal reasons.
If any of these cases came to trial, that might have indeed put the Society on the spot in this respect (as well as in many other areas, of course).
The way the Watchtower works this is in the way they define clergy
When JWs are trying to convince others of their moral superiority (or simply puff up their egos) they will typically use the term to define what they see to be a fraudulent "clergy" in Christendom that they see as full of pride in their "position" to God. Their main focus is on a feeling of equality and not of function.
When it coms into terms of function (and legality), they admit to having a "clergy" and will represent themselves in this way. Local Kingdom Halls are run in a similar fashion to Churches that have no pastor or priest and are run only by the deacons, thus creating a 'clergy' of sorts.
Their main focus on the idea that 'there is no clergy' comes from a desire to simply try to appear better than other religious groups. It is a trick of definitions that means very little when one examines the organizational structure that makes up the Watchtower.
While the negative statement "there is no clergy" is ambiguous, I think the positive statement "all baptized JWs are ordained ministers" is quite different and has legal weight, unless they claim to have some peculiar meaning of the word "ordain" that exempts them from the legal requirement.
I don't have the WT Library CD with me, but I think they did have a more detailed definition of the term in their literature.
Here is the latest from the WT regarding ordained ministers...
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w0011/15pp.17-19WhoAreGod’sMinistersToday?***Ordination
asaMinister—When?9
As to when and by whom a person is ordained, consider the example of Jesus Christ. He did not have a certificate of ordination or a degree from some seminary to prove that he was a minister, and he was not ordained by any man. Why can we say, then, that he was a minister? Because Isaiah’s inspired words were fulfilled in him: "Jehovah’s spirit is upon me, because he anointed me to declare good news." (Luke 4:17-19; Isaiah 61:1) Those words leave no doubt that Jesus was commissioned to tell forth good news. By whom? Since Jehovah’s spirit anointed him for the work, Jesus was clearly ordained by Jehovah God. When did this happen? Jehovah’s spirit actually came upon Jesus when he was baptized. (Luke 3:21, 22) Therefore, it was at his baptism that he was ordained.
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What of Jesus’ first-century followers? Their status as ministers also came from Jehovah. Paul said: "Our being adequately qualified issues from God, who has indeed adequately qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant." (2 Corinthians 3:5, 6) How does Jehovah qualify his worshipers to be ministers? Consider the example of Timothy, whom Paul called "God’s minister in the good news about the Christ."—1 Thessalonians 3:2.11
The following words addressed to Timothy help us to understand how he became a minister: "You, however, continue in the things that you learned and were persuaded to believe, knowing from what persons you learned them and that from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through the faith in connection with Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 3:14, 15) The foundation of Timothy’s faith, which would move him to make a public declaration, was knowledge of the Scriptures. Was personal reading all that was needed for this? No. Timothy needed help to gain accurate knowledge and spiritual understanding of what he read. (Colossians 1:9) Thus Timothy was "persuaded to believe." Since he had known the Scriptures "from infancy," his first instructors must have been his mother and grandmother, his father evidently not being a believer.—2 Timothy 1:5.
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However, more was involved in Timothy’s becoming a minister. For one thing, his faith was strengthened by association with Christians in nearby congregations. How do we know? Because when Paul first met Timothy, the young man was "well reported on by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium." (Acts 16:2) Additionally, in those days certain brothers wrote letters to the congregations in order to strengthen them. And overseers visited them in order to build them up. Such provisions helped Christians like Timothy to progress spiritually.—Acts 15:22-32; 1 Peter 1:1.13
In view of Jesus’ command recorded at Matthew 28:19, 20, we can be sure that at some point Timothy’s faith moved him to imitate Jesus and be baptized. (Matthew 3:15-17; Hebrews 10:5-9) This was a symbol of Timothy’s whole-souled dedication to God. At his baptism Timothy became a minister. From then on, his life, his strength, and everything he had belonged to God. This was an integral part of his worship, "a sacred service." However, Timothy did not then rest on his laurels. He continued to grow spiritually, becoming a mature Christian minister. This occurred because of Timothy’s close association with such mature Christians as Paul, his own personal study, and his zealous preaching activity.—1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 2:2; Hebrews 6:1.
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Today, ordination for the Christian ministry is similar. One who is "rightly disposed for everlasting life" is helped to learn about God and his purposes by means of a Bible study. (Acts 13:48) The individual learns to apply Bible principles in his life and to pray meaningfully to God. (Psalm 1:1-3; Proverbs 2:1-9; 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18) He associates with other believers and takes advantage of provisions and arrangements made by "the faithful and discreet slave." (Matthew 24:45-47; Proverbs 13:20; Hebrews 10:23-25) Thus he makes progress in a structured process of education.15
Eventually, the Bible student, having developed a love of Jehovah God and a strong faith in the ransom sacrifice, wishes to dedicate himself completely to his heavenly Father. (John 14:1) He makes that dedication in personal prayer and then gets baptized as a public symbol of that private act. His baptism is his ordination ceremony because that is when he is recognized as a fully dedicated servant, a di·a´ko·nos, of God. He must remain separate from the world. (John 17:16; James 4:4) He has presented his whole self "a sacrifice living, holy, acceptable to God" without reserve or condition. (Romans 12:1) He is God’s minister, imitating Christ.
