Next big announcement: All Circuirt Overseers Sacked!

by slimboyfat 31 Replies latest jw friends

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  slimboyfat

  So what is the ending of the Congregation Book Study really all about? Surely the biggest winner in this new arrangement is the Circuit Overseer. Now he only has to take two meetings during his visit and will only "work" from Thursday to Sunday. That is a major reduction in workload as he can also wipe off Wednesday and Thursday ministry from the schedule.

  And if Circuit Overseers are only working part-time do you think the Society will want to keep paying them? I don't think so! So then next change I expect to see is the abolition of full-time paid Circuit Overseers. They might be replaced by roving elders who support themselves by working during the week and then travel to nearby congregations for the Thursday meeting and field service and meeting at the weekend. Congregations might be encouraged to move the week night meeting to Friday to make this easier. Some congregations already do have a meeting on Friday. Think how much money the Society would save by not having to pay Circuit Overseers! $$$ And these new part-time Circuit Overseers could claim all expenses from the congregations they visit, just like a travelling speaker. In the early days of the Bible Students the travelling overseers were called Pilgrims and were largely self-supporting financially. So we might be going back to that sort of set-up. If this does happen we can expect the new breed of part-time Circuit Overseers to be dominated by wealthier/retired members of the congregations, because working class people can't afford to do it and often have to work weekends to look after the family.

  Personally I think getting rid of the book study is pretty tragic. Meeting in each others' homes and having a cosy time together is/was one of the few really charming aspects about Witness life. If we are only going to meet each other in the Kingdom Hall and have less informal-type association then that is a major drawback in my view. Plus if I was still a believing member I would be very disappointed by this change. Just what sort of message is it sending out? That the meetings are not that important anymore? That we can slack off a bit? Hardly "faith strengthening"!

  The public talk was reduced and now this. Next the Convention will probably be reduced to two days. Hell they might do away with Conventions altogether: do they make any money? I think with this and other changes in the past decade the Witnesses are truly starting to wind down. I don't know what the Governing Body is playing at or if they intend to slow things down but this will be the effect.
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  TheListener

  I like your speculation Slimboyfat.

  District overseers could manage the oversight of these roving elders similar to the way they manage the Circuit Overseers.
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  Mickey mouse

  BTTT because I think you may be on to something.
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  AuldSoul

  slimboyfat: Hell they might do away with Conventions altogether: do they make any money?

  Conventions (District and International) and Assemblies are the biggest moneymaker the WTS has.

  Respectfully,
  AuldSoul
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  blondie

  Even without the book study, I can see the meeting (3) being switched to Tuesday night to start out the week and there still being FS on Wednesday (the traditional weekday FS service day). The school and service meeting are already "abbreviated" during the CO visit so I wonder how they will cut the time of the 3 meetings to accommodate his extra talk then. That's the way it works here with congregations sharing a building having to switch during weeks the CO visits the other congegation(s).
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  TheListener

  Auld Soul is right. The DCs,CAs and SADs are the money makers. They won't get rid of them.

  They won't need to. The roving elders under the control of the District Overseer will be able to handle parts and pass parts onto those they know. My guess is that nothing would have to change - the dubs wouldn't even miss the Circuit Overseers. The roving elders can get all the green handshakes and dole out the juicy assignments.
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  blondie

  Well if they can eliminate Bethel elders and then cut the older Bethel workforce, the next step could be the COs. Historically, the COs though act as a watchdog over the BOEs. One went through here and used the ax on 10 older elders that weren't toeing the WTS line. I can't see the WTS wanting to give up that control. How many can remember when the CO visited each congregation 3 times a year?
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  nelly136

  would it be called sacking? or would it be called scaling down in preparation for the last days?
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  OnTheWayOut

  Nothing would surprise me. I could expect them to have less C.O.'s before they get rid
  of them altogether. Maybe they would visit once a year. They don't cost them as much
  as the revenue generated by their oversight of congregation accounts. Remember that
  they are being used to "encourage" all the U.S. congregations to switch their bank
  accounts to a WT-bank account (at least for savings).

  DC's and CA's are money-makers or they would have canned them as soon as they were
  not. The idea to reduce the DC to two days could be something, though. I could also see
  them reduce the CA to the one day so they could send everyone to their assembly halls
  further away when they sell off some of them.
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  tijkmo

  my family are gonna be well disappointed with this...they love the group...as did i.

  and the potential for sheep to slip thru the sheperding net is an even bigger one.