Bethelite: Elder burnout, R&F disillusionment led to book study change (page 6)

jgnat

Good point, bud2114.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/157546/2889966/post.ashx#2889966

Plagiarism is illegal on the internet. You can do more. You can go to the owner of the site and the ISP and make a protest. They'll have to take the blog down

Back on the topic of burnout, I wonder how much of this change had to do with BETHELITE burnout. They are the ones after all who burn gas going to book studies. They benefit most because its one less trip out to the territory.

We once moved our public meeting to Saturday for this reason. The Bethelites were ecstatic over the day off. The GB being as blind as they are to anything other than their own needs, may have seen this as the best option. Add to this the desire not to knock the other gas guzzling activity, namely field service, the main mission for a dub, and you have the making of a dollar late, dollar short policy change.

Isaac

LongHairGal

After reading all these posts I agree that elder burnout and R&F disillusionment is probably the major reason for the book study change. I had originally thought it was about control and/or liability issues in people's homes. Maybe these are secondary reasons but the main reason is because of elder burnout.

I guess the religion couldn't continue if they all stepped down overnight. That would look super bad to the already doubtful R&F. They couldn't explain this away.

LHG

SnakesInTheTower

NY44M:

many ex-elders on this board is a tribute to the fact that the society is losing the best and the brightest

I dont know about "best and the brightest"...I am proof positive that neither the "best" and certainly not the "brightest" are being appointed elders.

But they did "lose" me in any case... I "served" as an elder for 5 out of the last 6 years I was in. I was an MTS grad.... so they got a double wammy when I walked...

but I was definitely burned out, ready to quit as an elder anyway..when they deleted me.... I could have fought back and won again...but why?

I knew the "truth" about the "truth"...one day I might even get busted for being here.......

Snakes ()

RedPill2006

Yes....good elders are stepping down....the a&%$holes stay....or good people that are just to old and tired to get themselves into trouble....

I was an elder for almost 12 years.....stepped down last year and some of my "former buddies" definitely envvy me!!! I´ve seen how they try to find out if there are "other reasons" besides the usual "I-am-to-depressed" explanation that is like a "Free Parking" card thrown into the game of fading.....(this is the one reason that does not get questioned and actually gets you a tap on the shoulder.....). I feel FREE and relieved...

By the way, this is what awaits the WTS (hopefully in my lifetime):

Canadian archaelogist Zhichun Jing, writing about the decline of the highly creative Shang dynasty, said "...after a century the Shang vitality slackened. The initial diversity and creativity devolved into a dull sameness. By the end we see that things like their pottery, architecture and artwork had become standardized and simplified." (End of Quote)

Jing says that this phenomenon in the archaeological record suggests that people had less freedom to express their individuality and became less creative. When a Society/Organization becomes rigid and homogenous, theres greater potential for collapse.

"Standardized and simplified".....Does that ring a bell? (pun intended...)

I have been a JW for my whole life (40 years) and as I see it, at Russells time it was "the cool thing" to do, to show Catholic church your back and participate in what was a dynamic group that was breaking with the traditional religion, private gatherings where EVERYBODY (including women) could participate in a free form ...THAT was attractive.....now the very meeting that started it all is RIP....(not that I mourn this, I actually joyfully jumped off my seat - earlier than the folks at my hall, thanks to you guys....)

But, in my Hall (Europe) I saw the same reaction. My fanatic relatives came by the next day and commented the same things "Oh, this must be a sign of the end", how wonderfull, etc.

Sometimes I just want to PUKE at the new KH Hall carpet....

Wish us all the best. Hugs and Greetings.

bud2114

pseattle2 should have acknowledged his other sources. It's nice to get this info repeated but shame on you for not doing that. Otherwise people will not bother coming on here and posting their inside scoops. It's not about egos Burn the ships. Bud2114 had every right to complain.

It's not my blog, just one of the blogs I frequent. I posted it here because I found the blog entry unusual and interesting, but it's not my blog. (Nor did I claim it to be.)

It was absolutely not my intention to make people believe I had written that post; I just wanted to share the item and open discussion about it. I reposted the blog URL at the top of the entry, but should been clearer about where it was coming from. Apologies for the confusion.

Pseattle, I am not directing my comments toward you, but to the jerk blogger who copied my original post and renamed its source ("a Bethelite's view") as if he wrote it. In a way its good that more people have had a chance to comment on it here, but it still irks me that this joker is stealing other peoples words and calling them his own.

pseattle2

Pseattle, I am not directing my comments toward you, but to the jerk blogger who copied my original post and renamed its source ("a Bethelite's view") as if he wrote it. In a way its good that more people have had a chance to comment on it here, but it still irks me that this joker is stealing other peoples words and calling them his own.

Ah, I get you now. Yeah, that sucks.

But hey, you made a terrific post. It was one of the most interesting things I'd read about this whole thing, one of the better (actually, only) explanations of the cracks forming in the mentality of the Borg.

VM44

The "I Love Lucy" book?

Cindi_67

This is what i suspected from the beginning. Burn-out is a huge problem in my area. In my hall the publisher to elder ration is 1/35. In another hall it's 1/55 (only 2 elders). Not to mention work, family, household responsibilities and personal study time; it really is too much. Add to that the occasional “the elders aren’t doing enough” attitude/comments from publisher and the CO; it makes you wonder if it’s worth-it. I tried voicing my concerns to another elder and I got the boilerplate remark of "I don't trust in Jehovah enough, I need to pray more etc..." Similar comments from the CO. Glad to see the word is getting thru to the big wigs. Future streamlining wish list... 1) Eliminate the "Pioneer's Assist" program (huge waste of time) 2) Eliminate the "Pre Service Meeting". 3) Allow shepherding to count towards service time. 4) Allow women to perform some of "mechanical" tasks (PO assistant, Secretary Assistant... etc).

I can't imagine the pressure they are going through. They have to preach at least 10 hours each month to qualified to be an elder. Shepherding, preparing for the meetings, caring for their families, work. There are not enough hours in the day for all that, and to tell someone that they don't trust in Jehovah enough, is outrageous.

I actually think that this ideas are great:

1) Eliminate the "Pioneer's Assist" program (huge waste of time) 2) Eliminate the "Pre Service Meeting". 3) Allow shepherding to count towards service time. 4) Allow women to perform some of "mechanical" tasks (PO assistant, Secretary Assistant... etc).

But you know that's not gonna happen.

Witness 007

Very true my friend! You described me perfectly, well done!

Bethelite: Elder burnout, R&F disillusionment led to book study change