Elders supposed contact DF&DA once every year???!!!???

Quotes

I was speaking to my mom on the phone yesterday, and despite my trying to avoid it, we got to talking about wacky JW topics -- again. Actually, it was nearly unavoidable, since she had just returned from her summer Convention.

Aside: nice way to celebrate your Wedding Anniversary, Mom & Dad; at an assembly!

Apparently, it was terribly cold inside the Belleville Ice Hockey Arena, and it got colder the closer you got to the speaker (thus proving, IMO, that the speakers are ghosts from the spiritual plane, exuding negative ghost energy), which means the elderly and infirm sitting on the ice area in front were in a meatlocker. Hhhhmmmm.... Cold environment plus elderly people sitting down, inactive for several hours per days, for 3.5 days. Not a good combination. I suppose Jahoobee didn't pour out his blessing this time -- but I digress.

Anyhow, when I mentioned that JWs *NEVER* call on me here (implying how ineffective their billions hours of "preaching work" is), she was concerned, but for an entirely different reason.

She was certain that "the elders contact every DF & DA person ONCE PER YEAR to determine if their situation or attitude has changed."

After I stopped laughing, which I eventually did through great effort, I assured Mom that the elder's had NEVER called me (since we parted ways 11 years ago), and furthermore, I told her that I know a large number of XJWs and I'm quite certain most or all of them have also never been contacted by the elders, as I pretty sure they would tell me if it happened.

"Hey, I'm in the phone book, mom. I'm not hiding. There is no excuse for someone to not contact me, other than they simply don't want to."

Come to think of it, they never had the guts to contact me directly the last time we had any dealings, in 2005; instead they hid behind their lawyer(s). Cowards!

Of course, this shocking revelation -- that some (all?) elders don't actually do some (all?) of "good works" they pretend they do -- won't be enough to awaken her from her WTS stupor. After all, if you can shrug off WTS's involvement with the UN, you can shrug off anything; but part of me hopes that the breaking of yet another WTS myth will eventually have some cumulative effect on her.

So, all my fellow former members, what is your experience? Have the local elders been contacting you?

Former elders: what is the official policy? Are they supposed to try and contact you? How often? And if they are, are there special purification rituals to be followed before and after, to prevent evil, satanic, corrupting -- erm, I mean intelligent and freethinking -- ideas from corrupting their holy elder minds?

~Q

asilentone

If they know that you are apostate, they will not contact you at all!!!!

shamus100

I have never been contacted since I left. Not in the door to door work, not ever.

It was my understanding that they were supposed to check in on you once a year, but the way they keep changing they're minds, anything's possible.

Of course, they'd never contact you quotes - how dare you quote directly from WTBTS bullsh*t material! I'm so pissed right now I feel like suing you too!

Thechickennest

I remember when this information came out. It was quite a long time ago. My older sister is disfellowshipped and not apostate to my knowledge and she has never got the call from the elders.

I hope asilentone is correct..... I would never want to be in any sort of meeting with the boys from the congregation. They did not help me at all when I was in the lie. I consider them to be worse than any apostates. They are heartless robots.

AudeSapere

I had always heard that, too - annual visits from the local elders.

I was not DF nor DA'd but did not get any calls from elders. My last meeting was in 1993.

A pioneer found me in the door to door work and made a return visit or two. One time she came with the CO's wife. It was not a good visit and I refused the pioneer's offer to come back.

An elder's visit? LOL You are very funny!!!

btw - It's not like they didn't know me or where I lived. Like you, I was listed in the directory. My former roommate is the PO's daughter.

-Aude.

Quotes

Interesting; so far the consensus is that the "contact once per year" is yet another Elder Fairy Tale.

Hey, any former elders that *DID* make an effort to contact DF/DA persons? Anyone? If so, what was the situation? How did you decide who/when to call; and did you phone first or just go and knock on their door? Surely there are some interesting stories you can regale us with! ~Q

TMS

As an elder, I thought this was a brilliant and merciful provision. Although on a rather large body of elders, I usually ended up making most of the calls. Usually, another elder would say he'd tried to make the call but couldn't reach the person and hand me the slip. Sometimes JW parents would call the congregation saying their DF'd adult son or daughter had moved into our territory.

Responses varied. Some, who had been out many years, seemed shocked to be targeted for a specific call. They usually had no intention of "returning to Jehovah." I let them know that the proverbial door was still open. I made it a point to speak kindly.

One young woman said if her "circumstances" every changed she would let us know.

It just seemed odd to me that brothers were willing to make all these cold canvasses in regular field service and not want to contact those who had once been JW's.

tms

TMS

I might add that the circuit overseer would usually ask if these calls had been made. The BOA would always assure him that they had followed through on the program.

tms

Quotes

Thanks for the input, TMS.

That part about reporting "duty completion" to the CO is particularly interesting.

~Q

sass_my_frass

It's been three years for me, and no, they've never made contact. I've moved a lot though. And I'd prefer they didn't, I find them quite depressing and boring.

Quotes I'm not sure, but I think it's you I have to thank for my new intellectual freedom, I'll tell you a story and you can check: late 2005 I had been disfellowshipped and was driving to the meeting for my thrice-weekly ritual humiliation, when I heard that there would be a story about a guy who had a watchtower quotes site, had faced legal proceedings and was being forced to destroy it. (This is in Australia). If it was you, firstly kudos for what you did; thanks. I'm sorry it had to be taken down and that you had to go through all that, it must have been hell. Secondly, the interviewer had some kind of personal problem with you and I couldn't pin down what it was, but to be honest I don't think he was especially fair with you. But anyway, I listened sitting in the car in the car park and it made me so angry, and by the end of the story I was half an hour late for the meeting, and knew I'd never walk into a hall again. So; thanks for the liberation!

Elders supposed contact DF&DA once every year???!!!???

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