One possible reason for current changes

by dozy 11 Replies latest jw friends

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  dozy

  I know that the WTBTS generally don’t give two hoots about the elders (this weeks WT describes the elders as imperfect , make mistakes etc while making no such admission for the FDS) but it is interesting that the thrust of much of the recent changes is to reduce the elders workload. Notice three recent changes…

  • Reduction from taking an hours book study every week to an occasional 30 minute study.
  • Deleting two of the three elders talks at the TMS.
  • Reduced time & number of items on the service meeting.

  All of these are changes that quite dramatically reduce the elders workload. It could be in a reasonably sized cong that an elder only needs to take the book study once every couple of months , perhaps one service meeting every month or even six weeks and only needs to give a talk on the TMS once every three months (MS are also allowed to take bible highlights & service meeting items (I assume)).

  Are the WTBTS especially concerned about the lack of elders and the number coming off with burnout or disillusionment? I heard one report that the number of elders in the USA is the same today than it was in the 1970’s. There also seems to be very few coming up through the ranks. A few years ago I looked in at a MS Kingdom Ministry school to see a friend. The MS were virtually all older journeymen Jws who had reached the peak of their potential - very few younger brothers who would stand any chance of gaining “elder status” in the future.
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  AK - Jeff

  I don't know dozy.

  Wherever you find congregated people, there will generally be someone wishing to kiss his way to the 'top', so I doubt they have a shortage of prospects for elders. They may have, though, a different breed of status seekers nowadays. A promising 'brother' might be more of a thinker than in the past, and may quickly find himself disqualified for that. It seems as if the elders have begun to sniff out possible apostate leaners more quickly. I know that in my case, long before I was truly an apostate, I was labeled as being 'borderline apostate' though I had done little by that point to earn the title.

  The highly suspicious atmosphere may be contributing to an elder/MS shortage.

  Jeff
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  slimboyfat

  That may be part of it dozy. There may be an element of "giving them what they ask for" as well. I found this post from Marvin Shilmer back in 2001 interesting:

  The WTS is so concerned about these figures [kids dropping out] that they have selected a few long time Bethel elders to go out and informally interview parents and children about what is going on. If parents allow it, they tape record the session and take it back. I know some parents that have participated in this, and some of them offered pretty damning observations, like: too many meetings!

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/10417/1.ashx

  Maybe the leadership have finally relented to their focus groups and decided that if fewer meetings is what the rank and file want then that is what they shall have. I remember reading a quote attributed to one of the GB that said something like: "we can't give them fewer meeting nights - they would just waste the time watching TV". Which sums up the contempt I think some of the GB have for ordinary Witnesses sometimes. Maybe dropping the book study also shows contempt but in a different way. Maybe they have listened to the feedback that says "fewer meetings", they have looked at the declining attendances, shrugged their shoulders and said: "well if they want fewer meetings they can have it. That's between them and Jehovah, and if they lose out spiritually because of it they have only themselves to blame".
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  darth frosty

  If that is their plan to reduce the elder workload it will backfire.

  Same thing with the alleged reduction of pioneer hours. By lessening the load they give people more time to breath and enjoy 'the real life.'

  All they are succeeding in doing is watering down the quality of the ones still left in.
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  insearchoftruth

  I can see painting it as trying to help out the elders, give them more family study time etc, but I agree with Darth Frosty, more free time will lead to more problems.....but I guess with the education bashing, the free time is not meant to pursue higher education, is it?
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  WTWizard

  One thing is certain: I will not volitionally step up. And if I get forced up, I intend to create as much havoc as I possibly can among the ranks (no guarantee of being able to post things here, because they would need to physically host me in order to even have a chance of getting me back at all, and they wouldn't have a computer). And I intend to do things like make "mistakes" (on purpose) that would get the law in on them, make "mistakes" that would leak information to the public, and cause as many serious problems for the congregation as I can.

  Otherwise, I don't give a fxxx if they never find enough hounders. Or if they lose every single one of them.
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  milliemootoo

  My sister said to my Dad recently that they have been told that it is to make attending the meeting easier once the fall of religion happens but anything to keep them in fear works for WBTS.
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  tijkmo

  i commented previously about the reduction in workload that the latest changes would bring to elders..

  and yes i would agree that the fds have every right to be concerned about the lack of quality that most elders have.

  i remember as an elder fighting for certain young ones to be used in the cong. i tended to believe that most people live up to their potential. you expect little then that's what you get from them. but even i would be scared now if they were appointed elders.

  in my own family 3 of my relatives are elders..and with the best will in the world they do not have the skill to know how to handle situations as recent events have shown. as a jw i firmly believed elders got some spirit direction..

  the fact that they don't is very scary indeed
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  slimboyfat

  in my own family 3 of my relatives are elders..and with the best will in the world they do not have the skill to know how to handle situations as recent events have shown.

  Did you write about this somewhere? Sorry to be nosy - I only ask because you mention it as if we may have heard about it before.
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  tijkmo

  Did you write about this somewhere? Sorry to be nosy - I only ask because you mention it as if we may have heard about it before.

  ah no sorry...i mean things that have come to my knowledge judicial cases meeting parts etc etc. i knew i hadn't expressed it as well as i could have when i wrote it...but frankly normally no-one notices lol