You guys remember there are still new people who need serious answers, now please tell him about the elders school or other special meetings for elders only.
Elders....what sort of training do they get...how are they selected
by insearchoftruth 32 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Cheetos
It's who you nose, not what you knows this you have to keep in mind when it comes to elders being appointed. And if your foolish enough to think god has anything to do with it well" I have so me good swamp land I'd like to sell to you. In laymans terms "get a life".
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SnakesInTheTower
carla:
You guys remember there are still new people who need serious answers, now please tell him about the elders school or other special meetings for elders only
my answer was serious...believe me when I see it is ISOT or someone like him asking genuine questions, I try to be serious.
The reality is there is no training in the traditional sense of the word. Officially there is supposed to be. That is what I learned at MTS and how I came to be disillusioned with the whole thing. When I came back from 8 weeks of special training...most elders didnt want to hear from a wet behind the ears elder fresh out of school.... and the congo I was assigned to for 4 months didnt either...and the congo after that where I served 5 years in as an elder..only the PO at the time (who was my closest friend) wanted to know...once he left..none of the elders, including the very young PO who took his place, wanted anything to do with the MTS training I received....
they wanted to do things the way things have always been done in {Death Valley Midwest} congo.... run by a jackass elder and his puppet PO son..... (those familiar with the place know my references in the last line)
Snakes ()
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darth frosty
Snakes did a good job. But another excellent example of the elders training and the role they play can be found here:
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/40243/1.ashxOriginal Poster JT has some killer thoughts on this.
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loosie
how are they selected
by the holy spirit directed game of Rock Paper Scissors. -
insearchoftruth
What I am amazed about then, seeing there is no real training at all, is when my wife's parents were having problems, she wanted them to be counseled by their elders....what good would that do other than making their issues most likely gossip in the congregation?
Are they at least required to follow a confidentiality oath with respect to goings on in peoples private affairs?
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carla
Oh, don't get me wrong I agree with all your answers! But what about the elders only meetings? Meeting at Patterson this year? or was that for Co's only? see? now I'm mixed up! Remember when Richie took the elders book with notes written in it? where was the elder when those notes were being taken?
(not that I consider anything an elder learns from headquarters as 'training' in anything other than how to stomp on the r & f better or how to avoid prosecution from pedophile cases or .....)
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truthseeker
How do elders get selected? Not by holy spirit.
Check out this little gem regarding the "appointment" of convicted UK pedophile Michael Porter
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/11/142388/1.ashx
Hi
I rang London Bethel and asked to speak to someone about the recent case in the British press about a JW child sex offender. The lady at reception asked if I was a Witness. I replied that I can't see what that has got to do with it I just would like to ask some questions. I pushed the point with her as to what difference it would make as to whether I was or not and she eventually in a fluster just put me on to piped music before a gentleman at the Media Dept answered.
I explained to him that I was not a JW but my parents were.
The gentleman told me that Porter was removed from being an elder as soon as it 'came to light'.
Porter is not an elder or a ministerial servant and will not be in the future in line with the 1991 WT information. ( I don't know what article)
I asked him how come the holy spirit appointed Porter as an elder after he had committed the crimes. Surely the holy spirit must have known he was an abuser and yet still appointed him.
The gentleman said that the qualifications in 1 Tim 3 and Titus 2 are inspired by holy spirit and therefore if it appears that a man fulfills those qualifications then it can be said that he is appointed by holy spirit.
I said that seems a bit of a cop out as following that arguement if any one does anything that is following something said in the Bible they could be viewed as appointed by holy spirit. Also I said I don't think that's how my parents view it. I am sure they view it as it's said i.e. an elder is appointed by holy spirit.
He then said categorically "we do not believe any divine inspiration is involved" in the appointment of elders.
That last bit is news to me.
Thanks
Thomas Covenant
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passwordprotected
I served as an elder for a total of 9 months, being appointed in October 2008. I'd previously declined appointment as an elder as I felt the scrutiny ministerial servants who are being considered for appointment as elders isn't the same level of scrutiny brothers already serving as elders would be put under. I stated that it was impossible to stand up to that level of scrutiny. The fact is, the brothers aren't properly trained to serve, but are expected to meet very high standards when the CO comes to visit and approve recommendations for appointment as an elder.
I'd been passed over for appointment 3 years ago as I had very young children at the time, which was fair. During that period I was 'trained' to serve as an elder. The 'training' involved being taken on the odd 'encouragement visit'. Typically ministerial servants won't be taken on proper shepherding calls when 2 elders will visit someone who is 'spiritually sick' or has some serious problem in their life that they congregation feel warrants them offering assistance. So, rather than servants working with the elders at the sharp end, their 'training' involves sitting in a JWs living room, having a cup of tea and reading a section from a Watchtower by way of 'spiritual encouragement'.
The former PO in our old congregation - good friend of mine until I DAd - told me that when a brother is appointed as an elder the 'training' stops and they now need to stand on their own two feet, sink or swim (pardon my mixed metaphors). You're asked if anything disqualifies you as being appointed, if there's any reason why your appointment should not be announced to the congregation, and - if you've never been appointed before - it is suggested that the elders ask if you've ever been involved in the abuse of children. Quite why this question is not an absolute requirement is puzzling.
Then, now that you're an elder, you attend your first elders' meeting, usually on the same night as your appointment is announced. At that meeting you're brought fully up to speed as to what's been going on in the congregation, all the juicy gossip, so to speak. From that moment on you're open to receiving phone calls from distressed JWs, you'll serve on a judicial committee (within 2 weeks of my appointment I served on a JC) and decide the fate of a fellow JW, you'll be put under further scrutiny - along with your family - by the congregation, your standard of public speaking will be expected to be at a high standard, continually and your behaviour with your family in public will be expected to be impeccable at all times.
As snakes said, there are meetings for the elders, but there is little depth to them. In short there's little actual proper training for elders. It really depends on your luck; if you're in a congregation where you have a pro-active elder who is genuinely interested in investing his own personal time in the training of ministerial servants, then you're virtually on your own.
I was lucky, I enjoyed a few years of such interest being shown in me by one of the 'good guy' elders.
...OUTLAW