What were city overseers?

by jws 7 Replies latest jw friends

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  jws

  I'm told that my dad was once a "city overseer".

  I don't know what sort of time frame we're talking about. I know he started in the early 50's and I know by the late 70's/early 80's (by the time I was old enough to know and care about the structure and titles) that he was only an elder by then.

  Does anybody know what a "city overseer" was? Kind of like a circuit overseer?

  At least from the time I was born (mid 60's) and old enough to know what was going on, I don't remember him visiting a lot of different halls. He had one or two talks he was well rehearsed on and we'd travel to other halls for him to give those sometimes. But it seemed like the talk was the only reason he was there. He didn't meet with the elders or anything.

  Can anybody shed some light on this?
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  sir82

  It's a title that Society bureacracy requires whenever there are more than 1 congregation in a city.

  A "city overseer" could be "over" as few as 2 congregations (Podunk East and Podunk West) or dozens (New York, Chicago, etc.). A city overseer for a big city carries a bit more prestige than a run-of-the-mill elder.

  I think it's mainly to have a particular address to funnel correspondence through for items that might relate to a particular city (problems with police wanting JWs to "register" with them before witnessing, e.g.).
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  jws

  Thanks for the info. I've always wondered and asking my dad about JW things could open up a can of worms.

  Not to give too much identifying information away, but the city was good sized. Back in that timeframe, there were probably 500,000 to 750,000 people living in the city. There were probably at least 10 congregations.

  Do you know, when they designated somebody for the city, did they mean the whole city? Would there only be one for, say all of Los Angeles? Or would they split the congregations into groups and have several city overseers?

  I know when I left in the early 90's, the city was split and part of I think at least 3 circuits and maybe part of 2 districts.
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  greenhornet

  I remember a city elder in NM state
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  eyeslice

  As far as I can see it was never a big position. In addition to the comments above, the City Overseer used to get involved when the there was a large district assembly held in the city.
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  JimmyPage

  They still exist. Although with the recent changes to the title of "presiding overseer" they may have a different name. But there are still elders in that position.
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  undercover

  I think if there was an appeal to a judicial committe's decision, such as DFing, it went to the city overseer, who would form an appeals committee to review the matter.

  I remember one DFing decision being appealed and overturned after a second committee formed by the city overseer reversed the decision of the first committee.

  So much for confidentiality in matters brought to the elders. Dubs think they're confessing to three men who say the matter won't leave the room. Then the rest of the elders are told (and let's face it...the majority of them tell their wives...the biggest leak there is) and then if there are appeals, a whole 'nuther set of elders from other congregations get to hear all about (and who then tell their wives). By the time it's over with, most every dub in the city that is in the gossip trail knows who, what, when, where, how and who with.
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  WTWizard

  It's just another way to waste people's time and get them involved in other people's business.