"The Elders"

by minimus 44 Replies latest jw friends

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  minimus

  When I think back of how the elders were viewed, even when I was a kid, I recognize that many people were deathly afraid of the elders. My brother had been appointed in the 70s shortly after the elder arrangement was put into effect. So my family always had an "in" because of our theocratic connections----not that my brother was very forceful. He was not. Still he was an elder. I was appointed 1-1-80 at 24 years of age. We typically had one other elder on the body for quite a few years.

  The reason why some go to a certain elder and not another is usually due to personality. If somebody wanted to get something done, they'd usually come to me. If they wanted to be treated with kid gloves, they'd approach my brother. Actually very few asked the other elder for help unless it was service related. (He was the Service Overseer).

  Eventually we got new elders in. Most were "home grown". Once the new guys were appointed, different ones came from different Halls and the Hall needed to be expanded. Eventually, the new elders got calls about the "old guard" and why they were disturbed with us over this or that. Later, the original 3 elders left and went to different congregations and no one was given spotless recommendations. I was the PO and didn't get reappointed for a few years.

  The new BOE thought I was wonderful and I quickly became the Secretary and changed my view as to following the Society's "recommendations" rigidly. I stopped making judgments of people, recognizing that I was no better than the "sheep". I was universally "loved" in the circuit and recieved many parts at the assemblies.

  When I was a kid, I aspired to someday be an overseer. I was trained by my mother to reach lofty theocratic goals. the reality is, it was all bullsh*t. It was a "striving after the wind". It really meant nothing. It was all about position and ranking.

  When I finally resigned as an elder, I felt a giant weight lifted off of me. Within months, I started missing meetings regularly and completed my fade for good.

  It's too bad that the elders take their titles so seriously. Jehovah's Witnesses have a church/laity distinction. They do not act like "true Christians".
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  cameo-d

  Is El the god of the El-ders?
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  ninja

  yes....he el-evated them to that position
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  ninja

  they were el-ected
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  Seeker4

  Min,

  I stepped down in the early/mid 1990s, with no intention of fading. I was very depressed for about 24 hours, when suddenly I began to feel like this huge weight was lifted off me, just like you said. When the CO and another elder visited me 48 hours after I'd told them I was stepping down, I was absolutely sure I had made the right decision.

  The CO really tried to talk me into reconsidering, but there was no way I was going to go back. I can remember how wonderful it felt not to have that weight on me.

  I didn't start fading for another year or so. I also came to the realization that being an elder was all about position and following authority, and had little or nothing to do with a person's true level of spirituality. For many brothers, it is a huge ego trip.

  S4
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  watson

  I didn't start fading for another year or so. I also came to the realization that being an elder was all about position and following authority, and had little or nothing to do with a person's true level of spirituality. For many brothers, it is a huge ego trip.

  Someone said here that "maturity" in the organization was based on your willingness to toe the line.
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  reniaa

  what you describe is biblical unfortunately comes with command and responsibility.

  mark 9:33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

  35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

  can I ask you a question, You have been an elder from a sheer practical standpoint could church function without leaders? someone to help, arrange mikes, help sort out what gets gets taught in a meeting etc?

  Romans 12:7-9 (New International Version)

  7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

  Leadership is allowed and Jesus trained up the appostles for this reason, It really for sheer reasons of practicality. Something even moses had to accept,

  exodus 18:13-onwards

  13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. 14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?"

  15 Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws."

  17 Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."

  we have leaders for practicality even Jesus will apooint rulers in heaven with him. but being a leader has it's own set of problems and all you mentioned are part of them but that doesn't stop us needing them, I have seen a really loose charismatic faith in practise one of these everyone can believe anything as long as Jesus is Christ and even they still have leaders and a form of herachy
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  wha happened?

  words, nothing but words.

  What was writeen 200 years ago has little application in the lives of those who claim to follow it. Reniaa, u were never an elder, and u will never know what it's like to be in an elders meeting and watching the politics fly
• 

  SnakesInTheTower

  wha happened?....

  u were never an elder, and u will never know what it's like to be in an elders meeting and watching the politics fly

  amen. I was never good at playing in the BOE sandbox.

  Snakes (of the "Been there, done that, have the t-shirt" Sheep Class)
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  moshe

  The reality of being an elder was a big shock- the JW's don't have a clue how clueless the elders are. They just follow the rules and try not to get hammered when the CO comes to visit. I lasted only 3-4 years and I stepped down just before my rotation into the PO spot. I just wish I would have had the Internet back then, I would have been outta the KH in a flash. It took another 10 years of digging to find out what was rotten in Bethel.