Change in Regular Pioneer application process

by Ultimate Reality 27 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  rebel8

  Because the approval came from HQ it makes HQ liable in a lawsuit..... this has been seen in all of the WTS sexual abuse cases.

  Still not sure I follow....this is to protect the wts if the pioneer sexually abuses someone? Appointing a minister makes them legally liable for the individual's criminal acts because they're an ordained minister? As if they are responsible for the person's acts?

  The plaintifs always name the person, local KH, and WTS Corp.

  Well, the plaintiffs suing a physician for his individual actions while working as a self-employed independent contractor almost always name the hospital.......to get more $. And this is in cases where the hospital did not hire the physician nor have someone supervising him/her. So in this "non-hire, non-supervised, independent contractor" scenario, lawsuits still happen. Is liability reduced? I don't know.

  Sometimes the incident has zero to do with the hospital and 100% to do with the physician, yet the plaintiff just takes a stab at it and names the hospital to see if he/she can get an additional settlement. Sometimes defendants settle out of court just to avoid attorney fees.

  I guess I don't understand the law.
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  stillajwexelder

  I confirm - letter has been read in our congregation. Pioneers are appointed by the Service Committee of the Local Congregations. A huge positive spin was of course out on it
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  lrkr

  I love it. Lets try and isolate those in charge from liability. Nothing about say, preventing, recognizing and dealing with molesters.

  Every other organization who has been sued over child abuse issues has instituted major steps to help parents prevent, recognize and talk to their children about abuse. The Boy Scouts has a whole section on it that is mandatory. Local soccer leagues run criminal background checks on coaches and assistant coaches.

  Not the WTBTS though- lets just insulated the top from liability!!!
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  thomas15

  I think rebel8 is on the right track. The move may eliminate some liability from HQ but not much. As long as the society holds title to the local KHs where the pioneers or publisher work out of and as long as the society publishes guidlines and procedures for the local KH to follow then they will remain a huge target for lawsuits.
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  jabberwock

  I still have a hard time understanding why exactly this change was made. It seems that most people posting here think it has something to do with the corporations limiting their legal liability. Does the risk of being held responsible for the behavior of the pioneers really warrant the surrendering of such control to local bodies of elders?

  Should the local congregation, branch, or the organization as a whole really be held responsible for every aspect of an individual's behavior simply because that person is a pioneer or holds some other position? If I run someone over with my car out in field service shouldn't I be at fault (for my reckless driving) not the elders in my congregation, the WTBTS, or the CCJW?

  If I get mugged at knife point by a Girl Scout while buying some cookies does that make the Girl Scouts organization responsible? If someone slams the door on my toe when I wake them up with a gentle knock on the door so that I can offer the latest issue of the Watchtower can the WTBTS or the CCJW file a lawsuit against them?

  Just a few thoughts...

  jabberwock
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  neverendingjourney

  Should the local congregation, branch, or the organization as a whole really be held responsible for every aspect of an individual's behavior simply because that person is a pioneer or holds some other position?

  It's not a matter of should but of could.

  It's a complex legal concept know as vicarious liability. As was explained above, if you slip and fall at your local McDonalds, you can recover from the central corporate entity (provided you're successful in your lawsuit), even though each individual McDonalds is an individually-owned franchise. If you get run over by a pizza delivery guy, you can recover from his employer.

  It gets real murky where the main corporate entity takes measures to distance itself from its lower-level divisions. If the main corporate entity can prove that they do not control what goes on in each individual store, they are off the hook with respect to legal liability for what goes on in the individual stores. Usually there's not a bright line and there's a factual dispute over whether or not the main corporate entity exercised enough control to make them legally responsible (vicariously liable) for the lower-level corporate entity. That's why it's plausible that the Society is taking steps to bolster their legal claim that they do not control what goes on in the individual congregations. It seems that they're just trying to strengthen that legal position. If a link between themselves and the congregations is not absolutely vital, then it's in their best interest to sever it so that they can be in a better position to defend themselves in court.
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  truthsetsonefree

  I always thought the branch was an unecessary middleman. Lessening their workload at the branch level may be part of the reason for this in addition to any legal benefits. A few years back the SC was given the power to approve a lower yearly requirement for one year if a pioneer could demonstarte a genuine need and a reasonable guarantee that they could do the regular amount of hours the following service year. This would seem like a natural progression of that empowerment of the elders in this area.

  Isaac
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  wobble

  Regardless of the motive,it will leave local Elders exposed,isn't it time they thought of purchasing Professional Indemnity Insurance or something similar? Tee Hee.

  Love

  Wobble
• 

  rebel8

  Regardless, I am adding "former ordianed minister appointed directly by the Watchtower Society hq" to my resume, since it's now a novel thing.

  I'm seeewwwww much closer to Jehoopla than the yunguns these days who are just appointed by their local nobodies.
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  stillajwexelder

  the spin put on it all in the letter, was that it would encourage more to Regular Pioneer if they did not have to wait to be appointed by the Branch. Also simplification was mentioned. So muchg growth in Regular Pioneering that they had to simplify