I had brought my family up in “The way” of Christ, as I believed and we were rarely missing from meetings or field service. Yet as time went on, this regimented form of worship began to have its toll on us.
One meeting night, I found myself sitting at the back of the Kingdom hall alone, my wife had begun to miss a number of meetings and my son who was then in his late teens had also stopped going.I felt that I'd failed my family and myself. Yet no matter how I applied myself to study and prayer The Watchtower's answer to every problem a Witness may have I found no joy in this way of worship and neither would I continue to pretend that I did. The meetings were simply too repetitious, uninspiring.
A LETTER OF CONCERN. One month the body of elders had a letter from the Governing Body, asking what we observed to be the reason in the fall in attendance at meetings and conventions, this was becoming an increasing problem, occurring in many congregations. In the reply letter from the body of elders words like "lack of appreciation, cannot see the urgency of the times, secular work, money problems" were listed as to the reasons. During this elder’s meeting, I remember commenting about the Conventions, that the provision of refreshments had been taken away (the Society not only had stopped food at these gatherings but had also stopped simple things like Tea and Coffee!) I said this may have caused some hardship for the older ones and those with young children, particularly since there was now counsel not to clutter seats with too much baggage. Well there was a deathly hush, as if I had spoken something unlawful, the body proceeded to ignore my comment, I recall feeling foolish. The idea that the Society itself, could in some way be responsible for a drop in meeting attendance could not be entertained, or tolerated.
The quickest way to lose popularity in the congregation, is to question Watchtower directives. You can question the Bible and that’s OK, but raise a question or two about the Watchtower and you become a rebel.
In an effort to solve this problem with meeting attendance, there soon followed a series of items to prod the consciences of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Eg-sample items taken from 1997-8 k.m.s How fine it is to always be in attendance/Attend the Meetings-all the more so/You are Missed/ Why we should answer up at meetings. Etc this format was repeated in the Watchtower study.
NEGATIVE AFFECTS I always felt that this kind of approach had the opposite effect to which it was intended. Some had a real struggle to attend meetings, yet the manner in which this information was presented at times portrayed them in a poor light, putting the individuals on a guilt trip. If a person has been missing from meetings or field service, the last thing he needs to hear when he arrives at these meetings is how unappreciative he is of Jehovah’s provisions. The trick with some brothers to endure all of this is to mentally "switch off " and wait for the final song. Was this the way to get the mind of Christ.? I have seen many brothers clearly uninspired by meetings, often near sleep, yet when asked about them afterwards, they would give the required answer and say they enjoyed it. To say otherwise would make you a "negative thinker", something to be avoided, according to the Watchtower.
As the years went by, I seen many come into the congregation then disappear. The expectations put on many, in my mind is too high. Such as, requiring toddlers to sit through meetings, hours at a time, whereby the information presented is far above their little heads, expecting them to be seen but not heard, seems to me now unbalanced and unkind.
part 3 Tomorrow.
Radar