by JWFreak 55 Replies latest jw friends
Jeff,
What would the service comittee write if they got a letter? Tell me about the process.
What I'm getting out of this is "elders, get off your ass and find these inactive ones". I mean really, think of all the money they are missing out on by their absence.
What would the Service Committee write? Here's a sample. (some humor attempted, but the overall flow would be as follows, since I was a SEC... this is how I would have written it...)
(on 2nd thought, a more serious answer is forthcoming.... I feel parody running through my veins....)
Dear Butt Munchers of the Serv Dept
Recently 2 elders who were not assigned visited an inactive couple baptized in 1974, who went inactive in 1981, reactivated in 1994, only to go inactive later after the generation teaching changed that year.
We have counseled these 2 elders for not following our local Service Committees arrangements for shepherding. Their recommended deletions are in a separate letter in this box we shipped Fed Ex. We are happy to report that we have met our quota of disfellowshipping three 15 year olds for admitting they masturbated.
In any case, we have a question about the on again off again couple the 2 idiot elders visited. When visited, they expressed deep doubts that this was gods organization. They specifically mentioned 1975, and all the changes in the meaning of the term "generation" since 1995, and wondered what that did to the teaching of 1914 as being significant.
We would like to disfellowship them as well, but wondered since they haven't been in a KH for 16 years now, are we allowed?
We are also positive that they must be sharing in some secret sin, like enjoying oral pleasure off each other. (gross!!) But we have no proof. We would like to ask (interrogate) a lot of questions, in order that Jehovah's clean organization can be freed of the filth that is their stenchy old publisher record cards that are always in the back of the file, making our statistics look bad for every CO's visit.
Please be assured that even if Jehovah were to change his name to Drago, we would always follow the Governing Body to the ends of the earth, or failing that, rural New York State.
Your brothers
The Service Committee That Kisses Butt Best
Shamus
The Service Committee would write a letter only if they found a serious sin committed "some time back" (probably several years) and were unsure if to prosecute it or to just consider it handled. This stems from the very odd caveat that if a publisher committed a potentially disfellowshipping offense years ago, then they might not have to handle it judicially, unless it bothers their conscience.
Which is why the GB likes to make everyone deal with an inordinate amount of guilt.
As far as I can tell, nothing has changed. Probably they want to stress the need to write the Service Dept if questions come up, thats all....
Generally speaking, though, many who are inactive have not abandoned the truth. Neither have they engaged in seri-
ous wrongdoing. They have simply stopped preaching because of discouragement, personal problems, materialism, or other anxieties of life.
I hate that expression "the truth". God do I hate that.
The other anxieties of life for me was the realization that I grew up in a cult.
The November 15, 2008, Watchtower, pages 14 and 15, paragraphs 12 and 13, states:
“Some individuals stop preaching and attending meetings because they have committed a serious
sin. They may feel that if they confess their wrongdoing to the elders, they will be disfellow-
shipped. But they will not be expelled from the congregation if they have discontinued the un-
scriptural practice and are genuinely repentant. (2 Cor. 7:10, 11)
Here's a better idea.....why don't they send the elders to these inactive ones to confess the sins of the WTS!
Sounds similar to what I remember. A special effort right before Memorial to get people to come back. The special attention along with the emotion of the Memorial might do the trick for some. Elders usually just made a judgement call on who might be receptive.
Think About It
This is nothing new. Elders have been "encouraged" to visit inactive jws before the memorial for years. As to not being df'd, it only means that they would be "privately" reproved (having done something they could be df'd for but are "properly" repentant.
*** km 3/07 p. 1 par. 4 "Keep Doing This in Remembrance of Me" ***Elders will want to visit inactive Christians who attended the Memorial and to build on the thoughts presented in the discourse. This may encourage them to resume their activity in the congregation.
Blondie
The COBOE (formerly the PO) has the discretion, if 2 elders he assigns discover wrongdoing on the part of a long time inactive publisher, to determine whether or not it needs to be handled judicially. Ditto for an active publisher who sinned a long time ago. The CO will discuss these cases with the PO, but usually, the CO won't get too involved unless something crazy went wrong....
Obviously, the long time inactive person would probably be more scrutinized, but I know of cases where nothing was done because of the length of time that had lapsed since the "sin".
I got a call from my group overseer today. He asked for our reports, gave us our March OKM and showed some interest in how we were keeping? I updated him on a few things and told him we have been going to another hall and probably would be going to another memorial. He then gave me a short run down about the pre CO visit elders meeting, including who has and hasn't been put forward for appointment!!!! It was as if I was still in the loop just taking a sabitical or something. When neither of us turn up for any of the CO's meetings and arrangements someone may notice that Brother Cantleave and Sister Nugget are fading.
So ATJ, the person doesn't have to express any repentance and determination not to do it again to 2 elders? And if so no private reproof is given with those 2 elders involved? The person is just sent off and told to "sin no more."
Sounds like a gnat situation, semantics. Still the judgment of that individual is in the hands of 3 individuals on the elder body (2 if the COBOE and one other elder).
Blondie
I will get my ks91 (elders) book out and type this out so there is no confusion.
Wait, I just said no confusion and JW's in the same sentence. Sorry... lol.. Give me a minute...
