Field Service Reports Count More than Showing Love - Ray Franz CF Book

by flipper 56 Replies latest jw friends

  • Bonnie_Clyde
    Bonnie_Clyde

    About twelve years ago I was visited by two elders who were concerned about my not turning in field service time. I explained I was spending countless hours helping my father take care of my mother besides working full time. Their reply, "Well that's all well and good, but we have to go out to look for people who have no hope." To this day I regret not saying, "My mother (and my father) keep HOPING that somebody will come by to visit them." The witnesses would go down my parents' street, but skip their house because they couldn't count their time.

    Another time my father was at a book study, and the conductor was making field service arrangements. My father commented that if he count his time taking care of my mother he could be a special pioneer. I asked my father if anybody offered to come stay with my mother so he could go out in service, and he said "no." That's when I realized what the WT was all about--just numbers.

  • wasblind
    wasblind

    Exactly cedars, and Bonnie_clyde

    The WTS make it's members work for the gift that was given freely

    ginuine faith will have works to go with it, but out of love, not out of a

    required number of hours

  • elderelite
    elderelite

    All to true... I remember this made the biggest imPact on me when i read the book... And like cedars even when i was a true believer i never thought reporting time was a good idea for the basic reasons that klien laid out. Its contrary.... And i recently had a fight where we wanted to appoint a good man.... Time was a little low (8-9 hours) so uber service overseer shoot him down. Its insanity. I hate it. It reminds me why i need to leave asap

  • wasblind
    wasblind

    Hello EL

    I agree, you need to leave, but until you can, your sacrifice is

    a great service, those still in continue to keep us on board

    in the know

  • Acluetofindtheuser
    Acluetofindtheuser

    It's fine with me. The lower the service time the less you have to speak from the platform. Besides, I get stage fright. It's hard for me to put together a talk. I've never been good at organizing my thoughts to make a good presentation. Everyone always does better than me. I just assume they give the talks because its more beneficial to the audience. The ones that are good at it should be doing the talks and the ones that aren't shouldn't.

    We all have gifts in different areas. My true spiritual self comes out when someone who knows me hears me explain my faith and my God. When I'm at the door with a stranger we are both uncomfortable with the situation and a deep conversation cannot take place. I have softened more peoples hearts at work about the witnesses than anything I have done in the ministry. One guy at work won't slam the door on witnesses anymore because I am one. We're not all that bad. As you can tell with my sentence structure I was never meant to speak publicly from the platform.

    My publisher card may have low numbers but I know God is still leading and showing me what I need to know.

  • flipper
    flipper

    Wanted to bump this thread up. Didn't realize some had responded to it a few months ago ! Thanks for your input.

    BONNIE_CLYDE- Good point. The WT society is just about numbers and statistics, not showing love or compassion at all. The example you describe is a perfect display of how calloused elders are trained to be towards JWs. I'm sorry you and your parents were treated this way. Disgusting.

    WASBLIND- To the WT society it's all about works and statistics, not about love at all.

    ELDERELITE- I'm glad that Rays book had an impact on you. It did me as well. It's so abhorrent that the WT society would judge someone as " spiritual " due to field service time put in - but NOT on how loving or kind a person is. Sick.

    ACLUETOFINDTHEUSER- So since you don't like giving talks and not much into the service, may I ask : Are you content going to meetings with an organization that minimizes showing love to it's members ? Just curious

  • DATA-DOG
    DATA-DOG

    Hi everyone,

    I can say from first-hand experience that the Elders only care about hours as opposed to showing love. A couple months ago I was under investigation because of questioning the Organizations procedures regarding appoinments. I was told in no uncertain terms that it does not matter what you do in private, it does not matter if you help your neighbors, or even the elderly in your congregation. All that matters is what you are seen doing by the congregation. In other words are you visible in service.? Yes, all must view your righteousness. The view was expressed that if you expect to be recommended for appointment, you must be leading the friends, they (rank-and-file ) cant be leading you. So these humble stars in Jesus right hand feel as though they are the leaders, not shepherds, of the flock. The cold calculating manner in which the investigation took place literally shocked me. I will never forget seeing the true nature of these men revealed. They don't give a damn about you, because that is how they have been groomed for years. All normal human emotion shut down the moment they said " amen " to start their inquisition. They are exactly like their Masters, the GB. Pharasaic, legalistic blind hypocrites leading the blind, straining out the gnat, and gulping down the camel. Love, justice and mercy are only catch-phrases to most of them. Even if there are a few good Elders out there, they are still deceived themselves. Plus what can 1 or 2 fair- minded, loving and balanced Elders do against such overwhelming odd? If Ray Franz couldn't changes things than who can? I will never forget the lesson I learned that day. You simply cannot trust an indoctrinated JW, not even those who claim to be your friend. They are not your friends, they are company men. I will never confide in one of them, or trust them, it is simply too dangerous. They will betray you to their true masters the GB.

  • konceptual99
    konceptual99

    @flipper & @elderlite...

    The emphasis on pure hours as part of an appointment has rubbed me up the wrong way for a long time now. Funnily enough my wife, a friend and I were talking about a mutual friend who, as a result of working on a couple of builds recently, has decieded to become "more spiritual". What this translates into is going out on FS for two hours instead of one.

    I don't recall one Bible passage that defines the measure of your sprituality as how much door knocking you do.

    Fair enough you have "faith without works...", "out of the abundance of the heart...", "cheerful giver..." etc. but that's all just fluff.

  • NewYork44M
    NewYork44M

    One can make an argument that reporting the number of placements is important. This is a important information for budgeting purposes.

    However, the requirement of reporting time is only serves to provide a point of coercion. It creates an opportunity for elders to exert coercive power over the flock.

  • MC RubberMallet
    MC RubberMallet

    How much time did Jesus spend in the ministry? How much time did Noah spend warning people? If numbers were SO important, why did God not carefully record those in His Word?

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