Short review: the elders "invited" me to a friendly chat with 3 elders. I told them since it's about my official status with JW's I request an official invitation in writing. They denied it, and went ahead and kept the JC without me, notifying me that I'm DF'd and if I want to appeal, send it in writing (btw: ). So I sent an appeal, saying this sort of notifying should be done in writing, just as the literature advises us that it's better to give things in writing than relying simply on an oral agreement (I also gave some scriptural examples). An other point I stressed in the letter was that in the Bible the judicial cases were open to anyone who wanted to participate (Deuteronomy 16:18,19), and the Greek Scriptures provides no ruling about this, so we have no basis to do otherwise.
So yesterday evening an elder (the obnoxious one from my cong) came to my home, told me on the intercom he's here to bring the answer to the appeal. I told him he can put it in the mailbox. He didn't. I got it today delivered personally. It was a very short unsigned letter (2 lines), containing the date (tomorrow evening) and a telephone number if the date is not ok (100% per the flock book's instruction).
So I called 2 hours ago, the elder on the other end was unknown to me. I told him the time is not good for me, because my lawyer is on holiday. I'm still smiling right now on the confusion this brought to the elder. He started telling me that this was only an invitation to me. I asked if he read my appeal, to which he said yes. I told him I stated there plainly the biblical basis of open trial, and I expect them to follow, and I want my lawyer present as an observer, to make sure things go according to local regulations. His best answer was that they have instructions from the Society to which they must abide. My answer was that my only allegience is to God and his Word, and anything else is second. So he told me he must consult with the others on the committee, and they will tell me their decision. He sounded utterly confused about the situation, I think the mentioning of an official lawyer made him a bit scared. In fact I have not talked with my lawyer about this, because I know the committee won't let him in (incidentally he is on a holiday, it was no lie).
Now this is but one more step in my ongoing tests. All the time I have tried to put the elders in a situation where they must choose between doing the society approved thing, or doing the most to "win me" for God. From reading the flock book I knew what they were supposed to do, and tried to set up things accordingly.
I often thought about the morality of these 'tricks'. I know these men are basically good people (well, most of them), and it's not their fault they behave like this, yet I put them to hard work and probably stress too. I still don't know if what I am doing is right or not. All I know is that these tests prove to me the JWs as a group don't care about persons, but much more about the group, and it eases my anxiety about leaving. I can't help but contrast their society-mandated actions to Jesus' parable about the lost sheep.