Soon new light will be brought forth to the masses: Not going out in FS or regularly attending meetings (aka inactive) is a disfellowshipping offense.
Latest Special Talk in Australia
by jwfacts 56 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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jgnat
The importance of field service was mentioned at our recent circuit assembly here in Canada. Something about the door to door service being the mark of a Jehovah's Witness. Or my interpretation, from a marketing perspective, they can't give it up because door to door work represents the brand.
Besides an admonition to squeak in a few more hours to cover the territory, there was encouragement to the Canadian men to ditch their ski jackets in favor of a suit-coat. After all, it's all about branding.
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blondie
But Jesus said showing love was the mark of a true Christian. Can you find any scripture in the NT that said that Jesus followers would be known as Jehovah's Witnesses; actually, all references are to being witnesses of Jesus.
1 Corinthians 13
1 If I speak in the tongues [a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, [b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
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isaacaustin
This is not really anything new...it was always an attitude that if one does not go out they are a Witness in name only. I doubt they will df one for inactivity...just more guilt-tripping.
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james_woods
Just as a passing thought - could it be that a certain Zone Overseer sort of got caught up in his own B.S. and did this without real Society authorization?
Maybe he thought it would propel him to greater glory - perhaps even a seat on the governing body?
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yknot
for the moment I am going with over-zealous speech to guilt and prod.....
I appreciate the highlights though....... (praying for an audio)
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poopsiecakes
Well, it kinda makes sense - they pull their numbers from publisher report slips, not baptisms. So when they say they have over 7 million JW's worldwide it's publishers, average numbers and peak numbers. I sorta made this argument in my JC - that since I hadn't attended meetings or turned in a report in over a year and a half, how can I even be considered a witness? Yeah...they df'd me anyway but they did exchange a few looks among themselves wondering how to answer that one.
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miseryloveselders
My Circuit Assembly was fairly recent, and as always there were talks focusing on the importance of the ministry. Nothing new there, but there was definately more urgency within the tone and material of the talks. I'm wondering if this same Special Talk was delivered at the Circuit Assembly and not mentioned as a special talk, because there's nothing on the agenda in the way of special talks anytime soon at my congregation. At the assembly, everything is special per say.
I have the notes I took during the assembly with me right now. I started to do a thread on this and the circuit assembly in general, but figured this fits in harmony with the subject of this thread. The syposium had a section regarding Babylon the Great, and the speaker went out of his way to contrast the difference between the WT and Christendom. He specifically stated that we should not let the unpopularity of the ministry deter us, and referenced 1 Tim 4:8. He also stated Babylon the Great has an improper view of the preaching work, stating that they view the door to door work as primitive in consideration of technology and media. The ironic thing about it was, either he, or the outline, or maybe both made the case that the door to door work is primitive. I say that because after dissing Christendom, he goes on to say that the door to door work is "our trademark." He acknowledged the extreme apathy, and even hostility JWs face in the ministry. However the fact that its "our trademark", is sufficient reason enough to go door to door.
Another talk that was delivered, used the "tomb of the unknown solder" as an illustration of our duty to be in field service. The speaker stated that "orders remain unchanged" regarding soldiers guarding the tomb. The speaker then stated that our orders from Jesus remain unchanged, referencing Matt 28:19, 10 and Acts 5:42. Worth mentioning, that text in Acts mentions preaching in the temple, which the speaker didn't mention. He only focused on the house to house portion of that verse.
One last thing, that shows their emphasis on the ministry, was a demo contrasting two families on any given evening. The first family was the wayward family, ya know, the bad example. The mother was attending night school for a degree, and afterwards going out for drinks with her girlfriends. The son was going over a friend's home to play the latest vampire video game. The daughter was going to a midnight shopping spree. I can't recall what the dad settled on doing for the evening. The speaker did the routine, "this family is a poor example" routine. Then they introduced another family getting prepared for the ministry on a Friday night. The kids were excited and couldn't wait to go in field service. The kids also were excited that on Sunday, they would be hosting a prominent brother and his wife for hospitality, and couldn't wait to hear the stories this pioneer couple would share with them from preaching in foreign lands. It was so unrealistic that I found it humorous.
Like I said, I don't know if the special talk delivered in the land down under, was done at all during the circuit assembly. I do know that during the assembly the emphasis being placed on field service, particulary door to door, was at steroid levels of guilt tripping.
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sir82
Literally, ever since this board has existed, 9+ years, people have been speculating that "not going out in field service" will become a disfellowshipping / disassociating event.
It has never happened.
The elders just got a brand spankin' new manual, and nothing like that is even hinted at.
Take a deep breath - it ain't gonna happen any time soon, if at all.
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isaacaustin
Thank you Sir82.