How many of your elders & servants are "Preachers Who Are Not Believers?"

by Franklin Massey 30 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  sabastious

  About that older lady, she reminds me of my grandmother. She is 75 years old and has ailing health... field service is so important to her as it is to many older people in my family.

  But as you trickle down the generations you see, at least in my family, apathy growing like a mold. The younger ones go out in service almost with a slient protest, because they know they can't change the national average even though, deep down, they really wish it wasn't so high.

  Ironically as well as tragically this could be the result of fudging ones hours. If everyone makes up a number, that number will likely be the amount they aren't willing to participate with, like just going past a ceiling figure. So when a Witness considers the national average in comparrison to what they feel is reasonable for their circumstance they don't match up... which induces guilt.

  Of course the Watchtower, at least when I was there, was always filled with reasonable sentiment regarding doing "what you can" in relation to your circumstance. It's a nice concept and sounds great when uttered, but it doesn't quell the guilt already deep within the members for not being able to meet the "National Average."

  So what happens is they make the National Average a "goal." But this goal is very hard to meet since you would need to buy out time from necessities, at times, to meet it. Sure you might be able to take some vacation time from work, but that's not a perminant solution... so the goal is never met and goals that are never met also induce guilt.

  -Sab
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  sabastious

  Also in regards to the National Average:

  The Society has ooshy wooshy articles about "doing what you can" as I already stated. It's interesting to note that the National Average is used as a resume type figure. One cannot progress past a "Baptised Publisher" (which is a lower title) if you do not consistantly meet the "curve."

  What if one greatly wishes to take on the responsibility of teaching the flock and cannot alter his circumstances. Then he is denied that desire because of a number... which induces guilt and sometimes rage.

  -Sab
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  jay88

  Sab- I always wondered, in any shape, form, or fashion if 'time' is Christ-like?
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  sabastious

  Sab- I always wondered, in any shape, form, or fashion if 'time' is Christ-like?

  Well from the top level Witness perspective time is very important, as it is the quantifier of progress. Not the ultimate quantifier that would go to Baptisms.

  But time leads to baptism. It's taking much more time these days to lead to a baptism but it still happens a fair amount.

  Put yourself in the shoes of a top-level Watchtower decision-maker. You have a non-profit organization that's sole purpose is to grow. When people join the group it is because they followed the path that is meticulously laid out before them (Study book, have epiphany, get baptised etc etc). Remember, you have very cheap labor and droves of willing worker drones at your disposal. Since it doesn't cost you anything to further your mission time is always a good thing and you'll take as much as you can get. Time will give you results in any endeavor you have set up.

  That's how the Watchtower execs think, in my opinion. Christ was nothing like this according to the Bible. Read his sermon on the mount and you will see that his mindset is as far away from Hierarchy thinking as you can get.

  Why?

  Because he was the leader of a movement that's designation was to overthrow it's oppressors by non-lethal means. Jesus knew that if he could bring out the love of his fellow man it could destroy the evil within the Roman and Jewish corrupt ways of doing things.

  Problem is, most people who assume power and influence have a different agenda. Jesus wasn't concerned with growth, he was concerned with people and their quality of life.

  -Sab
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  jay88

  Problem is, most people who assume power and influence have a different agenda. Jesus wasn't concerned with growth, he was concerned with people and their quality of life.

  >>>>>>>>>

  I concur, I wish MLE, and the like will find some solace for themselves.

  thnks Sab!
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  sabastious

  I concur, I wish MLE, and the like will find some solace for themselves.

  I think they do find solace by staying in. I think they love their flock because they are being Christ-like. Christ was about serving people because he had something to give that he felt people wanted or even needed.

  I think MLE, and the like, help ease the pain of people who are trapped within the sometimes dreadful existence of the Witness Drudge, I bet they jump at many opportunities that can bring something refreshing to the lives of a Witness Drone. They are working real life examples of normal everyday people with intense compassion for their fellow man.

  These elders of the conscious class are poster-children for what it is to truly give of ones self. What other motivation, besides helping their flocks in ways they actually feel is doing something, could there be for staying in that position?

  -Sab
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  JW GoneBad

  How many of your elders & servants are "Preachers Who Are Not Believers?"

  I was in my last congregation for 14 years and know the profile of the entire servant body pretty well. I would be generous if I said 50% of the Elders & M Ss put in productive hours in the ministry (myself included). Its' the same in the congregation I'm presently in. I give more credit to the wives.

  As an example: How worthwhile is your ministry when 6 adults pile into a car. After 1, maybe 1 1/2 hours of doing return visits the entire car group calls on maybe 4 doors and you wind up only talking to 1 homeowner who you know reluctantly takes the magazines. Then it is time for a coffee break! Each publisher will wind up giving himself 2 hours (I know cause I do). This was my day out in field service just this past weekend.

  Do the math: 6 publishers X 2 hours = 12 hours of unproductive hours. That scenario is not an exaggeration. It is played out weekend after weekend nationwide, worldwide among millions of JWs.

  The WTBTSs' year end statistics of productive field service activity turns out in print being way over-stated........ It is a Joke!

  The Mormons blow us out of the water when it comes to the preaching acitivity! They come to my door (it seems) at least once a month. Obviously I don't make myself available. And when they don't find me home they try relentlessly until they do. Now thats' making a return visit! That is par I would say for most Mormon preachers. They could teach us a thing or two about preaching!

  I would say that Jesus Christ is non too happy about our 'following in his footsteps' as Kingdom proclaimers.

  So Franklin Massey (respectfully speaking) that is my answer to your question!

  Excellent Topic & welcome!
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  JW GoneBad

  Sorry, I meant to say:

  'I would be generous if I said of all the Elders & M Ss' field service activity, 50% was productive (I was enjoying a good glass of wine at the time of this post).
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  Broken Promises

  What if one greatly wishes to take on the responsibility of teaching the flock and cannot alter his circumstances. Then he is denied that desire because of a number... which induces guilt and sometimes rage

  Thankfully this only applies to 40% of JWs.
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  Franklin Massey

  Good theories/observations on field service. The realities are very telling. There are several publishers in our hall that the pioneers love to work with because if they offer to drive the group in the ministry, it's going to be "an easy day." Long breaks, scenic routes from call-to-call, working the furthest corners of the territory, listening to music, etc. I'm not opposed to that. In fact, I like being in an "easy" group too. But it pains me to think that all those hours spent avoiding actual door-to-door preaching show up on the annual reports as hours spent in door-to-door preaching.

  How about teaching parts during the meetings? If you give parts, how do you make it work for you? If you are an observer, have you noticed brothers who work hard to play down certain topics that they may not be comfortable speaking on?