If any of you were elders how is the transfer from a congregation handled? How do elders know where to send the proclaimer's file and letter of recommendation? Does it go through the local branch if in the same country? How about international transfers (from a congregation in a country to one in another country)? Can the process be hijacked?
How is the transfer from a congregation handled by the elders?
by trevorbv 13 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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yknot
(( Hardcopy link of BOE LTR PDF : http://www.sendspace.com/file/1gncdo ))...
TO ALL BODIES OF ELDERS
Re: Letters of introduction
Dear Brothers:
Much fine direction on the subject of letters of introduction has been included in the Shepherding textbook. For example, paragraphs 30 and 31 of chapter 3 deal with letters of introduction when elders and ministerial servants move. Paragraph 22 of chapter 7 deals with letters of introduction when a publisher with judicial restrictions moves. Paragraph 2 of chapter 10 deals with what should be sent when a disfellowshipped or disassociated person moves. And paragraphs 20 and 21 of chapter 12 provide updated direction on leuers of introduction when a known child molester or an accused child molester moves. Thus, the July 1, 2006, letter to all bodies of elders regarding letters of introduction should be removed from the congregation permancnt file of policy letters and be destroyed. However, please note the following additional points that are not included in the Shepherding textbook.
Format: A letter of introduction should always contain the following information: (I) the date of the letter, (2) the previous congregation's full name and complete mailing address, (3) the new congregation's full name and complete mailing address, and (4) signatures of the Congregation
Service Committee, with their names typed or printed underneath their signatures. (be pp. 71-73) Some also find it helpful to use a regarding line (as shown above) so that the recipient may easily identify the purpose of the letter.Congregation publisber: When a publisher (active or inactive) moves to another congregation, a letter of introduction and the Congregation 's Publisher Record (S-21) cards should be promptly sent to the congregation where the publisher moved. (The last record card of an inactive
publisher should be retained indefinitely by the congregation where the publisher moved.) If the previous service committee knows where the publisher moved, they may take the initiative and send these items without waiting for a formal request from the new congregation. What information should be conveyed in the letter of introduction? Ask yourself: What information would we want to receive if this person were moving into our congregation? (Matt. 7: 12) Clearly state the publisher's full name, the names of any immediate family members. and any privileges
the publisher or his family members have enjoyed, such as assignments on the Theocratic Ministry School, working with the Regional Building Committee, auxiliary pioneer service, and so forth. These elements should be included in all letters of introduction. If the person was reproved
in the distant past but is not presently under restrictions, there may be no need to mention past judicial action unless the offense involved child molestation, adulterous marriage, or some other notorious wrongdoing.Regular pioneer: In addition to the information previously described for a congregation publisher, the letter of introduction for a regular pioneer should clearly state whether the pioneer is recommended to continue serving as such.- See Index to Letters- For Bodies of Elders (S-22) for
current direction on how to inform the branch office of the reappointment of a regular pioneer.________________________________________
Re: Letters of introduction
November 17, 2010
Page 2Each elder should make the following notation next to the penultimate bullet in paragraph 16 of chapter 2 in the Shepherding textbook: "See letter dated November 17, 2010, regarding letters of introduction."
Carefully following these guidelines will help you to protect the flock and to render needed spiritual assistance to Jehovah's precious sheep, We pray that Jehovah will continue to "give you peace constantly in every way" as you faithfully serve him in these last days. -2 Thess. 3:16.
Your brothers,
Christian Congregation
of Jehovah's Witnessescc: Traveling overseers
PS to Secretary
This letter should be retained in the congregation permanent file of policy letters, You may wish to update the congregation copy of Index to Letter- For Bodies of Elders at this time as well.
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If you are curious about what the procedure was in July 2006 see 2nd to last post on this thread: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/204902/2/BOE-LTR-PDF-Nov-17-Notation-made-to-ks10
Huggles!
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AudeSapere
Can the process be hijacked?
Are you trying to see if you can 'intercept' the process and take possession of your records and publisher record card?
If so, someone here may be able to help you.
-Aude.
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factfinder
The elders do not let you have your publisher's record card. When I switched congs I had to ask the secretary of the new cong to contact the secretary of my old one and request my publisher's record card be sent to them. Until they recieved it I could only go to meetings, could give no talks, no fs. It took several weeks.
A df'd person does not have his card and can't have it transfered without the new cong elders knowing he was dif'd because it is marked on his card. Also the boe sends an "introductory" letter about you to the new cong. And the cong. no longer has a df'd persons card as the C.O. sends it to the branch office.
yknot- thanks for posting that letter!
TreverB- there is no way you can get your publisher's record card. The process cannot be "hijacked". A brother from my old cong went to Belize hoping he could be made an elder there. Did not work. He had been df'd years past and was reinstated and it was noted on his card and in the letter from the boe. So he was not made an elder in Belize. ( He was on the RBC). He came back to the USA.
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joeblow
Interesting that they felt it necessary to note explicitly that there is "...no need to mention past judicial action unless the offense involved child molestation...".
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Black Sheep
Open a PO Box in a town that you think your BOE doesn't know anybody in.
Write a request from a fictitious Elder, giving the PO Box # as the address.
Pick up your card and close the PO Box acct.
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MrMonroe
Interesting suggestion, Black Sheep, but they're a suspicious lot and I don't think they'd simply forward a publisher's records to no one they knew.
When my wife and I moved to a congregation in Australia from another overseas, the congregation secretary here made a rather enigmatic statement to my wife about the contents of her publisher card, suggesting rather jokingly that they'd been warned to watch out for her. It has always intrigued us about what that letter of introduction said. My wife, like me, was always rather "independent" and spoke up when we saw the crap going on in in the congregation, but I just don't know whether the elders in that congregation would have gone to the trouble to indicate that my wife should be watched!
It's a funny thing that by paying a nominal fee you can get to read a printout of your credit rating, and in some countries also see the contents of your police files. The WTS amasses information but carefully keeps it.
Years ago, for some reason, our book study conductor passed around our publisher cards containing our records of field service for the previous year or two. (I think the reason wa to shame us into doing more field service). I was quite surprised to see hours inserted when I'd failed to put in a monthly report -- the congregation secretary was evidently eager to ensure I had runs on the board to maintain my status as an MS, even though some of them were fiction. The month after I got married, my BS conductor told me he'd put i a report for me while I was on my honeymoon to make sure my prospects of becoming an MS weren't hindered.
It sure would be interesting reading those cards.
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factfinder
@Black Sheep- that won't work. The cong secretary contacts the boe in your old cong to get your records. Each cong has contact info for the PO in each hall. The elders verify with the secretary and PO of the two congs before sending the card and letter to the new cong . They will not send it to a PO box.
You cannot get your card- there is no way around it. That was a thing I always liked when I was a JW. A dfd person can't pretend to be a publisher no matter where he goes!
@Mr.Monroe- yes, that is true- you do not get to see what they write about you in their letter of introduction. If the elders do not like you they can give a slanted introduction about you to the elders in your new cong. Not a good start to begin again in a new cong.
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sir82
The cong secretary contacts the boe in your old cong to get your records. Each cong has contact info for the PO in each hall. The elders verify with the secretary and PO of the two congs before sending the card and letter to the new cong . They will not send it to a PO box.
Maybe that's how it's supposed to work....
Take it from someone with lots of experience as a secretary, he's how it really works:
Secretary from move-out congregation receives a call from someone else. Caller says "I am the secretary from XYZ congregation, Brother Fader has moved into our congregation, can you send us a letter & his cards? Here is my address..."
And the secretary who receives the call says "OK" and sends off the letter & cards.
-- At best, a secretary might - might - have the names & addresses of the other congregations in his circuit. I.e., out of the 15,000 or so congregations in the US, he knows the names of maybe about 20 other secretaries.
-- If he were really diligent, he could call the branch to find out if the secretary of "XYZ congregation" really is "Brother X" who just called. The truth is, secretaries are overwhelmed with work and desperately want to take the path of least resistance. For well over 99.99% of secretaries, if "Brother X" says he is "secretary in the "XYZ congregation", well that's good enough.
-- Sending a letter & a card to PO box would be perfectly fine. No one would question it.
-- It would be extraordinarily easy to "intercept" your own cards, if you had a willing accomplice who was willing to be dishonest & pose as a secretary, & could speak enough "theocratic jargon" to pass muster. Especially if that accomplice lived far away, preferably in another state. Quite frankly, I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often.