Have you written a letter to the GB?

trevorbv

Have you ever written a letter to the WTBTS asking questions?

Who did you address the letter to? Who reads them? Do they get to the GB members? What answer did you got?

Are they being sent back to the local elders, if you write “dangerous” stuff?

miseryloveselders

This is me writing to Samuel Herd........

Iamallcool

trevor, I do not think the GB read them at ALL because they do not have the time to read all of the mails from people all over the world. Do not waste your time writing them a letter.

sir82

Have you ever written a letter to the WTBTS asking questions?

Yes in my younger foolish days when I thought it would make a difference.

Who did you address the letter to?

Doesn't too much matter - see below.

Who reads them?

A mail room flunkie. If it smells like "apostasy" it will get passed to some low or medium level Service Department lackey for "appropriate" response.

Do they get to the GB members?

Bwa. Bwa ha. Bwa HA HA HA HA! Oh wait - was that a serious question? Sorry.

No, there are probably a half-dozen or so layers of "insulation" between you and one of the "spirit-directed ones". Anything remotely smelling of "apostasy" won't survive more than 2 of those layers.

What answer did you got?

If it's a tough question, they'll either completely ignore it....OR send you a letter telling you to "wait on Jehovah", while sending a copy of your letter and a strongly worded request to your local BOE (and maybe the CO) to "render spiritual aid" to you (translation: sniff out whether you are an apostate).

Are they being sent back to the local elders, if you write “dangerous” stuff?

Yes absolutely. Expect a visit within days.

miseryloveselders

Sir82, its sad when you really think about it right. Expecting a legitimate response from the GB via letter is like expecting a check in the mail after a Nigerian informs you over the phone that today is your lucky day.

leavingwt

For those who haven't been around the block in WT world, a word of caution. . .

UNLESS you're writing to tell them how great they are, your letter is a good way to get yourself disfellowshipped. They couldn't care less about you and your opinions/questions. While at Bethel, the leadership made it perfectly clear where we could stuff our opinions. I also recall the many, many times that "Anonymous" letters were spoken of with derision at the breakfast table. Never once did they address the merits of the anonymous letters, merely disdain and disgust at the senders -- because they couldn't punish and humiliate them.

miseryloveselders

LeavingWT, clarify this...."While at Bethel, the leadership made it perfectly clear where we could stuff our opinions." How did they do that?

leavingwt

LeavingWT, clarify this...."While at Bethel, the leadership made it perfectly clear where we could stuff our opinions." How did they do that?

It happened at all levels. (Hopefully some other Bethelites will also give examples.)

From my "Bindery Training", I recall this lecture in one of the training sessions. "Perform the work exactly as we tell you. EVEN IF you discover a better way to do the work, don't tell us about it."

At the upper levels, the BIG DEAL was for the older men to talk about the attitudes of Bethelites. If someone didn't have the exact same opinion as Bethel leadership, then that person had a bad attitude. At Bethel, if one was marked as having a "bad attitude", this was career suicide. Yet, this could happen for trivial reasons, or even perhaps when a brother had a legitimate concern that conflicted with Bethel orthodoxy.

There are settings in which such rigid leadership might be essential, such as in the military, during wartime. However, to a group of volunteers trying to print a few brochures it was completely over-the-top and unloving.

NOTE: Depending upon which department a Bethelite works in, his experience can vary greatly. The very best department work in, IMHO, based upon what I saw, would have been the Construction Department.

stuckinamovement

Thats why I wrote an open letter to the GB. http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/204249/1/An-Open-letter-to-the-Governing-Body-of-Jehovahs-Witnesses-Elders-Ex-Elders

I am sure that no one at Bethel read it. I think that it is easier to get a meeting with the President than one of the 7 Governing Body members.

If I had sent it with my name and Congregation in it I would have been disfellowshipped for expressing the questions within.

SIAM

wannabefree

I think that it is easier to get a meeting with the President than one of the 7 Governing Body members.

I have heard comments made by different ones over the years about how approachable God is compared to the President of the U.S.

At a meeting recently, the Elder handling the part used this illustration again ... you see the typical bobble heads going up and down ... after the meeting I was talking with a couple of different ones, I suggested .. "Isn't that really something when you think about it, we can talk to God and he listens and he is the Creator of all things ... try calling the White House and schedule a meeting with the President ... I wonder what would happen if you called The Society and asked to talk to the Governing Body?" (nod, nod, puzzled look, hmmm)

Have you written a letter to the GB?

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