Got chatting to an old JW friend last night that I haven't spoken to for years & caught up with a lot of old gossip. He is still active - high-up - knows the fault lines in the JW system but stays because he "doesn't know where else to go" & it works ok for him & his family. Whatever floats his boat... Anyway........he told me a piece of news that totally floored me...
A JW in London has run off with another sister & been DFd. Yes - I know - nothing new there. But this man & his wife when I knew them 30 years ago were the archetypal genuine pioneer couple. In fact , they spent ages in the ministry and helped all the young ones , including me. If it hadn't been for them , I would probably have drifted out in my late teens , like so many other young ones. And they were the original "joined at the hip" couple who were devoted to each other - almost like childhood sweethearts. They sold everything up , moved to a remote part of the UK , helped form a congregation.
And it wasn't as if he was a young horny guy looking for a bit on the side. The guy is now is his mid 60's - he'd need industrial strength viagra. In fact , the JW told me that this brother didn't really "run away" with another woman - he kind of hobbled after her.
His wife is devasted. And I'm really puzzled. Hey - I know all marriages go through ups and downs. But what exactly was the point of all those years of ministry? Where was the "putting on of the new personality" - the keeping of the marriage vows - the moral standards of JWs that the WTBTS keep on telling us that are so superior to "the world"? The brother would spend over 100 hours a month - it was his personal unofficial target.
The brother also told me about another couple who have split up after 25 years of marriage - 2 grown up kids - both JW.
Is it because the WTBTS emphasises & promotes "the ministry" (ie distributing their publications & recruiting new publishers) above all else? Is it an overall decline in morals that is impacting on JWs?
Anyway - sorry to vent. Just bemused - that's all....