Field Service time wasters (page 2)

This is what I found most difficult while pioneering: no one in the congregation wanted to do the ministry, but nonetheless, the elders would think they were such examples to be looked up to, driving their fancy cars.

We'd do hours of street-witnessing, where we just walked around and didn't speak to anyone, took a detour through McDonalds, etc.. This was the life-saving work, the only true career, and people would moan that the field service meeting should be at 10 not 9.15, so it was moved. I was not appreciated for saying to the elders that in the workplace one has to arrive and be setup before 9, so perhaps we could do the group at 8.45. I was told that sisters had to get their kids to school first, which was odd because no sisters with kids came out on service in the week anyway, and they still managed to get to their jobs in shops, and offices. This was such vital work, worth giving up a good career for, but we were all faking it, moaning we had no studies, while we didn't follow the Kingdom Ministry or Reasoning book guidelines. Weird!!

It annoyed me about as much as the dress code. If we have to dress up, ok, we represent God, so sure, I can go along with that, but the dress code didn't make sense. Blatantly, it's the 1950s conservation movement. It's the styles of clothing just after World War II before the world did have a moral decline, but it has had a few allowances, such as sisters wearing t-shirts on service. This was weird, because I would have to have a well-pressed shirt, with nice clean necktie, like a good 1950s boy, but the sisters could wear a beach t-shirt, sometimes even with a picture on it. Also, I do actually like girls wearing skirts, but no one can say that is modern business dress, or that a beard, even highlights for men's hair, are gay, as we were told.

ekruks

Oh, I officially still a pioneer, even though I've done no ministry for about a year and missed lots of meetings - bit awkward to remove me, because pioneering made me have a breakdown.

Still waiting for Watchtowers intelligence agents, sorry, elders, to give me a sheperding visit but have yet to have had one in my life

FatFreek 2005

Tired of the Hypocrisy

I don't believe that in my time going to the hall that I ever saw a pioneer bring in anything but a study or two to the hall. Never seen one of them make it through to baptism. My father in law who served as an elder for many years from the late 60's thru the 70's and never more than aux pioneered sporadically brought in nearly 20 to the congregation. His wife studied with their wives so she brought in about the same number and never pioneered at all. His second wife has been pioneering for over 15 years has yet to bring in ONE person.

Back in Albuquerque a pioneer in the Spanish congregation used to be at all the meetings and was always in service. Several times she would say she had to run to a study or a rv and left the group. We would invariably see her DRIVING. She also to my knowledge never brought a single person passed the "Study" stage of the game. No doubt she and my wife's step mom have done humanity a greater service by either setting a bad example and losing the stdy's interest or by driving past doors and never stoppong in the first place.

ekruks

These cartoons are fantastic !!

was the only pioneer, and was going stir-crazy doing so many hours alone, or going to the field service meeting and oh, it's the same single sister out again (about my age) who had permanent bad mood she took out on me (now it's found out she was ill) and no one else..... I remember that after I went around got some to pioneer and some pioneers to move into our cong... well, got the pioneers up to about 20, to the lazy service overseer's annoyance (!?)

....but the weird thing was that I would go out, and seriously could knock a few doors and get studies (not that any got baptised), but these guys would go out for the month and between them get nothing, even loose studies I gave them - but then they honestly didn't seem to cover any territory either! One map would last them months, they didn't place anything, didn't have many calls, no studies... so I really wondered if they were faking the hours. I took a sister back to hand over a study with a woman, and this sister at the end of each paragraph, would ask the person if she had seen yet that Jehovah's Witnesses had the truth - well, the lady asked us to leave. I got two guys to the stage of unbaptised publisher, but they left because the elders were giving them to many humility lectures - this really put me off; elders were hindering my ministry. One of these guys was in the audience at a meeting, and an elder told him off for no reason, then the next meeting, it started late, because the elders was taking his temper out on me, in front of everyone... well, the unbaptised publisher never came back again; refused to speak to JWs again!

ekruks

Most Witnesses have no passion for the ministry.

Why?

Do you think....

They lack love of Christ, or God?
They are nervous to preach... but would do such things for work/money?
They don't really believe it is the truth, but are there to please parents/partner?

Free!!

I remember we used to do the same thing.. specially ME i hated it going out in service, so i would always offer to drive and do it slowly..... i mean most JWs go out on service cuz they feel lonely and they can spend time w friends and pretend they are in good standing!

ekruks

Yes, I seriously think some 'housewives' go out on the service because they want something to do with their time. Kids are in school, done the house work, no job... hmmm how about hang out with some other sisters. Why don't they go for a walk in the forest? or to the shops? or just get some hobby together? I think it's because they are pressured to do ministry, so they go with the others.... peer pressure.... and passive dissidence makes one accept it, because they enjoy the association; lonely at home. It really struck how much less contact I had with people when I stopped doing the pioneer hours.

dozy

For the bored housewives , elderly ones who "don't get out much , these days" & unemployable teenagers who make up most of the midweek groups , it is basically a social thing. Saturday morning is basically a "show your face exercise" , offer a few mags then home for lunch. The only real ministry is done by a few diligent pioneers (invariably sisters) who take the whole thing very seriously.

Mind you , some of the COs are the worse. When I was an elder , a CO made an arrangement to work with me on Thursday morning , which I had especially taken off work. After a very gung-ho "this is a life saving work , brothers" service talk , he then told the brother assigning the territory that he wouldn't be needing any , as we had some shepherding work to do. He said to me "I've a few errands to do this morning" so we then went to the car wash to clean the COs circuit car , popped into the bank , went to the supermarket , dropped off his suit for dry cleaning. I did a quick magazine route call (not at home) and then we went back to my house & had a coffee (he wasn't bothered about going to the congregation snack that had been organised for 11.15) , exchanging the latest gossip about the congregation & slagging off the other elders in the cong & in the circuit. He then drove to his lunch location. We didn't speak to a single person. (I still booked 2 1/2 hours , though . )

Field Service time wasters

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