Disfellowshipping Rescinded!

by 00DAD 59 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  00DAD

  Has anyone been successful in getting their Disfellowshipping rescinded?

  I specifically do NOT mean getting reinstated. I want to know if anyone that was disfellowshipped was able to officially and through the congregation and/or the organization have their status as a "Disfellowshipped person" changed without getting "reinstated" through the normal procedures?

  If so, how?

  I'd even be interested to hear of anyone that tried unsuccessfully to do this. What did you try? How did you go about it? What was the response from the elders? The Society? If it didn't work, why not? What do you think you could have tried differently to be successful?

  Thanks,

  Daniel
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  wha happened?

  I knew of one where the brother was df'd for something he did, prior , to his baptism. The elders didn't like his attitude about it so he was df'd. He appealed it and it was rescinded. I believe the congregation was in Simi or Moorpark
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  Quarterback

  Not sure if you mean, Appealled, and the DF was null and void.

  If this is what you wanted, yes, I have seen a few of those.
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  lasch

  First post didn't take, let's try this again.

  When my youngest was DF'd several years ago, we tried the appeal route. When that didn't work, I set up a meeting with the circuit overseer. His response was that since the elders decisions are guided by holy spirit, any decision they make is not a "mistake". End of story.

  I was not an elder for many years, but I never knew personally of anyone, nor knew of someone who knew someone who had a disfellowshipping reversed through appeal or otherwise though I was told it was possible.
• 

  Quarterback

  Yes, there are some successful appeals, I have also served on an appeal committee.

  It depends on the brothers serving on the Appeal Committe though. Some will support the Elder body, before extending further mercy to the one on the hot seat. You could demand a non biased, totally new committee from the branch. These ones don't know the local Elders and have to look at the matter from a fresh perspective. However, this is not openly advertised.
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  hamsterbait

  There was a website that told the stories of different DF people.

  In one case, the DF was reversed, then upheld then reversed then upheld ( with instructions by bethel )

  It put a lot in the congo out of the Borg.

  HB
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  jookbeard

  won my appeal the following weekend after a previous 2 weekends of JC's and for a charge of apostasy as well, my testimony can be read on Barbara Anderson's blog, if anyone would like to put a link onto it.
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  00DAD

  Link me jookbeard!

  Appeals are interesting, but--at least according published guidelines for elders--have to be done within 7 days of the Judicial Committee's decision.

  I'm looking for something different: an actual rescission of a disfellowshipping that took place in the past longer than one could appeal: months, years ...

  Also, I'm assuming that the individual could prove that they were no longer doing whatever it was for which they were DF'd, but did not want to be reinstated.
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  00DAD

  hamsterbait: Do you have the link for that account?
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  dozy

  I knew a couple of DFings that were overturned on appeal , including a JC that I was involved in initially as an elder (I never was used for an appeal). Both cases were really messy & both sets of elders fell out over the decision. ( One involved a fornicating teenager who was bolshie & rude at the original JC , but was transformed into a humble repentant sobbing wreck at the appeal meeting , which apparently won over the second JC.)

  It is pretty rare though. In theory , the only grounds is that the decision is rescinded on the basis that the accused was repentant at the original JC meeting. How can anyone possibly make a judgement on that , if they weren't there? In practice , the usual elder politics & the arrogance of the (often more senior) elders who serve on the appeal committee come into play. Transcripts of a DFing & (unsuccessful) appeal process are given by the poster Hoboken on his blog http://deathorobedience.blogspot.com/

  Listening to it does illustrate the futility of the appeal process , particularly where an allegation of apostasy is concerned.