I guess the reason most elders serve in that role is because at some level, whatever the other motives, they believe their religion is the right one. This is quite a powerful drive.
The Decline of Elders and Ministerial Servants
by Londo111 61 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Londo111
BTTT...the signs of decay in the heart of the tree.
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tornapart
When I was a kid there was only ever 3 'elders', the Congregation overseer, the Assistant overseer and the bible study overseer. They only had bodies of elders from the 70's onwards. They could always go back to the old way.In my congregation there are 14 elders for about 100 pubs. So things aren't too bad here but my hubby told me the other day that in the UK there are only 3 substitute COs in the whole UK and the COs are all getting old...
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sir82
Well the upcoming elders' school, with its twin themes of "Here is a detailed & explicit list of what exactly to do to publishers who watch porn" and "here is a detailed & explicit list of exactly what to do to protect the Society from child abuse lawsuits" ought to do wonders for morale.
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Vidiot
Well said, sir82.
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perfect1
I am so curious about the porn meeting, what is there to say, really.
Are they going to discuss the differences between hardcore, softcore, and pony play
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Heaven
My Father was a Minsterial Servant. He's out. Dementia has a way of curtailing the 'privilege' (cough).
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Apognophos
To some degree, the HQ may be unaware of the seriousness of the issue because they don't have local shortages of MS and elder material. Having grown up next to Patterson in a congregation that was always well-staffed with Bethelite brothers, it's amazing to hear some of these stories about desperate appointments. We always had plenty of help for the basic stuff like mike-running, and the elders just kept on multiplying. Some were long-timers, some were appointed in their 30s.
I suspect now that the elders would have loved to make me an MS, as I was already doing the more menial MS tasks like handling sound and assisting with literature and contribution box collections (new elders who moved into the cong. always assumed I was an MS until told otherwise), but my service time was always bare-minimum, as they would point out in sheperding calls. I knew that if I got my hours up and was appointed, it would mean having to give some of the longer talks, which was an intimidating thought. It was hardly encouraging me to reach out.
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karter
They have lowered the bar for being appointed i see Elders who at best are not up to the job.
One had smoked far to much dope in his younger days and was a dreadfull specker and slow in speach used to dribble on.
One was appointed an Elder as he was ripping off alot of bro's ...he was an accoutant and was doing their books.
Ended up doing 2 years inside.
Many are just too old and not up to it but like the statis.
Karter.
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Vidiot
karter - "They have lowered the bar for being appointed i see Elders who at best are not up to the job."
About a year ago, I read an anecdote about a group of elders who were so shorthanded, they'd payed a "shepherding" call to a DFd former elder, "encouraging" him to pursue reinstatement with the danged carrot of eldership within a year or so.
From the WTS's point of view, that's not "at best, not up to the job"... that's pretty much scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Although when you think about it, it's pretty vanilla compared to the WTS determining for themselves whether or not a known sex offender is a "predator" whilst considering (or continuing) eldership appointment for said offender.