I knew an Elder assigned by the C.O. to re-draw congregation borders. He placed pins on the map of all the people -especially other Elders he could not stand- and redrew boundries so he wouldn't be in their hall!!!! One boundry was a straight line on a major road....he had the line jog around a block a particular Elder lived on! LOL!!!
When you were a dub, did you ever avoid visiting or joining some certain congregations because you do not like some people there?
by Iamallcool 15 Replies latest jw friends
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Balaamsass
I must admit I did not always go where I was assigned. 3rd gen and I bought a home once on a gorgious lot in the country..on the spot. I assumed it was in the territory on the nearest hall. I was wrong. It was in the territory of an infamous hall where most of the elder body were related, and had a huge wife swapping scandal....in the SAME FAMILY (all related elders and servants). I passed on Kingdom melodies accompanied by banjos...and attending that hall.
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Black Sheep
My Dad arrived back in NZ after need-greating, to be viewed as a threat to our new congregation's hierarchy. It wasn't long before we sold up and moved to another area.
Now, he always factors in the reputation/evolution/genealogy of the local congregation when choosing where to buy. He won't live in my local congregation's area.
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Iamallcool
bttt, any more experiences?
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3rdgen
My first husband and I moved to a town that only had one Eng. congregation. It soon became appearent that we were NOT welcome and the Elders were particulary mean and self-rightous. We hated the atmosphere there but were stuck for three years until we were able to move out of the area. Even when I was still in I wouldn't visit that hall if I had a gun to my head!
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steve2
Actually, in my home congregation there were so many brothers and sisters that I loved and got along well with; however, what disturbed me was that so many in the congregation seemed to dislike one another and there was a marked divisive spirit in the congregation with one faction judging the other and vice versa. In looking back, my youthful vulnerability had me overly-tuning into this negativity and worrying about it. To be fair, some of the brothers and sisters were able to "rise above" the petty-mindedness - I admired these ones but also worried that they coped by distancing themselves from the others. It just didn't seem right in a religion that made such a huge issue out of professing to show love to one another. For all the crowing about recognizing the true people by the love they should have showed one another, but didn't, it was remarkably absent from my home congregation. Kind of sad looking back that so many people became so upset and reactive about their fellow believers over...what? That question still beats me. I guess a religion that shapes its identity around so much disapproval of everthing and everyone outside their ranks cannot help but "carry over" some of that global judgementalism to those within its ranks.