Field Service Requirements

by DATA-DOG 31 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  WTWizard

  It's whatever they damn well feel like. Back in 1943, Boozerford set the minimum limit at 175 hours (with minimum limits of return visits and studies) for special pious-sneers, 150 hours and as many studies as could be developed for regular pious-sneers (no auxiliary pious-sneers in those days), and 60 hours, a dozen return visits, and one study for everyone else. And some hounders use those numbers, or even higher ones.

  And if they are trying to bust you up with a potential mate, they can use any number they damn well please. You could be getting in 250 hours of field circus a month, getting in 60 return visits, and have a dozen people attending the boasting sessions on your account, and they could still use that "he's not spiritual enough" excuse. Then, that hounder (or group of hounders) doing that could be getting in a lousy 2 or 3 hours a month and zero return visits, and still remain hounders. Those hounders can even carry on molesting children with the aim of ruining their lives, and still decide "you are not spiritual enough" for your would-be spouse. Let them hear from the hounder-hounder that they are doing this, and they will get you on "slander" charges or find a way to do a "brazen conduct" hearing on something like wearing a colored dress shirt or having a LED flashlight or LED light bulbs to save energy or for emergencies.
• 

  MrFreeze

  The answer is you are never doing enough. You can always do more.
• 

  Black Sheep

  Read this carefully

  

  

  
• 

  dozy

  10 is still the magic number. When I was an elder , the CO discussing appointments with us , told us that "the Society" would be unhappy at appointing any new elder or ms whose ministry was in single figures , so he vetoed an appointment of a young ms whose average was just below that.

  Slightly OT , but I once had a bizarre conversation over lunch with the same CO who said that "the society says that every JW should be above the national average for hours. I tried to reason with him that it was impossible for everyone to be above the average ( even jotting a few figures on a napkin to explain the impossibility of the concept ) but he didn't get the point - in fact , he started to get angry with me "are you saying the society are wrong?" etc etc ". Eventually I gave up , but it does illustrate the mentality of the WTBTS.
• 

  skin

  Right through out the 1990’s I was used for setting up the stage, training people how to operate the mixing desk, microphones, behind the magazine counter etc, and all this time my average was around 5hrs a month. Then I moved congregations (1999-2000) and after almost a year of not being asked to help out, I was told it was because my average hours were not the same has the national average (here in New Zealand that was 9 hours, I think it still is), and if I wanted to reach out I needed to average 9 hours. This was the first time I had ever heard of this form of judging a brothers spirituality based on field service hours. Instantly that went against numerous scriptures I had learnt over the previous 10 years and I could not and would not change my hours simply to reach some man made target. It wasn’t long after that that the required target to reach in that congregation was lowered to 5hrs simply because there weren’t enough brothers getting to that magical 9 hours.
• 

  Hoffnung

  on the application forms for bethel, mts, gilead, etc, you have to provide your average field service hours for the last 6 months. if it is lower than 10, you have to state a reason.
• 

  DATA-DOG

  Thanks everyone,

  Black sheep, thank you for that article.

  sd-7, Mega Man is awesome and nice comments.

  Blondi, you are awesome. I am amazed at all the things I have still not read in the CD Library, of course I was not born when those articles came out.

  Nambo, that sucks.

  Mr freeze, I know the feeling.

  Balaaamsass, You are right " nebulous ", so exemplary is what they say it is.

  WT WIZARD, Did that happen to you? 175 hours a month?!!??! That blows my mind!

  Recovery, thanks for the scripture. Does taking the lead apply only to visible field service? Is there more to being a Christian? Wich is more important kindness or visible field service?

  Youngbro, were you naughty, or did you raise questions about the org?

  Skin, strange how that number can vary from one place to another and be " adjusted ".

  Dozy, At least you spoke up! It sounds like his brain shut down mid-conversation. Fear of questioning the GB.

  NOLAW, my Cong requires 10 as well.
• 

  Anony Mous

  In my congo it was 10 hours, national average or congregation average - whichever is higher + 2 hours if you want to be appointed MS, + RBC if you wanted to be appointed elder. Off course with 50 piosneers (all on welfare) and about 10 brownnosers that had been demoted and looked again for the promotion the average was whatever 2 or 3 families cranked it out to be. So the average would rise and rise every month to 14 hours and then crash down again as people realized they can't keep it up as they'll never get to the goal.

  Yeah, trying to explain averages was difficult, the main elder used to be an executive at a large failed company, he got a golden parachute though so he didn't have to work. He didn't understand how averages worked neither did the CO.
• 

  isaacaustin

  I always heard as a kid that 10 hours was the national average...but as far as being in print, I do not know.
• 

  konceptual99

  I can see the 40+ year old references to 10 hours. I get the gilead application form question. Regardless I have NEVER seen an official document saying that elders and ministerial servants must be doing the congregation or country average. Congregation averages were stopped as published figures over 40 years ago. The country average has not been in the KM for months, if not years. The OM book simply says "take the lead". Oh, and God forbid, anyone actually look in the Bible to see what the requirements are scripturally.

  Of course low FS hours will probably discount someone from demonstrating they are "taking the lead" but to take an arbitrary statistic as the baseline is unscriptural and stupid. The whole concept is built on commitment to quantity, not quality. There is no emphasis on the need to build up love and mercy, a feeling of serving as opposed to becoming the masters of others' faith.

  Not only that but it's a moving goalpost. Is it cong avg or country avg, do you count family study hours, what allowance do you make for sickness etc etc.

  The real sheep know who is taking the lead and they don't need to see a report card to work it out.