MTS & Gilead: Can we talk about how much of a FAILURE these 2 schools were/are? (page 3)

MissFit

Kaik : why did they not want you to talk to the foreign jws ?

TTATTelder

What always amazed me was how much respect and adoration was suddenly given to a brother that went to MTS.

I mean a misfit brother could turn into a spiritual superhero after just a few weeks of this course.

I don't remember how long the course was around here, but it was less than 90 days.

You would think they went off to JW college for 6 or 8 years and received some kind of degree in JW Theology/Administration.

There is a brother around here that went to MTS like 10+ years ago. It still is touted on his resume like its a PHD.

That's how uneducated the dubs are. A 90 day course is called a "school" and is the equivalent of a PHD in their world!

Hilarious !!

-TE

There was a guy from my old hall who went off to MTS. He was an MS/Pioneer who had enormous self-esteem issues and was a bit of a wreck. He was a nobody in the real world. Nevertheless, he knew how to play the system. He applied to MTS and was accepted. When he returned he tried to use his influence to get back at elders who had passed him over for an elder slot. He made sure everybody knew he'd studied the top secret elders book while he was there.

He was sent off to an assignment in a rural part of the U.S. and didn't last very long. He was the type who wanted the title but didn't want to put in the work. I started fading around that time, but I heard there were one or two more assignments he found ways of getting out of. Eventually I lost touch with almost everyone I knew at the hall. I talked to an active Witness a year or two ago and he told me the MTS grad had eventually been disfellowshipped. Not sure what for, though.

kaik

Missfit, I do not know the reason as it was never explained to us, but I believe it was a control issue. When we lived in isolated country, we used to get WT literature with extensive delays. Some lights we believed was already phased out. I remember hearing and reading when Iron Curtain fell, Brooklyn was not even aware what was the extend of the JW community in communist block and took some time to get it reintegrated with the mother. Some JWs did not like the changes and there was a power struggle which ended with many old timers who were in prison under Hitler or Stalin kicked out from organization.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

I got to know a bunch that had attended Gilead and stayed in assignments for various amounts of time. Some didn't last long, some did. All of them had some kind of terrible/bizarre experiences that would never be published.

I didn't know as many MTS. The ones I did get to know had been sent to terrible locations with troubled congregations.

I heard enough to realize that I never, ever wanted to go to either school.

JustVisting

The only MTS grad we ever knew was assigned to a very small rural congo, the dude was freaky. Had a weight problem, single, low self-confidence and obviously had other "issues". He met an older divorced pioneer sister who strung him along, then dumped him like a sack of potatoes. The poor sap was left broken hearted, tear-bag, shell of a man. He gained back about 100 lbs. and was reproved by the BOEs for some kind of misconduct involving another sister. We still see him around, but he avoids us, whatever Cap'n!

sparrowdown

These schools are a failure in the sense that they fail to produce any kind of improvement in the character of the individuals that attend.

They are ego feeding sessions, nothing more. They produce assignment snobs.

They fail to equip the students for real life in their assignments.

For every Gilead success story I would say there are ten horror stories.

The graduates are sent forth with a sense of entitlement and illusions of grandeur, in which family/ friends are happy and proud to play along with.

Both schools are used by many as just another weapon to beat their fellow slaves with.

Theocratic snobbery at it's worst.

dozy

One of my relatives is a Gilead graduate with his American wife - he "serves" in an African country. He seems to have settled in quite well - lots of kids named after him - almost like the big white chief. He lives in the pioneer home in a compound which the local JWs aren't allowed to visit - he admits that there is no way he could live like the locals do. He's pretty much a lobotomised WTBTS loyalist which I guess helps it work for him. Funnily enough he spends half his time on Facebook & whatsapp communicating with people back home - I guess it keeps him sane. They also come home as often as they possibly can - any second cousin getting married & they are straight on the plane.

Others haven't been so lucky - I've known a few give up their assignments because of "ill health" or an older aunt falls ill & they have to go back to look after her ( supposedly. ) I think a lot depends on where they go - I know one couple in our circuit who were sent to sub Saharan Africa & lasted about 2 months before the wife had a nervous breakdown. The congregation had to pay to bring them home as the WTBTS refused. Ironically they have been dining out on their missionary status & Gilead course ever since , though I don't think the wife ever got over it ( she had children when she got back home ).

I went to the MTS - in fact , it was the start of me seeing TTATT. We used to have reunions every few years but that has fizzled out now so I've lost track of most of the guys. Some guys from my school have faded - I know at least a couple of guys were DFd ( one guy for homosexuality ) - others are now COs or higher up in the establishment elders. I guess most just basically went back to their old lives - maybe with a bit more cachet - found a nice girl & married and settled down.

Were the schools failures? I don't know - I guess it depends exactly what the aims of the schools were. I guess the MTS failed - maybe Gilead worked.

MTS & Gilead: Can we talk about how much of a FAILURE these 2 schools were/are?