At what age do most or many JWs kids count as "publisher?" (page 3)

finally awake

My older two kids were 5 or 6 I think when they gave their first bible readings, but they never went through the questions to become unbaptised publishers. They were 12 and 10 went we left the borg. My youngest was only 4 when we left.

Gayle

Thanks blondie. When did they start that "unbaptized publisher procedure?" And what were the questions. This must have started after I left the org.

MrFreeze

I can't honestly remember. Somewhere between 6 and 8.

Gayle, if I remember correctly, I was only asked a few questions. One was "Do you smoke?" I was around 7 years old. WTF

LoisLane looking for Superman

Mr Freeze...Was the Elder drone saying it with a straight face, or with a twinkle in his eye? lol By the way. What happened to that idiot? Any idea?

Just Lois

MrFreeze

It was kind of like "I know what the answer is but I have to ask it anyway." I think (I can't remember exactly though) that another question was "Do you have a girlfriend?"

He was still serving as an elder when I left. He was one of the elders that talked to me in the back room. He was recently transferred to another Kingdom Hall.

LoisLane looking for Superman

Mr. Freeze, Thank you for answering.

Elders next question for Publisher approval.

Question #2...Do you have a girlfriend?

I think he was having some fun with you. lol

Just Lois

Mum

It sounds like the JW equivalent of First Communion, but without all the celebration, gifts, family and fun, of course.

blondie

Gayle, the procedure is the one they go through with any unbaptized person attending meetings who wants to be recognized as a publisher. Children can go door to door with their parents before this but they are not considered a publisher and do not turn time in. I'm sure they edit some of the questions for children. 50 years ago I remember sitting down with the congregation servant and being how serious it was to keep my vow about preaching each month and turning in my time. That was 6 years before I was baptized.

The Organized book says this

MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS

Before inviting a person to accompany you in the field

ministry for the first time and before you suggest that he report any

field service to the congregation, there are certain qualifications he

should meet. When a person accompanies us in the field ministry,

he identifies himself publicly with the congregation of Jehovah's

people, so it is understood that he has already brought his life into

harmony with Jehovah's righteous standards and can be an

unbaptized publisher in the congregation.

Very likely, as you study with a person and discuss Bible

principles with him, you will become aware of his circumstances.

You may observe that he is living in harmony with the information

he has learned from studying the Bible. But there are some aspects

of the student's life that the elders will want to discuss with him

and you together before you invite him to accompany you in the

field service and to share in publicly witnessing to others.

The presiding overseer will arrange to have two elders (one

being a member of the Congregation Service Committee) discuss

this matter with you and the Bible student. They will consider the

following points:

• Do the person's expressions show that he believes that the Bible is the

inspired Word of God? (2 Tim. 3:16)

Organized to Do Jehovah’s Will Page 80

• Does he know and believe the basic teachings of the Scriptures so that

when asked questions, he will answer in harmony with the Bible and not

according to false religious teachings or his own ideas? (Matt. 7:21-23;

2 Tim. 2:15)

• Is he heeding the Bible's command to associate with Jehovah's people

at congregation meetings if he physically and circumstantially can? (Ps.

122:1; Heb. 10: 24, 25)

• Does he know what the Bible teaches about fornication, adultery,

polygamy, and homosexuality, and is he living in harmony with such

teachings? If the person is living with one of the opposite sex, are they

properly married? (Matt. 19:9; 1 Cor. 6:9, 10; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Heb 13:4)

• Does he heed the Bible's prohibition of drunkenness? (Eph. 5:18; 1 Pet.

4:3, 4) Is he free from all nonmedical use of addictive or mind-altering

natural or synthetic substances? (2 Cor. 7:1)

• Does he see the value of avoiding unwholesome association? (1 Cor.

15:33)

• Has he definitely broken off membership in all false religious

organizations with which he may have been affiliated, and has he

ceased attending their meetings and supporting or sharing in their

activities? (2 Cor. 6: 14-18; Rev. 18:4)

• Is he free from all involvement in the political affairs of the world? (John

6:15; 15:19; Jas. 1:27)

• Does he believe and live in harmony with what the Bible says at Isaiah

2:4 about the affairs of the nations?

• Does he really want to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses? (Ps. 110:3)

If the elders are not sure how the student feels about some of

these matters, they should invite him to look up the scriptures here

cited and comment on

Organized to Do Jehovah’s Will Page 81

them in order to see the significance of what they say. It is

important that he understand that those who share with Jehovah's

Witnesses in their preaching activity must be leading a life that

harmonizes with these Scriptural requirements. His expressions

will help the elders determine whether he knows what is expected

of him and whether he is qualified to a reasonable degree to begin

participating in the field ministry.

If he is qualified, the elders can warmly welcome the

individual as one who desires to become an active associate of

Jehovah's Witnesses. (Rom. 15:7) He should be encouraged to

begin sharing in the field ministry as soon as possible and to turn

in a field service report at the end of the month. The elders can

explain that when a Bible student qualifies as an un-baptized

publisher and reports field service for the first time, a

Congregation's Publisher Record card is made out in his name and

included in the congregation file. They can assure him that all the

elders take an interest in the field service reports that are turned in

each month.

Getting better acquainted with the new publisher and

showing a personal interest in what he has accomplished can have

a fine influence on the individual. It may move him to make even

greater efforts to serve Jehovah and to turn in field service reports

regularly each month.—Phil. 2:4; Heb. 13:2.

Once the elders determine that the Bible student qualifies to

engage in the field ministry, he is eligible to receive his own copy

of Organized to Do Jehovah's Will. After he reports field service

for the first time, a brief announcement should be made to the

congregation that he is a new unbaptized publisher.

Organized to Do Jehovah’s Will Page 82

http://web.archive.org/web/20060503074646/www.reexamine.info/00s/organized_to_do_jehovahs_will.pdf

jwfacts

I started talks a long time before being a publisher. I didn't become an unbaptised publisher till about 12.

At what age do most or many JWs kids count as "publisher?"

Share this