Appealing a disfellowshipping

dozy

Anyone had any experience of a successful appeal against a disfellowship? A friend of mine feels he has been DFd unjustifiably & is considering an appeal. He probably has something of a case - the JC was a total shambles - but I'm very dubious that he has any likelihood of success.

My only experience of a successful appeal is when elders in a neighbouring congregation were appointed by the CO & overturned a DF in our congregation a few years ago. There ended up so much bad feeling between the two bodies that the two congregations don't exchange public speakers any more.

My impression generally has been that an appeal is usually pretty hopeless - basically usually a stich-up between the two sets of elders involved. It certainly isn't independent. But my friend is pretty adamant.

StoneWall

dozy if I recall correctly the member on here known as Flipper successfully appealed his DF.

He maybe on later and can give more details to ya.

cantleave

I have never known of a successful appeal personally. All your friend can do is play their game and hope their rules work for him. I don't hold out much hope. IT'S A CULT!

The Quiet One

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/138988/4/All-Ex-Elders-Mr-Flipper-going-to-Final-MeetingW-Elders-Ill-be-careful#3646343

Terry

My former best friend had all 5 of his kids disfellowshipped and reinstated several times over.

When he still use to converse with me (clandestinely) he told me what he did.

He contacted the Society by mail and telephone. Mail first (as reference) and by phone (because he is a very clear thinker and speaker) to make his points.

His points were always twofold.

1. The kids were repentent but got disfellowshipped anyway

2.The Elders in the JC over-stepped their authority by not having two witnesses and by applying Society-based charges RATHER THAN scriptural ones.

He, as a Dad, confronted the weasel elders without rancor. (He is a big guy and can be intimidating).

He said he would answer their protests by repeating, "Show me that in the bible."

That's all I can tell you as far as what I know.

Making you hang your head and sit in the back of the bus is a POWER PLAY which feeds their miserable egos as overlords.

Unless you murdered somebody or poked your tallywacker where it did not belong--it is a matter of PRESENTATION.

Open mind

Terry's points are well made.

Your friend has 7 days from the original JC before the DF is announced. During that time your friend can tell the elders that he wants to appeal. Some more fairly local elders, probably from a neighboring congregation, will handle the appeal. If your friend's "presentation" is perfect, he's 100% repentant and/or denies the charge and they don't have good enough evidence, he might prevail. Most of the time, local appeals don't work though. The JC that ordered the DF, will likely be involved in selecting who the appeal committee will be. In that process, they will color the appeal committee's opinion ahead of time.

I am aware of a DFing that was "rescinded". The person was announced as DFed and then began written correspondence with the Branch. It took several months, but eventually the branch told the elders to announce that the "Disfellowhipping of Joe Blow has been rescinded".

Oh to have a video of all the WTF?!? looks on the congo's faces.

om

(pm me if you want more details)

Londo111

Appeals are a joke and a waste of time. I learned that firsthand.

I hope the Watchtower learns that lesson too.

villagegirl

WHY ? Looking for justice in the WT is like looking

for "truth" in the WT. Why bother ? Why remain entangled ?

Its like Br'er Rabbit fighting with the tar baby

In one tale, Br'er Fox constructs a doll out of a lump of tar and dresses

it with some clothes. When Br'er Rabbit comes along

he addresses the tar "baby" amiably,but receives no response.

Br'er Rabbit becomes offended by what he perceives as the

Tar-Baby's lack of manners, punches it, and in doing so becomes stuck.

The more Br'er Rabbit punches and kicks the tar "baby" out of rage,

the worse he gets stuck.

mamochan13

I appealed, unsuccessfully. The bizarre thing was that while they waited to get an appeal committee together, I was still considered a member in good standing. Real mental head game.

However, my biggest mistake in my appeal was that I was terrified to speak against the elders, thinking I needed to always be respectful towards them and that that would work in my favor. I believed jehovah's spirit was operational and overseeing things, so I was confident it would turn out okay. So I didn't tell the appeal committee all the wrong things the elders had done when they asked me. I just focused on the fact that I was repentant and should not be df'd. The appeal committee said that they believed I was repentant, but that since the elders had followed the correct process, my dfing would be upheld.

I don't know if speaking out against the elders would have made a difference, but it was stupid to defend them instead of telling the appeal committee the truth. I paid heavily for respecting the elders.

happy@last

The appeal is there to see if the original decision was correct, the only way it can be appealed successfully is if some evidence or a slant on the original story makes a difference.

Appealing a disfellowshipping - any experience