by ProfCNJ 25 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Wow, good decision! You chose wisely.
As for the scriptural reason why you didn't accept... WTF? Seriously, it's a personal decision, you are not being called by God personally and turning him down. The god-complex is amazing with these delusional people.
Thanks for sharing your story. Asking for a scriptural basis for youtlr decision is over the line. It's an all volunteer organization and you are free to decline.
I suggest, regardless of your actual service to God, that you reduce your reported recruiting hours and miss some meetings regularly enough to enjoy an evening off, so they won't keep asking you to be an elder.
Are you an MS or are they asking to reappoint you and skip MS?
Family is so much more important - choose wisely.
Remember Lot's Daniel's wife!
The Watchtower 2012, August 15, page 28
good decision, because most of the elders' work is compulsory WT churning, not shepherding the sheep in the sense of Jesuss' reported teachings.
Usually the spring it on you on the day they plan to announce it because no one could turn it down.
I remember 2 MS who did turn it down for several years. One finally accepted and after a year as an elder, decided it wasn't for him and he quit, turned in his book at an elders meeting and left.
There were 8 ex-elders in one congregation, all had stepped down by their choice (which I knew being facts not a coverup to "wrongdoing"). Every year the elders would approach them and they would turn it down.
You made a good choice. Becoming an elder was the end of my husband's belief that holy spirit guided them and the organization.
You just saved yourself years of stress and conflict. Since you're posting on here, my guess is that you are just starting to investigate the WTS. My advice is not to accept any additional privileges until whatever reason that brought you here has been resolved.
Good morning folks. Thanks for the encouraging comments.
Honestly, I have seen it from the eyes of our elders. They seemed trapped inside. I sometimes pity them for they know their behavior - speech and actions - should always be calculated.
Two of these elders are more open to me even I am just an MS. One senior elder has 3 sons, one in his early 20's but until now is not even given a privilege (e.g. MS). Some sisters have the feeling that his sons are suppressing their true behavior and feelings out of fear that it can cause harm to their father's privilege. I don't want that to happen to me and my family - where our actions are always subject to close scrutiny of the members of the congregation, if we are living up to the standards of being an elder, and so on.
Another elder closer to me was open enough to disclose some conflicts during elders meetings for serveral years already. I would not want to be part of that group especially if I know I will have little or no voice at all given that majority of them are older in age.
I join others in commending your decision, ProfCNJ. It is a wise one. But I also have to add that I have very little sympathy for those who choose to “serve” in any official WTS capacity. There is nothing scriptural about their setup as even a cursory reading of the New Testament would show. First century elders were not appointed by some central authority. Those who served did so as shepherds and teachers, not as judges and juries of their fellow Christians. And they certainly did not intrude into the personal lives of others. So when I hear some complaining about the “burdens” and “responsibilities” they have, I don’t feel sorry for them. The solution to their problems is simple: either step down or decline to take up the position in the first place.
Quendi
And the nerve of them to spring something so serious as being an elder on brothers at such short notice! This is a decision that should be prayerfully considered over days, discussed with family, etc.. Not something to spring on someone like that. Its not right.
More and more guys who are still "in" are - one way or another - declining the offer of "authority figure role" in the Org, often because they know TTATT.
In a weird way, it's actually positive news.
Why? One of the defining characteristics of authoritarian regimes throughout history is their administrative incompetence (particularly when they approach the end of their life cycle).
The brain drain is forcing the WTS to scrape the bottom of the barrel deeper and deeper to find guys who'll step up to the plate, and forcing them to lower their standards in order to qualify them. An organization like the WTS needs competant people in order to properly function, but the cumulative result is more and more woefully incompetent men constituting the heirarchy.
The cumulative and inevitable result is the crippling of the WTS's ability to properly function.
