Wanabee Elders & Ministerial Servants

by minimus 12 Replies latest jw friends

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  minimus

  There were a lot of wannabee elders and ministerial servants in the congregations. If you were a male and baptized, it was EXPECTED that you "reach out". Everyone wanted to have a position.

  Wives and mothers of men wanted representation too. It was a "privilege" to have a "Servant" in your family. People would think twice before they would challenge an elder's family.

  Because people in the Organization are groomed to be elders and Ministerial Servants, it has created an atmosphere of competition. Some are looked down upon because they couldn't achieve a certain title. Others are praised simply because of the office they hold.

  Did you see a lot of wannabee elders and mini servants at your Kingdom Hall? Were YOU one of them?

  Always aspiring to "be used" for some "privilege"??
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  Bungi Bill

  Minimus,

  Things seem to have changed since yours and my time in "The Truth."

  These days, the universal complaint appears to be that they cannot get enough "brothers" interested in "reaching out" for these "privileges."

  Anyway, the feedback we are receiving in more recent times is that the JW congregations are suffering from an almost dire shortage of elders and servants.

  Bill.
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  pronomono

  Yep. Me. That's how I was raised. But I don't reach out like that anymore.

  I'd like to validate Bill's point, though. Many elders have expressed this very thought to me in an effort to encourage me to reach out. One elder even told me that the elder's meetings they have at each assembly is starting to see less and less elders, and that he was concerned that soon there won't be enough to shepherd the flock unless more brothers reach out.

  The odd thing is that in my new congregation, we have about 8-10 brothers that seem to be well qualified but are not servants, probably due to service time. None of us are reaching out. I'm not sure about their reasons, but prsonally, after learning TTATT, I lost my drive. I realized my lack of humility and decided that the "privileges" weren't worth the lies.

  If this trend continues, the Society will be forced to wake up and change their views on apostates, shunning, and shepherding (and many others) in order to keep the flock and not die out. Or they might view the dwindling number as a sign the end is nearer and rejoice.
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  Laika

  I never wanted to become an MS enough to do the 10 hours a month service, I became an MS because my Dad tended to put my report in and usually exaggerated my hours.
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  JakeM2012

  I cannot comment on much recently, as in the last 5 years. But the last memory of men eager to be either servants or elders has been around 2004-5. In the congregations in my home town, there are many older men who have served in years past as elders but they are not serving now.

  The majority of these brothers are the victims of elder bodys' righteous indignation (politics). After experiencing the wrath of an ungrateful body of elders who are disciplining fellow elders for minor infractions it can either lead to removal or if they move, not receiving a letter of recommendation at the new hall. Once the spell is broken these brothers find out how simple their lives can be and how much more time they have.

  Imagine driving to and from the meetings with your wife and family and not alone. After the meeting, hanging around for a few minutes driving home with your family, possibly catching a snack and a few beers, margarita's, or martini's at Chili's, Applebee's, or P.F. Chang's and still getting home before you would before.

  As elder body's grow older and the uber elder/nerds take over, it will be even more difficult to get someone, especially younger men interested in joining the elders men's "club". Too much work that is mostly unappreciated, others elders can be hyper-critical, and some are just window washing idiots that have no clue. Perhaps WT should change proceedure and start having the elders meetings at a men's club and pass out Cuban cigars. LOL.
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  Ucantnome

  i never wanted a position. I never liked the elders.
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  DATA-DOG

  Before this thread can really go forward, we should define "reaching out." I maintain that many in my KH were "reaching out", still it was was never good enough. They were reminded of this reality every six months, via Holy Spirit.
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  Phizzy

  I became a M.S out of a desire to make things better for my fellow JW's. I would try to make the Meetings as easy and comfortable for them as possible. I would try to make the Meetings informative, and to make F.S fun in some way (that was hard).

  I never wanted to be an Elder, and rejected many calls on me to "reach out", the P.O (now COBOE) one time begged me to, saying "our congreagtion needs you so much as an Elder".

  I refused because I did not see the Elders really doing much , if any, good work, I could not see what the "badge" was for. I also would not want to have to go along with some of the majority decisions made by the B.O.E, and out of loyalty to them be silenced as to my opinions of those decisions, as a M.S I was free to express myself, albeit that such expression marked me out as a rebel.

  I have seen many Wannabees over the years, just a couple, I think, wanted to serve out of good motive alone, most wanted the prestige and recognition, both of which they would never achieve out in the real world. Big fish in a very small pond.
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  DesirousOfChange

  These days, the universal complaint appears to be that they cannot get enough "brothers" interested in "reaching out" for these "privileges."

  Anyway, the feedback we are receiving in more recent times is that the JW congregations are suffering from an almost dire shortage of elders and servants.

  Men who can find no way to achieve a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction in their life's pursuits can find it by becoming a Company Man for the WTS, getting appointed as Elder, and then boss around all the others who laugh at them behind their back.

  Doc
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  minimus

  DOC, well said.