Listened in on two Elders talking about my old congregation!

by RULES & REGULATIONS 15 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  RULES & REGULATIONS

  Last night at my brother's house ( he's an Elder ) I listened in on a conversation he was having with another Elder about my old congregation ( which I haven't attended in 2 years and have been left alone). Our congregation had at one time 86 members.

  They talked about:

  * how the congregation went from 86 members to 26

  * members are moving to Florida and not leaving any information

  * Elder and wife showing up in service and not one person shows up

  * members cancelling Ministerial School talks the last minute

  * members not traveling to summer conventions that are too far and costly

  * a sister had to read the Watchtower because there wasn't one brother that was qualified to read

  ( IS THAT POSSIBLE THAT THEY WOULD LET A SISTER READ ...AND DID THE SISTER READ FROM THE PODIUM OR READ IT IN HER SEAT ? )

  * members working more and missing meetings

  * members giving up the race in the last few feet because they are looking at the wordly things and not in spiritual things.....the race is so close and they can't believe that members can't complete it
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  LostGeneration

  86 to 26??? Surprised the CO hasn't taken that dog out back and shot it yet...

  Too bad this isn't happpening in every hall. Sounds like lots of free thinkers in that congo!
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  KateWild

  Sounds like they could't even form a JC to discipline all these inactive ones. Our circuit has a newly formed cong in a few weeks. I don't think it is as much increasing numbers as it is fudging numbers and moving around a paedophlie. I don't know the numbers yet for thisnew cong. But my house is slap band in the middle of the new map.

  I wonder if I will be a DNC?

  Kate xx
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  JustVisting

  Yes, Virginia you can read the paragraphs in the WT study as long as you stay in your seat and cover your head. I've heard where elderettes conduct the field service meetings and meeting parts. No biggie, it's in the Bible. Phoebe and such.
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  RULES & REGULATIONS

  Katewild said: Sounds like they could't even form a JC to discipline all these inactive ones.

  Besides taking away privilages what would a JC do to discipline inactive members? After 30 years in, I've never seen a JC in my congregation discipline inactive members. I've been left alone the last two years.
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  steve2

  This adds to anecdotal reports that moving house is the fading method of choice for many JWs. It is easier to fade in a locality where you are not known.

  As for the abysmal attendances at meetings, I have heard from family still in that mid-week meetings are poorly attended.

  Regarding field service: Gone are the days when carloads of "happified" Witnesses hit the territory (I recall the 1970s where there'd be big teams of Witnesses covering territory very thoroughly and quickly, given the large numbers door-knocking). On the very few occasions I see the Witnesses out door-knocking in my locality, there are perhaps 4 at most and usually older women with not a young person in sight.

  Although impossible to quantify statistically, the organization is in big trouble as far as zealous adherence is concerned. Sure, this doesn't spell the demise of the organization - but it suggests that, as the organization adapts to the world stubbornly not ending, the rank and file have their own way of coping. They may not storm out of the kingdom hall once and for all - but they will ease up on the urgency and - shock! horror! - try to lead more balanced, less driven lives.
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  Designer Stubble

  Nice, thanks for sharing. Good News to make you Happy!
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  Stealth

  The GB should take some lessons from Aesop's fable "The boy who cried wolf."
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  Phizzy

  I cannot think of a way that I could find out how my old congregation is doing now. If I were to ask a member they would be all up-beat and basically lie about it. I know a number of young marrieds with connections to the congo.have moved in, so numbers may still be respectable. An old friend from the congo. remarked to me about a year ago "All the good ones have left", so they must have had some losses too.

  I get the impression that F.S is nowhere as well supported as it used to be, they used to be passing my door every two to three months when I first left, now I rarely see them.
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  AlphaMan

  Awesome......the cancerous JW organization is dying a slow death.