We all know that elders and ministerials are appointed by holy spirit. Right? RIGHT? Of course they are...
Here is what I have seen. I was in the organization for about 25 years and was in 4 different congregations over the years.
In one congregration there was a sister in her mid-50's with an unbelieving husband. He did not attend meetings. I think he used to come only to the memorial but I don't really remember. The only thing I remember is his Jaguar. She did not drive, so he would drop her off at the meetings and pick her up afterward and everyone would admire his Jaguar. She never pioneered; she kept a low profile. She would comment and go out in service but that was about it. Well, after years of being an unbelieving husband, he suddenly "came into the truth" almost overnight. When everyone heard that he got baptiized, they had the same reaction I did: "I didn't even know he was studying." Afterward, within about 18 months he was an elder! Hmmm...
Later, in another congregation...Well first let me explain that the congregations I've been in were about 85 or 90% white (I am white too) and there were never any black elders or MS. Just a coincidence? The above-mentioned couple were white by the way.
Anyway, in this other congregation there was this real nice black couple with 2 teens, a boy and a girl. The teens were well behaved, the whole family dressed properly, were present at every meeting/assembly/event. The husband and son were always helping anyone and everyone with yardwork, fixing things at their houses, etc. The mother and daughter visited anyone who went into the hospital and looked after elderly sickly ones and cleaned their houses and cooked for them. All family members were in the ministry school, always arrived at the hall early and left late, always cleaned the hall and did the outside work. The family auxiliary pioneered every summer. They did "all the right things" and were a model family. When I was a MS I had a few conversations with him, commending him and his family and my intention was to encourage him to "reach out". He explained that he had been reaching out for years and praying to Jehovah about it for years. He really wanted very badly to be a MS. But he concluded that it was not Jehovah's will. He told me that so-and-so (another exemplary black brother) had been reaching out and praying too, for years. But he and his family have to keep on being whole-souled and putting the kingdom first and they have to wait on Jehovah's appointed time etc etc etc.
How sad.
