by WatchTower87 16 Replies latest watchtower bible
Paragraph #4:Publishers who apply to distribute literature at these areas are doing so on their own initiative as part of their personal ministry.
Does that mean next time they come pestering me for a missing Field Service Report slip, I can tell him: "...all my service time last month was of my own iniative as part of my personal ministry, so I didn't feel it was appropriate to report it to an organization isn't affiliated with it."
Oh wow ...this is priceless, omg if we had only
realized what a scam this is!!!
clarity
The "personal ministry" disclaimer may or may not be effective depending upon the facts and circumstances of any given situation.
It did not work in the case of the Bethelite car accident. He was assigned to a distant congregtion and killed a women in a car accident while on his way to a meeting.
He testified that he was 'on his own personal spiritual mission/outing' or something like that. Jury/court didn't buy it, and the WTBTS had to pay. Of course, he was "assigned" to the congregation, which made the case for holding Corporate responsible stronger.
Sounds like a franchise outfit. But what profit does the outlet get out of the transaction? This sort of arrangement means that all this equipment the local congregation invests in is automatically obsolete if head office changes the branding. Which it will have to do to stay, you know, current.
As an aside, an ex-JW buddy and I watched a triplet of carts installed outside our Heritage Days event. This event is hugely popular, attracting 350,000 people over three days. We watched the Witnesses for about ten minutes, and over a hundred people passed the cart with no interaction, other than the Witnesses chatting amongst themselves. Then an interested person approached the Witnesses, and attempted to engage them in conversation. The hand-selected cart supervisors backed up in alarm! They were not prepared for any sort of interaction.
The Falun Gong solicitation was far more engaging.
The Courts (in the USA) are not going to buy into all this attempt to remove themselves from liability. Not when copies of this letter are made public and available to use in litigation.
They (The WTS) are directing this work; they are providing the "props"; their "agents" are selecting the persons to service the carts; and the results are being reported back to the WTS (FS Reports and experiences).
The WTS will be added as defendants to any lawsuit and the Courts will likely find them equally liable. Of course, since the WTS has the "deep pockets", that's who the attorneys will be looking for.
God Bless America!
Doc
4. Any application to use a mobile cart or to set up a table or kiosk to display literature must be filled out in the name of an individual publisher, not in the name of the congregation, any corporation used by the organization, or “Jehovah’s Witnesses.” If a small administrative fee is needed in order to acquire space in a public area, it is to be paid by the individual publisher, not the congregation. Publishers should carefully review any such applications to see what responsibility they are taking upon them-selves with respect to liability. Publishers who apply to distribute literature at these areas are doing so on their own initiative as part of their personal ministry.
8. Determining who may participate in public witnessing: The Congregation Service Committee will select qualified publishers to participate in this feature of the ministry. Those se-lected should be known to present themselves in a dignified way. Their appearance and dress should be professional, well-arranged, and modest. Those selected should demonstrate discernment and a willingness to witness in different public settings, should enjoy and promote good relations with others, should be committed to taking the assignment seriously, and should be willing to cooperate with the body of elders.
