Elder Appointments (page 3)

MaybeSo

Looking forward to what you have to share!

Heaven

Another qualification... you must be of the male gender.

Okay, what is the advantage of being an elder? And how many people in any given congregation want to become one? It's not a paid position and one is not ordained into that office, so is it a power thing? Is it considered gauche to express a desire to become an elder?

Also, if one had more ambition, how could one become a member of the Governing Board? That is a paid position, no one ever asks you for your stats and you get plenty of credibility to the point that people in congregations you visit grovel, fawn and, perhaps best, invite you to dinner. It's good work if you can get it; but how would one go about joining that august assembly?

Cold Steel

Okay, what is the advantage of being an elder? And how many people in any given congregation want to become one? It's not a paid position and one is not ordained into that office, so is it a power thing? Is it considered gauche to express a desire to become an elder?

Also, if one had more ambition, how could one become a member of the Governing Board? That is a paid position, no one ever asks you for your stats and you get plenty of credibility to the point that people in congregations you visit grovel, fawn and, perhaps best, invite you to dinner. It's good work if you can get it; but how would one go about joining that august assembly?

DwainBowman

#1 BROWN nose the right people (not always)

#2 Make other elders in your hall look good! Brag on how well they help you reach out, etc!!!!!!!

#3 Look good on paper!

#4 BE SEEN OUT IN FS, AND TAKING THE LEAD IN DOING SO! (some how)

#5 Be ready to throw any thing you want to do away, the minute, they want you to do some thing no matter what! (would you run pick up they gum wraper I saw in the parking lot) <---- heard an elder telling a young MS that once! He had walked right past it on the way in, empty handed!!!

Dwain

stuckinarut2

SPOT ON Dwain!

Very true indeed.....

Add to the list:

Never question anything! Be a "yes-man"

prologos

In every group there are personalities that think and project the image that they are "God's gift to men (and women)" these are the ones that have what is called the "respect" of the congregations. These people will flourish under Stalin, Hitler, WT, you name it. The ideals that the "jesus writers" penned,

"- benefactors, not like in the world-- must be your slave" is impractical, once it becomes an ORG-anisation.

innocents need not apply.

Those that apply will not remain innocent.

Apognophos

Okay, what is the advantage of being an elder?

Status, I guess? Good question. Personally I saw the prospect of becoming an elder as more of a threat than anything. It seemed like a punishment for being zealous. "Good job being a ministerial servant, now you have to: give more and longer talks, conduct field service more, set an even better example (or give the appearance of one, at least), handle various bureaucratic stuff and perhaps sit on judicial committees, go to elder's meetings after the public meetings are done and everyone else is going home, and deal with various and sundry problems thrown into your lap in person and over the phone at all hours of the day by the neediest publishers in the congregation."

And how many people in any given congregation want to become one?

Probably not many more than are ones. There's usually trouble finding enough brothers who are fit for promoting to elder or MS, and usually if a brother wants to qualify, he will be able to do what's needed. That's why there's often talks being given to encourage brothers to "reach out" for more "privileges", and this little speech is also given to brothers when the elders visit them on shepherding calls.

Is it considered gauche to express a desire to become an elder?

More or less, yes. But if you just say that you're "reaching out", it's a euphemistic way to say the same thing. If you say that often though, the elders will be leery of you for seeming power-hungry.

Also, if one had more ambition, how could one become a member of the Governing Board?

Well, you'd have to profess to be anointed, and you'd have to climb the ladder from elder to circuit overseer, then district overseer, then various positions in headquarters leading up to becoming one of the helpers to the Governing Body. It's probably possible to bypass the overseer rungs by taking the Bethel route and being promoted internally. Of course it would be pretty hard to actually do all this on purpose -- about the same odds as starting off as fry cook in a McDonald's and aiming to become a VP of the McDonald's corporation.

Elder Appointments

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