Where are they now?

by RunningMan 4 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  RunningMan

  There has been a fair bit of discussion regarding Witness kids, and whether they stay in the organization or leave. Looking around me at the the DC this weekend, I began to wonder whatever happened to my old group. When I was younger, I grew up in a congregation that had a lot of kids. When I think back on them, it seems that most are either gone completely or inactive.

  So, I just did a quick review of the 30 that I can remember. These ranged in age from 5 years older to 5 years younger than me (maybe a little more than 5). Here is where they are now:

  Fanatical Witnesses... 1
  Active and strong........ 7 (Im not sure of how strong some of these are)
  Active and shakey...... 2
  Inactive...................... 4
  Totally gone.............. 16 (DF'd or walked away)

  Number of elders.......... 0
  Number of elders wives.. 3
  Number of Min servants.. 1

  Now, over 20 years have passed since this group were teenagers, so I suspect that most have chosen thier life course by now. This was a very strong congregation. We had very little trouble. There were lots of aux pios, etc.

  So, where are your childhood friends? Has everyone noticed the same thing?

  Edited by - RunningMan on 3 July 2002 12:46:2

  Edited by - RunningMan on 3 July 2002 12:46:31
• 

  proandcon

  interesting...in my congregation very near WT Farms and the "bethel influence" the umbers are even worse.

  form 13 years ago...of 18 children...now only 5 are still with it...2 ms...3 other sisters active...all the rest are long gone...and sadly forgotten by the org...this too also in a congregation with strong families...i believe this to be close to the norm...in a DC in NYC in the early 90's it was said that the attrition rate in NYC of teenager witnesses was about 90%...the WTS BLAMED it on poor family study habilts...
• 

  RN

  Running Man,

  This is something I think of from time to time. I could quickly make a list of 17 people (myself and husband included).

  10 of those 17 are DF/DA/ or walk aways (2 of this number are never baptized walkaways)

  4 are active but I suspect shakey

  3 are active/strong

  On a side note, one of my friends who is DF (20+years) has what I call "Out but In Syndrome", physically she may be out but mentally she's as in a ever!!! In fact, she is currently shunning me! hehe

  Interesting post, thanks

  Lori
• 

  Joyzabel

  Ours was a strong congo too.

  Of the 18 kids I grew up with and hung around in the Borg

  10 pioneered

  6 went to Bethel; one still is there and is part of one of the new congregation leadership (whoopeedo)

  1 was an elder for 30 years besides the doofus still at bethel

  Many are in different stages of being "weak" but I know of no one that has left as hubby and I have

  Of the three couples that pioneered when we did. One went into special pioneer work, eventually circuit work and then his wife ran off with an inactive person. Another went into circuit work, tried to have kids and then returned to circuit work and now hes in the service department. We went to bethel and then decided to have a family and now have our eyes open!

  Interesting question, runningman, thanks for the walk down memory lane.

  j2bf
• 

  Joyzabel

  sorry, my puter is acting up and it posted twice, doh!

  Edited by - joy2bfree on 3 July 2002 14:14:47