"The Reinstatement Process and How It works" - it doesn't!
The Reinstatement Process & How It Works
by minimus 52 Replies latest jw friends
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blondie
I knew a brother who was reinstated in less than 8 months. (a pedophile)
His secret? 5 elders and 3 MS were in business with him. Money talks. The local JW community was not happy but the CO and headquarters said it was a done deal (reinstatement) and nothing could be done except send a letter of censure to the BOE. I'd like to make a certain hand salute right now.
Blondie
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home_and_dry
My reinstatement process was considerably less painful, I must admit.
I was DF'd in the beginning of the December, starting attending meetings again at the end of January and reinstated at the end of April.
I wrote a letter to the JC requesting reinstatement and a meeting was arranged for the following week. I don't remember much about the meeting itself to be honest (it was 9 years ago) but I do remember that the elders were very nice to me. I had put all the points forward that I could think of in my letter, ie, lots of grovelling and stuff like that so they didn't have much to ask me other than to elaborate on the points I had made in my letter.
I wasn't asked to leave the room while they decided my fate, I was simply told halfway through the meeting (after about 15 minutes) that I would be reinstated at the next meeting. So from that I had concluded that unless I put my foot in it big time during the meeting itself, it had been a foregone conclusion that they would reinstate me.
Another weird thing was that after I was DF'd, one of the elders on my JC had moved congregations although he still lived locally. But at my meeting only the two remaining elders turned up so I didn't even have the 3 elders present.
After reinstatement I couldn't answer at meetings, take part in items or aux pioneer for 3 months, actually I think it was 6 months before I could aux pioneer. But other than that, the whole 'situation' was done and dusted, and it was never really mentioned again.
The reason I got off so lightly? Being an elders daughter, of course!
Edited by - home_and_dry on 4 February 2003 8:31:55
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ozziepost
The reason I got off so lightly? Being an elders daughter, of course!
It'd be interesting to know what the CO said about it when he next visited. Any ideas?
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home_and_dry
Funnily enough, I did have a meeting with the CO during his next visit (I had completly forgotten about that!!)
One of the elders on my JC was present, along with my Elder father. I got highly commended by the CO for 'returning to the Truth' and the phrase 'Short, Sharp, Shock' was used many times to illustrate that my actions had really just been a blip on what had otherwise been an unblemished record.
It wouldn't surprise me if now, after being out for 9 years (I got my maths wrong, I was actually DF'd in 1991 so that was 11 years ago) if I chose to go back they would probably refer to my absence as a 'minor setback' LOL.
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SYN
In this part of the world, it has entered the realm of mythology
OK, now I'm laughing
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TresHappy
I knew someone who went back several times seeking reinstatement, each time he was turned down for some stupid reason. After the third time, he finally gave up and said he was going elsewhere for worship. He's now a minister of a big church in Florida.
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minimus
Home and dry, You don't look like an elder's daughter....btw, Nice Picture!
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dannyboy
OutbackAussie, here's a sincere hug from 'ol Dan.... Hearing your story just makes my blood boil (especially what you were told after reinstatement).
Like Ozzie says, there's no real scriptural basis for the whole DFng/Reinstatement Cycle. But I sure didn't see it that way while I was a Witness (and elder).
The hypocrisy of the whole thing becomes more infuriating as those who 'humbled' themselves and groveled and did everything asked of them (even stupid, meaningless stuff) begin to see that Jehovah's Witnesses as a group do not practice what the preach, that blatant favoritism has/is being shown. That 'who you know' can reduce the penalities for wrongdoing, and that some of the elders themselves are/were guilty of some of the very things they sit in judgement of.
It's not that so many elders start out to be bad guys, just that power corrupts. The power to hold other's fate in your hands goes right to the head, more often than not. And if that feeling is mixed in with being convinced you're doing God's Will, it is not a pretty picture, especially if you're on the receving end of all this. In addition, the meetings are held behind closed doors, so there's no usual path to redress some of the crap that goes on, or to rein in recalcitrant elders.
I've often thought that the way 'wrongdoing' is handled among Jehovah's Witnesses actually contributes to bad stuff going on, in this way: The members of a congregation become conditioned to the concept of being held accountable by the organization and not God, although it they are continually told otherwise.
One additional line of 'proof' for me that Jehovah's Witnesses don't have God's blessing, and aren't being used by him.
Jeez, the stuff I get worked up about.
---Dan
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No Apologies
How about this, a Presiding Overseer who admits to molesting his daughter over several years. DF'd of course, reinstated in 6 months.
Yeah that seems about right. Of course he learned his lesson. The next time he was accused, he simply denied the charges.