Any old friends aboard from the MTS?

pascaljon

I've been lurking on the fringes of this site for a week or two and was just wondering whether there is anybody else here that I knew from the ministerial training school. I was second to apostasise from my class (that being the fifth in Britain, 1992) and thought it would be good to know if anybody else was here.

Also, while I'm at it, if there's anybody with a connection to Norwich Thorpe congregation or with information on Sarah Brett it would be good to hear from you too.

Thanks.
Jon.

cruzanheart

Man, what did they teach you in that school? Must've been a good instructor! Welcome to the forum, pascaljon! I think you'll like it here.

Can't answer your questions, though, since (1) I'm a girl so I've never been to MTS, and (2) I'm American so I've never been near the Norwich Thorpe congregation. I could probably answer some questions about Byfleet, though, since I've visited there.

Nina

Duncan

Hello Pascaljon, welcome along.

Norwich Thorpe, eh?

You must know this bloke then:

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/16580/201805/post.ashx#201805

Duncan

scotsman

Aha, so you're the infamous MTS graduate that became a Mormon! I was a friend of your partner John G. He's in Bournemouth and comfortably married but still an elder, albeit in his owm inimitable style.

pascaljon

Hey Duncan I knew "Bro. Laskey" very well. Somebody once told me that the American accent was very fashionable amongst JWs in the 60s and John just couldn't let it go when it went out of fashion. John and Joyce regularly had us pioneers over for dinner. I always coveted his stuffed fox that was curled up in the corner of the livingroom. I've no idea what he's up to now. I left Norwich in 1992, and disassociated myself in 1996. John once told me though that if the end had not come by the year 2000, then JWs would cease to exist. Well, the JWs survived 2000, but I don't know whether John did. But Scotsman, am I really infamous? If anybody is after a quick exit from the JWs then I can recommend getting baptised in another church. Its true, I'd done a bit of groundwork beforehand, but I went on holiday to Croydon and met two Mormon missionaries, got baptised a week later and then went home to Sheffield. The JW elders called by two days later to pick up the congregation accounts and that was the last I ever saw of them. That is except for Pete "that fox" who came and asked if he could buy my window cleaning round. Happy memories. Were you at John and Micheles wedding by any chance? I have never drunk as much as I did that weekend. Actually most of the drinking was done the day after the wedding. We went to Edinburgh for the day and did nothing but drink, except for a short interval in the cinema. I couldn't stop shaking the next day. Fortunately I wasn't the one driving us home on the motorway. John was a great companion when we moved to Sheffield. My main memories of the MTS weren't so much regarding learning anything, but eating huge amounts of food (putting on over a stone in 8 weeks) and laughing so hard at dinner times that we would cry. I'm surprised that they granted our request to have an assignment together. John had a different approach to being a JW though. He had inherited the faith and believed it as a whole but had no qualms about disbelieving certain points he didn't like. When the "knowledge" book came out I think he was already expecting them to have dropped the 1914 generation clause. He already had a good pension scheme organised. In contrast, I swallowed the whole package as the word of God, and expected Armageddon any day, but it made it easier to leave when I realised it was bunk.

qwerty

Hi Jon,

How you doing? You were in the same cong as me ........... You realy did make a stink when you became a Mormon.

Do you still live up here in Yorkshire?

Qwerty

pascaljon

This is great! Good to hear from you Qwerty, but who are you? From your info... "Not brought up a JW, was indoctrinated at the age of 20yrs old! In for 17years (started to see is was not the truth 3 years ago). Was a Ministerial servant, Pioneered for 5-6 years, almost an Elder the way things were going. Finally had to put the breaks on (Crisis of conscience, I think you call it! LOL) stopped going to meetings months and months ago." ... I have absolutely no idea who you are. I should be able to figure out who I'm talking to, but nobody I can think of seems to fit the profile. Or could this be Mike? So, do you still keep in touch with anybody? I still live at the same house - you're welcome to call round if you remember where that is. I never see any JWs in our area. I figured they all moved away. Perhaps they made my whole street a "do not call" to keep out of my way. I've spoken with Tracey and Lisa quite recently but apart from them, I'm not spoken with anybody from the congregation in about five years.

qwerty

Jon

Did you get my message?...............

On the page, it should say you have one message unread!

Are you on Hotmail messanger? ........ I'm [email protected]

scotsman

Yes I was at John's wedding. And upon reflection can just about remember you through that alcoholic fug! John's whole family has an unorthodox take on their beliefs. Guess the money helped. My brother's married to his sister Alice (no, I'm not a Jackson, thank god!).

All the defected MTS guys are famous. Gay or Mormon. Was Ian Shanks in your class?

pascaljon

The name Ian Shanks rings a bell, but he wasn't in our class. From your "Mormon or Gay" reference, am I to assume he decided he was the latter? I expect that went down well.

One of my Mormon friends was given a tour of the Hayes Bridge assembly hall, and spotted me on the MTS photograph. Quite innocently (I'd only met him once at that time) he enquired who I was as he thought I looked familiar. He quickly realised he'd stuck his finger on a sore spot. Its nice being famous, but such a pitty that the fame is limitted to people who don't talk to me for the most part.

John Boardley ( think I spelled that right) was first from my class to turn apostate. Are you still out there John?

Any old friends aboard from the MTS?

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