Elders are no longer teachers

eyeslice

Back in the day when I was a young witness lad, you very much got the impression that at least the training as theocratic teachers was good.

Even the bible reading back then had a short introduction and conclusion. You had to research and prepare your own ministry school talks and then perhaps you would graduate to a half of a 55 minute public talk. Then later if you were a book study conductor, you got to decide which scriptures to read and highlight. Even assembly parts only had an outline.

Fast forward to today. Why bother training elders as teachers as in reality they don't do any teaching. All the parts are more or less fully scripted with 'read' scriptures and pre-set questions. The bible reading is just that - get up and read no comments or conclusion about the passage. The school presentations are simply a case of watch a video and parrot off something similar.

Then the living as Christians is simply watch GB video followed by a few pre-set questions.

I reckon I could do any Congregation Watchtower study with zero preparation. Just stand up, get the paragraph read, ask the questions, read the 'read' scriptures. Then after everyone would say 'what a great job you did today bro'.

So what's the role of elders today? Well a lot are sincere people person's but in the end they are simple organizational enforcers.

waton

yeah, back then, during the big increase years, you could introduce a sense of humour into the talk or study,

wt has stopped training public speakers. good discussions at the doors have degenerated to shoving, showing a JWOrg link into people faces. the same text for weeks on end repeated.

No wonder no new "converts " are showing up at the halls.

PS: at least on the blood issue, individuality is now mandated. ha ha.

Hellothere

Yeah they stopped teaching public speakers and started focus more on singing at the meeting. Telling everyone that lyrics gets into your heart when you prepare the songs before meetings. But seems now they gonna focus more on movies.

Vidqun

Who remembers the movie "Those Magnifecent Men in their Flying Machines"? This reminds me of the part when a German training pilot was standing in the cockpit, reading the manual. "Step 1: Sit."

BluesBrother

You are dead right, Eyeslice... The men that we learned from, our mentors and role models had the “art of teaching “ . They made the meetings interesting, even fun. I can remember some Thursday nights when the whole place seemed to rock ....

Now it is all as dull as dishwater. And they wonder why you g people are leaving!

waton

dull as dishwater.

currently cleaning the image of David, the wt poster boy, 4 bible books 1 Kings to 2nd Chronicles.

actually a murderous, adulterous war criminal, responsible for the needless death of 10s of thousands. but publicly psycho analyzed by adoring "sisters" for his moving lyrics.

Vidqun: good analogy for wt operations at the hands on level:

"Flugtechnisches Handbuch." aka Elder manual. Coralling the flock. ha ha.

cofty

Great OP

I actually have memories of Thursday evenings that were quite good fun. Elders and others were appreciated when they used their initiative and invented entertaining teaching methods.

punkofnice

ES - I reckon I could do any Congregation Watchtower study with zero preparation. Just stand up, get the paragraph read, ask the questions, read the 'read' scriptures. Then after everyone would say 'what a great job you did today bro'.

Been there, done that.

Back then it was predictably formulaic. I don't know about today. It's been a long time since I saw Corporation(tm) propaganda. I feel the better for it.

What are Elders since I fled the Corporation(tm)? I don't know. I really don't.

WingCommander

It's all corporate BS now. Might as well go sit thru an Amway or Mary Kay Convention.

nowwhat?

The used to say the difference between elders and ministerial servants was the elders are teachers

Elders are no longer teachers

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