It's interesting that this letter is coming out now. Don't the Elders visit these ones just prior to the Memorial? The Memorial is just a few short weeks away.
No more official visits to disfellowshipped & disassociated ones
by AverageJoe1 58 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Anders Andersen
What they actually mean to say:
Legally we don't want to appear chasing, stalking, harassing and pressuring former members. That may be used against us in lawsuits re. child abuse.
Therefore we change the directive from a centrally organized effort to stalk ex members into something we can deny involvement in: each elder is now personally responsible to do the stalking.
If anyone asks, it wasn't our idea, we are not responsible for your actions, and you have never been a member of nor answering to Watchtower. Yes, we'll hang you out to dry.
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Anders Andersen
@ToesUp,
Yes, and just a few weeks ago a BOE letter instructed elders to visit all 'inactive ones' to invite them to the memorial and 'convey the GB's love' (what about Jhvh or Jesus?).
Strange indeed!
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Listener
Didn't the CO spend time doing this also? If so, it will reduce their work also, which was already cut back not long ago. -
steve2
"It's interesting that this letter is coming out now. Don't the Elders visit these ones just prior to the Memorial? The Memorial is just a few short weeks away. "
You're right Toes Up - I hadn't given much thought to the letter's timing.
"Yes, and just a few weeks ago a BOE letter instructed elders to visit all 'inactive ones' to invite them to the memorial and 'convey the GB's love' (what about Jhvh or Jesus?)."
Anders Andersen, I guess this is a case of the left hand not knowing what the right is doing?
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Magnum
The org is in retreat mode. The preaching work is more and more done in ways that keep JWs out of conversations and shield them from TTATT. The org knows that they can't stand up to questions and logical arguments. It knows they can't stand up to exposure to crazy JW history, evidence of failed predictions, evidence of ludicrous teachings, etc.
This thing with the elders is a similar tactic; they don't want elders exposed to the aforementioned, either. The danger is too strong that they'll lose the brighter ones (The dummies are mostly in to stay.).
Also, as some have mentioned, I never saw the program implemented anyway.
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doubtfull1799
Mmmm... the "GB has determined." So they are not claiming this is being done in response to Jehovah's direction? It is just their personal response to the matter.
If I was still an elder this would come as a great relief. My B of E were always quite diligent in following through on this and I always found these visits quite difficult and awkward.
It goes to show how little they now care about the principle Jesus gave in Like 15:4 about leaving the hundred behind to find the one lost sheep...
As one of those "lost sheep" myself, only one fellow elder has made any effort or attempt to keep in touch and try to help me. And I love and appreciate him for it because even though his efforts are misguided he is the only one of the body who has genuinely cared about our friendship enough to put doctrine aside and treat me like a human being and not as a mentally diseased person who is beyond fixing. He has also been willing to listen (without judgment) to all the problems I have highlighted with the org, without being too much of an apologist. Though still firmly committed to the org he has shown some integrity and honour which I respect. The others have virtually abandoned me after my two "offical" shepherding calls. I have not had so much as a text message from any of them in over 6 months. From these men I used to consider not only colleagues but friends.
Of course as they would point out I have not made any effort to contact them either, so it goes both ways. But According to Jesus instructions which they claim to be following it is their responsibility to reach out to me, not the other way around.
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jookbeard
ToesUP sums it up, the Come Back to Jeehovah" brochure was clearly a waste of time and no where near as many as they think will ever come back
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minimus
Very interesting as usual that the governing body has decided to obliterate a program that is supposed to bring people back to the fold. The reality is most people did not come back and regarding the carts ....nobody says anything to you if you walk by them they just stay in there like fools so that type of witnessing it will never bring back a former Jehovah's Witness
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wifibandit
February 28, 2017 TO ALL BODIES OF ELDERS Re: Visiting Disfellowshipped or Disassociated Individuals
This direction replaces what is stated in the Shepherding textbook, chapter 10, paragraph 1. Each elder should cross that paragraph out and make the following notation in the margin: “See letter dated February 28, 2017, to all bodies of elders.”
