Why the BIG 4.5 day elder "school"? (page 3)

john.prestor

8 weeks? That's brutal. What did they talk about?

stan livedeath

i was out just as the elder thing was getting under way. the congregation servant did say he had put me up for the job. no thanks.

Tenacious

1st Day: LISTEN

2nd Day: OBEY

3rd Day: OBEY

4th Day: COMPLY

1/2 Day: REPEAT

Every 5 years or so elders get sent to a 5 day "elder school". It is typically held in a "classroom" or utility room in an assembly hall. There are 30-50 elders, from over a wide area, invited to attend.

There is a 1 or 2 day "elder school every 2 or 3 years, usually held at a Kingdom Hall. It typically is held for all elders in a circuit, so there may be 100 or 150 in attendance.

Sigfrid Mallozzi

This is part of what they do to keep their non-profit tax exemption status. I remember one where we actually just read from the "Organized to accomplish your ministry". Ridiculous.

eyeuse2badub

My 1st taste of "elder school" was in April 1973 at Norco, CA. 35 in the class. 2 weeks long. I was the youngest and the oldest was 65. I was 25 and still 'wet behind the ears'. Russell Dixon was the instructor and he was good or maybe it was that I was just naive.

We were actually told that our class was "special" because all of us in the class held the position of Bible Study Overseers which meant that we would be (by the natural progression of duties in place at that time) the Presiding Overseer in 1975. I was a totally indoctrinated jw at the time and so very full of myself as were all of us newly appointed elders.

During the 2 weeks much time was spent scrutinizing every word and every syllable and every possible meaning of certain core scriptures that supported our jw doctrines. As I look back now, I truly believe that that was what started me thinking that we can take any bible scripture and make it say whatever we want it to say! By drilling down to the 3rd or 4th possible meaning of any Greek word, bingo! you found the definition that you need to support you doctrine. Too bad it took 4 1/2 more decades before I left!

just saying!

kairos

Hopefully they will let the elders down first... Give them the bad news.
"We're shutting it all down" Convention theme.

Sorry, friends... Were a cult.

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Who'll be the last person to donate to Watchtower?

SnakesInTheTower

Somewhere I may have posted the outline for MTS at the time. Think 2 week Pioneer School on steroids, with a lot of Organizational subjects....Branch organization, Circuit, District organization, Convention departments. Even the MS were privy to the elder manual during the MTS, though they did not get to keep one. Reinactments of JCs. I think I chaired one of those demos, LOL.

Really, in retrospect, dreadful.

Snakes

Why the BIG 4.5 day elder "school"?