This is the GOOD elder thread

by jwbot 28 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  Badger

  jwbot: Great thread idea!

  I know of two...My dad and another older brother. both cut from the same cloth.

  My dad was always popular with the youngest ones in the hall. He's very gregarious, and sitting in on JC meetings was not his idea of fun. He was famous for saying "I'm not sure we should be involved in this, scripturally" It's a line used by the current elders there to mock is stay on the body

  The other was very conservative, but very quick to listen. He knows the Society's teachings front and back, and defends them well. He had a really firm hand in the JC meetings, but that also took its toll. He was interested only in scriptural offenses (adultery and the like), and refused to play the DF card on someone who had doubts. Also why he stepped down, and is now unofficially considered a "real" elder -- an Elder Emeritus, if you will.

  When I was going through my separation, none of the elders even checked in on me, but he did. I studied with him for about a year until I moved.

  If I wind up leaving, those two will be missed.
• 

  Yerusalyim

  I've met two elders whom I consider sincere, intelligent...doing the best they could.

  One was Mexican American, the other a German...both elders at the English speaking congregation in Stuttgart Germany.
• 

  iiz2cool

  Of all the elders I knew, only 2 or 3 ever treated me maliciously. The majority seemed to be sincere, just misled or unqualified for certain things. Sometimes it only takes a few bad ones to make them all seem bad.

  Walter
• 

  SM62

  jwbot,

  It's so nice to have a thread like this - it makes things more balanced.

  I can think of many elders that were very nice people. It is silly to demonise them all just because the WTS has so many things in a twist. One elder in particular sticks in my mind - he is such a nice guy - you really can't fault him.

  Terri
• 

  hillary_step

  jwbot,

  This post was made by one of the Boards most gifted writers and it is very much crafted along the focus of your point. Unfortunately we read far too little of his posts here these days ( where are you TMS ). This snippet of human interaction highlights the people behind the briefcase. I have bought it back online before but make no apology for doing so again.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/7554/1.ashx

  Kind regards - HS
• 

  talesin

  Harlan Levy

  Good elder. Nice person. Nuff said.

  Love you, Harlan. Thanks for being nice to me.

  t
• 

  core

  All the whipper-snapper elders who give the infomercial funeral talks about what Brother So-and-So believed should sit at the feet of someone like Doug Cornelius and go to school. Trash these doctrine-crammed-down-ur-throat diatribes devoid of feeling and recognition of the individual just lost, so afraid of eulogizing an individual and taking away from the worship of the universe?s creator that they are sterile, inane apologies for a belief system instead of a grieving process.

  HS

  Just read your referenced (superb) post by TMS - one great sadness from my 40 and more years in is the way in which strong, devout and faithful men have been pushed aside by the career pioneers / graduates of the MTS or whatever and propelled to positions of influence without much shred of humanity. So few are genuinely concerned with the Flock - preferring to herd the sheep in the latest organisational directive. My time in the Truth in my early years were very happy and I learned the craft of being an elder (servant) at the feet of masters of kindness, humanity and compassion - true pillars in the congregation - sadly such ones seem to have vanished and now young elders learn at the CD Rom or some organisation school which anodises them to a grey shadow.
• 

  Hamas

  Aldun Beehl

  One hell of a loving, caring elder.

  His help shall never be forgotten.
• 

  teejay

  By far the majority of elders I ever knew (and still know and talk to) where fair and decent men. Most of 'em had pretty good senses of humor, too, and could carry their part of the conversation when the topic turned to sports, cars, weekend fun, etc. It would be easier for me to list the jerks and there weren't but a handful of those. I was lucky, I guess.
• 

  rocketman

  Funny how many of the good ones end up stepping down. As mentioned, they can't keep up the internal conflict of trying to do right by people while toeing the line that the Borg has drawn.

  jwbot, your dad sounds like a gem.

  I tried to be a good elder, and I think I did okay for the most part. There was no lack of effort, that's for sure. But it kills you in a lot of different ways. Being an elder just sucks the life out of you. Being a jw does the same thing of course.