When you moved, did you feel obliged to stay in the same congregation?

by JH 8 Replies latest jw friends

  • JH
    JH

    Here in Quebec, people move alot. July 1st comes around, and every year about 10% of the population moves to a better apartment. I'm no exception, and during my dub years I moved about 5 times in 8 years, always trying to find a better or cheaper place. Often I had no choice to move, because the landlord was transforming the place into something else.

    The city was divided in 3 congregations, and I was part of a congregation in a poor section of town with horrible apartments. I felt obliged, and was expected to stay in the same congregation and live in the limits of that congregation, although better apartments were available in other parts of the city. Being a devout dub in a strict congregation, we were expected to stay in the same congregation in order to keep our responsibilities and climb. I remember a couple of times when brothers and sisters moved out of the congregation, and went into a different one near by, it was as if these persons commited a sin. We were like a little family that had to stay together until the end... Finally I moved out of that congregation to a nicer part of the city with a nicer apartment, where I still live today.

    I was just wondering if you also felt obliged to stay in your congregation when you moved? Or was the mentality different in your congregation?

  • Gadget
    Gadget

    I know in my area that some people moved house just so that they could change congregations without making a scene.

  • Euphemism
    Euphemism

    Ditto, Gadget. I've never really heard of anything like that.

  • Scully
    Scully
    When you moved, did you feel obliged to stay in the same congregation?

    No, no, no and Hell No!! On the contrary, it was a great opportunity to get away from a congregation gone sour.

    Love, Scully

  • gwyneth
    gwyneth

    No. Our congregation shared a KH with a neighboring city, and there was a big problem with publishers who lived in one territory who were attending the meetings in the other congregation. Talks were given over and over about going to the congregation you were assigned to, because you lived in their territory, but no one ever listened and they kept on defecting.

  • GentlyFeral
    GentlyFeral

    Here in the East (SF) Bay Area, the policy was to attend the congregation that worked the territory you lived in. Wasn't rigidly enforced, though. For a few years we went to a congregation whose territory we didn't live in just for continuity's sake -- we'd started there when we moved into town, but then couldn't afford any of the rents in that territory.

    GentlyFeral

  • benext
    benext

    I know of a couple of elders who moved out of the territory and were told if they wanted to remain elders they had to change congregations.

  • Athanasius
  • shamus
    shamus

    I felt obliged to leave and leave with a scene, usually.

    I would just go and not tell anyone... it was fun! They all thought I was "bad assosiation" for doing so, LOL! I must have done somthing wrong.... what fake love. Not one phone call, nothing. They are such morons.... memories...

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