Were Most Of The Elders "On The Ball" In Your Congregation? (page 2)

gumby

Were Most Of The Elders "On The Ball" In Your Congregation?

Most of the ones I knew weren't on the ball, but they did scratch their balls alot.

Gumby

hillary_step

Were Most Of The Elders "On The Ball" In Your Congregation?

No, but they were "on the bottle". Does that count?

HS

I have been an elder for a number of years. When I was new, I relied on the experience of others. Soon I found out that many were just stuck in a rut. Especially the older ones. They didn't keep up with the times and were always talking about experiences from the Second World War. Then there were the young ones that were just plain goofy. Some of them were there, because their wives wanted them to be appointed, and pushed them along until they were. Then their wife would not like something in the congregation, and we heard about it. And then there were those who didn't have 'the balls' to make things right. Things like child abuse, they felt it was messy and didn't want to get involved, because of lawsuits.

Mysterious

Not necessarily dumb, just naive, misinformed, or uninformed. They were knowledgeable in their area(s) perhaps but overall had really no understanding about how the world really works.

Lady Lee

Well I thought that for the most part they were OK ---- until they decided to cover up the abuse by one of the elders and toss his wife - ME

toreador

No, most of them were slackers except and one and he has a pioneering complex. Save the world but forget the congregation and totally afraid of his own shadow.

gumby

Puternut,

I enjoyed your points......and I haven't said welcome and hello yet. Welcome and hi

I was out before the child abuse policy uncovering unfolded and wonder what it would now be like to handle such a case, and how I would have responded.

Toreador,

"slackers" LMAO!

I've known many of pioneer elders, who fit the mold you described. Putting in time with strangers, was more important than spending time with their own brothers and sisters. Typical family eh?

Gumby

seeitallclearlynow

In my first congregation, we had one pseudo-intellectual who always sounded like the Britannica from the platform; a smiling immigrant with a bit of a problem w/ English (but he was sweet); a "righteous overmuch" who didn't go to his own daughters' weddings, and later regretted his foolishness; and the banker who always did the 1975 Armageddon countdown with enthusiasm.

Don't remember the Brooklyn elders much at all.

Next congregation, all pretty good. We were "in" so it was kind of nice; and they were pretty good speakers, except for the Watchtower Conductor, who always did his "pre-ramble" to the study. Wind bag.

Next congregation, I barely remember the elders.

Next congregation, I remember all the brothers on my committee were later removed for various reasons, except for one. They were exceptionally kind and friendly to me when I came back, though I wasn't in their congregation anymore. Sweet brothers, after the fact; but one of them, when they met w/ me against my will at my home when I was apparently having some kind of breakdown just before I DA'd (the first time) had jumped up and yelled at me that "Jehovah IS loving!!!" Imagine how inappropriate that outburst was.

All of the elders on my reinstatement committee, in a new congregation, were later removed (including the PO) for (so I heard) giving bad advise to some sister. One of the brothers, the sweet, loving one, was not removed; he stepped down to help his wife take care of their little children. What a good example he was.

Another group of elders called us into the library for a "littly chat" and proceeded to warn us not to talk to my DF'd child at the hall, because "a lot of people has complained to them" that our family seemed too comfortable w/ him in spite of his "state." Stupid crybabies. And the brothers literally argued w/ each other during the whole meeting with us. Kept contradicting each other on how we should live and behave in connection w/ my own child. I left that congregation, but 2 of the brothers insisted on coming over to my home to apologize for the outrageous conduct of the other brothers who had pulled us into the back, so out of obedience only, I returned.

And the joy of the "freedom in Christ" experienced among Jehovah's Witnesses goes on....

core

"On the Ball"... well most wanted the title, but did not want the responsibility - decent elders burnt out rather than let loose some of the freaks who had been appointed when issues arose - clear split between elders now -- out of date pre 60's older ones , newer time servers and the real problem the career elders, young arrogant and deadly - I know of one who managed to put of permanently 5 people in the space of a few months as he pushed his nose into their affairs.

shamus

Not at all on the ball. They really had no idea what youth were up to, and were just old ogre's in the congregation that had a haughty attitude. Frankly, I would feel more comftrable talking to anyone BUT an elder. They were judgmental, self-rightcheous, and generally assholes MOST of the time... there were a few elders who were good. But for every good one there were ten bad ones.

They had no conception of music in the modern day. They still thought that people listened to "Michael Jackson" in the 90's for god's sake! We all laughed at them... oooh, better keep away from Michael Jackson music, lest we die, LOL!

Were Most Of The Elders "On The Ball" In Your Congregation?

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