The Impact of Less "Appointed Men" & This Site Thank You

by JWTom 9 Replies latest jw experiences

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  JWTom

  With the passing Minimus, we all may think about what this site has meant to us personally. I lurked here for quite a few years before becoming active as a poster....still I consider what I have done to be very slight compared with others. May Minimus rest in peace and a big thank you to all that have helped me here over the years.

  A new member that is a PIMO Elder (Reservations) posted here about how he could wake people up while remaining a PIMO Elder. I shared some thoughts on his original post but also thought this idea justifies a new topic.

  Waking people up is incredibly hard and also risky if you need to stay in the organization. My situation is similar to Reservations. So much of my existence is still wrapped up in the Org that I have only been able to slowly fade - but to most existing JWs I am an active and respected member of the congregation.

  Some time ago I concluded that the Core Foundation of the current JW organization is the Elder and Ministerial Servant arrangement. If there were suddenly less "appointed men" offering free labor to the org....then it would immediately become very difficult for the org to continue operating as it does today.
  

  In my opinion, the most consequential thing any existing JW can do is to simply stop volunteering (serving in JW speak). If you are an Elder or MS, ask here or on Reddit ExJW for help on how to orchestrate a way to step down. Same if you are a Pioneer. This is the most impactful thing you can do to take away the orgs power and to wake others up. If every PIMO Elder and MS were to step down and simply STOP VOLUNTEERING for the endless free labor requests.....then the org would quickly have an enormous and possibly catastrophic problem. I have been posting more on the Reddit ExJW forum and you might find some of the threads below educational or insightful related to this topic.
  

  https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/pbzexb/10_steps_waking_up_to_the_truth_about_the_truth/

  https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/ofk3g5/good_elders_are_a_myth_as_are_cos_bethelites_ms/

  https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/of5p4j/young_people_ask_how_can_i_escape_jw_land_a/

  https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/o6msdk/reduce_the_power_of_jw_org_a_checklist/
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  hoser

  Very true with Jws and any other abusive group.

  Pay yourself first
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  Simon

  I agree. If you don't want to be part of it anymore, leave. Immediately.

  It has a far bigger impact ultimately than trying to stay IMO. Ultimately, you could have 99% of people not believing and going through the motions which would effectively be keeping the other 1% trapped.

  Just walk out and don't go back. Taking part in it is helping to perpetuate the system and keep it running, however much you may intend to try to stop it, you're still part of it.
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  truth_b_known

  I agree with JW To; If you are a PIMO Elder/Ministerial Servant/Pioneer and want to help others wake up, but cannot leave at this time, the best thing you could do is quit doing anything that is not required.

  • Stop being an Elder.
  • Stop being a Ministerial Servant.
  • Stop being a Pioneer.
  • Stop giving talks.
  • Stop answering.
  • Start enjoying life.

  Show up to the meetings and sit their like a bump on a log with a smile on your face. Isn't this the best life ever? If the elders ask you anything just answer with a big smile, "I believe whatever Jehovah's organization tells me. It is the best life ever!"

  Those who want to wake up will get it.
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  Biahi

  Everyone’s situation is different, you should do what is best for you. I walked away, moved 35 miles away, didn’t say anything to anyone. Never provided a forwarding address, and there were no cell phones then. Only my parents knew where I was, and they weren’t talking. Again, that was my situation, and I had a “worldly” boyfriend, a full time job, could support myself, and made friends who were not witnesses. That worldly boyfriend is my husband of 32 years.
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  oppostate

  the one thing that hurts the WT is available funds, well, the lack of it.

  a congregation can be run without any elders, only an ms, heck there have even been cogregations where no qualified baptized brothers were there to take the lead, but if the money keeps coming in, the game is afoot.

  no money, then real estate sales follow, and there is only so much local real estate that can be sold before publishers have to go great distances to meet.

  the pandemic is hiding much of the situation with the current properties and if there is a large selloff we will see the effect of many waking up. I get a feeling that contributions have taken a tumble these past two years.
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  JWTom

  Thanks for the great comments. Completely agree with all of them.

  My thought is that the decline of the Borg is something that happens in phases. One phase is "appointed men" waking up and realizing they are hurting and damaging the lives of other witnesses. As a increasing larger number of them stop "volunteering" to do free work that hurts others....the challenges of keeping the wheels on the bus at each congregation becomes that much harder.
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  StephaneLaliberte

  Reality is that this is already happening and its already a problem for them. For instance, I would have been very capable of "taking the lead" in the congregation. I left when I was 35, but from 20 to 35, never actually reached out to become a ministerial servant as I wasn't able to teach things I didn't believe in. Other brothers who felt the same confided in me about it. The end result is that there are less brothers to take the lead. One of my uncles is an elder and has been complaining that there are simply not enough of the younger generation to take over. A portion of me finds it sad for him as he dedicated his life to a cause where he's unable to simply pass the torch, validating all of his efforts. But that's basically what is happening.

  They are addressing this issue by lessening the teaching burden with videos, merging congregations, removing the book study and removing days from conventions. But the issue will keep growing.
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  OnTheWayOut

  I have to agree with Simon. I faded over a period longer than a year to try to help my wife out. I resigned as an elder right away and then cut back on attending until it was time to just stop. It did not work. My wife is very much a JW to this day. I maintain a relationship with JW family because I am not disfellowshipped. But the same result would have been achieved if I just up and quit, walked away.
  
  Everyone has to figure out what's best for them. Having family still in, especially close family, is a huge factor. But many might be best off just walking away and just having the "inactive" status.
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  JWTom

  OnTheWayOut

  Agree, overall. My thought is that the Just Walk Away approach is too drastic to even contemplate for many. Which is why I promote suggest that staring to do less also works.