I remember being watched closely for reaching the “national average” of 10+ hours monthly as I was considered for an MS position. Okay, this was around 1984, but my point is that once someone reaches MS or elder or even higher up, no one seems to question how many hours they have in the ministry, possibly because of their other responsibilities. So I think a lot of rank & file wonder about the GB members in this regard, but no one is allowed to question them.
Do the old boys on the GB actually report their field service hours?
by eyeslice 18 Replies latest jw experiences
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Beth Sarim
No one is allowed to question them because the rank and file probably take it for granted the GB are the 'all knowing'' and that they are the ''rock stars'" of the Borg for God. They just conclude the GB are God's men on Earth and the GB deserve all praise.
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fulano
The rule is, Bethel first. So even when they are just active publishers with one or two hours, they are ok. Nevertheless, in our building, the Bossert, Guy Pierce lived there as well and he conducted a book study in the library every saturday afternoon. When we were in the Brooklyn Heights congregation, where at least five or six members from the GB were assigned to I have never ever seen one on saturday mornings. Better said, you hardly would see them at all, except Barr.
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dozy
Ray Franz said that the GB members did very little ministry (ISOCF P200).
Just my limited experience - there was a vacation home in my territory that the owner would only rent out to "higher-ups" in the Org as a freebie. Basically the more senior you were - the more chance you would have to stay there. So there were prominent JWs from all over the world - Construction Overseers , Regional Overseers , Branch committee members , Bethel Heavies- a Who's Who of JW top brass. I was a keyholder and myself and my wife would often clean it so we often would meet the occupants , who usually stayed for a week. Somewhat optimistically , the meeting times and field service times and locations were pinned up on a notice board inside. Occasionally they would turn up for a meeting (KH was only 10 minutes drive away. ) NEVER did anyone ever go to a scheduled field ministry arrangement. NEVER.
Regularly on meeting up I would ask them if they wanted to go out for an hour doing a few RVs close by and often my wife would ask the sister if she wanted to go on calls or a bible study. I supposed I had an assumption that as "spiritual people" they might want to do an hour on the ministry locally during the week. Virtually every single time the offers were kindly refused - I can honestly only think of a couple of occasions ( over 10 years ) that someone went on a study with my wife ( and the property was occupied almost every week of the year).
I actually mentioned this to the elders who visited me after I faded and one of them was honest enough to admit that it was something that really stumbled him as well.
I know these people were on vacation and the Society gave them very little time off but it does show the attitude towards field ministry by the higher ups in the Society that I would assume is mirrored by the GB.
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blondie
I might add that public speakers can report their time as well. No need for door to door or even personal studies with non-jws. "Brothers may count the time spent delivering a public talk. An interpreter for a public talk may count the time as well." GB members give many talks, even invited to individual congregations for dedication of buildings (of course congregation pays for their travel and other expenses). (Organized to do Jehovah's Will book p.82)
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TonusOH
I don't remember if I ever counted the time from the public talks I gave. They owe me two hours!
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eyeslice
RULES & REGULATIONS
Photo Op
Exactly. These all look so staged. Would a member of the public allow a couple of guys to turn up on their door step with a photographer. Somehow, doesn't ring true.TonusOH
I don't remember if I ever counted the time from the public talks I gave. They owe me two hours!
The counting hours thing relates back to when 'Public Talks' were public talks, i.e. aimed at the public.As a kid of about 12 (nearly 60 years ago now) I remember being assigned to hand stamp handbills with the time and place of each weeks public talk (the handbills were pre-printed with the title of the talk and some information on the back but each congregation had to stamp them with the date, time and location) to hand to the public. If the householder wasn't particularly interested, we used to give them one of the handbills, with a cheery, "you'd be welcome to attend if you have time on Sunday".
You couldn't count your time if you say conducted the Watchtower study.
But if you think about it, the GB broadcast the rank and file, not to the public, so I assume they don't count their time. But I also suspect they don't put in a 'report at the end of each month on the basis they are in fulltime service. Let's them off the hook for any door to door ministry and I can't imagine the congregation secretary chasing them up for their report at the end of the month.
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ThomasMore
I only knew one GB member who ever went D2D while at Bethel. He took another B'Lite with him in the Heights and spoke to a few people. Maybe he did it on a dare.
If what Dan Sydlik said was true, the GB did not even have time to read the Bible so why would they go in the FS?