(Ex-)Elders and MS: Do You Know What They Discussed Before Appointing You? (page 2)

GermanXJW

>Gracious, I gave the elders that look....

You should have given them the finger...

>I can't say exactly why I can't recommend him but something about him----bothers me

My father - an ex-elder - told me a similar story. A regular pioneer was to be appointed an MS and everyone on the BOE agreed - except one. The elder claimed the pioneer invented the numbers on his service report. The CO checked and said: No, he does not. Still, the elder was against appointing him without giving a reason.

This became somehow public because this elder went to the pioneer and said: "If you get appointed and they ask you if you agree Iw ant you to reject." This went up to the point that he threatend the pioneer.

The pioneer later changed congregations. My father never learnt what was the reason for this elder's behavior. But he resigned as an elder and quit going to the meetings about this after he wrote several letters to the Branch and got unsatisfying answers.

Scully

I know that when Mr Scully was being considered for a MS appointment, my outspokenness with him was said to have been "holding him back". However, we did have the Book Study? and Field Service Arrangements? in our home for many years, with the Elders dangling the Ministerial Servant appointment-carrot in front of my husband the entire time. We also - at the suggestion of these same Elders - began to include the Elders and their families more frequently when we had people over for dinner. More than once I was told, both by Mr Scully and a couple of Elders, that it was my "fault" that Mr Scully had not been appointed. I liked to use the story of Sarah, who was known for calling Abraham "Lord", but also had no problem in pointing out to Abraham when he was making dumb decisions.

Over all, I think appointments in that congregation were a measure of a) the size of the cheques you wrote for the Contribution Boxes?; b) how much the Elders/Congregation could take advantage of your hospitality; c) how well behaved [ie, In Subjection?] your children were; d) how well the wife displayed Being In Subjection?; e) your participation in Field Service? and the wife's participation in Field Service?; f) whether you had a regular Family Study?; g) the suitability of your vehicle for Field Service?; h) whether the person's job could provide some kind of advantages for the Brothers in general, and the Congregation in particular (such as building permits for a new KH, or a city building inspector who might be willing to help 'move things along' more quickly).

Basically, they seemed to want men they could "use" without them realizing they were being "used". (Lubricant optional.)

Love, Scully

stillajwexelder

When I became an elder I was made secratary and then had chance to review the minutes og the BOE meetings - one of the first things I tried to do when discussing brothers was - here is why we can not appoint him and here is the scripture - and then I recorded a scriptural reason why a brother was not appointed. But I agrree with what has already been said especially by minmus and Little Toe - there really were some very petty and frivolous reasons brought up by some elders.

For me -- what they discussed about me was - This brother always looks so serious..... he should smile more -- OK and the scriptural reason -- Jehovah is a Happy God!!

minimus

Gumby, YOU asked too many questions?? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

DanTheMan

At the second of three congs I attended during my JW years I got the feeling that the body had their eye on me. I however wanted nothing to do with being "appointed". I'm sure I was a topic of discussion at all those closed-door gossip sessions tho. "If we could just get him to go out in service!"

At the third cong, one of the lamest deadest congs in the central Ohio area, they were too busy forming JC's to deal with my smoking and fornication misdeeds to even consider the possibilty. LOL

minimus

"If we could only get him to go out in service, stop smoking and stop fornicating...."

Deleted

It was 1989. I had a cell phone (one of the small ones in those days, weighed about a pound). I answered a call when I was out in service (we were just driving) and it got back to someone who said that since I was being considered to be appointed as an MS I should be very careful not to mix business with our sacred service.

Undecided

I was a third generation JW in my area. My grandmother started the JWs here and was of the "anointed". My dad ran the congregation untill his death. I had been appointed about every ministerial servant in the congregation and was the only one available to be the PO in the new congregation that we started. I have no idea what was said about me. I served for about 10 years before I quit. I can't remember what we discussed before appointing ministerial servants, it's amazing how well I have put it all out of my mind, of course it's been thirty years ago.

Ken P.

Ailla

">Gracious, I gave the elders that look....

You should have given them the finger...

>I can't say exactly why I can't recommend him but something about him----bothers me

My father - an ex-elder - told me a similar story. A regular pioneer was to be appointed an MS and everyone on the BOE agreed - except one. The elder claimed the pioneer invented the numbers on his service report. The CO checked and said: No, he does not. Still, the elder was against appointing him without giving a reason.

This became somehow public because this elder went to the pioneer and said: "If you get appointed and they ask you if you agree Iw ant you to reject." This went up to the point that he threatend the pioneer.

The pioneer later changed congregations. My father never learnt what was the reason for this elder's behavior. But he resigned as an elder and quit going to the meetings about this after he wrote several letters to the Branch and got unsatisfying answers."

Confucious

They discussed my usage of sports illustrations.

You know, life is like a football game and we're in the 2 minute warning.

I kid you not.

They said that brothers in the congregation were spending too much time watching sports.

(Ex-)Elders and MS: Do You Know What They Discussed Before Appointing You?

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