Did your congregation show hospitality to visiting speakers?

by truthseeker 11 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  truthseeker

  Not many of the general rank and file JW's even realize that there is supposed to be an elder in charge of showing hospitality towards visiting speakers and their families.

  In my old congregation, there was such an elder in charge of this arrangement - one meeting we had a local needs talk on showing hospitality - not just to the members of the hall, but visiting speakers (as well as visitors)

  One brother commented on how little hospitality there was - he acknowledged that while shopping at a local supermarket, he saw the visiting public speaker and his wife having lunch in one of the supermakets cafes.

  So much for hospitality.

  How did your congregation fare?
• 

  StinkyPantz

  At our KH they had a rotating schedule for hospitality. There were 10 or so families (some without elders) that took turns taking the visiting speaker out to lunch. It worked out nicely because it was voluntary.
• 

  blondie

  When it was someone people knew, no problem.

  New or unknown JWs...it depended on the congregation. Some were very good about...others had it pulled out of the fire by the PO or his designee. Some JWs were just good at signing up on the hospitality list where there was a blank spot.

  I remember one time a new elder was scheduled and no one signed up. So an older sister and I signed up. It turned up he showed up with the new CO and his wife not yet officially touring the circuit. One elder came up to tell us that he was talking over the "responsibility." The older sister told him no way, she had been cooking all week.

  Once the brothers switched weeks for giving talks and forgot to tell the talk coordinator in the congregation. Then when the speaker showed up it was not the one those giving hospitality had signed up for. They walked over at the beginning of the meeting and crossed off ther names and left the speaker and his wife without hospitality. No shame those folks. Doing it to the least of my brothers, you do it to me.

  Blondie
• 

  gumby

  There was a list to feed the speaker and anyone could put their name on it. Usually it was filled in.....but if it wasn't, it was the moral obligation for the elder in charge to see to it there was a name there.......or he was expected to do it. Sometimes if there was no name, the Elder would ASK someone if they would like to feed the speaker.

  We had a C.O. named Paul Smith who most didn't like..( I did however), and we had trouble getting volunteers for him. Poor dude!

  Gumby
• 

  unbeliever

  At my old congregation they would assign a family to host. The schedule was done every couple of months. All who were on the list volunteered. There was never any problems in my former congregation with this issue.
• 

  Scully

  Growing up, it always seemed like my family was assigned to provide lunch for visiting speakers (and their families) that were considered "weird" or "oddballs". The elders didn't have any trouble showing hospitality to visiting speakers who they thought were "normal".

  It taught me from very early on that in order to receive Privileges? at the Kingdom Hall, one must be prepared to endure a whole lot of crap.

  By the time I was in my mid-20s though, I had no trouble telling a CO to go pound sand when they were late for a lunch that the elders had asked me to make for him, and he then called to ask me if it was OK if they came the next day because one of the elders offered to take them out for lunch, knowing that I had already made lunch for them.

  Love, Scully
• 

  Soledad

  my congregation was full of suck-ups. the most *affluent* families were always assigned the meal preparation duties. usually that involved eating at fancy restaurants and/or catered affairs. when someone else offered to make lunch, if they weren't "in" they were snubbed.
• 

  Stephanus

  It's a pity the org is so caught up in the whole "every Dub a preacher" kick. There are plenty of support areas in which Dubs could count time (willingly, too!) if the WBTS would just drop the Rutherfordian door-to-door emphasis that is now well and truly past its use-by date. Of the seven gifts mentioned in Romans 12, are those called "giving" and "serving" (or "helping"). Instead of chafing under the "one-size-fits-all" yoke of the current system, imagine a properly functioning congregation where there are people happily using their gifts in service of the brethren!
• 

  ozziepost

  there is supposed to be an elder in charge of showing hospitality towards visiting speakers and their families

  I'm not sure that is true - it may have been a local arrangement but not a Society directed appointment.

  It's interesting(?) for me to think back on former times and compare them with what I experience now.

  All churches I have attended give hospitality to all - they don't need to be told, or assigned that "privilege". No, all places Mrs Ozzie and attend have an abundance of hospitality after each service. I can't help but wonder why it wasn't in the Dub tradition to have a morning tea after the meeting - perhaps because it might interfere with field service??!!!

  I used to visit congregations often, sometimes several times a month, and found that there was a marked disparity in offering hospitality between onecongregation and another.

  I recall one congregation that was the pits!! Their meeting was at 10am and was several hours drive away from our home, so we arose early and arrived in plenty of time. We sat in our car in the carpark waiting for the congregation to arrive and when they did - no-one approached our car at all.

  When we entered the KH, none of the elders approached us - we approached a sister ourselves and took our seat. The chairman walked to the platform to start the meeting and introduced me - I don't know how on earth this idiot could welcome anybody; he hadn't even checked to see if the speaker was there!!

  I gave my talk and after the meeting the same thing happened, no-one approached. We simply exited; we hadn't been offered so much as a cup of tea or coffee!! We simply drove back to the 'warm' environs of the Bethel area. Needless to say, the town we were visiting is renowned for having cold weather. Now I knew that their temperament matched their weather!!

  I also knew clearly that "by their fruits you will know them". In case you're wondering,it's Goulburn in New South Wales. Well, Jesus wasn't too impressed with a lukewarm congregation either, was he?

  Cheers, Ozzie
• 

  TresHappy

  I remember many of the speakers leaving as soon as the talk was over...they didn't stay for the WT session.

  And I remember many a time taking the speakers to the cafeteria...visiting Furrs or Luby's on Sundays!