You'd better pioneer or else tell Jehovah why you can't !!

by Gopher 9 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  Gopher

  Back around 1980 (I cannot remember the exact year), the speaker at the District Convention said that each non-fulltime-pioneer JW should pray to Jehovah and explain to him why they cannot pioneer. If you can't come up with a reason, then you should start pioneering.

  If I remember correctly, this counsel was repeated in the pages of the Watchtower magazine the following year.

  Did anyone here respond to this "encouragement"? I think it pushed me toward pioneering, although I didn't do it for very long.

  This was a subtle but powerful guilt trip that tested your loyalty to the organization.

  I also remember hearing this during the 1970's and early 1980's (before the growth of JW's in Japan came to a screeching halt), "If Japan can have about half of their publishers in some form of the pioneer ministry, why can't we do so here in America?" The zealous Japanese were always held up as an example to try to make us feel like we weren't doing enough here.
• 

  micheal

  Wow, that sounds very familiar. I did respond. If only I knew then what I know now.

  Thanks Gopher, now I'm going to have nightmares again tonight
• 

  Double Edge

  If Japan can have about half of their publishers in some form of the pioneer ministry, why can't we do so here in America?"

  Then again, the stressed out, over-worked Japanese have one of the highest suicide rates in the world.
• 

  jimbob

  YUP! I totally remember this counsel being given at an assembly. I didn't realize it at the time, of course, what a guilt trip they were laying on everyone. But I guess that's because I didn't realize it was a cult at the time.

  This was absolute crap that they were giving us. But I knew nobody that decided to pioneer after being given this guilt trip...I guess we all told Jehovah that we'd rather work full time so we could pay our bills....
• 

  Mysterious

  They still pull crap like that, especially during special pioneer months. And guilt trip people into rearranging their circumstances. Working people supporting households end up pining away that they need to do more, want to do more, should do more. Etc.
• 

  Satanus

  Let's see, ok jehovah, i can't pioneer 'cuz i'm a apostate. I think the dubs would prolly not give me a territory card. They also would not count my time. Kinda pointless, eh, jehovah dude?

  S
• 

  wheres caleb?

  How many times have they flipped-flopped on the application of this issue? Even if you cannot pioneer, having the 'pioneer spirit' is the most important thing. They were ranting about an issue in the 80's, making an improper application of a point that would be corrected by 90's standards. I guarantee you, that speaker has met with circumstances that challenge his resolve on that issue.

  In my experience, I have only met one really good pioneer and she has not pioneered for decades. In her younger years, she accepted an invitation to go where the need was great in a small community in California. To motivate the other sisters, she never resorted to guilt or cited obligation. She just enjoyed her ministry. She wanted others to feel like they were missing out on something special. It worked. Reminds me of Jesus and how others responded to him.

  Jesus never asked anyone to do something out of guilt, and if anyone could do that, Jesus could. Why doesn't the organization in it's infinite wisdom recognize that?

  Spirit directed? I think not.
• 

  Leolaia

  Could someone like blondie find this published statement? It's a good example of the lengths the WTS would go to...
• 

  christopherrobin

  It's pretty nutty !!!

  There was this older fellow who would pull out a 1958 WT and tell ALL witnesses that the only reason to be baptised was to be a full-time minister. There was NO excuse to not pioneer !!!!

  Strange ???--He had no problem hiring illegal aliens to build his business and home ( how it passed code, I have no idea).

  So, you can use illegal ones to profit from ( no taxes or documentation )-and save $$, but, a 40+ year old manual can give you the right to put a guilt trip on those that are not putting in 90+ hrs. monthly in service
• 

  Satanus

  Here is one:

  ***

  km 4/99 p. 4 Pioneering?Wise Use of Our Time! ***

  10

  Now as never before, ?the time left to preach the good news is reduced.? (1 Cor. 7:29; Matt. 24:14) Therefore, it is appropriate to ask ourselves, ?If my life were to end unexpectedly tomorrow, could I tell Jehovah today that I have used my time wisely?? (Jas. 4:14) Why not talk to Jehovah in prayer now, assuring him of your desire to use your time wisely as one of his Witnesses? (Ps. 90:12) Pray for Jehovah?s help to simplify your life. Even though you might have ruled it out before, could it be that you now find that pioneering can be fitted into your life?

  I am blond, sort of

  S