The irony of the criticim levelled against my dad for not going out on the 'work' often enough is that anyone who has a problem in the congregation speficially asks for him to deal with it as they know he is so compassionate and will deal with them in a reasonable way.
It breaks my heart that such a good person is taken for a ride. He is very clever but despite mom's encouragement and support he never pushed himself when he was younger and always had poorly paid jobs even though he is a skilled engineer - work had to fit around his spiritual duties.
My brother's (both elders)are a conundrum too. Eldest = v clever, good grades at school but took an average office job years ago and has always turned down promotion - a real plodder. Younger brother = never very academic but always knew what he wanted. Part owns his own business, flash car, holidays, watches etc and loved in the cong (nothing to do with the £££'s he contributes of course).
The biggest joke was when I revealed to my family that I had been abused as a child by my older brother's friend (now his brother in law) my younger brother said that he felt sorry for me not being a witness as I would never know the love of the congregation. Yeah they have so much love they have covered up the whole thing and my older brother and his wife (the abusers sister) walked out of my parent's back door when I walked in the front and they have ignored me for 5 years - despite me writing to them to ask why (no reply - surprise, surprise).