WT Letter about elders' sins

by IT Support 13 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  Voyager

  This statement appears in paragraph (4) in the Watchtower letter above, and I thought that was what he was looking for. If not, I'll keep looking.

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  There is one exception to the above direction: The elders may have written to the branch office and given full details about a former child abuser who is currently serving as an elder or ministerial servant. In such a case, if the branch office has decided that he can be appointed or continue serving in a position of trust because the sin occurred many years ago and because he has lived an exemplary life since then, his name should not appear on the List, nor is it necessary to pass on information about the brother?s past sin if he moves to another congregation unless contrary instructions have been given by the branch. If therefore, such an appointed man moves to another congregation a letter confirming the move should be sent, addressed to the Society?s Legal Department.
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  Voyager

  This might help also. This post contains a couple of threads to Randy's site that contains the entire letter.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/8/56381/1.ashx

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/8/56381/1.ashx

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  Here is the policy in a letter to all elders dated June 1 2001. Read paragraph #4 here: http://www.randytv.com/secret/britainped1.jpg
  For the entire letter go here: http://www.randytv.com/secret/abuseletters.htm
  
  Church general counsel Philip Brumley now states in an interview with an Arizona newspaper that: "Where molestation allegations are corroborated, the abuser is banned from the church and is never again allowed to hold a position of authority if the excommunication is rescinded, Brumley said".
  
  Is this really true? Have they allowed known child molesters to become elders in the past? Would they have allowed a serial killer to become an elder too? Have they really stopped as Brumley states? Does anyone know anything about this?
  
  Also: Is it true that if you've had a vasectomy you can't be an elder? I remember something to that effect.
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  TheListener

  The letter to the body of elders was not one specifically dealing with child abusers. It dealt with any member of the servant body who committed a sin some time in the past. This would include fornication, drunkenness, loose conduct, etc.

  The KM from Pillsbury seems to be the closest thing to the letter. It actually spells it in much more detail than I would have expected in a KM article. I wonder how many dubs even know this exists.

  I have also seen this provision used on a servant body to excuse someone from serious sin and allow them to keep serving. Even the elder who had sinned (several years in the past) was taken aback at the decision. It was decided by the committee that because Jehovah obviously forgave him, the body would follow the holy spirit's lead. Actually, quite progressive for the dubs.

  Althought he KM article is great (and public info.) the U.S.A. letter to the body of elders would still be useful. It should be on file if there are any active elders around.
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  IT Support

  TheListener ,

  Thanks for confirming the letter's existence!

  I'd forgotten all about the letter until a week or so ago, when (so I thought) someone referred to it here on JWD. I was convinced I had downloaded a .pdf file of the letter from a link on the post... <sigh>

  The letter to the body of elders was not one specifically dealing with child abusers. It dealt with any member of the servant body who committed a sin some time in the past. This would include fornication, drunkenness, loose conduct, etc.

  That's exactly as I remembered it.

  Gamaliel and pillsbury ,

  Thanks for the quote, I'd forgotten that one. It's excellent, but not the one I was thinking of.

  Do you know whether anything similar appears in the newer Organized book, which was released in 1983?

  From what I can see, it seems to have very little specific detail, but which is now filled in by confidential letters to the bodies of elders!

  Voyager ,

  Thanks, but that's not it. The one I'm thinking of was fairly general in the sins it referred to, rather than specifically referring to a single issue like child abuse.

  Buster ,

  It's not impossible, I guess. Though I distinctly (if I'm not going prematurely senile!) remember downloading a scanned WT letter, rather than reading about an elders meeting that may have discussed the same situaion.