I remember a quarrel a few years ago that the body was having over the territory limits of a new congregation. As I understand, some of the elders forming the new congregation wanted to split the territory evenly (50/50) while the elders staying in the original congregation wanted to hold on to most of the territory. A bit silly if you ask me.
WERE THERE ANY ELDER'S QUARRELS IN YOUR CONGREGATION?
by badboy 25 Replies latest jw friends
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upside/down
I got too many to list....
u/d
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doinmypart
Yes.
We have an MTS-grad elder that tries to run the KH like a mini-Bethel. This elder is righteous over much, and cold to the congregation members. The PO is indecisive, so the MTS-grad in effect runs the congregation via the PO. This causes so many conflicts with a couple of other brothers jockeying for position. On this body a grown man has cried during a BOE meeting, another has walked out of a BOE meeting, and we've had meetings that lasted over 3 hours because we couldn't come to agreement on the items discussed.
Even when the circuit elders meet Saturday evening of the Circuit Assembly, our circuit had some disagreements on how to use "surplus" circuit funds. Really quite messy.
A few more things, but I can't say...don't want to disclose too much information.
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confusedjw
We have an MTS-grad elder that tries to run the KH like a mini-Bethel. This elder is righteous over much, and cold to the congregation members.
Shocking!
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upside/down
I was pulled into a Judicial Committee... didn't even see it coming...
First thing I asked was who is my accuser? Next I asked where is the proof? and finally where are the witnesses?
With that said, this meeting lasted from 7pm till 2AM!!! Those clowns couldn't agree on anything. They kept looking at each other and had no clue what to do. It was literally a battle of wits with unarmed
elderspeople.It was a gawd damm joke... I wasn't allowed to know who my accuser was, the only proof was a letter from another body of elders and no witnesses. And when I tried to counter this entire debacle with a cry of "foul" it was and continues to be ignored. I wrote letters to the CO and the Society and to this day they say it's a closed matter. I invoked Matt.18 to no avail.
NEVER F*cking AGAIN!!!
u/d (of the 7hrs in a JC class)
p.s.- the outcome of the JC was let's just pretend this never happened- how convenient.
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toladest
The biggest quarell I encountered was over me! Little ole me....
Elders in my hall had decided to DF me for apostacy because I WENT TO THEM for help. I kept questioning things because of abuse I suffered and could not understand why an abuser was being supported and his accusers were being shunned. I was devastated and shocked when they called me to a judicial hearing. I decided to appeal their decision and another set of elders from another congergation were brought in. The CO chose the elders for the appeal. These brothers met first with the original commitee and then with all of us together. I had to go through details of my abuse with these brothers that I did not even know. The first set of elders started to lie and say that I said that I did not believe in God and I thought God was a child abuser. (I pointed out that someone was lying because I could not believe both things. If I didn't believe in God how could he be a child abuser??)
Anyway, they had me leave the room on a couple of occasions and when they did the arguments got very heated and loud. They were in the library and I was in the main hall and could hear EVERY word. The 2nd committee believed (as was true at the time) that I was sincerely looking for help and guidence and was really hurting inside. The first set of elders kept arguing that I was a "danger" to the congergation. As I look back it was laughable. The 2nd set sent the first set out of the room to discuss the situation and OBVIOUSLY they had no clue that I could hear them, because one of them (the 1st set) came and hugged me and said they loved me and hoped that it would turn out in my best intrest. He said that I should view it as a positive thing! What a sick twisted mind!
Anyway, they never came to an agreement and had to send a letter to the WTS. That is what led me to question the elders more. I was always taught that they prayed and Jehovah's Holy Spirit moved on them to make the right decisions.....but they could not even agree.....
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blondie
I remember a congregation that was so wracked with fights that 2 elders from other congregations were brought in. I remember one elder saying that he was appalled that these men could call themselves Christians...yet none were removed. Eventually, the congregation was "expanded" into 2 and each of the 2 factions put in each congregation....yes, now instead of one elder body fighting within itself, you had 2 elder bodies fighting with each other.
I have heard from elders that they were told by the PO that "it is my way or the highway." For those of you who don't remember, that is from 3 Peter 2:1.
I can remember one elder that so controlled the congregation, that 3 COs came, tried to get him unseated, and left defeated. Finally, he lied to protect a friend from a judicial matter, and the other elders saw their chance to band together finally and remove him.
It varies from congregation to congregation. I have heard in some the BOEs meet 4 times a year for a couple of hours max. In other congregations, elder meetings last from 6 to 2 am and still nothing is resolved. But there is a lot of yelling and hard feelings.
My experience is that for every nasty thing elders do to the rank and file, they have done 10 times worse to each other.
It's like the pecking behavior of chickens.
Blondie
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the_classicist
All I can say is that people will have disagreements, why should we care if there was any particular petty quarrel by men who think they are God's gift to his people.
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badboy
Any more takers,I LIKE HEARING THESE STORIES!
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stillajwexelder
Oh yes - Oh yes -- when there are more than two people in a room there will be politics