In 2005, the Watchtower publication, Organized to Do Jehovah's Will (OD), gave us this powerful reason for trusting the “Faithful and Discreet Slave” (FDS):
WHY TRUST "THE FAITHFUL AND DISCREET SLAVE"
There are many reasons to have complete trust in the slave class. First and foremost, Jesus has appointed them over all his precious "belongings." This is a clear indication that he has complete trust in them. - OD, p. 18 – [Italics in original]
That sounds really good, doesn’t it? Confidence inspiring, isn’t it? Or at least it was for the last 7 years or so.
Unfortunately, the recent "New Light" about the identity of this Faithful Slave has revealed a problem with this reason for trusting them. What is that? Consider this point from the July 15, 2013 Watchtower Study Edition:
WHEN DOES JESUS ARRIVE, OR COME?
A further consideration of Jesus’ prophecy indicates that an adjustment in our understanding of the timing of certain aspects of Jesus’ prophecy is needed. … So it is reasonable to conclude that Jesus’ arrival to appoint the faithful slave over all his belongings, mentioned at Matthew 24:46, 47, also applies to his future coming, during the great tribulation. 1 - Watchtower, July 15, 2013, p. 8, paragraphs 17 & 18 – [Italics in original]
And so, the primary reason that we were given in 2005 for having "complete trust" in the Faithful and Discreet Slave was taken away from us in 2012. The reason for that trust was based on an event that has not yet happened! When we shine this "New Light" on the "Old Light" we find the most important reason we were ever given for trusting the FDS doesn't exist, at least not yet, not now in the present. I guess we'll just have to wait until the Great Tribulation and see if Jesus actually does appoint them over his belongings to know if we can really trust them or not.
In the meantime, I think I'm going to proceed with caution and a healthy dose of skepticism.
Of course, many active JWs are only just now learning about this “New Light” and some probably won’t learn about it until it is considered in the WT Study in the congregations in the first week of September.
By the way, have you noticed that every time the WT publishes an "adjustment in our understanding" attempting to solve one problem with doctrine it usually ends up creating more problems? Why do you suppose that is? What does this mean?
1 - See also the Annual Meeting Report, November 9, 2012. Under the subheading, When Does Jesus Appoint the Slave “Over All His Belongings”?, we read: “Jesus’ appointment of the “slave” over his “belongings,” then, must also be a future event. He will make that appointment during the great tribulation.” <http://www.jw.org/en/news/events-activities/annual-meeting-report-2012/>