by seeitallclearlynow 14 Replies latest jw friends
I might have said that I take it as proof that it is time to give Sisters TM more responsibility in the congregations. Obviously, the Brothers TM aren't handling it as well as they should.
The GB can't have this because y'all would start by DF'ing the pedophiles in the organisation and the GB is terrified they would be implicated.
Is there house of cards coming down tier by tier? When it collapses who will pick up the cards.
Trouble abrewing upstairs in Brooklyn.
luv Orangefatcat
My experience of eleven years as an elder was that regardless of what the make up of the body, the congo always FELT the PO ran the body. I even saw that any brother could run the body as long as he did more in the ministry than the rest. The CO would always gravitate 2 the brother who was pioneering or out more during his visit. If a brother couldnt be PO and he wanted 2 push his weight he would push 4 secretary as this gave him privy 2 all correspondance 2 the society. Really the PO from my experience never ran the congo. U still had strong willed brothers 2 contend with and every thing had 2 be voted on...its hard 2 get ur way when u got 2 vote...and the majority decision is what the minority supposedly had 2 support..even though I saw several times brothers didnt line up 2 this principle....the whole scriptural point of u have one leader, Christ, the rest of u r brothers got lost in the organization system.
Greetings:
This "problem" is more likely in smaller Elder bodies but of course as with anything so much depends on the personalities involved.
One Elder who is a good person all-around could be a great shepard for the congregation and all that is needed (aside from having too much responsibility and meetng parts on his shoulders.) On the other hand 10 elders who believe they are the apostles reborn would make any congregation a living nightmare.
I don't think there is anything to do but to do what they do and that is to import a brother here or there to break up any "power" groups that have formed. I think in the larger cities like my own, Los Angeles, this type of action is easy and done frequently. (No relocation problems.)
But in the small towns across the boondocks, you have quite a few dynasties going and that is where the real nightmares are. In my small hometown where I grew up, the English congregation was mostly in the hands of one family and their relatives. Those congregations can be ok but more often they are the worst, especially when it comes to double standards and preferential treatment.
-Eduardo
In general I think it takes a certain type of man to be a PO. Usually ones that are more inclined towards power, prestige, etc. The system doesnt function properly because these men really believe as one post put it "that they are the face of the WTS". Like a jerk CEO of a company that no one else likes including the other managers (the rest of the elder body in this case).
The PO's that are not power hungry do not last in that position. The WTS is stuck because on the one hand they do have these hardcore PO's to keep their pharasaic rules in place but on the otherhand many of the other elders do not want to remain "under this oppresive yoke" forever and they may rebel against that PO or step aside eventually. Many citing "family responsibilities" as the reason... yeah whatever.
No matter what the Elders manual , the new Organized book, or WT articles say the PO, SEC., SO (service committee) are considered the "top" elders on the body thus starting the elder "pecking order". Its really quite pathetic if you ask me and I agree with HadEnuf, this environment produces jaded, bitter elders who care more about prestige than people.
