25-year-old elders and 18-year-old ministerial servants (page 2)

steve2

I remember how much fun the JWs in my country made of Mormon men in their twenties who had the titles of "elder". Seems it's okay if it's the young ones in your own group doing it, though.

Mark -- you said all JW's are influenced egoically. The organization promotes the "we're better than anything in the world" attitude to make people feel privileged merely to be a JW. The Watchtower leaders use that as a means to help people feel better about being JW's.

I think some JW's who gain these positions are socially immature, as if the position were some excuse to act superior. Others are emotionally immature in the sense of not being able to handle their assignment, and so feel inadequate. Not many who get appointed at such a young age can handle it in a balanced way. But the organization plugs them in because they need to keep their workers busy.

Willy -- I also observed that those who were appointed at a young age often were part of a "family clan" in the congregation. You know what I mean.

Mulan -- Experiences like the ones you mentioned make a joke out of the Society's claim that servants and elders in JW-land are appointed by "holy spirit". They might as well be flipping a coin at headquarters when considering these appointments.

Otherside -- no wonder you're not an elder any more. The constant calls from the organization and its travelling overseers to keep cracking down on the rank and file JW's must strain any elder who tries to show compassion.

Steve -- I thought of that comparison with young Mormon elders. I encountered some when out in the ministry as a JW. They wore name badges signifying that they were elders! I guess it's important, to them.

Dismembered

It's a men/boys club

Dismembered

Killer boots man!

Scully

I think that there's a strong possibility that this has more to do with retention of young males in the group than it is about a lack of men of a more appropriate age and experience range.

I'm sure the WTS realized that they were losing a lot of young men around the age of graduating from High School or entering college/university and thought that offering these Privileges TM as an incentive to keep them from continuing their education and keep them in The Truth TM would work nicely... and it has!

jula71

Those of you/us still going, take a good look around the hall. The pool of "young talent" is almost dried up. I've seen now, any young "brother" with "zeal" is very quickly moved up the food chain. Last year I heard some in my family talking about that. In fact they said "the end" has to be near due to the lack of quality youth in the congregations.

minimus

I was 24 when elder, 20 as MS.

Gopher

Scully -- Good point there, that these "privileged positions" probably were used to entice some of the young Witnesses to stay around.

Jula71 -- So this is yet ANOTHER evidence that the end is near? Which Bible verse did they say that point came from? (Maybe the end of their organization is getting nearer?)

Minimus -- With the number of questions you propound, perhaps in your former life you were the Watchtower Study conductor??

minimus

Gopher/ PO and Sec.

Dismembered

Min said

:I was 24 when elder, 20 as MS.

That's scarier than the movie "I Know What You Did Last Summer"

Dismembered

"Don't you go dyin' on me now"

Euphemism

Personally, I feel that leading service groups at the age of 12 was a lot more of a problem than being made an MS at the age of 18.

25-year-old elders and 18-year-old ministerial servants

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