G'day all,
One "keynote" topic at the Cannyfest was the matter of all those labels that the WTS uses. Of course, they try to sidestep the issue by accusing the churches of having titles yet in reality they have far more distinguishing labels. Can you think of them all? Well at the Cannyfest we tried to list all the labels the WTS uses to keep the R&F in order. We know we hadn't got them all, but we wondered just what was the ranking order for all their titles labels? Yep, we know there's formal titles in "the Organisation" but they use labels too as perceived titles.
So how about this for a poll? So what's the ranking? can you see some synchronisation in the labels? A bit like some Psalms - you know how it goes: the black and the white, the ying and the yang, the Bethelite and the ex-Bethelite.
What's the order? What's the "theocratic" food chain?
- auxiliary pioneer/ regular pioneer/ special pioneer
- brother reaching out / sister in good standing
- unbaptised publisher / newly associated
- brother / sister
- private reproof / public reproof / restrictions
- heavenly calling / earthly hope
- great crowd / little flock
- elder / ministerial servant
- district overseer / circuit overseer
- elders wives
- Bethelite / ex-Bethelite
- missionary / ex-missionary
- disfellowshipped / disassociated
- anointed / partakers / non-partakers
- governing body / zone overseer / branch overseer / branch committee
- Gileadite
- MTS
- Home Office / Branch Office
- remnant / given ones
- City overseer / Department overseer
A bit of a puzzle ain't it?
Ozzie (confused downunder class)
Freedom means not having to wear a tie.