In other threads I have outlined when two elders came out to my house to provoke a situation to have reason to DF me. Below is a copy of the certified letter I received about two weeks after I threww the two elders out of my house, followed by my reply to the Secretary, who is also the elder that instigated the the situation as well as the chair of the Judicial Hearing they tried to form.
I have edited out personal information as well as his signature, since my wife is still an active dub and has enough trouble with them as it is. Incidentally, on the letter I received, it was a zerox copy, I didn't even receive the original! Very professional, aren't they? Hopefully, it may help others faced with similar circumstances. Funny thing is, eight months later, I DA'd myself anyway
SEPT. 24, 1999BRO. LEW W*****
**** NE ** CT.
MY TOWN WA.
BRO. W*****;
WE REQUEST THAT YOU MEET WITH US ON A JUDICIAL LEVEL TO DISCUSS ALLEGATIONS BROUGHT AGAINST YOU CONCERNING BEHAVIOR SCRIPTURALLY DESCRIBED IN PART AT COL. 3: 8 AND 1 COR. 6-10
TIME OF MEETING SAT. OCT. 2 AT 1 P. M. AT THE KINGDOM HALL, **** NE 109 ST , MY TOWN.
IF THIS IS INCONVENIENT, PLEASE CALL *** ****. IF NO ANSWER, PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE.
signature
SECRETARY
H****** D. G*******
*** NW 90th Street
My Town
September 25, 1999
Lewis A. W*****
**** NE l9th ct.
My Town Wa.
Mr. G*******:
I am today in receipt of your correspondence of September 24, 1999, concerning your forming a judicial committee pertaining to some unnamed allegations against me. This letter is to be considered an answer to that correspondence and will hereinafter be considered a legal document that may be used in any future proceedings pertaining to this matter, regardless of who initiates or where such proceedings may be filed. With that in mind, may I urge you to read this letter completely and carefully.
1. Your rapid and automatic forming of this judicial committee puzzles me, as various Watchtower Bible and Tract Society publications speak against forming such a committee in the manner that you have chosen to follow. There has apparently been no initial investigation of any alleged wrongdoing on my part, as alluded to by your scriptural cites, as no one has approached either me or any member of my family to discuss said allegations. I have not been approached personally by anyone claiming to be a witness to any such alleged wrongdoing on my part, as outlined within the Bible at Matt. 18:15 -17.
2. On page 145 of the publication, Organized to Accomplish Our Ministry, under the subheading of "HANDLING OTHER JUDICIAL MATTERS," appear the following words: "... regardless of the exact manner in which the elders first hear reports of serious wrongdoing on the part of a baptized member of the congregation, an initial investigation will be made. If it is established that there is substance to the report and evidence is produced showing that a serious sin actually may have been committed, the congregation body of elders will assign a judicial committee of at least three brothers to handle the matter." This has not been followed, as no investigation by any unbiased elders could have been made, concerning the scriptures you cited, Col. 3:8 and 1 Cor. 6:10, within your correspondence to me. As stated above, neither I nor any member of my family have been contacted by anyone concerning any allegations into wrongdoing on my part as outlined in the scriptures cited above.
3. In the Organized to Accomplish Our Ministry publication, on page 150, under the subheading of "DISASSOCIATION," we read the following: "... an inactive person may have failed to study God's Word regularly, or his zeal for serving Jehovah may have cooled off due to his experiencing personal problems or persecution. (1 Cor. 1 1:30; Rom. 14:1) The elders, as well as other concerned members of the congregations will continue rendering appropriate spiritual assistance to the inactive brother.(1 Thess. 5 14; Rom. 15:1; Heb. 12:12). In the excess of five years since I first requested assistance from the elder body of Salmon Creek Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses and even other local congregations, this has not happened. In fact, the exact opposite has been repeatedly happening, culminating in your and Mr. M******* B****s visit to my home on Saturday, September 11, 1999.
4. Admonitions as outlined on pages 96 through 100 of the Pay Attention to Yourselves and to the Flock publication, apparently have not been followed and seem to have been completely bypassed in some cases concerning this matter.
5. You have failed to follow proper procedures of notification to me concerning these allegations of wrongdoing on my part or who is accusing me, as outlined on page 110 of the publication, Pay Attention to Yourselves and to the Flock. Therein, it states that the preferred method of notification is by two elders clearly stating what the charges against the accused are. To date, no one has attempted to notify me either in person or by phone, but you have chosen to send me a certified letter and not state what specific charges are against me, denying me the opportunity of formulating a proper defense.
6. Since you have chosen to not inform me of specific charges against me, I am left to surmise that these allegations are being brought by you personally, based on the outcome of our meeting in my home on September 11, l999. This fact alone should disqualify you from chairing or serving on said judicial committee. Since you wrote and signed and gave your personal phone number in the correspondence notifying me of this judicial committee, as the one to contact in case the chosen time is inconvenient, I am left believing you have chosen to chair this judicial committee against me, yourself.
7. On friday evening, September 10, 1999, Mr. M****** B**** phoned my home requesting a meeting of you and him with me on Saturday, September 11, 1999. At that time, he was informed by my wife that I was in an agitated state and under extreme emotional duress. You were both reminded of this personally by me at the outset of the meeting in my home on September 11, 1999. In spite of this fact, you set out to deliberately provoke an angry response from me, as outlined in my letter to the Governing Body of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, dated and mailed on September 11, 1999. Then, once you elicit the angry response, you apparently set out to provoke, you form a judicial committee?
As one who is supposed to be a spiritually qualified brother and a fine shepherd of the Christian Congregation, you failed to take the lead and cool things off as they became heated. In fact, your conduct directed at me personally, exacerbated the situation. Instead of issuing me the apology you owe me for your conduct against me and my headship in my home, you form a judicial committee and apparently have chosen to chair this committee yourself, without allowing an unbiased investigation into any alleged wrongdoing. I submit that you personally failed to follow scriptural admonitions found at Rom. 2:21-23; Isa. 32:2; James 1:19, and 1 Peter 2:17.
8. In light of the above, your forming a judicial committee in the manner you have and not following proper procedures on allowing the matter to be properly investigated by unbiased parties, has all the earmarks of your seeking personal vengeance against me, in conflict with the principle mentioned at Rom. 12:19. May I also take this opportunity to refer you to scriptural admonitions given at Luke 17:1,2, Mark 9:42; and Matt. 18:6, as well as Prov. 18:19.
9.Watchtower articles of February 15, 1995, A LESSON ON HOW TO HANDLE PROBLEMS, October I5, 1995, WATCH OUT FOR SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and March 15, 1996; HOW CHRISTIAN SHEPHERDS SERVE YOU, also apply and have not been followed in the excess of five years since I initially requested support and assistance from the elder body of Salmon Creek Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses.
10. As explained to both you and Mr. B**** in my home on Saturday, September 11, 1999, I will no longer tolerate any outside interference whatsoever in the managing of my home, but my wife and I will continue managing our home according to scriptural admonitions found within the Bible and various publications printed by and distributed by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. If outside interference continues from individuals from within the Salmon Creek Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, I may be forced to seek relief in a court of law.
11. Given the above items 1 through 10, your forming a judicial committee automatically appears to be in violation of both scriptures and various publications of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Therefore, I will not be present at this judicial hearing you have called for at 1 PM, Saturday, October 2, 1999. If you or the Presiding Overseer of Salmon Creek Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses wish to handle this matter properly and allow an unbiased investigation into these allegations, by elders without a personal ax to grind, I will gladly meet with these elders at a time convenient to them in my home. I will attend no other meetings.
Lewis A. W*****
cc. Watchtower Bible and Tract Society
Attn: Governing Body
25 Columbia Heights
Brooklyn, New York 11201-2483
Salmon Creek Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses
Attn: F**** H********, Presiding Overseer
**** NE 109th Street
My Town Wa.
