BonaFide

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Posts by BonaFide

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  5

  Have any of you ever seen the Branch Organization manual?

  by BonaFide in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i saw it and read through it at the bethel family library in my assigment in latin america.. it's in english.

  it's blue, in a three-ring binder with the wt logo on it and the numbering of the pages is hyphenated, like chapter 3-21, so they add more pages occasionally and update.. it has everything in there that a branch needs basically, like how circuits and districts are organized, how the branch is organized, how correspondence with new york should be handled.. one thing i remember is that it says circuit overseers should be a minimum of 25 years old before the branch recommends them to the governing body.

  (elders and servants are appointed by the local branch) the book said something like, "youthful enthusiasm and energy are not the primary qualities a branch should look for in a brother.

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  BonaFide

  Ha ha wow everything is on this site.

  BF
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  4

  Have you ever seen the booklet "Taking pictures for WT publications"?

  by BonaFide in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i saw it when i was at bethel in new york after i graduated from mts.

  it says that pictures should be in good taste, taking into consideration other cultures.

  bethelites should be used for photos, or a local family with their children may be used if they are approved by the congregation service committee.

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  BonaFide

  I saw it when I was at Bethel in New York after I graduated from MTS. It says that pictures should be in good taste, taking into consideration other cultures. Bethelites should be used for photos, or a local family with their children may be used if they are approved by the Congregation Service Committee. It should be clear in the photo who is "doing the talking or teaching." I think thats why in so many of the photos, the person who is apparently "preaching" is making some kind of hand gesture.

  BF
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  5

  Have any of you ever seen the Branch Organization manual?

  by BonaFide in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i saw it and read through it at the bethel family library in my assigment in latin america.. it's in english.

  it's blue, in a three-ring binder with the wt logo on it and the numbering of the pages is hyphenated, like chapter 3-21, so they add more pages occasionally and update.. it has everything in there that a branch needs basically, like how circuits and districts are organized, how the branch is organized, how correspondence with new york should be handled.. one thing i remember is that it says circuit overseers should be a minimum of 25 years old before the branch recommends them to the governing body.

  (elders and servants are appointed by the local branch) the book said something like, "youthful enthusiasm and energy are not the primary qualities a branch should look for in a brother.

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  BonaFide

  I saw it and read through it at the bethel family library in my assigment in Latin America.

  It's in English. It's blue, in a three-ring binder with the WT logo on it and the numbering of the pages is hyphenated, like chapter 3-21, so they add more pages occasionally and update.

  It has everything in there that a branch needs basically, like how circuits and districts are organized, how the branch is organized, how correspondence with New York should be handled.

  One thing I remember is that it says circuit overseers should be a minimum of 25 years old before the branch recommends them to the Governing Body. (Elders and servants are appointed by the local branch) The book said something like, "Youthful enthusiasm and energy are not the primary qualities a branch should look for in a brother. Rather, a seasoned elder with experience who is also a pioneer." It also says if a brother is younger than 25, they should attach a letter stating why they are recommending him.

  BF
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  32

  Guys how old were you when appointed anything???

  by oompa in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was 19, a pioneer, and a mini-serve.......first literature, then territory, and account servant at 21.....of course a janitor/window washer too (not that there is anything wrong with that!...it paid well!

  ).....i turned down elder as i am very non-judgemental....but almost did it so i could let everyone off in committees......geeze how i wish i had been in in college gettin laid............oompaundercover inspired this thread btw........

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  BonaFide

  15 years old baptized

  16 regular pioneer

  20 Ministerial Servant

  23 Ministerial Training School

  24 Missionary

  24 Elder (They appoint as young as 22 in Latin American Countries)

  28 Circuit Overseer
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  12

  For those that are still attending meetings and pretending to be JW

  by BonaFide in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a brother asked me last week about the un situation.

  he said he had seen an email and he asked if the society had been a member of the u.n. before i used to hint that it was wrong, but it never got me anywhere, whoever i said that to would clam up or get angry with me.. so now i pretend to support the society.

  when that brother asked me i replied, "well, it doesnt matter though.

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  BonaFide

  A brother asked me last week about the UN situation. He said he had seen an email and he asked if the Society had been a member of the U.N. Before I used to hint that it was wrong, but it never got me anywhere, whoever I said that to would clam up or get angry with me.

  So now I pretend to support the Society. When that brother asked me I replied, "Well, it doesnt matter though. I support the Society. I mean I heard that they had joined the UN to gain access to their libraries. But to me it doesnt matter what the Society does, I support them no matter what they do. If they join the UN, its fine by me. " So he said, "But isnt that maybe wrong somehow?" I answered, "No, we have to be loyal no matter what the Society does. Its like the 1914 generation change. The teaching changed and now there is no more last generation, but who cares? We are not serving for a date and when the Society changes their viewpoint, we change too. No matter what the Society tells us, I would believe it."

  He said, "I wouldnt." I said, "Yes you would, we have to. That is what loyalty to the Organization is. No matter what they change we accept it."

  Then another day he asked, "Well anyway, so what about having a spiky haircut on the TMS when you have a talk?" I replied, "Its all up to the TMS overseer. He is the authority. He decides what you can wear and look like." He said, "No, but the elders have to be balanced." I said, "It doesnt matter if they are balanced, some are and some arent, but we have to obey them no matter what. Jehovah appointed them so we have to be obedient to every single thing they say to us."

  Wow, he is really starting to realize stuff. And all I do is pretend to support the Society while showing how wrong things are handled.

  So the point is that a few months ago, I tried to get my friends to ask questions. Now I pretend to be a hardcore supporter of the "Slave" but I am still raising the same issues.
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  34

  Did You Ever "Learn" Anything Because You Went To The Meetings?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  years ago, you could attend a meeting and hear a well researched talk or give an answer from the watchtower that had some "meat" on it.

  i remember in the 70s when witnesses used to look forward to ruminating on what might be a "new point" or a veiled possible new understanding of a doctrinal view.. these days, the only thing you could learn from a meeting is that brother so-and-so got deleted or "is no longer a witness".. what a bore!.

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  BonaFide

  A friend of mine came from her meeting yesterday. She has been a Witness for 40 years. She said, "Wow I learned something excellent at the meeting today. Joseph was 97 years old when he fought with that angel. So we have to fight for blessings."
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  2

  Joshua Class or Writing Department

  by Inkie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my brother whom i thought would never ask questions has recently begun to ask questions about the society's history, doctrines, and practices, like i just believe would never have happened.

  i am excited beyond words.

  now for my request, if you can help me out, please.. can someone tell me where in the society's publications (of any kind, whether it be books, magazine, videos, etc.

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  BonaFide

  I was at the Annual Meeting at the Stanley Theater in 2000. That is when the GB turned the Watchtower Society over to other brothers so they could concentrate on producing spiritual food, rather than be involved in legal business stuff. That's what they announced anyway.

  As far as the writing is concerned, the Watchtower always says that the articles are written "under the direction of the Governing Body." So they never really say who writes the articles.

  BF
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  1

  Who can you relate to the most on this forum?

  by BonaFide in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i can relate to snakes in the tower the most.

  he and i both were raised "in the truth" from the age of 4, we both graduated from mts, we are both single.

  except i still go to meetings.

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  BonaFide

  I can relate to Snakes in the Tower the most. He and I both were raised "in the truth" from the age of 4, we both graduated from MTS, we are both single. Except I still go to meetings. His posts sometimes are exactly what I am thinking about. Also, Seeker4 I admire, he really was into it like I was, but he got out. WTWizard's experiences remind me of some of the experiences I had, where the organization pushes singleness.

  So who do you relate to the most?

  BF
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  Thank you for your condolences

  by BonaFide in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is my first time posting after my father passed away in december.

  so many of you sent me nice messages, i really appreciate it.

  some in my congregation came over my house, which was nice.

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  BonaFide

  This is my first time posting after my father passed away in December. So many of you sent me nice messages, I really appreciate it. Some in my congregation came over my house, which was nice. The elders in my Hall refused to give a talk however, because my father was never a witness.

  I didnt really want a talk in the hall, but I wanted some kind of talk, and all the people I know are "in the truth."

  Its weird.

  Anyway, I am still in but out at the same time.

  BF
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  38

  Someone in my family died this week - I am not doing well

  by BonaFide in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so i am sitting here crying, i am a pretty emotional guy.

  i have been a witness all my life, so this is so hard.

  first, this is my immediate family.

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  BonaFide

  So I am sitting here crying, I am a pretty emotional guy. I have been a Witness all my life, so this is so hard. First, this is my immediate family. And second, I know that the Witnesses don't have the truth, so what about the resurrection?

  And now I am online with you all. I mean some of you are great, and I feel like I know you, maybe I do, but this is the worst day of my life. I can't read what I am writing. I didnt visit my father like I should have, it made me too sad. So I heard from my brother, not a witness, that he was going soon. So I raced over there, I am not sure he recognized me. I kissed him and said goodbye. The next night I didnt sleep. I knew. I raced over there again and I saw my sisters car outside. So I knew. I went in and gave him a kiss, his skin was cool. This is bad, I cant take this. I know others have losses too. He was a good person. Never a witness, I judged him all my life, and then when I told him about the witnesses a couple of months ago, he didnt understand me. I thought I was so great, and my father was a good person. Not a witness, I judged him and I feel like trash. I used to preach instead of visiting him. I didnt know.

  He was proud of me, but I am not proud of myself. And I have no family, because when they saw my car outside my fathers' assisted living place, they drove around and around, like then times I saw them, and stayed away until I left. Yes, my immediate family. I am single. So I have no one. No one. That hurts so much. If you care to read my previous posts you will see why. They think I am an apostate even though I still preach because I ask a lot of questions. And they think I sinned, which I didnt. They treat me like crap.

  I feel guilty and sad and then a couple came to encourage me, and they talked about the resurrection. The only way I can cope is to pretend that the resurrection on earth will happen, its kinda easy, and then I can stop crying a little. Otherwise, I realize I wont see him again. They are so sure though, and they did cry a little with me, they care. They keep on calling and visiting and bringing me food.

  Ok, well I thought I wasnt going to go online and say all this, I should be more adult, but this is so hard. dont know when I can go online again.

  OK

  BF