I think something worth commenting on is the power and celebrity that the GB have. And the effect they have on others.
Brother Jaracz is known by Witnesses all over the world. Even in my assignment, where a lot of families didn't even have a phone, and their houses had a dirt floor, I was surprised how many knew who brother Jaracz was. Although they pronounce his name brother Ha-raks. Ha ha Spanish pronunciantion! He came to that country several times as a Zone Overseer, and the whole country felt "privileged" that he had come, he filled the stadium on Sunday, 30,000 people.
So no wonder he felt like it was all Holy Spirit. Especially after I became a missionary, I realized how important it is for the "masses" to see that you are a hardworking, loyal, Witness. I listened carefully to brother Jaracz, how in almost every concluding talk he mentioned the young ones, the older ones, the pioneers, the regular publishers, the elders and servants. If you listen to any of his talks, he is very careful to mention everyone that is a Witness in a positive way. I guess I should say, his way of being positive.
His suits were gray, his ties were boring, he didn't draw attention to himself, none of his experiences drew attention to him personally. He was all about the "Organization."
He came to the country I served in 3 times as a Zone Overseer. All the missionaries from the different missionary homes would be invited to the Branch, standard procedure. He would meet with us, and then we would have a big dinner with all the Bethelites and missionaries. All 4 of us MTS boys sat at his table once. He was nice to us, I remember him offering us more dessert, he said to take advantage or something like that. I said to his wife that we 4 feel like we are out of the loop because we are in a foreign country. She said No, you are in the loop, and that many Bethelites would like to be in our shoes. Brother Jaracz asked me personally what joys I experienced in my assignment. I picked up that cue right away and I told him I felt privileged to be a graduate of MTS and that I enjoyed training the younger brothers to take on responsibility in the congregation. I knew he had phrased the question like that, but I did the same thing in talking to elders. Anyway, then we took a photo together. I was helping his wife clean the tables after dinner, everyone sort of helped out, and she said something like "Bonafide, my husband spoke of you on the plane as we came down here, he really is happy you are a good representative for MTS."
So perhaps you can see why I felt proud to be sort of part of an "inner circle." For someone whose father wasn't "in the truth", to have a Governing Body member encourage you to go to MTS (previous post), then apparently he assigned me as a missionary. (He is on the Service Committee, and the Service Committee of the GB used to make the MTS assignments) And then to have him personally encourage me and remember me while I was there, that meant a lot to me at that time. I felt the weight of doing what's right FOR THE ORGANIZATION.
What else I remember about that time is that the Bethelites there at that Branch were impressed that he wore his jacket all day in the heat, no air-conditioning in that Branch. And they were SO excited that he went around the Branch and visited all of them INDIVIDUALLY at their jobs. He asked all of them through an interpreter EXACTLY what their job was at the Branch. He was very detailed. They were all impressed at his personal interest in each one of them.
Then a few weeks later came the announcement, that the Branch Bethel Family was going to be reduced from 45 to 28. Many Bethelites were reassigned as special pioneers, some as circuit overseers. This was way before the US Bethel reductions. So that was a major shock.
The funny thing was, very few of the Bethelites put two and two together.
But getting back to the point, SO MANY PEOPLE LOOK UP TO THE GOVERNING BODY, I know I did. Brother Jaracz must feel he must be loyal to the Organization in everything, so that the masses will be loyal as well.
I remember once I danced at a party in my circuit. This was when I was first appointed CO. Wow, what a ton of flack I got for that. The friends talked about that NONSTOP for months in my circuit. That was it for me and parties. Why? Because that was all the friends would talk about. They didn't remember my talks, my experiences, nothing. It was all about, "Hey Brother Bonafide danced at that party and HE'S A CIRCUIT OVERSEER!"
So I got from that that you can't show the MASSES anything other than "BE LOYAL TO THE ORGANIZATION." I became careful for the most part, and in conversation and action, I tried to imitate brothers like Brother Jaracz. I worried that the numbers in my circuit wouldn't grow if I didn't put forth a spiritual, strong, zealous, serious front. The Branch really drilled that into us, that if no growth, its our fault, not the brothers.
Imagine the pressure brother Jaracz must feel. He wants the Organization to continue to have Jehovah's spirit, and he works at keeping it that way. His talks, his manner, his way of dealing with the Worldly Media. He wants Jehovah's Organization to be "without spot from the world" as he sees it. Individuals are not important, the Organization is important. If someone suffers an injustice, well, "wait on Jehovah."
I can't believe I was like that, that I imitated him in a small way, but I did. You work so hard trying to put up a "good" front, that you never stop to examine whether the "front" itself is good or not.
BF
