traveb

Joined

• started 6 topics
• posted 91 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by traveb

• 
  28

  Your body of elders - were they liberal, conservative or moderate?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in my first kingdom hall, the elders were ultra conservative.

  our presiding overseer used to be a zone overseer.

  the second hall i was in was moderate.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  traveb

  I have to say that most of the elders I encountered were liberal to moderate. Sure, there might have been the occasional uptight a**hole, but that was definitely the exception. Of course, this was my experience in various congregations in the SF Bay Area. I've heard that California congregations tend to be more liberal. I can't imagine some of the crazy conservative policies I've heard through the grapevine would ever fly here. Publishers would either just ignore them, or move to one of the numerous neighboring congregations where they would be welcomed with open arms.

  My overall impression was that these were just normal guys doing their day job, then struggling to get through all of their elder duties on top of that. I hardly ever got a pretentious attitude from them, but I was always fairly friendly and social around them, and never caused any waves, so they probably liked that. I've had more then one on occasion admit to me that they disliked being an elder, but felt a responsibility "to help the friends". Most of them loved to drink as well!
• 
  17

  2 BOEs arrived!

  by Atlantis in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  from a source:.

  2015 hotel arrangements... click the link by the blue arrow.. https://www.sendspace.com/file/qp1oxc.

  .. .. 2015 january 2, boe.. https://www.sendspace.com/file/n9duoj.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  traveb

  Anyone know a working congregation number to type into this website?  I wouldn't mind checking it out.
  
• 
  47

  BOE 2014-07-13 Appointment and deletion of elders and ministerial servants

  by WatchTower87 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  2014-07-13 appointment and deletion of elders and ministerial servantsto all bodies of elders.

  the link removed by request is also available at the forms link.

  the congregation secretary should arrange for this letter to be retained in the congregation permanent file of policy letters.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  traveb

  I don't see the PDF link, am I missing something?

  What is the "Forms" link?
• 
  69

  Your Experience with Resigning as an Elder

  by committeechairman in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i'm considering resigning as an elder.

  i'm not planning to fade or stop as one of jehovah's witnesses, just stop serving as an elder.. i have responsibility in the congregation and in circuit, district, rbc, etc.

  and i'm completely exhausted.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  traveb

  Resigning as an MS was one of the best decisions I ever made. I had tons of responsibilities and was obviously being groomed as an elder. There was no way I would be able to handle that amount of unpaid work. When it comes down to it, that's what "privileges" are - unpaid work for a magazine publishing & real estate holding company. Once you realize all you are doing is equivalent to:

  Running on a treadmill

  Keeping busy with busy work

  Spinning along in a hamster wheel

  Then it becomes so easy to drop all that nonsense. At first, it may be difficult to stop caring about what other JWs think of you. We all know that "keeping up appearances" is the most important think for JWs. Once you get over that mindset, it is so unbelievably freeing! You can finally do what's best for you and your family, and start enjoying life again.
• 
  84

  BOE Letter: New Adjustments

  by pixel in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  **this was predicted from some members here**.

  to all congregations .

  re: adjustments in organizational terminology and assembly arrangements .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  traveb

  They should have also made the following changes:

  Circuit Overseers --> Local Sales Managers

  District Overseers --> Regional Sales Managers
• 
  95

  The Judicial Committee videos in english

  by confusedandalone in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  not sure if this has been posted but the jwsurvey site received the videos in english from someone.. this crap is pathetic to watch.

  how to counsel someone who is suicidal... really.

  http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/doubts-over-organizational-solidarity-as-disturbing-video-on-handling-suicide-is-leaked.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  traveb

  That was extremely uncomfortable to watch. I suppose the best result from watching these videos was that it reinforced my decision to never attend a judicial committee if I'm ever called before one. Who needs to be jerked around emotionally like that?
• 
  35

  2013 Publisher Statistics now available from 2014 Yearbook.

  by jwfacts in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the 2014 yearbook is out, and i have scanned the publisher figures into a more readable format at 2013 service year report.

  i have updated some of the graphs at http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/statistics.php and will do the rest tonight.

  there are no real surprises, with very similar results as during the last couple of years.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  traveb

  It's interesting that during the 80's and through the mid 90's, the average amount of hours it took per baptism hovered around 3000. Then, starting in the late 90's, the average greatly increased, to almost 7000 now.
• 
  34

  A radical direction for the WTS - speculation thread.

  by besty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what might the wts do to counteract growth stagnation and attrition?.

  of course they could ditch certain teachings and practices such as blood, shunning and homophobia.. how about if they closed the kingdom hall network (all proceeds back to mothership) and built out more regional mega-churches?

  <assembly halls>.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  traveb

  I also agree with the idea that there will be more frequent broadcasts from headquarters. The WT invested a lot of money and time rolling out the equipment to hundreds (thousands?) of KH's the past year. They will continue to do this until most KH's have been upgraded. Then you can have a situation where instead of having to sit through local Bro. Terrible Speaker's public talk on Sunday, you get to watch a broadcast of a GB member giving a talk. The average JW will be "thrilled".
• 
  82

  British zone visit from David Splane - a report from the special meeting in Glasgow

  by slimboyfat in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well i went to a "special meeting" in the armadillo today where a 2 & 1/2 hour programme was relayed from london at 1pm.

  apparently the letters of invitation only went out a month or so ago and not all congregations were invited.

  there were 2,900 of us from around scotland.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  traveb

  Thanks for the report slimboyfat, was very interesting. I don't know if the "Peanuts" comic strip was ever popular in Britain but your description of the girl you knew from a long time ago reminded me of Charlie Brown and his "red-haired girl".
• 
  108

  July 15th Study Edition Is Up..

  by confusedteenager in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  not sure if anyone mentioned this yet, but yeah.

  they just posted up the new watchtower...with the confusing new information.. time for me to go dive into this "new light" and try to see what sense it makes.

  of course cedars already nicely did a run down for us.. .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  traveb

  One thing that made me laugh out loud (hopefully it hasn't already been mentioned):

  Page 12, paragraph 8

  During 1915 and 1916, opposition from outside the organization
  slowed down the preaching work. Worse, after Brother Russell’s death in
  October 1916, opposition arose from inside the organization. Four of the seven
  directors of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society rebelled against the decision
  to have Brother Rutherford take the lead. They tried to cause division among
  the brothers, but in August 1917, they left Bethel—a cleansing indeed!

  Hmm, let me see...4 out 7 directors "rebelled". Isn't that we in the real world call a majority?