for my cong, apart from those moving in, we last had an elder appointed 16 years ago.. we last had some ms's appointed about 3 years ago.. our boe are getting old, 3 in their 80's, 1 in his 70's and three in their 60's.. they all work hard, but when their time comes, they deteriorate quickly.. splash.
Minsterial Servant about 18 months ago.
Elder about a year ago.
Body of elders consist of:
men in their 50's and 60's
Most aged 45 and younger.
Most are good men but a couple are what I like to call Stepford-JWs. I swear they have a factory out west where they put these Skinjobs together..
WT is mother, WT is father, Long live WT. BING! WT is mother, WT is father...
dear randall.
good morning!.
here is the daniel of brazil (former bethel).. this week at the forum of former jehovah's witnesses had an interesting news!
Interesting speculations. All I can comment on is that the last few CO visits the CO was constantly promoting use of electronic media, to direct people to the website to download and read magazines. This was mentioned several times so I am guessing that there is a change in the way the preaching work is done and it involves the less placing of literature.
I totally agree that they are bleeding money with literature placements. I dont think anyone does that little speech at the end "....and if you'd like to make a donation to our worldwide work, I'd gladly accept it" anymore that they were really stressing back in the 90s. How many do you think are really donating for literature at the KH... very few.
Also I would place money on the recent court losses, 28 million is a huge loss. Whatever it is I will be there to take it in.
i see a lot of posts about lack of zeal, slacking in fs, just going through the motions...........i have really not seen that in my old congregation up to the time i stopped attending two yrs ago, but i believe that could be the exception.
however, a bethel career sister and a young local brother, a ms and doing all the right things in the congregation (who i was friends with) stopped at my house, caught me up with chit chat and this young bro told me about his changing jobs because he wanted a retirement.
about 38 years ago when i was his age i never believed i would need a retirement in this "old system.
I was baptized in the 80's and I agree with you pontoon, ones baptized 90's-2000's already didnt have much urgency. When I got out of high school in the 80's it there was no doubt that I as well as all of my classmates would be regular pioneering.
Nowdays its "hmm should I go to a university or trade school?" I can always Aux. Pioneer during the summer. Gen Y and Z witnesses really had no zeal to begin with. Generally speaking of course there are exceptions to this. I really think that after the 1995 generation change coupled with the prior relaxing of higher education resulted in a generation of jw's that didn't really care.
just thought i'd share.
a friend of mine moved away about 10 years ago.
he was a ms at the time.
King I appreciate what you are saying, and I agree on some level I am not as "stong" as many of you are however I am thinking of particularly my wife and children. I am strong by staying in for them now so as not to rock the apple cart. I know it might be difficult to understand that but I sacrifice my own sanity for them.
Tooz....same answer for your comment. Why? Not for me but for them.
just thought i'd share.
a friend of mine moved away about 10 years ago.
he was a ms at the time.
rather be,
I mentally checked out 10 yrs ago when Barbara Anderson and Bill Bowen exposed how the WTS shielded disgusting pedophiles. That was the brick that broke down the wall for me. I still go because my entire family is in.. elders, CO's, Bethelites, etc. In addition my wife's entire family is in.. elders, ms's, special pioneers, etc.
I am not saying its easy, it isnt ,but for now until I can leave with her I stay in.
just thought i'd share.
a friend of mine moved away about 10 years ago.
he was a ms at the time.
I agree that there are many like him. I am one of them, still going to meetings, service, etc. while understanding the fallacy of the whole JW system. I wouldn't wish this method on anyone as it is extremely psychologically damaging. Encourage him to come on here and realize that he is not crazy, the wt org is.
i've has conversations with certain elder friends but i never gave them a total pummeling, at least i haven't yet.. what about you?.
As an elder that would not go over so well I think. One of my best friends, an elder, would totally flip out and send other elders or CO/DO with torches and a stake after me.
why did you become a jehovah's witness ?.
initially upon entering the religion what were the positive things you experienced ?.
how did that particular way of thinking both benefit and harm you ?.
When I came out of the birth canal my brainwashing began, dad was alreaday a company servant.
i have been trying to wrap my head around the talk that introduced the slave as our mother?
the brothers at bethel are worried that we are not treating our spiritual mother with respect.
jehovah is our father, the faithful slave (the governing body) is our spiritual mammy.
I went to the DC a few weeks ago and I totally missed that point. Maybe I should have put Plaugue Inc. down on my iPhone and payed attention a little better.
in the early 80s the watchtower society began to forbid any police officer from serving as a ministerial servant, elder or even viewed as "exemplary".
at the time i was told it was because of firearms, possible bloodguilt, and being men of violence- "smiters".. as a young person it just didn't make sense to me.
i knew and liked a few peace officers who served as elders.
Interesting post.. I always wondered this myself. Police Officers are exemplary in their desire to protect and uphold the law but you are correct about not using them in the congregation. Why is that? I need to do some research and find out why. It certainly cant be the gun thing because I know elders and ms's who own rifles and crossbows for hunting.
