hello, you read it here first!.
governing body of jehovah's witnesses.
to all congregations.
I know my elder hubby has these in his bag
Does he print them out from the website then? Most elders read them online through the login of JW.org these days. The branch doesn't send out paper copies now, except by very special request.
I know in some halls there is sometimes one elder who knows how to use a computer and prints them out for other elders who don't.
hello, you read it here first!.
governing body of jehovah's witnesses.
to all congregations.
Next step, of course, is to cut the ties between COs and the branch.
I think the removal of DO's was a big step in doing that.
I can't decide whether elders and MS numbers will go up or down as a result of this change. I know they are more desperate for men to "step forward", and my initial thought would be that removing the number of people involved in making the descision will mean numbers go up.
This could backfire though if the CO's start appointing men who the elders don't really like - it could really put the cat among the pidgeons in a way. You could see a lot more elders "stepping down" in fact.
i was on this board a lot when i faded and left 6 years ago but not been on much since.
is there any thread/s in particular to read showing the changes in the past 5 years?
or any kind willing person who has time to summarise them as a reply below??
Blood transfusions are all but officially a 'conscience matter' but if done 'brazenly' could get you in trouble.
What's the low down on that?
Someone might be able to correct me, but I believe it's primarily due to the new "Sheperd the Flock" elders book where the directions for someone who takes a blood transfusion are different from the old elders book, i.e. less strict rules and not an automatic DF'ing.
That, combined with other anecdotal accounts from posters on here, which is not surprising given the ever-loosening restrictions on taking of more "blood fractions" over recent years.
There might be more to it than I can remember, but basically having a blood transfusion is no longer the "automatic disfellowshipping" offense it once was. That's not to say it's a guarantee you won't be DF'ed for it, depending on whether you go blabbing about it or promoting it to fellow JWs. I think most people on here have said they expect it to be a total "conscience issue" within a few years with the way things are going.
But at least during Rutherford's time, that board of directors was doing very little actual "feeding" work at all - it was mostly administrative.
If the FDS is identified by who is doing the feeding, then for most of that time the FDS constituted of one man - J.F. Rutherford.
Given what is known about this guy and his fondness for drink and nasty attitude, are they seiously telling me he was God's sole channel of communication on earth? That's a scary thought, but is the result of this new doctrine that JWs need to face.
i was on this board a lot when i faded and left 6 years ago but not been on much since.
is there any thread/s in particular to read showing the changes in the past 5 years?
or any kind willing person who has time to summarise them as a reply below??
i was on this board a lot when i faded and left 6 years ago but not been on much since.
is there any thread/s in particular to read showing the changes in the past 5 years?
or any kind willing person who has time to summarise them as a reply below??
" Isn't there something about the anointed being in the same classification..."
Yes - all anointed are also classed with non-anointed in the "domestics" (as well as the GB members as individuals)
I think the "belongings" is everything, including physical assets
The RBC is no more.
Just to expand on this - new building work is managed centrally from the branch by a new committee who's name escapes me
disclaimer: this is a rub a dub serious comment (i can only do the serious stuff every so often when i haven't had enough fiber in my diet).. i was in a group with several brothers after the sunday meeting and brought up the new information about the artificial blood.
only one had heard of it but most thought it was a good idea.. i then mentioned that i guess the new e-cigarettes are a good idea too.
one mentioned that we don't smoke.
Haha I'd love to get DF'ed for having an e-cigratte!
i was on this board a lot when i faded and left 6 years ago but not been on much since.
is there any thread/s in particular to read showing the changes in the past 5 years?
or any kind willing person who has time to summarise them as a reply below??
Yes, and those who chow down on the crackers and cheap booze at the reject Jesus party are mentally unstable too
i was on this board a lot when i faded and left 6 years ago but not been on much since.
is there any thread/s in particular to read showing the changes in the past 5 years?
or any kind willing person who has time to summarise them as a reply below??
Thanks jgnat - I forgot about all that other crap!
"Brazen conduct" is the new "catch-all" term for anything the elders feel they can disfellowship someone for
Blood transfusions are all but officially a "conscience matter" though if done "brazenly" it could land you in trouble. Publishers are still encouraged to carry a medical directive card though.
Much of the stuff to do with events in Jesus' parables in Matthew that were previously tied to events around 1914-1919 and after have now been moved to after the start of the great tribulation.
The "faithful slave" now did not exist until 1919, and the term is now interchangeable with "governing body", meaning Charles Russel was now not part of the FDS.
Wearning tight trousers will now get you into trouble in Italy and with certain governing body members who will automatically brand you homosexual.
Just because you are deaf does not mean you are allowed to masturbate, as shown in one official JW sign-language publication that went viral on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytYykOop6HI
i was on this board a lot when i faded and left 6 years ago but not been on much since.
is there any thread/s in particular to read showing the changes in the past 5 years?
or any kind willing person who has time to summarise them as a reply below??
Many branch offices have been shut down and consolidated
New "schools" for couples and single brothers and sisters with focus mostly on training for circuit work/special pioneers. Requirements are fairly relaxed, taking entrants from 18 to 65 I think.
The above school replaces the Ministerial Training School and also mostly Gilead which is greatly downscaled and very much "special" invitation only now.
"Generation" doctrine has been re-worked at least twice in the last 5 years
Circuit assemblys are now only 1 day, meaning there are currently two 1-day assemblys, plus the 3-day disctrict convention, which are now called "regional conventions"
More "zone visits" in english speaking countries which are mostly like an extra 1-day assembly, but are mostly invitation only. Often they are broadcast to be projected in other assembly halls and venues where JWs are "invited". The Governing Body AGM in the USA is now also broadcast in english speaking countries to assembly halls and venues, and is also invitation only, mostly.
Public Watchtower and Awake are now only 16 pages thin, and both are monthly. Monthly study Watchtower is still 32-pages and there is also a "simplified" language version in English at least.
New World Translation has been slightly tweaked and Revised edition was released last year, removing some older language and some bizzare phrasings, and is now silver in color
More focus on the JW.org website - it's on all Watchtower and Awake's, all new brochures and tracts and campaign tracts
Auxilliary pioneering hours are 50 hours on most months, but some months there is now the option to auxilliary pioneer only doing 30 hours on campaign months, the month of the memorial and a month where the C.O. is visiting
There are now at least 2 flyer/tract based campaigns a year - one for the memorial and one for the district convention. Some years there may be 3 flyer/tract campaigns if they decide to do a "Kingdom News" flyer (I think there is one in August this year?)
Tracts, including campaign tracts are now recorded on publisher report slips under the "brochures" column
More pressure to stop JW kids going into higher education. If an MS or Elder lets his kids do so, the official proceedure is to "review" him, and supposedly remove him, but rules are more relaxed in some congregations.
