Posts by committeechairman

41

Could you get disfellowshipped for simply asking questions?

by LogCon in

if so, what would be some examples?.

.

only questions that show a higher degree of thought and intelligence please..

committeechairman

I agree with BluesBrother. I think with the right elders on a body in the right congregation (not referring to right as "correct" but as the ones who would react in the way I'm going to describe) they could view questions that clearly were designed to make other think carefully about what they believe as apostate teaching. I could see them counseling a publisher about asking others these kinds of questions (even if the publisher had been speaking to elders) to cease and desist, using Galatians 6:1 (" Brothers, even if a man takes a false step before he is aware of it, you who have spiritual qualifications try to readjust such a man in a spirit of mildness. But keep an eye on yourself,for fear you too may be tempted.") Then, if the publisher didn't stop, they might disfellowship on grounds of either "brazen conduct" or straight-up apostasy. If they choose to disfellowship for apostasy, that carries such a connotation with it that it would be unlikely to win an appeal, get the branch office to reverse, or even get reinstated, because a disfellowshipping for apostasy (note that this is different from disassocation voluntarily) carries in the minds of all elders who handle the matter later that the accused is deceptive, manipulative, and basically like Satan - looking to destroy individuals and the organization.

Not sure if those comments help but just wanted to provide some insider/elder observations from real-life experience.

45

After leaving did the feeling go away?

by committeechairman in

the feeling that you're never good enough.

the feeling that you're wicked and evil.. .

because i'd give anything not to feel this way.

committeechairman

The feeling that you're never good enough. The feeling that you're wicked and evil.

Because I'd give anything not to feel this way.

21

BOE april 25

by Gorbatchov in

jw
friends

does someone have the boe april 25 letter about the transfer of the local ownership of all kingdom halls to the society?.

it seems a mayor financial transaction, allthough here in the netherlands.. gorby.

committeechairman

Found the letter I was thinking of - it was dated 3/26 and called "Use of Congregation Property" and just saw it on Saturday morning - sure it was posted either that day or the day before because I watch the site really, really closely.

I'll grab the language and post it. I don't see any language that implies transfer of ownership to the branch office but you can judge for yourself.

CC

21

BOE april 25

by Gorbatchov in

jw
friends

does someone have the boe april 25 letter about the transfer of the local ownership of all kingdom halls to the society?.

it seems a mayor financial transaction, allthough here in the netherlands.. gorby.

committeechairman

Something wierd is going on. I saw a letter on Saturday that talked about KH renting space to other entities and people not in special full time service, and it probably would have been dated April 25. However, now I can't find it at all. This is under the US branch.

I'll check and see if I downloaded a copy somewhere. Very strange.

43

New Atlanta Assembly Hall Has raised 3.4 million Dollars... GONE

by James Jackson in

jw
friends

they announced last week that the new atanta assembly hall has thus far raised 3.4 million dollars.

my local told that will become the society's come may 1. i wonder how that will go over with the ones who have been contributing to this fund..

committeechairman

The letter directs bodies of elders to remit all of this to the Worldwide work and not hold it locally. You better believe that a combination or RBC/LDC, CO, and branch office staff will be on congregations like crazy to conform. The same thing happened a few years ago when the congregations were told to put their excess funds "on deposit" with the branch office. RBCs and COs enforced this "suggestion "vigorously" and congregations finally complied.

21

BOE april 25

by Gorbatchov in

jw
friends

does someone have the boe april 25 letter about the transfer of the local ownership of all kingdom halls to the society?.

it seems a mayor financial transaction, allthough here in the netherlands.. gorby.

committeechairman

I do not see an April 25th letter in the congregation domain / elders area. What was the subject/RE line on the letter?

Chance

43

New Atlanta Assembly Hall Has raised 3.4 million Dollars... GONE

by James Jackson in

jw
friends

they announced last week that the new atanta assembly hall has thus far raised 3.4 million dollars.

my local told that will become the society's come may 1. i wonder how that will go over with the ones who have been contributing to this fund..

committeechairman

It is going to be very interesting. Generally, I don't think the actual implications of the letter have sunk in with most elders. They don't understand it. When they do, though, it is going to be intense. A subset of elders will be livid and will passively-agressively fight the directive, others will just comply. Publishers really don't care anymore about any of it and with a few exceptions will just keep on trucking becuase it doesn't affect them personally other than having to fill out yet another financial survey.

What will also be interesting is to see how the funds are used. It will tell us a great deal about how much of a real cash flow issue the organization is having. Personally, I believe most of the money is going to disappear and there will be very little building in the field, regardless of the heavy needs right now. I think the organization is having such a huge cash flow issue right now they need this just to stay afloat. And I think this is the case regardless of any litigation judgements or settlements. The contributions have just dried up for reasons of the economy being truly horrible and, more importantly, people inside the organization are just so beat down that they do not want to contribute any more.

112

All appointed men are being told they have to pioneer now!

by stuckinarut2 in

yes, you read correctly..... all appointed men have been told in a new letter that they have to pioneer to "set the lead" whenever there is a "special" campaign month.

they use some scripture saying that these ones have to show by example.... so for any of us who are appointed and have learned ttatt, it is going to be very hard to fade during this time!.

.

committeechairman

This is a virus that strikes most BOEs every so often. Someone (usually the COBE or SO) decides that all appointed men should pioneer so they can say this to the rank and file: "We're ALL PIONEERING in [FILL IN THE MONTH]...why not you?" They trot out old BOE letters, KMs, etc etc to emphasize this as a pseudo-requirement. It isn't.

It usually comes across as just stupid. Also, most of the elders and servants DO NOT MAKE THEIR QUOTA. Some don't put any more time in than they normally do.

Quick way to kill it: suggest in the meeting that evening and actual, honest to goodness, realistic times when people will be home scheduled field service be instituted for the month with the SO in charge. Watch the whole thing completely wither right before your eyes.

It's posturing, nothing more.

127

OK..Seriously..Has GOD ever answered your prayers????

by DATA-DOG in

look...i am not an atheist.

even so, i have never had one prayer answered my entire life.

the only thing that would even come close was learning ttatt.

committeechairman

He used to. A few years ago He stopped. I know this sounds sarcastic but it isn't. I'm not sure why He stopped.

69

Your Experience with Resigning as an Elder

by committeechairman in

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.

committeechairman

Undercover:

What you mention last about "juggling everything the WTS throws at the elders" is right. You should see the sheer number of things just in the congregation we are expected to do (no one gets them done) and additional items to "serve kingdom interests" are just staggering. I think most elders would agree that the workload for an elder has jumped exponentially over the past ten years.

One of the things about serving as an elder that can make it untenable is that we're supposed to do everything. So, if you serve as an elder, you still are supposed to do everything that publishers are supposed to do. You can have two private meetings after the meeting but you're expected to clean the KH. You can have 150 hours of district and RBC work to do outside the congregation, but you are expected to show up and "be visible" in the field ministry anyhow. etc etc. It is different from being willing to do menial tasks, you are expected to actually do all of that.

But we don't. And it drives me crazy.