SadElder

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Posts by SadElder

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  34

  "In Social Settings, The Common Theme of Discussions Is Jehovah's Kingdom"

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  you want to hear a funny one??

  ?

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  SadElder

  ...excuse me? I think someone's a fibbing in the writing department. Over the years we've entertained in our homes members of the governing body, other "heavies" as they're called, CO's, DO's, regular Bethelites, etc., we did some temporary work in the clinics. Yet I can't ever remember a rousing discussion in those social settings where the "Kingdom" played a principal role. Sometimes there were spiritual discussions but not the "common theme" for sure.

  I don't imagine the apostles spent every waking minute talk about Jesus, and I don't think that's what's expected.
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  21

  Who is Ted Jaracz and why is he so disliked?

  by imallgrowedup in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  just wondering who this guy is - can anyone help?!

  growedup.

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  SadElder

  Ted is "fondly????" called 'the Boss' by other GB members for a reason. As head of the Bethel CIA AKA Service Department he is responsible for setting the tone of things that filter down to the congregations via the Circuit Overseers. That he has an attitude would be an understatement. Ted was responsible for axing any type of musical program at Branch dedications,and at Gilead graduations, guess he thinks that it's wordly or something. I don't know of anyone who speaks highly of him. His churls in the service department seem to have adopted his bossiness and general careless about the sheep attitude.
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  16

  The WTS and Dictatorship

  by Defender in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a lot of comparisons have been made between the wts and political dictatorial governments.

  some hope that while the political dictatorial governments tend to develop fatal flaws that eventually bring about their demise, the same may be happening in the wts.

  while there may be outward similarities between wts and dictatorial regimes, but the inherent political and social power structure is different.

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  SadElder

  How interesting that you should use that expression. About a year or so ago a Bethelite friend mentioned that some in a particular group or committee were using that expression to describe the workings of thier department, they called it the benevolent dictatorship. Interesting that some supposed keepers of the faith forget that Christ is head. Sad. To quote an old line from a convention drama --- too bad for them.
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  11

  J.R. Brown, Plus: What the JWs will be doing on Christmas

  by Funchback in

  1. social
  2. current

  on christmas, jehovah's witnesses prefer to minister.

  in delaware, members of faith have grown to more than 3,000

  by gary soulsman

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  SadElder

  The 'ol Bethel boys will be trodding up and down Brooklyn Heights today because it's still a Bethel workday. J.R. Brown will be tooling around in his Infinity Q45 watching all those suckers walk. What fun, huh?
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  9

  Traveling Overseers- Extended Training

  by pillsbury in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have heard that the co's and do's are being systematically called back to ny for extended training.

  now normally this is no big deal as they do go back from time to time for training but this time it is for a 8-9 week training course (without their wives).

  from what i have heard they are going to be emphasizing more oversite or control over the congregations from a circuit level (i am sure they are discussing other issues as well).

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  SadElder

  We've been asking around about this 'school'. Even friends at Bethel haven't heard much. Have talked to a number of brothers across the country and the feeling is the same - not much flying around about it. So either it bored the hell out of them and they have nothing to say OR they were sworn to keep their mouths closed.

  We'll be interested to see what turns up. Keep us posted please.
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  15

  Not enough reaching out

  by pillsbury in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the society has really been pushing hard lately (i know, like always) to do more and reach out.

  there is at least one reason for do this that i can think of.

  i have many friends around the country and they went to the elder school last year.

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  SadElder

  As a former 'eldub' I can attest to the declining interest in "reaching out". In fact more and more seem to be "stepping down??" than ever before. In the cong. that I attend occasionally, they have seen 4 elders drop out in the last three years (including me). The "new boys" that get appointed just seem to lack the maturity and interest in people that was the hallmark of a good elder in times past. The PO in our cong. comes in the door goes down front holds court with other elders and rarely interacts with the "sheep".

  Times they are a changin.
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  24

  Remember those stupid TESTS we would take at theocratic ministry school

  by dolphman in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  remember those things, they'd hand out a board, a pencil, and this test booklet.

  i mean, i loved those nights!

  it actually gave me something to do.

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  SadElder

  the written rotten review was monthly

  Love it.

  Oh, yes the days when the poor school overseer had to grade all those papers. Even after they quit that the 'review' night always had poor attendance. The general feeling was that it was a waste of time. Never bothered with it much myself, even when I had the School.

  If they want to teach, they need to come up with better teaching methods and stop boring people to death.
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  14

  Secret literature

  by HarryPotter in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  almost the majority of us know that there is a secret book just for the elders which is called "pay attention..." everybody knows that the society defends herself saying that the book is not secret becasue it was shown to the witnesses in an assambley and there is a picture of it in the book proclaimers so she askes how the book could be a secret.

  well, acccording to my dicctionary for learners of english says: secret; something that is secret is known about by only a small number of peple, and is not told or shown to anyone else.

  so the book is secret.

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  SadElder

  Though it's been about three years since I was an "eldub" I have never seen nor heard of a CD just for elders. The written instructions to the elders are that the 'secret' book not be stored on any electronic retrieval system. Some elders I know do have such things downloaded, but the R&F dub elder wouldn't have a clue as to how to accomplish such a thing anyway.
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  14

  Slideshows at the Meetings

  by Nosferatu in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  does anyone remember the great relief when we would have a slideshow from some travelling goon at the meetings?

  i always enjoyed this since it was way more interesting than finding scriptures in the bible.

  as time progressed, they seemed to quit doing this.

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  SadElder

  We knew a brother from Florida who did a really nice talk about young people, Used two slide projectors and hundreds and hundreds of slides. That was many years ago when one could still give talks on any subject without an outline from Brooklyn. I must admit that that talk was the best one we ever saw and it was not from Brooklyn. Eventually the CIA at Brooklyn put a stop to all made up talks, now only outlines from Brooklyn are used. Some of them are terrinle.

  The congregations could benefit from some forward thinking teaching programs not the drival that is still being thrown around, teaching the way they have for a hundred years. Bring back some good slide presentations, use videos, overhead projectors, etc. Teach not spew words.
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  13

  If you could be WTS President, would you?

  by freedom96 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  englishman posted a humorous question regarding who would make a good wts president.. i would like to take this one step further, on a more serious note.. if you had the chance, would you step in as president, and make the appropriate changes?

  lets just say for aruguements sake, that as president, you alone could make all the changes.

  you could change the blood issue, df'ing, all sorts of stuff.

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  SadElder

  Nope.

  The President of the WTS is now little more than a puppet of a shell corporation. He has no influence in setting policy or doctrine. The other corporations that exist are as far as I can see just part of a shell game to hide money and limit liability. The GB and the "helpers" are the ones who are responsible for what policy decisions are made.

  Ted Jaracz has great influence in what happens inside the congregations and the spirit of the traveling men. He is known among other GB members as "The Boss" The general leaning is one of a "benevolent dictatorship", words that have been actually uttered by some in high positions.

  Jesus is head of man not other men.