Posts by New day

15

Need advice on fade...

by StarTrekAngel in

the elder that was the coordinator of the boe has just left town to attend one of those infamous schools with this wife.

the view is that he will most likely return to be appointed co. not sure he is going to stick around here for a lot longer.. i am saying this because, despite them knowing he will return when the school is over, they removed him from the coordinator position and appointed someone else.

it was announced last night that the biggest jerk of the group of elders is now the coordinator of the boe.

New day

Watch out for bullying COBEs! Had plenty of experience wth those. Lie low and stay under the radar is my advice.

16

Being positively recognized

by menrov in

hi, for over a year, i stopped attending meeting and field service.

actually, passively disassociated from the congregation.

but i did not stop reading and doing my own research.

New day

I think what has been mentioned about returning to your authentic self is spot on. I have pulled back a lot in the last year or so from involvement in the cong, resigning as an elder, partly due to family stuff, which I gave as the reason. When I was a teenager, before getting baptized, the future seemed very interesting. Unknown, exciting, out there. After many years as a witness I felt all my personality being sucked out of me, as especially as an elder you are expected to act in a certain way. Now, even though I still attend meetings, I am seeing "worldly" people in a different light. They are just other people, some good, some bad. And I can feel aspects of my younger self reappearing. I am actually feeling things again!

24

Following Christ "from a distance."

by New day in

luke 22:54.

"then they arrested him and led him off, and they brought him into the house of the high priest; but peter was following at a distance.

" i am still raging because this verse was used at a recent circuit overseer's visit.

New day

Thanks to all for replies. You make a very good point Nicholaus, about how it seems the "encouragement" to reach out didn't work, so now it is the hard line. I don't remember that article from 2011 you mention. Must look it up. I agree that becoming an elder is bad for relationships. With your wife, with the other elders ,who will always include at least one bully, so cue the power struggle. As somebody who honestly is not very ambitious, I always looked on in amazement as the big beasts fought it out! I think I probably don't want to go back into that again, even though my wife would like me to serve again.

24

Following Christ "from a distance."

by New day in

luke 22:54.

"then they arrested him and led him off, and they brought him into the house of the high priest; but peter was following at a distance.

" i am still raging because this verse was used at a recent circuit overseer's visit.

New day

And that's not even touching on the thought that the org should simply be encouraging bros to reach out, not loading on the guilt-tripping, which is a very sick way to try to get somebody to do anything!

24

Following Christ "from a distance."

by New day in

luke 22:54.

"then they arrested him and led him off, and they brought him into the house of the high priest; but peter was following at a distance.

" i am still raging because this verse was used at a recent circuit overseer's visit.

New day

Luke 22:54. "Then they arrested him and led him off, and they brought him into the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance." I am still raging because this verse was used at a recent circuit overseer's visit. The C.O. referred back to when this was used at a district convention to stress that if a baptized bro was not reaching out to be an ms or elder, then he was following Christ 'at a distance.' He then went further and said that if a baptized bro wasn't reaching out, there was something missing in his heart. He backed this up with 1 Cor. 13:5 where "love does not look for its own interests." So he was telling the congregation that if a bro was not actively reaching out then there was something wrong with him spiritually. No allowance for circumstances. I resigned as an elder over a year ago, mostly due to family responsibilities but also some doubts. As a result of this, every bro not serving will be viewed as a waster and an unfaithful git. I am still reeling from this.

37

Elders who dislike other congregation elders

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

my congregation had four elders who had different personalities.you would see a little friction among themselves.. #1 self-righteous and the 800 pound gorilla.he would push everyone around in the congregation and even some fellow elders.. # 2 elder was around 80 years old and looked like he stuck around a little too long.it looked like he was around because he never decided to give up the position.his duty became very light as he aged.. # 3 elder was in his early 30's and newly elected.he made no waves and whatever was asked of him in the congregation he would do.easy to push around like a little puppy dog.. #4 elder (who everyone liked ) was easy to get along with and had a family who everyone loved.

he didn't like elder # 1. they had a power struggle amongst each other which everyone observed while the meetings were in session.. here are 2 small verbal fights that i observed while the congregation meetings were in session:.

while elder # 1 was giving a talk ( heavy rain storms are brewing outside with loud thunder and lightning ) the microphones and lights are knocked out.we lost all power and could barely see.

New day

The revolving position was a great idea. It stopped power hungry men from having too much power. I have only been with two congs in over 30 years as a Witness and in both of them the presiding overseer had to be "taken out" as he got way too big for his boots. In both cases the revolving position idea had been changed to what it still is now, where a presiding overseer, or coordinator as he is called now, serves indefinitely, and unless the circuit overseer gets involved and takes action, it is very difficult to remove these men. This can take a long time. One of the two I mentioned was bossing everybody around for well over a decade.

39

Reasons for doubting.

by New day in

somebody mentioned in a recent topic that they had a conversation with a former elder whose breaking point was when the overlapping generation was highlighted in recent times and how he would never serve again until somebody gave him a scriptural reason to believe it.

i am in a similar position.

i have gone in the last 18 months from taking the wt study, leading fs groups, and doing talks on the mtngs to doing almost nothing, as i resigned a little over a year ago as an elder due to a combination of family responsibilities and huge doubts.

New day

Truthlover123

interesting point you make about my wife receiving visits from others and how that might keep her in. In fact she has not received too many calls and one has been from a sis who thought she could help by inviting her on the ministry. That didn't work as my wife has major shyness issues. No mention has been made about my situation.

As far as I am concerned, yes, I could not voice my concerns to anyone. I did mention some things to an elder friend but he couldn't deal with my problems with the generation teaching and the money grab so I stopped discussing it with him. The only outlet is here.

39

Reasons for doubting.

by New day in

somebody mentioned in a recent topic that they had a conversation with a former elder whose breaking point was when the overlapping generation was highlighted in recent times and how he would never serve again until somebody gave him a scriptural reason to believe it.

i am in a similar position.

i have gone in the last 18 months from taking the wt study, leading fs groups, and doing talks on the mtngs to doing almost nothing, as i resigned a little over a year ago as an elder due to a combination of family responsibilities and huge doubts.

New day

Truthlover123

I was disgusted with the money grab. I was accounts servant just before the big change and was so glad I handed it in to someone else before it was implemented. You say to back out slowly. So hard to do anything as I have been in for over 30 years and my wife is fully in even though she has missed many meetings due to health issues. Now I am viewed with bemusement and head scratching on the part of others as I don't fit into the pre-ordained pigeon holes.

18

Scripture fatigue

by New day in

i wondered why i felt so fatigued over many years from hearing the same things again and again at the meetings.

even the scriptures become too familiar.

a few days ago i quickly read through all the gospels and realised i knew all the verses in detail.

New day

I wondered why I felt so fatigued over many years from hearing the same things again and again at the meetings. Even the scriptures become too familiar. A few days ago I quickly read through all the gospels and realised I knew all the verses in detail. So when they are wheeled out again and again we become bored, even with great truths. Maybe better to try to just live by moral precepts without being bludgeoned by them all the time?

39

Reasons for doubting.

by New day in

somebody mentioned in a recent topic that they had a conversation with a former elder whose breaking point was when the overlapping generation was highlighted in recent times and how he would never serve again until somebody gave him a scriptural reason to believe it.

i am in a similar position.

i have gone in the last 18 months from taking the wt study, leading fs groups, and doing talks on the mtngs to doing almost nothing, as i resigned a little over a year ago as an elder due to a combination of family responsibilities and huge doubts.

New day

I know it has been addressed in other posts here but I also cringed at the morning worship video in jw tv which praised David Splaine's "masterful"explanation of the generation teaching in a recent broadcast. As we used to say as kids, "this guy was missing on the day God gave out the brains."