What about the responsibility of being an elder did you dislike the most? I served from September 2003 - June 2006. There were two things that bugged me the most The first was I got sick of the bickering amongst the Body. We had 7 elders and in nearly every situation, big or small, there was some division that got personal. Because one elder said "black", the other had to say "white". Then there was a struggle to pull the majority to one side or the other. It was almost like being in Congress. The other thing that I couldn't stand was knowing the personal and intimate details of the lives of families in the congregation. I didn't need to know about Brother and Sister Smith's sex life. Brother Smith: "My wife doesn't like to move during sex . She just lays there". Sister Smith " Well, he only lasts fo 30 seconds, what's the point of me getting into it? Plus I think he's gay." How was I supposed to look at either one of them in the same way after that? Plus I had my own marital problems. I burned out after about a year and a half (April 2005) and in July 2006 left the congregation for good, never to return. I still get pissed when I think about the nearly 3 years of hell "serving" the flock. Some enjoyed knowing all of that stuff but not me.
If You Were Ever An Elder...
by Henry 26 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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What-A-Coincidence
intereseting post...welcome...i was an elder for 2 years...never got to involved with the sex lives of the dubbies...thank goodness.
Brother Smith: "My wife doesn't like to move during sex . She just lays there". Sister Smith " Well, he only lasts fo 30 seconds, what's the point of me getting into it? Plus I think he's gay."
lol
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Vinny
I became more aware than ever just how power hungry many elders are.
I would guess that probably 80 percent of the elders I knew were not in it to serve at all, but rather to be somebody and to get recognized as well as have control over the rank and file.
One elder used to constantly say, " I've earned my stripes".
Yep, he ended up getting stripped of those stripes too... He literally dies soon after.
Another whined whenever he did not get assembly parts.
Very few ever went the extra mile to help the flock.
But these same ones were often like the Gestapo, just looking for any kind of wrongdoing to jump all over.
And forget humility. That did not exist in the meetings I was a part of. I was amazed at just how bad it was.
And Favoritism? DEFINITELY! Especially was this the case for elders kids in trouble.
I could easily go on... -
Wasanelder Once
I was shocked at how they scoffed at praying as a body for people in the congregation who were having a hard time of things. They didn't pray except at the open and closing of meetings. It was pathetic. If there was an impasse, no one would pray together for help. They just kept putting their view to the fore and passive aggressively restating their agenda. Yeah, hated knowing who was blowing who. W.Once
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JH
Because one elder said "black", the other had to say "white". Then there was a struggle to pull the majority to one side or the other.
Which side was the Holy Spirit on?
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Honesty
One PO elder (I've served under several and they all were PRICKS) kept telling me, "We are going to be PRINCES in the New System." so many times that I finally had to tell him, "I just hope that we aren't perceived as PRINCES of DARKNESS by the other brothers."
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skyking
I hated, there were two Elders the P.O. and the Service Overseer that always saw evil intention in any erring member.Then we must deal out harsh punishment in order to keep the congregation clean.
In essence they were henchmen.
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tijkmo
If there was an impasse, no one would pray together for help.
wow wasa....and i thought i was the only one who had experienced this.
i remember voting on an elder recommendation and the vote being 4-4 so i suggested that we pray specifically on this issue...the response i got was we had already prayed at the beginning...i was a bit surprised but i persisted so we said another prayer and retook the vote..still 4-4..which i took as an indication that the holy spirit was not recommending (yeah i know) even tho i was - even tho those in favour of not recommending were not in favour of repraying..o the irony.
another time the prayer was being said at the beginnng of the elders meeting and i heard rustling so i opened my eyes (at the risk of being blinded forever) and i saw the p.o. going over his notes..i was so shocked i didn't say anything altho if i was there now i would stop the prayer and shame him....
terry senior for anyone who's interested
i liked everything about being an elder....except elders meetings
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
I've served in three congregations and can truly say that I loved all three Halls...
...it's just the people that keep coming inside that I hate.
First congregation - too many elders! It's nice to have fewer parts and responsibilities, but elderly meetings would take FOREVER since everyone had to speak their opinion and try to come to an agreement. Too often, it was 18 different people saying the same basic two or three points over and over, accomplishing little.
Second congregation - foreign language, 7 elders. A quarterly elders meeting would take 8 hours! Sometimes more! It must have been something cultural, they would just talk in circles and little was actually accomplished. Bad circumstances and I was burning out.
Returned to first congregation - now fewer elders, but too many problems! All kinds of problems, judicial and otherwise, would appear. I was totally burnt out and disillusioned dealing with such situations in a congregation so close to Bethel. What is this 'holy spirit' thing and 'Jehovah's clean and happy people'?
Left Beth-hell and returned home - The elder body was good enough that I was starting to regain some faith in the bOrg. That is, until the new CO came. What a jerkwad that I'd like to dispatch to 'paradise'. In the short time that he's served around here, he's re-ignited my every doubt in the organization and the work of the holy spirit. With the recent NBC child rape scandal, it's the final straw. No warning or direction from 'Mother'. I guess the GB and Service Department out in their ivory Towers don't mind if the elders learn that the Society is shelling out millions to hush up rape victims FROM HOUSEHOLDERS, WHILE THE PUBLISHERS ARE OUT IN FIELD SERVICE!!!
...but I digress... What did I hate the most about being an elder? Well, I'll share a little secret with you. You know how you all want to run and hide when the elders walk toward you or want to 'visit'? There are some pubs that have an almost magical ability. When they walk toward the elders, the elders all was to run and hide. I'll work on some documentation of the tactics of these publishers. Perhaps I'd call them the elders' worst nightmares.
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tooktheredpill
I became more aware than ever just how power hungry many elders are.
I agree with Vinnie. I will never understand why some people really thinks that having a "priviledge"(tm) in the congregation is like earning a higher rank in real life. Some even "fight" for the position!!! If they can see the reality: you are not earning NOTHING; you need to use the time that you need to take care of your family for congregational matters; that all the instructions that you receive from the "Mother Organization" is only to cover their backs...
It's really pathetic...