Menlo Park Kingdom Hall - Part Deux

by Juan Viejo2 17 Replies latest watchtower scandals

Juan Viejo2

This message is important! Timing is critical!
Those of you who have read my previous postings about the lawsuit over the remodel and potential sale of the Menlo Park, California Kingdom Hall are aware that I have been trying desperately to contact someone in the area who can help me get more information on this case.

Devil_Fish - are you out there? PM or email me, PLEASE!
While I have received a half dozen or so anonymous or partly anonymous emails at contact@ex-jw.com, they all seem to be little teasers with nothing that I can use to really put a wrap around this story. I know there are people out there who want to help in some way, but they seem to be afraid that if they do they will get entangled in this mess and somehow might be punished by the Watchtower Society or by their friends. Some of the comments I've received include:

"You are closer to the truth than you might know. What is happening down here is just plain wrong!"

"You are on the right track, but there is more to this story that needs be told somehow."

"...and other things involving other KHs not even around here. Are you on our side? Is anyone really on our side?"

"You've only scratched the surface."

"...Your thread postings have been spot on..."

"An entire congragation [sic] has been harmed, possibly beyond repair. You and I both know at least part of the truth..."
My frustration over this story keeps me awake at night. I want to help the members of this congregation if I can, but these little snippets don't really help me put the whole story together. I need more facts and background information. I need some real help with this. I want to publish the truth!
I live in Salem, Oregon - so am 600 miles away from direct involvement in this story. But this morning we received the news that my elderly father-in-law passed away early today. I will have to make an emergency trip to Santa Rosa, CA to assist my wife and her family in taking care of arrangements and packing up his home. I know for a fact that one of the Santa Rosa area Kingdom Halls has been involved with this story on a peripheral basis. I would love to meet with anyone from that area, in or out of the organization, who would be willing to share some additional background information with me on this story.
The dates I will be in the area are October 24-27, but I can extend a couple of days if necessary.
Also, I will be just an hour or so from the San Francisco Bay Area and 90 minutes from Menlo Park. I would be more than willing to drive down there meet with anyone, at any place and at any reasonable time to discuss this story with someone who can and wants to help me.
I guarantee total confidentiality - or will give appropriate credit to anyone who wants it. My goal is to help - not hurt - those involved in this story. I can tell that there is worldwide interest in the story, especially here in North America.
Email me at contact@ex-jw.com or send me a PM here and let me know how to contact you. I'm hiding nothing about myself and am willing to put it all on the line to get the truth out.
Please, please, please - someone help me!
John Hoyle
Editor / Webmaster
www.Ex-JW.com
alanv

If this is so important to you why don't you wait until you have more accurate information. I realize you want to visit the area when you are in the vicinity, but maybe you should make the trip again, when you have a fuller understanding of what is going on.
Did you contact Rick Fearon, as he did a conference call on it. Sorry I can't be more helpful but if the story is as big as you think maybe it is best to wait until the true picture emergies.
Juan Viejo2

AlanV,
I was the main guest on that part of Rick's conference call. I know just about everything that is available, but I'm at a deadend as far as deeper facts, background and current information.
My point is that I've been getting short messages from various sources that say they want to help me get the full story. When I try to contact them, they go quiet and I don't hear from them again.
Either some of these anonymous sources are trolls, just pulling my chain with have nothing at all to contribute, or they are legit but are afraid to get involved for fear of future problems directed their way.
That's why I published this plea. I am sitting in Santa Rosa right now. It is raining bobcats and blood hounds. I have all my notes and a tank of gas. If someone in the area is willing to get together between now and Wednesday (10/27) I will brave the inclement weather and go any place to meet them.
It's my quest for a fuller understanding that is holding me back from releasing some other information connected to this whole sordid affair. I don't want to pull the trigger until I am sure who I should be pointing at.
JV
bsmart

bump
Juan Viejo2

For anyone interested, there is an article expanding on this event at www.ex-jw.com. There will be more coming soon, but I am still doing research and fact checking - and am having to deal with a family issue.
I look forward to your comments.
The good folks in Menlo Park look forward to your support.
JV
http://ex-jw.com/takeover-in-menlo-park-part-one
Juan Viejo2

BTW - I am in the SF Bay area for the next few days dealing with that "family issue" I referred to.
If anyone in that area would like to meet with me privately to offer more information, please email or PM me. I have gas and money for coffee or lunch.
JV
contact@ex-jw.com
Mad Sweeney

That's a nice writeup, Juan Viejo2.
I have an idea about how to get more information to the public: contact a local newspaper or other investigative journalist with your website link and a brief description of the situation and see if they want to pursue it.
Doubting Bro

This is a really interesting story. I scanned over the complaint and this situation is pretty ugly. But, given the heavy handed way the RBC deals with local KHs, I'm not surprised.
Good work on sniffing out this lawsuit and hope you're able to get more of the backstory. It could be that since it's in litigation, the parties need to keep that on the downlow for now.
I wonder how quickly these former elders who were allegedly removed for complaining are df'ed? I'm sure this would be "brazen" conduct, wouldn't it? The WTS will probably wait unitl the lawsuit is done before they df them.
Hopefully these guys will then sue the individuals including elders and the CO personally for defamation when they are df'ed.
If these guys are reading this - GOOD LUCK on the suit!
Doubting Bro

BTTT
Juan Viejo2

Sweeney,
These brothers want the word to get out, and hopefully draw some financial and legal assistance, but they are reluctant to go to the press or other media to try to win their case. They want to try the case in court, before an impartial judge and a jury that is likely to give them a fair hearing. Newspapers and local media often misreport a case such as this. This is the kind of case that needs to be put in historical perspective so that the public understands the facts behind their filing the complaint.
Let's face it, who really knows who owns a church? Do you have any idea who owns the local Baptist Church? What about that beautiful historic church with the tall white steeple that is considered a local landmark? Who owns St. Paul's Cathedral. Who owns the Saddleback Chapel?
The reality is that most Protestant denominations are made up of lots of local churches that are controlled and owned by a local non-profit corporation (just as Kingdom Halls have been in the past). All decisions are made by local boards of directors as to what expansion will take place, how much to contribute toward the missionary work, who to invite to speak to the congregation, and how much to pay that person, if anything at all. They hire and fire their pastors and support staff. They provide benefits to the clergy and other employees. They are run very much like any non-profit corporation. Although they may belong to a national headquarters association, synod or particular denomination, they are for the most part independent.
That's how it was for Kingdom Halls until just a few years ago. And yet the Watchtower has convinced most of its followers that it owns all those properties - that it has the power to appoint or remove elders - that it can order the sale of any property.
The Bonham, TX scandal of the mid-80s proved that the Watchtower can not claim ownership of all Kingdom Halls. Although the case took years to finally work its way through the courts, the local brothers finally won and kept the building. By the time the case was over, however, most of the complaintants had either been disfellowshipped or left on their own. The Society did build a new KH a few miles away and basically abandoned their pursuit of the older building except in the appeals courts. They lost that case, but there were no real winners.
In my second article, hopefully online by the first of next week, I will point out that until the Society appointed a new Circuit Overseer there apparently never been any serious issues at that Hall. The elder body was made up of longtime brothers. The congregation had been fruitful, bringing many new converts into the Watchtower's version of the "Truth." I have not heard of any scandals from the past that would indicate that any of the elders had ever tried to go out on their own, or had ever stood in defiance of the Society or its teachings.
Within a year of the appointment of the new Circuit Overseer, these brothers were being accused of various actions against the Society. Mountains were made of molehills. Changes in the local Hall were not suggested, they were ordered. The brothers were purposefully embarrassed and accused of wrongdoing, mostly through gossip and innuendo.
The public press, for the most part, does not really understand the backroom dealings of Jehovah's Witnesses. If the Catholic Church "owns" all its churches, why wouldn't the Watchtower "own" all its Kingdom Halls. They don't understand that when the Watchtower "loans" contruction funds to build Kingdom Hall, they expect to be paid back by the local brothers, dollar for dollar, and expect the labor to be performed by volunteers. In many cases the land has been donated. All work and fund are eventually provided by the local brothers, but the Watchtower - upon full payment of the loan - then takes ownership of a valuable piece of property. The local brothers have nothing under their ownership or control.
Now if I'm wrong about this, I welcome anyone on this board who is, or has been a recent elder, to please correct my understanding.
In any case, the press would not understand that most of the older KHs were actually owned locally and that the WT HQ has no legal rights or ownership of them - but they are acting as if they did and no one is stopping them. Except Bonham and now Menlo Park.

Menlo Park Kingdom Hall - Part Deux

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