by JW GoneBad 113 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
So, they have a total of over 150,000 clergy for a US congregation of about 3,000,000? One in 20 members is clergy class(*), about one of every 10 males, maybe one in 7 adult males? I suppose you can afford to run an inefficient organization...when you rely on unpaid slave labor!
(*) Yes, I know they say there is no JW "clergy class"--but if it quacks, waddles, and swims like a duck...
yourmomma:
'this problem has no chance of getting better if they are going to delete people for stupid shit like your child being enrolled in college.'
A speaker who considers himself a WT 'heavy' gave a talk ...'Pursue Divine Education'. He commented on the issue of M Ss' wives and or children seeking higher education (specifically a 4 yr college).
It sounds like WTBTS might be giving in some, but not without flexing their muscle so as to show the GB is still in control. There are 8 criteria that must be met if the M S is to hold on to his 'priveleges' if it is found out that his wife or offspring are going to college. The speaker hinted that the elders covered this quite thoroughly at their elder school.
He also stated that the elders are being told to not only consider talking to suspect M Ss but that M Ss themselves should expect to be 'called in on the carpet' over this.
The 8 criteria that will determine if a M S will hold onto his priveleges are as follows:
1. Is the college student/publisher regular at meetings?
2. Is the college student/publisher regular in field service?
3. Does the college student/publisher publicize his secular education to others?
4. Does the college student/publisher comment regular at meetings?
5. Is the college student/publisher residing on campus or home?
Criteria 6, 7, 8 were almost a repeat of the previous 4 or 5.
It all amounted to a bunch of 'gobbledegook'. Maybe someone else who attended either the Elder or the M S school can recite #6, 7 & 8.
Overall, I got the impression that the GB realizes that it is fighting a losing battle and is reluctantly giving into JWs who have a desire to go to a 4 year college or university.......but the GB difinitely wants to have the last word.
Thanks for the stats Gayle.
Seems like they've had to hold out that carot by rewarding their faithful men by promoting them to elders. Now they're top heavy. Personally I think it is better to go for quality and not quantity. The benefits in having a large number means that they can share the load better and learn not to squable amongst themselves, hopefully it has given more time for them to devote to their families. A very bad side of this is the mens qualifications which would be lacking in many areas (but as they're supposed to have been appointed by holy spirit I guess this is not an issue). These guys have life and death (as the have to administer the directions of the org) and the health and welfare of many people in their hands.
How they ended up with so many more elders than MS's shows some poor organisation there, unless it was intentional. They should have been looking closer at their own figures that have been so carefully and regularly reported to them.
BUT - Soon, the JW's won't need Elders or MS's;
because Armageddon is just around the corner, any minute now!
Then Jesus and a myriad of Angels are taking over; aren't they?
OR have I misunderstood the situation?
fokyc, your comment made me recall
how the elders are told they will be
the "princes" in the noo system...
seems that doesnt have quite the
attraction it used to have, eh?
a MS was visiting with me the evening after he got out of "the school" and he mentioned there was something specific they were asked not to share with others ... probably just an intentional ego boost ... anybody care to share if they were given a similar FYIO moment? This thread made me wonder if this might have been it. This is certainly not something I would consider encouraging to the sheep.
I remember 30 years or so ago they were bemoaning the fact that the young guys did not " reach out".
The WBT$ survived, and no doubt will totter on with the present lack of talent, and even numbers, getting worse.
It all makes their overdue demise a closer possibility though, what is to keep people in if only uneducated WT drones are there to do the talks and the "shepherding" ?
It's been a problem for awhile and its only getting worse for them. Either they delete people for stuff that's stupid (going to college) or they burn them out. What's left are mostly power hungery self righteous company men.
Here's a point you guys may overlook: what is the quality of those average 7 elders?
Go to most any congregation and observe that many (most?) have 3 to 4 guys who actually get something done and the rest are elders in name only. You have elders with creeping senility, heart trouble and other compromises that make them mostly useless for Cult Advancement purposes.
I would say that this loss of the 'B team' has been developing for some time, as younger men drift away, play video games, watch cable on momma's couch, download porn and smoke weed. The Watchtower doesn't understand that this MS problem goes much deeper as to declining traditional roles for men - as father, husband and breadwinner.
Sooner or later, the Governing Body must confront the fact that they have gathered together 7 million fantasy addicted people. They don't want to donate and they don't want much real, productive work. What do they do with them?
metatron
My 'observations' .... many longtime elders are finished, with the ever increasing Alzhiemers brain disorders!!
My Father is one of these. I find it odd that he was made an MS in the first place as none of his children are JWs and his wife was not strong/active due to illness (and other reasons).
His generation is also dying off. In another 10 to 20 years, the baby boomers will be dying off. They have quite a dilemma on their hands. I wonder if they'll look to the women. Wouldn't that be a hoot?
