Bumping this thread...
Very interesting topic and comments!!!
WTBTS Elder & Ministerial Servant Problems
by JW GoneBad 113 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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Doubting Bro
The congregation I attend has the following:
Elders - 8 in total broken down by age:
Over 80 - 1
70-80 - 1
60-70 - 1
50-60 - 3
40-50 - 0
30-40 - 2
MS - 7 broken down by age:
over 80 - 0
70-80 - 1 (will never be an elder)
60-70 - 1 (will never be an elder)
50-60 - 2 (both are ex-elders - likely be promoted in 3-5 years)
40-50 - 1 (outside chance)
30-40-1 (good chance of being promoted)
20-30 - 2 (1 has a good chance of being an elder by 30 the other is a slacker that does just enough to stay a ms)
Ex-elders who make little to no effort - 8 with all of them over 40. I'm actually the only one under 50 so there's no way any of these guys are going to "serve" again.
Potential MS - 2 (one of which is around 20 and the other is in his 30s having been a ms before)
Oh, this congo is considered to be one of the stronger in the circuit. Many others have about 5 elders and 1 or 2 ms. We had 1 congo contracted and there will likely be another one in the near future.
I haven't gotten the stats yet from the KM school locally but will post them as soon as I get them.
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Gayle
Doubting Bro,,thank you for your info,,it does look like your cong. would be considered of the 'stronger' ones, especially almost as many MS's as elders. What does: We had 1 congo contracted and there will likely be another one in the near future mean and why?
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palmtree67
It always appeared to me in every congregation I was in, that the elders were reluctant to "promote" any other brothers into their ranks. It seemed they used any excuse to make them seem un-qualified.
It always looked to me like a "Little Boy's Club" where the ones in power didn't want to give any of it up.
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Doubting Bro
oh, sorry. They eliminated a local congregation and reassigned members to existing congregations (2 I believe). The congregation I attend picked up several territories and a few publishers (no elders, ms or pioneers). I think the attendance had dropped to below 50 and they only had a couple of elders/ms. There's a rumor that another congregation is going to meet the same fate based on the number of folks attending. Maybe disbanded is the term that they're using?
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Mad Sweeney
I think they're calling it merging.
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pirata
I don't think it's suprising that we have more elders. I'm actulaly suprised that the ratio is not higher.
If a man spends an average of 10 years as a M.S. (ie. age 20-30) and an average of 50 years as an elder )ie. age 30-80) you'd expect a settling rate of about 5:1 ratio.
Or maybe my math is completely messed up, in which case corrections welcome.
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Think About It
I think they're calling it merging.
I could see alot of KH's merging. The hardcore Dubs are going to drive any extra distance involved no matter what. Combining small congs would cause (after the bills are paid) more money to be left over in donations for the WTS. There would be more strength & encouragement in numbers and more elders & MS's would be available to serve. Expansion is over, I look for major contraction in congs as the older ones die off.
Think About It
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Room 215
"wow,,with those numbers, elders average about 7 per cong. M.S, average 5 per cong ...." what's so dire about that situation? In a cgregation of 100/120 dubbies, how many goons do they need to keep people in line?
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Doubting Bro
Speaking of merging congregations, has anyone noticed a trend to build 2 auditoriums on one site (zoning permitting). I've heard them refered to as "double halls". I could see that as a way to deal with declining numbers. Move 4 congregations into a complex. Sell off 4 separate KHs and use that cash to build the new building with money left over to "donate" to the WWW. Then, if numbers decline you could merge 2 together in that complex without anyone really seeing any difference since you'd be going to the same building. Do that, you'd also open up room to move another congregation into the complex.
I do know that this merging/disbanding has become common enough, at least among the English halls, that when it happens people seem to just shrug it off. But psychologically it's taking its toll and is a major point of discouragement. The last time I saw a new English congregation form in this area (a growing area by the way) was over 15 years ago!! I've seen several non-English but no English.