Seems as though theres a quandary on their hands, elders that do not want to teach or appoint new ones and loosen their control and uneducated, non motivated younger men that do not want the job. Hopefully the problems will mount and more will leave the 'Truth' tm.
Former Longtime Elder - Reflections
by James Jackson 51 Replies latest jw friends
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TheOldHippie
It makes me a bit sad from time to time, as the education given is not as good as it should have been, either because it is given by MSs with little or no education who has to ask or rely on educated people like me to get some historical or geographical or pronounciational facts straight, or because it is given by elderly Es with an illness history who have forgotten most of the names and mix up things and want to direct the attention of the audience to their own hospitalization history and survival strategy diminishing the illness history of others present that is bigger and more serious than their own, or because they are so afraid of saying something wrong that they keep asking and asking until they finally get the reply that has already been printed in the magazine and then and then only is it that they can move on to the next paragraph because then and only then are they happy they have given no wrong education.
Now how was THAT for ONE sentence only?
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WinstonSmith
What an excellent thread.
This has been an issue for the WTS for some time now, and I can't see it getting fixed any time soon. One of the first KM schools I went to when I was an MS talked about the elder / MS ratio in New Zealand. There was almost double the number of elders as there was MSs. Ideally, they stressed, it should be the other way round so there are plenty waiting in the wings to help and assist the elders and then get promoted and ease the workload on the body, and let any older elders cruise.
That was eight years ago.
In my time as an elder we always had the same issue when the CO turned up. In the pre-meeting to discuss who we would put forward to the CO as potential MSs or elders it was always the usual suspects. None of them had changed anything since the previous CO visit when they weren't appointed. They all moaned that they weren't getting advanced, yet never bothered to implement any of the suggestions made to them.
It is reasonably common to have sisters doing some non-teaching roles in the congregation such as accounts and microphones. They will always be under the 'supervision' of a brother though. This may become more and more common as time goes on. I doubt we will ever see the day where a sister is giving a public talk though. The penis means power, and the Old Boys Club will be sure to keep it that way.
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Sparlock the Wizard
@Winston Smith: Wow, I've never seen a sister actually help out in mics before...I could see one doing the accounting behind the scenes when no one is there but our congo hasn't gotten that desperate for help yet (or any of the congos I know of). It would be more likely that they would delegate those responsibilities to non-baptized publishers that are in good standing before they consider giving them to women imo. I'd be interesting if this actually becomes the norm...
I wonder why the elders and COs take so long to appoint MSs and other elders...are they really still only offering the positions to those who meet their high standards? I figured they'd be getting a bit desperate by now...or perhaps no one is taking up the offers lol
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Julia Orwell
My friend was in a congregation so lacking in willing men they dialed in to another congregation in another town to hear the meeting parts over the teleconference. So nuts to having women help!
Also, my last cong had heaps of great brothers but they all rather spent the time with their wives and kids and one traveled about once a month for work to feed his kids so wouldn't have been getting the requisite 10 hours a month. They never even aksed my hubby though because he'd been in the world ie inactive and couldn't get 10 hours, but they used him for everything they could apart from being an actual servant. That was until he joined me that is in the ttatt that is.
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SloppyJoe
I don't think it will be a problem. When the time comes and elders and servants are needed, people get appointed whether they are qualified or not. It's just a matter of relative necessity. For some reason there always seem to be brothers where I live that are willing to serve in halls that need help. Just how I see it in my area.
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nonjwspouse
Legacy,
This problem of believing some of the WT doctrines are untrue, but continuing on to baptism anyway is one of the things that puzzles , and worries me about my husband who said he was on the path to baptism last year. He has since stopped going to meetings etc. So who knows. But it is living a double life within the JW when you do not believe what the WT is preaching. Why get baptized promising to believe unquestioningly in the GB when you really don't? In the WT doctrine, doing so is a road to eternal destruction.
What happens down the road if you speak about it, or if you celebrate a birthday ( like our young daughters BD) and get in trouble for it because some JW in the cong finds out and decides to tell on you? What happens if that causes you to get DF? It's like inviting massive drama into your life. Why?
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James Jackson
" When the time comes and elders and servants are needed, people get appointed whether they are qualified or not When the time comes and elders and servants are needed, people get appointed whether they are qualified or not".
I humbly disagree SJ. These Elders like the power. It is like fuel for them. There are some Brothers that would do all the jobs if the BOE would let them. Case in point: This one Secretary, when we were getting ready for the CO visit wanted to assigned out the Sheperding Calls, I said no, it is the Service Overseer assignment. Then it was time to assigned The CO meals, he wanted to do that, I said no, it is the COBE's job.
We battled like this everytime. This Brother eventually had a heart attack and a minor stroke, but recovered. Now with me out of the way, "He is Leading the Charge!"
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gingerbread
Watch the new dvd release - Prodigal Son Returns.
The two "boys" in this mock-u-drama is the sort of people that makes up the talent pool in congregations. Promotion from within the congregation works for the WT's purpose of rewarding the 'loyal' publisher. They 'reach out for responsibility' ... not for the opportunity to humbly assist those in real need.