Nepotism and Simony

NotFormer

I've read on here about connected families within congregations who seem to get all the "privileges". How likely is an elder's son, or other relative, to rise within the ranks?

I imagine it's harder to do it that way once you start to ascend the ranks. After all Bethel is famous for discouraging families and children. Could a GB member's son ever carry on the family business by being promoted to that rank?

And from nepotism to Simony: Can greasing palms help you go places? At the congregational level? Within the Bethel structure?

Balaamsass2

People are people.

Greasing palms of influencing the right people will ALWAYS help...big time.

Cocktails, a nice meal, and a few clean jokes go a long way everywhere.

A free Lunch and a round of golf goes a long way.

A credit card, a couple of free dresses, and free suits to any Circuit Overseer and his wife are priceless. :)

stan livedeath

I get confused with Simony and sodomy--or do they mean the same thing ? Trying to get up someones arse

Foolednomore

I have seen it, elder BillyBob was the head elder, than his nephew Rickybob was the 2nd elder. Alot of greenhandshakes in between.

XBEHERE

A free Lunch and a round of golf goes a long way.

I have seen this in my former congregation so much. If the CO is a golfer and you are an elder and are too you are in during his tenure in the circuit. Parts, mentions to the branch office, your voice and opinion gets heard above non-golfing elders, etc. etc. Holy Spirit?!?! LOL Yeah right!

FedUpJW

Nepotism? Simony? Within the "perfect" congregation ruled entirely by "Holy Spirit"?

My father said one time, "Anyone who says nepotism or money does not influence bodies of elders as to who is appointed is either very naive or outright lying!"

When he said that he was an elder, he was according to rank and file JW's the only elder they trusted, and according to the other elder's he was feared and hated because he didn't rubber stamp everything and he went to bat for the average am ha'aretz. Whether in the congregation or his employment he had the reputation of being in the words of the president of the company he worked for "religiously ethical and honest."

In the congregation I faded from I saw that the only ones appointed over the twenty years I was there were either family of elders, or had been "studied" with by elders.

Balaamsass2

One thing I have noticed about Elders' children is that "Daddy Elder", frequently shields them, by steering any confessions of "sins" to an Elder friend of Dad, to get the most gentle reproof possible.

Elder Daddys will also "mentor" his children on the "hidden" JW rules within the secret "Shepherding" book and unwritten customs to fast-track appointments and privileges for his kids.... if they want them.

So yes, Elders kids do get a boost...but that is normal parental behavior... in my opinion.

But is it HELPFUL to be inducted deeper into a cult???? :) I think not.

hoser

I find that these power families all make sure they are in the same congregation.

We’ve got 2 different families in our hall that compete with each other

Simon

Organization are always the same, unless they are governed by very principled people. Even so, forms of corruption inevitably develop somewhere in the system.

Our hall had more than one family where kids of elders became elders too, and others where kids of elders didn't get the same treatment as others, even though they committed worse 'sins'.

Nepotism and Simony

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