Hello everyone,
Please , before you continue the reading …relax…you'll need!
Let's travel back in time, to the year 1958, and imagine to be among
the 148,046 audiences , on Wednesday , August 2 nd and the place:
Yankee Stadium-PoloGrounds, New York City, for the "Divine Will"
International Assembly of Jehovah's Witnesses.
The evening speaker is F.W. Franz, vicepresident of the Watch Tower
Society, the them of his discourse " Keeping Strict Watch on How We Walk".
(Eph. 5:15)
"…Pointing up the need of constant prayerful vigilance, Franz told his hearers
that for each of the five years from March, 1952, to April, 1957, there had been
an average of 500 persons disfellowshiped from congregations in the United States.
"However," he said, " during the past year , from April 1957, to April, 1958, the
numbers rose sharply above that yearly average to 1,334 delinquent members, or more than two and a half times as many." The Society's vice-president further stated: " We dare not dull the shock of this by arguing that this may , in part , be due to American congregations having at least 18,537 new persons associating
themselves with the witnessing activities this past year." He proved statistically
that " this definitely disclose that more than twice as many as in previous years
have failed to watch themselves and act wisely.
It was made apparent that if anyone commits a sin deserving disfellowshiping
he should be painfully grieved, should repent and confess his sin, not just to God,
but to God's visible organization through his local theocratically appointed servants. The Society's vice-president instructed overseers who receive reports
of some delinquent member of the congregation to investigate the matter and take steps concerning it.
Regarding disfellowshiping, he said: " The primary righteous purpose of this is to keep God's visible organization of his sheep clean and safe from a spread of sinfulness. The recovery of the offender is secondary." At a hearing before the congregation committee, it was pointed out , the offender or supposed offender, should not attempt to justify himself but ought to seek the unity of the theocratic
organization and should be concerned with settling matters quickly. Only then "
is he in a right condition to offer sacrifice to God and to find acceptance with him."
Noting that congregation service committees have what he termed " fearful power" to disfellowship unruly ones, Franz admonished : " They must use this power with caution, not only to avoid getting into legal difficulties with the law courts of the land, but also to avoid sinning with this disfellowshiping power
through a misuse or an abuse of it."
In conclusion the Society's vice-president told his listeners that wisdom and salvation lie in ' keeping a strict watch on how we walk'. «
(The 1958 REPORT - "Divine Will" International Assembly of Jehovah's Witnesses, Yankee Stadium-Polo Grounds, New York City, Agust, 2, 1958 .pp.54,55 )
I 've found these revealing points:
1)"…above that yearly average to 1,334 delinquent members,.."
2) "…He proved statistically.."
3) " he should be painfully grieved.."
4)" …should repent and confess his sin.."
5)" .. not just to God, but to God's visible organization through
his local theocratically appointed servants."
6) "…instructed overseers who receive reports of some
delinquent member.."
7)"…keep God's visible organization of his sheepclean
and safe from a spread of sinfulness. "
8)" …The recovery of the offender is secondary."
9)"… seek the unity of the theocratic organization .."
10)"… should be concerned with settling matters quickly."
11) ".. At a hearing before the congregation committee.."
12) " that congregation service committees have what
he termed " fearful power" !!!
13) " They must use this power with caution,
not only to avoid getting into legal
difficulties with the law courts of the land.."
I'm sure that this could be useful even if only as a thought provoking material. I do have the original - 112 pages ' brochure.’ -.
Greetings, James Charles MacHislopp