A thought of a question this weekend and was hoping a former cong. elder or circuit overseer could answer it for me. What exactly is contained on a publishers card? Do they keep track of past transgressions? If so, is that scriptual?
New here. ?? for one time elders or co's
by lost_light06 11 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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stillajwexelder
no - past transgressions are not kept on Publisher record cards
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stillajwexelder
date of birth and date of baptism - and if you are A or O/S
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misspeaches
We got to see our publisher cards. It was a record of our field service ministry. However as I understand it there is another record of you kept if you’ve been involved in Judicial Committees etc.
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moggy lover
Sorry Lostlight 06, I don't have the latest information for you since I was an elder during the 70s - 80s.
Your publisher record card only has the basic information regarding your service record. From what I can recall, the thing that they felt most important was whether you would have claimed to be of the "annointed" If that was on your card, you would need to have your head examined by the next CO visit. A session of Counselling was your due.
However a record of any transgressions needing a judicial hearing IS kept, but not at the local congregation. A report is submitted to the CO, who, having initialled it, then passes it on to the Branch Office. I am not sure how long these records are kept, but I think it was 10 years.
The reason for this is because of the elder review. The record of the propective elder is consulted, and this may either impede his appointment or approve it. Actually, this exacting degree of record keeping, not to mention the "grapevine" keeps the staff at Branch HQ remarkably well informed of even the most insignificant of publishers
Cheers
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geevee
It may be a little different now moggy lover.
If you are involved in anything "judicial" a record is kept on the congregation file. It may have been for 10 years specifically once, but 7-8 years would be about it, BUT lets say the secretary is a bit of a slacker, or he and the PO or even CO may think they have justification, they will keep the JC record indefinitely.
The society get the official "s79" form, which used to be a card if the person is disfellowshipped. It get stamped and sent back to the cong and when they get re-instated, it gets sent back to the society for their holy spirited blessing.
When the CO comes around he wants to know if anyone is on restrictions. [usual punishment for anything judicial] He sometimes wants to know the deal.
All serves to keep the sheep under control. In the book about Cult Mind Control, Steven Hassan talks about the Cult of Confession. The confessing of sins, both past and present, keeps the individual "humble".... keeps them down, under control....Now people know your sh*t. -
moggy lover
Thanks geevee good to get the latest info. Gawd...... takes me back it does. Those heady days of power, those seasons of authority, more protracted than even the medieval Catholic Church!!
But I hated the meetings. Gawd !!! some of them went on for bloody hours. I was damn certain that the reason the meetings went on for so long was that the guys simply did not want to go home to their wives, which was something that I, a batchelor, never could understand.
Cheers
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slugga
All serves to keep the sheep under control. In the book about Cult Mind Control, Steven Hassan talks about the Cult of Confession. The confessing of sins, both past and present, keeps the individual "humble".... keeps them down, under control....Now people know your sh*t.
Aha, that's why past transgressions on my part were brought up regularly by elders when i moved congregation. They wanted me to know they had stuff on me and wanted to make me feel bad and humble. -
blondie
Name (sometimes Mrs. Your JW Husband's Name)
Address (many times way out of date since the shepherds do not know where the flock are)
Phone number (ditto)
Anointed/Other Sheep
Male/Female
Date of Birth (the WTS has a QFR on the sisters should not be lying about their age)
Date of Baptism
Elder/MS
Month by month (year) of hours, placements, rvs, bible studies)
Years kept (varies by congregation, in the ones I attended--8 years back keeping in mind that cards and 2-sided and more than one year per card)
Any judicial matters are supposed to be kept separately in a locked file cabinet at the KH in a sealed envelope by event with name of person, year happened, and sometimes elders involved on the outside. Unless these are unusual cases, the WTS officially advises that anything older than 5 years should be trashed. I have heard of them being kept on deceased persons. It depends on who is or was the secretary. (Only elders are supposed to have a key but they don't keep them in safe places, don't get the key back from deleted elders, and some elders keep the files at home)
Blondie