Question regarding service time, irregular status, and inactive status...

by Check_Your_Premises 15 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Check_Your_Premises

  So let me see if I got this straight...

  To be a publisher you have to have 10 hours a month. If you miss that target you are "irregular". If you miss that target for six consecutive months you are "inactive".

  What if you get your time in but miss ALL the meetings? Would they still call you "irregular"? What if you miss your 10 hours for five months and then every sixth, you get your time in? Is the status of "irregular" a formal declaration? Once you are "irregular", how long do you have to be "regular" before you are declared "regular" again. How bout for "inactive"?

  What if you are ill or temporarily incapacitated? Does that factor into the decision to declare you "inactive" or "irregular"?

  Help me fill in the blanks. I am realizing that service time is a big bugaboo for my wife. I am trying to get an idea of how much heat they are putting on her.

  CYP
• 

  blondie

  To be a publisher you have to have 10 hours a month. If you miss that target you are "irregular". If you miss that target for six consecutive months you are "inactive".

  No, all you have to have is 1 hour a month each month consecutively to stay "active" unless you have severe health problems due to age or disability, then 15 minutes monthly will keep you active.

  The 10 hours is an quota--goal to shoot for officially upt till the 1970's and unofficially now

  If you miss reporting 1 month during a 6 month period you are considered irregular.
• 

  blondie

  Inactive truly refers to turning in time but

  What if you get your time in but miss ALL the meetings?

  Many elder bodies would not accept your time slips...though some might. Now if you were laid up in a coma, in a nursing home or hospital and couldn't attend meetings, they will aceept your time.
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  blondie

  What if you miss your 10 hours for five months and then every sixth, you get your time in? Is the status of "irregular" a formal declaration? Once you are "irregular", how long do you have to be "regular" before you are declared "regular" again. How bout for "inactive"?

  The only declaration of "iiregular" is by the secretary to the book study conductor and later the CO makes note of who fall in the inactive and irregular status and compares it to the previous 6 month period (or since his last visit).

  To be regular again you would have to have 6 months consecutive time reporting, same with inactive.

  Miss one month out of 6 consecutive--irregular

  Miss six months out of 6 consecutive--inactive

  Some people never get out of the irregular status.

  It is a business tactic to get sales and salespeople producing. The WTS measures by these numbers not by spending any time talking and being with the rank and file.
• 

  undercover

  To be a publisher you have to have 10 hours a month. If you miss that target you are "irregular". If you miss that target for six consecutive months you are "inactive".

  Almost right. If you don't report any service, then you are "irregular". After six months of irregularity you are then listed as "inactive". Ten hours is a number that is considered average for most JWs. When recommending MSs or elders, they expect to see an average of ten hours a month on a brothers service record. Averaging less does not make you irregular but it can get you a sheparding call to help perk your numbers up.

  What if you get your time in but miss ALL the meetings? Would they still call you "irregular"? What if you miss your 10 hours for five months and then every sixth, you get your time in? Is the status of "irregular" a formal declaration? Once you are "irregular", how long do you have to be "regular" before you are declared "regular" again. How bout for "inactive"?

  I don't think being irregular has a formal classification. The "inactive" status becomes a formal stamp after six months of not reporting time. Not going to meetings but going in service would not get you listed as irregular but it would draw attention to the fact that something's wrong. However, it's rare that you see someone go in service but miss all the meetings. Usually people will make it a meeting here and there way easier than they will going in service.

  Once you post time in service, you're considered regular but going from inactive to active, I'm not sure. If you've been gone longer than a year, you just can't show up and pretend everything's hunkydory. You may have to do some new study, don't miss any meeting and share in the service for a while before the record is cleaned up.

  What if you are ill or temporarily incapacitated? Does that factor into the decision to declare you "inactive" or "irregular"?

  If you are sick, in the hospital or due to various other verifiable reasons, then that is taken into consideration and a publisher may not get marked as irregular or inactive. It depends on what hardasses the elders are as to what they'll accept as a good reason. I've seen some good elders who said to not worry about anything but getting better and I've seen some that put the pressure on the sick one to not become inactive.
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  undercover

  Damn, Blondie....you are just way too fast...
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  Check_Your_Premises

  The 10 hours is an quota--goal to shoot for officially upt till the 1970's and unofficially now

  So if someone is missing that quota, they will likely be counseled? I wonder if my wife has been counseled yet? I know she gets hassled alot by this pioneer lady... you know, always swinging by because she thinks she need encouragement.

  CYP
• 

  undercover

  So if someone is missing that quota, they will likely be counseled?

  Depends on a lot of variables. If someone was strong in the ministry and then starts coming up short on their hours, then it's entirely possible, probable even, that a sheparding call could be arranged, or at least a private meeting after one of the meetings at the hall.

  If someone has usually just gotten by with a few hours a month and the average dropped a little bit, it may not raise any suspicions. A lot depends on the elder body and how close they keep up with everyone. A lot of elders are too busy with judicial responsibilities and family responsibilities to worry too much about someone dropping from 8 hours to 5 hours. If someone went from 12 hours to 5 hours, they may take the time to at least ask if something's wrong and what can be done to help. Then some congregations have elders who like to lord it over everyone and are in everyone's business.

  Sorry, no real easy answer...unless Blondie beat me to the punch again with a better response...
• 

  Inquisitor

  What if you get your time in but miss ALL the meetings?

  Many elder bodies would not accept your time slips...though some might.

  Blondie,
  Did you mean that there HAVE been cases where a person misses meetings BUT still goes for field service?!
  That is sooo bizarre! How does that happen??
  

  INQ
• 

  blondie

  CYP, it could be that that woman is just the hassling, busybody type. Also, she might feel that her reputation could be marred if your wife dropped by the wayside.

  It's up to your wife to stand up for herself in this matter...pushy sisters like that one won't get it if someone tells her to bug off...sometimes won't even if your wife does.

  The"unofficial" goal is still ten hours, 2 hours every Saturday morning, and 2 hours perhaps 1 Sunday afternoon or one evening (do JWs still meet for evening witnessing?????). Usually you don't come onto the radar until it drops under 5 hours (especially for brothers). Also, as undercover said, if you were usually a 20 hour a month publisher and dropped to 3, you will get looked at by the elders.

  Inquisitor, yes, I have known of 2 JWs that did not attend meetings and turned in time. One congregation posted the time, the other refused. Both of them found the meetings totally boring and a waste of time but they did see the need to preach the gospel. I can tell you it made the elders squirm.

  I have also known of baptized JWs who go to all (or almost all) the meetings and never turn a time slip, never show up for an official meeting for service....just to gripe the elders' collective ass.

  Blondie