What Type Of Congregation Were You In ??? (page 2)

Legolas

What Type Of Congregation Were You In ???

An ugly, old, outdated and FILLED WITH MOLD one...Which by the way...They just sold to a daycare...Poor poor kids!

undercover

Everyone was married to someone's relative.

I can relate to that. Except for a couple of families, like ours, that came in by way of the door-to-door work (my mother fell for the scam..thanks, mom) most of the congregations in our area were related one way or another. The first hall that I remember going to, had three elders all with the same last name. Two brothers and a cousin. Another elder was married to a cousin of the family. The next congregation over had more cousins and uncles as elders.

Then as I grew up...the congregations became more inter-related as the kids married other dubs in the area. Any JW who has been around for awhile is related either by blood or marriage to over half the other dubs in the city.

I had cause to think of this just the other day, when I found out that a sister that I dated as a teenager had kids getting married now. Her daughter is marrying a brother who is related by marriage to my family. I got to linking all the families that were related by marriage and it spread out far and wide. I'm related, by marriage, to most of the congregation that I left.

BluesBrother

I have been in five congo's in my time, as well accompanying Sister BB to a couple more in recent years .The big ones are the best, small towns = small minds.

I recognize the charecters that you all mention . Every congo has them. There was bro Passedover, with a chip on his shoulder . Sister Matic who did everything so well self righteously. Dear old Sister Dottie that everybody both loved and despaired of with equal measure, young Bro Enthusiast-Brownnose who ran around doing everything . Elder Bros Pompous, Honest, and Follow-my-leader.

I guess it is just humanity , the same the world over. There were a lot of decent sincere people too.

Wasanelder Once

The congregation I attended was very old. (from the late 1930's). Most all of the old timers are dead now. They were here a LONG time and the place was dominated by a conservative and unrealistic viewpoint. Many of these oldsters hated each other from years of interactions that weren't always "Christian." I was best man in a 78 year old brother's wedding. Wonderful brother who lived to 93. Married a whacko though.

There is little employment around here and people came and went regularly. Except for the oldsters. At one time we had 20 people over 70 in the congregation. In the 1980's we went from two pioneers, myself and one other, to 15. We were really drumming up support with our zeal. It became a fad eventually and most dropped out ot fulltime service.

Familys pretty much stayed to themselves and it was a lonley place for most.

W.Once

daystar

I was in one single congregation almost from birth until I was 18, when I left the religion.

We had one large family which ran most everything. Two (or was it three) brothers (in the flesh) were elders, including PO and they had many sons of their own, all being primed for MS and eldership themselves. The family heads were all businessmen running their own companies, living in rather nice houses (though not mansions) and driving expensive cars.

The wealthy were placed in positions of honor. The moderate or poor were looked upon with some amount of trepidation.

The elite all went on expensive ski trips every years, while the rest just tried to trudge along to make ends meet and meet their service quotas.

At least, this was how it seemed to me when I was young. I would have liked to have been asked once to go along with the other kids my age (I was actually rather friendly with the elders' sons) on the ski trips, but I never was. Even if we coulnd't have afforded it, it would have been nice of them not to assume that we couldn't.

I'm sure there was gossip and other cliques, but to be honest, I've never been one to pay much attention to such things. I guess I never listened intently enough, or joined in the conversation, when such gossip came up.

Although... sometimes I do miss some of them, even today. I can see their faces in my mind as if it was yesterday.

minimus

The Halls that had families making up the majority were the cliqueiest.

purplesofa

My first congo was by far a very loving congo, small town and a newbie was all they needed to coddle and fuss over.

The second congo......wackos.......all were depressed.......on meds depressed.......and I never saw so many homes that were incompletely remodeled. It was eerie.........like a disease had spread to everyone. No one had gotten together for a long time ......and I had a Girls Just Wanna Have Fun party and invited every woman from the congo to the party.........We had a great time and I think they started hanging with each other after that.

The last congo is by far the most balanced.......a bigger one........kids in college, diversity of elders. Really nice group of people.

purps

minimus

Some Halls were known for the "natural" things like holistic medicine, iridology, and homepathy. They'd have "eye readings" and tell you if ou had cancer or not.

minimus

It's great that I'm going for breakfast on this sunny Sunday morning instead of a meeting.

Quentin

The kh I spent the most time in was laid back, quiet and for the most part unobtrusive. This was a congregation of the 50s and 60s. There was no boe. You sat under your own vine and fig tree, unless it was something outlandish you were pretty much left alone. Doesn't mean people didn't get dfs, put on reproof, loose privileges, after all it was the wt. As I remember it most of the Js minded their own business. At that time in my jw history it was a comfortable place to be. The rubber hit the road for me when I got into my early twenties...and I don't doubt there was a great change in many kh when the boe was put in place...

What Type Of Congregation Were You In ???

Share this