How do the elders deal with a very poor brother or sister?

by JH 45 Replies latest jw friends

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  JH

  Lets say a brother or sister loses their job, falls on welfare, doesn't have enough to eat.

  What do the elders do?

  A) Tell them that the Organization is not a place to beg but to preach, to give and not to receive.

  B) Remind the brother or sister that welfare was put in place by God for the poor so don't bother us any more.

  C) The elders contact every brother in the congregation and beyond to see if they can find any work for the poor soul.

  I just wonder how an elder would react if a member of the congregation would knock at his door and say, I'm hungry?
• 

  serendipity

  I can't say I knew many truly poor JWs. I do remember one poor, singl (divorced) e mother who was a vivacious, attractive with a bit of a scandalous past. Many of the married sisters in the KH were jealous, and they kept their hubbies away from her. There were a few, though, who considered it their Christian duty to help out 'widows' and tried to help her a bit. The only elder who helped her was a mechanic, and he kept her jalopy running.
• 

  kls

  They feed them watchtowers and give them Jahs blessings. There was a time that we were living on about 100.00 dollars a month and never did they ever offer any financial support but made we had our brainwashing material.
• 

  Here4You

  I would assume they are like the rest of the world, as long as you kiss the watchtower societys butt, you'll never have to worry because the brothers and sisters will help you pioneer, if you know what I mean?
• 

  JH

  There was a time that we were living on about 100.00 dollars a month and never did they ever offer any financial support but made we had our brainwashing material.

  I believe that kls.

  I also lost a good job back in the early 1990's

  Although I was very generous with the poor ones in the congregation, when I became poor, no one came to the rescue. Not one person offered help, or was willing to share a cleaning contract.

  That's what opened my eyes.

  I even rubbed it in, and told the elders, "I can't go to my meetings, I don't even have the essentials to live" What did the elders do.......Nothing.
• 

  fullofdoubtnow

  There was one elder in our hall who would help people who were struggling, though not with money, just food.

  None of the others bothered though.
• 

  kls

  I see JH that after all these years of me being out that nothing has changed but why would it . You know how the jws think,The more you suffer the more Jah loves you. They truly do seem to feel that the harder your life is just means you are in Jahs favor.

  Go figure
• 

  JH

  You know, if there were many poor JW's it would be hard to help everyone, but what shocked me was that when I lost everything I had, they did nothing.

  All those brothers I helped in cleaning business for FREE, when I was working and didn't need money, ignored me completely when I suddenly lost my job.

  Imagine helping out brother in the cleaning business for FREE because I work and dont need money, helping them 4 hours a day for months and months, and then I lose my job, and they don't see the need to offer me any work.

  Ok this happened many years ago, but I will remember this forever.
• 

  blondie

  Poor JWs are supposed to get help from their JW relatives. Then their non-JW relatives are supposed to help them. Then the elders are supposed to help them fill the forms for government help. Then if that fails, if the person is a JW in good standing for many years, the elders may ask the congregation to help. BTW, a resolution has to be moved and seconded at the service meeting with the congregation voting on it because except for the mortgage and utility bills, every irregular expenditure has to be done this way (per the WTS...now I know this may be ignored by the elders).

  I will say that I have had brothers work on my car for nothing even supplying the parts; I have had food and clothing given to me; I had money given to me when I was in the hospital and had no money to pay for it. Those people were true Christians.

  Blondie
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  Mysterious

  I guess there are always good people in any hall regardless of being JWs. I remember my mother doing food hampers and giving money to families that were down on their luck, but it was the sisters that arranged it not the congregation.