For my own needs, I have tried to draw a Chart that depicts the Organization's operation. I would appreciate any corrections and additions.
It is at http://au.geocities.com/doug_mason1940/org_chart.pdf
Thanks,
Doug
Help me with Org Chart?
by Doug Mason 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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purplesofa
interesting........what are you doing it for
nosey me
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Mary
Here's a more realistic view:
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Gopher
Overall your chart looks accurate. Just a couple notes:
The district overseer also oversees the circuit assembly programs.
As far as the Hospital Liaison Committees, I don't think they directly report to a congregation. Maybe they report to the city overseer, I'm not sure. Those committees are usually formed from elders from different congregations in an area.
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yesidid
Good work Doug.
Just a little more on DO's and circuit assemblys.
The DO spends two weeks with the CO's, one visiting a congregation during a CO's normal visit,
and also with the CO at a congregation deemed the "Host congregation" the week of the circuit assembly.
The circuit assembly programme is sent to the CO by the society. The CO chooses who will handle the
various parts not assigned to the CO or the DO by head office.
The CO rehearses the demonstration parts.
The DO will then rehearse with any assigned to his parts.
Basically the DO is there to keep the CO's in line.
yesidid
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Doug Mason
purplesofa,
I don't mind if you are nosey. You only find out by asking.
I asked about my picture because I am ignorant. I go by the saying "A person who asks a question is dumb for 5 minutes. The person who does not ask stays dumb forever". So I asked.
I have never been a Witness, so I wanted to get a feel for the system, and then see what conclusions may be drawn.
Between you and me only, I am working on a document that looks at the foundations, powers and privileges of the Governing Body and thought it would help if I included a diagram of how the system operates.
From the diagram, I see the organization system functions downwardly as a control mechanism, and is not aimed at bringing people to a personal and loving relationship with God and Jesus Christ.
Thank you to the others who made a contribution. You have helped me.
Doug
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slimboyfat
Interesting that you say district overseers derive authority from the Watchtower Society rather than from the governing body.
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jgnat
I find the tangle of legal entities to be fascinating. The writers of the literature are not the same people who direct the congregations for instance. I did a simplified chart once,
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Doug Mason
I would like to thank all who helped me so far with my functional organization chart.
You showed me a fundamental error in my placement of the “Governing Body”, which I hope I have corrected satisfactorily. I have tried to fit in as much of your information as I could.
As my drawing shows (http://au.geocities.com.au/doug_mason1940/org_chart.pdf), I am unclear about the relationships at the upper levels of the structure.
It is my understanding that there are a number of legal entities, such as several WTBTSs, IBSA, and so on. But I do not understand how they interact, and how the GB interacts with each of them.
For example, there is a WTBTS in Australia. Organizationally, whom does it report to? Is it to another WTBTS in USA? There must be some mechanism for ensuring the Australian administration does not go “off the rails”. They could not be allowed to run around like a headless chook.
The Australian administration receives its doctrinal instructions from some group. Do they interact directly with the GB? Or does some group interface with the GB on behalf of the Australian WTBTS?
The buck must stop somewhere. Someone must take responsibility for accuracy in doctrine and for the outcomes. For example, when an Australian JW dies as a result of an edict concerning the medical use of blood, who is the one responsible? When an Australian family is destroyed because of the edict on shunning, who must take ultimate responsibility?
Someone must have said “this we believe”. Is it the local congregation, their Overseers, the Australian WTBTS, their overlords in USA, or the GB? It’s too glib to hand-pass the responsibility to the writers of Scripture. Other groups read the same Scripture and do not arrive at the same conclusions, so the buck must stop with someone who is living on earth.
Doug
Melbourne
