Why did you want to be an elder?

ThomasCovenant

Hi

I'm curious to know reasons for wanting to be an elder?

Some have expressed to me they wanted to use their abilities to help others.

Another said he wanted to be in the inner circle to make sure he was able to look after his families' interests in the event of any future mishaps by his children.

I think many just get caught in the web of handling microphones, then Ministerial Servant then Elder.

I know it's easy for me to say as I wasn't any of these (apart from microphones) but

I can't help thinking for most men it is simply helping to fulfill a desire for more power.

Many don't seem content to be viewed as a mere publisher but want to get in on the action, knowing all the gossip and being involved on decisions.

Is it true that deep down, even though most may have good motives, it is still out of a feeling of self importance.

Thanks

Thomas Covenant

PS I'm not critisicing any for wanting this particular "privilege' it's just my take on it.

Gill

Only very slightly off topic here, but I asked my husband a few months ago why had had never wanted to be an Elder.

He told me he never 'aspired to be an arsehole!'

I'm still laughing now but for all the years we were dubs I thought he was a fool and spiritually weak when all the time he was 'way ahead of me' and simply tolerated going to meetings to keep me happy! Now I realise who the real idiot was, ME!!!!! I love him even more!

blondie

I wanted to be an elder...I felt I could conduct the school better, the WT study, the book study............snoresville. I wanted to know the juicy details of the life they thought I was living.

I was already visiting the older people, helping clean, take them to doctor, get groceries, pick up for meetings, etc., and be silly and giddy like the days when we were all children. I helped parents with their difficult child...........I'm a "helper" you see. I'm in rehab now but it's not working.

I could be just as good as getting into everyone's business, telling my husband confidential info about others.

In fact, I am an eldress on JWD, at least that was the joke between min and me. Eldress Blondie

Mum

It never occurred to me to want to be an elder or that I had any right to want anything for the longest time. Now, of course, I don't aspire to be anything for which the primary qualification is determined by having you drop your pants.

Regards,

SandraC

XBEHERE

I did because I was pioneering at the time and an MS so it was the next logical step. I also aspired to be a CO for a fleeting moment. I'm so glad that wife decided (for me) to have kids instead. Ultimately I wanted these "privleges" because I was a hard core JW and to not have them would not be acceptable.

Alligator Wisdom

I refused eldership twice!

Never did want to get into the politics of it.

Funny thing though, the elder body seems jealous. I don't have to do the routine mechanical dry in-step that they "have to" perform all the time. I'm free to help shepherd the sheep in my own way, give attention to the ones overlooked by the elders in the congregation, making myself approachable and available which the elders can't do because they are wrapped up with scheduling and paperwork before during and after meetings.

You know what ticks the elders off the most. When we have guests or visitors in the congregation, they always assume that I'm the elder and that the PO or secretary isn't. These elders really don't like being overlooked or mistaken for not being elders. I'm not that old, in my 30's, in case you were wondering.

See. That's only one reason why I don't want to be an elder. Your hands are tied while on a power recognition trip. Doesn't sound like fun nor a privilege to me.

Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother NOT Exerting Vigorously)

JeffT

I didn't want to be an elder. I preferred to spend my time with my family. I was told that I was not spiritually minded.

zagor

I was never an elder, though have been given task and assignments most elders ran away from. unfortunately, to some people that meant helluva lot. Just the other day I had to phone somene on business who is a dub, used to be an elder but is not anymore. He somehow felt ashamed I suppose that he is no longer on the "position" and out of the blue said to me, "You know I still feel like an elder" I asked what exactly did that mean to him or make him feel like. Well he went around a lot, about "being there, blah, blah leading congregation, blah, blah, helping others make wise decisions in life, blah, blah, being a pillar"

I guess he could have summarized it simply in two words "having power" which I told him, funnily enough his voice for some stranger reason started changing volume upward. So I said " and of course you surely fulfill one of the first prerequisites set in the bible so its fine" of course being nosy as he is, he couldn't resist but ask what that was, so I told him ... "being calm under pressure" ... of course I was just an apostate so he could yell at me or torture me or goodness forbid if law of the land would allow anything else as that facktower from 50's alluded.

BluesBrother

Before they appointed me , I never had given it a serious thought. I was at the meeting, reaching down to find my songbook and they announced that I was an elder - never asked me if I wanted to ....If they had, I would have declined ..But I got on with it . I really thought that this was God's congregation and it was right to share the load of caring for it.

Later when I moved and they did not initially appoint me I felt peeved. By that time I knew that they were just playing the system. I had lost the naive belief that Holy Spirit had anything to do with it. i suppose I was one of them by that time and thought accordingly.

One expression that I have heard latterly that really grates , is when the full-time ones, (Pioneers and C/o's) talk about their "Theocratic Career" as though they are climbing a corporate ladder of personal achievement..In the old days it was dinned into us that we were the servants not "Overseers" . The explanation of one of the Greek words was "Getting dusty in the service of others" ... I do not see so much of that these days .

R.F.

I was never reach that level of promotion but I (currently) am a ~~slave~~ MS.

I wanted to be an elder because I really thought I could make a difference in the congo. So many seem to need much attention and I wanted to be there to do that. Then I realized it wasn't necessary to be an elder to do that. But then after I became an MS I realized how many in the congo really were, that no matter how much you try to help them they always complained, it wasn't enough. Then I started to feel like my labors were for nothing. So being an elder quickly was cut out the picture, now i'm trying to quit being an MS and work back down the ladder....to JW unemployment.

Why did you want to be an elder?

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