A "body of elders" or really one main guy?

by Simon 14 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Simon

  The WTS promotes the idea of congregations being managed by a Body or Elders who all follow their rules and so are in full agreement with how things should be done.

  Was your hall like this?

  Out hall was a constant battlefield for power between a couple of elders and their families - relatives that had been promoted to various positions. It wasn't some hidden secret, it was blatant and obvious. Looking back it seems bizarre that anyone could reconcile their behavior and attitudes with the notion that they were being "guided" by holy spirit.

  (and can someone explain how "guidance" works without it being "possession"?)

  What was your hall like? Was it one of those straight from the pages of the WTS or was it a bunch or people fighting for power, position and control?
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  Shanagirl1

  The congregation I came from was not only elders and their family's displaying power and control, but it was also that these elder's families extended into neighboring congregagtions thru intermarriage and nepetism which resulted in power and control intercongregationally

  Shana
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  snare&racket

  I read Robert Jordan's wheel of time books where there was "The Game of Houses" which refered to internal politics and seeking authority in the families of the story. It is exactly how I saw the elder and elder family arrangement.

  Dirty politics with tactical appointments. One family could dominate with enough DNA on the body.

  So sad...... Church Mafia
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  DesirousOfChange

  I served on one BOE that did it right -- by the "book" -- in fact, by the Bible over the Elders Book. We caught some shit from the CO on a few things.

  The other 2 BOE I served with were backbiting, politicking, power-hungry suck-ups hoping to get an assembly part or position.

  Doc
  
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  Shanagirl1

  snare&racket,

  Yes, I've seen one family dominate several congregations within a circuit thru dirty polictics, tactical appointments and intermarriage. It's no wonder a family could dominate with enough DNA on bodies of elders, and also how incest within the congregations can actually take root also.

  Shana
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  prologos

  It is among the greatest failures of wt to not track down and shut down these extreme deviations from the ideal supposed to be taught by the carpenter from galilee. But it was not everywhere. not in the 50s and 60s. How these power possessed can read the bible, and carry on living is beyond me.
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  _Morpheus

  By and large it was a very political entity, a couple of key players struggling to get their way.....
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  hoser

  Usually the most aggressive fight it out for top spot and the rest of the elders follow
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  smiddy

  I was associated in a number of congregations over the years , and looking back I would say their was always a dominant personality among the elders who always got their way .The rest just followed along for one reason or another.

  smiddy
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  prologos

  of course there was the refreshing period when this was not so, with the mandatory rotation of elder roles, coinciding with the time of big increases, but it was too good to be true, the meek perhaps really inheriting the earth?