News from Mother ship (page 22)

LearningMore

I have a question about the one week elder school in Patterson....I did a search, but I couldn't seem to narrow it down enough... Are all elders invited to this program? Or is it only the POs? Also, do the elders have to fund their own way?

Seeker4

My ex father-in-law went. I think it's just POs and I would assume they are responsible for their expenses traveling. I'm sure congregations help.

S4

sir82

Are all elders invited to this program? Or is it only the POs? Also, do the elders have to fund their own way?

All elders will be invited, but they are only doing 48 at a time. As you can imagine, at that rate it will be many many years before all have attended. They are starting with POs only.

Attendess are resposible for their own travel there & back, but once they are there, they will stay at the Patterson Inn and have all meals provided.

sf

Upon a medical examination it was found he didn't have one.

Good one.

sKally

sf

~dup~

Jeremy C

Too many out-of-touch COs and DOs promote the rampant, trickle-down, extremism that drove me away. The local BOE pick up on this and often expect it from the congregation. Even Paul, obnoxious as he was, had to hold down a job. I think it'd be good for them to get back into the real world.

That is an interesting observation. I have often believed that the Governing Body should be made up of men who do not live at Bethel, but are elders who have to hold down jobs just like all of the other congregation elders. I firmly believe that organizational policy would be more Christ-like if the GB was comprised of men who know what it is like to have to secure employment, pay rent, pay for health care, and deal with the uncertanties of life that are not experienced by people in Bethel. Most of the GB are men who have spent decades in the traveling work or at branches where their needs were taken care of and paid for by the Society or the congregations.

Yes, working in the traveling work and working at Bethel can be stressful and tiring. But, when a centralized body who has been removed from the secular job climate for decades; decides to enforce draconian policies on people regarding education, there is a serious problem. I believe more and more JWs are becomming disturbed by this heavy-handed trend.

Ever since the institution of the Governing Body was established, many Witnesses have been quite aware of the disconnect between body members, and the circumstances of the rank and file. This is the big taboo that no one is allowed to talk about, lest they be accused of being a "fault finder".

This disconnect that exists is an issue, I believe, among body members themselves. Ray Franz himself stated in both of his books that some members were mindful of it, and attempted to be more liberal and empathetic to the brothers when making policy decisions. Other body members, however were too consumed with organizational efficiency and the politics of policy making to be concerned with such considerations. Some members want to place the least amount of burdens as possible on the brothers. Other members on the other hand, truly believe that JWs need to be tightly controlled and micro-managed in order to maintain a strong monolithic organizational structure.

This was an issue in many disagreements that arose within the GB while Ray Franz was on the body. It is not hard to figure out that such an issue is probably still alive and well among the GB today. Why are so many JW youths leaving the organization? Why is there so much depression among JWs? How do we encourage JWs to go out in service more? Such questions must bring about very different answers between those who are more liberal and empathetic from those who are more stern and punitive-minded.

CunningMan

Anybody have an idea when the position of CO is supposed to be eliminated?

besty

As I have speculated before my money is on January 2009 tying in with the change to the Book Study. In fact I think there are other changes still to be announced that will also be starting 2009.

One source of this CO story was a DO who told this to a rank & file.

I can't imagine DO's would be privy to this sort of change if it was many years in the future, and if they did know I can't imagine them talking to the R&F about it if it was many years out. So for those two reasons I go with Jan 09. Complete guesswork of course.

Gerard

Do not take credit for the elimination of the study as you did not predict it. All the speculations you have posted remain that.

observador

Yes, there have been many changes in the organization lately.

And at Amway too! Now they're called Quixtar!

:)

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