Public Talk & Bookstudy Changes - the real reason (page 2)

bud2114

It's mainly a numbers game and the organzation is losing at it big time. They have been dumbing down the message for years to make general recruitment easier and they have lowered the servant/elder standards so that basically if your willing to serve and you haven't been in any trouble in the past year or so you "qualify." Believe me, the qualifications of most now serving is laughable. I recently had a conversation after the bkstudy with a newly appointed ministerial servant (baptized for 6 years and very involved with the cong.) about the "faithful & discreet slave class". He thought that the entire class (all of the anointed individuals) were up in Brooklyn printing and writing all the "spiritual food" for us. I am not kidding. He was floored when I explained that while some annointed were involved in this, most were scattered throughout the earth in various congs. and had nothing to do with what comes out of Brooklyn (or Walkill/Patterson). It's sad in a way, but this is how low the standards have become.

Sure, in certain areas there may be enough bodies to fill the needed positions, but increasingly finding even these is difficult. The cong. I am currently associated with (approx. 114 pubs) has no less than 19 former elders/servants who attend, but do little in the cong. and want nothing to do with serving. Most only stay because the cost of leaving is too high.

willyloman

Bud: your post is filled w wisdom and insight. I couldn't agree more with your assessment.

I "served" as an elder for more than 20 years in four congos before I walked away a few years ago. What you describe is exactly what I saw happening. I came from a "dream" congregation where almost all the elders were good speakers and teachers and were frequently assigned parts and responsibilities at assemblies and conventions. Things started to deteriorate around 1990 and from then until I left at the end of 2003, it all went downhill. I changed congos a couple of times, trying to get the "magic" back but finally concluded the problems were systemic.

Burnout and stress took their toll on some. Then there was the steady dumbing down of the whole arrangment by the WTS, starting with "simplfying" the convention procedures and responsibilities. A few years went by and all of a sudden there were a lot more elders and many weren't taking it seriously or were getting too old to be of any help. Meanwhile, a lot of fairly sharp young guys were declining the "privilege" of serving, citing family or work responsibilities. The worker bees were falling by the wayside, and those who continued to work hard were more frustrated and less fulfilled as time went by. More and more meeting parts were "handled" by clearly incompetent guys who hadn't kept up with doctrinal changes and were quoting 25-year-old magazines as their source material.

One example to illustrate: There was a part assigned on blood transfusions. This was during a period right after the Society had made wholesale changes in the doctrne, allowing fractions, cell saver devices, drugs like EPO, etc. The dufus who got the assignment cited material that was completely outdated and misinformed the entire congregation. After the meeting I mentioned this to the PO and asked why he didn't assign the part to the elder we had whose secular work included integrating a bloodless surgery program into a local hospital, working with the local HLC. His response was to the effect that we shouldn't be too critical of the brother and that he needed the experience of giving that talk. Never mind that we were talking life and death issues, here!

I suggested we schedule a part for the next meeting in which we updated the corrected the idiot's wrong information, but the PO wouldn't hear of it. That's when I saw clearly that this whole thing was a lie and the myth that we were spreading "truth" was crap. Of course, I now realize that what we thought of as "truth" was, itself, crap... but that's another story.

Anyway, that's my rant. Welcome to the Board. Nice post.

Meeting Junkie No More

'The High Cost of Leaving' HAHAHA That just struck me - while the Borg touts the high cost of living, it's really the HIGH COST OF LEAVING - that's why they're amalgamating the book study...

FireNBandits

I hope you're right. I like to think of J.E.Hoover's Witlesses as crashing and burning like a mud brick doused in gasoline.

Saint Martin the Extra Spicy

justhuman

You got real nice points on your post and I agree with your opinion. I do recall the anxiety of the coming armageddon at the early 80's. I was 17 in 1984 and all the efford from JW's to preach.

I recall when kindom hall was full at the Sunday field service, and the "brotherhood" had more spirituality. 24 years has gone by. I recall the generation change in 1995 and how did the CO's in the elders and MS meeting told that we must BE SURE that our families understood the "new light" and we must teach them this "new light". It was the beggining of the end for me, because I have spend years preaching that the generation will not pass way and the end will come, plus that our preaching work was separating the sheep from the goats...

There are 8 years that I have left JW's and I can see that the GB has lost credibility, JW's are just a club and nothing more. In order to be in their club you have to accept what the FDS is telling you. Their zeal is gone, they have problems with immorality, materialsim, there aren't any spiritual men to take over the congregations, and preaching work has gone done the drain.

So with all this the GB they had to make changes. And they will do more because if they don't they will loose more members

yadda yadda 2

This is a very encouraging thread. Thank you Bud. Let's hope you are right!!!

oldflame

All I know is that anything the GB has to say is not worth the toilet paper I flush down the sewer drain.

WTWizard

Hopefully, with the hounders leaving, it will make extra work for those left. Then there are those who play those little games, wasting even more effort from them, and forcing them to spend time figuring out which side is supposed to hound any given publisher. Ultimately, more drop out and the congregation is effectively left without hounders.

Jim_TX

I see and understand the points brought out by your post. (Great post - and welcome to the board, by the way.)

However... I am still skeptical. I still feel that they are making this change due to some restriction or change in the IRS tax laws - which would give them an extra box to check on their tax return.

The one clue to this is the name change from 'Book Study' to 'Bible Study'. They didn't have to do this - they could have just left it as a 'Book Study', being folded into the Thursday evening meeting (or whenever they are placing it).

They also put it back at the KH - which might also mean that on the IRS form the question might read... 'Do you have any [bible] training at your facility, for your members?' - or whatever. If it is in a private home - they cannot claim it (but perhaps the private homeowner could - if they knew about it).

Also - keep in mind that the change does not go into effect until the start of next year. IRS usually goes from January 1st to December 31st as their year. No need to start early - if you're not going to get any tax break from it - so wait till 2009 to implement this 'new' program. (It also might be a new tax law/loophole that goes into effect in 2009)

No... I still believe the change is money-related.

Regards,

Jim TX

joelbear69

I agree with this.

Many mid level and even first level management jobs require 45 50 or 55 hours a week. This
is required. Most family heads need to make at least $35 to $40K a year just to keep a family
in house, food and clothing.

There is just not time to do what is required of MS or elder anymore and raise a family.

I'm sure that's why witnesses advise against having kids. They need the manpower.

It is remarkable how this resembles the Catholic church and their lack of clergy.

Public Talk & Bookstudy Changes - the real reason

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