Another trip down memory lane

by lost_light06 7 Replies latest jw friends

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  lost_light06

  The BOE in my childhood congregation was probably the nicest and most sincere group of elders I have ever come across, at least the BOE I grew up with. I still hold each of them in high regard, they were truly very kind and caring people. However, apparently before I was born (pre ’79) and when I was a small child there was quite a bit of trouble in that cong. At least two elder I know of were DF’d ". I’m not sure for what but I remember hearing stories of these former elders running ahead of FS car groups to warn their neighbors they were coming. I remember seeing "No JW" stickers on many doors in these same neighborhoods. Also, a few MS’s were df’d (my father among them) for adultery and other "wrong doings". One MS, my father’s best friend, was involved in a scandal in which his wife asked him to cheat on her so she could be free to divorce and remarry her new lover….. he complied, was df’d, and she went on to marry her boyfriend (who later cheated on her…… Karma is a bitch, ain’t it!) . The situation was so bad in that cong. that elders were brought in from surrounding congs. to fill the vacant positions. Those new elders are the BOE I grew up with.

  One memory I have, not sure if this is before or after the "elder purge"…. I’m thinking before, was during the service meeting (after the ministry school). There was a question and answer session. A brother gave a comment. Another brother on the other side of the hall raised his hand and was called on. This brother then began to vehemently disagree with the first brothers comment. I don’t remember the subject but I clearly remember the brother saying "YOU ARE WRONG!". The conductor took control of things at that point but you could hear a pin drop in the congregation, It was like someone had just cut a stale egg fart and the whole congregation got a nose full. I don’t remember seeing the second brother around very much anymore.

  I have always been curious on why there were so many apostates in my congregation, why so many elders and other brothers left, why brothers were getting in arguments during question and answer sessions at meetings. I heard their names for years to come, always along with some disparaging comments, but I never heard why they left. It didn’t occur to me until my exit from the watchtower that as a child I was witnessing the crumbling of a congregation from the backlash of 1975, and the great apostate purge of the early ‘80’s.

  ~LL06
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  digderidoo

  Interesting point. I have often thought of this with regards to my memories of the congregation, we came into the borg in 1983. There were one or two who were found "gathering" together. The reality was they were friends visiting each other and having a moan about 1975.

  Paul
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  lost_light06

  What really irritates me is that later in life when I would attend the DC’s with my mother and siblings I would always see those evil apostates with their signs about 1975 and false prophecies. I remember asking my mom about those signs and she quickly dismissed them as lies coming from bitter apostates. That is the standard JW line for apostates but what irritated me most was that my mom was there when so many brothers, including her husband, left or were forced to leave because of the WT lies. She just dismissed it, lending no credence to why these people were so upset.

  Good work mom, 1975 was the first thing I researched when I started my journey out of the organization.

  -LL06
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  changeling

  You grew up in a very strange congregation! LOL!

  changeling :)
• 

  Dorktacular

  Wow. I remember how "evil" the apostates were supposed to be. My father always said to stay away from them and avoid them because they were evil. I asked my dad why we went out in service to talk to evil people..... I never got an anwer to that one.
• 

  lancelink

  \
  
  
  In the early 1980's I attended a hall in southern Illinois that had one elder in particular who thought everything
  revolved around his view.
  
  He did not like many of the MS's and he personally appointed sisters to handle congregation responsibilities such as
  magazine and literature counters. Sisters and young brothers would be able to handle the microphones.
  
  he did this for several months until a new CO came in and put him in his place. I have not been down there in over 10 years, have no
  idea what the current condition is.
• 

  independent_tre

  It didn’t occur to me until my exit from the watchtower that as a child I was witnessing the crumbling of a congregation from the backlash of 1975, and the great apostate purge of the early ‘80’s.

  Wow. I've just finished reading the chapter in COC that deals with the 1975 issue and the 1914 problem ( middle of the book) and I was wondering what effect that must have had on the cong. My mother became inactive for a little while right around this time. I can only imagine seeing this kind of thing happen, although I would have been too young to understand.

  Thanks for sharing your experience.
• 

  iceguy

  I remember there was a whole congregation in Hammond Indiana disbanded becuase of apostacy...I don't know for sure the year but I believe it was around the big purge of apostates.