Does anyone remember the big 6 month Bible study push during the mid 1990s?

by neverendingjourney 43 Replies latest jw experiences

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  neverendingjourney

  I was a regular pioneer for a while during the mid 90s, about a year or two after the Knowledge book replaced the Live Forever book as the primary Bible study manual. Around that time the Society began to spew a bunch of B.S. about the end being so near (hadn't heard that one before) and how there were waiting lists for Bible studies in many former Soviet countries. Therefore, there was a need to finish Bible studies within 6 months and we were to cover one chapter of the book per study session. If the Bible student didn't make any progress in 6 months, then we were to drop the study and move on to other, more worthy students. The stated goal was to prepare students for baptism in 6 months.

  This arrangement was met with hushed, but firm resistance in my area. The Bible students were mostly uneducated folks who, in many cases, could barely read. Burning through 20+ paragraphs in an hour and having the student understand the material was simply impossible. Plus, a great source of hours for many of the pioneers were studies they'd been conducting for years. It was a steady source of time and dropping them would mean they would have to spend time in other, less comfortable, field service activities. After a while, after I was dropped from the pioneer roll, this arrangement went the way of the Dodo bird. Now, as I understand it, the Society is back to the late 80s arrangement of studying two books with a student. Apparently, the end isn't as near as it was in the mid 90s when 6 month studies were a must.

  This got me thinking, what was the purpose of the 6 month study push? Was it simply a way of driving up enthusiasm and excitement in the congregations (the end is really near this time!), did the powers that be really think that the collapse of the Soviet Union meant Jehovah was mercifully giving these people a final opportunity to learn "the truth" before he simply destroyed them all in Armageddon, or a little bit of both?
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  blondie

  What I remember is a one book only study program during that time. The real push for 6 months was from 1966 to 1975.

  *** km 10/96 p. 7 Question Box ***

  How long should a formal Bible study be conducted with an individual in the Knowledge book?

  Jehovah is blessing his organization today. We see evidence of this each year as thousands of new ones take a stand for the truth. The Knowledge book is proving to be an effective tool in accomplishing this. The January 15, 1996, issue of TheWatchtower pointed out that this book is designed to help a Bible student make spiritual progress rather quickly, perhaps to the point of baptism within a few months.

  For this reason, the same Watchtower, page 17, advised: "After an individual has completed his Bible study in the Knowledge book and has been baptized, it may not be necessary to conduct a formal study with him in a second book."

  What about a person who does not get baptized after completing the Knowledge book? The June 1996 OurKingdomMinistry, page 6, paragraph 23, reminded us of the point made in TheWatchtower about not studying additional books with the same student after completing the Knowledge book. Does this mean that we are not interested in helping a Bible student beyond this point? No. We want people to receive a basic knowledge of the truth. Yet, it is expected that within a relatively short period of time, an effective teacher will be able to assist a sincere average student to acquire sufficient knowledge to make an intelligent decision to serve Jehovah. It may be that because of their personal circumstances, some Bible students will even desire to study more than once a week.

  Admittedly, some students will progress more slowly than others. But if after studying the Knowledge book, which may have taken longer than would normally be the case, the person has not decided that he wants to become associated with the congregation, the publisher would do well to discuss the situation with one of the elders on the Congregation Service Committee. If extenuating or unusual circumstances are involved, some further help may be warranted. This is in harmony with the principle of what is stated in paragraphs 11 and 12 on page 17 of the January 15, 1996, Watchtower.

  Appreciation for taking in even a basic knowledge of the truth should motivate the student to attend Christian meetings. This could lead the student to giving some clear evidence of his desire to serve Jehovah. If such spiritual appreciation is not evident after the study in the Knowledge book has been conducted for an extended period, it may be advisable to discontinue the study.

  *** w96 1/15 p. 17 par. 10 Jehovah’s Sheep Need Tender Care ***After an individual has completed his Bible study in the Knowledge book and has been baptized, it may not be necessary to conduct a formal study with him in a second book, such as UnitedinWorshipoftheOnlyTrueGod. Of course, the recently baptized person will learn much as he prepares for Christian meetings and attends them regularly. He will also acquire additional knowledge as his thirst for truth moves him to read and study Christian publications privately and to discuss Scriptural matters with fellow believers.
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  Lady Lee

  They did that before 1975 using the Truth book
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  neverendingjourney

  What I remember is a one book only study program during that time. The real push for 6 months was from 1966 to 1975.

  I wasn't around during that time frame, but it wouldn't surprise me if these arrangements have gone in cycles.

  Granted, it's been a while and my memory is a little rusty, but I specifically remember there being a big push to cover one chapter per session and to finish the study in six months. It wasn't a definite, you-must-do-this-or-else requirement, but the Society was strongly suggesting 6 months as an "appropriate" time frame. In fact, when I get home tonight I'm going to review my pioneer letters from that time. I think I remember there being specific instructions from Brooklyn about this in one of them.

  The KM question box you quoted, if I remember correctly, was the first signs that the society was beginning to soften their stance. For the first few months, I remember them pushing the 6 month timeframe more rigidly, and then this info. came out providing some leeway.
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  blondie

  neverending, what you describe was done from 1966 to 1975 with the Truth book. The WTS learned a lesson not to pin it down to a specific time period, but expected people to be meeting attenders in 6 months if not baptized before a year was up or dropped as a student.
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  sir82

  More "tacking". The current light is that you are supposed to study 2 books prior to baptism, book #2 being the "Keep Yourselves in God's Love" book released this year.

  I suspect that in the 90's, it was a half-hearted, half-baked, poorly thought-out attempt to try to rekindle the zeal & excitement the organization experienced in the late '60's when the orignal "6 month study" program was introduced with the "Truth" book.

  Of course, the zeal & excitement then was due to the imminence of 1975. In the '90's, the WTS shot themselves in the foot by reintroducing the 6-month study program while simultaneously sending the message that Armageddon was going to be long delayed due to the change in the "generation who saw the events of 1914" doctrine.
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  neverendingjourney

  what you describe was done from 1966 to 1975 with the Truth book. The WTS learned a lesson not to pin it down to a specific time period, but expected people to be meeting attenders in 6 months if not baptized before a year was up or dropped as a student.

  I'll be darned. Maybe my memory is failing me, but I remember the six month thing being a big issue among the regular pioneer clique. Some of us tried to follow it religiously and others simply ignored the "advice" altogether. I'm going to have to go back and look at my pioneer book and letters to refresh my memory. The way I remember it was that there was a strong push to finish these studies in six months followed by a lot of grumbling from the regular pioneers. After a few months, the emphasis on finishing the study in six months was dropped and replaced by the more generic "relatively short time" language.

  My memory's been known to fail me before, but it sounds like you've done your research, so I'll take your word for it.
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  neverendingjourney

  I suspect that in the 90's, it was a half-hearted, half-baked, poorly thought-out attempt to try to rekindle the zeal & excitement the organization experienced in the late '60's when the orignal "6 month study" program was introduced with the "Truth" book.

  This was probably the case. In fact, as I've discussed above, the program was short lived and largely ignored. Not long after this push they came out with the Require brochure to be used as an intro. to the Knowledge book and the emphasis on quick studies was dropped.
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  Awakened at Gilead

  You are not crazy neverending. I remember it too.. I lived in Ecuador at the time... and I realized that most could not study the whole thing in six months... but that is what we were instructed...

  ***

  km5/96p.7QuestionBox***

  ?

  NowthatwehavethebookKnowledgeThatLeadstoEverlastingLife,howlongshouldahomeBiblestudybeconducted?

  Our

  KingdomMinistry for September 1993 recommended that a home Bible study be continued with newly interested ones until two books have been studied. Now that we have the Knowledge book, it seems advisable to make an adjustment in this procedure, as outlined on pages 13 and 14 of the January 15, 1996, issue of TheWatchtower.

  The Knowledge book is designed to help those "rightly disposed for everlasting life" to learn what they need to know in order to make a dedication to Jehovah and get baptized. (Acts 13:48) Therefore, after completing this new publication, it should not be necessary to study a second book with the same student. As your Bible students begin to embrace the truth, you can progressively encourage them to round out their knowledge by attending meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses as well as by reading the Bible and various Christian publications.

  If you are thoroughly familiar with the questions on pages 175 to 218 of the book OrganizedtoAccomplishOurMinistry, this may be helpful. Although you should not make reference to these questions or review them with the Bible student, it may be good to emphasize points in the Knowledge book that will enable the student to express a proper understanding of basic Bible truths when the elders review questions with baptism candidates.

  There is no need to supplement the information in the Knowledge book, bringing in outside material or additional arguments to support Bible teachings or to disprove false doctrines. This would only serve to extend the study over a longer period of time. Rather, it is hoped that the book can be covered rather quickly, perhaps in about six months. This emphasizes the need for us to study the material thoroughly in advance so that we can present it clearly and concisely. The student should likewise be urged to study in advance, look up cited scriptures, and endeavor to discern clearly what the book is teaching in each chapter.

  The

  Watchtower has stressed the need for Jehovah’s Witnesses to conduct a greater number of effective Bible studies in a shorter period of time. (See Isaiah 60:22.) Effective use of the Knowledge book can help new ones to acquire the knowledge that leads to everlasting life and act upon it.—John 17:3.

  This felt too hurried, but we had to do the book study in the jknowledge book at this time and we studied it in 1 chapter a week... less than six months.

  A@G
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  mind my own

  I do remember that push!! I had forgotten until now. I think it was to get everyone more actively involved b/c the end was right around the corner. Excited and rejuvinated about the end coming. That is one very looonnnggg corner...

  MMO