Question for former / current MS'es and Elders (page 2)

stillajwexelder

I know what you'll say now, but, back when you were 'in' mentally and/or physically did you ever enjoy or look forward to the meeting with the CO on Friday nights?? ABSOLUTELY I used to look forward and get excited. I used to really enjoy them. I don't know why - I just did. When he dismissed the MS and went into the Elders bit (when I was an elder) that also was really good. I felt special

MissingLink

Brilliant Gladring!
Leviticus 19:27-28 (New International Version)

27 'Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.
28 'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.

Hiddenwindow

I hated those meetings. Once in a while there was a nice, moderate and understanding CO, but MOST of them were fanatics with a let-me-overload-you mentality and a sense of superiority.

Hiddenwindow

One of my Bethel friends told me the following: "I always leave and go on vacation the week of the Circuit Overseer's visit."

Interesting. I have a friend who said the exact thing. Maybe this is a common occurence.

Open mind

For those on the Service Committee in particular, the CO Visit is an inspection, plain and simple.

I actually enjoyed some of their visits when I wasn't on the Service Committee.

Here's the ratio of CO temperaments we've had over the last 15 years or so.

1 out of 4 COs: Really nice, somewhat charismatic, only make a hard jab when they feel they have no choice.

2 out of 4 COs: Boring, putting in time.

1 out of 4 COs: Control freak, little Hitlers.

YMMV.

om

drew sagan

I only attended two, I wasn't a MS very long due to the fact that I switched congregations after I was married and wasn't made MS at the new one.

So, being that I didn't go to many of them I was excited about the expectations. The CO railed on the Elders for not doing enough, and me as the spiritual giant wanna be sucked it all down.

BluesBrother

In later years the combined meeting with M/S present turned into a bore . The C/O would read through an outline , without deviation ...dead boring. After the M/S left it was just another elders meeting with the added interest of considering new appointments or deletions. It always went on too long , it had to be in the K /Hall because of the numbers ,so we did not have the customary refreshment from the host's wife...

When I think of the time I wasted at such things....

?me?

just wondering... just how boring or contentious can the considerations of appointment get? at CO meetings, or even at the quarterly meetings? are there some elders that always stump for ones to be MS and elders and others that vote it down? what is the reason most of the time that MS's are not moved up to elders? we have a few middle aged MS's that from the outside look like they should be elders, but maybe they are just on the outside of the group of elders. do you ever just pass over some so you can have enough MS's? i know if my last cong. they had plenty of elders (like 12 at one time) and 15 MS's and it was nearly impossible for a MS to get moved up... but as soon as they moved over to help the other side of town at their cong. they got appointed.. or in a struggling small cong. any 25 year old pioneer that is married is appointed an elder if he shows any type of maturity... me

SnakesInTheTower

?me?:

just how boring or contentious can the considerations of appointment get? at CO meetings, or even at the quarterly meetings?

quite.

I can tell you that on two occasions (not about appointments) I got up from the table during an elders meetingand started to come across the very wide conference table to slug a fellow elder in the mouth. He was always goading me in to saying or doing something that could get me removed. He hated me. I hated him. Mutual.

One time the PO was my best friend and he put his hand on my arm to keep me down. On the second occasion, that PO had moved away and the a$$wipe's son was now PO... and he had to put his hand on my arm to make sure I stayed down... he knew how his dad is....

myonly regret was that I didnt actually punch him in the nose.. I coulda been a hero in the local congo... (and in jail..LOL)

Snakes ()

SnakesInTheTower

In my old home congo where I first was appointed an elder, the secretary was a white guy who was a racist. The PO was a black guy, at least two other elders were black. One time the racist secretary said something really bad and it set one of the other black elders off. The elder said something involving the F bomb. Still an elder....no one could disagree with what he said, just the use of the expletive.

On a side note, the CO/DO are visiting that congo (6 years later) and the rumor is that that racist elder is going to be removed, they are tired of hearing about him

Snakes ()

Question for former / current MS'es and Elders

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