OKAY, now... and may you all have peace! Where were we? Oh, yes, Sister Gorgeous and Mr. Barber and I sat down...
We could tell when Mr. Barber came out... by how he looked at us... and by how he shook our hands (tentatively)... that he had spoken to someone about us. We even believed that either he or that someone had done a little "research" on us. (If you dear ex-JW/JW folks think the WTBTS doesn't have an "FBI dossier" on each and every one of you... you're sadly mistaken.) Although Sister Gorgeous had not yet partaken inside the organization, I had. However, there was always some dispute over whether my card should say "A"... or "O."
[NOTE: By this time, I think my card may have showed "O" (the last time I looked at it - and yes, I would ask to see it, it showed an "O" which was whited-out and replaced with an "A"... which had a slash through it... and another "O" next to it). This was because my POs usually put an "A" (they tended not to have much a problem - we would talk often. Some of them would even ask me questions, from time to time. I do not say that to say I "knew" anything. I say that because I was probably one of the few people they could actually have a lucid discussion on the Bible with. Most JWs tend to stay away from discussion ANYTHING "spiritual," but stick to things like the most recent WT article... which CO was coming to town next... or who was "going to Bethel"). Pressure [most probably from the COs] usually caused them to put it as an "O", however, because the change always seem to coincide with the CO's recent visit. Whatever.]
Anyway, by now Mr. Barber's entire demeanor had changed. He was no longer grinning at Sister Gorgeous... but appeared nervous and agitated. We could tell he sort of didn't really want to meet at all. But we THINK "someone" told him to meet with us... to find out why we were there. And so, he guided us to a far corner in the second reception area... away from the counter so that whoever was there couldn't hear us (not that they were cognizant enough to hear... or have a clue as to what we would be talking about). And so we sat down.
I pulled out my letter/report and, while trying to hand it to him, began to briefly explain to him what it said, the gist. At first, he wouldn't take it. I mean... he virtually refused. I held it out... he shrank back. Visibly. But I kept holding it out so finally he took it because he looked kind of foolish not taking it (it wasn't going to bite him, but he acted like he thought it might). But he didn't open it or read it. Rather, he rolled it up in his fist. In a tight tube. Then he asked to me tell him what it said. So, I went into it.
I began explaining to him how we CAN'T "pay for our sins" so that we are resurrected by dying... but only pay the PRICE for sin... and that receiving life AGAIN is a gift from God... etc., etc., etc. I explained everything my Lord told me to write and then said that I had brought it so that they could share it with "God's sheep." Little did I know. He asked me "who" had "sent" me and I told him... just as I had stated in the letter: that my Lord had come to me and told me the information, told me to write the letter/report, and told me to send it. And I told him that that was also why we were there... because no one had responded and so I was told to come.
He looked at me and angrily said, "Young lady, YOU'RE DANCING WITH DEMONS!"
I was then directed by my Lord to caution him, and so I said, "Brother, please... be careful. I can understand how you might be skeptical, but the same Spirit that speaks to YOU... is the One that spoke to me."
At this, he said, "Spirits DON'T speak... not unless they're demons! You're talking to demons!" to which I said, "Please, Brother, be careful. What you're saying is blasphemy. You're accusing the Holy Spirit of being a demon. He sent me and so I am here as your sister to share this truth with you!"
He was quiet for a moment and then he said, "God's truth comes through the Faithful and Discreet Slave, who are anointed!"
So, Sister Gorgeous piped in and said, "Yes, but aren't ALL of the anointed part of the Faithful and Discreet Slave?"
At that, Mr. Barber jolted upright, pulled back from me, and with THE most frightened look on a face I've ever seen (outside of TV/movies) asked, "Is SHE anointed??!!" I mean, he almost gasped it out. Weird.
And Sister Gorgeous, who was also of the Body (and had partaken outside of the KH) said, "Well, yes!" Out of humility, she didn't say, "And I am, too!" but we both knew something was "wrong" here. SHE was thinking (because we talked about it) that he had a problem with it coming from someone who wasn't "elderly" but professed to be "of the anointed." But right then I could see into in Mr. Barber's eyes... and I saw fear. Fear, not only because he thought I WAS anointed... but because he was NOT... and he knew... at the same time that I did... that I KNEW he was not! He... was afraid... of ME! I could SEE it. I could FEEL it. I could smell it. There was NO mistaking it. Oh... my... gawd.
[Right then and there I knew why I had received no response: the Spirit told me that they HAD received my letter... and that I had not been the first sent to them with that very message! He (my Lord) told me that I wasn't sent because they WOULD accept and believe the information... but because they were IMPOSTERS... every one of them... and although they knew it was TRUE... would NOT publish it. I was sent... as were those before me, and probably some after me... so that they would NOT be able to say they hadn't been told.]
From that point on, Mr. Barber would not look at me. His eyes would NOT meet mine. But he went on and asked me why I was telling these things to him, what did I expect HIM to do about it?
And Sister Gorgeous said, "Well, it needs to be published in the WT! The 'friends' need to know!" She had not yet gotten what I had about him. She was still thinking that since he was still speaking with us, he would get it and, well, come on board once he got over my age. Man, was SHE in for a surprise!
Not looking at her either, Mr. Barber then asked, "What has that go to do with me?" and she said, "Well, you're on the Governing Body and part of the Faithful and Discreet Slave!"
And HE said... " I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT'S GOT TO DO WITH ME!"
NOW Sister Gorgeous was beginning to understand that something was "wrong" but wasn't sure what. Again, she hadn't seen what I had seen... the fear in Mr. Barber's eyes. After a second or so, she asked, quietly and very respectfully, "Well, the Governing Body writes the Watchtower, don't they?"
And Mr. Barber replied, "No, we don't write the Watchtower."
Now Sister Gorgeous was starting to get confused, and so she said, "Okay, but you oversee it, right? You review and approve it!"
And Mr. Barber replied... and I kid you NOT... "The Governing Body doesn't write the Watchtower! The Governing Body doesn't approve the Watchtower! The Governing Body hasn't had ANYTHING to DO with the WT since 1972!"
By now, Mr. Barber was really agitated, but he llooked almost pathetic.
I asked, "What do you mean?"
He hung his head down and said, "We haven't had anything to do with the WT since 1972 when we turned it over to the Joshua Class in anticipation of 1975. Everything was turned over to six committees. The WT is handled by the Writing Committee and has been ever since."
Then he added, almost angrily, "People would know that if they watched the video. We put it in there... it's all right in there!"
[Please note that what I saw right then was a frightened little old man... who knew he had been duped... one way or another. Either by God (when 1975 didn't go as he had thought)... or those he followed. I saw someone who realized he... and perhaps some others... had been used... and had given over whatever little power they had to others... because of a "pipe" dream based on some phony date... and was now totally beholden to such others... indeed, at their every beck and call. I realized that he had actually lost whatever little faith he had... because 1975 had not "come true"... and because those who had taken over had basically relegated him to a nobody... and he was even a little bitter. But more than that, he was afraid... and ashamed. BUT... he couldn't do a doggone thing about ANY of it because... he had NOWHERE TO GO. He could not speak up, he could not protest, he could not anything... but go along with the "show." Because if he said a WORD... he would be out on his ear. An old man... out on the street... with nowhere to go. And I felt GREAT pity for him.]
Well, after his last statement Sister Gorgeous and I looked at each other, wide-eyed... both thinking, "In the video??"
"Which video?" Sister G asked quietly... and Mr. Barber pointed to one of the monitors and said, "The one right there, the FIRST one!"
Well, okkaaayyyy... we were certainly going to watch THAT video again!
Anyway, Mr. Barber finally stood up. He said, "I won't read this, but I'll give it to the Writing Department (which apparently is under the auspices of the Writing Committee) - they'll know what to do with it."
He started to thank us for coming... but apparently changed his mind and just walked away.
Needless to say, we did watch the video again right after and, yep... it's in there. Gotta look close cause it's only a blip (we had to watch it 4-5 times to catch it), but it's in there.
We left Brooklyn Bethel, walked back to the subway... and made our way to the hotel in New Jersey. The next afternoon we took the plane back. Now that I think of it, this had to have taken place in 1996, because the next year was when the "tribunals" started.
But that's it. That is how it went... almost verbatim (it was over 14 years ago, though, so...)
Anyway, I thank you all for your patience... and to the one who originally asked me to post this... you are quite welcome!
I bid you all peace!
A slave of Christ,
SA
