I just wanted to update everyone on what seems to be going on with the Menlo Park Kingdom Hall situation.
On Saturday (Sept. 26th), "kool-aid man" invited me to speak briefly about the situation on SixScreensOfTheWatchtower.com's conference call. I tried to fill in as many of the blanks as possible during the call, but most of those who called in agreed that this seemed to be a replay of Bonham, TX. That Kingdom Hall take over by some disident local Witnesses occurred over 20 years ago and ended up being a long drawn-out legal fight.
On Monday, my contact emailed me and indicated that someone close to the Menlo situation might be willing to talk to me and fill me in on the details. I provided him with all of my contact information, including personal phone numbers. But no one ever emailed or called. I'm not sure if my contact was misinformed - or if the "insider" simply got cold feet. Maybe I'll hear from someone next week.
I also received an semi-anonymous email through my website's contact form sent by someone who had heard just the very end of my part on the SixScreens call. The email was complimentery and the person indicated that they knew some of the individuals involved. The email also stated that the legal filing described the attitude of the new CO perfectly: "My take on the guy," the email stated, "was that he was unloving, unfriendly, and unyielding to anyone he did not know personally. But my limited contact with him does not give me the privilege of judging his real motives. Only Jehovah can do that."
I have done some additional research and it appears that the plan to move the members of the Menlo Park KH over to the Redwood KH has been in the works for some time. Part of it seems to be just a business decision on the part of the Society. There also seems to be a local power-play going on between the elders of the two congregations. There might also be a familial relationship between one of the elders at Redwood with either the CO or DO that is adding to the intrigue.
The pattern seems to be the same as we've seen with other similar KH mergers. The Society (through the Service Department) directs the DO and CO to implement a Kingdom Hall cleanup, paintup and upgrade - get it all shiny and bright - financed in whole or in part by the Society. The Society is either placed on the title or gets a lien against the title of the building if it does not have clear title already. When the time is right, the Society informs the members that their Hall will be sold and they will have to merge with the other Kingdom Hall some miles away. The building is sold, the Society completes the transaction, and puts the profit in the corporation's coffers. Being a "non-profit religious organization," in this country means they can do that with impunity since very few courts will involve themselves in local religious organizational matters, especially if there is no measurable effect on the surrounding community.
The odds are against the Menlo Park brothers who filed this law suit. They will have to prove the intent to commit fraud to be a fact in this case. If it is not a criminal case and only civil, they will be hard pressed to even have the full case heard by a court, simply because they would have to show that someone among them suffered personal financial loss or injury to their reputations.
The interesting thing about the Bonham, Tx case was that most of those involved in the fight against the Society were already having doubts about the truth of the religion and the validity of the Governing Body's power. They continued to meet in the building they took over for a time, but it's not clear what religious message they were teaching or professing. Maybe Randy Watters has more recent information on this case - and maybe Menlo Park as well.
I am planning on publishing a brief synopsis of the court filing and try to get more information about the principles in the case next week. The court papers (already accessible by a link in a previous posting in this thread) will be clearly marked on the site to allow easier access to my readership. Check it out at Ex-JW.com later this week and feel free to comment as you wish.
