Why Do Introvert Elders Even Bother, What's Their Game?

by Bubblegum Apotheosis 28 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Bubblegum Apotheosis

  Something that has troubled me for some time, why do introvert personalities reach out for the office of overseer?

  This personality does not help with shepherding the flock (other brothers pick up their slack, their too shy for judicial committes), they are not upbuidling for the brothers and sisters (their long lost stuttering problem resurfaces when asked to call M.I.A. congregation memebers) and they are useless for widows and orphans (I can't help little father-less davie, my online role playing games are all time consuming! I am too tired and busy, after working with my mop all day, I did not sign up for this!!) Yes, you did , you moron! You asked to be made an Elder!

  If you don't like people, why did you allow yourself to be appointed to Ministerial Servant, and eventually a Elder? Your wife promised more sex if you were more active, more visible in your congregation (you mentioned that one night when we were drinking!)

  You were good at kissing the right amount of arse, you bought nice gifts for your C.O. and key elder body members but you lack love! You failed to prepare your heart to serve the brothers and sisters, you found yourself in a position you did not belong in, why not quit? What did you ever do for the congregation sheep, other than accept their hospitality and unearned praise? Not once, did you extent your hand to help weak ones get into the field ministry, nor check up on the sick widows or terminally ill, unless you were forced to do these unpleasant chores!

  Now that you have been an elder for a decade or two, your personality has never changed, you don't like dealing with problems in the Congo, why don't you step down? The brothers are tired of picking up your slack, your parts lack zeal, you have been afraid since the day of your appointment to Servant, again, why not quit? Playing video games in secret while mustering the boldness to point your finger at young ones for the same sin, is out right evil!

  These are the kind of elders Jesus Christ spoke of, they took their coin and burried it into the ground, afraid to do business to increase the "Master's Talent". A sister could be missing for a year, and our Goober elder would make plenty of excuses why he should not call to check up on her.

  "ARE YOU IN GOOD HANDS OR "GOOBER ELDER'S" HANDS"?
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  EmptyInside

  Well,sometimes,a man isn't really reaching out to be an elder. Sometimes,he is guilted into it,and afraid to say no to the appointment. Then,again,for some it is just the status,only way to have any kind of status and be a Witness.
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  sir82

  I was floored, utterly shocked, when they told me I had been appointed elder, many moons ago. I most certainly was NOT "reaching out" for it.

  But being the good little JW, I had been raised to "never say no to a new privilege". So against my better judgment I accepted it.
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  mrsjones5

  Being an introvert doesn't mean not liking people. Just wanted to point that out cuz I'm an introvert.
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  cantleave

  Bubblegum - I think you are forgetting that elders are a mixed bunch. Some are outgoing some less so, some are ambitious others really want to help congregation members.

  Some of the best I elders I knew were introverted (even me), they were caring and did a lot of good without making it obvious to others.

  I think reading your post you are confusing introverted with lazy!
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  La Falta Habitacion Por Sr Hor-Hey!!

  I was floored, utterly shocked, when they told me I had been appointed elder, many moons ago. I most certainly was NOT "reaching out" for it.

  But being the good little JW, I had been raised to "never say no to a new privilege". So against my better judgment I accepted it.

  You just summed up the life biography of the average born-in Ministerial Servant or Elder. I wouldn't say I ever reached out for anything, but I did do pretty much everything that was expected of me. I'll never forget when I was younger and still living at home, the Service Overseer at the time asked me if I'd be interested in doing a demo at the Special Day Assembly. I declined because at the time I was starting to get sick of the pressure from getting on stages and what not. One way or another my father caught wind of me declining that "privilege", and he was livid and completely flipped out on me. Made me feel like complete and utter worthless shit. Couple years back he apologized to me after we had one of those grown son and father conversations which meant a lot to me, but the damage still resides.

  Reflecting back, I look at the life of a born-in to be similar to a dog who gets rewarded for good behavior with treats. Only difference is the treats that we recieved was what should have been affection that should have been given regardless if we "reached out" or not. One gets baptized out of pressure, handles privileges out of pressure, accepts new privileges out of pressure. Time flies and before you know it they're "putting their hands" on you and by that time you're so accustomed to saying yes that it's already a given what's next. Brothers don't reach out as much as they're doing what they've been raised to do, perform. Sit Ubu sit, good dog.
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  WTWizard

  They just expect everyone to be good at certain things. One size fits all--like all equality, it fails. Everyone is expected to preach, every "brother(??)" is expected to become a hounder, everyone is expected to go to Beth Hell.

  And, in doing so, everyone suffers. People that are lousy preachers or suck at hounding the flock suffer, while everyone else has to suffer their lack of competence in those areas. In the meantime, they may well be excellent somewhere else that they will never get to benefit from because they are so lousy where it counts for the organization. As with all equality, when you have different zones, different roles to fill, and different types of people, you lose so much.
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  tornapart

  I don't think being an introvert means being a bad elder. My husband is an introvert but he's one of the best. Always there, reliable, caring, responsible. The one everybody wants to go to because he's non judgemental and reasonable and genuinely cares about the brothers and sisters. You can't bag everyone up under a label like that.
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  Lore

  Seems you might be confusing 'introverted' with 'shy'.

  Shyness inticates a fear of bieng in a social situation.

  I'm an introvert, I also used to be shy. Now I'm just an introvert.

  I'm not afraid of social situations and I do just fine. I simply dislike them.
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  Londo111

  However, disliking social situations, does not mean disliking people. I am both shy and an introvert. I love people...but I've been hurt many times over, and I prefer groups no larger than four.