I used to be very active int he organization, "high profile" so to speak. Always taking the gorup out in service, always having parts on the platform etc etc. Almost 5 years ago, I simply did not show up anymore. It's as if one morning I woke up and just decided never to return. I never looked back, never had any anger or regret or probably any emotion at all. All these years, no one called, no one came by...nothing. That was good because I didn't have to deal with anyone. I went on with my life, joined a church, joined the Civil Air Patrol, quickly found new friends and joined in holiday/birthday celebrations, and so on. Normal life. Io have not had any contact with any witnesses. None of my family are in the organization. Therefore the shunning policy is not an issue for me.
Only recently the witnesses started leaving things in my door. I think it started with the Memorial invitation. A month later, a magazine....later, a tract. A pioneer sister wrote a letter which was very friendly, and basically said, "We miss you..." and filled me in on some of the goings-on in the congregation. She was not "preachy" at all. It was as if I had moved and was now active in a different congregation, and she was just keeping in touch. Then about 6 weeks ago I received a similiar, friendly letter from an elder and his wife, with a tract enclosed. In closing he wrote, "We love you." After that, several times I came home to find literature in my door. The other day it was a convention invitation. (Apparently this area's convention is in mid-August.) I realized this sudden interest in me was going to continue or even increase, so I decided to nip it in the bud by writing a letter.
The letter was courteous and to the point, without any reasons/explanations/complaints expressed. I simply remarked that I received the convention invitation they left as well as the letters. Then I mentioned that this has caused it to suddenly occur to me that the congregation apparently is not aware that I left the organization several years ago and do not plan to return. I added, "I ask that the congregation refrain from visiting and from leaving literature."
That's it. I imagine 1 or 2 elders will respond, mostly to clarify what they think I said. "Do you understand that if you are saying you no longer consider yourself to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses an announcement must be made to the congregation....?" Or something like that. I will not agree to meeting with them. However I will suggest to them that if they wish I will write and sign a specifically-worded statement in order to bring closure to this issue, and mail it to them. For example, "I, [name], no longer wish to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses..." if they need it spelled out that specifically.
I doubt they would try to "reason" with me since my decision was made and carried out almost 5 years ago. If they considered me all these years to be "inactive" well then shame on them for not having made shepherding calls on me.(not that it would have accomplished anything, but that would have been the protocol for them to follow).