What is the most out of line / disturbing experience you have seen from Circuit Overseers?

by Poindexter Lionel Humperdique 52 Replies latest jw friends

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  NoRegrets

  We had a couple of legendarily bad COs. The first, when I was younger, had the initials JT. He came through and made a lot of pomp and fluff about how the temple would have never been built if the Israelites had simply gone and nailed two boards up on Saturday. It was hig big analogy for only going in service a couple hours each Saturday not being enough! He would repeat that phrase often, "nailin' your two boards". He also said, "where you gonna be, toes up"! (Symbolizing being dead!) He was the same guy who when first visiting my wife's small rural congregation looked at the audience squinting and saying "This doesn't even look like God's organization!" and "Only about 1 out of 3 of you out there will survive Armageddon"! He made it through a second visit, then we received a letter saying that his wife couldn't handle our cold climate. Wonder if he really got the hook!

  The other CO who I think took the cake for being pompous and not even remotely accepting a life of sacrifice! His initials were SC and he made one rural circuit put him up in a motel because nobody's home accomadations were good enough! This was a congregation that struggled to keep the lights on, let alone afford a week's hotel stay for the pompous ass! This was the same CO who later fell in with Larry Graham and Prince and let them show him the sweet life! He was sent to a rural southern circuit after finishing his tour with the 'Artist'. We all speculated that it was punishment for getting caught up in being a wannabe JW celebrity! Anyone else ever encounter this Silver-Spoon-In-Hand Douche?

  NR
• 

  Honeybucket

  At a district convention, a sister who happens to be a carpenter, asked the c.o how they were planning on fixing the leak in the babtismal pool. He turned to look at her, with a disgusted look on his face he said," It is not for you to know, it will get handled by the brothers, thats all you need to know about it."

  Im trying to remember his name.. because he was a douche.

  Brother Manikas(spelling?) her was a pompous ass.
• 

  problemaddict

  Somebody mentioned Angelo Manera. That guy was a piece of work. He pretty much only referred to the organization as "mother" and wanted you to do the same. He actually taught my buddies pioneer school. The thought that that guy with his attitude towards others is teaching the new crop of CO's is reason enough to worry.

  In California they send the old guys out here to die or retire. So on the one hand, we get guys that are kind of disengaged, tired, and don't like to make waves. On the other hand, heavy handed elders can run amuck.

  Great stories you guys.
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  ÁrbolesdeArabia

  "This circuit overseer was acting really weird toward me. I opened the door for him, and he decided to go out of another door. The whole incident was just strange. As a female, you really see how unimportant women are in the watchtower world. (Except for field service and pioneering of course)." Joilet

  Joilette that's a classic power response used by arrogant individuals trying to put you in your place. I know another man who does the same thing, it's his way of flipping us off. Sorry for those arses, not cool at all!

  How do I find District Overseer's Wallen's remarks to his current district? I received three phone calls from victims of abuse after he attempted to equate Jehovah with a man being accused of sexual abuse and all the methods and techniques used to beat up your accusers to be made whole again? I can't find it!

  When the circuit overseers travled in trailers, this:

  "KNOCK" KNOCK" "KNOCK" "KNOCK"

  CO "Who Is It?"

  EJ "It's Elder Jules"

  CO "WHAT DO YOU WANT!!!

  EJ "Sorry, I brought you something, did not mean to disturb you!"

  CO sticks his hand out the trailer and receives a envelop with cash and never say's a word.

  EJ Elder Jules feels like a horse's ass for wanting to thank the circuit overseer.

  This is not the norm for how most circuit overseers work, the very smart ones would send you a note, blessing and thanking you with personal thoughts and 'well wishes". The arrogant co's would hold out their hands and not say a word. Often that would be the last time anyone handed them a penny, and word got around of their self centered and calloused conduct.
• 

  blondie

  That CO was probably quoting from this article. I remember that being said from the platform and thinking how ridiculous.

  *** g83 7/8 p. 27 Christ or E.T.? ***

  E.T.—The Extra-Terrestrial burst on the scene in the United States this past summer, attracting theater audiences in record numbers. In only six weeks it grossed nearly $150 million. With spin-offs in E.T. dolls, toys and other merchandise—as well as the movie’s release in other parts of the world—it is estimated the public could spend a whopping $1 billion on E.T. Why the E.T. fever?

  The movie depicts an ungainly 3-foot (90-cm)-high creature from space, stranded on earth, who befriends a ten-year-old boy named Elliott. E.T.’s friendliness and benign powers, such as healing the boy’s cut finger and bringing flowers to life, win the affection of Elliott and his family. Sadly, a wasting illness appears to take the creature’s life. But when he is inexplicably “resurrected” before Elliott’s eyes audiences cheer. His touching good-bye, when E.T.’s alien friends take him home, leaves hardly a dry eye in the theater.

  Interestingly, many have noted parallels in the story to that of the life of Jesus Christ. Said Professor Albert E. Millar, Jr.: “I think the thing that struck me most was the idea of the capacity to heal, and then when E.T. died and was resurrected.” We have in E.T., then, an enchanting Messiahlike figure that gives momentary emotional release to our need for a true friend with powers greater than ours. Therein lies the movie’s great appeal.

  Despite its seemingly Christian message, however, the movie subtly condones youthful misbehavior. In an early scene we find youths playing “Dungeons and Dragons” in a smoke-filled room with a lighted cigarette on the table. Later on, when E.T. gets drunk sampling beer, and Elliott in telepathic sympathy feels the effects, it is all portrayed as something cute. Further, some of the language used by these children is gross profanity. This, along with the supernatural aspects of the movie, has bothered many Christians.

  Whether parents or their children see this movie is, of course, a matter of personal choice. But because of the movie’s great popularity, let us not forget that it becomes an effective vehicle for sugarcoating youthful conduct that is definitely wrong.

  E.T. may be a skillfully constructed and highly entertaining movie. But it provides no substitute for our True Friend, Jesus Christ, who saves us from this dying, wicked world. After all, E.T. is make-believe. Christ is reality.
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  ÁrbolesdeArabia

  punk: How do they get around "Paying back Cesar's things to Cesar" when they build these flat's to occupy COs and other squares by lying to the "County" saying "It's a janitor closet or garage"? Elders had the smoothest euphemism for this outright theft. By lying to the county, they avoid paying "school fees" and other costs associated with developing a parcel.

  Stealing from Cesar by lying about your taxes and development projects, are winked at. I know too many JWs who have stolen from Cesar by converting their garages into illegal homes or apartments. The other trick to stealing from the county was taught by a high ranking person, he told everyone to have two sets of plans. One set you send through the "processor" and the other you keep with your contractor. You cheat as much as possible, adding 500 sq ft on the unofficial "plans" is easy to do. The elders in one former congregation were all crooks in this area, they stold from the county, and these old geezers reply was "we don't have kids so were not using their schools! It's like Double Taxation, the "Stamp Act".

  For being so outwardly righteous, they are like "white washed graves", full of every sort of uncleanness and wickedness. Lying about car mileage used in Field Service writing if off as Business Mileage. The COs knew about all of this and never reprimanded them, some who were going to live in the "flats" would make suggestions how to bump up "sq ft" without paying taxes! Why do they go door to door when they steal?
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  Satanus

  We once had the 'privilege' of having the co and do spend a week w our cong at the same time. The do kept razzing the co. The co said nothing back, so it wasn't the good natured kind.

  S
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  return of parakeet

  The most disturbing thing about circuit overseers?

  They showed up.
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  NVR2L8

  One CO gave me hell because I had mistakenly sent $0.11 I collected from the Kingdom Hall Fund contribution box to the World Wide Work account... The visit before the previous CO praised the way I took care of the accounts, stating that he had rarely seen books kept so meticulously. I never had an assistant and when I was away one of the elder would ask random brothers to make the collection and half of the time I had to fix errors...poor education leads to poor accounting skills. Soon after the CO's comments I stepped down as a MS to let another clown waste his own time being last to leave the hall and going to the bank every week...

  That same CO made two comments that were pivotal to my leaving the cult: Talking about Armageddon not yet arriving, he said: If you wait long enough for something, it will eventually happen, giving the example of a teenager who just can't wait to get his driving permit...as time passes he reaches the age and gets to drive...That's not how it works with Armageddon...if you wait long enough you die after wasting your life waiting.

  His second comment was that if something is repeated enough times, people will accept it as the truth even if it is untrue...At that point I asked myself: where have I heard the same thing repeated over and over again for decades? Isn't it here at the Kingdom Hall? No wonder I accept all they teach as the absolute truth!
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  exwhyzee

  One of the last meetings I attended was in West Palm Beach Florida. It happened to be during the circuit overseers visit. He was a grossly overweight man,at least 300 lbs I'd guess and he seemed to like himself very much. During his announcements for the weeks activities he said, "There's one thing about Jehovah's Witnesses...we sure loooove to eat, don't we??? (Tee hee's could be heard from older sisters who think everything a C.O. says is marvelous) "Sister C.O. and I are looking forward to the many fine meals that will be provided for us and the many offers to share meals with all of you"

  Pretty harmless stuff but I couldn't help but think of all those scriptures that spoke about gluttony and overeating some of which gluttony was included with drunkards and idolaters. But today...you can only be repremanded for the latter, otherwise,in some cases, a good number of the congregation would be on private reproof. Seems like a guy with an obvious weight condition wouldn't bring up the issue of food,on the platform.