by VitoJW 11 Replies latest jw friends
I remeber in a BofE meeting with CO, the comment was made by the CO that w/o having the Pub's Record Card on file, a Congregation could not DF someone, or at least would have to be very careful in doing so for legal reasons. I thought at the time that he may have gotten his info from a letter from Bethel.
Has anyone else heard of such?
Maybe I make them an offer they cannot refuse........
LOL maybe some dead fish or black roses, eh?
Interesting ? though....
Lisa
Such a policy would make sense, because since some point in the 1980's, the local congregations are only allowed to disfellowship actual members. If an unbaptized publisher were to be judged unworthy of being a publisher any longer, an announcement would be read that they are no longer a publisher (rather than a DF'ing or a public reproof).
On the publisher cards, of course, is the main evidence that a person actually is baptized -- since the date is listed. (Along with the breakdown as to whether the individual is in the "great crowd" or "anointed" class.)
-J.R.
This post was not evaluated by any mental health professionals.
Any opinions expressed are those of a fuzzy, cuddly rodent.
The Society instructs the Elders (Congregation Secretary) to keep current Pub Cards for two years. (The Pub Card is even designed to be for two years of activity.) The Elders often keep older Pub Cards up to 5 years, or the Statute of Limitations in their respective states, which ever is less.
IF a baptized Publisher can stay inactive for at least 2 years, and more likely 5 years, their Pub Cards are supposed to be destroyed. At this point, they are supposed to be viewed as "Ceasing to be involved" per the Official Watchtower "JW Media FAQ" on the Internet.
With the Pub Cards destroyed, then an inactive JW could always argue that there is no evidence of their membership in the congregation, and hence they are not to be DA'd or DF'd. However, reality is that the Eldes would ignore this loophole, and simply DF/Da someone, and there is nothing that can really be done, unless the JW so affected would want to pursue a civil suit.
The Elders guidebook "Shepherd the Flock of God In your Care", page 104, says that
"If a person has moved from one congregation to another, do not make jurisdiction the issue.
Do you have the facts?,can you handle the case most effectively?
Then it may be appropriate for you to follow through without delay"
There is more emphasis on whether or not a person is "Known in the community as a witness " or in recent association.
If you were right, an awful lot of us would now be in the clear!
I see a few of you have been elders, could you please tell me what they do with the files of those who have been reproved, publicly privately and disfellowshipped ones? And what if you wrote a personal letter to an elder and then he uses it in a JC hearing? Why no loyality when the letter is written with the understanding that is it( Personal and Confidential) on the envelope?
And can a person who has been disfellowshipped ask for these nasty files that they have in there little elders room under lock and key???
Wow, the congregation I served at are not following those guidelines.....Every pub card was kept......I saw cards dating back to the 1960's! And all JC meetings were kept in packets by dates and names........A couple of times we referred to the packets for repeat offenders......
Well, I guess I'm safe, I took my publisher's file when I left. I didn't make an extra copy of the cabinet key for nothing! :)
"Inactive publishers are part of the congregation and need help (Psalm 119:176) Such inactive ones should be assigned to book study groups. To enable the elders and the circuit overseer to give adequate attention to such ones, the last Congregation's Publisher Record card for each inactive publisher should be kept indefinitely. The file of Congregation's Publisher Record cards should be divided into two sections --"Active" and "Inactive.""
----from February 15, 2002 BOE letter, page 3 paragraph 1
FFS.
pisses me off that some borg freakazoid somewhere
is keeping 'files' on me and doing with that info
however 'they' collectively see fit.
how would they like it if i did the same to them?
(you know...clearly they are 'doing unto others'...)
SPAZ
*fuming & scheming and plotting to destroy my records
