by sir82 91 Replies latest jw friends
ADCMS
The truth is that elders count the time when one of the members of the family is not baptized or when the spouse is a worldy individual... I have seen how elders make sure to have a person like this in the meeting. But you are correct, if they were to allow it for all visits we could see a great increase in elder's visits!
Let them waste the time calling me. I have a caller ID feature on my phone, and one of two things will happen. Either they will simply get a recording to leave a message that will simply get deleted without paying attention to it, or the phone will get picked up and hung up on immediately. Such "disconnects" will happen if they try calling me again--I wonder how long it will take before they give up if you simply pick up and hang up on them at once. Plus, if they are using a mobile device, they could well be wasting money because they get charged per call--or wasting minutes if they are allotted so many minutes as part of their plan.
And if they waste the time and gas to visit, they are not getting in. I look down at an angle that makes seeing me quite difficult, and if it is jokehovians, they simply are going to waste the whole time standing out there making themselves look like idiots. If they do manage to get into the hall, let them find a place on my door to knock that is not hidden by the wreath on my door--if it is near Christmas, that thing will be hanging on the door. (It is nearly a meter across.) I already disfellowshipped the organization for forcing me to go out and place LIE-bles and littera-trash (which is used in black magick against the masses--more LIE-bles in people's homes, more disasters and mishaps for us) and for ruining my opportunities.
About the only way they can get me back is by invoking that my baptism amounts to a signed, legally binding contract to do all I can for joke-hova and the organization and then get a court order. And then it will be, not because I am afraid of dying at Armageddon, but because I am court-ordered to place all those damnation books in people's homes. And given that the last time Saturn was in Sagittarius, I became a jokehovian in the first place, it will probably be when Saturn returns to Sagittarius between September 2015 and December 2017. That is not going to be a regular hounding call--if they just try that, I will do the standard pick up and hang up trick.
I've seen it all before in the letters to BOEs.
Good luck to them. This is water off a duck's back. shepherding the flock will never take off...............stupid idea for JW elders......if it doesn't involve the will of the biggest bully on the BOE then it doesn't matter.
Thanks Sir82 - Lovely letter :) but I can promise you it ain't gonna affect my fade. For what I'm experiencing from our so-called loving elders, they can carry on their Spanish-style Inquisitions elsewhere! My friend's pet dog shows me more love and affection than than the Glorious Ones!
Personally, I think Emma & Shirley have it summed up. Great idea in theory. It's like the Denver Broncos -- they looked good on paper.
Also note BOE Letter #4 in the following post:
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/273040/1/Four-BOE-Letters#.Uu-m8Sc0auM
In this letter, it states:
"While the Shepherding textbook states that a group overseer should arrange to periodically visit all in his group, there is no need for the body of el- ders to keep a record of shepherding visits, including the date a visit was made, who made the visit, and what was discussed. Nor is it necessary for one elder to make general shepherding call assignments. Although well-intentioned, such programs can overly complicate matters."
Having the Service Overseer, Seretary, or an appointed Elder monitor the shepherding calls was the only thing that ever was effective in getting Shepherding done in the Congs where I served. The fact is, Shepherding is the easiest and first thing (after the family study) to get dropped from a busy schedule. An Elder cannot skip his talks, service, etc. But no one knows if he's skipping the Shepherding. His wife HATES when he goes out on another night of the week to spend time with other people.
There might be a "flash in the pan" in a few congregations, but most will crap out quickly.
Doc.
Yeah, maybe y'all are right.
It still makes me feel uneasy - there are always at least a few elders in each congegation who would gleefully want to "track down" anyone they perceive as weak, and this letter appears to give them authorization to make huge pests of themselves.
This seems like bad news for us faders, but I really dont think this will take off. The elders dont even do the sheperding they are supposed to already, and what they do is hastily put together before the CO visit so they can tell him they have been doing it. Good luck with getting them to do more than they already are not doing lol.
In the event they do go gung ho for a while, keep stalling them, or just say: "I appreciate your concern Brother ------- but I will be declining the visit" If he presses you just keep repeating yourself until he gives up and moves on. Odds are he really didnt want to do it anyways.
DOC, great exerpt!
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there is no need for the body of el- ders to keep a record of shepherding visits, including the date a visit was made, who made the visit, and what was discussed. Nor is it necessary for one elder to make general shepherding call assignments.
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It is very telling how the WT REALLY views the importance of shepherding by the above quote. For an organization that is obsessed with numbers, statistics, placements, hours, etc., and wants to know every fart and sneeze that occurs in the organization, to say it's not necessary to keep records of anything having to do with shepherding says they just don't care. Words are cheap....actions speak volumes.
I see this as a relaxing of standards. I have been in congos that assign calls, keep track of what is said, publicize all kinds of personal details amoung the elder body- in short really turn shepherding into a pain in the ass for everyone. This letter seems to be saying "back off- just show personal interest"
such programs can overly complicate matters.
The WT "truth" is a "program." Complicates 'everything.'
