Watchtower dissolves congregations?

by TheStar 29 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Mulan

  I heard about one in Iowa too, Tammie. Some people from our congregation had moved there, and came back to visit one summer. The entire elder body was removed (they didn't say df'd, but could have been), the KH sold, and everyone dispersed to other congregations. They told us more details but it was about 20 years ago, so I don't remember. It wasn't because of size, but because the Circuit Overseer said it had to be done, because J's spirit was gone.

  Marilyn (aka Mulan)
  "No one can take advantage of you, without your permission." Ann Landers
  
• 

  JosephMalik

  There was Bonham Texas in the early 80's. We met the ones that did it at a conference in Gadsden Ala, hosted by Peter Gregerson who owns a chain of Grocery stores there.
  Joseph
• 

  TexSham

  "That was the Bonham, texas incident. It caused some work for the
  Legal Dept. over KH ownership. I think the Society took the
  position that elders were clergy and the organization was a
  hierarchy in court. If so, maybe the precedent will come back
  to haunt them."

  The will not be allowed to argue a point one way in one case and some other way in a second case, Metatron. But, don't underestimate their ability to do linguistic aerobics. The judges are going to have to get used to their story. More media attention.
• 

  gumby

  Documents cannot be given or proof of anykind WHY a congregation is disolved. The society has the 'reasons' on file.

  The only way to find out for sure is get in the files.....right?

  Otherwise.....all we have are stories of the many who have posted. There is no written record to many of the societys secret policies that others can gain access to.
• 

  nancee park

  Gumby, the Bonham thing was in the papers, so that's solid proof. Too bad they don't dissolve more. Oh, by the way, their ability to do so proves they, not the local groups, hold the ultimate responsibilities and are liable for the pedophilia too.
• 

  biblexaminer

  I was in London Ontario Canada 2 years ago. There was a Kingdom Hall on Commishener's Road.

  Well... We went by there and the sign on the front lawn had the letters removed. The letters and LOGO was removed from the building also. Everything inside was intact as far as I could see through the windows by the front door. It was a double hall.

  Now, I was asked about ten years ago to participate in building that hall but didn't make it.

  Yet here it sat, abandoned. Grass growing up from the cracks in the sidewalks.

  I found out later that both congos were disbanded becasue of "moral corruption"... whatever that is.

  They built another hall to replace it. As far as I know, it's still sitting there on the corner.... abandoned.

  I don't think they can get a buyer.
• 

  yrs2long

  I've been in two congregations which were dissolved by the CO. The first time, they told us we could go to any congregation we wanted and the second time our 'new' congregation was split between two other congregations.

  I believe the second split was due to low attendance and the first to divisions and dissension among the elder body.
• 

  biblexaminer

  And BTW... they had announced "new congregations" in the Kingdom Ministry for London when that was built.

  After abandoning it and building a new one, they again announced a "new congregation" in the KM.

  There's no new members, no new congos. But they play the game of "creative accounting"... WATCHTOWERRON
• 

  Banshee

  When I was eleven, my family was in Kansas and my parents decided to heed the call to move "where the need is greater". We moved to a small town called Jetmore (north of Dodge City). We and some other families relocated to serve there.

  About a year and a half later, there were no new publishers yet, so they disbanded the congregation. The nearest KH was in Dodge City...an hour drive each way! It was whispered about that the CO said there were too many "goats" and not enough "sheeplike" ones in that territory. Hmmmm...what a nice guy, huh?
• 

  L_A_Big_Dawg

  I was part of a congregation in New Mexico where all the sitting elder body was removed (1 elder was DF'd_. Why? I can't say, as we had just moved into the area, and my father (Presiding Overseer at our previous congregation) was not involved in the comittee that removed them all.