WHAT DID YOU HATE about being an elder, m.s.,pione

by minimus 32 Replies latest jw experiences

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  minimus

  I hated all the elders who thought they HAD to tell someone what had to be done and they themselves weren't doing it. What about you??
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  MikeMusto

  not being able to wear shorts out in service
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  ozziepost

  G'day Minimus,

  is that what you hated about being an elder?

  Ozzie

  Edited by - ozziepost on 12 July 2002 10:11:40
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  outoftheorg

  I hated having to deal with the inevitable one or two ignorant arrogant ones that lorded it over anyone else who had a thoughtful caring approach to issues. They always had this "we can get them this way" attitude and approach to the judicial hearings. Never the "loving guidance" always spouted by the wbts publications.
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  ApagaLaLuz

  I hated having to be a good example..... If I saw a certain movie, it was okay for others to see a certain movie. If I didn't listen to a certain musician others shouldn't.

  One year I cut my hair very short and shaved it up in the back. Soon after several other girls in the congregation cut their hair. The elders wouldn't let me go in service for a few months till it started to grow out because others were imitating me.

  I didn't want to be an example to other people. We had a majority young congregation. When I left the JWs about 6-10 other young people in my congregation also left. Of course I got blamed for being an "influence." Even though I never talked to anyone else but the elders about my doubts.

  P.S. When I pioneered I made up alot of my "hours." I hated the anal ones who counted minutes
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  Seeker4

  What I hated most about being an elder? Let's see, a few things:

  I hated that some elders, too many really, felt that the position obligated them to get into whatever aspect of the friend's personal lives that they wanted. Jobs, friendships, hobbies, entertainment, sex lives - some elders felt there were no restrictions whatsoever as to what they could probe into.

  I hated the often endless elders meetings.

  I hated the sense that in many ways you had to be the conscience and often do the thinking for so many friends. Let some old sister, who'd been in the truth half a century, get a call to do jury duty, and it was like the end of the world.

  S4
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  metatron

  I learned the hard way not to be Gary Cooper in 'High Noon'.

  You want to help people but the system is hopeless. I despised all
  C.O.'s as intinerant ego trippers (except for one guy who had a
  heart and was half burnt out).

  Once you get behind closed doors in elder meetings, you find out
  how ignorant, corrupt, or just plain obsessive nuts your fellow
  elders are.

  The really scary - and very nasty - thing about this is - the
  good elders are quitting. I'm not the first to say this or notice it.
  The guys who care about folks are getting tired and fed up with
  rules, endless appeals to do more, and the ennui.

  Eliminate the good guys and what's left?

  metatron
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  Latte

  jjrizo,

  Is that really your picture on your profile? Or is it Bruce Springtein?

  Should I do this, or do that, what would you do etc. Please! Give me a break,

  I'm sorry...but you can't really blame people keep thinking up questions to ask you! If there was an elder that looked like you in our hall....I would just have to invent a problem!

  Most of the elders I knew cut holes in thier slippers, and wore the most hideous hats on /fservice......one even wore socks with sandals!....uuuggghhh!
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  Sprocket

  What I hated the most:

  1. Other Elders that seemed to care, when they did things just for expediency
  2. The amount of hours you had to spend on meeting parts and field service
  3. The fact that you were expected to take the lead and made to feel guilty if you missed a meeting
  4. That others thought you had noting better to do than to be at their disposal, and feel like you really cared for their problem
  5. Cliques
  6. Bethel elders, usually young and inexpierenced, that thought that had an extra vote
  7. Elders that sucked up to the overseers
  8. Not getting special compensation for raising a family and trying to earn a living
  9. The constant threat that you could be 'demoted' at any time
  10. The children of elders that weren't allowed to be normal

  Sprocket
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  bad_associashun

  Good point jjrizo. When pioneering, you are made to feel as if the entire cong is interested in your dress, behavior, grooming, habits, hobbies- and you are,responsible for the conscience of all of them. JEEEZ! Get a life!

  Once I remember a small group of us planned a boating weekend at the lake- one of the elders approached some of us (pioneers & ms) & asked 'how will this bear on the consciences of the spiritually weak?" Why are we made to consider the lowest common denominator?