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

by minimus 32 Replies latest jw experiences

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  JT

  jim says:

  "It's all a power trip being an elder, because they take imbeciles and make them into pschoanalysts which 99% of them had no training for"

  #######

  and look who agrees 110% with your comments cause it is so true

  Paducah Sun 1-28-01

  Mario Moreno, associate general counsel at the church's New York headquarters,.

  J.R. Brown, public affairs director for the church,

  Both Brown and Moreno said that the elders, who volunteer and are essentially untrained clergy, might err in their application of a policy
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  LittleToe

  I was a true believer - I loved everything, except:

  Elders meetings.

  They really are an eye opener into the psyche of group megalomania. Holy Spirit didn't flow so much as opinions. The good ones bow out, burn out, buckle, or leave.

  Counting time.

  Because it just didn't seem as if the pioneers were truly doing it for the right reasons, and this appeared to be the main reason why. Besides, I hated having to clock watch, too, especially when I was cold and wanted to stop for a coffee!
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  minimus

  I actually began to hate alot of things about being an elder. "He's an elder so it must be o.k. to do" was always grating. Measuring a person's worth by their field activity always disturbed me.The elder's view that they were a special group as opposed to the "regular publishers" was something irritating, but you couldn't get too upset about things because there was always some "support" to justify why the flock could be treated as second class.The view that you couldn't tie your shoes unless the elders gave you the o.k.....and plenty more!
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  Sabine

  I confess, I was a real self righteous witch with a "b"...true believer here too. I took it seriously (pioneering) and hated the sister cliques that stopped at every garage sale and latte stand. I also hated the popularity game of being picked for car groups. I always ended up with the older sisters, the menopausal sisters, the new sister that was a very butch looking longshore (sp?)woman.

  If I had known what a crock it all was, I coulda had a lot of fun with it!!
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  ISP

  Doing the 'Instruction Talks' from the Proclaimers book.....enough said?

  ISP
• 

  Mulan

  I loved pioneering the first year. It was an emotional high. Pioneer school was the same, although I admit I was disappointed that it was just a review of all the same stuff we had at the KH. One of the teenage pioneers, in my car pool, to the school, was so disappointed she had to remark, "IS THIS IT?"

  After that, I started to get negative more and more. I saw it as just a colossal waste of my time. We could go all day and talk to one or two people in their homes, and they weren't interested. Seldom any new interest. I had several Bible studies, or I would have gone insane. I used to complain that I could be home cooking a decent meal for a change, instead of riding around in a car all day. Ultimately, I developed the Yuppie Flu (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and couldn't continue.

  Two years later, I learned the truth of "the truth".
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  ISP

  No ones mentioned the ministry......who liked doing their own street?!

  ISP
• 

  Perfection Seeker

  I hated giving talks. The men had it MUCH easier in my opinion- read some scriptures, say a funny thing here or there- then you're done. The women- ugh- you had to write up some 5 minute crap- with a 30 second intro like you were just meeting them for the first time "That reminds me of a scripture" then in 4 minutes- you win them over- then the last 30 seconds of crap- like- now that we got that behind us, lets finish......blah blah blah. It was so phoney! And some of the sisters would be so nervous! Man- if I had to do that part all over again- would I do it differently- and not one ounce of a heart rate changing. What a crock. (I have posted so many posts- and the last sentence always is what a crock- but really- that sums it all up)

  You know what else I hated? WALKING IN! I can't tell you how many times I FORCED myself to get dressed- drive to the hall- then said SCREW IT- and never even walked in. Walking in was the hardest part- you knew what was going to happen- knew it would be 2 long hours- you'd have to paste on a smile- ugh! I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoo glad to be out!
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  irish00

  i did not like it when people feel i was better oh his so much fun good brother IM JUST A MAN
  i would say and yes i do bad things too i loved the brothers very much and loved to help them
  but i too need help no one was there for me but you know if it gets too hot you can stay and get burned or you can leave
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  BluesBrother

  "Doing the 'Instruction Talks' from the Proclaimers book.....enough said?"

  That was just one of the brilliant comments from this thread that show how much we all felt the same.

  I too hated being looked at as if I were some kind of example, and the way people treated us differently. My own sister, when one of her kids said something a little risque " Careful,Daniel is an Elder you know!"

  The macho spirit at the elders meetings when the personality cult prevailed and if you were not like them you were looked on as a wimp.

  Finally,.it was just a treadmill .Every weekend always the same routine ,never time to yourself .

  Thank God it is over now.