Where have all the spiritual men gone?

ToesUp

This photo was on JW-Archive.

Sisters are now passing microphones due to a lack of qualified brothers. This was in a English speaking group in Slovenia . I feel sorry for the guy in the blue shirt! He must really feel like a loser!

GodZoo

Lack of microphone passing qualifications?

You can have a high tech iPad and IWatch, you can run a successful business, you can raise and support a family of 5 kids.. but you can't touch a mic?

blondie

He doesn't look attired for doing mikes....He could be a husband of a jw or a student. The elders in this area said if no baptized brothers in good standing, the elders would have to do mikes before a sister could do it. I have found in congregations we have visited that are very small with only 2 elders and one MS that sisters handled sound. I would think that Slovenia might have a smaller or spread out thinly spread out groups. I was in a congregation with only a 17 year old baptized brother and no other baptized male jws. He handled sound and mikes and a sister did magazines/literature/accounts/time reporting/you get the idea. Finally one sister's husband was baptized and a pioneer couple moved into the area. I was in one congregation with all women and children and only one brother from another congregation who conducted the WT and book study. Otherwise we had to drive 100 miles one way to hear a public talk or school/service meetings.

Incognito

due to a lack of qualified brothers.

So what qualifications are required to pass microphones?

I was given that "privilege" as an unbaptised teenager at around 13 onwards as were other teens of that age. I think that job was used as an incentive to involve teens and keep them awake at the meeting since no one wanted to mess-up and delay getting the mic to whoever was called upon.

Somehow, the job as 'mic handler' became another means of control, for only those that qualified.

The term 'Spiritual Men' has nothing to do with spirituality but only describes those that will adhere unquestionably to whatever WT demands they need to do.

ToesUp

Incognito - I agree. Yes, in our area in the 80's and 90's. A unbaptized teen could handle a mic with low hours. Only wearing a shirt and tie, no jacket was required. Then things changed! You now have to meet or exceed the national avg. or in our hall over 10 hours a month. Be part of the school, answer at every meeting and be an example to the other males, "reaching out" for additional duties. It became a joke and only 3 - 5 brothers in the entire hall would "qualify" to handle a mic. It was true more of the sisters met the qualifications then the brothers.

DesirousOfChange

Could they be "testing the waters" as to using females in more positions? Here they can blame it on "lack of brothers", but it allows them to hear the feedback from all over.

Doc

blondie

incognito, in this area brothers who are baptized, not on restrictions, reliable (on time or call when they can't come), don't break the equipment (that ended the privilege right away)(or the one who tripped an elder in the aisle (and another time an elder's wife), shows up for most of the meetings (at least 50%), and gets at least 1 hour in service a month. This is for this area....never would an unbaptized male be allowed to do any of these things. I know other areas in the US and other countries may have different congregational policies because the WTS lets them do that. That is why in this area one congregation allows sisters to have double pierced ears and others forbid it. Until recently one hold out congregation in the circuit still required public speakers to wear long sleeved white shirts under the suit jackets (no suit coats folks).

oppostate

The mic handling white tee-shirted young sister is definitely cute. I wouldn't mind such easy on the eyes mic handling crews to brighten up the ol' Kingdom Hall!

NewYork44M

I thought the bible says you cannot pass a microphone without a penis. This congregation must be really desperate to use non-penised members to do the work of the penised members.

I digress, sorry. I once remember setting in a mind-numbing elder's meeting and kept thinking that the only qualification these idiots met is that they had a penis - although in some cases I doubted this qualification.

Incognito

You now have to meet or exceed the national avg. or in our hall over 10 hours a month.

It's funny, for as long as I can recall, the National average has been 10 hours although JWs in the 70s & 80s seemed to be more gungho at going d2d than they are now.

I can recall when midweek evening witnessing was practiced. Although not many actually participated in that, there was generally one or two from each bookstudy group. I also recall going d2d into the early afternoon, not worrying about coffee breaks or stopping at noon.

I suspect, similar to the expenses reported at a Circuit Assembly do not reflect the true costs, the 10 hour N average is not the true average, but is a means to get the rank and file to do a little more. Most r&f witnesses are probably doing 4-8 hours/month, assuming they actually get out for 2 hours - 2X to 4X each month. I think in actuality, the hours reported involve 'creative' time keeping.

Where have all the spiritual men gone?

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