Another brother steps back

konceptual99

So at the meeting this week it was announced that a certain brother was no longer serving as a ministerial servant.

This is a guy who was brought up in a different country as his family went to serve where the need was greater. This is a guy who was home schooled and went straight into pioneering. He then went and worked on building projects in various places in Europe and Africa. He got married and went on international build work. Until his kids came along and put a stop to the international work he was on the track for being a real golden example of JW youth forging a WT career.

Even though the guy is still relatively young (late 20s) I have been a bit surprised he's never been one of those uber young elders but I've also noticed that he seems to have a certain edge to him, a slight desire not to toe the line.

So, it was announced he was no longer serving as an MS. I was surprised but also able to afford a wry smile. The word is he wants a break from things but I think there is more to it. His wife was crying after the announcement, no doubt shamed at the step down and lamenting that she no longer can live her WT goals vicariously anymore.

I wonder if there is more to the situation. Perhaps his lack of tolerance for some of the idiocy of WT drone culture got the better of him. Perhaps he laid into one of the elders for their hypocrisy and was pushed. I wonder if he has woken up and is in the same place I was about three years ago.

I spoke to him a while ago and was open with him that I got fed up at feeling I had to justify myself all the time, fed up doing things just to be seen doing them. I told him I got fed up playing the game and was just happy to let the elders play it with other people.

I hope I get a chance to speak to him again soon. I hope he's got fed up playing the game. Even if he hasn't there are plenty of young men in congregations all over the place stepping back, stepping down, closing in.

Anything but reaching out.

nonjwspouse

His wife should ( though I know it's not likely) get words of praise for her husbands hard to make decision of following what God is telling him to do. Listening to God and following his love filled heart to decide on his direction in life, and his families life. She needs "building up" for petes sake, yet the JW from all I keep hearing, are all about tearing down such heartfelt, thoughtful, prayer filled requests to be left alone to work things out.

freddo

Excellent post K99.

Did he sit through the announcement?

never a jw

Keep them coming. I am 51, and I hope I live long enough to see this cult brought down and turned into an irrelevant dying religion of very old people.

Crazyguy

Thier already irrelevant, they just don't know it yet. Most people in the world never heard of the cult and those that have could care less.

Pete Zahut

His wife was crying after the announcement, no doubt shamed at the step down and lamenting that she no longer can live her WT goals vicariously anymore.

Ha...that's so true and it's encouraged that single JW women seek out single JW men with positions in the congregation. Perhaps he was privately reproved for something, hence the tears. Either way, any move backwards, planned or otherwise, is a big deal in JW land.

When I returned from my year at Bethel, an Elder asked me in front of a bunch of people why I only stayed for one year. I said " You grew up in the truth....why didn't you go to Bethel at all?"

I remember a nice young pioneer sister in our congregation became engaged and decided to stop pioneering so she could work and save for a place of their own. At the end of the Thursday meeting, the P.O got up and said "I have a sad announcement to make...Mary Smith will no longer be among the ranks of our pioneers".

But for the sound of Mary sobbing at her seat, you could have heard a pin drop. It was like they announced a death.

Saename

Pete Zahut - When I returned from my year at Bethel, an Elder asked me in front of a bunch of people why I only stayed for one year. I said " You grew up in the truth....why didn't you go to Bethel at all?"

Good revenge. You don't embarrass people in front of others, or you'll get embarrassed yourself. He'll remember that for the future.

Pete Zahut - I remember a nice young pioneer sister in our congregation became engaged and decided to stop pioneering so she could work and save for a place of their own. At the end of the Thursday meeting, the P.O got up and said "I have a sad announcement to make...Mary Smith will no longer be among the ranks of our pioneers".
But for the sound of Mary sobbing at her seat, you could have heard a pin drop. It was like they announced a death.

This is something I don't understand. She resigned. Okay. So why not thank her for her service? Even in the modern Catholic church, which Jehovah's Witnesses despise so much, people are thanked for their service—though I suspect that also depends on the churches' localities.

When it comes to Jehovah's Witnesses, everyone is happy and praises you so long as you do the service. Once you stop, people think you just... died. This is a real attempt at guilt-trapping others. Inexcusable.

Simon

The kind of public humiliation and demotion that the WTS practices reminds me of the way Steve Jobs apparently behaved with people - saying something at a big meeting that could have been said in private or announced in an email or whatever but why do that when you can have an unfair fight where someone daren't answer back?

At some point you can't come up with an explanation for why they do it other than they want to be complete assholes too.

Of course it's about power and authority.

never a jw

The WT is very relevant as long as the governments of the world and lawyers are targeting them to make them pay for their crimes and reclaim the money they stole from innocent people. It will be a while before they lose interest. That's the day that I hope I get to see, when the WT is of no interest to no one, but the hard core, totally brain washed, dying old generation.

DesirousOfChange

Perhaps he was privately reproved for something, hence the tears. Either way, any move backwards, planned or otherwise, is a big deal in JW land.

Time will tell. Usually someone who is reproved, even "private reproof" is restricted from commenting or TMS assignments or public prayers. Has he commented at a meeting yet? That was the 1st thing I did upon resigning to let the Cong know that it had been MY decision.

Doc

Another brother steps back

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