JW light Elders?

by Mikejw 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Mikejw

  So many Elders are now saying no to pretty much everything.

  they are saying no to assignments and away talks. Saying no to jobs in the cong. The COs and the super fine elders are using scripture and the elders manual to try to persuade them to step up.

  many are coming off as an elder, but even more are simply saying the cost of living or other reasons they are just finding it hard to fulfill all their assignments.

  if you say you want to come off the public talks list altogether they still try putting you down for some and making a fuss saying you have to give some public talks. But if the elder says no not at all. There is nothing they can do.

  some jobs need doing in the cong as last brother stepped down or moved on or something. Other elders look at the elders not doing much and say it has to be you. But if that elder simply says sorry no I’m not going to do it. Then he is told there is nobody else. He still says no. Contact the branch to send someone else but there is nobody else as there is a serious shortage of appointed men.

  then one of the few brothers who is already super busy has to do that job as well. They will be worn out soon and thinking this is not fair.

  the three brothers on the service committee have so much on their plate, but if other elders are JW light then not much can be done. This is why 21 year old are being appointed elders, but they are most JW light too.

  the CO always says this has to be done correctly and you brothers have to step up. But they simply say no sorry I can’t. I pioneered straight from school and got a cleaning job instead of getting qualified in something. Now I’m struggling to pay housing costs for my family.

  if only I got qualifications in something when I was younger I would not be struggling having to work such long hours at such low pay and having to work so much now??????
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  Acluetofindtheuser

  I noticed Elders in a number of congregations I've attended that had low paying jobs like window washing, carpet cleaning, bus driver and pizza delivery. At these same halls there were male publishers with college education in engineering fields and more. These publishers never reached out to be elders for some reason but they loved to comment at the meetings and go out in service. I think they just did the 10 hours to make everyone happy.
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  punkofnice

  I know nothing about congregations anymore.

  If this is the case, what is the reason?
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  Journeyman

  They're in a real bind with this, because of course the only and ultimate sanction they have for an elder who they feel isn't pulling his weight is... to take him off being an elder!

  In the days when being an elder was considered by most to be a "real privilege", that might have worked as a threat, but for many now, their response to that would be: "Ok, then - go ahead!"

  Punk asks why this situation has arisen. I think it's simply that most elders are more focused on the immediate needs of their families and their other commitments now. They're not prepared to give and give and give for nothing in return right now, with the vague promise that everything will be alright in the ever-delayed Paradise.

  Also, another factor is that many are no longer prepared to slavishly follow what the GB says. They may obey it up to a point - going on field service some of the time, giving talks in their local congregation, etc - but they're not willing to do it to the exhausting degree that they've seen their predecessors do it.

  Many congregations also have at least one elderly elder (or MS) who is nearing at the end of his life, has been waiting for "the end" for decades, and in the meantime has either been single all this time, dedicated to the "cause" and seen no benefit for it, OR did marry and/or have kids but his wife is now dead, the kids are grown (and either no longer JWs, or they've flown off to other places to get on with their lives and never visit him), so he is left lonely and with little in his life except to keep struggling on. Seeing that, few younger men who are elders or MS are prepared to follow in those footsteps and sacrifice everything in their life to end up like that!

  And on top of all that, a lot of the mental, physical and social problems in congregations are getting worse, so there is a tide of problems that the elders are expected to deal with that the newer generation do not wish to take on, as they know they are ill-equipped to do it and, unlike their older predecessors, are not prepared to just bluff through with trying to manage these problems by following fancy talks and letters from the GB.
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  NotFormer

  'In the days when being an elder was considered by most to be a "real privilege", that might have worked as a threat, but for many now, their response to that would be: "Ok, then - go ahead!"'

  Elder being chastised: Don't threaten me with a good time!

  They've beaten them down with that stick for so long that the threatening stick 🏒 now resembles a tempting carrot 🥕
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  Sea Breeze

  I pioneered straight from school and got a cleaning job instead of getting qualified in something. Now I’m struggling to pay housing costs for my family.

  Ungrateful slaves! Don't they know that those fat a$$ GB leaders need them to support their residences nestled in upstate New York?

  
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  Mikejw

  Don’t they also know those lucky few need you to work hard so they can have a Rolex for every day of the week.

  they need you to work hard at your low paid jobs so you can pay extra for convention Hotels that the branch tell you to stay in, even though you are paying way above what you would pay if you booked yourself

  this is so the fat cats can have free hotel stays paid for by the Dubs
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  Beth Sarim

  Just the high cost of shit these days

  Going back and forth to work.

  Maybe no one wants this added burden of eldership.
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  HiddlesWife

  (IMPHO, being a D.W.Ts is a➡ "THANKLESS JOB" anyways! I remark this because although they are supposed to help the membership SPIRITUALLY, they are NOT RECEIVING ANY COMPENSATION for doing so---opposite those in cleric positions within other belief systems. Pastors, deacons, priests, rabbis, etc. within other religions are being provided for; however, the GB & their enclave of cohorts are benefiting FINANCIALLY from doing the HEINOUSNESS they are doing. It's certainly NOT fair, nor ethical! 🤬
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  LongHairGal

  BETH SARIM:

  You are right about that high cost of living.

  Isn’t it ironic that the Witness religion’s stand against careers has come back full circle to bite them in the end?? These younger elders have to knock themselves out (probably with lower paying jobs) to make ends meet and to take care of their families. They can’t and are not willing to do what those old school elders did.

  From what I remember: those old school elders were men who were in the workforce and made decent salaries! They were at the point of collecting pensions.. (In fact, observing these men made me firm in my decision back then to hold onto my full-time job.)😉

  Point is: these older guys were better off financially than some of the younger people who came after them. They also had more wisdom (I think). It’s no wonder that younger people in the Witnesses today have No desire to follow in the footsteps of the older generation there.. Things aren’t equal.. And as JOURNEYMAN said: the congregations are filled with many problems. These appear to be of a magnitude not seen years ago!👎 I have no doubt things will get worse there and it seems like a slow collapse.