by NotFormer 15 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
My understanding was that this was the magazine regularly published for insiders only, unlike the Watchtower and the Awake! Looking online, it seems that the WT ceased publication of this in 2016. Is it due to a name change (it seems to have changed its name several times over the years) or has it been succeeded by a new publication? Or has it ceased to be?
If the latter, is this another sign of the slow death of the organisation?
Our Kingdom Ministry (OKM) became the Meeting Workbook (MWB) when the whole midweek meeting was revamped in 2016. The programme is very different.
And IMO, yes it's another indication of the slow death of the org. The midweek meeting is completely dumbed down now.
It used to be in two halves - Theocratic Ministry School and Service Meeting.
Now it's nominally in three parts (although the division between the first two is not clear) - "Treasures from God's Word", "Apply Yourself to the Field Ministry" and "Living as Christians" (yes, that's really what they're all called)
Here's a summary of what the midweek meeting is now (I'm sure others will add to this or correct me if I've missed anything out):
Opening song and prayer
Opening comments (1 minute) Basically a filler/time-waster IMO, but intended to 'whet the appetite' for 'highlights' to come. Might serve the purpose of giving the brother doing the next bit a few extra seconds to rush through the door if he's late I suppose...
1) Treasures from God's Word section
Themed talk by elder or MS, basically the old instruction talk - but shorter and almost entirely scripted from the MWB. Sometimes might be a video. (10 minutes)
"Spiritual gems" - taken by another elder or MS, basically the old Bible highlights but members of the congregation get to comment on what they liked from the week's bible reading instead of him choosing them. It has a single scripted question from the workbook first though, so depending how long the brother takes over that, there might not be much time for individuals to choose their own highlights. (10 minutes)
Bible reading - as with the old meeting, a young or less experienced brother reads a portion of the bible. However, unlike the old days, he does not have to make an introduction and conclusion - literally just read the passage assigned.
2) Apply Yourself to the Field Ministry section
A watered down version of the old Theocratic School (approx 15 minutes in total).
Every month, features a video in silhouettes of how to present the offer of the month on first call, and on a later week, the return visit.
Also features selected local sisters or brothers doing an initial call or return visit demo, each usually about 2-4 minutes long. (Like the old School assignments basically).
A talk - like the old number 4 talk for brothers, but again, shorter, about 5 minutes, with a theme and material given from a past WT magazine, so less time and less room for the bro to develop his own material than in the past.
After that a mid-meeting song, then:
3) Living as Christians section
Basically like the old Service Meeting (but of course, dumbed down)
From what I can tell, these are all conducted usually by elders unlike the old Service Meeting where parts were often given to min servants, but maybe an MS might get a part if he's 'experienced' or there's a shortage of elders.3.1) 15 minutes that could consist of:
A video - if short, with some Q&A from the audience, or if longer, just an elder or MS who gets up, introduces it, sits down, then gets up at the end to hand back to the chairman!
A couple of shorter items, maybe a Local Needs (they still have those) and/or something based on a short Workbook article.
3.2) Congregation Book Bible Study
The old book study that used to be held on a separate midweek evening, now shortened and tacked on the end. (30 minutes)
Concluding comments (3 minutes) - more time wasted just summarising some points from any of the three parts that went before. Any announcements (including long letters from the branch, accounts report, etc) are expected to be squeezed in here too, so often 1) the book study is shortened even more, and 2) the meeting still runs over time!
Concluding song, prayer and everyone gets outta there tired and desperate to get home!
One of the few mercies of the new meeting format is the death of the Written Review - or as some used to call it, the Rotten Review!
These are big changes. The WT leadership has always clung to the old way of doing things whenever they could. Things must have changed a lot for them to approve the kinds of changes that they are making. Do they feel that the changes that they are making are improving things?
Those of us of a certain age will remember "The Informant" This changed to Kingdom Ministry in about 1957. From then it changed to Our kingdom Service and back again to Our Kingdom Ministry until 2016 I think.
Journeyman gave a good outline above. It really is dumbed down. Counsel is from a small 24 page booklet, "Apply yourself to reading and teaching". Gone are the days of Qualified to be Ministers etc.
George
I remember it as Bulletin for a while. Of course bulletin is verboten because it is a Catholic word ( Papal bull)
Counsel is from a small 24 page booklet, "Apply yourself to reading and teaching". Gone are the days of Qualified to be Ministers etc.
Oh yes, that's a whole other subject! How many different guides/textbooks they've been through for 'counsel'. For years they settled on the "Theocratic Ministry School Guidebook", a small maroon-covered book which was actually quite good for instructing on public speaking. (One of the few things many exJWs feel they benefited from after years in the org).
Then they went crazy and had about three different books within around ten years, getting progressively slimmer until they settled on the thin booklet St. George mentions which they use now.
As an example of how dumbed down the 'counsel' is these days, I've copied this from a page on Appropriate Use of Visual Aids:
"Make sure your listeners can see the visual aid"..."When playing a video, turn the screen to face your listener" - Genius level stuff, eh?
Incidentally, the electronic copy of the Meeting Workbook outlining all the midweek meetings is on the JW website these days - here's what this week's meeting schedule is (just copy the link below and remove the B from .borg). You can even see what the points of counsel are, if you want to compare and contrast with how it used to be.
https://www.jw.borg/en/library/jw-meeting-workbook/july-august-2023-mwb/Life-and-Ministry-Meeting-Schedule-for-August-7-13-2023/
George - Kingdom Ministry ..... From then it changed to Our kingdom Service and back again to Our Kingdom Ministry
I remember that. A crappy bit of paper with 4 pages.......with an insert sometimes.
The memory has made me feel nauseous already.
The four-page Kingdom Ministry is the one I remember. The titles were usually printed in color, and it would be a different color each month. Three or four columns with small text.
- I remember it as Bulletin for a while. Of course bulletin is verboten because it is a Catholic word ( Papal bull)
@road to nowhere - I thought I was old!
"The service sheet of instructions entitled “Bulletin” appeared now monthly after October, 1922, encouraging all as “valiant warriors” to memorize Society-prepared testimonies, first called a “canvass,” in offering the Bible literature. (In October, 1935, this monthly service instrument was named “Director,” and finally in July, 1936, was given its present title “Informant.”)
...l Informant, July, 1936."
George
Re the Kingdom Ministry to Kingdom Service and back to Kingdom Ministry, this had to do with the influence of Ray Franz in the 1970s. During this rare period of reasonableness that he brought to the GB, it was decided that "service" was a more encompassing term than "ministry," as it could include acts of kindness and helpfulness. He also promoted the concept of an "internal ministry." All this could be covered by the word "service." This gained enough traction that "Our Kingdom Service" became the new title.
Then, when Ray was removed, dismissed from the Bethel Family and subsequently disfellowshipped (or as it was mis-described "disassociated"), what reasonableness he contributed was suspended in favor of a "tightening up." It was in this process that the title, "Our Kingdom Ministry" was restored. It was evident that the GB was attempting to undo every bit of work Ray had contributed while serving in the Organization.
