South East England - love of the greater number cooling off

by truthseeker 107 Replies latest jw friends

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  truthseeker

  Hi everyone, in the congregation I grew up in, it was very cold and unloving. Circuit Overseers would come and go, they would give counsel and nothing changed. At one time even the DO came at the same time as the CO and gave counsel to 'widen out'. Nothing changed.

  An elder gave a local needs talk about hospitality. He mentioned that one visiting speaker was seen having lunch in a Tesco's cafe by a sister who was shopping; the elder in charge of showing hospitality hadn't even bothered to see if this visiting speaker need lunch.

  Years ago, we had about 20 young people in our hall, nearly all of them have left, 2 generations of people have gone, and never received any encouragement from the elders.

  I can't name this congregation for obvious reasons, except to say that it was between Brighton and Portsmouth.

  Over the years I heard various ones say that the southeast coast was a blackspot for the lack of love and socializing. An older brother I met at the Portsmouth DC said to me that the friends are very cold in this part of the country.

  The North of England was always rumored, and I am sure this is true, to be warm and loving and hosiptable.

  Do you have any experiences of this if you ever lived in the South East?
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  Abaddon

  The London Congs I know were quite warm and caring. I moved to Devon, and found the congregation far less interested. Exeter was just okay, Newton Abbot was utterly dire, and Torquay was pretty horrid... my daughter describes Babbacombe as a bitchfest (she's 13).
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  expatbrit

  Generally the South East is a lot cooler than say, London or the North. The congregation I grew up in had a lot of overspill types from London, so it had the reputation of being the friendly cong in the area. (I still can't eat goat curry).

  In contrast, those intellectuals in Cambridge were ice-cold, so the rumour mill went. And as for the other small town congregations around, well, they didn't need fridges to store their meat!

  IMO, being the most affluent area of England, the JW's in the South East simply have a nicer standard of living and so are not so dependent upon the Watchtower cult for any scrap of hope and pleasure in their lives.

  That's why our local needs talk were frequently on the subject of materialism and not letting worldly pursuits crowd out spiritual i.e. Watchtower interests. Most people nodded complacently and then went outside to check out the Presiding Overseer's new Mercedes.

  Expatbrit
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  Englishman

  I can't name this congregation for obvious reasons, except to say that it was between Brighton and Portsmouth.

  Now you've got me going. Hmm. I do remember that I once worked alongside the PO of Bognor at an all witness factory in Fareham. Suddenly he was DF'd but continued at work with the other witnesses who just ignored him at tea breaks but spoke to him otherwise.

  I knew a few dubs from Chichester too.

  Englishman.
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  truthseeker

  Englishman, I seem to remember a story about Bognor congregation. In the late sixties prior to the elder arrangement, the overseer and his assistant were disfellowshipped. Bognor from what I have been told does not have a good reputation.

  Circuit Overseers I have heard mention Bognor were Mike Sidler and David Bingham.

  That's all I know about Bognor.
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  Englishman

  truthseeker,

  The DF'd PO was Ron Atwell.

  Englishman.
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  ignored_one

  The Canterbury congregation should carry a notice on the door "extra layers may be needed".

  Ignored One.
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  Englishman

  The Canterbury congregation should carry a notice on the door "extra layers may be needed

  ...As a protection against backstabbers?

  Englishman.
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  truthseeker

  Interesting that. I think the assistant overseers name was Doug Marney. I heard he was recently reinstated after being out for nearly 30 years.
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  rocketman

  I'm not anywhere near there, but since hospitality was mentioned, the congregation I was in had a problem with it - many jws didn't want to bother with it and we frequently had speakers (including one who came and gave the talk on hospitality) who were offered nothing.