My husband was deleted as an elder over a bookstudy change.
He had just started conducting a bookstudy and it really was a wonderful, tight knit group. My husband is really good with people and he was making strides in reaching each member of the group, including a brother who was inactive. Actually the three months in the bookstudy were probably the most enjoyable meetings I have ever attended.
The service committee decided to move him to another bookstudy (we think it's because the service overseer wanted our group - the change seemed to coincide with his annual visit). My husband approached the service overseer and explained the situation - he said he thought he would like to keep the book study because of the inactive brother - he was really opening up to him. The service overseer said, o.k. he would talk to the committee but it shouldn't be a problem.
The next Sunday meeting it was announced the my husband would be conducting the new bookstudy. He was pretty mad that his opinion was not considered and pulled the service overseer and p.o. into the library to confront them. It ended up being a bit of a shouting match - between BOTH sides mind you (very paul and barnabas) in the end my husband walked away thinking everything would be fine. he acquiesed and said he would take the new bookstudy and although disappointed, we chalked things up.
Tuesday he gets a phone call that the brothers want to meet with him Thursday after the meeting. My husband is getting really nervous. He decides to write a letter to step down - thinking he is the cause of contention among the brothers. He decides to take it to the Thursday meeting.
Thursday meeting. My husband and I arrive at the hall. My husband is easygoing - talking with people, etc. When I notice a chilling thing. One by one, each of his close friends are being pulled aside by a different elder and questioned. Later we find out they were questioned as to whether or not my husband spoke against the elders.
Meeting with the elders. The elders try to say my husband accused the elders. (of what we have never known) they actually said verbatim "accused the elders'. My husband tries to step down. They tell him no. HOWEVER, they tell him he is removed from his teaching duties until further notice. My husband writes a rebuttal to their accusations and sends personal letters of apology to the brothers he lost his temper with.
His rebuttal ruins their "accused the brothers" accusation. So they charge him with "belligerence" and tell him he has to wait until the CO visits before they deal with him. He refutes this accusation with several articles and the fact that the other bros. shouted at him.
In the end he was deleted for "unreasonablness" very creative on the part of that stick up his ass C.O we had. It was 2 and a half months of pure hell. We were marked, lost our friends and I suffered terrible anxiety over the fear of losing God's favor. What a mess.
However I did get a bit of satisfaction. The p.o. claimed the reason for the book study change was that the new group was closer to our home and he was thinking of us. I called him one night and told him that I had clocked the miles to the new book study and it was about 4 miles farther than the old study. He didn't say a word and I hung up on him.
