Experience of new elders meeting format.....

caspian

Just to let you know that the S2 has come back from London with my deletion on it, so I expect it to be announced on Thursday, it will be interesting to see how "my brothers and sisters" treat me

Anyway with regards to my experience to the new format of elders meetings...

Some of you may be aware of the change to the format announced at the the Elders Seminar 2002 and in the subsequent letter, regarding the handling of an elder whose child has been involved in serious conduct.

basically the change is that a special elders meeting is held, where the elder is questioned by the body on why he thinks his child got into trouble? was it his fault? did he study with them? etc....

He then leaves the room while the elders talk about him behind his back and decide if he still qualifies etc.. (the new official format) before he was allowed to stay.

So two weeks before I resign, we have this elder that no one likes, who has to face this meeting because of problems with his oldest son.

As you can imagine to his face no one really asked any questions everyone is as nice as pie to him.

I thought that this was strange because almost all of the other elders "mither" about him behind his back. about what a bad elder he was ( me I couldn't care less either way:)

However as soon as he leaves the room all hell breaks loose, all the elders who were too scared to speak to his face are now calling him all the names under the sun, and want him removed. This they managed with a majority vote. I was gobsmacked

The cowardice shown was nauseating to say the least and just added to my determination to resign as an elder.

I just wonder how many other Coward like BOE's are now using this new format of being able to make the decision without the elder present, to delete unliked elders.

Cas

looking forward to Thursday

minimus

This is quite interesting, Cas. They finally figured a way to get rid of elders. Does this format apply only to situations with kids or does it go beyond that?

Satanus

So, backstabbing has now been built into the system, institutionalised, so to speak.

SS

caspian

Min

The letter just refers to an elders child committing a "serious sin"

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/tmp/BOE20020318.pdf

Cas

blondie

Sort of suspends Matthew 18:15-17 and Matthew 5:23,24.

Pretty soon they'll be having JCs without the person there....oops..they already do that!

Room 215

Minums, they ought to be figuring out a way to hang onto the few good ones they have left. And Caspian, based on the very high percentage of elders with ``problem" children, such meetings are likely to be frequent occurences.

metatron

Read about the "half-way covenant" the Puritans developed - before they vanished from history.

The reality of being an elder in trouble? This letter is bullsh*t. If you are well-liked, they will forgive whatever

neglect resulted in your family troubles. If you are not a "good old boy", they will find some reason to delete you.

End result? More clubby elders who cover each other's sins, fewer honest men who rock the boat.

I've seen it happen, year after year. I was denied being appointed as an elder because although I met every

qualification, I didn't have a four door car. I'm not making this up!

metatron

mustang

Ah, the "holy spirit" triumphs again!!!! For, of course, the spirit guides them and is at all these meetings...

This is pure evidence that the whole WTS system is a "tradition of men" and nothing more.

Metatron, I am surprised: you must not have gotten the change sheet to the NWT, where the verse @ 1 Tim. 3:17 (once thought to be apocryphal) was restored. "And the overseer and ministerial servant must have 4 door chariots and wagons."

Mustang

wannaexit

I don't undestand. There must be different rules for different areas.

I know a few elders with some pretty bad kids (drugs, alcohol) and they are still serving in fact they are considered pillars in the cong.

I wonder why these guys are not removed.

Jourles

Hey Caspian, get a hold of those BOE letters before you go and scan them in. It would be nice to have the more current letters...

http://www.dirtclod.com/gallery

Experience of new elders meeting format.....

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