How much do Elders actually get along with each other?

by Davros 28 Replies latest jw friends

  • 607BCE
    607BCE

    One circuit overseer once told me he had heard of fist fights among bodies of elders.

  • JW GoneBad
    JW GoneBad
    Mickbobcat: I have seen elders move to other congregations because they did not get along with other elders.

    I'll say Amen to that!

    Many of the elders & their families who moved into our congregation moved-in cause they were unhappy with their previous congregation's BOEs & many of the elders who moved out ...left cause they had issues with our elder body. Most congregations have belly-aching elders among the body.

    In the many decades of my being a JW...grievances among the BOEs in our circuit's congregations was a known fact. Personality clashes among men is as bad as personality clashes among the women.

  • BluesBrother
    BluesBrother

    There were indeed strained relationships within the various bodies that I served with, sometimes this grew from family resentments or just personality clashes. The worst thing was that it was always made to seem like it was doing the Lords work, so to disagree was to argue with “God’s arrangement “

    in the main though it jogged along O K. We were never close socially, elders stayed with their families. I didn’t get on particularly with any of them. It was a lot like going to work , you get on as best you can with the people you find yourself with.

    Edit: I should have mentioned the situation where two congregations share one hall. Inevitably the two bodies have little time for the other, over some matter regarding the Hall

  • stillMS
    stillMS

    I can add quite a recent story from my former congo.

    My friend who is an elder now, complained me about his fellow-elder and his wife who are known to be bullies, slanderers and outright liars. When this whole conflict story had got to the CO's attention, he said, in effect 'Shut up, all of you - unless you both want to be removed!'

    Now, they both quietly hate each other...

    P. S.: It's so cute :)


  • stan livedeath
    stan livedeath

    Back when this elders "arrangement" first started..early 70s? Was it ? In the cong my parents attended..(i was far away and married by then)..there was an unholy row.

    I never knew the finer details..but i do recall the cong was split into 2 cliques..and they even sat on opposite sides of the center walkway in the meetings.

    When it came to recommending those first elders..that was a real feud about it..to the degree that 6 or so got disfellowshipped..and there were no recommendations..apart from one...my dad..and he certainly didnt want it. So a new presiding overseer was "parachuted in" from a neighbouring cong..

    This took place in what was then Hockley cong in Birmingham UK..later to be called Winson Green. ( If anyone reading this knows the area )

  • Davros
    Davros
    but i do recall the cong was split into 2 cliques

    I’ve heard so much about congregations forming different cliques. Seems that this happens in many congregations.

    Amazing how few of them practice what they try to portray that they are united as a people.

  • Vidiot
    Vidiot

    Jeezus, sounds like fucking high school.

  • Queequeg
    Queequeg

    I have so many stories of elder politics and competition... I wouldn't know where to start.

    JW elders definitely don't have time for "worldly" politics, because they have plenty of internal politics to keep them occupied.

  • jazzmaniac91
    jazzmaniac91

    They often don't get along. I spent 18 years around the organization and from what I've seen, elders hate each other as much as the publishers do 😂😂😂

  • JeffT
    JeffT

    Jeezus, sounds like fucking high school.

    High School student are more mature than this. Sounds like Junior High school to me.

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