In 2008 I was baptized into the truth after leaving a Trinitarian faith. During my eight years as a Jehovah’s witness, I strived to keep the standards set by the Bible, WT and the Faithfull and discrete slave. But unfortunately, the congregational elders from the Kingdom Hall I attended were not keeping to Jehovah’s standards, hence, wrote my letter of resignation.
The text in doing was Ephesians 5:7 which says.
Be not ye therefore partakers with them, if you are partakers of their sins, you must be their punishments. Don’t participate in the things these people do. Therefore, do not be partakers with them.
After several years attending meetings in various Kingdom Halls, I meet with an elder who was very sympathetic to my cause and convinced me not to harbor any resentment towards elders who were just imperfect humans. Taking heed of his wise council, and in retiring to Childers with my JW wife, I thought it a perfect opportunity to make peace with Jehovah via elders from the Childers congregation Qld Australia . In doing so I meet with elders who suggested I write a letter with reasons why I need to be reinstated.
The response from my letter was at first very positive, One elder knowing I had autism even congratulated me for writing with honesty and sincerity. The stage was now set for a judicial meeting to discuss my reinstatement into the Childers congregation. But to my surprise the issue regarding Christ not being the archangel Michael was raised.
Apparently, I had mentioned the WT article below to a visiting brother prior to my letter for reinstatement. I told the elder that my view regarding Michael was not false teaching but food at the proper time. Let us digest this WT article,
WT April (2010) entitled; The man who changed the world Subheading; What Jesus taught about himself Paragraph 1-3 states:
“The Son of man”.” Jesus used this expression more than any other to refer to himself. (Matthew 8:22) he thus showed that he was neither materialized Angel nor an incarnation BUT fully Human…”
I recall this study article very clearly because not one person in the congregation when answering up mentioned the name Michael. Let’s be honest, if there’s any misunderstanding as to Christ real identity the elders should be the ones to explain- otherwise its left up to the congregationalist. But my being Asperger's interpreted the WT article at face value. But according to the Childers judiciary by view was false doctrine-conveyed to a brother of the local congregation.
Judicial committee wasn’t acting in accordance with the disfellowshipping rules from the WT elders hand book under the heading
Deliberately spreading teachings contrary to Bible truths as taught by the Jehovah’s Witnesses (Acts 21:21, ftn; 2 John 7,9,10)
“Any with sincere doubts should be helped. Firm loving council should be given (2 Tim.2:16-19,23-26; Jude 22,23) If one obstinately is speaking about or deliberately spreading false teachings this may be or may lead to apostasy. If there is no response after a first and second admonition, a judiciary committee be formed”. Titus, 3:10-11; w8910/ ,19;86 4/1 pp.30-31; w86 3/15 p 15.
As I see it, the above protocol applied by the wisdom of the Faithful and Discreet slave was not privy to me at the judicial meeting. Simply put, I wasn’t given the three strikes and you’re out rule. Rather the elder’s judgement was without loving consideration to a pair of elderly people, suffering from physical and mental health issues. On this note I was hoping to join my wife at the memorial, not as an apostate but as a brother of equal status in the Childers congregation. But sadly, that wasn’t to be when the committee simply said that I wasn’t ready to be reinstated with no explanation of how I should readjust my thinking.
Whether or not you believe that Jesus was / is an archangel incarnate matters not. But if the FADS make the issue ambiguous they are the ones that need to be admonished and corrected and not me. But my point is that these matters are of a personal nature and not to be bandied around the congregation Hence, the 3 strikes and your out principle should have applied.
As it stands my status is that of a disfellowshipped apostate ostracized from close family members.