If you are an elder, there's lots of ways you can make life easier for yourself
while still keeping your position. Old Timers know these tricks but usually are too
afraid to talk about them. Here goes:
1. Appoint a new elder and dump all undesired responsibilities on him so that he
can "gain experience". In my congregation, the Theocratic Ministry School Overseer's
job got passed around like a hot potato. Nobody wanted it. Likewise, you can also
dump stuff like judicial cases you don't want, etc. The beauty of this is that some
young naive guys will never say no to anything and end up wrecking their families,
marriages, and sanity. Barnum was right.
2. If you're a P.O., cultivate an inner circle of a few elders who vote your way on things.
It makes things much easier - and keeps controversy away from troublemaking
elders or mavericks who might stir things up. Works well in covering up child
abuse, starting building projects you want and generally getting your own way.
3. Don't worry about qualifications - that was something you did to get appointed.
Generally, you don't have to be hospitable, kind, just, or generous. Just do
what the C.O. says - or pretend to.
4. Speaking of the C.O., if you want 'special favor' - like a circuit assembly part
a little contribution will help. How 'bout rounds of golf, an expensive dinner,
or sometimes even a direct contribution like a $100 handshake?
5. Fake your hours, period. Tell the service group, "you have calls" and go do what
you want.
6. Let the Ministerial Servants run things on weekends, Sundays especially.
Make the congregation think you have lots of public talks scheduled and
building projects to attend - while you go to the lake and fish.
7. If you want to shed responsibilites, claim depression and talk about quitting.
You can get out of being Secretary just by not harassing people to turn in their time.
Bounce a check to two to get out of doing accounts. Give meeting parts with lots
of extra research not in the printed text and find that you don't get meeting parts
because of jealousy ( "Brother X's parts are always so interesting!").
There's lot more I could say but you may have some tricks of your own!
metatron