So if this is the "personal doctrinal conservatism of the speaker", rather than an offical position, wouldn't he get called on the carpet for teaching such a personal view?
No, these guys get away with this kind of stuff all the time. At an elder's "school" less than three years ago, Ted Jaracz told us the dubs were focusing too much on entertainment and chastised this "need" to be entertained all the time as weakness. He said it would be better if we spent Friday and Saturday nights studying. Then he strongly suggested we each go back and re-read all the of the Society's magazines and publications starting in 1919 "so you'll get to know your history."
There was something just short of a collective gasp when he said it. I imagine the last thing on earth the WTS really wants is for all the elders to start reading the old books and start getting confused (or more confused) about dub doctrine. But there it is.
This all falls into the same slack-cutting category that has always been extended to Bethel heavies, as when they go WAY over on a talk or offer up one of those War-and-Peace-length prayers at the end of a convention. They do what the hell they want.
I agree with AlanF. There is definitely a liberal/conservative struggle going on inside the WTS, just as there is in any organization. The only people who do not believe that are those neanderthals who believe the WTS runs on holy spirit and is thus "immune" to politics. And that's clearly not the case, in my personal experience.