If I remember correctly, WT protocol says that that day's chairman should be prepared to give the PT if there's a no show...I was the PT coordinator in our cong...not the easiest job...lots of incompentent and unorganized PT coordinators around...we would call the brother who was to give the talk the week he was to give it...if we couldn't contact him for some reason, we were prepared to have someone cover...either I or two other brothers were prepared to give the talks at the last minute as we would have talk outlines and notes with us just in case...we were kinda organized in that way...nonetheless...I and most everyone in the cong would much have preferred to leave an hour early...
proandcon
JoinedPosts by proandcon
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Public Speaker-No call no show
by gringojj inmy wife went to a meeting today and a funny thing happened.
the public speaker from out of town did not show up!
so instead of ad-libbing for an hour they just ended the meeting an hour early!
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Daytona Beach?
by Dimples injust wondering, anyone, including lurkers from the daytona beach area?
dimples
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proandcon
Dimples...I have a vacation home in Daytona Beach...I'll be down there mid Dec thru Jan...off Beville Rd...in Pelican Bay...Proandcon
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WHAT ARE SOME TITLES YOU COULD SEE IN THE WT?
by stillAwitness intitles you could see in a wt/awake magazine:
1. candy-can it detract us from true worship?
2. rape victims-you are now allowed to scream again!
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proandcon
Question from readers..."Could the 'stones cry out' better than Witnesses do in the preaching work?"
If the authorities were arresting all 'true christians', would they arrest you?
Do you believe everthing you hear?
Have you picked out your house for the new system?
Would you be afraid to play with a Lion?
How can Jehovah of armies be a loving God?
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After 9 days of rain, it finally stopped! Anyone had flooding problems?
by hubert inwe are not used to this, here in the northeast.
friday evening, i checked out the cellar for any water coming in, and it was dry, so i went back on the computer.
about midnight, i decided to hit the sack, so i shut off the computer, turned around, and stepped into water !!
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proandcon
Hubert...it's been raining here in NE Mass for several days now...so far, I'm lucky (can I say that?)...just some light dampness so far inmy unfinished basement...keeping a close eye on ot though as we have had some water problems in the past...I know what it's like to be tired and sore from bailing water...now the rain has stopped for the time being anyway...hope the worst of your problem is over.
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JW's and Divorce
by Dimples inwow, seems like lots of jw's are getting divorced these days.
since i left the jw's 51/2 years ago i know of at least 5 couples that attended the congregation that i went to, who are now divorced.
is this getting more common where you are?
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proandcon
Dimples...here in Mass. all 4 congregations in my area have their share of divorces (more than 2-3 per)...some have hooked up with others on the internet and split the area...others have quietly found another one to be with (often another elder,pioneer or MS), got "found out", got df'd or publicly reproved, received a "scriptural divorce" from the offended spouse and then remarried...JW's really have the divorce steps down pat...it's pretty rampant and I agree it's far more than even 7-10 years ago. People seem to be far more restless and bored. They need to generate some excitement in their lives irrespective of what they've "learned" (heard a million times) or how their actions may hurt another. Love, humility, trust, respect...forget it...these qualities are not even illusions for these ones...
Yet...the very ones who play the rules will ignore you a non - meeting attender in a NY minute...
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a lesson on handling molesters from Babylon the Great
by proandcon inthe wts could learn something from this practical yet effective method...it won't...it's lack of humility and care for only its own well being is overwhelming...
molestation charge rocks congregation
by chris dovi
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proandcon
the WTS could learn something from this practical yet effective method...it won't...it's lack of humility and care for only its own well being is overwhelming...
Molestation charge rocks congregation
By CHRIS DOVI Staff Writer
Last update: September 26, 2005BUNNELL -- Tears and forgiveness, uncertainty and praise flowed in equal measure under dimmed sanctuary lights during Sunday morning service at Praise Assembly of God.
"We are a precious family of God," the Rev. Don Wilburn told a gathering of about 80 church members. For some, it was their first word that the church's youth pastor, the Rev. Chris Thomas Miller, had been arrested Friday night and charged with child molestation.
Wilburn fought back his own tears as he tried to provide solace to his stunned congregation.
"Thursday afternoon, we were made aware of a situation," he told the church gathering. "The information was that Chris Miller, our youth pastor, had touched two teenagers in a manner that was unacceptable to us."
Both girls are members of the church whom Miller had befriended in his role as youth minister, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office investigators who arrested him Friday night.
Miller, 26, of Palm Coast remained Sunday at the Flagler County Inmate Facility on $100,000 bail charged with six counts of lewd and lascivious molestation. During an interview, Miller provided details of incidents within the past eight weeks involving the girls, both younger than 16, investigators said.
Asking for prayers for the girls so they could understand Miller's alleged actions "had nothing to do with them," Wilburn told his congregation the church's board of deacons late last week had "unanimously terminated (Miller's) employment immediately and restricted him from the property."
He also asked for prayers for Miller and his family, and told the church Miller's wife and young son are with relatives right now.
"I want you to please know that we are so sorry to . . . cause you to experience this," Wilburn told church members, his words broken occasionally by stifled sobs from the crowd. "We realize that in the days to come, there will be rumors. The only thing I can ask you is to remember the heart of your church."
Wilburn promised to maintain open communication with all church members "to help you distinguish rumor from fact."
In the days ahead, Wilburn said, the church must remain the same strong family it has been during good times.
"If this church has to walk through something like what we are facing, I'm so glad I'm walking with you," he said. "I love you."
Members of the church all declined comment, but some spoke freely during the church service, leaning heavily on scripture readings as they choked back tears to speak.
One church member, Maggie Williams, interrupted Wilburn as he prepared to end the service.
"As I told pastor earlier, God is in control and he has him here at this time and this place for a purpose," Williams said. "When Moses was in the wilderness, every step of the way, no matter what, God was still in control."
To the cheers of others, Williams promised Wilburn "that no matter what this church goes through, I'll be here behind him."
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SHOULD I PIONEER OR COLLEGE?
by stillAwitness indo you think the wt has become more lenient or stricter over the year?.
i am 21 and i remember just 4 years ago going to college was looked at as something negative.
girls my age, we had plans to be ft pioneers and become secretaries.
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proandcon
Stilla...consider this...most every single person in bethel in a professional position (doctor, nurse, IT technician, programmer,accountant, etc, etc) had received some degree of higher education at some pooint in their life or they would be incapable of doing the position they now have a bethel...it is a closely guarded "secret" that bethel does send some promising ones to get a higher education to fill certain neeeds it has (eg accounting, taxes, lawyers, etc)...you can't run an org this big just by the seat of your pants...you need talent...talent is educated.
I've provide a number of jobs to low skill level JW's in my area...they were totally burned out beforehand...with the job...they developed good marketable skills in different trades, got livable wages and benefits...it's very difficult to make ends meet on minimum wage...impossible to try to do that AND go to all the meetings...you become FRIED...and then they dump you because your not spiritual enough...suggest you just QUIETLY go about your school business...don't mention it to anyone...they would not encourage you at all...want you to be like them...they'd be jealous and consider you "weak"...they are clueless however...if you ultimately decide to stay a JW, at least you'll have an education and decent career...NEVER shut out options in your life...as you get older you never want to be in a position to regret it...
proandcon
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What's the possibility........?
by proandcon in...of the jw leadership having a large concert and festival featuring prominent jw entertainers (prince, michael jackson) and the william sisters...all proceeds to go to for the benefit of the katrina evacuees?.
many other groups and religious organizations are actively collecting funds to help in the relief effort.
many entertainers are volunteering there time in this regard.. great witnessing opportunity....large captive audience...make everyone get a tract with a ticket.... can you add to the agenda they could develop?.
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proandcon
...of the JW leadership having a large concert and festival featuring prominent JW entertainers (Prince, Michael Jackson) and the William sisters...all proceeds to go to for the benefit of the Katrina evacuees?
Many other groups and religious organizations are actively collecting funds to help in the relief effort. Many entertainers are volunteering there time in this regard.
Great witnessing opportunity....large captive audience...make everyone get a tract with a ticket...
Can you add to the agenda they could develop?
Proandcon
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proandcon
In my experience, I'd say on average about 50% conservatively have real doubts about some of what they've heard ...some will speak quietly about their reservations to their small circle of "trusted friends".. they keep it quiet...JW dom seems more and more to me to be somewhat of a "social thing" vs the hard core religion it once purported to be.
If you're a secret apostate you can't last long...the BS will drive you crazy if you quietly try to endure...if you talk, you'll get ratted out and spoken too by the elders. You'll definitely be on the "watch closely" list then...either way...you're gone...
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Anybody from Waltham or Newton Massachusetts?
by out of the box ini wanted to know if anyone was from that area or lived there..
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proandcon
Gave talks in both Newton and Waltham about 7 years ago...remember both congs as relatively cold and unfriendly...don't know any of the people mentioned...I'm just north off Boston and came to Mass. in 1993 from an area in NY state near the Wallkill Farm. Could write a book about all the doozy witnesses I've known (nut jobs; ego maniacs, manic depressives, holier than thous, rip off artists, con men and women, etc)...yet, some real fine people also...(many of whom "saw the light" and faded - like me)> My experience is that many of the "heavies" in the construction side of the business (eg Ass'Y and KH builders) were ego maniacs who were out to impress the CO's and DO's with their "business skills and construction expertise...their methods were often worse than those "in the world" - many stories even here in Mass recently...the most grating thing tome is that JW's are constantly "reminded" of putting on the Chrisitan personality yet drop it in a NY minute when it suits there need or gets in the way...it's really uncanny...most are very hypocritical and can't even see it...yet they can point a finger at you real fast...Proandcon