Application Process
"You're Demonized!" This was recited at me during one of my many judicial committee meetings by an elder. He was breaking character, usually, he was the good cop. "A legion of demons have entered your body" he continued. I guess my sins were so damning he could no longer hold back his emotions. This elder was originally from either the east coast or New England (can't remember) and he still had a distinct accent. I remember when he arrived in our congregation; everyone took to him immediately. They loved the accent. I recall hearing whispers about his zeal and how he carried on despite having an "unbelieving spouse." This was the bulk of what I knew about this man who was sitting pensively across from me delivering a withering critique of my supernatural occupancy. Apparently, I was at capacity.
I did know a few other details. I knew that I'd gone to school with his son and he was one of the coolest and nicest kids in my high school. I knew that he had another son and a daughter. That was about it. The background and life experience of elders were in most cases immaterial. At least for born ins. As a young Jehovah's Witness, you are introduced to elders after they have already lived most of their lives and you are told that you must submit without question.
BE SUBMISSIVE
38 The overseers are imperfect men, yet all in the congregation are urged to be submissive to them because it is Jehovah’s arrangement. He will hold the overseers accountable for their actions. They are representing him and his theocratic rule. Hebrews 13:17 says: “Be obedient to those who are taking the lead among you and be submissive, for they are keeping watch over you as those who will render an account, so that they may do this with joy and not with sighing, for this would be damaging to you.” Just as Jehovah uses holy spirit to appoint a man, Jehovah will use that same holy spirit to remove a man from serving as an overseer if he fails to manifest the fruitage of the spirit and his pattern of life falls short of the Scriptural requirements.
Organized to Do Jehovah’s Will p. 43.
The above excerpt attempts to paint elders as nothing more than flawed men who will be held to the ultimate account should they be found wanting in their duty to, Shepard the flock. The watchtower wants you to believe that submitting to the will of these men is tantamount to submitting to the will of God. The truth, however, appears to be in conflict with what's written. There have been countless incidents where elders have been allowed to terrorize individuals, if not entire congregations for decades without a peep from the capricious holy spirit. In fact, there is evidence that the appointment and/or removal of elders, is completely at the discretion of earthbound men.
In the United States alone, incompetence and corruption by bodies of elders have cost the Watchtower hundreds of millions of dollars. Additionally, their archaic policies and obstinate attitude toward change has caused a slew of press activity aimed at uncovering the roots of their failings. In most cases, the ramparts raised in defense of the organization are manned by the very sentries who were incapable of protecting their flocks in the first place. In the case of BCG (Australian Royal Commission), the elders did everything in their power cover, obfuscate and outright lie to protect another elder who was accused of raping his own children.
The same occurred in the Palmer congregation, where decades of abuse was bungled and hidden for years. In this instance, the Watchtower Bible and Tract society were aware of the accusations at nearly every step of the way. Instead of immediately bringing the accusation to the police, the abuser was moved around and coddled by separate groups of elders, while letters flew back and forth between the congregations and the branch office. It was as disgusting as anything you've heard in the Catholic church recently.
For anyone interested digging deeper into this story, following the link. However, I must caution; the level of brutality that the victims in this story encountered could be trauma inducing for the reader. I found myself needing to take breaks as I sorted through the letters.
Tread carefully.
https://faithleaks.org/wiki/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witness_Palmer_Congregation_Sexual_Abuse_Investigation
How does this happen?
In the Watchtower's elder training manual (Shepherd the Flock of God) you will find lengthy guidelines for appointment. The 3rd bullet is of particular interest, as it appears to be drilling down into actual behaviors specific to an individual. However as you'll see, they kneecap that kind of investigation and again defer to the holy spirit.
3. Natural ability does not qualify a brother for appointment.
He must be a spiritual man, giving evidence
that holy spirit is operating on him. (Gal. 6:1;
2 Tim. 1:14; w01 1/15 p. 14 par. 11) Is he zealous for
fine works? (Titus 2:12, 14; 1 Pet. 3:13) Is he a good
example in his attendance and participation at congregation
meetings? (Heb. 10:24, 25) Does he demonstrate
a zeal for the ministry? (Matt. 28:19, 20) Is
he a student of the Bible? (1 Tim. 4:15) Does he endeavor
to help his family spiritually, regularly studying
with his wife and his children living at home?
(Eph. 5:29; 6:4) Does he manifest the fruitage of the
spirit in his daily life?—Gal. 5:22, 23.
Why would a natural ability to lead or shepherd be ruled out as a determinant qualification when choosing Elders?
The answer may become clear as we go through some of the additional qualifications.
5. Though it is the brother who must measure up
to the Scriptural qualifications, you should also consider
the spirituality of those in his household.
If his wife is baptized, is she a good example? A wife’s
conduct often reflects favorably or unfavorably upon
her husband. (1 Tim. 3:11) If the wife is spiritually
weak, he should be doing all that he can to assist her.
For instance, is he making Family Worship a priority?
He should also have “believing children that [are] not
under a charge of debauchery nor unruly.” (Titus 1:6;
see ks10 3:15.)
His wife has to make him look good and his children must "believe." Got it.
7. Brother previously reproved or disfellowshipped:
When was he reproved or disfellowshipped?
What was the offense? In a case of reproof,
did the judicial committee make an announcement?
If disfellowshipped, what is the date of reinstatement?
When were the last restrictions lifted? Was he
reproved or disfellowshipped on any other occasions?
What convinces you that he has lived down his past
wrongdoing and that others now view him as a good
example? (w90 9/1 p. 24 par. 5) If the wrongdoing
took place in another congregation, have you communicated
with the elders there to determine how
that congregation views him? Recommending him
prematurely tends to minimize the seriousness of
wrongdoing in his own eyes and in the eyes of others.
It is also disturbing to those who still have his bad
course fresh in their memories.
A pattern is beginning to emerge.
15. Members of the brother’s household are
involved in serious wrongdoing: The brother’s
qualifications should automatically be reviewed if this
occurs. If the brother’s wife or children, including
adult children living in his home, have serious problems,
the body should seek to determine whether the
head of the household was negligent. Was he permissive?
Was he alert to provide needed direction, anticipating
potential problems? Was he conducting a regular
family study? Was he giving his family needed
time and attention? When he became aware of serious
wrongdoing did he promptly inform the body of
elders so that they could properly investigate the matter?
Did he shield his family from discipline or try to
manipulate the elders’ handling of the situation?
Does he continue to have the respect and confidence
of the congregation as an exemplary family head? If
one of his children was guilty of serious sin, are the
are other children doing well spiritually? If the brother
has done all that can reasonably be expected and especially
if he has had spiritual success with others in
his household, rejection of his fine direction by one
the family member would not necessarily disqualify him
if he continues to have the respect of the congregation.—
w88 3/1 p. 24; w78 2/1 pp. 31-32; w72 2/15
p. 126.
As long as the sheep respect him, proceed with the nomination.
19. If it comes to light or an appointed
brother confesses that he has committed a disfellowshipping
offense years in the past: The body of elders may determine he can continue to
serve if the following is true: The immorality or other
serious wrongdoing occurred more than a few years
ago, and he is genuinely repentant, recognizing that
he should have come forward immediately when he
sinned. (Perhaps he has even confessed to his sin,
seeking help with his guilty conscience.) He has been
serving faithfully for many years has evidence of
God’s blessing, and has the respect of the congregation.
20. If the sin occurred before he was appointed as
an elder or a ministerial servant, the elders will need
to take into consideration the fact that he should
have mentioned this possible impediment to his being
qualified when elders interviewed him just prior
to announcing his appointment. Moreover, nature
of the sin may reflect greatly on his qualifications
to serve. For example, the sin may involve past
child abuse and this would likely disqualify him for
many years.—w97 1/1 pp. 26-29; w77 pp. 697-698.
You'll notice that paragraphs 19 and 20, though numbered separately are actually the same thought. The thought is likely broken into two parts to avoid giving the impression that child abuse could be in the past of a prospective elder, yet it might not be a disqualifying factor.
Overall, there are 30 bullets that detail what to look for in an elder. Nowhere among these bullets will you see a request for a formal background check, or a conversation about past criminal activity, or whether this man is registered as a sex offender. You also will not see a family member, friend, or co-worker of the applicant interviewed.
So it appears the elder's own accounting of himself, and how he is perceived by the congregation, end up being the real determining factors in selection. Further, the current elder body's recommendation to the circuit overseer is all that is needed for any Jehovah's witness man to become an elder.
There is also the ruse of the "Holy Spirit". The fruiting force of God that is supposed to be draped all over these righteous men. This too is an open falsehood. This process is overseen by a chimeric group of corporations with the expressed intent of solidifying their hold a heavily sedated group of sheep.
It's a lie that this is a search for good men. Good men question authority and correct their errors in the light of day and for the good of society.
This is a search for sycophants. Yes, the Watchtower is searching less for men to keep their congregations healthy and more for noblemen who will defend the throne at all costs.
The more obsequious the better.
The Elder Job description should read as follows:
The ideal candidate should have vices, and secrets; things that can be exploited at the first note of insubordination. Alcoholism is preferred.
The need is great for men with a crooked spine; to carry a crooked load.
We need men who can be shouted down by a higher level slave, such as a circuit or district overseer. Men who when told to shut their mouths, do indeed shut them.
The ideal candidate should know that his family is expendable.
A congregation elder should understand that his wife is inferior by default and that no matter how hard she works, she will only ever be valuable as his wife and only as long as he is an elder. He should know that from time to time she will need to be reminded of that.
The ideal candidate needs to be ready to abandon his children when they need him most. He must understand that at a time when his children's brains are capabable of higher level thinking, he will ensure that they remain infantile and one dimensional. He must arrest their development!
Christian elders need to be fostering a culture of self-loathing in their homes. Each member of his family should have their knees bent and backs hunched in expectation of the inevitable command to crawl.
A Christian man should be prepared to oversee the liquidation of an entire congregation and the reframing of that liquidation, as nothing more than a logistical footnote.
A congregation steward should know that he may need to abandon all decency in order to save the reputation of the Watchtower.
Men with degrees in marriage and family counseling, child development, Philosophy, or sociology need not apply. Women, need not apply!
We look forward to reviewing your qualifications.
In this post cult life I have noticed a fire building in my core. An inferno of fury seering at my former failings and the haphazard tutelage I recieved. There is a hate that I have for my previous unquestioning nature. There is more hatred in the understanding that I did have questions, yet I was often frighented out of asking them. There is also a thermometer tilting heat at knowing that I was likely the product of the ideal candidate.
I did know a few other details. I knew that I'd gone to school with his son and he was one of the coolest and nicest kids in my high school. I knew that he had another son and a daughter. That was about it. The background and life experience of elders were in most cases immaterial. At least for born ins. As a young Jehovah's Witness, you are introduced to elders after they have already lived most of their lives and you are told that you must submit without question.
BE SUBMISSIVE
38 The overseers are imperfect men, yet all in the congregation are urged to be submissive to them because it is Jehovah’s arrangement. He will hold the overseers accountable for their actions. They are representing him and his theocratic rule. Hebrews 13:17 says: “Be obedient to those who are taking the lead among you and be submissive, for they are keeping watch over you as those who will render an account, so that they may do this with joy and not with sighing, for this would be damaging to you.” Just as Jehovah uses holy spirit to appoint a man, Jehovah will use that same holy spirit to remove a man from serving as an overseer if he fails to manifest the fruitage of the spirit and his pattern of life falls short of the Scriptural requirements.
Organized to Do Jehovah’s Will p. 43.
The above excerpt attempts to paint elders as nothing more than flawed men who will be held to the ultimate account should they be found wanting in their duty to, Shepard the flock. The watchtower wants you to believe that submitting to the will of these men is tantamount to submitting to the will of God. The truth, however, appears to be in conflict with what's written. There have been countless incidents where elders have been allowed to terrorize individuals, if not entire congregations for decades without a peep from the capricious holy spirit. In fact, there is evidence that the appointment and/or removal of elders, is completely at the discretion of earthbound men.
In the United States alone, incompetence and corruption by bodies of elders have cost the Watchtower hundreds of millions of dollars. Additionally, their archaic policies and obstinate attitude toward change has caused a slew of press activity aimed at uncovering the roots of their failings. In most cases, the ramparts raised in defense of the organization are manned by the very sentries who were incapable of protecting their flocks in the first place. In the case of BCG (Australian Royal Commission), the elders did everything in their power cover, obfuscate and outright lie to protect another elder who was accused of raping his own children.
The same occurred in the Palmer congregation, where decades of abuse was bungled and hidden for years. In this instance, the Watchtower Bible and Tract society were aware of the accusations at nearly every step of the way. Instead of immediately bringing the accusation to the police, the abuser was moved around and coddled by separate groups of elders, while letters flew back and forth between the congregations and the branch office. It was as disgusting as anything you've heard in the Catholic church recently.
For anyone interested digging deeper into this story, following the link. However, I must caution; the level of brutality that the victims in this story encountered could be trauma inducing for the reader. I found myself needing to take breaks as I sorted through the letters.
Tread carefully.
https://faithleaks.org/wiki/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witness_Palmer_Congregation_Sexual_Abuse_Investigation
How does this happen?
In the Watchtower's elder training manual (Shepherd the Flock of God) you will find lengthy guidelines for appointment. The 3rd bullet is of particular interest, as it appears to be drilling down into actual behaviors specific to an individual. However as you'll see, they kneecap that kind of investigation and again defer to the holy spirit.
3. Natural ability does not qualify a brother for appointment.
He must be a spiritual man, giving evidence
that holy spirit is operating on him. (Gal. 6:1;
2 Tim. 1:14; w01 1/15 p. 14 par. 11) Is he zealous for
fine works? (Titus 2:12, 14; 1 Pet. 3:13) Is he a good
example in his attendance and participation at congregation
meetings? (Heb. 10:24, 25) Does he demonstrate
a zeal for the ministry? (Matt. 28:19, 20) Is
he a student of the Bible? (1 Tim. 4:15) Does he endeavor
to help his family spiritually, regularly studying
with his wife and his children living at home?
(Eph. 5:29; 6:4) Does he manifest the fruitage of the
spirit in his daily life?—Gal. 5:22, 23.
Why would a natural ability to lead or shepherd be ruled out as a determinant qualification when choosing Elders?
The answer may become clear as we go through some of the additional qualifications.
5. Though it is the brother who must measure up
to the Scriptural qualifications, you should also consider
the spirituality of those in his household.
If his wife is baptized, is she a good example? A wife’s
conduct often reflects favorably or unfavorably upon
her husband. (1 Tim. 3:11) If the wife is spiritually
weak, he should be doing all that he can to assist her.
For instance, is he making Family Worship a priority?
He should also have “believing children that [are] not
under a charge of debauchery nor unruly.” (Titus 1:6;
see ks10 3:15.)
His wife has to make him look good and his children must "believe." Got it.
7. Brother previously reproved or disfellowshipped:
When was he reproved or disfellowshipped?
What was the offense? In a case of reproof,
did the judicial committee make an announcement?
If disfellowshipped, what is the date of reinstatement?
When were the last restrictions lifted? Was he
reproved or disfellowshipped on any other occasions?
What convinces you that he has lived down his past
wrongdoing and that others now view him as a good
example? (w90 9/1 p. 24 par. 5) If the wrongdoing
took place in another congregation, have you communicated
with the elders there to determine how
that congregation views him? Recommending him
prematurely tends to minimize the seriousness of
wrongdoing in his own eyes and in the eyes of others.
It is also disturbing to those who still have his bad
course fresh in their memories.
A pattern is beginning to emerge.
15. Members of the brother’s household are
involved in serious wrongdoing: The brother’s
qualifications should automatically be reviewed if this
occurs. If the brother’s wife or children, including
adult children living in his home, have serious problems,
the body should seek to determine whether the
head of the household was negligent. Was he permissive?
Was he alert to provide needed direction, anticipating
potential problems? Was he conducting a regular
family study? Was he giving his family needed
time and attention? When he became aware of serious
wrongdoing did he promptly inform the body of
elders so that they could properly investigate the matter?
Did he shield his family from discipline or try to
manipulate the elders’ handling of the situation?
Does he continue to have the respect and confidence
of the congregation as an exemplary family head? If
one of his children was guilty of serious sin, are the
are other children doing well spiritually? If the brother
has done all that can reasonably be expected and especially
if he has had spiritual success with others in
his household, rejection of his fine direction by one
the family member would not necessarily disqualify him
if he continues to have the respect of the congregation.—
w88 3/1 p. 24; w78 2/1 pp. 31-32; w72 2/15
p. 126.
As long as the sheep respect him, proceed with the nomination.
19. If it comes to light or an appointed
brother confesses that he has committed a disfellowshipping
offense years in the past: The body of elders may determine he can continue to
serve if the following is true: The immorality or other
serious wrongdoing occurred more than a few years
ago, and he is genuinely repentant, recognizing that
he should have come forward immediately when he
sinned. (Perhaps he has even confessed to his sin,
seeking help with his guilty conscience.) He has been
serving faithfully for many years has evidence of
God’s blessing, and has the respect of the congregation.
20. If the sin occurred before he was appointed as
an elder or a ministerial servant, the elders will need
to take into consideration the fact that he should
have mentioned this possible impediment to his being
qualified when elders interviewed him just prior
to announcing his appointment. Moreover, nature
of the sin may reflect greatly on his qualifications
to serve. For example, the sin may involve past
child abuse and this would likely disqualify him for
many years.—w97 1/1 pp. 26-29; w77 pp. 697-698.
You'll notice that paragraphs 19 and 20, though numbered separately are actually the same thought. The thought is likely broken into two parts to avoid giving the impression that child abuse could be in the past of a prospective elder, yet it might not be a disqualifying factor.
Overall, there are 30 bullets that detail what to look for in an elder. Nowhere among these bullets will you see a request for a formal background check, or a conversation about past criminal activity, or whether this man is registered as a sex offender. You also will not see a family member, friend, or co-worker of the applicant interviewed.
So it appears the elder's own accounting of himself, and how he is perceived by the congregation, end up being the real determining factors in selection. Further, the current elder body's recommendation to the circuit overseer is all that is needed for any Jehovah's witness man to become an elder.
There is also the ruse of the "Holy Spirit". The fruiting force of God that is supposed to be draped all over these righteous men. This too is an open falsehood. This process is overseen by a chimeric group of corporations with the expressed intent of solidifying their hold a heavily sedated group of sheep.
It's a lie that this is a search for good men. Good men question authority and correct their errors in the light of day and for the good of society.
This is a search for sycophants. Yes, the Watchtower is searching less for men to keep their congregations healthy and more for noblemen who will defend the throne at all costs.
The more obsequious the better.
The Elder Job description should read as follows:
The ideal candidate should have vices, and secrets; things that can be exploited at the first note of insubordination. Alcoholism is preferred.
The need is great for men with a crooked spine; to carry a crooked load.
We need men who can be shouted down by a higher level slave, such as a circuit or district overseer. Men who when told to shut their mouths, do indeed shut them.
The ideal candidate should know that his family is expendable.
A congregation elder should understand that his wife is inferior by default and that no matter how hard she works, she will only ever be valuable as his wife and only as long as he is an elder. He should know that from time to time she will need to be reminded of that.
The ideal candidate needs to be ready to abandon his children when they need him most. He must understand that at a time when his children's brains are capabable of higher level thinking, he will ensure that they remain infantile and one dimensional. He must arrest their development!
Christian elders need to be fostering a culture of self-loathing in their homes. Each member of his family should have their knees bent and backs hunched in expectation of the inevitable command to crawl.
A Christian man should be prepared to oversee the liquidation of an entire congregation and the reframing of that liquidation, as nothing more than a logistical footnote.
A congregation steward should know that he may need to abandon all decency in order to save the reputation of the Watchtower.
Men with degrees in marriage and family counseling, child development, Philosophy, or sociology need not apply. Women, need not apply!
We look forward to reviewing your qualifications.
In this post cult life I have noticed a fire building in my core. An inferno of fury seering at my former failings and the haphazard tutelage I recieved. There is a hate that I have for my previous unquestioning nature. There is more hatred in the understanding that I did have questions, yet I was often frighented out of asking them. There is also a thermometer tilting heat at knowing that I was likely the product of the ideal candidate.
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