Age for Elders

This is smart from an administrative perspective. Like others have pointed out, younger people are easier to control. It's also noteworthy that very young people have no frame of reference for what things were like many years ago, so big changes to them won't be a big deal since they have no prior knowledge. It's not just about control. It's about planting a foundation for the future of the organization by exploiting the naive. Not that I am necessarily saying all young people are stupid. I've had several bosses who were very young, and I did learn from them. At Verizon my boss was 20. But he was a good kid. I gave him a lot of leeway. There are always exceptions on the small scale. Nevertheless, Watchtower will absolutely take advantage of the weaknesses of youth at the macro level. They don't just deal with individuals. They deal with large population sets of people, and that's where I believe their game plan takes place.
 
The male brain is not fully developed until around 25 years of age.These elders will have adolescent, immature brains. Just who I would turn to for guidance on how to handle my 19 year old pot smoking, horny teenager.
 
Jahrule said:
This is smart from an administrative perspective. Like others have pointed out, younger people are easier to control. It's also noteworthy that very young people have no frame of reference for what things were like many years ago, so big changes to them won't be a big deal since they have no prior knowledge. It's not just about control. It's about planting a foundation for the future of the organization by exploiting the naive. Not that I am necessarily saying all young people are stupid. I've had several bosses who were very young, and I did learn from them. At Verizon my boss was 20. But he was a good kid. I gave him a lot of leeway. There are always exceptions on the small scale. Nevertheless, Watchtower will absolutely take advantage of the weaknesses of youth at the macro level. They don't just deal with individuals. They deal with large population sets of people, and that's where I believe their game plan takes place.
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Yes, there's a massive difference in being a 20yr boss in a business and a 20yr person who could potentially be responsible for spiritually or physically destroying a person's life in the name of Jehovah God, the creator of the universe 🥺
 
jay said:
The male brain is not fully developed until around 25 years of age.These elders will have adolescent, immature brains. Just who I would turn to for guidance on how to handle my 19 year old pot smoking, horny teenager.
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Haha! The 21yr old elders might very well all be smoking pot together once they've got their copy of the "Shepherd the Flock of God" book. And, when they read how watching child pornography is not considered to be CSA from a congregation standpoint but the person would still need to be counselled, that knowledge is going to screw up their young and immature minds.. 😱
 
Proverbs 14 v 15 said:
They've just read an announcement in my meeting that brothers can be an elder at 21yrs old 😵‍💫😱 desperate or what??
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That’s crazy! Then they’re not “elders” unless this is just a title. But the reality is they should call them “youthers.”
If brothers can be made an elder that means they would have to be reaching out at 17 or 18, then be appointed a MS before they become an elder. I can already see the problems now that this is going to create.
 
Watchman said:
Unbelievable. Maybe instead of calling them "elders," they could introduce some new theocratic lingo and call them juniors or something.
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How would you have felt Robert when you were an elder, at a meeting, discussing something very serious, that needed to be considered through older and wiser eyes, only to have a few 21yr olds sitting round the table with you? Would you have been able to ask for their advice etc?
 
Ms_ladyblue said:
That’s crazy! Then they’re not “elders” unless this is just a title. But the reality is they should call them “youthers.”
If brothers can be made an elder that means they would have to be reaching out at 17 or 18, then be appointed a MS before they become an elder. I can already see the problems now that this is going to create.
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Yep, the GB are literally sticking their nose up to Jehovah..
 
Ms_ladyblue said:
That’s crazy! Then they’re not “elders” unless this is just a title. But the reality is they should call them “youthers.”
If brothers can be made an elder that means they would have to be reaching out at 17 or 18, then be appointed a MS before they become an elder. I can already see the problems now that this is going to create.
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And why are some of us losing all of our respect for the WT?
 
jay said:
The male brain is not fully developed until around 25 years of age.These elders will have adolescent, immature brains. Just who I would turn to for guidance on how to handle my 19 year old pot smoking, horny teenager.
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He'd be like, don't worry, brother Jay. I'll talk to your son. Next thing you know they're all hanging out playing video games, eating up all your junk food.
 
Proverbs 14 v 15 said:
How would you have felt Robert when you were an elder, at a meeting, discussing something very serious, that needed to be considered through older and wiser eyes, only to have a few 21yr olds sitting round the table with you? Would you have been able to ask for their advice etc?
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I cannot imagine. This is madness, I tell you. Madness! Looking back, I was appointed as an elder in my early 30s, having become a baptized JW at 25. I did some cringe-worthy things as an arrogant 30-something elder. By the time I was finally mature enough to really be an effective elder, I was DFed :cautious:
 
Ms_ladyblue said:
That’s crazy! Then they’re not “elders” unless this is just a title. But the reality is they should call them “youthers.”
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I was appointed Bible study servant when I was 16 years old which also meant I was a member of the congregation service committee whose members were the congregation servant, the assistant congregation servant and the Bible study servant.

Among other things, this committee was responsible for judging and keeping the congregation clean. Adults who were two, three or more times my age were forced to divulge their most private thoughts and actions to someone who was still a kid himself. So, at sixteen years old, I sat in judgement of people making decisions that severely impacted their lives........about things I knew nothing about. I guess the organization was desperate back then as well.

*** w62 10/15 pp. 631-632 Bible-based Society of Kingdom Witnesses ***
"In order to have God’s spirit and prosper, the congregation must carefully guard that no unchristian conduct is tolerated. A service committee composed of the congregation overseer, assistant congregation servant and Bible study servant are primarily charged with that responsibility."
 
Watchman said:
I cannot imagine. This is madness, I tell you. Madness! Looking back, I was appointed as an elder in my early 30s, having become a baptized JW at 25. I did some cringe-worthy things as an arrogant 30-something elder. By the time I was finally mature enough to really be an effective elder, I was DFed :cautious:
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Sorry, Robert. I don't mean to laugh. It's just funny because I can relate. Not that I was DFed or anything. I just can't imagine being a spiritual teacher in my 20s. Those years weren't exactly my most cognizant. If I wasn't higher than Niel Armstrong, lost in a cloud a smoke, I was probably passed out on the couch or watching cartoons with whatever brain cells I had left.
 
Watchman said:
I cannot imagine. This is madness, I tell you. Madness! Looking back, I was appointed as an elder in my early 30s, having become a baptized JW at 25. I did some cringe-worthy things as an arrogant 30-something elder. By the time I was finally mature enough to really be an effective elder, I was DFed :cautious:
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Because Jehovah had a more important job for you than being an elder 😍
 
Watchman said:
Madness! Looking back, I was appointed as an elder in my early 30s, having become a baptized JW at 25. I did some cringe-worthy things as an arrogant 30-something elder.
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My father was congregation servant at the time and, of course, at sixteen, I still lived at home.
After my appointment, I remember the circuit overseer took me aside and gave me some unexpected advice.

He said, when you are at home, you listen and obey your parents.
However, when you are performing your assigned duties in the congregation, you are you own man and you make you own decisions.......not that of your father or anyone else.

I've always remembered those word and honestly tried to do exactly that although, admittedly, some may have fallen under the "cringe-worthy" category.o_O
However, I did ruffle a few feathers during my long stint as an elder. Of course, if one of the "feathers being ruffled" happened to be that of a C.O., it usually proved to be rather interesting.
 
Ms_ladyblue said:
So disrespectful of Jehovah’s arrangement. Jesus wasn’t even baptized until he was 30 and a teacher/preacher, then established the Christian congregation.
These GB members are really delusional!!!
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I've always thought about that fact about Jesus not getting baptised till he was 30. I suppose the GB have got to replace all the elders who stepped down or walked away during 2021, and probably many more have stepped down and walked away as all the changes have been implemented since..
 
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