Our Week With The Circuit Overseer

BillyRay

BillyRay

Well-known member
Hello Friends....

I mentioned previously in a couple of other threads, that I'd offer a report on the visit from our Circuit Overseer - specifically as it relates to the idolatry of the F&DS and GB that some of you have experienced. Over all? There was virtually none. The Service talk was titled: "Jehovah Loves Those Who Love His Son". There was a small part of the talk devoted to: Jehovah loves those who love Christ's brothers. The CO did speak about the F&DS and GB for a minute or so - praising their leadership during the pandemic. He also mentioned that we are required to treat Christ's brothers with love. But that was it.

Today's discourse was entitled "Can Good Conquer Evil?" There was zero mention of the F&DS and GB in that talk. His concluding talk was entitled "How Well Do You Know Jehovah?" Again, no mention of the F&DS or the GB. He concluded with prayer, which also did not mention the F&DS or GB.

Overall, I didn't see what many of you have seen. There was nothing I would call idolatrous behavior towards either the F&DS or GB in any of the material he presented. He mentioned them as part of his opening talk - briefly - and in what I thought was a balanced manner.

This leaves me wondering... Is what some of you have been seeing being directed by the organization? Or is it that the elders in your hall taking it upon themselves to do so? I don't have an answer... but that's what I witnessed this week. BR
 
Last edited:
BillyRay said:
Hello Friends....

I mentioned previously in a couple of other threads, that I'd offer a report on the visit from our Circuit Overseer - specifically as it relates to the idolatry of the F&DS and GB that some of you have experienced. Over all? There was virtually none. The Service talk was titled: "Jehovah Loves Those Who Love His Son". There was a small part of the talk devoted to: Jehovah loves those who love Christ's brothers. The CO did speak about the F&DS and GB for a minute or so - praising their leadership during the pandemic. He also mentioned that we are required to treat Christ's brothers with love. But that was it.

Today's discourse was entitled "Can Good Conquer Evil?" There was zero mention of the F&DS and GB in that talk. His concluding talk was entitled "How Well Do You Know Jehovah?" Again, no mention of the F&DS or the GB. He concluded with prayer, which also did not mention the F&DS or GB.

Overall, I didn't see what many of you have seen. There was nothing I would call idolatrous behavior towards either the F&DS or GB in any of the material he presented. He mentioned them as part of his opening talk - briefly - and in what I thought was a balanced manner.

This leaves me wondering... Is what some of you have been seeing being directed by the organization? Or is it that the elders in your hall taking it upon themselves to do so? I don't have an answer... but that's what I witnessed this week. BR
Click to expand...
 
The last Zoom meeting I tuned into was our CO visit in September 2021.
There was the usual idolisation of the GB, and repetition of pandemic paranoia, and the warning not to 'listen to the voices of strangers'
Then he referred to Matt 24: 16 without reading it, and said this was still to be fulfilled.
He said the direction to flee to the mountains wont come in the form of a personal revelation. There will be an unusual direction (from the GB) we will have to follow, that will seem to be counter intuitive.
However since the preceding verse says 'Let the reader use discernment ' I found it extremely disturbing that the CO says we cannot use our own discernment, but will have to blindly follow this enigmatic 'instruction'.
 
StillA_WorshiperOfJah said:
The last Zoom meeting I tuned into was our CO visit in September 2021.
There was the usual idolisation of the GB, and repetition of pandemic paranoia, and the warning not to 'listen to the voices of strangers'
Then he referred to Matt 24: 16 without reading it, and said this was still to be fulfilled.
He said the direction to flee to the mountains wont come in the form of a personal revelation. There will be an unusual direction (from the GB) we will have to follow, that will seem to be counter intuitive.
However since the preceding verse says 'Let the reader use discernment ' I found it extremely disturbing that the CO says we cannot use our own discernment, but will have to blindly follow this enigmatic 'instruction'.
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear about that experience... I just didn't see or hear anything like that this week.

When it comes to discernment - I'm thinking that by that time, each of us will likely be on our own for that one.
 
BillyRay said:
Hello Friends....

I mentioned previously in a couple of other threads, that I'd offer a report on the visit from our Circuit Overseer - specifically as it relates to the idolatry of the F&DS and GB that some of you have experienced. Over all? There was virtually none. The Service talk was titled: "Jehovah Loves Those Who Love His Son". There was a small part of the talk devoted to: Jehovah loves those who love Christ's brothers. The CO did speak about the F&DS and GB for a minute or so - praising their leadership during the pandemic. He also mentioned that we are required to treat Christ's brothers with love. But that was it.

Today's discourse was entitled "Can Good Conquer Evil?" There was zero mention of the F&DS and GB in that talk. His concluding talk was entitled "How Well Do You Know Jehovah?" Again, no mention of the F&DS or the GB. He concluded with prayer, which also did not mention the F&DS or GB.

Overall, I didn't see what many of you have seen. There was nothing I would call idolatrous behavior towards either the F&DS or GB in any of the material he presented. He mentioned them as part of his opening talk - briefly - and in what I thought was a balanced manner.

This leaves me wondering... Is what some of you have been seeing being directed by the organization? Or is it that the elders in your hall taking it upon themselves to do so? I don't have an answer... but that's what I witnessed this week. BR
Click to expand...
Sounds like your CO had a balanced view on matters, which is good. While authority is to be respected, God has the final say on matters.
 
BillyRay said:
Hello Friends....

I mentioned previously in a couple of other threads, that I'd offer a report on the visit from our Circuit Overseer - specifically as it relates to the idolatry of the F&DS and GB that some of you have experienced. Over all? There was virtually none. The Service talk was titled: "Jehovah Loves Those Who Love His Son". There was a small part of the talk devoted to: Jehovah loves those who love Christ's brothers. The CO did speak about the F&DS and GB for a minute or so - praising their leadership during the pandemic. He also mentioned that we are required to treat Christ's brothers with love. But that was it.

Today's discourse was entitled "Can Good Conquer Evil?" There was zero mention of the F&DS and GB in that talk. His concluding talk was entitled "How Well Do You Know Jehovah?" Again, no mention of the F&DS or the GB. He concluded with prayer, which also did not mention the F&DS or GB.

Overall, I didn't see what many of you have seen. There was nothing I would call idolatrous behavior towards either the F&DS or GB in any of the material he presented. He mentioned them as part of his opening talk - briefly - and in what I thought was a balanced manner.

This leaves me wondering... Is what some of you have been seeing being directed by the organization? Or is it that the elders in your hall taking it upon themselves to do so? I don't have an answer... but that's what I witnessed this week. BR
Click to expand...
Thanks for the experience from the inside BillyRay. I've never been on a zoom meeting before as I disassociated in 2012, due to disagreements with the teachings. It was leave or be df'd, I chose the former. A friend of mine I work with who is still on good standing within the org. also doesn't seem to see the things that we hear about on the forum. Due to the nature of the forum, and the fact that many here are disgruntled from their experiences, there is, no doubt, a strong bias. Not to mention we must consider that there are some here who want to convey a situation in the society to be worse than it is because, to be honest, they would love nothing more than for the org. to crash like the Hindenburg, and therefore through their words try to do so by sheer force of will and mental projection.

Not to discriminate against those here, for those who are still inside the org, they obviously too have a strong bias that blinds them to the reality of the situation they are facing. I'm sure there are many good talks that provide comforting words, and offer encouraging reminders, no matter how subtle, that to obey is the only way you will survive. I love Jehovahs son, as the name of the service talk implied, therefore Jehovah must love me, and yet I am separated by an invisible wall of doctrine from those who also love him on the inside, who look at me as an enemy of Jehovah for leaving, because I wanted to worship Jehovah without a safety blanket sewn with lies.

That invisible wall is the idolatrous influence that the WT has over those who choose to overlook the lies and perpetuation of, in order to feel safe from the impending circumstances facing the world at large. To love Jehovah means to love the Watchtower, regardless the fact that truth is being relegated to the lies, which prevents truth from manifesting. At a time when truth is needed more than ever, the WT is shuddering the light from those who choose to see the org. as still being directed by Jehovah, instead of realizing that Satan has taken over through his man of lawlessness instilled within. As the service talk states, Jehovah loves those who love his son, we must therefore conclude that Jehovah loves those who love truth.

"and with every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing, as a retribution because they did not accept the love of the truth that they might be saved. 11 So that is why God lets an operation of error go to them, that they may get to believing the lie, 12 in order that they all may be judged because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness
 
Last edited:
Cristo said:
Thanks for the experience from the inside BillyRay. I've never been on a zoom meeting before as I disassociated in 2012, due to disagreements with the teachings. It was leave or be df'd, I chose the former. A friend of mine I work with who is still on good standing within the org. also doesn't seem to see the things that we hear about on the forum. Due to the nature of the forum, and the fact that many here are disgruntled from their experiences, there is, no doubt, a strong bias. Not to mention we must consider that there are some here who want to convey a situation in the society to be worse than it is because, to be honest, they would love nothing more than for the org. to crash like the Hindenburg, and therefore through their words try to do so by sheer force of will and mental projection.

Not to discriminate against those here, for those who are still inside the org, they obviously too have a strong bias that blinds them to the reality of the situation they are facing. I'm sure there are many good talks that provide comforting words, and offer encouraging reminders, no matter how subtle, that to obey is the only way you will survive. I love Jehovahs son, as the name of the service talk implied, therefore Jehovah must love me, and yet I am separated by an invisible wall of doctrine from those who also love him on the inside, who look at me as an enemy of Jehovah for leaving, because I wanted to worship Jehovah without a safety blanket sewn with lies.

That invisible wall is the idolatrous influence that the WT has over those who choose to overlook the lies and perpetuation of, in order to feel safe from the impending circumstances facing the world at large. To love Jehovah means to love the Watchtower, regardless the fact that truth is being relegated to the lies, which prevents truth from manifesting. At a time when truth is needed more than ever, the WT is shuddering the light from those who choose to see the org. as still being directed by Jehovah, instead of realizing that Satan has taken over through his man of lawlessness instilled within. As the service talk states, Jehovah loves those who love his son, we must therefore conclude that Jehovah loves those who love truth.

"and with every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing, as a retribution because they did not accept the love of the truth that they might be saved. 11 So that is why God lets an operation of error go to them, that they may get to believing the lie, 12 in order that they all may be judged because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness
Click to expand...
Solid points. I guess that it really comes down to: Stay in? OR Stay out? I'd refer you to another active thread entitled "Who Else Is Staying? What Are Your Reasons?" The posts written there offer compelling reasons as to why staying in - despite the operation of error going on - is still the best way for many. There are excellent, scriptural based posts which I'd encourage you to read with an open and discerning heart.

The first paragraph of your post above Cristo, struck me as extremely accurate. It closely matches my observations in the short time I've been active on this board. I understand that many here are hurt, angry, and frustrated, for a variety of reasons. I fully admit that I cannot understand the depths of their feelings or closely held views. But I do know one thing... whatever those feelings or views are... Jehovah is/was not the cause of them.

I'm also going to speculate that some feel as if they are too far gone, or have been away too long. They reason that they'd have to jump through flaming hoops - making adjustments in their lives - in order to come back. It's been said that it's human nature to take the path of least resistance. Some are comfortable not having to get dressed up and head out for two meetings per week. With Zoom Meetings, that's not really an issue. (Even though I'm sure there's more than one congregation member sitting at home in sweatpants with their camera's off, while still benefiting from the meeting) And then, some may have never liked the field ministry, so not having to take part in that is a welcome respite. Whatever the reason, each and every one of us will ultimately bear responsibility for whatever decision that we do, or do not make. BR
 
BillyRay said:
Hello Friends....

I mentioned previously in a couple of other threads, that I'd offer a report on the visit from our Circuit Overseer - specifically as it relates to the idolatry of the F&DS and GB that some of you have experienced. Over all? There was virtually none. The Service talk was titled: "Jehovah Loves Those Who Love His Son". There was a small part of the talk devoted to: Jehovah loves those who love Christ's brothers. The CO did speak about the F&DS and GB for a minute or so - praising their leadership during the pandemic. He also mentioned that we are required to treat Christ's brothers with love. But that was it.

Today's discourse was entitled "Can Good Conquer Evil?" There was zero mention of the F&DS and GB in that talk. His concluding talk was entitled "How Well Do You Know Jehovah?" Again, no mention of the F&DS or the GB. He concluded with prayer, which also did not mention the F&DS or GB.

Overall, I didn't see what many of you have seen. There was nothing I would call idolatrous behavior towards either the F&DS or GB in any of the material he presented. He mentioned them as part of his opening talk - briefly - and in what I thought was a balanced manner.

This leaves me wondering... Is what some of you have been seeing being directed by the organization? Or is it that the elders in your hall taking it upon themselves to do so? I don't have an answer... but that's what I witnessed this week. BR
Click to expand...
Aloha BR!

Our CO visit was a couple of months ago and he was a greenhorn substitute, our regular CO being MIA "on another assignment". This substitute CO went over the top, beyond the call of duty in his praise and adulation of the F+DS / GB. I will report back to this thread after our next CO visit to aid in bringing us more up to date from this part of the world. I am happy to hear that your CO kept it real and basically did what he was there to do. Talk again soon bro!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top