Stepping down as an elder

[Bruce]

But I must ask respectfully “What are you fighting for”? To maintain a position in an org that has been shown to have evil intentions?

Good question Citrine.
Position is not important for me.
I know the org has no hope of coming right.
There will be no apologies from them ever.

The fight is strategic, like a chess game I suppose. I am not good at chess.
But anyway, I mean for now, for the sake of making a small difference to the brothers in the cong.

I am thinking too of comments like this:

"Why didn't you go to the elders school?"

" Yeah, I am not allowed to go, I am not vaxxed"

The face saving I mentioned is really for my family's sake. They are PIMI, although not vaxxed.

But at the end of the day, I don't know what is best. I think it's better for now not to have a knee jerk reaction.
It's hard

 

[Citrine]

Good question Citrine.
Position is not important for me.
I know the org has no hope of coming right.
There will be no apologies from them ever.

The fight is strategic, like a chess game I suppose. I am not good at chess.
But anyway, I mean for now, for the sake of making a small difference to the brothers in the cong.

I am thinking too of comments like this:

"Why didn't you go to the elders school?"

" Yeah, I am not allowed to go, I am not vaxxed"

The face saving I mentioned is really for my family's sake. They are PIMI, although not vaxxed.

But at the end of the day, I don't know what is best. I think it's better for now not to have a knee jerk reaction.
It's hard

Understandable. My husband wanted to hang in there to see if he could help anyone. But playing along and the nonstop obey the GB and fear propaganda became more than he could tolerate. If he stayed any longer he would blow it.
We all have our own tolerance level. Look forward to your updates.

 

[BillyRay]

I’d suggest that you go with what your gut and heart tell you to do. Write your letter, set it aside for a day or two letting it marinate. After a couple days, make your edits, and let it marinate some more - all the while pouring your heart out in prayer. Repeat as often as you think, and when you’re confident that you have it right, then move forward.

 

[BagdadBill]

its orange man bad. Thats it.

Isn't that a strange thing to imagine a Jehovah's Witness responding or identifying with a political side? Excuse me if I am mistaken or out of line. I was dunked in the water and I didn't stay long after. Not really. Somewhere along that line I did say though that if there were mistakes and faults that I would in fact, find them and identify them. I think we are way past that now. I wrote more but deleted it because it isn't my place to say so much. We have the basic truths and that is what we should be teaching others. Past that, is it our right to sway or influence people to make medical choices that may or may not impact their very lives? Some would say yes. I've said yes plenty of times on here.
This has come down to brainwashing and choosing sides. Whose side is Jehovah on?
For a JW to make a political statement is a strange thing. To me anyway. I'd like to offer a metaphor but why bother? I shouldn't need to because I made my statement as a JW would or, should have.
Jehovah does not have a conservative nor liberal side to take. He also doesn't dabble in manmade medicines. If Jehovah heals then you are healed because he said so. Sure, for fun, Jesus will spit on the ground and rub it in your eyes and you can see although born blind. That's the way it is. Someone will touch Jesus' garment and be healed because they had faith in the one who was sent to do just that.
Wait, faith? What is that?
You won't likely rock their boat by giving up a position. They are already blind if they don't already know that you are about to do so. I find it confusing and strange that my own people are walking in lockstep with the government. I don't understand how they seem to have been deluded so strongly.
It must be me. I did something wrong and I should have rolled up my sleeve and taken the jab and another jab and another jab except somewhere I was feeling something entirely different. I don't know why. All I know is that I saw the lie and now I have to preach against the lies. Now you are facing an ugly body of elders and they won't see light from night. They don't want to. Don't think that you will walk away unsinged and don't think that if you stand in the light of truth that they won't slander you or perhaps even attack you one day.
These people we called brothers will identify themselves as the enemies of Jehovah God and they will do so gladly as if there were a reward.
Stand apart from them in case the ground open up and swallow them up forever.
This is a one time through exercise we are living though. We will account for right now.

 

[DoubleThink333]

Elder here, wouldn’t recommend that. They will shut the sound off on you pretty quick and usher you off- will probably traumatize some in the cong, and it Will be spun against you. If your cong is like mine, Sanderson could walk on stage and kick the speaker in the groin and most would say “look! A gift from Jehovah”. Most are so blind, misled, and clueless. It is better to go with dignity. Ug just try to read a post or two over at JWTalk, that’s how most are here

Yeah, even so, it needs to be done. If you’re more concerned with what others think about you, I think you have some bigger issues to resolve with Jehovah... I think the reaction would be worth recording and sharing with the world. But I understand how scary of a thing that would be. It would take balls of steel to do something like I suggested and I highly doubt any JW will ever have the courage to do so, as we’ve all been trained to be so polite and to follow all the rules.... if it ever did happen though, it would be AWESOME

 

[BagdadBill]

Isn't this jab become religion? Hasn't it become a choice regarding how we regard our creator? I think it has in fact. This isn't some odd thing that will pass along the way. JWs won't laugh about this many years after and recall how they chose to jab instead of trusting their God. I don't mean to imply sin with that statement. I understand the manic pressure. Yes, I do, of all people. Even now do we not identify ourselves as those as having the message of God? We are and we will be. My Creator will walk me to the edge and hold me accountable for not only my sin but for my lack of character regarding the testimony which we are all expected to provide as a testimony to our God. I sin daily, if not hourly. Let my God testify to my sin but let me walk away from it if He will. I am nobody to instruct anyone else but if I have learnt anything, you must make them see by your choices. As usual, I am finding myself agreeing with King that you should make this count for something. Otherwise you might even be bloodguilty if you refuse. God will not tolerate a silent mouth when he created us to speak truth.
Read that again.

 

[BagdadBill]

God will not tolerate a silent mouth when we were even created to speak truth

 

[goldie]

Sutter home, a good and convincing point to get across to others is to say baptism means our dedication to Jehovah, not a vaccine. And if privileges are withheld because they are following their far leftist NY politicians orders because they are listening to the superior authorities. They are wrong. The superior authority of the United States of America is the U.S. constitution, not some corrupt politician that took vaccine company bribe money for enforcing rules and regulations. And the vaccines affect your body and your blood. It's not a blood transfusion but it's genetically modified material entering your bloodstream, which is supposed to be kept sacred. So you feel like you have to step down in good conscious which makes sense as they're really pushing it hard in areas with much enforcement with that corrupt witch Kathy Hochel. Imagine taking orders from that witch and saying it's aligned with Jehovah's way. And for the Canadian brothers and sisters seeing much COVID enforcement from Justin Trudeau government. A guy who sides with woke politics than anything Godly or Christian. Imagine listening to those enemies of God. It would bother my conscience too but I'm in Florida and we have someone who has undone the COVID madness. I don't think the GB cares about his so called superior authority even though he doesn't have that power anyways as the U.S. constitution supersedes their authority as governor's of the state.

Because most JW's don't pay attention to politics is the reason why so many will die because of lack of knowledge. As I'm seeing a lot of deaths happening sadly from the brothers and sisters who were coerced into getting vaccinated, believing in the false premise of loving their neighbors. What they don't realize is that evil takes advantage of good hearted people by making them believe they are doing something good. Much like how Satan convinced Eve she would be doing something good if she ate from the fruit. I see the vaccination propaganda in the same light.

Excellent comment!

 

[Watchman]

I assume that members of this forum are somewhat knowledgeable and in agreement with the information I have presented on e-watchman.com and in the book Jehovah Has Become King. The GB's response to the pandemic has made them bloodguilty and it appears that leadership has become apostate. This has to happen. It is so written: Christ will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed. Concurrent with the apostasy of the WT the nations are preparing for war on an unprecedented scale. So, take a look at the big picture before stepping down. I am in agreement with Double Think. If you do step down use the platform to explain what is going on and what is going to go down in the days ahead. Just don't slink off into silence. Speak up. However, I would advise sitting tight for just a little while longer. I think the bombs and missiles are going to fly in the coming year. And I don't think they will be confined to Ukraine.

 

[TheJehuChariot]

For those with experience, what is the best way to word the resignation?

Something I find is critical to share and expose before the ears of elders when you depart is this: Let them understand that you have come to full realization and understanding that "the inspection of the house of God DID NOT occur in 1918/19. It has NOT occured at all yet, for it is a FUTURE event. The teaching that Christ has already inspected is erroneous. Therefore, the inappropriate/indiscrete conduct/actions by the Governing Body has identified to you what the apostle Paul was said to occur, that a man of lawlessness, an apostasy must occur first. You should express that you have full confidence the inspection is still to be a FUTURE event. So until then, you have chosen to wait on CHRIST to return and discipline the Organization. In the interim, you're just going to be like Moses in the desert and build your faith w/Him and help encourage other ones to understand your new found understanding which then gives ones the ability to assimilate why such incongruity/indiscretion exists within the Organization. People can absorb that and feel better because it makes sense. Christ is coming back to give some whooping. Now, DO YOU UNDERSTAND why I'm expressing the need to state this to them? Because it highlights youre still a spiritual man, one who believes in scripture, one who still believes the Organization has BEEN used and that you STILL believe in Jehovah. See, the elders always want to label one's who leave as abandoning Jehovah, etc. But contrary! Just the opposite. They need to understand you are utilizing scripture to make a sound scriptural decision. This is one of the most SUBSTANTIVE understandings that caught my eye when I found E-Watchman. That the inspection hasn't occured. It explains everything. And I guarantee NONE of the elders have even contemplated that. And you're likely to grab the attention and stir the thinking of at least one of them on the way out. Make sense?

 

[StillA_WorshiperOfJah]

its orange man bad. Thats it

Well yes he is, just not for the reasons they have been conditioned to believe.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/VTP3OFEsY3mT/ via bitslide
https://www.bitchute.com/video/aOq6PCTyAvCE/ via bitslide
Not the racist clown the media portrays, it's far worse then that

 

[Eventhorizon]

I assume that members of this forum are somewhat knowledgeable and in agreement with the information I have presented on e-watchman.com and in the book Jehovah Has Become King. The GB's response to the pandemic has made them bloodguilty and it appears that leadership has become apostate. This has to happen. It is so written: Christ will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed. Concurrent with the apostasy of the WT the nations are preparing for war on an unprecedented scale. So, take a look at the big picture before stepping down. I am in agreement with Double Think. If you do step down use the platform to explain what is going on and what is going to go down in the days ahead. Just don't slink off into silence. Speak up. However, I would advise sitting tight for just a little while longer. I think the bombs and missiles are going to fly in the coming year. And I don't think they will be confined to Ukraine.

If we do hang in there, any advise on how to resolve the conflict of conscience from having to regurgitate the misinformation, lies, etc. from the platform. Obviously one cannot stray too far from the current "light" without arousing suspicion. This is one of my biggest problems; I really, really do not like having to play along.

Also, if the bombs do fly, I have noticed in other posts how you feel the org will lose credibility; I would expect them to spin it like everything else, maybe just applying the words of Jesus at Matthew 24:6 as a sign. Most of the R&F in my area have such blind obedience and do not think for themselves and will lap up whatever comes from NY The org has kind of set this up with the recent article on nuclear war. How do you think a widespread awakening would occur(other than Putin dropping a nuke on headquarters)?

 

[Watchman]

If we do hang in there, any advise on how to resolve the conflict of conscience from having to regurgitate the misinformation, lies, etc. from the platform. Obviously one cannot stray too far from the current "light" without arousing suspicion. This is one of my biggest problems; I really, really do not like having to play along.

Also, if the bombs do fly, I have noticed in other posts how you feel the org will lose credibility; I would expect them to spin it like everything else, maybe just applying the words of Jesus at Matthew 24:6 as a sign. Most of the R&F in my area have such blind obedience and do not think for themselves and will lap up whatever comes from NY The org has kind of set this up with the recent article on nuclear war. How do you think a widespread awakening would occur(other than Putin dropping a nuke on headquarters)?

If the situation develops that the world leaders claim to have pulled back from the brink and start talking peace and security, then war erupts and the Anglo beast crashes, it will be impossible for the WT to spin it. It will have been spun and done.

 

[BARNABY THE DOG.]

Good afternoon,
As we enter 2023, I have made the decision to step down as an elder here in New York, upstate.

The last 3 years have opened my eyes, with the nail in the coffin being the "vaccine is a gift of Jehovah" and "land of the living" lie. We all know this experimental gene therapy is poison and part of something much more evil. (at best, money; at worst, satanic depopulation) To hear the GB push it told us that they are not speaking to Jehovah.

At first(summer 2020), my wife and I said that they just probably get their info from CNN and the CDC, which we all know are corrupt. They are just naive and dont know any better. But then it became apparent, that they DO know. All those "covid deaths" reported in the broadcasts were fear mongering lies.

They also went from "Zoom is an amazing privilege" to "elders, dont use zoom anymore" because the scamdemic is now "over".

Our field service groups now consist of people driving around to RVs who dont answer for hours or sitting at a cart with zero visitors. Doesnt feel right at all.

To tell pure bloods to essentially not reach out is disgusting and wrong. To even ask your vaccine staus is criminal. The brothers in our hall are good men, but they are all rule followers. They enjoy the title/status and will not go against anything from "mother." (Cringed typing that)
95% of the congregation is jabbed up and beyond reason.

Sorry for the rant. Here is my question:

For those with experience, what is the best way to word the resignation? I dont want to be talked out of it and also dont want to cause divisions.
I KNOW that we have the truth on the vaccines as we spent years researching. But all of our best friends/family are JWs and wish not to cause conflict.

SH

Hello Sutterhome. It is very encouraging to find you here and I hope you feel welcome and valued. The general population here answer that you should make your views known, either in your letter, or from the platform whilst you still have a voice. Spiritually though, is that the question to ask yourself? It is forty or more years since I asked myself the same question and it was not in my mind from a leadership or social position point of view, but one of allegiance - watchtower or Jehovah.
My position then was that Jehovah is more merciful than His people. That thought sustained me for decades. Mentally, I felt abandoned not only by Jehovah but the congregation, my family, and also that such abandonment was total. That is what it is like for many here it seems. However, Jehovah does not abandon those seeking Him as I found out after my sojourn in the spiritual wilderness. Brothers and sisters here seem to suggest speaking publicly while you still have a voice. Do not underestimate the fact that stepping down will be answered publicly and privately and others will form opinions that will hurt you deeply. The organisation is set up to produce doubt in those that remain and it will test you to the limit of endurance and sentiment, loss and in change.
Therefore, as has been noted by others, it would help you to state your case clearly before the congregation so that no such assumption as to your loyalty to Jehovah will be doubted. It will silence your opposers, praise your faith in standing up to corruption, and give you the critical, the necessary justification and the faith that you have clearly chosen Jehovah - and the satisfaction of a clear conscience. It will also take the voice of the other elders away from them and silence them. The scripture says not to hide your light under a bushel. It is true. If all that you have related in your story remains unsaid before your congregation, it will leave a gap in their understanding that will be filled rapidly by (detrimental) hearsay. If you have chosen to be silenced by your colleagues by resigning, then do so openly so that everyone knows why, including them and the watchtower. May Jehovah guide you during this time of test for you. My only regret is that I am not standing in your shoes. I let such a prize go , by staying silent and when I did want to speak, I had no one that would listen. The elders did a good job on me. I was a pariah and still am!
The vaccine is not the issue, though others would have it that way. It is what the watchtower have done with the issue. That clouds the perspective. The issue is the moral abuse of and to Jehovah’s name and His people. Blood Guilt, pandering to the governments, abdication of their role as servants to Jehovah, and of course their stand in the moral corruption and abuses of vulnerable children.

 

[robins]

Here's my 2 cents, from someone who's Father was an elder before there was an elder arrangement, had two brothers also who were elders...and the only reason I was never an elder, is because I actually started doing research about what I am about to tell you...and that is this...I would tell your body, "Since we know that 'the whole world lies in the power of the wicked one', the last 3 years have convinced me that something is very wrong. I have no doubt that this is Jehovah's organization. But it was Jehovah's organization when Jesus came to the earth, but it had been corrupted by imperfect men in positions of power who had become drunk with that power. Any reasonable person who actually believes Satan is the ruler of this world, would at the very least be extremely skeptical of anything and everything coming from the system controlled by 'the father of the lie'. Instead what the org has done is embraced the lies from Satan. No the vaccine is not safe or effective, in fact the opposite. And the only sources who claim that are all part of Satan's system. In fact the people who WT has published articles decrying 'Misinformation' are the only sources not control by Satan. You say consider the source, well WT needs to take it's own advice. Are we really supposed to believe that Satan's world has come up with a viable solution to this 'pandemic' that was also almost certainly created by the sworn enemy of God in the first place? Not to mention the fact that WT has claimed that somehow Jehovah is behind a vaccine that would only be needed in Satan's system? This is what WT and the GB have been pushing. If in fact Satan really is the 'Ruler of this world' it means he controls the UN, the WHO, the medical branch of the UN, the CDC, the WEF, and EVERY SINGLE worldly outlet. So based entirely on the bible based fact, that the 'father of the lie' is control of every single 'reliable source' that has any connection to governments any where in the world, and must conclude based on my Bible informed conscience that everything about the last 3 years has been one giant lie mixed in with a spattering of truth. None of which has come from WT!"


Okay, so there's my rant...feel free to use any, all, part of, or none of it....but it felt good just writing that!

"I have no doubt that this is Jehovah's organization" vs "i have no doubt that Jehovah is a righteous and loving God" and leave the org- past or present- out of your stance to allegiance

 

[DoubleThink333]

Isn't this jab become religion? Hasn't it become a choice regarding how we regard our creator? I think it has in fact. This isn't some odd thing that will pass along the way. JWs won't laugh about this many years after and recall how they chose to jab instead of trusting their God. I don't mean to imply sin with that statement. I understand the manic pressure. Yes, I do, of all people. Even now do we not identify ourselves as those as having the message of God? We are and we will be. My Creator will walk me to the edge and hold me accountable for not only my sin but for my lack of character regarding the testimony which we are all expected to provide as a testimony to our God. I sin daily, if not hourly. Let my God testify to my sin but let me walk away from it if He will. I am nobody to instruct anyone else but if I have learnt anything, you must make them see by your choices. As usual, I am finding myself agreeing with King that you should make this count for something. Otherwise you might even be bloodguilty if you refuse. God will not tolerate a silent mouth when he created us to speak truth.
Read that again.

God will not tolerate a silent mouth when we were even created to speak truth

YES!!! My sentiments EXACTLY! Except I will go so far as to say that taking the vaccine is a sin. Those who took it were all overcome with fear in one way or another. The contents of the vaccines are sinful in and of themselves. But then you have the added sin of desecrating God’s Holy Temple (which is our bodies) with a man made substance which will alter your DNA, essentially turning those who have taken it into something other than fully human.
Apart from that, we were given a mouth to speak, we were given the gift of the Holy Spirit that we might speak boldly and with courage. We must not fear those who can harm only our bodies, our image or even our dignity; we must fear Jehovah God.
I would also add that “science” as a whole has become some sort of religion. I’m not talking about actual science which uses the scientific method and is able to be questioned and challenged. I’m talking about this new “science” with people like Dr. Fauci as the high priests and we the “uneducated masses” are not allowed to question their knowledge. I’m talking about this “science” where no one can question the results because “the science is settled” and 99 out of 100 scientists agree, so it must be a fact. Think of the “science” of “climate change”; the “science” of “germ theory”; the “science” of “evolution”; most recently the “science” of “gender studies”. There’s no actual scientific evidence that any of the above mentioned things exist, no scientific studies which can be replicated to achieve the same results and in fact there is so much evidence against them but the religion of “science” demands absolute consensus and conformity in order for it to be passed off as “scientific”. The religion of “science” is so wicked because it’s stolen the credibility of actual science and claimed it as its own.

 

[LazerHarp]

Good afternoon...


SH

Great post. Thank you for having the courage and principles to take a stand.
You are ultimately the one who will know how to best help those around you that are lost and being mislead.
In this circumstance I would ask "what Jesus would do?".
Would he resign quietly in protest, or would he loudly demonstrate that the leadership have become corrupt?

It's difficult to make a stand if people clearly can't listen to reason anymore. This is a discussion I have with my spouse all the time. She thinks people are genuinely brainwashed while I feel like they know what is going on but just want to be on the "winning team". When JWs were told they could take the vx, I think they were relieved that they would not be part of that persecuted anti-vx group.

 

[BillyRay]

From trusted elder to apostate - in one resignation letter? That label doesn’t buff out.

Anyone you were hoping to reach and/or reason with, will immediately become unreachable with that label on you. So I don’t see the value in any sort of “scorched earth” resignation.

As always, your mileage may vary.

 

[LazerHarp]

But I must ask respectfully “What are you fighting for”? To maintain a position in an org that has been shown to have evil intentions?

At some point everyone is going to have to establish a line that they are not willing to cross.
My gut feeling is that the ones who get out now will be relieved they did when things get much worse.
The GB are going to make a mockery out of the JW Christian faith.
The introduction of the vx policies, and woke speech is a huge hint on what is coming.

 

[Joe MacTeeg]

a man made substance which will alter your DNA, essentially turning those who have taken it into something other than fully human.

Bingo. People will talk about the adverse health aspects, but don't want to go there. The host DNA is altered permanently by the process of reverse transcription. It is also passed on to any offspring. People talk about how bad a tattoo is. This marking is much worse than that. A cigarette can be reversed. This cannot. "Therefore, since we have these promises, beloved ones, let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Co. 7:1) Tragically, this cannot be reversed. This is what happens when one trusts liars and murderers instead of yielding to God's holy spirit.