GB update #2 2023

[Dhanyel]

Just now, Josue Roman said:

Enviar mensagem privada

let me know too please 

[Josue Roman]

3 minutes ago, Loyal said:

avísame también por favor 

I already sent you a private message

[Keep Fighting]

3 hours ago, Piotr Gonczar said:

6 hours ago, Josue Roman said:

Now Available! 2023 Governing Body Update #2 in the servers

It's "092" link? I see just audition for March

Me 2, whats the ... 2023 Governing Body Update #2 in the servers

[Luigi62]

The Link

 

https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/StudioNewsReports/docid-702023006_1_VIDEO

[Parale]

51 minutes ago, Luigi62 said:

The Link

 

https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/StudioNewsReports/docid-702023006_1_VIDEO

 

 

Governing Body Update 2023 / #2 - 13 March 2023 - With Kenneth Cook

 

TRANSCRIPT:

Spoiler

Governing Body Update 2023 / #2

13 March 2023

Kenneth Cook

Welcome! What an exciting time! The Memorial season is here, and the invitation campaign is underway. And with the new hour requirements for pioneers, many of us can now share in the pioneer work.

We’ve received so many cards and letters from brothers and sisters who are thrilled with the new hour requirements for pioneers. One sister wrote: “As a mother, wife, homemaker, part-time worker, and caretaker for elderly parents, you have absolutely no idea what the update did for me today. I have tears even as I am writing. We are all so tired right now but want nothing more than to faithfully serve Jehovah and stay active in reaching people in these last days. The announcement to reduce the [pioneer] hours was such an answer to prayers. It was so faith-strengthening and a complete reassurance of Jehovah’s love for all of us. Thank you so much.” Another sister wrote: “I just wanted to take a minute to tell you how happy I was to get the new information on auxiliary pioneer hours. I cried. I have kidney dialysis three times a week. It takes a lot of my strength. But 15 hours — I can do that! What a wonderful God we have!” These messages no doubt reflect the thoughts and feelings of many of you dear brothers and sisters.

And isn’t it encouraging that since January 1, 2023, theocratic schools have resumed in person? Worldwide, more than 430 classes of the School for Kingdom Evangelizers and more than 170 classes of the School for Circuit Overseers and Their Wives have been approved for this next year. Additionally, elders have begun attending in-person classes of the School for Congregation Elders. We pray for Jehovah’s rich blessing on these arrangements.

We have another exciting announcement: We’re very pleased to inform you that beginning June 1, 2023, tours of many Bethel facilities will resume worldwide, in accord with local circumstances. Initially, for health and safety reasons, the number of persons permitted to tour Bethel will be considerably reduced. If no significant difficulties are encountered, the number of persons permitted to tour Bethel will gradually be increased. The local branch office will provide further details on this matter later this month.

Of course, our thoughts and prayers have also been with our brothers and sisters in Türkiye. The magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck on February 6 has taken thousands of lives. No doubt you’ve been wondering how our brothers are doing. We have Brother Ercüment Kadim with us to give us an update.

Kenneth Cook: Thank you for joining us, Brother Kadim. Can you tell us the latest on the situation? Ercüment Kadim: Thank you, Brother Cook. Over 500 Witnesses live in the affected areas. Sadly, one elderly sister died, as did a brother along with his wife and their two small children. Thankfully, no other brothers or sisters were killed or injured. Since 120 brothers and sisters have been displaced, some have wondered how they are being cared for and how the relief efforts are going. Thankfully, all have been accommodated either by family or friends or have relocated elsewhere. Their physical, emotional and, most important, their spiritual needs are being well cared for by the disaster relief committees and local elders. It will take time to determine what their housing needs are and also what is possible. Many have asked, “What can the brotherhood do to help?” Please keep us in your prayers. And we also appreciate the generous support from our worldwide brotherhood. Your donations have enabled the organization to provide relief to those in need. Kenneth Cook: Thank you, Brother Kadim, for your hard work with the relief efforts. We’re keeping all of you in our prayers. Ercüment Kadim: Thank you, Brother Cook. We appreciate the support of our worldwide brotherhood.

Since our last update, we received a very exciting announcement! On January 18, 2023, Brothers Gage Fleegle and Jeffrey Winder were appointed to serve as members of the Governing Body. We’re happy to have them with us here in the studio, and we’d like to spend a few minutes together so that you can get to know them a bit.

Kenneth Cook: Well, brothers, we understand that you were both raised in the truth by your Christian parents. So, what helped you to come to love Jehovah and want to serve him? Jeff, we’ll start with you. Jeffrey Winder: Having parents who were well-grounded in the truth really did make a big difference to help us children choose the right path. And we always knew and loved the truth. But as I got older, particularly my mid-teen years, the truth really became more personal and more real to me. It’s almost like it kind of went from black and white to colour as it became more personal in that way. And the district convention in 1985, as it was then called, had a deep impact on me, particularly the baptism talk and the concluding talk really spoke to me. And I could tell I was just beginning to make the truth my own during that time. So by the following year, beginning of the calendar year, I dedicated my life to Jehovah and got baptized. Kenneth Cook: Very nice. Thank you, Brother Winder, for sharing that. Gage, we’ll ask you the same question — get your thoughts on it. Gage Fleegle: Well, as was true with Jeff, home was fertile soil for my brothers and my sister and me to grow spiritually. Both of my parents were living examples of faith. My father took advantage of the opportunities to teach us about creation and what this revealed about Jehovah’s qualities, his personality. I have precious memories of getting up early and watching the sunrise with him. My mom — she started regular pioneering when I was 11 years old and has continued to this day. Her constant example of putting Jehovah first definitely made a deep impression in my mind, and I was able to join her in the regular pioneer ministry my senior year of high school until I was able to go to Bethel. Kenneth Cook: Well, what nice comments, brothers! We want to know more. So here’s another question: What motivated you to pursue full-time service and Bethel service? And, Jeff, please. Jeffrey Winder: For me, good association played a big role. As it turned out, at the circuit assembly that I got baptized at, several other young brothers from our congregation got baptized as well. And at the end of that assembly, it occurred to us that we could auxiliary pioneer now. And so we decided to do it the very next month. And we loved it so much; we pioneered the following month and all through that summer. And by then, we were hooked. We loved it. And three of us went directly into regular pioneering from there. As for Bethel service, my two older brothers served at Wallkill before me, when I was just a teenager. And we had an opportunity to visit while they were there. And just seeing Bethel and seeing all that took place there really instilled in me the desire to want to serve at Bethel when I became old enough. Kenneth Cook: Very good. And, Gage, what motivated you? Gage Fleegle: Well, full-time service was the right thing to do. To me, dedication to Jehovah and serving him in the fullest capacity possible go hand in hand. So that was always the goal that my parents had set before us. We always had special full-time servants who would stay at the house — circuit overseers and Bethel family members. They would stay, and seeing their joy is something that motivated me along those lines as well. At age 12, I was able to attend a Bethel meeting at the regional convention back at that time, and so it became crystallized in my mind that was the direction I wanted to go. Kenneth Cook: Very good. Well, you started at a very young age having an interest in Bethel service. That’s delightful to see. The third question for you, What have been some of your assignments at Bethel, and how have you benefited from them? Jeff. Jeffrey Winder: Well, I began Bethel at Wallkill, and my first assignment was in the Cleaning Department. And, for me, starting Bethel service in cleaning was an excellent way to start because Bethel can really teach you some very valuable qualities, like obedience and patience and humility. And starting off in a support department, like cleaning, I felt like it really gave me a good head start in developing these qualities that would be useful the rest of my life. After that, I was transferred to the Farm Department, and I worked in what was like produce processing at Wallkill. And again, it was just a lot of fun — good brothers and sisters who worked there, spiritual men and women — and a lot of hard work but that I thoroughly enjoyed. And it was about three years that I worked in that department. And then I was transferred to the office, and that began a period of about 22 years of serving as a secretary for various brothers and various aspects of the work there at Wallkill. And during that time, I had the privilege to work along with brothers who had served Jehovah for years and had deep experience and wisdom and knowledge on how to administer the work at Bethel. And that really moulded me and taught me things that I drew on in future assignments and that I continue to draw on today. And, of course, during that time, you and I had the privilege to work together for about ten years in the Bethel Office. In 2016, I had quite a surprise when we were transferred to Patterson and I was asked to work with Audio/Video Services Department. I knew nothing about making videos or audio products, but the brothers and sisters there were so patient with me and answered all my questions. And, in time, then I began to learn the work and really came to love it and enjoy it. It’s a very interesting work and such a huge privilege to contribute to the production of spiritual food. And I really came to love the brothers and sisters in that department. And then in 2020, another big surprise was when I was asked to transfer - we were asked to transfer - to Warwick. And I was asked to work in the Personnel Committee Office — again with just a solid group of very skilled and devoted brothers in that office, who I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. Kenneth Cook: Well, thank you, Jeff, for going through that background with us. We enjoyed hearing that. And, Gage, now for you: What have been some of your assignments and the benefits that have come from that? Gage Fleegle: Well, I started working in the Bindery. I worked in the Bindery for eight years. And that taught me the value of being punctual, working hard, getting the job done — even if it was very hot, conditions weren’t always the best — and also the value of working with people of different backgrounds - different cultures, completely different from what I was accustomed to - and working together in unity and peace. Then I was transferred to the Service Department, an office environment — completely different from the Bindery. But I learned there the importance of getting all the facts before commenting on a matter, the importance of many advisers, consulting with different brothers before sending direction out, and also the practical value of Jehovah’s Word. Whether it’s a personal issue, whether it’s a family issue, whether it’s a congregation issue, Jehovah’s Word is practical in all of those scenarios. And then in 2015, I was asked to work with the Teaching Committee Office. And there I learned that it’s not simply preparing “delightful words” for the international brotherhood but also the importance of accurate words — preparing that for the brotherhood and seeing Jehovah’s spirit make sure that the completed project came about. Kenneth Cook: Thank you very much, Gage. We enjoyed hearing that background from both of you brothers and how you’ve benefited from it. But we’re going to bring it right now back to the Scriptures and this thought: Is there a Scriptural thought that has strengthened you as you begin this new assignment? And, Jeff, we’ll start with you again. Jeffrey Winder: There is. In recent weeks and months, we’ve really come to hang on to a couple of verses in Isaiah 26. And particularly with this assignment, I know that I could not accomplish this assignment on my own, and there have been moments of feeling a bit overwhelmed. But here in Isaiah 26, it’s so reassuring from Jehovah. Verse 12 says: “O Jehovah, you will grant us peace, because everything we have done you have accomplished for us.” I feel like Jehovah is just reassuring me, ‘You’re not going to have to do it on your own’ and that Jehovah would help me. And I love that it’s in the past tense — “everything we have done you have accomplished” — because we have history with Jehovah. I’ve seen him specifically helping me in past assignments to accomplish things that I knew I couldn’t have done on my own, but Jehovah helped. And so then that reassures me. And as the verse says, it gives me peace. And in verse 3, it develops that even further. It says: “You will safeguard those who fully lean on you; you will give them continuous peace, because it is in you that they trust.” So there’s this connection between trusting in Jehovah, or fully leaning on him, and having continuous peace. So if I’ve had those moments where I begin to feel a bit anxious or overwhelmed, this scripture comes to mind. ‘Don’t forget, fully lean on Jehovah. Jehovah is going to do the job.’ And then that peace can resume. Kenneth Cook: Beautiful set of scriptures there to share with us. We appreciate that. Brother Fleegle, same question for you. Gage Fleegle: I also have two verses. The first one is Mark 14:36, Jesus’ words on the night before his death. He said to his Father in prayer: “Not what I want, but what you want.” So my wife and I are a bit shy and reserved, so this is not the assignment that we naturally would prefer. But our life is not our own, and Jehovah guides us, our steps, according to his will. And then the other verse is found at Isaiah 41:10, comforting words from Jehovah: “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be anxious, for I am your God. I will fortify you, yes, I will help you.” So it’s comforting to know that Jehovah doesn’t expect more of us than we’re able to accomplish with his help. So that’s definitely comforting as we’re moving forward in this assignment. Kenneth Cook: What great Scriptural thoughts, Gage! Thank you very much for sharing those and, both of you brothers, for sharing all of your comments with us. We love having you on the Governing Body, and we wish you Jehovah’s rich blessing on your new assignment.

It’s wonderful to see Jehovah’s people busier than ever in Kingdom work. We know this Memorial season will be filled with joyful activity as we search for honest hearted ones in the ministry. May Jehovah richly bless each of you dear brothers and sisters. From the World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, this is JW Broadcasting.

[Parale]

Just now, Parale said:

Jeffrey Winder: And the district convention in 1985, as it was then called, had a deep impact on me, particularly the baptism talk and the concluding talk really spoke to me.

 

1985 District Convention Theme: Integrity Keepers

See Watchtower 15 January 1986, pages 26-31: "Twentieth-Century Integrity Keepers Assemble!"

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1986047

 

Baptism Talk: “Lining Up With Jehovah’s Integrity Keepers”

See Watchtower 1 July 1986, pages 23-28: "Lining Up With Jehovah’s Integrity Keepers"

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1986488

 

Concluding Talk: “An Integrity-Keeping Organization on the Move”

Announcement of release of the book: "True Peace and Security - How Can You Find It?"

See Kingdom Ministry November 1985, page 7: Announcements

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/tp

 

[WilliamChew]

2023 GB Update #2 transcript

 

Spoiler

2023 GB Update #2.pdf

2023 GB Update #2.docx

2023 GB Update #2.epub

 

[Tia]

Thank you Brother William - 

[AH173]

1 hour ago, Parale said:

 

1985 District Convention Theme: Integrity Keepers

See Watchtower 15 January 1986, pages 26-31: "Twentieth-Century Integrity Keepers Assemble!"

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1986047

 

Baptism Talk: “Lining Up With Jehovah’s Integrity Keepers”

See Watchtower 1 July 1986, pages 23-28: "Lining Up With Jehovah’s Integrity Keepers"

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1986488

 

Concluding Talk: “An Integrity-Keeping Organization on the Move”

Announcement of release of the book: "True Peace and Security - How Can You Find It?"

See Kingdom Ministry November 1985, page 7: Announcements

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/tp

 

This was my first convention also in 1985. If I understand correctly, that he said he was baptized the following year (1986) we share the same baptism year.

[Parale]

3 minutes ago, AH173 said:

If I understand correctly, that he said he was baptized the following year (1986) we share the same baptism year.

 

How nice

 

Yes that's how I understood it, he said: "So by the following year, beginning of the calendar year, I dedicated my life to Jehovah and got baptized." - so that would make it that he got baptised in Spring 1986, possibly even during the special two-month campaign to distribute the newly released "True Peace and Security - How Can You Find It?" publication.

 

Kingdom Ministry November 1985

Congregations may now begin ordering the publication True Peace and Security—How Can You Find It? for the special campaign in April and May of 1986, as announced at the “Integrity Keepers” Convention this past summer.

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/201985407#h=19

 

[jayrtom]

Anyone have any idea how old are this 2 brothers?

[jwhess]

11 minutes ago, jayrtom said:

Anyone have any idea how old are this 2 brothers?

If Br. Winder was baptized in 1986, his age at baptism might be 15-20 years old, that would make him born between 1960 and 1966.

 

He would be between 57 and 63 years old.  It is simply a guess.

[Dhanyel]

Emphasized the year 1985,1986. So it was before 1992 so it's part of the second generation, correct?  connected with the first group? Probably? 

[Parale]

12 minutes ago, Loyal said:

Emphasized the year 1985,1986. So it was before 1992 so it's part of the second generation, correct?  connected with the first group? Probably? 

 

Unlikely, the 1992 date references when they would needed to be anointed by (rather than simply be baptised by) in order to be included with the second part of the overlapping "this generation".

 

It has been confirmed that Mark Sanderson is in the second part of "this generation". I suspect, subject to confirmation, that none of the last three brothers appointed to the Governing Body - Kenneth Cook, Jeffrey Winder, and Gage Fleegle - are part of "this generation," but as I said, nothing is confirmed.

 

https://jwtalk.net/topic/35497-the-overlap-in-this-generation/page/5/#comment-913258

 

 

Edited March 13, 2023 by Parale

[MullumMiss]

5 hours ago, AH173 said:

This was my first convention also in 1985. If I understand correctly, that he said he was baptized the following year (1986) we share the same baptism year.

I was married in 1986, does that count for anything😎 

All jokes aside I said thank you Jehovah for giving us more beautiful brothers to look after and care for us at this time of the end.  

[hatcheckgirl]

(Married in 1986 too, Linda)

[jwhess]

I was baptized about the year he was born.  Probably began Pioneering before he was born as well (Pioneering in 1965).

[Michał]

I was born in 1985 so I don’t remember much from the talks he mentioned. I wasn’t ready for solid food yet. 

[Jwanon]

I had no idea we don't officially say Turkey anymore

 

https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/why-turkey-is-now-turkiye-and-why-that-matters-52602

 

 

Edited March 13, 2023 by Jwanon

[AH173]

4 hours ago, jayrtom said:

Anyone have any idea how old are this 2 brothers?

I hope Bro Winder is a little older than me, I'm almost 54.

[Parale]

29 minutes ago, Jwanon said:

I had no idea we don't officially say Turkey anymore

 

Yes inteeresting, I think JW.org have only just caught up?...

 

https://jwtalk.net/topic/54212-earthquakes-in-one-place-after-another/page/78/#comment-915622

 

 

[Dages]

1 hour ago, Michał said:

I was born in 1985 so I don’t remember much from the talks he mentioned. I wasn’t ready for solid food yet. 

I was born in September 1985. The sound was quite muffled but the talks were fine

[Sheep]

12 hours ago, Parale said:

  Hide contents

Jeffrey Winder: . . . And the district convention in 1985, as it was then called, had a deep impact on me, particularly the baptism talk and the concluding talk really spoke to me. And I could tell I was just beginning to make the truth my own during that time. So by the following year, beginning of the calendar year, I dedicated my life to Jehovah and got baptized.

 

10 hours ago, AH173 said:

This was my first convention also in 1985. If I understand correctly, that he said he was baptized the following year (1986) we share the same baptism year.

 

I'm from the same era, baptized June 1, 1985, but at a Circuit Assembly, before the convention he speaks of. I think this is the first time I've seen a Governing Body member who was baptized after me!

[WilliamChew]

4 hours ago, Jwanon said:

I had no idea we don't officially say Turkey anymore

 

I used to wonder why a country would call itself turkey.

 

Especially as the dictionary defines it as:

    informal:
    something that is extremely or completely unsuccessful, especially a play or film.
    "the movie flopped—the second in a trio of turkeys"

     a stupid or inept person.
        "I felt like such a turkey spying on his house"

Phrases
like turkeys voting for Christmas:

used to suggest that a particular action or decision is hopelessly self-defeating. "supporting this proposal would be a little like turkeys voting for Christmas"

talk turkey:
discuss something frankly and straightforwardly. "she promised to go talk turkey with the representatives"
 

[Doug]

1 hour ago, Sheep said:

 

I'm from the same era, baptized June 1, 1985, but at a Circuit Assembly, before the convention he speaks of. I think this is the first time I've seen a Governing Body member who was baptized after me!

 

He spoke about the 1985 District Convention that had a deep impact on him.  Then he said:  " For me, good association played a big role. As it turned out, at the circuit assembly that I got baptized at, several other young brothers from our congregation got baptized as well".