2023 Governing Body Update #8 / BEARDS!!!

[Tortuga]

1 minute ago, Dustparticle said:

Now we going have brothers walking around looking like Pastor Russell.

I thought you would be happy about that!

[TheKid23]

12 minutes ago, Pikachu said:

They may be more important than debates about beards, but the update on the beards was a very important one

Yes that’s what I meant, I should’ve worded it better 🤦‍♀️😂

 

Edited December 15, 2023 by TheKid23

[Hope]

7 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

I agree. We see that in our area and I'm not a fan...

Same. I'm all for comfortable shoes. I just wish those at least had black soles. Less sporty looking for wearing with suits.

[Bob]

38 minutes ago, Lee49 said:

Next topic - 

 

 

No doubt!

[Audj]

About 7 years ago, my husband was denied baptism over a partial beard.

He shaved, and got baptized. But this set a scene for his journey. He eventually (as a result of many accumulated wrongs, and his own mental illness) he drifted away and became inactive.

He has recently been drawing closer to Jehovah and the congregation again.

Today I will have to present this update to him tactfully.

Sent from my SM-G981W using Tapatalk

[jwhess]

Maybe white soles will be a color coordination with the white beard?

[Dustparticle]

12 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

I thought you would be happy about that!

Personally I do not care.

[TJ]

(Moving this comment to the Update thread).

 

 

Edited December 15, 2023 by TJ

[TJ]

It's interesting that brother Lett chose to wore a colorful (purple?) dress shirt for this update. Looking back through the thumbnails of monthly programs and updates, white dress shirts have been the norm, with a sprinkling of light blue shirts. Perhaps this was purposeful?

 

 

 

[jwhess]

Someone in another thread used the term "outdated" in referring to our "no beards" policy just replaced.  It is an open-ended term.  What was no considered 'outdated' was current a few hours ago and beards were outdated.  So it is more of a change than a dating.

 

One of the last GB members to wear a beard was WE Van Amburgh.  He was the Society's Secretary-Treasurer for many years. He died in 1947.

 

Here is the picture of him.

 

 

[Gimestr]

Which Governing Body member will be the first to grow a beard?

[jwhess]

12 minutes ago, Gimestr said:

Which Governing Body member will be the first to grow a beard?

The last GB member with a beard was Van Amburgh who died in 1947.

 

EDIT: picture of Br. Van Amburgh.

Edited December 15, 2023 by jwhess

[Landon1285]

It's a nice protection too when the authorities will be looking for us. It won't be as easy lol.

[Jwanon]

I literally had no idea we had directions on the color of shirts or ties

[Sofia]

1 hour ago, Tortuga said:

Definitely be a little hairier....

Well it seems that this issue is no longer a hairy problem 

Edited December 15, 2023 by Sofia

[Tortuga]

31 minutes ago, TJ said:

(Moving this comment to the Update thread).

 

 

I hope not. This is a different subject and it would be a shame for it to get lost in the Update thread.

[coolbrz731]

4 minutes ago, Jwanon said:

I literally had no idea we had directions on the color of shirts or ties

It depends on the culture.  In one of my former congregations, I've had to go home and change my suit because it was too much for being on stage reading the watchtower.  When I told the elders in my current congregation about that, they wondered why I needed to do that.  They then wanted me to wear that suit on stage.😂

[booboo]

Never saw that one coming🫣😶 but Amen to unity!

[Ross]

In the UK beards have been “mostly acceptable for appointed men for the past few years. (Apart from Bethel and assembly speakers,)

 

I have a part at the assembly tomorrow, so I will be keeping my beard this time. It will feel very strange. 

[molnarj]

There was a time when they had a spare white shirt ready behind the platform in case a speaker showed up without a white shirt. I guess now they will have a fake beard ready. 

[TJ]

2 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

I hope not. This is a different subject and it would be a shame for it to get lost in the Update thread.

 

My comment was not about beards per se, but rather just an observation on brother Lett's choice of dress shirt, a purple-ish color which diverges from the standard white (and sometimes light blue) that is typically seen in these programs. 

 

Short of brother Lett starting off the program with a beard, I was just speculating that perhaps the colorful shirt was selected to send a message that we should be more relaxed in our view of what constitutes 'appropriate' dress and grooming.

 

...or maybe that's just the shirt he happened to grab out of the closet in the dark. 

 

 

[Tortuga]

Just now, TJ said:

 

My comment was not about beards per se, but rather just an observation on brother Lett's choice of dress shirt, a purple-ish color which diverges from the standard white (and sometimes light blue) that is typically seen in these programs. 

 

Short of brother Lett starting off the program with a beard, I was just speculating that perhaps the colorful shirt was selected to send a message that we should be more relaxed in our view of what constitutes 'appropriate' dress and grooming.

 

...or maybe that's just the shirt he happened to grab out of the closet in the dark. 

 

 

Thanks. I misunderstood you. I thought you were asking to merge this topic with the other topics.

 

Please excuse me while I throw away all of my razors..🤣

[coolbrz731]

Unfortunately, my wife really doesn't like facial hair.  I wonder if it's possible to "sneak" a goatee on her...🤔

[Parale]

18 minutes ago, Jwanon said:

I literally had no idea we had directions on the color of shirts or ties

 

I believe some congregations did ....

 

Do You See Only the Outward Appearance? - Watchtower 1 November 1989, page 30

The Bible requirement—God’s requirement—is that a Christian’s clothing must be neat and clean, well-arranged and not betraying a lack of “modesty and soundness of mind.” (1 Timothy 2:9; 3:2) Obviously, then, the elders in one congregation went “beyond the things that are written” a few years ago by requiring every public speaker in their congregation to wear a white shirt, even though pastel colors were generally acceptable in that country. Guest speakers who showed up with a colored shirt were asked to change into one of several white shirts kept in the Kingdom Hall for just such emergencies. How careful we have to be in order not to impose our personal taste on others!

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1989809#h=19

 

 

 

[Tortuga]

It will be interesting to see if any of the GB or Helpers decide to grow a beard.