2024 Governing Body Update #2

[Exter]

1 hour ago, Mrs.Blessed said:

I love that the sisters in some congregations can do the microphones!

This might help some shy sisters and children to have the courage to comment. 

For shy sisters, it can be a little intimidating having the brother doing the mic staring intently at you as you give your comment.

Yes, maybe dear Sis. Likewise, we got this problem not. Our Sister are never 🪭 shy. (;-)

[Michał]

Interesting. Is there limited brothers to use?  Ours is all Brothers including Zoom. One time during Covid-19 and we were doing Zoom only service our sisters would host the Zoom meeting. This led to one brother being offended over it as he thought sisters should not be hosting. I thought well if there are no brothers, what were they supposed to do? And besides if a qualified brother shows up, she would just be hosting the Zoom meeting, not conducting the field service meeting. 

Last summer we visited Warwick and sisters were attendants welcoming guests, reminding them not to take audio devices to the restrooms etc.

Maybe we will see more light in this in update #4?


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[Tortuga]

25 minutes ago, Michał said:

Maybe we will see more light in this in update #4?

No, Update #4 is about acceptable footwear in service, meetings, assemblies and conventions.

The theme scripture is Acts 7:33

 

[Andrey]

Perhaps update #5 will be related to 1 Timothy 5:23. Put next to the water cooler, the wine cooler. 🤣

[DancesWithWife]

40 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

No, Update #4 is about acceptable footwear in service, meetings, assemblies and conventions.

Including not having to wear socks with dress shoes for the brothers!

[Lee49]

17 minutes ago, DancesWithWife said:

Including not having to wear socks with dress shoes for the brothers!

Include sisters with that, also open toe sandals for all ! Just make sure - NO LONG or DIRTY toe nails , painted toe nails are an option for sisters !  😂

 

[SteEis]

On 3/15/2024 at 3:45 PM, Luigi62 said:

 

I have 54 ties and 5 bowties. Is that a lot?

 

I am personally deciding to still wear them at Christian meetings and assemblies and the like even if I don't have to go on the stage.

 

BUT YOU WILL NEVER SEE ME WEAR A TIE EVER AGAIN WHILE PREACHING. Maybe on the witnessing carts though.

 

On 3/15/2024 at 3:48 PM, Esined said:

 

Do you seriously have 54 ties???

54 is a very little amount. If I would give away half of my ties, I’ll still have a three-digit number of ties.

[Murilo Orlando]

Perhaps a future update will announce a new privilege for our dear sisters. 

 

It is possible to say that the biblical basis for women not participating in teaching and leadership in the congregation is Paul's instructions and advice. However, some argue that these instructions were given in a context where women did not receive much instruction, such as reading and writing.

 

What do you think? I personally understand each side of the issue, but I support the conservative opinion.

Edited March 20 by Murilo Orlando

[DancesWithWife]

I went back to the 2016 Remain Loyal to Jehovah! Convention for this photo! 

[carlos]

19 minutes ago, Murilo Orlando said:

What do you think? I personally understand each side of the issue, but I support the conservative opinion.

 

We don't need to guess why Paul wrote that sisters are not allowed to teach in the congregation, since he explained it clearly: "I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but she is to remain silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve." (1 Timothy 2:12,13). So it was not because sisters at that time or in that culture were illiterate, but because Jehovah established a principle of authority from the beginning.

 

Now since most cultures used to have (and many still do) a wrong view of women, many brothers have long misunderstood that scripture to mean that women cannot do any task in the congregation, or that they should never correct a male. Obviously that is wrong, and it's not what Paul meant.

 

What does hosting a meeting or carrying the mics or handling the sound equipment (or taking care of territories, or accounting or literature or cleaning) have to do with teaching the congregation? Nothing at all. The only reason why brothers are preferred for those tasks is that it's a way of training them for further responsibilities.

 

In the last years we have seen our sisters used in a lot more activities by the congregation, and I think they will be used more and more in the future. As long as it's not a teaching role, that's fine.

 

[DancesWithWife]

6 minutes ago, carlos said:

In the last years we have seen our sisters used in a lot more activities by the congregation

I appreciate the use of sisters who narrate videos on JW.org too! Our sisters have a lot to offer!!

[lord21]

This photo from WT June 2024 answers your comments

I also encourage you to read the A GOAL FOR YOUNG BROTHERS box in this article:

https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/watchtower-study-june-2024/Make-Jehovah-Your-Rock/

[Ahuvah]

5 hours ago, DancesWithWife said:

Are your sisters used to carry mics in your congregation? 

Here we are. (Although I only dovAV)

[DancesWithWife]

1 minute ago, Stormswift said:

Here we are. (Although I only dovAV)

Thanks Mandi.

[Tortuga]

7 minutes ago, lord21 said:

This photo from WT June 2024 answers your comments

I also encourage you to read the A GOAL FOR YOUNG BROTHERS box in this article:

https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/watchtower-study-june-2024/Make-Jehovah-Your-Rock/

Ties...Jackets...no beards...aahhhh, the good old days...

[Ahuvah]

My pleasure my Brother. 

Was just going to say we are getting a glut of Richards and Greg's on this site .... and what happens? A Richard gets in the way!

Edited March 20 by Stormswift

[Lee49]

1 hour ago, SteEis said:

If I would give away half of my ties, I’ll still have a three-digit number of ties.

I can tell you do not like wearing ties by your picture ! 

[Ahuvah]

He doesn't have to give them away, he can still use them. Or donate them to a New World museum.

[Leslie.m]

1 hour ago, carlos said:

 

We don't need to guess why Paul wrote that sisters are not allowed to teach in the congregation, since he explained it clearly: "I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but she is to remain silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve." (1 Timothy 2:12,13). So it was not because sisters at that time or in that culture were illiterate, but because Jehovah established a principle of authority from the beginning.

 

Now since most cultures used to have (and many still do) a wrong view of women, many brothers have long misunderstood that scripture to mean that women cannot do any task in the congregation, or that they should never correct a male. Obviously that is wrong, and it's not what Paul meant.

 

What does hosting a meeting or carrying the mics or handling the sound equipment (or taking care of territories, or accounting or literature or cleaning) have to do with teaching the congregation? Nothing at all. The only reason why brothers are preferred for those tasks is that it's a way of training them for further responsibilities.

 

In the last years we have seen our sisters used in a lot more activities by the congregation, and I think they will be used more and more in the future. As long as it's not a teaching role, that's fine.

 

Was there direction to Elders on this @carlos? It just does not happen at all in my home country - South Africa. I saw this for the first time while travelling through Europe in 2022. When I came back and told some of the Elders in my home cong they were shocked. I saw it again while travelling last year, and I see it’s par for the course in Australia as well…

 

Makes a lot of sense, but I’m wondering why it isn’t better known / adopted worldwide?

[New World Explorer]

90% of brothers were wearing ties and jackets to the mid week meeting yesterday ….interesting indeed. Only one sister in slacks …. Looks like we are very set in our ways congregation LOL 😂 

[BLEmom]

55 minutes ago, Leslie.m said:

Makes a lot of sense, but I’m wondering why it isn’t better known / adopted worldwide?

Need, culture, prejudice. 

[DancesWithWife]

48 minutes ago, New World Explorer said:

Looks like we are very set in our ways congregation LOL

Greg, I think it takes time. I was resistant to going to an electronic tablet. I thought I would never use it. I was used to a paper Watchtower, Kingdom Ministry and physical copy of the Bible. As I have gotten older (not sure about wiser) I changed my tune about those items. Change is sometimes difficult for us old-timers set in our ways! 

[Hope]

1 hour ago, New World Explorer said:

90% of brothers were wearing ties and jackets to the mid week meeting yesterday ….interesting indeed. Only one sister in slacks …. Looks like we are very set in our ways congregation LOL 😂 

 

Maybe not "set" as much as not having slacks appropriate for meetings. I currently do not.   I wear jeans or activewear-type pants to work (I work at Nike) and stretchy pants for running errands and such.  I haven't needed business casual slacks for many years. I know how I want to look when I do wear slacks for meetings and service, but I'm not in a position to buy a new wardrobe.

 

It will take awhile for me.. 

[Leslie.m]

34 minutes ago, BLEmom said:

Need, culture, prejudice. 

So there wasn’t a “need” in either the Congs I visited or the one I’m in now. At least not by historical standards - there not being a single baptised brother available to do the assignments. Culture / prejudice I understand, which is why I asked if direction had been given…

[BLEmom]

1 minute ago, Leslie.m said:

So there wasn’t a “need” in either the Congs I visited or the one I’m in now. At least not by historical standards - there not being a single baptised brother available to do the assignments. Culture / prejudice I understand, which is why I asked if direction had been given…

Years ago myself and some other sisters helped run the sound box and were assigned to do the literature and magazine counters before and after meetings. Technically the elders could have done it but then they would not have been able to do other tasks and shepherding.

Similarly I know the Spanish congregation that meets in the same hall is using sisters for AV. They have brothers but nowadays a lot more brothers are needed per meeting to take care of all the tasks.