2025 GB Update #5 - Putting to rest issues on “Higher” Education

[Dages]

20 minutes ago, Buckeye said:

Sure wish I had been allowed to go to college. I mean this is such a change. The circuit overseer told me if I went to college how disappointed Jehovah would be in me.  Now parents should be encouraging us to go to college. I’m 45 now and it’s too late.  It’s so frustrating to me at times when these changes happen 

Jehovah took good care of you for many decades.
And life is eternal, we will all go back to school in Paradise
 

[Tortuga]

35 minutes ago, Dages said:

"And while an elder or a mature friend may discuss with us the pros and cons about obtaining additional education, no Christian —including the elders— should judge a fellow Christian’s personal decision on this matter."

How do you feel that is different from the direction the elders currently have about reviewing someone's qualifications?

Edited Friday at 12:37 PM by Tortuga

[johnnyjw01]

Sometimes we forget that it’s also a huge change for those who are saying it… it takes a lot of humility

[just1-4all]

1 hour ago, Isaac Lupupa said:

How do you brothers get to know that it's now on the servers, is there a link that you ise to follow up?

Was wondering the same

[Dages]

7 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

How do you feel that is different from the direction the elders currently have about reviewing someone's qualifications?

Personally, I feel it doesn't change much in this regard. We will still consider the brother's spiritual objectives and lifestyle.

But now, I don't think we will have "old school" elders openly criticizing this choice anymore.

Edited Friday at 12:45 PM by Dages

[Forward you Witnesses]

https://www.jw.org/en/news/region/global/2025-Governing-Body-Update-5/

[dannysharedstuff]

For those of us who are wondering "oh, I wish I had the opportunity to attend university, etc...", I thought about one question we can make ourselves: If I, indeed, attended higher education in the past, am I sure that I would still be here in the organization? Doing what I am doing now? Would I became spiritually stronger or weaker?"

 

I'm not judging those who made the decision in the past, but we should not focus on "oh, I wish I had that" or things like that. Focus on the present, not in the past.

 

Myself, I do not have one single regret about not attending higher education, and started working part-time and pioneering. 

 

Just think about that.

[Forward you Witnesses]

Host is Bro David Splane.

Topic is higher education.

[ChrisW]

The same cautions that parents and students would have to consider before. Growing up i never felt like I couldn't pursue additional education.  But because of where we lived it meant i would have to move away.  My parents were not comfortable with that.  Being away they couldn't help me and see attitude changes or who I was associating with. It wasn't so much about the additional education.  I think this clarification is for those that judge those harshly for pursuing additional education. I don't see it as a change in our organization. At least I wasn't raised feeling that way. 

[Isaac Lupupa]

In this bethel morning worship program, brother Stephen Lett of the Governing Body, compared higher education to swimming in a school of hungry shark's 🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈to support the point that going to a university is not a risk worthy taking because of the ideas that are promoted there and the life conduct of young ones inside the very institutions of higher learning

[Babarinde Adekunle Peter]

15 hours ago, way said:

Another thing I’d like to see would be some adjustment in our understanding, perhaps regarding higher education or what’s expected of parenting. On that last point, are parents responsible for ev’ry choice their adult children make? Should they be disciplined for any personal decisions their children make? It would be interesting to see. 

You said it!!!

[DakDak]

So I LOVED this update! There were so many good points and I think it is a bigger change and more impactful on the lives of so many of Jehovah’s people more than we realized. I personally chose to go to Bethel instead of pursuing even a little bit of additional schooling in a Trade. Although I certainly don’t regret the choice to go to Bethel, I have always regretted not pursuing some additional education. And I’m VERY GLAD about this update because I’ve been encouraging my kids to try and get some additional education. 
 

Two points in particular stood out to me.

 

1) At the 5:19 mark, Splane said: “No Christian - including the elders - should judge a fellow Christian’s personal decision on this matter”.

 

2) At the 16:37 Splane says: “Deciding whether or not to pursue additional education is a personal matter”. 
 

This is huge! And an awesome clarification! I get that culture is different. But putting culture aside, Jehovah’s organization did strongly discourage higher education in the past. And pursuing higher education has affected the privileges of service for some. 
 

A few years ago, a brother who was a SKE graduate and a sub-co sent to California, USA called me and asked for my thoughts on a recommendation for a young 25 year old brother as an elder. The young brother was attending university and pursuing a career as an engineer. The sub-co told the local elders that the young brother doesn’t qualify to serve as an elder at such a young age because he is not setting an example worthy of imitation because he is pursuing higher education. He quoted the w05 10/1 p. 27 par. 6 which states: “The educational system varies from country to country. In the United States, for example, public schools offer 12 years of basic education. Thereafter, students may choose to attend university or college for four or more years, leading to a bachelor’s degree or to postgraduate studies for careers in medicine, law, engineering, and so forth. Such university education is what is meant when the term ‘higher education’ is used in this article.” The article discouraged higher education and the sub-co didn’t recommend the young brother because he wasn’t a good example in following the organizations direction. The local elders pushed back and the matter escalated. However, the circuit overseer and branch office sided with the sub-co and the young brothers recommendation was not pushed through. 
 

Also, here is the current direction to elders in the shepherd book under things that may call an appointed brothers qualifications into question: “SITUATIONS THAT MAY REQUIRE A REVIEW OF AN APPOINTED BROTHER’S QUALIFICATIONS

 

[NOTE: Text removed. Please do not post confidential information.]

 

It was never an automatic deletion if a brother or a member of his household pursued higher education. But it very much was strongly discouraged and pursuing higher education could have lead to a brother’s deletion from an appointed position in the organization. Though I’ve never known someone to be deleted because they allowed their children to pursue a 2 year technical degree, I do personally know some who were deleted because they allowed their children to pursue a 4 year college degree of at least Bachelor level. 
 

So it is true that privileged of service have been withheld from brothers, and some brothers have been deleted, because they or members of their household pursued higher education. And this was at the direction of the organization at the time. So I do wonder if us elders are going to get a letter with additional instructions about this matter. Such as how to help those who lost privileges of service in the past because of pursuing higher education.
 

So I think this clarification (and Splane did use that word in the update) is definitely and great thing and has been very much needed and am so glad Jehovah lead the brothers taking the lead to do this. Truly evidence Jehovah’s direction.

[Andrey]

This once again allows us to analyze our motives, and also a test for all of us, those who zealously defended two different points of view on this topic, studies or does not study. Today, a new stage has begun in our understanding of additional education (secondary technical and higher education). In any case, brother has repeatedly emphasized the idea of carefully and prayerfully considering your decision.

Edited Friday at 01:26 PM by Andrey

[ChrisW]

29 minutes ago, Isaac Lupupa said:

In this bethel morning worship program, brother Stephen Lett of the Governing Body, compared higher education to swimming in a school of hungry shark's 🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈to support the point that going to a university is not a risk worthy taking because of the ideas that are promoted there and the life conduct of young ones inside the very institutions of higher learning

I see your point and you're experience and understanding us different from mine. The caution was/ is there but I never felt growing up that i couldn't pursue additional educational. Not to the point where brothers were removed because of their children.  My husband attended 2 years of college he said he never felt that he couldn't.  Though he did experience more of the college life than he should've. 

[ChrisW]

Maybe a more balanced and unified view is needed.  Our brothers (GB) have a very serious responsibility of taking care of Jesus sheep. As a parent i know I may have been overly cautious at times. I hope my children understand why I may have made certain decisions. Understanding that they (GB) have Jehovah's holy spirit and they love us helps me adjust. 

[Andrey]

So beards and pants, already discussed. Toasts and the ritual at a feast, when people knock their glasses against each other to express greeting, friendship, unity or raise the festive mood, already discussed. Higher education, already discussed. All that remains is tattoos, piercings (jewelry) and hairstyles — to discuss. Maybe something else?

 

“I have become all things to people of all sorts, so that I might by all possible means save some.”—1 Corinthians 9:22

Edited Friday at 02:14 PM by Andrey

[Knight]

1 hour ago, Tortuga said:

How do you feel that is different from the direction the elders currently have about reviewing someone's qualifications?

Evaluating if to review the qualifications, (it was a situation that MAY require a review (but not automatically)) is much different than just dissing the pros and cons...

[Dages]

19 minutes ago, ChrisW said:

Maybe a more balanced and unified view is needed.  Our brothers (GB) have a very serious responsibility of taking care of Jesus sheep.

It's incredibly difficult, because we all are coming from different background, culture, etc. So I think it makes sense to be "radical" first to set everyone on a similar path, then release it progressively so we all follow smoothly.

[Knight]

I keep on perceiving that the GB trusts its fellow workers more and more and that they are training us to take responsibility for our own decisions. Over the years they have taught us, and now it seems they believe we have reached a general maturity to make wise choices.

[Dages]

3 minutes ago, Andrey said:

All that remains is tattoos, piercings (jewelry) and hairstyles — to discuss. Maybe something else?

Tattoos and piercings are really "worldly" / "hippies" related... in Japan, they are "crime/mob" related. I don't see this change ever.

Hairstyle??? 

[Andrey]

13 minutes ago, Dages said:

Tattoos and piercings are really "worldly" / "hippies" related... in Japan, they are "crime/mob" related. I don't see this change ever.

Hairstyle??? 

 

Yes, David, I agree, it was. If we take tattoos, modern society, especially young people, do not think that they are connected with people from the criminal world. Most often, it is self-expression, memory of someone, in a good or sad sense of the word, beauty of the body. Piercing, as an adornment or belonging to some groups. Some brothers and sisters secretly get tattoos, but sisters openly get piercings. It's time for GB to talk about this openly.

Edited Friday at 02:28 PM by Andrey

[Dolce vita]

1 hour ago, Dages said:

Same, we've had beards for years in France  
Are the frenchs a corrupting influence?  

My very dear David, we didn't live in the same country then!☺️

There are undoubtedly some congrefations that are a bit 'avant-garde', but I moved around a bit before settling down, and I can assure you that for decades, those who wore beards (or even just wanted to) or who pursued their studies were far, far from being recommended.

[Adam!]

Anyone know where an International Convention is taking place in 2026?

[LeolaRootStew]

17 minutes ago, Dages said:

Tattoos and piercings are really "worldly" / "hippies" related... in Japan, they are "crime/mob" related. I don't see this change ever.

Hairstyle??? 

 

Beards used to be hippy-related. 

 

The view on tattoos is actually pretty similar to our previous view of higher education - it's technically allowed, but many will be judged for it and may lose privileges. It would make sense if they said it was a personal decision (it currently is) and we need to carefully consider the social consequences (like association with crime in Japan) before getting them. 

 

Everything seems to be pointing towards greater personal responsibility.

[LeolaRootStew]

22 minutes ago, Knight said:

I keep on perceiving that the GB trusts its fellow workers more and more and that they are training us to take responsibility for our own decisions. Over the years they have taught us, and now it seems they believe we have reached a general maturity to make wise choices.

 

I agree. I'm getting the strong feeling that they are trying to finish our training before they leave us.