A week ago this website covered the leaking of several videos that were used during a recent “Kingdom Ministry School” – a special training event to which only elders are invited. The videos were apparently leaked by Spanish-speaking elders.
Two of the videos showed Governing Body members Anthony Morris and Stephen Lett reminding elders to be “obedient” and “decisive” in carrying out their duties.
The other 42-minute video was a dramatization showing a young man coming forward and confessing fornication to his elders before finally being disfellowshipped.
The trouble was, the disfellowshipping video had been completely dubbed over in Spanish, making it difficult for non-Spanish speakers to get a proper grasp of what was happening. As a result, a few days ago two friends of mine set to work on creating an English transcript with a view to releasing a subtitled version of the video on JWsurvey.
As much as their efforts were appreciated, you can imagine my surprise and delight when, completely out of the blue, I received an email from a Watchtower insider offering to send me the English version of the film. This person didn’t like the thought of us exerting efforts making subtitles when we could have the original.
An interesting email dialogue ensued resulting in my contact sending not just the English disfellowshipping video but also a previously unknown video instructing elders on how to go about “shepherding” a suicidal widow.
To view an ASL version of the above video, click here.
Spurred on by hypocrisy
The main reason given by my source for sending the judicial committee video was his indignation at the hypocrisy shown by the Governing Body through its judicial policies.
As my source pointed out, the Governing Body has been allowed to repeatedly make all manner of mistakes over the decades, many of which have far-reaching consequences. But they always shield themselves from the fall-out from their own errors, or from taking responsibility for their actions.
Meanwhile, if a Witness comes forward honestly confessing some indiscretion he is leapt upon and potentially given the worst possible punishment – estrangement from his family.
In the case of the disfellowshipping video, a young man named Robbie confesses to fornication in a one-night stand, blaming a “worldly” girl for having “seduced” him using, erm… her aquarium (don’t ask!).
Robbie initially covers up the fact that he has been having sex on numerous occasions with the same girl over the past two months, but this detail is later revealed following persistent questioning from the elders. It becomes obvious that the main motivation for Robbie in his concealment of the full extent of his actions is his intense fear of Watchtower’s shunning policy and its consequences on his family and friends.
The video also goes to great lengths to remind elders that any elders who can be identified as being friends with the wrongdoer are not to be considered suitable for serving on the judicial committee. The reason? Elders need to be “objective.” The idea is that if an elder is good friends with the accused he could be biased, and would likely not reach the correct decision EVEN if he is not a relative.
Watchtower doesn’t want too much mercy being shown in these situations.
It is also painfully obvious when watching the video that Watchtower values its elitist “eyes only” approach to disseminating information. Elders are shown consulting their Shepherd books while Robbie is not in the room in order to decide on his fate. Moments before Robbie is due to walk in the room they put their books away – books containing rules that he is not privy to, but which affect him profoundly.
As I pointed out in my previous article – how can secret information affecting all but available to only a privileged elite be biblically justified?
Disfellowshipping video – Part 1
Disfellowshipping video – Part 2
The above videos are likely to be removed by Watchtower, so you are welcome to download them if you wish… Judicial 1 | Judicial 2 | Shepherding
Dangerously negligent instructions
But perhaps more disturbing was another video sent to me, also utilized during the Kingdom Ministry School and replete with similarly horrendous acting. This second video depicts the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way of shepherding a woman in the congregation who has been recently widowed.
Unfortunately, though the latter depiction is supposed to be the correct approach, thinking viewers will be horrified at the negligent way the woman is handled by her elders using the “Watchtower-approved” technique.
Two elders arrange to visit the woman named Mary after she tearfully approaches one of them at the end of the meeting. Before the visit, the elders meet together to strategize over what they will say.
The older of the two decides that the visit will be all about convincing Mary to be an “integrity keeper” (a loyal Witness), and this is exactly how the resulting discussion pans out.
At the start of the visit Mary reveals that she is so desperate following the loss of her husband, Don, that she has been contemplating suicide. She even has a plan involving asphyxiating herself in her garage using exhaust fumes.
This should set off major alarm bells for most thinking persons with one iota of common sense. If a person has sunk to such desperation that they have planned the manner of their death, surely they are urgently in need of help that only professionals can provide?
So, what advice do the elders offer?
First, the older elder lectures Mary about Job and how this bible figure set the example as an integrity keeper. The elder insists that Job had just as many reasons to be “messed up” as Mary, and gives a perplexing illustration involving a needle going “into the red” to show the difficulty of Job’s situation.
Mary is then told to repeatedly chant “I am an integrity keeper, I am an integrity keeper” next time her suicidal thoughts surface. She is also advised to “read a little from the Psalms,” and equate suicidal ideas with immoral thoughts.
Finally the other elder bizarrely gives Mary a homework assignment, as though she is some kind of errant school child. She is told to memorize a certain verse in Jeremiah as yet another form of incantation for the next time she is feeling suicidal.
Armed with this outrageous pseudo-psychiatry, Mary excuses herself from the conversation to get some cookies for the elders. The older elder seemingly takes this as a sign that they have done their jobs well and mouths “thank you Jehovah” heavenward as the other elder looks on.
I realise the above sounds too ludicrous to be true, but this is really how the video plays out. The Governing Body seriously expects its elders to handle such delicate life-or-death matters in this way.
Elders are not to give out numbers for suicide hotlines or encourage a suicidal person to seek professional help. Instead they are to give bible-based lectures, urge the uttering of incantations, and hand out homework assignments.
These videos show only too clearly why Watchtower, so hopelessly out of touch, is having an increasing problem maintaining its organizational solidarity. As mentioned in my previous article on this matter, the Governing Body cannot claim the total loyalty and respect of elders and bethelites while a small number continue to defy them by leaking their nonsense for the world to see.
I sincerely thank my contact within the organization for following his instincts and realizing that this material needs a wider audience. Hopefully, as more damaging material seeps out of Watchtower’s porous walls, more thinking Witnesses will realize just how unworthy the Governing Body are of their blind loyalty and obedience.
Special thanks to my contact, as well as to Daniel Ward and Adriana Wolmers-Petty even though their hard work eventually wasn’t needed.
UPDATE:- As expected, on Feb 21 2014 Watchtower had its leaked instructional videos removed from this page through a complaint to Vimeo. The videos have since been re-embedded from a different third-party host. Below is a screenshot of the email received by JWsurvey for one of the videos to prove that Watchtower does NOT want the above “spiritual food” to be viewed by all Witnesses.
Further reading…
Watchtower is crumbling from the inside out. Honestly i couldn’t watch the entire thing because it brought back so many bad memories. I watched enough to realize that the Society has gone off the rails. Not only do they not trust their congregational management to make the right decisions, they have to craft a terrible example of how to screw peoples lives up “right”.
Bravo john and your source for getting this out in the open. If nothing else it should be enlightening to outsiders how these star chamber trials really work.
I couldn’t even watch the disfellowshipping video…the moment the elders sat down, acting like they cared, I was done. It’s sad to think that so many of us went looking for a caring heart and a listening ear and were betrayed.
Holy Moses ….
Thank you for posting this for the world and silenced JW’s to see.
STEPFORD ELDERS! That’s what they are; I had the same kind of elders at my JC and AC — ugh!
And to think they expect him to cut off any relationship with her after getting her pregnant?! He can’t be responsible for his own child if he just cuts her off! (I could chew NAILS!)
This is simply repugnant. I hope it can be given a wide circulation to counter a prevalent attitude that JWs are just harmless cranks. They are victims of a vile and callous corporate bully.
would be nice if all people were that caring to bother with depression and grief
The more I watch the politics WT , the more I see the projection on the Communist Party in USSR.
Everything people believed that only in USSR life is beautiful and soon the victory of communism .But in America and Europe all bad. In USSR was *”not crime, drugs, murder, prostitution”*, Anyone who has tried to say something to the contrary, was in a prison or a madhouse … Conventions of the Communist parties,is The District Conventions now.All depict unity-against all logic and common sense …
Armed with this outrageous pseudo-psychiatry,????
Psychiatry is a big fraud as religion and jehovahs
[link to silly video “Psychiatry: An Industry of Death” removed]
witnesseshttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Psiquiatria-la-industria-de-la-muerte/279203718776836?fref=ts
These vids need to go VIRAL! Posted e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e, so that the WTS can’t bring them down!
I don’t know who I want to kill more, myself or these idiotic, self-absorbed, narcissistic, condescending elders. I’d say myself but then they might come over and chastise me for being suicidal.
Lol on that last sentence Alexjames.
No different than Rutherford’s horrible direction on medicine and doctors, that has cost people their lives. The worst part of suicide, is that the Galations 5:19-22 lists the fruitages of the spirit, as Love, JOY, PEACE….etc. Where the Hell is Holy Spirit? Instead three uneducated (by Watchtower edict) men come and give platitudes and other B.S. Mantras, Seriously?
This is the most insidious piece of psychology ever. Holy Spirit is no where to be found, however the unforgivable sin is to blaspheme it or question it. If caught in this psychological trap, it is almost impossible to escape. It is the mirror of the relationship of a child caught in the trap of having an abusive parent. They have to trust someone, yet they are not trustworthy and the child has no choice in the matter and is left to abuse.
P.S.
Thanks again John, I do not know you personally, but I am glad that you are here. Please let us know where to mail a gift for your Baby.
Warm Regards,
I don’t know where to start. I wonder what real therapists and counselors would say if they saw this ? I’m a little sick to my stomach…
As a mother of an adult daughter who has repeatedly tried to commit suicide and is currently being held against her will in this vile cult I am absolutely outraged by this video. They have played manipulative games with my child’s delicate mental health, using her little boy as a pawn, paying no mind to multiple doctor’s advice to her to reconnect with her disfellowshipped family because to not do that ‘is not normal.’ She has been shown no love, because if her husband and his family cared about her life at all they would bend a little so she could have a relationship with me. I can only imagine the numerous JC’s she has had to endure and if they are spouting this mind numbing ‘advice’ I’m sincerely worried.
John, thank you so much for all you do and for putting yourself out there to share this information with all of us. I agree that these videos need to go viral, especially the suicide one….like you said, the average, thinking person would be horrified.
I can’t believe how much bias they put toward disfellowshipping rather than reproof. This way they favor the most wicked and hypocrite elders in the congregation, those that rather do what’s Jesus’s job, no theirs, judging another human beings repentance. I couldn’t understand how things went for my committee but these videos give a good insight into how much elders get perverted into being repentance evaluators.
I thought the video about disfellowshipping was already bad enough. With no insight whatsoever and showing absolutely no love, no responsibility.
But the video of the widow, I have no words, really! I could comment on every single part of it as things not to do in this situation! And if someone is in such a state of grief even pondering suicide this person should seek professional help. Not even once this was mentioned by the elders. And I hope, really I hope, that the older elder doesn’t talk with sisters and brothers in the real life with a smile in his face about subjects so serious and so painful as this ones…
Every time I am more certain that the organization cannot be the “truth” as they claim to be. And I am so happy that I was able to discover this on time.
But I fear for the ones who are inside and get counsel as this and then as a consequence lose their lives…
What about the pregnant lady ? The JW is responsible for the child, is he not ? So why have not the elders asked him to marry the lady, so that the baby will have a father ? Even if the lady and the still unborn child seem to be of no value in the eyes of the elders, it does not mean that they both have no value in the eyes of Jehovah.
Even though these videos are disturbing enough as they are presented here, like wise any one from the out side who has never been a part of this organization would no doubt be shocked and in complete disbelief that this sort of committee exists in the Jehovah’s Witnesses religion. My challenge to the the Watchtower is to produce a set of videos that show how these Judicial committees happen in real life and have been conducted for decades. It would have been much more difficult to show lets say for instance a young fourteen year old female adolescent who has been caught having sexual relations with a worldly boy friend. Lets take my Judicial committee meeting while I was fourteen and in the same situation, instead of the three Elders shown in this video only discussing how fornication is a sin and sharing bible scriptures with this young adult male. In my case I had four Elders asking me questions about what type of sex I had, was it oral sex or vaginal sex, did I enjoy the sex, would I have more sex if I could? Interestingly this Judicial committee was held just months after I had been molested by another Elder. Sadly the Elder body who found out about this crime gave instructions to keep the mater secret so not to bring reproach upon Jehovah’s great name. I was essentially violated again by four more Elders during my Judicial committee meeting after being sexually abused by the first Elder.
Most experts on child hood rape and abuse would tell you that it is highly recommended and in the best interest of the child’s mental health to seek professional therapy for what could take many months of intense therapy. It is absolutely destructive for any abuse victim to have four grown men after already been abused sexually, asked graphic sexually related questions. All you are doing is re abusing the victim.
My question to the Watchtower Society is two fold, have you finally done an investigation on my perpetrator (the name I gave you during a deposition in 2011) making sure he is not sexually abusing more Jehovah’s Witness children? And have you tuned over all the documented files of this abuser you have in your position at the Watchtower Headquarters, to the proper authorities?
Try making a video about that.
“Grieving Mary” is acting very well (a great acting talent utterly wasted, we can assume), but it sounds SO awkward and artificial when the elders start delivering Bible quotes _with full references_ supposedly straight from memory: “You have to remember at Exodus 20, when Jehovah said … blah, blah, blah …”
All right, I’m willing to buy that they can remember the famous “John 3:16” and a few other references, but NO WAY they have the entire Bible memorized by chapter and verse! It would be more realistic it the “moviemakers” had just shown the relevant Bible references at the bottom of the screen, but developing a plausible and believable script apparently was not a main concern here.
Or maybe the elders watching this are expected to feel suitably humble and insufficient because THEY, unlike the super-elders on the screen, haven’t memorized the entire Good Book by chapter and verse yet.
So sorry, our hearts go out to you.
The response was for fire inside. I am sorry I thought I posted under her comment.
Unfortunately, however, these dramatizations in no way reflect the reality of the spirit in which judicial matters are actually handled. Ask anyone who has sat before or on one.
Looking at these two videos made me think of a question that ought to appear on the Global Survey:
Were you ever disfellowshipped despite being genuinely repentant?
Watchtower holds that only “unrepentant” sinners are disfellowshipped. This would be a great way to find out.
Seduced by an aquarium. Brothers, we have our next local needs part.
Hi, the second part of the disfellowshiping video is missing. Is there another uploaded somewhere?
I really want my mother to see the scene with the elder advising the young man to break all ties with the woman he got pregnant.
Is it possible to put these videos on youtube. I can only download from youtube.
Thanks
Wondering when this video was filmed.
Disfellowshipping video – Part 1
Doug, the Chairman, speaking @ 5:23 came to Brooklyn Bethel; at the start of ‘Armageddon’ in 1974.
Being close to sixty years old today, perhaps his wife pulls out any gray hairs. Unless dyeing hair is permitted for brothers.
Hi Cedars, if you don’t mind I’d have a comment about the section where you said :
“The reason? Elders need to be “objective.” The idea is that if an elder is good friends with the accused he could be biased, and would likely not reach the correct decision EVEN if he is not a relative.
Watchtower doesn’t want too much mercy being shown in these situations.”
To be really honest with you, that just looks OK to me IF we’re talking about a judicial case. The issue would not be not wanting mercy, but simply being unbiaised, either way. So in that particular point, I don’t seem to have the same impression on the purpose. I even think that not involving a friend is rather a favor actually.
I think the real issue is the concept of a judicial committee altogether :-)
For the suicide related video … well, repeat “I’m an integrity keeper” a few times Mary, it will calm you down, and you’ll fall asleep easier while the engine is running …
It’s just crazy to handle such a grave situation this way. It really gives the impression of total disregard of whatever feelings people may have, it’s totally normal to expect them to get back on track after being reminded of Job’s story.
Just one recommendation to the elders : If, someone who suffers for a year started talking about committing suicide and only after 15 minutes goes saying “oh, I forgot the cookies” …. be very suspicious.
I wonder if they did a “how to handle a child abuse” video …
i really feel horrible for that brother…..was that the way Jesus was with people? Jehovah’s paradise….i would want to be it gonna be horrible and oppresive. These guys are scribes and pharisees, no mercy on how to patch this up in a dignified way. It they were directed by holy spirit why read a manual in arriving at a conclusion…proof there isnt no holy spirit there. I do hope you guys can withstand Jesus’s judgement. I am so glad I am out.
I think the video demonstrates a lack of sensitivity on the part of the organization toward members who lost loved ones in death. How so?
The same songs that are played at funerals are also played at the meetings to trigger fits of grief in members by bringing back memories of funerals.
If the organization was sensitive it would have a set of songs to be used only at funerals and never at other meetings.
Hang on, lemme get this straight. The young man in the scenario CONFESSED to the elders- is this not repentance? If you’re not sorry about something you’ve done, you don’t confess it! Confession comes from guilt, ie repentance! What a whacky, sick organisation.
I’m so glad there are people on the inside, in high places, who are just as mortified as we are and are releasing this information.
Both these videos are an outrage on so many levels. I was tempted to shut them both off and this coming from a never-been JW. If I can figure out a safe way to download these videos (please someone instruct me on that) I am so tempted to try to send them to some news organizations in an attempt to get media to cover this destructive cult. Words are nearly inadequate to describe how angry this makes me.
One of the most startling things about this video with “Mary?”
An elder goes into a shut room….ALONE…..with a woman.
Ummm…..
If they did, it’s not helpful. My stepdad was an abusive man (in SEVERAL ways). Years later we found out a LOT of people (elders) were aware of the situation, but continually instructed us children to be respectful of the “head of household”, and my mom to try harder to support his efforts. It took DCFS stepping in to take away the children that finally made my mom take action. Unhappy childhoods and screwed up relationships are what we learned.
Words can’t describe how horrible these videos were. Man I’m so glad that I’m not in this idiotic cult anymore.
I think the first part of the “Mary” video was how ‘not’ to do it. The 2nd half was the ‘right’ way – but if you ask me, the entire thing is disgraceful and dangerous.
As appalling as this video is, it makes me happy. I’m happy to see the organization is crumbling. As a lifelong JW I need the rest of my family to wake up and wake up soon. I can’t wait until I can safely step down without harassment. It’s comforting to see that many top insiders are leaking this material. The brothers leaking this material no doubt are district level speakers if not bethelites and COs. I’m glad they are blowing the whistle. My hats off to these courageous brothers.
P.S. I lost a close JW relative to suicide. This really sickens me that they are not directed to professionals. I don’t know how her father was able to sit through this video. Perhaps he was the one who leaked it as he is a JW big shot.