A remarkable letter has been circulated to all bodies of elders stipulating that the Coordinator of the Body of Elders must stand down from his role if he is 80, or approaching that age.
The letter, dated June 1 2014, cites no scriptures in support of this strange new discriminatory rule.
“As the organization continues to expand,” it says, “there is a need for more brothers to reach out and a need for those who now serve as elders to take on more responsibility. To assist in this effort, the Governing Body has decided that, effective September 1, 2014, brothers who are 80 years of age or older will no longer serve as a coordinator of the body of elders.”
It is unknown precisely why the organization is deemed to be “expanding” amidst record levels of branch closures, and the down-scaling of magazine printing.
It is further baffling that a need for more elders to assume responsibility should have anything to do with what age the coordinator of a congregation happens to be.
The letter in full reads as follows…
TO ALL BODIES OF ELDERS
Re: Coordinator of the body of elders
Dear Brothers:
The Governing Body appreciates the fine brothers who serve as congregation elders and the work they do in advancing Kingdom interests. Many elders have served in this capacity for decades, and we benefit from their wisdom and fine example of faith and loyalty in caring for Jehovah’s sheep.—Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:2, 3.
As the organization continues to expand, there is a need for more brothers to reach out and a need for those who now serve as elders to take on more responsibility. To assist in this effort, the Governing Body has decided that, effective September 1, 2014, brothers who are 80 years of age or older will no longer serve as a coordinator of the body of elders. Of course, a coordinator of the body of elders who is not yet 80 years of age might also modestly decide that it would now be best to have another brother take on this role.—Mic. 6:8.
If, in view of the foregoing, it will be necessary to recommend a change in the brother serving as the coordinator of the body of elders, this matter should be given due consideration at an up-coming elders’ meeting. If the next visit of the circuit overseer to your congregation will not be until after September 1, the recommendation could be held until his visit.—ks10 chap. 2 par. 13.
In the Shepherding textbook, chapter 2, paragraph 11, after the first sentence, each elder should insert “He must be less than 80 years of age.”
We thank you for your loyal support of these theocratic refinements. (Isa. 60:17; Rev. 1:20) Please accept an expression of our warm Christian love.
Your brothers,
Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses
It is worth noting that certain Governing Body members are no spring chickens themselves.
Three of the current members are aged 70 years or older (including David Splane, 70, and Gerrit Lösch, 73), with one member (Samuel Herd, born in 1935) on the cusp of turning 80 himself. Are these men to similarly ‘modestly’ stand down from coordinating the organization once they hit the big eight-zero?
Country girl
Good point. Please dont be offended if I ask Cedars his opinion on your first point. However I totaly agree with the second and said the exact same thing myself.
…….Cedars………
Country girl has a really interesting point about the pension. Do you feel this is feasable. Obviously congregation co ordinators do not get this pension but do d/o and c/o. Very thought provoking.
I already wiped Moses out of my Bible. Not to talk about Abraham. And I would’nt mention Noah. What about Jehovah himself? Beauty before age seems to be the new light…
Thanks Cedars for your article.
I must say there are some very ageist remarks on this thread. Personally I think older elders are a threat to WT. They have seen how policies are changing. They are more likely to be compassionate and understanding in judicial cases.
Ones that were alive in 1975, can see all the flip flops. These older, wiser men are a liability to WT because of their knowledge and abilities. That’s why they’re being axed.
It is totally unscriptural when we look at the patriarchs such as Moses, Noah, and John. If you want to take a biblical stand.
All in all this just shows that the GB is not guided by HS, but by the best interests of it’s leaders, namely the GB.
Kate xx
Last but not least, the president of Italy is 86, very much appreciated and honored for his excellent work. He works long hours too.
Haha yeh we do seem to have different views on some things.
Firstly local bodies of elders would find it hard to stop an 80 year old being co ordinator if he has been an elder for many years. The society making a blanket decision like this takes away their possible problem of allowing an 80 year old who is not capable of doing the job well.
Remember it is a business, why do you expect everything they do to be based on the bible? There are many rules they lay down that are not based on the bible just on modern business practice.
Why do you think the society have singled out that particular job to put an upper limit of 80? They have a reason for everything they do. Co ordinator means bringing everything together successfully. The society feel that an 80 year old cannot do that as well as a younger man.
I am not saying if it is right or wrong. I couldn’t care less what they do, but I am simply surmising that could be their reason for doing it.
“Firstly local bodies of elders would find it hard to stop an 80 year old being co ordinator if he has been an elder for many years.” – another sweeping generalization. You’re proving my point, thank you.
“Remember it is a business, why do you expect everything they do to be based on the bible?” – it’s not about what I expect, it’s about the claims they make of themselves based on which many visitors to this site pledge their lives to the organization. Do you need me to draw you a diagram?
“The society feel that an 80 year old cannot do that as well as a younger man. I am not saying if it is right or wrong.” – now you’re backtracking from your earlier ageist remarks. Well done for distancing yourself from them, I would to. But I would also apologize for making them in the first place, which you seem incapable of doing.
Robert Mugabe is over 90 but still winning elections by foul and fair means. It shows their reason got nothing to do with the capability of doing the job well. They don’t want somebody whom they can’t control.
Based on this information then God has to step down too?
lol
what is a ‘coordinator’ of elders?
and what 80 yr old wouldnt want to ‘retire’!
unless he is a control freak.
I am sure The Queen would not be too pleased if this logic was applied to her. She is well into her eighties and is remarkable.
Folks, I just had a thought!
What if this removal of elders over 80 is a way of weeding out any supposed “Annointed” amongst the eldership?
Damn tricky to be the FADS if there are other pesky well regarded Annointed elders out there in witness land.
After all, to be a “proper” Annointed one, you should ideally have been born around the 1930s, before the cut off point.
Peace be with you
Excelsior!
Sam Herd was in poor health when he was a District Overseer, has diabetes. imimacountrygirl, I was not aware that the coordinator of elders( or what I knew of as presiding overseers) received a pension or had health benefits with the Watchtower, have I missed something?….But, to respond to the overall blog, I believe that this is another way for this centralized cult to have control over it’s congregations. If you have older coordinators who have been serving in their congregations for 50 years ,and a circuit overseer , half their age , comes in, the watch tower has the battle of experience to contend with. It would not surprise me, if eventually , all elders at that age, must be removed.( They know too much and seen too much.)The fact that their appears to be a shift in the appointment of young leaders, proves to me that the watch tower really does not believe the end is near. The watch tower is securing their apostolic post for the next 40 years.
Absolutly! In spite of having passed 80, she’s a winner among those who is spending millions of the tax-payers money. She is a match even to GB’s… Hurray!
I don’t know if this has been mentioned already or if anyone is aware of it but speaking to my dad today, who belongs to a congregation in the Worcester circuit in the uk, he said that last week they announced about C.B.E’s being taken off by the age of 80 but it was also announced that circuit overseers will also have to come off when they reach the age of 70. Has anyone else heard this? If this has already been mentioned then please forgive me :)
I know in my congregation in north west Indiana they had a brother step down he was in his 80’s talk was they did not want him falling off the plat-form.
Dr. Strange-creed or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Truth
The scriptural basis for this maneuver has already been laid down. If you recall a few months back, Isaiah 62:10?
“Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations.”
So, vere vee alwedy haf begun to removen zee sick und disabled vroom zee international conventions, vee can now move zees frail old ones into zee meditation kamps. it ese zee New Order Zolution.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiwKb-x7wXQ&w=1280&h=720%5D
There should be a chill running up and down your spine followed by waves of abhorrence and disgust.
This one is a mind-boggler. Now why would WT do this? Best part of this article is that picture up top with Herd and those sisters like they are straight posing with a celebrity. LOL!!!!!!!!!!
Cedars asked, “Are these men to similarly ‘modestly’ stand down from coordinating the organization once they hit the big eight-zero?”
I think we all know the answer to that: NO!
Listen, Obey and Be Blessed!
I agree with some others that have stated that these older men have seen the changes over the last 80 years and may not be ready to “listen,obey and be blessed”
soon they will only be appointing newly converted to key roles.
Is it just me or is the part where the letter says “In the Shepherding textbook, chapter 2, paragraph 11, after the first sentence, each elder should insert “He must be less than 80 years of age.”” one of the most jarring parts? Totally overrules and insults a bodies ability to make decisions based on an age. Will definitely be interesting to see if Samuel Herd will step down! Maybe he will!
Scripture itself does not support this. Quite the opposite. Many early Christian leaders served as leaders up until their dying day. But in an organization of rules, by-rules, sub-rules, suggested rules, and rules to govern the rules, this would be expected I suppose. I think Jesus had it right – Christianity is about the easiest religion in the world to practice. He was critical of religious rule setters of his time.
I agree with Kate that one of the compelling reasons for them to do this would be the strenuous efforts they make to bury the evidence (in particular eye witness testimony).
They’ll slam their flock with scripts about respecting the greyheaded ones for their wisdom and to respect those taking the lead among them but then they themselves when they don’t like that one guy probably stood up and called them on their lies, will just unilaterally kaibosh all men aged 80.
Seems to me the Watchtower leaders wants all witnesses to their heinous abuses, dead and buried.
People die when they stop working. This is what the Watchtower wants for all eyewitnesses to their lies. Death.
Cedars…you are like the FBI when it comes to these insane ppl LOL! like how do you get all this “undercover” info (sometimes even before the congregations)?? all I can say is, im impressed…and keep unleashing the deep down truth and lies!!!!!!
Pretty simple, They are trying to keep the senile out of the way…