Congregation Politics

Originally published in 2003

I spoke with an old friend recently who suggested that I ought to write something about the "politics of religion." He didn't elaborate, but knowing his situation, I knew what he meant by that phrase. So, this week's commentary speaks to that issue.

Not to be confused with religion in politics, among Jehovah's Witnesses, politics in religion has to do with what might be termed political maneuvering on the part of congregation elders to gain or maintain their positions over others. While undoubtedly most elders are sincerely concerned with serving the best interests of their respective congregations, fallen human nature being what it is, some men seem more motivated by their own personal advancement and gratification.

No doubt, the reason the Bible specifically counsels elders not to lord it over others in their charge is because some men have a strong tendency to do that very thing. It seems that those who are so inclined come to imagine that the congregation belongs to them and so they view their fellow elders and other qualified men as potential rivals. That is animalistic thinking to be sure, but unfortunately it is all-too-common in our congregations. Before they were anointed, even the apostles were constantly striving with each other to determine which one was the greatest among them, so it is not surprising that we are plagued with similar shortcomings.

I knew a brother who was one of the finest elders I have ever known. He was a kindly, grandfatherly shoulder to lean on for many who were privileged to be in his congregation. He was beloved by nearly everyone—but not all.

As the presiding overseer of the congregation, he was once approached by a young person who confessed that they had fallen into sin and committed fornication. Of course, the organizational procedure for handling such things is that a formal judicial inquiry looks into the matter. However, in this case the presiding overseer felt the person was repentant and he basically told them ‘to go and sin no more.' But, because the matter was handled privately and not in accord with the Watchtower's outlined procedural policy, one ambitious young elder seized upon the presiding overseer's false step as a pretext for launching his own bid to have his rival removed as an elder and himself crowned as reigning king of the congregation.

He called a secret meeting of the elder body, to the exclusion of the presiding overseer, in order to build a case against him. Regrettably, the ambitious elder succeeded in his scheme and the kindly presiding overseer was unceremoniously booted from office after over 40 years of unselfish service to the friends. The effect upon the congregation was devastating.

While that is one of the more extreme cases of congregational politics, unfortunately it is not a rare example. I have known several men who in many ways were more qualified to serve the congregations than those who stood in judgment of their "qualifications." But, because they were apparently judged to be a threat to the personal power and prestige of certain ones who coveted the first place, they were either hounded from office or not recommended for it.

Judging from several emails I have received, there are others who have suffered from such petty political games. We are reminded of Diotrophes, of whom John said: "He likes to have the first place among them."

From the start of e-watchman, I have tried to take the high road and not succumb to petty fault-finding and voicing mere personal grievances. But, such issues need to be addressed if only to give comfort and encouragement to those who are dismayed by such unchristian behavior on the part of some elders. No doubt many of Jehovah's Witnesses have been stumbled and discouraged by such things. So, it seems appropriate to at least consider why Jehovah tolerates such evil among his people—if indeed we are his people.

Actually the apostle Peter explains why God temporarily allows discord in the congregation of his people. 1 Peter 4:12 says: "Beloved ones, do not be puzzled at the burning among you, which is happening to you for a trial, as though a strange thing were befalling you."

It is puzzling and strange to us when those who are supposed to be our brothers and ministers instead become our oppressors and persecutors. And what makes it particularly hard to deal with is that usually the victims must suffer in silence. That's because we are conditioned to think of persecution as coming from outside "worldly" sources. For example, we frequently read of personal experiences in the Watchtower of brothers and sister who have undergone harsh family opposition, or who endured the brutality of the Nazi concentration camps. But, we seldom, if ever, read about those who have suffered under the petty tyrannies of elders, which in some cases may be every bit as trialsome as the aforementioned.

In some ways, Jehovah's Witnesses are like a big dysfunctional family, in that everybody knows there is something wrong but we don't talk about it. After all, we are supposed to be living in a trouble-free spiritual paradise that is devoid of all the problems the world suffers. So, when persecution comes like a burning fiery trial from among our fellow believers, it is puzzling and strange to us; even as the apostle noted.

But, the reason God allows for "the burning among you," is for a trial. In the very next verse, the apostle goes on to say: On the contrary, go on rejoicing forasmuch as you are sharers in the sufferings of the Christ, that you may rejoice and be overjoyed also during the revelation of his glory."

While the above counsel is directed to those with a heavenly hope, all Christians are called upon to share in the sufferings of the Christ. And what exactly were some of the sufferings of the Christ? For one, Jesus suffered because his fellow Jews were so insensitive and hard-hearted. Mark 3:5 records an occasion in the synagogue when Jesus reached a point of near-total disgust, where it says: "after looking around upon them with indignation, being thoroughly grieved at the insensibility of their hearts." So, Jesus suffered because of the moral insensibility of others in the Jewish congregation.

Jesus no doubt suffered grief because his own family had not even put any faith in him as the Messiah. Not only that, but at one point they actually thought he'd gone crazy. The 3rd chapter of Mark also reports: "But when his relatives heard about it, they went out to lay hold of him, for they were saying: "He has gone out of his mind.""

There were also many occasions when his disciples let Jesus down. On the very night of the Evening meal, the apostles were still locked in a heated debate over which one of them was the greatest. Later, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus pleaded with them to stay with him and pray. The account reads: "And he said to them: "My soul is deeply grieved, even to death. Stay here and keep on the watch."" Yet, each time Christ returned to them they were sleeping.

So, the sufferings of the Christ are not just the physical suffering that he went through during his trial and execution. He suffered the emotional pain of anxiety, disappointment and rejection too.

The apostle Paul was no doubt a sharer in the sufferings of the Christ more than any other Christian. Besides being beaten and stoned by frenzied mobs of Jews, as well as having been arrested on several occasions, Paul also suffered persecution from his own brothers in the congregations.

Paul apparently founded the Corinthian congregation during one of his missionary tours. Incredibly, though, he was not well received by the congregation on subsequent circuit visits. The superfine apostles, who evidently came to preside over the Corinthians, disrespected Paul by saying that, while, his letters were weighty, his presence in person was weak and that his speech was simply contemptible. Paul tried to remind the congregation of his qualifications as an apostle, but apparently some in the congregation were unmoved. That's why he was compelled to write them at 2 Corinthians 12:11, saying: "I have become unreasonable. You compelled me to, for I ought to have been recommended by you. For I did not prove to be inferior to your superfine apostles in a single thing, even if I am nothing."

If the apostle Paul himself was disrespected and not recommended by the Corinthians, should we be surprised that there are qualified brothers today who are not recommended by their congregation elders?

Paul also had to come to terms with why Christ allowed such things to go on in the congregation. The conclusion he reached was that suffering insults from his brothers was also part of the sufferings of the Christ. That's why he wrote, "Most gladly, therefore, will I rather boast as respects my weaknesses, that the power of the Christ may like a tent remain over me. Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in cases of need, in persecutions and difficulties, for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am powerful."

While inner-congregation trials may be unfair and difficult to deal with, the issues are the same as what we face from outside. Will we keep our integrity to God in spite of the injustice and indignities of such politics?

James 5:9-11 is encouraging, as it acknowledges that our brothers may grieve us in various ways, but we shouldn't become exasperated so as to "heave sighs against one another," perhaps becoming embittered and uncooperative.

The verses read: "Do not heave sighs against one another, brothers, so that you do not get judged. Look! The Judge is standing before the doors. Brothers, take as a pattern of the suffering of evil and the exercising of patience the prophets, who spoke in the name of Jehovah. Look! We pronounce happy those who have endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome Jehovah gave, that Jehovah is very tender in affection and merciful."

In view of so many distressing circumstances in the local congregations, not to mention the disheartening difficulties the Watchtower has brought upon itself and the stumbling blocks those things have presented before us, the expression "the Judge is standing before the doors," seems more timely than ever before, as we look to Jehovah's future judgment.

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