What happens to the time card after the Watchtower disfellowship JWs?

Question

I am not sure how I should call these things, are they points or credits? I am talking about the time they have to report to the WT Organization regarding their time spent on proselyting ( door knocking ) etc

Answer 1

The Card stays in the file. No one other than the elders and yourself can look at it.  When you disfellowshiped a letter is kept apart from your card.If & when you return you pick up where you left off, depending on the time that has elapsed.Some people may be out for decades, in that case a new card is established.  

Answer 2

If you are a baptized JW and not disfellowshipped you turn the time that you spend preaching to your congregation overseer or your congregation secretary. If you are disfellowshipped then I would advise to talk to your congregation elders.  

Answer 3

You are talking about the Publisher Record Card. It records all your activities, door knocking, disciplinary incidents, etc.

To my knowledge, it is kept on file, by the Congregation that DF'd you. You can only be reinstated at the whim of the congregation that DF'd you. Usually if possible, the three Elders who were the disfellowshipping committee will meet with you,  if you want to be reinstated. At some point you will submit a letter requesting reinstatement.

You have to begin attending meetings again and show "real" repentance, as arbitrarily judged by the 3 Elders.If you are reinstated, your publishers record card will show when your were DF'd and when you were reinstated.

There is some procedure for a person who has moved out of the area and goes to a new cong and requests to be reinstated there. It still involves the original elders. At some point your Pub. Rec. Card will be forwarded to the new Cong. i forget the rules.

That card follows you from congregation to congregation. If you move from New York to California and begin attending meetings, the California Elders will contact your last cong and the card will be forwarded to them.

The time spent going door to door is usually called hours.

If you leave your area and never seek to be reinstated, your card stays permanently with the last Cong that DF'd you. I don't know if they purge the files after some period. My cards dates back to 1958, when I first reported time and was considered what they call a "Publisher". It also shows when I was DF'd, in 2000, or 2001. I forget.

I told the Elders several times to feel free to throw mine out. I won't be needing it again.

Funny, the Elders are charged with, at least once a year contacting each DF'd person in their territory to see if they have had a change of heart. I have yet to be contatced. I'm not complaining. My fondest wish is to never see or talk to a Witness again, except for my paying clients. The point is, as per usual, they're not doing their job.

Answer 4

The elders in the congregation maintains it. They don;t have to make another one unless necessary (as stated by condoru).

It is important for the elder to know the condition of the members of the congregation. It is part of the loving sheperding of fellow Christians. Remember the Words of Jesus to Peter..Sheperd my little sheep (John 21:16)

Just as Jesus knows and cares for his sheep.. Our elders do their best to do the same

Answer 5

Points or credits?

Have to report?

We don't have points or credits. We don't HAVE to report time.

And keep them for what?

I am a Witness. Can you clarify?

EDIT:

Yes I do know what is being referred to. I have been a Witness for over 50 years. The question was to help you see that the terminology can be misleading. We do not "rack up" points or credits, as it were/ And we truly do not HAVE to give reports. Any thing we report is voluntary and not "demanded" by the "WT organization".

Forgive me if I mistook your question. But it sounded like "third party" information, meant in a belittling or derogatory manner. That may not have been your motive, just perhaps someone else that is either asking the question thru you or is wanting to "inform" you of "procedures".

Your terminology let me know that you are either VERY newly acquainted with Jehovah's Witnesses or are being asked thru a third party.

That was my question as to "clarification".

Answer 6

angelmusic1914- You assert that the questioner is being misleading but you yourself post misleading statements. Does your congregation secretary not call you and ask for your time if you do not turn it in by the 6th of every month? If you do not turn in time, are you not placed on an "irregular" or "inactive" list? While the organization does not "demand" that you report your time, they do expect it. Please note this excerpt from the Sept 1988 Kingdom Ministry;

"*** km 9/88 p. 3 par. 6 Report Field Service Accurately ***

"Since the secretary has to send the congregation’s field service report to the Society by the sixth of the following month, it can easily be seen why it is important for each publisher to turn in his field service report promptly at the end of the month. Out of consideration for this arrangement, each publisher will want to follow this direction carefully. The secretary has only six days in which to gather all the reports together, total them, and mail the congregation’s report so that the Society receives it in time to include it with the field service activity of over 8,000 other congregations in this country."

As far as I know, Nina, the publisher cards remain in a locked filing cabinet indefinitely or until it is considered of no use (i.e. the person has died).