AGUEST SAIDMay you all have peace!
That question was raised on another site, in light of the WTBTS' new position as stated that their recent Annual Meeting (among other new positions). Here is a link to the OP, which I would like to offer a response here because I think it's noteworthy (and so's I stay out of trouble - LOLOL!):
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchto ... DS-in-1973 I believe the answer was given by Mr. Carey Barber when he and I spoke some years ago. At that time, Mr. Barber informed me, with some consternation, that "the Governing Body hasn't had anything to do with [what's in] the Watchtower since 1972!" Why did he say this? Because I had asked him to pass on something I received from my Lord to the Governing Body. However, it was NOT the GB that any such information was to be passed on to, reviewed... or APPROVED by.
And so this was quite surprising: how can the GB not have anything to do with the Watchtower, the organization's signature publication? Well, I asked and he responded: in anticipation of 1975, six committees were formed to take over the work of the "anointed" GB... who, at that time, anticipated going to heaven to "be with Jesus." One of those committees was the Writing Committee... which oversees the Writing Department. THAT's where my information* had to go; NOT to the GB (and although Mr. Barber promised me he would pass it on, I've no idea if he ever did).
Per Mr. Barber, the responsibility for the WT (and I've no doubt ALL of the publications)... the information and writing... was fully turned over to the Writing Committee and its Writing Department in 1972... anticipation if 1975. He also informed us (as has the WT magazine) that those on that Committee, while "anointed", are not necessarily on the GB; however, at least one GB member is on that Committee.
What does this mean? The notes included in the above thread give us some clue:
Quote:
"The Faithful and Discreet Slave is a small group of anointed brothers during Jesus’ presence serving at Watchtower Headquarters who are directly involved in the preparing and dispensing of spiritual food. The individual members of the Governing Body are not the Faithful and Discreet Slave. They only act as the Faithful and Discreet Slave when they are working as a collective body in making decisions regarding the dispensing of spiritual food."
Notice, the "individual members" if the GB are NOT the FDS; that group only ACTS as the FDS when, as a body, they make decisions regarding the DISPENSING [of spiritual food]. Which means what? Which means they decide:
1. What ultimately gets dispensed (what articles!), if it even does ("Okay, yes, we can/will PUBLISH - dispense - that, but no we can't/won't PUBLISH - dispense - that," etc.); and
2. The media and method to dispense (i.e., book, tract, CD, multiple versions (i.e., public WT vs. study WT), etc.
In contrast, the WTBTS FDS are:
1. Those of "a small group of [anointed] brothers" (hence, all male)
2. Serving at Watchtower Headquarters (hence, not at a branch, etc.)
3. Directly involved in the preparing (and these two are KEY)
4. And dispensing [of spiritual food]... which they do THROUGH their Agent/PUBLISHER... the WTBTS and its GB!
This is one of the reasons I attended law school, dear ones: to be able to decipher THEIR "legal-speak." Because while it's one thing to be able to decipher regular, non-WTBTS legal-speak, it's another to be able to decipher WTBTS speak. It's an entirely OTHER thing... to be able to decipher their legal speak - one would have to know both legal-speak AND WTBTS lingo (how many attorneys do YOU know would understand your reference to "the Governing Body" and "Faithful and Discreet Slave"? I wager that very few would).
And what is being said here is legalese, in THEIR language. It is their way of saying that the GB is NOT the FDS... but only ACTS as such... by acting as the AGENT of the FDS... in deciding how the "food" is ultimately dispensed! THEY don't "prepare" it. Indeed, as Mr. Barber said, they have nothing to DO with the WRITING of the WT.
Who, then is that entity, the "FDS", for THEM (the GB... or whoever controls them)?
It is [someone(s)] who (1) is directly involved in what is issued by the Writing Department; and (2) serves on the Writing Committee; but (3) may not be on the GB (which approves the form/method and ultimate publication of the dispensation)!
Mr. Barber told me that the WT is derived from already published articles, which are simply recycled. He said that "how" it's done was set forth "in the video" ("Jehovah's Witnesses - The Organization Behind the Name"). To see for ourselves, another sister and I reviewed... and reviewed... and reviewed... that video to see what he meant. We had to... because it took us watching it 3 times to see it... because the information was only about 5 seconds long... and ensconced between much lengthier spots of information.
But it's there: the Writing Department simply takes old articles, reviews them for [WTBTS] accuracy, edits them to bring them up to date, if necessary. As of 1972.
So, for the WTBTS, who really IS their "FDS"?
If there indeed IS such an entity (and, truthfully, I don't know that there is but is actually nothing more than a ruse used to "mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones" by establishing a "phantom" authority, whose AGENT is the "GB"... another level of "authority")... it would be the member(s) of the Writing Committee, of which at least one is a GB member (if that is even still a requirement).
I hope this helps and, again, I bid you all peace!
YOUR servant and a slave of Christ,
SA
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