Posted by Answer [TheAnswer] on November 24, 1999 at 14:12:38 {BlpRHB6gpcdrpa5PWFPAxhfEm6xSUk}:
In Reply to: To Active Elders posted by Amazing on November 24, 1999 at 12:00:36:
Something interesting happened in a congregation in which I have friends. It seems to contradict all this talk that is going on today here on H20.
A brother was appointed as an Elder. He had some reservations about it, as his wife is very dependant upon him, in fact it he brought it up when the Elders came and told him they'd like to appoint him, and asked if there was anything preventing him from serving as an Elder. But they calmed his fears, and he accepted the assignment. Well, after 6 months of serving, he couldn't do it anymore. His wife needed his time too much for him to carry out all his elder duties. He still wanted to serve, had been an MS before with no problems.
So he told the brothers, they contacted the CO, and it was announced at the very next meeting that he had been deleted as an Elder, but appointed as an MS. No lengthy delay, no finding of something wrong against it to disqualify him, just stepped down as Elder, and resumed his MS duties immediatly.
This experience seems to fly in the face of all the accusations thown around here today about the society not allowing Elders to step down or resign their positions. Or in fact, finding "dirt" on them to make them look like they've been forced out.