Matthew Osgood’s Story: I Won the Game

This is the personal and true account of Matthew Osgood (Real name) from United Kingdom. He is an inactive member and made this submission on July 23, 2021 at 11:26 pm by completing the survey on the web page, Tell Your Story.

Me and Jehovah’s Witnesses

The highest position I reached in the organization is Baptized Publisher. I am faded and have been so for 18 years.

Baptized Publisher

I was baptized in 1992 when I was 15 to 17 years of age. Looking back, I think I was too young to be baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness.

If I could do it all over again, I would not get baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness. I was an unbaptized publisher for 2 years before I got baptized.

Discipline

Even though, I’m considered faded, I was disassociated previously.

To Shun

I have shunned someone in my congregation.

To Be Shunned

I think long-term shunning has a detrimental effect on a person’s emotional, mental and/or physical well-being.

I was shunned by Grandparent(s), Parent(s), Sibling(s), Aunt(s), Uncle(s), Best Friend/Close Friend(s), Congregation Friend(s).

I disagree with Jehovah’s Witnesses’ practice of shunning.

Jehovah’s Witnesses’ practice of shunning has given me suicidal thoughts.

I would like Jehovah’s Witnesses to end shunning.

I was dissociated for approximately 7 years between 1995 and around 2002 between the ages of 19 and 26. I had on and off contact with my family during this time.

At the time of disassociation, I worked in a Motel with 7 other Jehovah’s Witnesses. My supervisor was a Witness (Elder). During this time after leaving the Witnesses I was shunned daily whilst trying to go about my employment (Non-Witness employer/Owner).

This daily shunning affected my mental health in a negative way. In a very short space of time, my mental health quickly deteriorated, where alone in my flat, I was contemplating suicide.

Thankfully a non-Witness couple, who I had befriended, noticed I was starting to struggle and neglecting myself. They offered to give me a fresh start in a new town and surrounded me in loving support with their family and friends.

In 2002, after a breakdown in a relationship, I felt like I needed to rebuild my relationship with my family so I spent 9 months attending meetings again until I was reinstated.

After a couple of months I left the congregation and the area I was living in and moved overseas without telling anyone in the congregation. This was all pre-planned.

I’ve not been to a meeting since and have had no contact with the local congregation. I now have full contact with my family that remain Witnesses in Australia (albeit from the UK) we just rarely, if ever, mention their religion and I don’t believe they disclose to their local congregation their contact with me.

Final Comments

Individually (apart from the shunning), I have no problem with rank and file Witnesses. they are generally well-meaning and good people, who are victims of a Highly Controlled organisation.

I would like to see further scrutiny from governments into how this church operates. I believe the men at the top should be made accountable for the suffering they have created after implementing out-of-date and out-of-touch teachings and policies that would be totally unacceptable in society if they were not hiding behind the cloak of a religion.

Thanks for reading,
Matthew Osgood