Who are we ?
Authentic Witness is managed by persons who have been baptised as Jehovah’s Witnesses. We are not disfellowshipped and do not view ourselves as apostates. We have a sincere love for people and truth, respect for organisation, and a strong desire for supporting those who are struggling to cope.
We have no inclination to speak negatively about congregation arrangements or individual members. We are open to hearing your experience and providing an outlet for you to process the feelings associated with your life as a Witness. As well, if you want to discuss points of scripture, we can hear you and if you wish, endeavour to give clear biblical responses to your thoughts. What we don’t know, we are happy to research and share with you for your own contemplation. We are relentlessly examining the truth and asking God for biblical guidance. As with the Christian woman Lydia in Acts 16: 13,14 we believe it is the holy spirit that Jehovah ultimately uses to open and heal the hearts of believers and unbelievers.
Engage with us!
Emotional support. Confusion. Connection. Spiritual & Mental Abuse Recovery. Doctrine curiosity. Scriptural collaboration. Encouragement. Truth.
Founder:
Monica –
I was born into the religion, third generation witness, and been a regular pioneer. More importantly, I have been through the mill emotionally and spiritually for over 30 years having recovered from abuse, divorce, depression and rejection within the congregation. For many of those years I appeared to be spiritually competent but was in deep grief and at one time contemplating suicide.
During these times my faith remained intact but, reduction in ministry and lack of visibility in meeting attendance put me on the receiving end of subtle and very overt shunning behaviour. It was the last thing I needed. It has added immense additional pain to the years of my recovery and I recognised the support gap that exists for many JW’s in receiving acknowledgment and support of psychological stress.
I have now recovered and have over 10 year’s training and experience in providing trauma related psychological support. It is my goal to use my whole personal experience in any way beneficial to other JW’s so that nothing that I went through will have been in vain.
Through this website, I truly desire for all things to work together for good and to promote God’s glory in the sustainment of his servants. As the system progresses towards the Great Tribulation life is becoming more complex and we need each other to keep going. I am grateful to God that I am alive and I hope that God considers me worthy of the privilege to be a supporting arm to the brotherhood. Romans 8:28
READ OUR BLOGS
Purpose
Being a Jehovah’s Witness (JW) can seem like a unique experience. Perhaps you were born into the religion or converted from a different faith. Perhaps you encountered a JW in their ministry and embarked on a bible study. Maybe you are active in the congregation or no longer attend meetings. Perhaps you have stepped away from the religion and are questioning the existence of God.
Whether you are or have ever lived the life of a JW you will recognise feeling different from the rest of ‘the world’. This can create a wonderful sense of belonging among fellow believers and bonds that traverse internationally. How comforting to visit a foreign land and be accepted as a friend purely for the faith. On the other hand, it also brings with it a challenge, namely to always keep up with the program and stay in line with the congregation changes, beliefs and activities in order to be accepted.
So, what happens when life throws a curve ball and you find yourself struggling to maintain the schedule or sustain the feeling of being in a spiritual paradise. What happens when in or after a crisis you lose your energy, hope, confidence, faith or you think it no longer makes sense. Where do you go?
Many will say there is nowhere but the society, meaning call Bethel, request a shepherding call, speak to your study conductor or phone a JW friend. These might be options that have worked for you in the past and that’s good to hear. However, some brothers and sisters have tried these only to feel misunderstood, judged, exposed, ignored, or in some other way dissatisfied with the outcome, like sheep without a shepherd. Why so, often because the kinder qualities of mercy , empathy and understanding were not present in the interaction.
This site is dedicated to adult JW’s past, present or future, wherever you are in your spiritual journey, who cannot blow off the negative feelings as a result of their connection with ‘The Truth’. When emotional wellbeing is damaged our spiritual health is impacted, it does not exist in isolation. We are told to love Jehovah God with our whole mind, heart, soul and strength. It is a command not an option, because we are created as holistic beings and must worship holistically. If you are experiencing psychological or emotional discomfort and you know you need support, we are willing to help.
We can offer you one to one listening to help you talk things out at your own pace without feeling alone or judged. Email us for a conversation. The service is free, confidential, empathic and true to God’s word.
Some of the topics we have encountered:
Fear of missing out – education, career, friends
Shame – bullying, abuse, inadequacy
Anger – congregation discipline.
Isolation – Shunning or being shunned.
Suppression- Unexpressed grief for loved ones, the sheep and the goats.
Confusion – new light, old light, no light
Anxiety- planning a future in a world that will end
We also welcome you to share your personal experience with us and/or on the site. Writing your feelings out is proven to have a clarifying and cathartic effect on our wellbeing, and by sharing with others it may help to reduce isolation knowing you/they are not alone in your experience. Let us know if you are seeking a response.
