Memorial Talk Delivery

[JAMMY]

If a brother who delivers the Memorial talk professes to be anointed, should he accept the emblems on the stage, or should he take a seat that has been reserved for him in the audience close to the platform? What if he professes disability?

[JW Insider]

Interesting question. It was a custom up until the last 10 years or so to handle this inconspicuously. In NYC it was usually possible for almost any congregation to invite a brother from Bethel who professed to be of the anointed to give our talk, if we got the request to him in time. They usually, not always, took a seat first. But more often, the brother will now handle it from the stage. Saw this in 2013 and last year, but this year that brother didn't give the talk.

It looks odd when they handle it so formally. It reminds me of the movies where you see the Catholic priest take the bread and wine with an assistant up there with him, and a lot of exchanging of items and words back and forth. Looks a bit pompous, which is probably what we were trying to avoid.