[Italized text represents dialogue from the speaker at the annual meeting.]
There was a talk delivered at this year's October 3rd annual meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses that for me qualifies as the most despicable talk I have ever heard. I know that despicable is a strong word, and I don't say things like that lightly, but I stand by it — and by the end of this video I think you'll agree.
Jody Jedele, the chairman of the 2026 annual meeting, makes the introduction: "Earlier, Brother Lösch talked about how we need to continue trusting in Jehovah, have confidence in him. Please take note of the next title: “Jehovah Has Confidence in You.” Let's give our attention to Brother Winder."
Governing Body member Jeffrey Winder is infamous for delivering the "no apology needed" talk, which is the runner-up for my most despicable talk award. In his own words:
"Well, knowing this, then we are not embarrassed about adjustments that are made, nor is an apology needed for not getting it exactly right previously. We understand this is how Jehovah operates. He reveals matters gradually when it is needed."
The reason for calling these talks despicable is that they lay the blame for the mistakes, misdirection, and misdeeds — dare I say sins — of the Governing Body at the feet of God. Jehovah is the one who is truly responsible, not them. They can say that while at the same time demanding absolute obedience from the rank-and-file Jehovah's Witness.
Here, in their own words, is what they claim.
From the October 1st, 1994 Watchtower magazine, page 8:
"All who want to understand the Bible should appreciate that the greatly diversified wisdom of God can become known only through Jehovah's channel of communication, the faithful and discreet slave."
They then cite John 6:68 in support of that statement. Here is what it actually says:
"Simon Peter answered him: 'Lord, whom shall we go away to? You have the sayings of everlasting life.'" (John 6:68)
It is Jesus we listen to and obey — not some self-appointed channel of communication that bypasses him and claims to be the conduit through which Jehovah teaches his people.
Jeffrey seems to be the go-to man when they need to shift blame from themselves to God. And they certainly need that this year, because just a month ago they told their flock in Governing Body Update Number 6 that essentially every type of blood transfusion — we're talking about 98% of all blood transfusions — is now a matter for the individual Jehovah's Witness to decide on his or her own. There is no longer a hard and fast rule prohibiting this medical use of blood. It is now a matter of personal conscience.
Jeffrey wastes no time shifting the blame to God, but in the nicest of ways:
"Have you come to appreciate in recent years how much confidence Jehovah puts in his servants? In what way? By placing greater emphasis on being guided by Bible principles."
Did you see it? In recent years, Jehovah has put confidence in his servants by placing greater emphasis on being guided by Bible principles. All the changes are from God, not men. They claim that the rules about not clinking glasses, women wearing dresses, beardless men in suits and ties, not pursuing higher education, and — the really big one — not accepting blood transfusions, all came from God. Before, Jehovah made rules, but now he is placing greater emphasis on Bible principles.
What a load of horse manure. Where is that in the Bible? I'll tell you what is in the Bible and has been there for well over 2,000 years:
"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares Jehovah. I will put my law within them, and in their heart I will write it, and I will become their God, and they will become my people." (Jeremiah 31:33)
The writer of Hebrews cites that prophecy in Hebrews 10:16 and applies it to the Christian congregation. And then along came a body of men who claimed to be the sole channel Jehovah speaks through, and they made a whole slew of rules and laws. Now they are softening their position, relaxing their rules, and claiming this is Jehovah's doing — so that any pain, suffering, or death that resulted from those rules isn't their fault at all. It is just the way Jehovah does things.
"Jehovah's confidence in us is reflected in the responsibility he entrusts to us. You could illustrate Jehovah's trust this way. A manager hires a new employee. But because he doesn't know the employee well, he gives him detailed instructions: here's what time to arrive, here's how you handle the files, here's how you answer the phone — written procedures for every task. But after a few years, the employee proves reliable. The manager has trust in him, so pages of instructions are no longer necessary. The manager may simply say, 'Please make sure that this project is taken care of.' Well, Jehovah has done a similar thing with his people. He has confidence in each one of us, and this is reflected in recent adjustments that have been made."
Now he is making it about you. Stop and analyze what he is actually saying. The lifting of the ban on blood transfusions is merely an "adjustment" — just tweaking things. And before, Jehovah apparently didn't have confidence that you could make the decision whether to give your son or daughter a blood transfusion when a doctor said it was needed to save their life. Jehovah just said, "You can't do that." But now he has more confidence in you to make the right choice.
So, a 50-year-old man born and raised in the organization only now has the ability to make the right choice, and Jehovah has confidence he'll do so. Well, Jeffrey, old boy, what about the fellow who was just baptized a year ago? Does he have to wait 50 years, or does God have the same confidence in him as well?
"For example, in the field ministry, publishers are no longer reporting their activity. How we deal with ones who have been removed from the congregation — might we call one and invite them to the meeting? If they come, will we say a greeting? Well, each Christian must decide. Similarly, each Christian decides whether they will pursue additional education, whether they will toast or clink glasses. In these and other areas, Jehovah gives us principles to guide us. We had a talk along these lines at the last annual meeting, didn't we? But even in the years since, additional adjustments have been made that demonstrate Jehovah's confidence in us. So in March, Governing Body Update Number 2: the use of one's own blood in medical procedures and treatments is something that must be decided by each Christian. And then, just two weeks ago, Governing Body Update Number 6: Christians must decide whether they would accept or donate any of the four main components of blood in medical and surgical care. Jehovah wouldn't give us such latitude if he didn't have the confidence that we have the spiritual discernment to make good decisions in these areas."
Doesn't that sound so nice? Jehovah now trusts you to make wise decisions about things like counting time in field service, seeking higher education, clinking glasses in a toast, or accepting a potentially life-saving blood transfusion. So very nice of God to trust you so. Of course, the corollary to what Winder is saying is that for the past 80 years, Jehovah didn't trust you to make any of those decisions. Instead, he gave you strict rules you had to follow.
Do you see why I find this talk despicable?
It wasn't Jehovah who made those rules. It was men like Jeffrey Winder.
Jeffrey is now going to counsel you on how to use your conscience. You are going to want to take this in.
"Please turn to the book of Romans, chapter 14. In this chapter, the Apostle Paul, under inspiration, discusses several issues in his day that were a matter of conscience. Romans 14:2 and 3 talks about eating certain foods. Under the Mosaic Law there were specific dietary restrictions, such as not eating pork. But by this time the Christians were no longer under the Mosaic Law, so perhaps some didn't have a problem eating foods previously prohibited. Others didn't feel comfortable doing so. Each Christian had to decide."
This is an excellent comparison to make between first-century Christianity and that practiced by Jehovah's Witnesses under their Governing Body — excellent because it highlights everything that is wrong with Jeffrey Winder's reasoning, though he seems blissfully unaware of the irony.
Jewish Christians had been under the Law of Moses before entering into the new covenant under Christ. Moses was the channel that Jehovah God had used to communicate the Mosaic Law with its many restrictions. Jews could not eat pork; they had to keep the Sabbath. Breaking those laws was a death sentence. Jesus came and became the channel through which Jehovah communicated with his servants. No more law code. Personal conscience ruled, guided by Bible principles. The old covenant sealed through Moses at Mount Sinai was over. A new covenant through Jesus was now in place and has been in place ever since. The law has been written on the heart of every disciple of Jesus since then.
So where did the law code come from that Jehovah's Witnesses have been following until very recently? It came from the Governing Body, who — like the scribes and Pharisees before them — seated themselves in the seat of Moses and made new laws and new rules. "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the seat of Moses." (Matthew 23:2)
For instance, until recently, and throughout my 60 years as a Jehovah's Witness, you had to report your preaching activity every month. If you didn't fill out a report card, the elders would be on your case. If you didn't report for six consecutive months, you would no longer be counted as an active publisher, meaning you wouldn't receive the monthly Kingdom Ministry used during the weekly service meeting. You were basically on the outside. The whole thing was run more like a corporation than a congregation of believers. There were rules for everything, and if you didn't follow them, the elders would come by to pay you a "loving visit."
And now, as they look back, they are saying that all those rules and requirements were from Jehovah — but now he thinks you've grown up enough that you don't need them. They won't take responsibility for anything. They heap it all on God. Despicable.
"Verses 5 and 6 talks about regarding one day as more sacred than another — a carryover from the Mosaic Law, specifically the Sabbath. Should that day still be set aside exclusively for matters related to rest and worship? Or could other things be done? Now, the brothers taking the lead didn't make a rule."
He admits that in the first century, the brothers taking the lead did not make a rule concerning the Sabbath. So why, in the 20th century, did the brothers taking the lead not follow the path the apostles walked? Why did Nathan Knorr and Fred Franz and the subsequent members of the Governing Body make rules and enforce laws — laws not even found in Scripture? This is the elephant in the room, something he is completely ignoring as he explains how a Christian should exercise his conscience in applying Bible principles.
"Well, this brings us to our last question on this topic: how can we protect our Christian unity when it comes to matters of conscience? I invite you to turn back to Romans 14. When speaking about the matter of eating different types of foods, what warning is included in verse 4? It says, 'Who are you to judge the servant of another?' Again, when speaking about whether one day is more sacred than another, we find the same counsel in verse 10: 'But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you also look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.'"
The man seems totally devoid of self-awareness. The laws laid down by the Governing Body in 1961 were designed to judge anyone who got a blood transfusion, with a view to disfellowshipping them should they not repent. How dare he presume to counsel anyone about not judging another, when he and his cronies have been enforcing judgment on all who violated the rules of the organization — rules they have only recently proclaimed to be matters of conscience. He is digging himself into a hole, and now he digs deeper.
"So what's the danger? It could disrupt our Christian unity if we begin to judge our brothers' decisions in these matters. Take for example this matter of the Sabbath day in the first century. Perhaps there's one brother who feels it's okay to travel a little further or do some necessary work on the day that used to be the Sabbath — but he still puts spiritual things first, still sets aside time for study and worship and time with his family. But his brother, a Jewish Christian, feels it is still best to reserve that day for matters pertaining to Jehovah's worship. What if one brother speaks to the other to try to convince him that his thinking and actions are wrong? What if one of the brothers starts speaking to others in the congregation to try to gain support for his view? Well, we can see how that would disrupt the unity. And that is the danger."
You are hearing this, right? Can the Governing Body truly be too obtuse to see that they are condemning themselves publicly? What he is describing is precisely what the Governing Body has been doing since before Jeffrey Winder was born. To quote his own words: "What if one speaks to ones in the congregation to try to prove that his thinking on the matter is the correct one for all Christians?"
Through their publications and convention parts, the Governing Body has spoken to the worldwide congregation to prove that their thinking on the matter of blood transfusions — and many other things — is the correct one for all Christians. He condemns himself and his fellow Governing Body members, because that is precisely what they have done.
"Ah, but no," he would counter. "We didn't do that. We just followed Jehovah's direction on the matter, and now Jehovah has made an adjustment." You see? It's all God's fault.
If you lost your son, your daughter, your wife, or your husband because you believed refusing blood was a command of God — only to now realize it was always a matter of conscience — don't blame the Governing Body. It wasn't their decision. It was Jehovah's.
“And this is true regarding the use of one's own blood in medical situations, the use of blood components, education, toasting, or any other area where each Christian must now decide what he or she will do.”
Except that up until very recently, it wasn't up to you to decide.
"So how do we preserve our unity in these matters? Romans says, 'Don't judge your brother.' Respecting others' decisions — both past and present — in conscience matters promotes peace and unity. And we love our Christian unity, don't we? Clearly, Jehovah is blessing your whole-souled efforts to promote and protect the unity of the congregation."
Unity. That is his concern. There is no remorse here, no compassion for the suffering their ill-conceived laws imposed on the flock, no repentance for misleading millions, no apology. Unity is all he cares about, because he doesn't want to lose any more members. They are the ones who institutionalized the judging of their brothers on matters of dress, grooming, education, and medical care — and now they say it is wrong to do so. But don't blame us. Don't look at us. We are just doing what Jehovah told us to do. Right, Jeffrey?
"But are these just individual unrelated adjustments being made, or is Jehovah accomplishing something more? Read with me please Jeremiah 31:33: 'For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares Jehovah. I will put my law within them, and in their heart I will write it. And I will become their God, and they will become my people.' Here Jehovah indicated that the new covenant wouldn't be a comprehensive code of laws like the Mosaic Law was. Rather, it would be centered on the law of Christ, the law of love, and it would be written on the hearts of those in the new covenant."
Now he is actually reading Jeremiah 31:33 to justify the Governing Body's recent changes. The irony is off the charts. Jeffrey, dear boy, that verse was applied in the first century through Jesus — and here's a news flash: it never stopped being applicable to Christians. So when the Governing Body created a whole set of laws not written on the hearts of Jehovah's Witnesses but on the pages of the Watchtower, they were actually working against God. The leaders of the Watchtower Corporation were acting like God in that they made rules that replaced the law written on the hearts of God's people.
When I was one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I often read 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 at the Watchtower study, but I never realized it applied to my own Governing Body:
"Let no one lead you astray in any way, because it will not come until the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction. He stands in opposition and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits down in the temple of God, publicly showing himself to be a god." (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)
The Christian congregation is God's temple, and the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses — like the leaders of all organized religion — sit in God's place and make and enforce laws that Jehovah did not make. These groups of men constitute the man of lawlessness.
"And certainly, the other sheep would be motivated to serve Jehovah in the same way. But the point we want to extract is this: this is how Jehovah is leading his people today. His law would be written on their hearts, and they would have such deep love for Jehovah and for their neighbor that this is what would guide their actions and the decisions they make. And isn't that remarkable? This is what we are seeing taking place. And isn't it heartwarming to see the trust and confidence that Jehovah has in each one of us?"
He makes it sound so wonderful. Aren't you so grateful?
It reminds me of the joke about the fellow who keeps slapping himself in the face. A friend asks, "Hey, man, why do you keep slapping yourself?" And he answers, "Because it feels so good when I stop."
On behalf of the worldwide community of Jehovah’s Witnesses, let me just say a heartfelt thank you to the Governing Body for not slapping the flock anymore.