The debate: Should Temple Presidents be Elected?

CHAKRA wants to thank all the devotees who have contributed their time and thoughts to this debate. The debate is now over on CHAKRA, but we hope it has stimulated discussion and improved communication about these important issues in your local communities. 

Did Prabhupada want temple presidents elected?
Temple Presidents Elected?
Temple Presidents not to be elected - by Ramabhadra dasa
Response to Ramabhadra by Narottama dasa
Electing the temple president - issues behind the debate
TP Elect: Round Pegs in Square Holes? - by Krsnacandra dasa
TP's elected: Response to Narottama das - by Ramabhadra das
A President Can Only Be Changed by Vote - Chaitanya Chandra
My Impression of the TP Debate - Prananantha
Removal and Appointment of TPs - Jayapataka Swami
Prabhupada Favored Self-Sufficiency - Ranchor das
Elected by Members of the Center
Response to Jayapataka Swami
Prabhupada said: Elect the TP

My Impression of the TP Debate
By Prananatha dasa

Dear devotees,

I have been following this debate on whether temple presidents should be elected with interest, as I'm sure many others have also. My personal understanding is that the temple president should be elected, as this is what I read in Srila Prabhupada's books many years ago, but, like so many other instructions given by Srila Prabhupada, it appears that it is not being followed. (Obviously some differ on this point.)

I live in a small community of devotees where our temple president was elected by the GBC several years ago. He tried for as long as he could to do the job, but due to stressful factors, ill health and a lack of communication with the general devotees, he became frustrated and handed in his resignation. This was not accepted by the GBC. He has expressed that he doesn't want to do the job, and by his own admission does whatever he wants to do leaving many key areas uncovered in the temple management. This is not to say that he is not a valuable member of the community.

This has led to gradual erosion in attendance at the temple by the devotees in general and the mood at the temple is not always conducive to encouraging others to participate. So what are we to do? Many of us who have been at this temple for a considerable number of years have expressed our dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs to the GBC members, but they have done nothing to rectify the situation. It is painful to see the enthusiasm of the devotees declining as they "wait it out." When that wait will end is unsure.

The GBC men come here for just a few days out of every year and their main impression of the state of affairs at the temple comes from (you guessed it) the temple president. Couldn't the devotees be invited to an ista-ghosti where the situation can be discussed in the open and solutions developed with the help of the GBC, temple president and the local devotees? Is this same sort of scenario going on in other centers around the world? Is this what Srila Prabhupada wanted?

I'll keep watching this space.

Your servant, Prananatha das

© CHAKRA 1-May-2000

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