BIGGEST AND SMALLEST CONGREGATIONS

serendipity

I visited a few congregations with maybe 40 publishers. I've also been in a cong. with 200 publishers.

jwfacts

The ideal congregation size is 120, not a JW figure by determined by other religions and research into human behaviour. That is why when a congregation gets to 200 it will be split.

I have been in a congregation with 12 publishers and only 2 elders on Thursday Island. It was isolated so there was no other congregations around to help out. Really interesting (not) as I read at every watchtower and bookstudy, and the public talk alternated between the two elders each week. That got so sick of all the preparation they would just get up and read all the scriptures from the talk outlines to fill up the time.

NewYork44M

We visited a congregation in central america with only two people - both missionaries

blondie

(Matthew 18:20) 20 For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst."

I have seen congregations with more than 250 people; they had not split because there were not enough elders (and the ones they had were being uncooperative about "splitting"). Usually they have 2 public talks/WT studies on Sunday though.

No mega-congregations like I see some religions have. They do have one main pastor, several secondary pastors, and several deacons, usually proportional to the members similar to KHs. Just all in one group.

The JWs like to micromanage people; keep track of them; but don't confuse that with shepherding visits.

Blondie

merfi

The one that I was associated with had 35 pubs. Now 34...

~merfi

Honesty

The smaller the better to micromanage the sheep.

Jourles

Let's see, my parents are in one that is in the 20's(Fairfield, IA). I used to be in one with roughly 220 active pubs. That was in El Cajon, CA. We had 4 congos sharing that one hall, and all of them were peaking at around 200. Sunday meetings were at 9:30, 12:30, 3:30, and 7:30. It sucked because they didn't rotate the times each year, they voted.

I didn't know 1/2 of the people in the hall. Literally. I never spoke to them.

katiekitten

We visited a congregation in central america with only two people - both missionaries

Oh god, imagine if you didnt get on? There would be no audience in the second school. You'd know who was going to shepherd you if you bunked off a meeting to watch telly instead. If one person took the Watchtower the other would have to give all the answers. Who would read? Its a logisitical nightmare!!

badboy

THANKS FOR YOUR REPLIES!

BIGGEST AND SMALLEST CONGREGATIONS

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