by ukescott 16 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
As ex-Mo, I know the Mormon Church makes millions of dollars each year by having its faithful members pay tithings and running quite a few businesses.
I am pretty sure WT as a corporate makes millions of dollars each year. Otherwise it wouldn't build thousands of KH's across the world I guess. JW's often brag about them not paying tithing like other churches. How does WT make money?
I think lately a lot of the money is coming from wills,stocks and bonds of the faithful.
For about 80 years or so the WT and (god) have proclaimed that "millions now living will never die" and that "the generation that sees these things will not pass away" (50yr?)
The millions are DEAD. The "generation™" has almost passed away. As a last insurance policy to make sure jehover remembers them MANY leave it all to the WTBTS.
My Father was one such dub. He listed the WTBTS as equal partners in his will with my brother and me. Fortunately he changed his will and cut out the WT in 1995.
The generation change was 1995 and he died in 1996. I think he finally got wise to them at the end.
While there is no formal tithing, Witnesses are 'encouraged' to make donations. Every year in the Watchtower (November 1 issue), there is an article outlining how members can donate cash, checks, jewelry, real estate, insurance benefits, bank accounts, annuities, wills and trusts (with an inducement that "a trust benefitting a religious organization may provide certain tax advantages").
The Kingdom Halls are made very much 'on the cheap'. All or most labor, and many of the materials, are provided free by members, and the congregation locally pays much of the cost, but ownership goes to the central organization after very little outlay by it.
Self Insurance Premiums. See previous thread.
Outaservice
The last time I looked WBT$ was worth 951million on the New York Stock Exchange..They own 50% of the Rand Cam.Engine Corp.Check out the market value for that..The only poor people in the Watchower Bible and Tract Society,is the members of thier religion,the Jehovah`s Witness`s...OUTLAW
Last year the Australian branch of the WTS had revenue of $16million, or $266 per publisher. The revenue/pub is probably higher in US and EU, but less elsewhere. If you take $250 per pub as an average then the global revenue would be $1.6 billion per year. Their total assets are many times higher than that.
Initially most of their revenue likely came from selling books. That proportion is decreasing now they have been forced onto a donation basis. A large portion is now from deceased estates. Twice a year my mother works in Bethel and actually helps get valuations on donated jewellery that they sell.
When a hall is built it is all from donations from the publishers in that congregation. Though voluntary, for budgetting purposes each publisher is to provide an anonymous slip with an indication of a monthly committment. I am under the impression that Kingdom Halls are not part of the WTB&TS, as Kingdom Halls are listed under other WTS company names, so the amount raised through this method is additional to the estimated $1.6billion revenue.
Help me out. I might be mis-informed. "Initially most of their revenue likely came from selling books. That proportion is decreasing now they have been forced onto a donation basis" I thought in the old day the "publishers" had to pay for the magazines up front and would get their money back when they "placed" them. But now the publishers are supposed to "donate" that same amount when they pick up the literature and turn in any donations received from the public with whom the literature is placed. So now the WTS is making money on both ends. Please correct me if I'm wrong....Thanks.
As ex-Mo
Sometime could you tell us why you left the Morman Church.........were you raised Morman or convert?
Thanks,
purps
the wts takes in good money....
but just for the record...kingdom halls are pauper's dens compared to the Mormon meeting places that i see erected. Those things are palaces and they usually have huge lawns and parking structure or parking lots too..
-Eduardo
LDS meeting places usually have several congregations, or 'wards' meeting there every sunday and for various church organizations during the week(boy scouts too). They have dances, dinners, conferences, libraries with a lot of resources. They have meeting rooms for men, women, young men and young women and children. They have adequate restrooms, kitchens, stages/recreation halls. They do have adequate parking, and offices for the bishops, and usually a paid janitor. They do tithe and they know what the obligation is. Many if not most members however, DON'T tithe. Even active members are not necessarily giving a full tithe. That is the goal, and I think, requirement if one is to do temple work. I don't think they are palaces, but they are definitely adequate for the needs of the wards and the people they serve. They are more along the lines of a traditional church structure, but I think more well used than some and less so than others. In smaller areas, some branches would be happy at something as simple as a kingdom hall. But some branches just don't have the means or support or population. Not sure the procedure for getting a building like a standard ward building. As the area I lived in grew, more buildings were built to support the growth. Most of the property has been held since before land prices got crazy.
