Ok so the WT Society is a very wealthy organization, with billions of assets. For the last few years there seems to be an indication of downsizing in the printing operations, and the publications are becoming more cheaply made, it is apparent they are losing money on the publications. They can no longer charge for them in the USA and other countries, but only on a donation basis. The donations are falling and the magazines no longer are a cash cow for them like they used to be. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ok so hear me out on this, They have come to the realization that they are losing money in the door to door work, and that alot of householders (thanks to the internet) are wising up to them. I believe they are gonna re-focus their work. I believe they will stop going door to door and will do TV and Radio ads. People will call them up from a 1-800 number on the commercial, and Brooklyn will pass their information on to the local congregations so they can be contacted. There will no longer be any cold calling at the doors, as this is becoming risky due to apostates and well informed householders. If you remember back about 2-3 years ago the WT ran TV ads in New York and other selected cities, perhaps this was a test run to see the effectiveness of it.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.. Their door to door work is not only ineffective, but is becoming a liabilty dodging apostates and better informed householders, plus they are apparently losing money. So what are your opinions of this theory of mine? Keep in mind they could always twist prophetic scriputres about the preaching work. Here is a sample of something the "FDS" might say: "Brothers, the preaching work has been fulfilled, but let us rejoice in the fact that there are many sincere sheep-like ones who still will seek us out before the great day of Jehovah" Placing TV and Radio Commercial will make it more focus oriented as people who would call them up would be at least somewhat interested.
My take on what could transpire
by Junction-Guy 7 Replies latest jw friends
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vitty
When I first came in the truth, I thought the unassuming way the witness carried out the preaching work proved to me they had Jehovahs blessing. Personal contact with ppl going door to door , instead of the TV evangelical way.
After a few years I realized how ineffective our way was, ok they would quote statistics but on a local level I knew we were really accomplishing , not a lot. This was the time of the end, and we were all farting around roaming the streets handing out the WT that people either didnt understand or chucked in the bin.
I still didnt understand it even though I had faded for nearly 3 years, when Terry wrote a topic on why the GB dont want you to be successful. I cant find his topic but I understood for the first time why they wont change the way they do things.
If they think the big A is comming soon I think they would have screamed it from the roof tops and every TV channel !
Bible Research & Study Articles > YOU "THINK" YOU KNOW.....BUT...YOU DON'T KNOW!! Its on page 292 I dont know how to do a link
This is Terrys topic.....................I found it interesting
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Junction-Guy
Personally I dont believe they(GB) think Armageddon is coming soon, I believe some of them at the top know its a sham. TV and Radio ads cost alot of money, but up until the 1990's before they started the donation arrangement, they could charge a specific price and make a profit, but now they cant. But I agree, if they really thought Armageddon was coming then they would have utilized many more approaches before now. I believe they could be adjusting their attitudes toward the preaching work. Instead of "Lets go after them" it could become "Let them come to us"
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some-xjw-guy
Well, as much as I'd get a kick out of seeing a WT infomercial around the time when the Ronco rotisserie comes on the air, my guess is they won't abandon the door-to-door work anytime soon since there is an active element in there. Even if it is making one return visit every 5 hours it gives people something to do. The thing is if you consider how shut down the average JW is, given there is already this big fear of man and they don't really want to engage in any real dialogue, a lot of apostate info is automatically blocked out. It isn't just a matter of social shunning, they are well trained to be closed minded in the first place.
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rolling rock
If I ever see the WT on TV. I going to THROW UP!!!
IMHO..... It would only make it easer for us bad Oppsers and more people would start looking into the WTBTS, if they started showing up on TV... -
kid-A
I agree the door-to-door work is the most useless, inefficient way to promote a religion in a modern, secular, tech-savvy and "wired" world. However, I dont think having the R+F donate their free time in this useless activity costs Brooklyn any money at all, save for publishing paper versions of their propaganda. In fact, the pay-back for Brooklyn comes not from new converts, but in maintaining the dubs that they already have.
This begs the question, why does Brookly hang on to this useless preaching mode? Simple reason: CONTROL. Membership as a "regular, jehoobie-fearing "publisher" STILL requires regular service activity and handing in time slips. Failure to do this still leads to punitive consequences such as being "marked" as inactive, or worse, visits from the Elder goon squads. I still argue that the "ministry" is still the most insidious, brilliant method of controlling the R+F that Brooklyn could EVER dream of. Field service "swallows up" ANY free time that a dub drone has left over after the 5 hours spent in the kingdumb hall every single week. Any cult operates on a simple and effective premise: Keep the drones occupied at ALL times, even if the activity is completely useless. I do not think that dollars and cents have ever been a concern for Brooklyn when it comes to "the preaching work".
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Seeker4
I agree with KidA - the house to house Witness work is incredibly ineffective, BUT it keeps the publishers busy and makes it seem they are actually doing something.
All it is is busy work, but that's what the WTS needs. The organization is supported almost totally by inside contributions from active JWs. I'd guess that the amount donated from householders who might accept the literature is a tiny percentage. Therefore, it's not growth that is so important, but trying to maintain the status quo, and keep those members contributing.
I'd be very surprised if they stopped the h-to-h work.
S4
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OnTheWayOut
I agree with every single word Kid-A said except these:
I do not think that dollars and cents have ever been a concern for Brooklyn when it comes to "the preaching work".
They use door-to-door for controlling active JW's and manipulating their time. But they want all aspects
of the work to make money. If they don't feel a profit from distributing "donation-only" literature, they will
change the work, and not abandon it.Here's how the recruiting work still makes money. The free labor force donates SOME money for the
literature. The householders donate SOME money that makes it to the box at the hall. That's not enough.
The free labor force goes to regular Sales Promotion Meetings called Assemblies and Conventions.
The free labor force donates more money at that meeting. This covers the cost of those books and mags.As long as the two together make money, they are okay. If you cancel the recruiting, the Promotion Meetings
will suffer. Even if dubs go, they won't contribute much to the World Wide Work, unless they see a World Wide
Work taking place.SO- they will continue to cheapen the product, perhaps change the work done by the free labor force, but NEVER
CANCEL the work. Ideas about eliminating cold-calls are good ones. I think they will switch to tracts and
ultra-cheap items. I also feel that they will focus on retaining members more than recruiting new ones, until
the next [disaster / terror act / bright idea in Brooklyn] happens. I love the speculations about how they will change
the work. Maybe if we suggest enough, some Bethel lurker will figure out what they should do.