Bottom Line: What Does This New Meeting Arrangement Really Mean?

by minimus 73 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  asilentone

  insearchof, it would not surprise me if someone say like that at the KH.
• 

  yadda yadda 2

  The main message behind this change is that meeting attendance is indeed dropping off significantly in the western world and accordingly they really have been left with no choice but to rationalise the meetings. Branch overseers and CO's have been sending increasingly worrisome reports to Headquarters about that and this change is a direct reaction to that.

  Taking that thought further, this change means the organisation is unmistakeably in 'decline', particularly with the youth, despite the 3% increase in publishers last service year (mostly poor, illegal immigrants pouring into the US).

  External pressures (economic, demographic, media, legal) are forcing the Society to rationalise legally, financially, congregationally (meeting-wise), and before too long, creed-wise.
• 

  Bonnie_Clyde

  I would like to see the free night used by the elders for shepherding - but I have a feeling it aint going to happen

  I don't want any shepherding.
• 

  Mickey mouse

  Taking that thought further, this change means the organisation is unmistakeably in 'decline', particularly with the youth, despite the 3% increase in publishers last service year (mostly poor, illegal immigrants pouring into the US).

  External pressures (economic, demographic, media, legal) are forcing the Society to rationalise legally, financially, congregationally (meeting-wise), and before too long, creed-wise.

  !
• 

  Mickey mouse

  The society make changes to doctrine and practice for 3 reasons only:

  1) The fact Armageddon still isn't here. All the major doctrinal changes in the past 20+ years are down to this.

  2) Legal implications. The possibility of being liable and having to pay out large settlements and/or facing criminal proceedings.

  3) Money. This would include loss through changes in tax law, a downturn in the economy (such as now), loss of membership and therefore loss of contributions and legal settlements (see #2). I think there is no doubt the WBTS is running low on funds. The sale of it's property in Brooklyn, reducing the frequency of publication of magazines, transferring to softback and not using full colour on the members only WT to name a few.

  I have thought of another major contributing factor in their reduced revenue. If there are thousands of people like me trapped in the organization but no longer believing what is the only action they can take without visibly withdrawing support? Stop contributing. I think the fact that they are suffering financially is a testament to the possibility that there are potentially hundreds of thousands of lurkers on this site and others like it. Mentally and financially they have checked out the borg.
• 

  blondie

  Actually, it just proves that jws will swallow any changes quietly, at least publicly. If they can accept the generation change from 1914 in 1995 and now to a generation being just the anointed, anything can be accepted in time. The "rebellious" ones will fade away or go out in a blaze.

  Blondie
• 

  yknot

  I think it does several things.....

  Tightens the group control, while appearing sympathetic to rising gas cost.

  Many don't attend all the meetings thus missing announcements of financial need.

  Moves towards a more mainstream 'worship' schedule.

  Lessens certain pedophile opportunities

  Finally it shakes up the sheeple.....all changes signal 'the end is near!"
• 

  WTWizard

  (1) No more "goodie nights". That is part of a trend that started with rollerskate parties, then congregation picnics and gatherings, and now the book study. Maybe someone committed fornication after a book study.

  (2) One less meeting. I used to look at the book study as an easy way to show up once in a while so I wouldn't get hounded too much, and not have to waste too much time on it or listen to Kingdumb Sxxx.

  (3) Too much preparation for three meeting parts at once.

  And I hope more apostasy.
• 

  stillajwexelder

  Mentally and financially I have checked out of the Borg - there must be thousands of othjers like me. This is part of the reason
• 

  journey-on

  I think it came down something like this: There was a meeting between corporate higher ups and the GB. They

  discussed the various problems that are affecting REAL growth. (I wanted to make the conversations funny, but I'm not a comedic talent.) But, It probably went something like this:

  Finance:

  "We’re losing money faster than we’re taking it in! Real sales are down, costs are up, membership is dropping like flies, and at the current rate, the company may go under in less time than it takes for us to sell off the necessary real estate to build the coffers back up.

  Service:

  "The publishers just aren’t doing enough! We've doctored the numbers to make it look good, but we all know the real story. You would think they would be placing literature right and left and bringing in a heck of a lot more new ones!" I just don’t get it. We encourage, we counsel, we instruct, we even demand through the CO’s and DO’s, but we continue to steadily fall short."

  GB 1

  : "That’s not the only thing. If you only knew how many lawsuits are on the books, you would be surprised."

  Legal:

  "The pedophile issue hurt tremendously. But, that’s not the only legal issues plaguing us. Somebody fell on a slippery algae crusted step at a Kingdom Hall. Who does he sue? Not the local congregation, but the whole organization! People who have sustained serious injuries while working on the Kingdom Farm or at Bethel have lawsuits pending. There are countless cases before the courts regarding our "blood transfusion doctrine", our disfellowshipping and shunning policies, improper marriage counseling by elders who worsened the problem, mental health issues caused by being brainwashed and mind-controlled. I could go on and on."

  Real Estate:

  "We’ve sold off several properties and are in the process of selling others. Some of the deals look pretty lucrative. If they go through, that will give us some cushion and help boost the bottom line."

  GB2:

  "Another problem is the Internet and apostate websites. They have put all our dirty laundry out there for the world to see. The NGO and UN fiasco, the pedophile bungle, all the failed prophecies we’ve made since our inception. I could go on and on, but it just depresses me to realize that we can no longer cover up and hide some of this stuff. The Information Highway is killing us!

  Writing:

  "Then let’s fix it. Let’s infuse some New Light into the congregations…get them excited again. Let’s change some things up, issue some new directives, make them think we’ve got new revelations from above and the Faithful and Discreet Slave is arranging and rearranging things to accommodate the new and improved Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society. If nothing else, we’re good at that kind of stuff.

  GB3

  : "Well, you see…..right there is one problem. The name. WTB&TS sounds like some secret group. We need to get rid of the Masonic-sounding name. Heck, we even need to rethink the name Jehovah’s Witnesses. As we’ve known for years, Jehovah is a bastardized name anyway. Now, all you have to do is get on the Internet and look it up. It will give you all the information about the history of that name and even the history….the real history…of our organization. Get everybody to stop using jargon and JW lingo. Oh me! We are doomed."

  Legal:

  "Another area that is ripe for lawsuits is the book studies at individuals’ homes. If you could read some of the letters we get complaining about conditions at some of these homes, it would shock you all…..no heating or a/c…dog and cat hair everywhere that creates allergic reactions….loose boards on porches…you name the mundane problem, there is a letter of complaint for it.

  Even the homeowners get angry about some of the behaviors of those attending the meeting in their home. One sister said somebody stole a very valuable crystal vase that had been in her family for generations. She wants the society to make restitution. It just gets deeper and deeper.

  One complained to us that some of the friends use the toilet and never flush it. One wants us to pay for plumbing repairs and bathroom repairs due to someone overfilling the toilet with God knows what and causing it to overflow. They didn’t discover the problem till the meeting was over! There are probably several thousand such letters in our files as we speak!"

  GB4

  : "Okay. Let’s get our heads together and come up with a new strategy. Let’s get the fire under the publishers again. We’ll release a couple of doctrinal changes to get ourselves off the hook first. Then, before they all jump ship because of it, we’ll infuse them with some New Light, hype it up a bit, make them think everything is falling into place and now is not the time to quit. We can do this!

  Everybody work on some possible solutions and we’ll reconvene same time next month. Make it good, cause if this thing fails, well……I don’t need to tell you what might happen."