by Witness 007 16 Replies latest watchtower scandals
Only poor 3rd world countries seem to be booming, not like the old days!
Azebaijan 799 17% inc
Burundi 8,233 12% inc
Cambodia 329 25%
East Timor 123 29%
Guinea-Bissau 128 13%
Madagascar 20,083 7%
Malaysia 3,252 9%
Mongolia 195 23%
Nepal 1,018 15%
Sudan 1,720 7%
Taiwan 6,670 7%
Japan 1998 - Pub. 222,912 Congs. 3,802
Japan 2008 -Pubs. 218,091 {loss of 4,821} Congs 3,177 [loss of -625] Ten years of huge losses!
Where are you getting these figures?
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/168999/1.ashx
2008 Annual Report
This is where statistics can be deceiving. The 'large growth' countries are only large percentage-wise. Most of the countries with double-digit increases have far under 1000 publishers. East Timor went from 83 to 107 publishers. Great that it's 29%, but that's a small number. Japan's loss of 590 publishers probably makes up for the 'large gain' of many of the very small countries.
Not to nitpick, but Taiwan and Malaysia are hardly poor. The per capita GDP for both countries is relatively high, esp Taiwan where it is over $30k.
I've read comments on this board that the boom-and-bust of JWism in Japan is due to the Japanese people's tendency to always be chasing fads, even religious ones. I guess JWism was faddish there for a few years, but now the trend has obviously passed. Sweet!
I agree that numbers wise some countries dont have huge publisher figures...but these countries are where the society is pushing it's missionaries and attention. I know some who went to Cambodia and East Timorwhere they never really had Witnesses before...same as Nepal or East Timor, Mongolia also never had a Witness before.
Also Japanese Brothers take everything so seriously they would take the last ten years as a failure on their part....Jehovah's spirit is not flowing.
I was sent the report as well. A couple of things I noticed:
Two percent growth worldwide is really minimal.
The average publishers, which I consider one of the more accurate ways of gauging WTS growth, only increased by 137,665, or barely the 2% growth rate they claim. Growth in publishers was WAY less than 50% of the number baptized!
Of the major population areas with large numbers of JWs, 19 countries had only 1 to 2% growth and 23 had 0 or negative % growth. Essentially all of Europe, Australia, Canada, Japan and surprisingly Paraguy, Puerto Rico, Tanzania and Zimbabwe are not growing or are even losing numbers. The trend continues!
Growth is in other parts of Asia, South and Central America and Africa. Again, as usual.
I don't have the figures in front of me, but if they prove true, what looks like a 10% jump in the anointed is unbelievable! This is huge, and a slap in the face of WTS teachings over the last 70 years.
S4
What I find really heartwarming is the fact that the US brothers and sisters still compose a hefty 1/7 of the total number of those who will pass A. God bless America.
Love those figures especially the minus growth in Japan , just shows that they are a long way from 10 million pubs!
