This statistic applies to the USA, not other countries. I wouldn't be surprised if the bulk of that increase is due to immigrants. Does anyone have accessto the Yearbook's figures about peak and average publishers in the USA?
Jehovhah's Witnesses Once Again America's Fastest Growing Church
by David2002 44 Replies latest watchtower bible
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TheOldHippie
USA 2007 average 1,042,528. USA 2008 average 1,059,253. USA 2008 peak 1,105.789. USA studies 603,313. USA baptised 35,597. USA memorial attendance 2,418,903.
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slimboyfat
It is strange watching apostates go into collective hysteria on here whenever there is a challenge to their cherished belief that JWs must be declining by now. Or at the very least that they must be doing much worse than other religious groups. 'There must be something wrong with the statistics'. 'I just don't believe it'.
Especially desperate appears to be the idea that, just because some people who are fading 'put in hours', this somehow invalidates all JW numbers compared to other groups. But that is a completely blinkered way of looking at it. Do you think that every single person who is counted as a Baptist believes it 100% either? The truth is there are people joining, leaving and doubting in all sorts of religious belief systems all the time. There is nothing special about people 'fading' from Jehovah's Witnesses in this respect.
The fact is that Jehovah's Witnesses are still growing reasonably well compared to other religious groups in the West. Get over it people.
Just because we don't believe in the Witnesses any more does not mean that everyone else is automatically going to come to the same conclusion. It is not inevitable. People have been leaving Jehovah's Witnesses ever since they began, often in larger numbers as a proportion than today, and yet the organisation goes on.
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dozy
I reckon that JWs will almost indefinitely grow at a trend growth of 2% - 3% per year barring a major schism , scandal or 1925/75 style fiasco. Unlikely most other religions , JWs do have a very active evangelizing program – as we know , the whole religion is based around the preaching work & endeavoring to make converts. Although many are quite apathetic in the ministry , we all know of numerous gung-ho pioneers and incredibly enthusiastic JWs.
A crude comparison is with the Scientologists who are growing rapidly , due to their outreach programs.
There will always be “churn” at the margins , perhaps more than most religions , but that is the nature of the JW business model. We all know that when a JW becomes established , especially when family are also JWs , then the hurdles to exiting are made very difficult and retention is very high.
Then there is always 3 rd World growth as well to offset any decline (especially in Europe which is in negative growth territory for JWs). In certain African countries , they cannot build KHs quickly enough. I know one missionary who is overcome with the number of “interested ones” – he literally cannot cope.
The rapidly receding 1914 is the main problem for the JWs , but it is increasingly not being mentioned in the publications , replaced with a vaguer time frame.
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MissingLink
JW's increased by 23,000 members.
Mormons increased by 96,000 members.
Which one was growing faster again?
If we're going to use percentages (which is stupid), then my own "Church of the Missing Link" added a 2nd member this year. We're up to 2 members for a 100% increase! I win.
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hamilcarr
I agree with slimboyfat. Let's just accept they're the fastest growing church.
I'm wondering what their "unique selling proposition" is. What makes the Watchtower so attractive? Any hypotheses?
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passwordprotected
If a church of 2 people grows to 3 people in a year, that puts them a pretty good % of increase, but it doesn't mean their church is 1. relevant or 2. God's channel.
I think the point that Mormoms have grown by a larger figure is probably more important to any group claiming to be God's true channel. JWs talk of the 'small one becoming a mighty nation' and they apply that to themselves. But it's obvious that other groups are bigger and have grown faster.
I'm sure I'd seen a stat that, worldwide, Pentecostalism is the world's fastest growing religion. Does that mean they're the true religion.
The point about all of these stats is - and perhaps why apostates get in a tizzy about them - the WTS points to their stats as proof of God's blessing. So each year there's an increase, however incremental, means another year where at conventions, meeting, assemblies and in the year book the Governing Body will say they have further proof of God's blessing and backing.
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leavingwt
"Satan cannot stop them. Surely this is God's organization."
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VM44
Didn't someone make and post once some graphs of the JW grow covering a number of years?
Also, the growth rate should be related to the total population rather than be considered just on its own.
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aniron
America's Fastest Growing Religion... Witchcraft?
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/02/americas-fastest-growing-religion.html