This story has been around for a while. It does seem like a wise move - from the Cult point of view - to sell this off.
WT to entirely shut down Brooklyn soon? New developments
by sir82 51 Replies latest jw friends
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blondie
That's true jws. I attended a congregation near Walkill and there were 20 Bethelites to 70 rank and file. And only so many congregations within a 50 mile radius to drive.
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sir82
This story has been around for a while.
Yeah, but they didn't actually purchase hundreds of acres for a new complex until February 2009.
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stillajwexelder
You know as soon as they're out of Brooklyn they're going to be praying for a major terrorist strike there to prove that their move was inspired to protect the GB.
This appears to be said "Tongue in Cheek" but I have grown very cynical and I bet this is 100% TRUE
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jwfacts
It is all about $$$.
It is a great money making opportunity. They have created hundreds of millions of dollars of capital using free labour building and renovating in Brooklyn, and can now realise that money by selling. They can now use free labour to increase the value of their new landholdings.
Furthermore, they are cutting costs by moving out of Brooklyn.
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yknot
So we have...
A) Terrorist concerns
B) Climate change (rising waters)
Cinnamon1642 also touched on this move on the "News From Bethel Heavy" thread.
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/165229/1/News-from-Bethel-Heavy
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sacolton
Watchtower Compound
Restricted Area! Private Property! Trespassers will be shot!
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Obviously, this means that "the end"... isn't "so close" after all.
Even if they could get good money for the Brooklyn properties, what good is having "more money" if the end is imminent. Money will be worthless on the other side of the big A... right? Realistically, selling and moving the Governing Badly and all their hangers-on and their trappings would be a tremendous expense in money, time, and labor. Why take all those brothers and sisters out of the field "preaching the Kingdom of the Heavens" to go build "temporary dwellings" for an administration that's supposed to be moving to heaven... so soon now.
... just a few of my random thoughts...
B the X
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Sir82,
Didn't (don't) Bethelites from Wallkill & Brooklyn rather derisively refer to Patterson as "the country club"?
Some might. Usually it was the Canada branch that was spoken of as THE Country Club. It too has downsized, but was, and probably still is, very much the posh retreat.
Patterson is okay if you dig painted concrete buildings with metal roofs. It resembles Soviet era construction in Russia that way.
B the X
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Scarred for life
It is all about $$$.
I agree with jwfacts. Even in this economy, New York is the 2nd most expensive real estate market in the world behind London. They have a tremendous goldmine in that Brooklyn Property and that area around them just keeps improving.
I think their contributions and investments are probably WAY DOWN also.