Money and the BORG...

by cognac 14 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  cognac

  It seems to me that most of the BORGs growth now is from 3rd world countries and from uneducated, poorer people. I don't believe this was the case years ago. And, there are a lot in that are stuck in. Do you really think those people are contributing? Given that and the recession we are in, I think they are taking a massive hit.

  I think they are losing a ton of money. Maybe they HAVE to sell property? I mean, I know they've made a lot of $, but I don't think that is as much the case today and I think they have a massive amount of expenses. I mean, shipping the publications alone is a ton of money.
• 

  cognac

  Oh, I forgot to ask... What do you think?
• 

  blondie

  I have posted on this many times before...the rank and file are not giving. I can base this on my husband's experience as the accounts servant for 10 years, and five other male relatives experience as accounts servants over the last 20 years (a total of 30 congregations). Out of congregation of 90, only 7 families donated more than $50 monthly each to the congregation's expenses; and to the "worldwide work" less than $400/month total. With the end of the built in donations with the publications in 1990, donations in general dropped considerably despite articles on the "real" cost of the DVDs, tapes, CDs, etc., at prices that did not match the real world's. It is anonymous, so what human would know if you donated or not and jws are only concerned about what people see, not God. And many jws upset with changes in policies and doctrines vote with their pocketbook, they just don't give.

  Blondie
• 

  cognac

  And many jws upset with changes in policies and doctrines vote with their pocketbook, they just don't give.

  Yeah, I think they are going out of business, lol...
• 

  knows better

  i don't think folks gave in the best of times. now forget it. they look for the better off people to contribute. i see a lot of jelously around the poorer vs the well off. i don't think its gonna be cash that will kill them. time is their enemy as i see it. time passes and people just don't care. can't have a doomsday cult forever. it just won't sustain. with all this "end of days " press, they are making their own bed. heres hoping anyway
• 

  passwordprotected

  I was always amazed at how little the congregation we were in donated. The wealthy ones were putting in around £10 per week via gift aid. Sometimes we were barely left with a surplus after donating £150 to the Society.
• 

  Gayle

  In those third-world countries the organization won't survive,,it is religion that only takes and doesn't give,,other religions in third-world countries often create schools and hospital clinics but JWs won't do that (won't even encourage its youth to go to college even to become teachers, doctors, nurses).

  I know many on this site have discussed that the WTs is running out of money and going down, but I like to hear (read) it "every" time!!
• 

  Scarred for life

  I completely agree with you cognac. Their growth is from the uneducated and poor. The current recession has hit them really hard. The sale of the buildings in New York is because they need the cash.
• 

  insearchoftruth

  it is religion that only takes and doesn't give,,other religions in third-world countries often create schools and hospital clinics but JWs won't do that (won't even encourage its youth to go to college even to become teachers, doctors, nurses).

  If they are to survive, they are going to have to learn to provide things to society rather than Watchtowers, Awakes and other 'bible based publications'.......Jesus spoke of feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, why can't they emulate this 'greatest man who ever lived'.

  Jesus did not walk around in a suit, he did not care how the folks he associated with dressed, why does the organization who is just like the early church care about these things.

  I am not an expert at anything considered JW, but the moves they are making lately are all about money, paperback books, shortening of meeting times (the KH does not need to be open and heated as much), selling buildings in Brooklyn and moving to upstate NY, laying off of Bethelites, moving printing operations for some things to Canada and other European countries.

  I would not be surprised to see the JW only publications available for printing online (heck, this site already has a lot of them available in pdf), this would reduce the printing burden and a pretty significant cost. They will need to provide greater pressure on the rank and file to donate to the 'worldwide work', but they need a disaster to help. The sister my wife is studying with is using the issue where more and more states are approving gay marriage or civil unions as a rallying cry because she knows my wife's stance on homosexuality....
• 

  Quirky1

  As a former Account Servant, I know that many congregations have to suffer in this area. There many months when I didn't know where the money was going to come from so I would have to rob it from an investment fund the KH had and pay it back when there was money available.