I do not know if I am answering your question, but I know someone donated a land for a new KH.
Anyone Know JW's who Donated Inheritances, Estates,$$$ to WT Society ?
by flipper 60 Replies latest jw friends
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Mythbuster
That story with the jewelry reminds me of the WWII nazis.
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Bangalore
They tell the rank and file to not be materialistic. What kind of example are they setting?
Bangalore
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Little Imp
St. George, thanks I was able to find the congregation I used to attend that way.
Furthermore, I also searched for the Worldwide Work - this charity seems to have closed several years ago. Where does money donated to them now go?
My husband's donations used to go for Worldwide Work so am just curious. Obviously, he stopped donating around 2 years ago now.
LI
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Hopscotch
Hi Flipper
I personally know of an old sister that left her house to the local congregation who then sold it to my sister and her husband (his dad was the executor).
And we had a witness couple in our congregation that we were friends with who had a large piece of land that they donated to the local congregation to build a kingdom hall on. This couple had their own successful business but a few years after giving away that land they lost their own home due to a couple of big unpaid debts to their business. This couple are now quite elderly (he's 80 and she's 75) and have very little, meanwhile that block of land would now be worth millions.
Reading through the replies on this thread made me wonder if one of the reasons the society now seems to be going all out to disfellowship those who are fading or who faded/left (even if it was many years ago) is because they know from experience that in a lot of cases that parents will cut their disfellowshipped kids out of their will, which then opens up the possibility of the inheritance going to the WTS instead.
Hopscotch
PS - Hope you and Mrs Flipper are ok with the fires in the mountains
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MMXIV
Hi LI,
To your earlier question of congregations making a profit unlike many charities. You're right that some charities seem to spend all their income so as to maximise the benefit they give right now. Others may try to build up reserves such as share portfolios, bonds or property for a longer term approach. Some charitable foundations just can't distribute enough grants to keep pace with their income.
It would be prudent for congregations to ensure their income exceeds their outgoings in a normal year so they can build up reserves to pay for building repairs or in some cases buy land and build a kingdon hall.
Having now read the comments on this thread I think the amount people leave to the WTS is the tip of the iceberg - most will leave it to their local congregation. It would be an epic piece of work to establish how much congragations get in legacies but could provide some eye-opening results in how significant this income stream is. I'll have a think...
MMXIV
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slimboyfat
This thread is shocking.
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quietlyleaving
this is a true story
A young bethelite found out that a poor JW couple using their credit card regulary bought expensive gifts and regularly paid for expensive meals for a branch committe member and his wife. When this young bethelite told the branch committee member that this couple were in debt all he could say was "I don't know why they buy me and my wife expensive gifts and meals. We don't ask for it". However the fact that this young bethelite spoke to them did not stop the branch committee member and his wife from continuing to accept gifts and meals from this poor couple.
Also just recently - in the last month - a small family who are struggling to make ends meet, (both husband and wife are working and they have 2 small children) - well they paid for a bethel couple to have a weeklong holiday, flights, accommodation everything.
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OnTheWayOut
I don't know of JW's that left it all (or most of it) to WTS. Most I have seen died with little and gave it to their children. The widows that pioneered and had no children generally had no money. But I am confident that there are plenty of them, hence the yearly WT article reminding them how to donate.
The thoughts here on jewelry are very surprising. ("Shocking" is no longer applicable to me- WTS is an evil empire and ceases to shock me.) I am picturing a bunch of connected (and apparently the not-so-connected also) Bethelites acquiring the family heirlooms that should have gone to any living relatives of those that donated them. I am picturing the Bethelites finding JW wedding parties to go to just so they can flash some bling they got at a bargain. I am picturing the daughter of the deceased back at home remembering Mom's necklace or bracelet and wondering why she couldn't just hand it to her while she was alive, then re-living how Mom shunned her.
It's saddening. Thanks for the thread.
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St George of England
Furthermore, I also searched for the Worldwide Work - this charity seems to have closed several years ago. Where does money donated to them now go?
It's now called WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF BRITAIN, you can search the Charity Commission site for that or the charity number, 1077961, or use the link below.
George