January Watchtower sets ambitious target for growth! (page 4)

BluesBrother

I bet there are more on this board that remember the big Service Chart, that there are at my wife's Congregation...

When I was a kid the Org was obsessed with figures and growth..Every cong. had to get a 10% increase every year or get roasted by the C/O. It was a common talking point. It was a matter of pride/relief and a common talking point "Did you get your 10%" we would say.

Many interested ones were put off by the "American business approach" they took to religion, but a lot more came in......

kurtbethel

They could get an increase in members if they did an overhaul of their doctrines to remove all the nonsensical contradictory stuff, if they apologized to the people who have been hurt by their policies and paid off those who have suffered from it. Then if they quit the shunning and set up programs that actually met the needs of people, they might have a chance to grow a little.

smiddy

I remember the chart with all the stats at the front of the hall,in1960,all designed to impress ,encourage and intimidate you to do more,though I never realised that back then

smiddy

dozy

Good stuff SBF. Interesting how the terminology has changed over the years. The all time classic is the 1st July 1943 Watchtower equating the societies hourly targets with God's original command to Jesus to create the universe together.

Every organization requires specific instructions for all those who serve in it. In the past the Lord issued his "organization instructions" to his servants through his central agency or channel. Each one joyfully accepted his part therein and faithfully carried it out.

The Lord breaks down our organization instructions further and makes them more practicable by further instructing us through his "faithful and wise servant." He says, 'Let us assign the field, the world, to special pioneers, regular pioneers and companies of Jehovah's witnesses in an orderly way, sufficient for everyone to thoroughly witness therein, and let us place upon each one the responsibility of caring for the new World interests in these respective assignments. He says the requirements for special pioneers shall be 175 hours and 50 back-calls per month, which should develop into a reasonable number of studies; and for regular pioneers 150 hours and as many back-calls and studies as can be properly developed during that time. And for company publishers he says, 'Let us make a quota of 60 hours and 12 back-calls and at least one study a week for each publisher.'

These directions come to us from the Lord through his established agency directing what is required of us; and, for those who really love the Lord are are guided by his counsel, that is a reasonable service requirement. This expression of the Lord's will should be the end of all controversy. It is for your good that these requirements are made; for thereby you are enable to prove your integrity and magnify the Lord's name.

The Lord, through his "faithful and wise servant" now states to us, "Let us cover our territory four times in six months." That becomes our organization instructions and has the same binding force on us that his statement to the Logos had when he said, "Let us make man in our image." It is our duty to accept this additional instruction and obey it.

Watchtower 1 st July 1943

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/199083/1/The-Lord-says-we-must-cover-our-territory-4-times-in-6-months-1943-WT-no-excuses