Merging does have its benefits to the WTS. They get to sell a Hall and keep all the money, or at the very least use it to augment declining cash flow.
Follow the money....always follow the money, whether it was Watergate or WatchtowerGate.
Farkel
WTBTS Elder & Ministerial Servant Problems
by JW GoneBad 113 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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Cadellin
I just want to add a few stats--husband just came back from the school(s) and said the average age of elders was 60 and there were about half as many MS's as there were elders. This is in the Pacific NW.
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BluesBrother
Merging halls ....If it saves money, do it.....Never mind that the flock have to travel across town - it is a "sacrifice"
No numbers on elders or M/S but just my subjective observation that the average age is way older than it was back in the day.....Every public speaker is now grey haired....
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jonathan dough
New JW subject-matter directory here:
http://www.144000.110mb.com/directory/jehovahs_witnesses_directory_beliefs.html
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stuckinamovement
In my Hall there have been 3 elders who have recently been removed and or stepped down leaving a BOE of 5. The BOE has been anxiously wringing their hands because out of 5 MS there is only 1 who hits the congregation average for FS. All others are Low hour pubs and or limited in intelligence or motivation. There is only one prospect for another MS and at the rate it is going none for Elders.
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Mad Sweeney
"wow,,with those numbers, elders average about 7 per cong. M.S, average 5 per cong ...." what's so dire about that situation? In a cgregation of 100/120 dubbies, how many goons do they need to keep people in line?
Part of the issue is the age of those 7 elders. In a typical congregation you may have 2 elders in their 70s or older, 2 in their 60s, 2 in their 50s, and just 1 younger than 50 (sometimes he's a hotshot young ex-Bethelite, sometimes he's a 40 year old who has pioneered his whole life and has a successful janitorial business).
Working their way up beneath them on the ladder is NO ONE.
THE ELDER GENERATION IS DYING OFF. The vast majority of young brothers have no interest in becoming a MS and even less in becoming elders. We're seeing the beginning of the strain as the elderly elders have to do more and more, longer and longer. When they pass away, a heavier burden is left on the "young" elders left behind in their 50s and 60s.
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man711
It is self induced! All I ever wanted was to be used in the congregation for many years. Now I want NOTHING to do with elders or anything they say. I still attend but want want NO involvement or responsiblity. Big changes need to happen.
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JimmyPage
I watched my Dad waste a lot of time working on talks for the WT Society.
It made me realize it wasn't something I wanted to repeat myself.
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RubaDub
has anyone noticed a trend to build 2 auditoriums on one site (zoning permitting). I've heard them refered to as "double halls".
Doubting Bro ...
Actually here in Florida, "triple halls" are very common.
From a business standpoint, it makes a lot of sense. In highly populated ares where distance is not an issue, why have three separate buildings when you can have just one building divided into three halls ?
Before we recently moved, we were in a "triplex" that had 12 congregations, four in each. Due to the huge number of spanish-speaking people here in Florida, we know of one triplex that has 15 congregations in it, basically each hall used seven days a week.
Again, from a financial perspective, it makes a lot of sense.
Rub a Dub
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Coffee House Girl
interesting topic, thanks for sharing the stats- always interested in "new light" in regards to the org that has a mental hold on my family :)
CHG