Where the need is great (page 2)

sir82

biblical Christianity has made inroads to the remotest places and seeing incredible growth.

Yes, from 0.000001% of the population to 0.000004% of the population.

300% growth! It's incredible! It's a miracle! It's the holy spirit in action!

SnakesInTheTower

Let me give an example of a formerly covered area that is technically not "need greater" area (as it is assigned to congregations) but nonetheless is not covered often, for good reason.

Years ago two rural congregations, Hillsboro and Gillespie, IL closed and merged into a new KH built in Litchfield, IL, the biggest town in between them. Not enough publishers to support two small congregations. They spent a bunch of money, along with help from nearby (and wealthier) congregations to build a brand new KH. Things were never right there because the problems from the first two congos came right along to the new merged congo. They never grew. The territory was hostile (this was the same town where JW's were tarred and feathered and their cars pushed into Lake Litchfield back in the 40's.), everyone has a religion, and no one is changing. Religion runs deep in families, and they aren't going to change to a marginal cult.

With the tanking economy, a few of the working (both elder and secular work) men moved away, leaving a bunch of old, retired, and poor elders left. The CO had the place closed and scattered everyone to surrounding KH's. "Surrounding" is a loose term. The congo that I was an elder in at the time inherited the two old incompetent (but kind) elders that were left. They should never have been reappointed. They were but in title only. They and their wives had to drive 40 miles each way to go to meetings and FS. OLD people driving when they could barely see at night. And we were the closest KH. Others were assigned to Jerseyville, Alton, Vandalia, Auburn, and Taylorville. All a 40-45 mile driving radius.

Litchifeld was divided up between everyone. My rhetorical question, relating to the opening post, is --

What are the chances that the JWs are going to find ANY interest in Litchfield, AND get the bible study to progress enough to travel 40 miles EACH WAY three times a week (Sunday, Thursday, and Saturday) for meetings and FS?

Zero. So now there is a big hole in Illinois. Let's hope it expands. The above listed congos are not even covering their closer in territory annually let alone going further out. Why the hell would someone travel that far for the JWs? With the price of gas at $3.50-$4.30 per gallon recently?

Here is to more Kingdom Hall closings. Cheers.

Snakes (Rich, of the "formerly one who worked those rural areas" Sheep Class)

serenitynow!

It seems to me the WTS would rather they save all that wasted gas money and just give a donation to the Headquarters for all their re-builds, etc.

It's busy work. Without the hamster wheel of field service, JWs may have time and energy to figure out everything that's wrong with their religion.

jam

Serving where the need is great is A waste of time.

One of the reasons why people serve, they move up in

the ranks faster, (men). After about A year or two as

A regular publisher, we moved to serve where the need was great

(not A week but A few years). Within two years I was

A elder. That,s why I serve in Vietnam, rank came faster.

I use the same logic when I became A JW, Gun Ho, show

me the goats. The ten years serving, one goat came in.

The term goat just make me sick today.

Mad Sweeney

They ignore major parts of the world for a couple reasons.

1. It would be work that costs money rather than earns money

2. They're an inherently racist organization of old white men

hoser

If you are from california you cover the dakotas, montana colorado sparsly populated areas where there are few halls

dgp

Well, not that I want to defend the Watchtower, but you can't preach anything in Muslim countries without risking your life. I certainly understand that they don't preach in, say, Saudi Arabia. We should not forget that the killing in Darfur, for example, is simply about religion: Muslims killing everyone else.

I noticed this comment:

It's because the JWs can only be effective in areas with a Christian populace. Once they head into an area without a Christian base, their "We're better than other strains of Christianity" message falls flat.

I remember Ray Franz made a similar remark about the progress of Jehovah's witnesses in Africa. In my humble opinion, it is very true, and I have a personal anecdote to back this up. My mother is friends with a (Catholic) priest who is actually a missionary in Africa. The man said that preaching to non-Christians is extremely frustrating in the sense that they don't believe the message. That, however, does not square quite well with the fact that Christians are experiencing very rapid growth in Africa, Catholics included (if I remember correctly).

I can but remember the story -not told by this priest- that Africans laughed when missionaries spoke about the Virgin Birth. They just couldn't believe it. Sometimes they would joke and ask whether the missionary got the information right. It doesn't make much sense, really.

noontide

The funny thing is, last year my family went to help out in... wait for it... New York! It appears Watchtower's own back yard is in need of help. Maybe they should stop publishing so many books and magazines and instead get out and preach in their own back yard. Of course, my family is going back to NY again this year to help preach. Sigh...

steve2

Forget the Islamic countries. What about seemingly more accessible countries such as subcontinent India? The Watchtower Society's been "active" in that country for over 100 years. Yet, look at the tiny number of JWs and the vast millions upon millions of people who've never heard of JWs. The ratio of JWs to the general population is astonishing! What nonsense that car loads of nothing-better-to-do witnesses go over and over and over the same territory in Western countries whilst entire countries elsewhere are strangers to the Watchtower's claim to have preached in all the inhabited earth.

Where the need is great

godrulz