Zambian population explosion and Watchtower growth

by slimboyfat 11 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  slimboyfat

  I saw an article on the BBC sayng that Zambia has one of the fastest growing populations of any country on earth.

  www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15433140

  I thought that was interesting because Zambia also has an unusually high proportion of JWs. If Zambia's population ever does reach 100 million on current trends that could include something like 2 million practising JWs and 7 million at the Memorial. That alone could cover any losses of Witness membership in the Western world, but it would surely be a very different organisation if that came to pass. When will the balance of power within the organisation start to reflect the relative rise of poorer countries in terms of membership?
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  jookbeard

  they do indeed have huge growth there wondering what the pub figure actually is? still unimpressed though, all man made cults have huge growth rates in places like Zambia.
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  Yan Bibiyan

  Right, and their total contributions to the worldwide fund is about $ (10MM) - that is negative ten million dollars...
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  Gayle

  WTS 2010 Service Reports: 147,614 pubs. Ratio to population 1 pub to 83. They have median age of 16.5 (half younger/half older). Life expectancy 46.3. Since younger in age, may seek direction, then cults are quite eager to jump in and control.

  Internet available to 6%. The WTS will burn these folks out quickly. The WTS has no desire toward humanitarian helps or needs for the Zambians for the long run.
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  BluesBrother

  A quick Google supports Gayle's point,above. Apparently there are 160,000 Baha'i members as well
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  moggy lover

  Brings back memories!

  I recall, back in 1975, when I was "in" and full of zeal for Watchtowerism, making a ratio chart of how the religion was doing in various countries. Zambia was top of the list at 1:52 in that country. Statistically speaking, each Zambian Watchtower follower would only need to speak to 52 people to give the entire population a "witness". If the ratio has fallen to 1:83, as Gayle has mentioned, it means that they are falling behind, rather than advancing.

  I was also astonished to read how well the SDAs are doing in that country. They now have 471,000 believers, and with more than double the number of baptized each year in relation to the Watchtower, they will simply keep pulling ahead. I think that a simple stat like that of the number of Bahais in the country shows that Watchtower statistics can be impressive only in isolation.

  When compared to the diligence of others they really are just about below average.
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  slimboyfat

  According to the 1975 and 1976 yearbooks the ratio in both those years was 1 in 81 of the population were Witnesses. It is possible that the ratio was as low as 1 in 52 at some time, but I can't find it. While the ratio had slipped in the last couple of decades, JWs seem to be gaining ground in Zambia once again in relative terms. In absolute terms they were always increasing in no small part due to the population of the country that has been rising fast.
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  moggy lover

  Hmmm. I am obviously mistaken, and my memory ain't so good.

  I did my research using the 1974 YB, and don't know where I got 1:52 from. I thought it was from Zambia, because I definitely recall that country having the lowest ration of publishers:population. I am pretty certain that whatever the 1975 YB says would be correct.

  I might have got the 1:52 ratio from some other stat connected with the Watchtower. Soooooorrrrry.

  Come to think of it, I don't have the YBs anymore, but SBF, can you check the YBs and see if there is a column that gives this ratio? I seem to recall vaguely that earlier YBs used to publish this figure.
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  slimboyfat

  Yes the column is there. The 1974 yearbook gives the ratio in Zambia as 1 in 87. The only place with a better ratio in that yearbook is St. Helena with 1 in 66 but it is an island with a tiny population (4,952) compared with Zambia. (4,556,000)
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  smiddy

  My 1st reply to this post didn`t seem to register so try again

  Is it possible that Zambians have dual religous affilliations

  smiddy