It is with great interest that I recently read Ceders article on the decline of the WTS. His article along with many of the comments really drives home just how many major changes there have been in a fairly short peroid of time.
Somewhere in the recent past I could swear that someone had posted a bullet list of major changes with the corresponding year. When I saw this (or something like it) my first thought was that this simple list made it all the more shocking; and since I have searched and cannot find anything like it.
So I dug around and started one of my own, please feel free to add/corrects events. It may prove useful to demonstrate just how UN-progressive the WTS has become!
* 1980's: Simplification program
* 1990: Voluntary donation arrangement for literature
* 1995/6: Generation change
* 2005: first reduction in magazine production; monthy Awake/WT & monthy in-house WT
* 2006: Bethel layoffs begin
* 2007: change to 30 minute Public Talk
* 2008: Overlapping generations
* 2009: Elimination of Book Study as separate meeting
* 2010: WTS begins closing/merging Branch facilities and selling branch properties
* 2011: Credit card machines at assembly halls and conventions
* 2012: begin selling Brooklyn properties
* 2013: reduction in size of magazines
Disturbing, but in a good way! --RN