AGEING CONGREGTIONS (page 2)

perfect1

sadly, what do you think is the likelihood these elderly have any retirement saved\ planned ?

ZERO.

THE END is coming ANY DAY NOW

>tumbleweed<

Finkelstein

Some of this aging of the population of JWS has something also to do with education growing to a higher level in most modern countries.

If you take a look at the age demographics of lets say people attending churches in Europe you see also a decline of young people attending,

as well a drop in the over all attendance. Religion is just getting or perceived to be too old in this modern secular society.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

Welcome sieborg!

My old congo has a fair amount of younger dubs with families, but like BluesBro said, none of the younger guys are "reaching out to become" MS/Elders at all.

Black Sheep

20 years ago there were a lot of young JW banging on doors around here. Now, all I see are middle aged to elderly.

All of those young ones have moved away and they haven't been replaced by move-ins, recruitment or breeding.

I live in a coastal region where there is a wide age and socio-economic demographic - yet on the now rare occasions when I see JWs out witnessing they are 1) fewer in number compared to even 10 years ago and 2) mainly composed of older women with very few men and even fewer younger adults. Where are they ?? Not in this region, that's for sure.

Contrast that to the late 1960s and early-to-mid-1970s when there was a burgeoning presence of new converts who were invariably younger adults. The congregations were buzzing with new blood. We covered the territory in a matter of weeks before covering it again.

Whatever way you put it, JWs' heyday is well and truly over. The Kingdon Halls won't be emptying any time soon - but, like a lot of established religions, will be recognizable primarily by the ageing composition of attendees.

JimmyPage

This is absolutely true. Where I live there have been large waves of death that have spread through the congregation, one after another dying due to old age and age-related illness. The smaller congregations I've seen consist almost exclusively of elderly ones. And even when it appears that a young person is reaching out for congregation "privileges" it soon becomes apparent they are biding their time and at first chance they jump ship into "the world" and get DF'd.

Scott77

Welcome!

jam

Welcome sieborg: I have seen the same thing in the

churces. Smaller churces (Baptist, Methodist etc.) The

mega churches you may see young adults. Across the board

young people do not attend as much these days.

tootired2care

In the last congregation that we attended, it seemed there was about 40% elderly or nearing elderly. This is one of the things that freaked me out about thinking about the future and staying a servant in the org. The generation X is screwed, because they are on the hook to care for all of these ageing baby boomers and keep up the wt$ guilt games at the same time. Let's face it, the families of these one are hardly going to help, at least thats what I've observed in my own experience. So what heavy burden must be endured to keep this game up!

The dwindling gen-x elders and ministerial servants have hell waiting for them - caring for all of these sick and dying people - over the next decade. The society has created a looming disaster of epoch proportions, and they are going to reap their harvest of shunning non believing family members soon.

ilikecheese

My boyfriend said that at least 75 per cent of his congregation is over 40, about half overall are elderly. I guess the same for the Spanish congregation and the other English speaking one. He always says that he wants to marry a JW, (Yay, pointless arguments with him trying to get me to convert and be that one!) but I tell him that if he breaks up with me and tries to find one, he will probably have maybe three to choose from. The only single female JW under 30 in our city (out of about 400 JWs) is his sister. (Who has only ever dated "worldly" guys, too.) He'd have to go on a "find a JW lady I'm not related to" road trip.

AGEING CONGREGTIONS