by DATA-DOG 60 Replies latest watchtower bible
I get that skype can be recorded, but the actual end to end connection is more secure than a land line since the encryption is very good.
But yeah, they seem to think everyone's out to get them. If ONLY that were true.... Some justice would be pretty welcome for the crap they've put people through. I don't want to see the rank and file members suffer but I'd love to see the leadership held accountable.
Ah, perhaps it is the recording that has their shorts in a knot.
I would think they would value Skype as they can check if the participants are actually there.
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And dressed.
Of course Skype is secure but just the fact a recording can take place puts the Bethel top brass into conspiracy theory overdrive. Every knowledgable brother I know thinks the approach to technology is crazy and self defeating but it will never change all the while you have a McCarthy-esque leadership in place.
All the while people will go on making recordings anyway, taking electronic notes where possible and putting out every letter and "secret" book onto the web regardless. Why not just go open? It's like the Chinese government is in control of the GB.
It has gone up by about 20% in my old congregation, solely because of immigration.
In the upstate South Carolina area there has been an influx of JWs, new kingdom halls/congregations as a result of the expansion of the BMW plant, North American Michelon facility and several other large industries moving into the area. The population in this area has exploded in the last 10 years. That's what's going on locally.
But to hear the gossip around the contribution box, it's because Jehovah is blessing the work.
WTWizard, loved your description of the ebbing of congregational attendance and the "incentives" to attend. Hilarious but meaningful categories to be sure .
The few congregations in New Zealand that seem to flourish consist of immigrant populations. The JW message is kind of soothing if you don't know anything else. By pretty reliable accounts, the rest are kind of "over it".
I'm surprised that some are mentioning attendance rates of (nearly) 100 %.
Here in Europe, 20 years ago most congregations had little bit more than 100 % on weekend, and some 90 % midweek.
Today, quite a lot of the congregations I know are glad if they reach 80 % on weekend, and 70 % midweek. Some congregations reach 100 % only three times a year: memorial (much more than 100 % for that meeting, of course), and CO visits' weekend-congregations.
I have noticed attendance may have decreased. I was told last time that 60% of the people at my old hall have lefted. that has just been in four years since 2008.
Attendance is down in my congregation. We are at maybe 75-80% for weeknight and 80-90% for Sunday. CO is always claiming that we are low in the circuit but when I go to give talks out that doesn't seem to be the case.
Over in this corner of the world, attendance is about 70% on weeknights and 80-90% on Sundays.
This year we rotated to Sunday morning meetings. In years past this would almost always cause Sunday attendance to jump over 100% as folks from the afternoon congregations who had life-or-death plans for Sunday afternoon <cough football cough> would show up on Sunday morning.
This year however, while we still get a fair number of visitors on a Sunday, we almost never crack the 100% mark. So attendance is probably really about 70% of the congregation total all the time.
It's actually pretty funny. We get "local needs" parts on meeting attendance once or twice a year, and the elders are all hand-wringy and "what can we do?" and nothing ever changes.
