Why doesn't the branch go all the way and take over the kingdom halls and be responsible for the paying of the bills and doing the repairs. Let the local elders be spiritual shepards instead of businessmen.
France : no more local bank accounts for congregations
by fifth.column 80 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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hoser
I'll bet that contributions will go way down for the expense fund. They will assume that the "rich" congregation is paying the bills.
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Doubting Bro
Seems like it will be difficult to manage for the WTS. They would need an accounts receivable department for the local congregations to handle the payment of bills. I guess you could have the locals scan in every bill/receipt and have payment issued directly from the branch. But, that seems to be taking on more responsibility for the WTS instead of pushing it away.
I see the obvious cash grab but it's going to cost them something as well.
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Amelia Ashton
I think possibly the poor congregations are requiring more help than Brooklyn is happy giving.
The English speaking congregation in Spain was always needing financial help from the Spanish congregation down the road to pay the mortgage. It would have been cheaper for us to rent but the society said no so every month we were short. There was only 15 of us! We never got any help from Madrid or Brooklyn or wherever it would have come from. Help only ever came locally.
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hoser
maybe they are planning to "take the money and run"
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Fernando
I keep getting the feeling their back is against the wall, their mistakes are getting more, and that they are getting bored with shooting themselves in the foot, and will soon shoot themselves in the head...
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Chaserious
My guess is that this is a precaution due to law/politics in France, and not a pilot program. Unlike the U.S., U.K., and many other countries, religions have to be approved by the government, and they make government distinctions between religions and cults. They even have a parlimentary commission on Cults. By contrast, in the U.S. something that might be popularly considered a cult is due all of the free exercise protection of any religion. I am guessing that they are worried about assets being frozen or taxed in the event of a negative ruling or something similar. Note that he said global account. I'm guessing these are going to be held in some time of offshore account that the France branch has access to.
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wannabefree
Maybe it has something to do with France and taxation against Watch Tower.
Last year, on June 30, 2011, the European Court ruled that the government of France violated the rights of Jehovah's Witnesses when it attempted to impose a retroactive 60 percent tax on all religious donations made by Jehovah's Witnesses in France between 1993 and 1996.
http://www.jw-media.org/fra/20120705.htm
Perhaps since France had to repay what they took from JW's because the court said imposing a retroactive tax was unfair, doesn't mean a new tax from this day forward is a problem ... can't seize from bank accounts what itsn't there.
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EntirelyPossible
Forgive my incredulity, but I just might wait for the BOE letter to be poster and hear this from a few more sources and a first time poster....
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cofty
I too would like more evidence or confirmation.