Dwindling attendance and other trends

Leander

I've noticed in my congregation that attendance does not have the priority that it once did. It seems like on any given Theocratic Ministry School meeting there will be at least one or two subsitutions. Some of the younger elders and ministerial servants tend to miss quite a few meetings and others have the habit of arriving 30 minutes after the meeting has started. Personally this does'nt bother me at all because I've always felt that it showed a severe lack of concern for the congregation members to constantly have them running back and forth every other day to the kingdom hall.

I've also noticed that it appears that more individuals are simply leaving the organization. It seemed like there was a time when members of the congregation would speak with the elders about some wrongdoing or a lack of a desire to be a witness. This would almost always end up in annoucements being made from the platform. Nowdays however it appears that people are just disappearing without any notice.

The funny thing about this is that despite all the empty seats we're constantly hearing letters from the society claiming how the org is growing. I could be wrong but something just does'nt add up here

Fredhall

Leander,

You got a screw up congregation.

battman

Hiya Lea,

you be right about that. i have noticed the same thing.

I haven't been to a meeting in over a year and missed the
last two memorials and basically they leave me alone.

just grew a beard and still no interest. we will see what
happens this summer when i remarry and if they consider
me "free".

i consider my self very free at least until i get hitched.

things are getting so boring i am the only one even
responding.

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

battman

Xander

The funny thing about this is that despite all the empty seats we're constantly hearing letters from the society claiming how the org is growing

Nah, it's just the apostates pickin them off in the parking lot with our sniper rifles.

Well, at least the EQUIVELANT of sniper rifles according to the bOrg...

Xander F
(Unseen Apostate Directorate of North America - Ohio order)
A fanatic is one who, upon losing sight of his goals, redoubles his efforts.
--George Santayana

Leander

Fred - Could be that my little congregation is a little screwy but somehow I get the feeling that its not the only one

Battman - I wish I was free, I'd immediately grow a beard and dreadlocks and move into another part of Chicago. I'm just waiting for my break

dmouse

I think we might be in for a bit of a shock when the figures come out next year. I expect a decent increase in publisher figures.
Why?
Because of the new 15 minute minimum time limit for being counted as a publisher. This will bring a lot of elderly and sick publishers out of retirement - thus a temporary increase.
But it will only be temporary, they can only pull this stunt once and I don't think it will be enough to kick-start any sustained increase, other than in third world countries where most of the growth is anyway because they haven't got the Net yet.

Reborn2002

Leander-

What congregation do you attend in the Chicago area? I am from the south Chicago suburbs and am fairly familiar with all the congregations in Illinois Circuit 20A and 20B.. as well as a few North and West Suburbs congregations.

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out4good3

Hence the all important "special talk" given out this past weekend to keep the R\F in line. From what I've heard it was all about the mantra of Armageddon just around the corner......yet again. I think the implications of this new understanding of what a "generation" means has finally filtered down to the average joe and it just no longer reconciles with the Armageddon just around the corner crap the WT has gotten so much mileage out of.

Personally this does'nt bother me at all because I've always felt that it showed a severe lack of concern for the congregation members to constantly have them running back and forth every other day to the kingdom hall.

You've just said what I'll bet almost every JW, except the hardcore ones, feel but are afraid to publicly express. Maybe that is fine for the Bethelites, DO's, CO's and the GB since they don't have to deal with the day to day details of living and all their bills are paid. Couple that along with the heavy handed way some Nazi Elders deal with people's problem and it's no wonder why people are disappearing from the seats in the congregations without a trace. Why go through a confessional with one of those clowns only to have what you said being used against you as an warning to the congregation under the guise of "keeping Jehovahs organization clean."

What I see happening in a few years is the WT putting the spin on this negative growth as being a "cleansing" of those in the truth serving only for a specific date and blaming the R/F for "running ahead" thereby shifting responsibility just as they did 25 years ago during the 1975 fiasco.

Leander

I live in Blue Island but I attend one of the Harvey congregations, we're right off of the 147th expressway exit. I've been with my current congregation for about 5 years. I really wish I could leave but right now the timing is'nt good.

Fredhall

Leander,

Why? Is it because the end is near?

Dwindling attendance and other trends

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