blondie: you said "theocratic english". ha, the pure language, a world to speak, to think apart. so
if you are a bilingual witnees you are/have to be a poly glott.
expensive .
Foreign language field - the curious Watchtower cutback?
by slimboyfat 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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USofWhatever
Well in my home country, there was a big song and dance about the French field (due to Refugee's from French Africa). However the government made a restriction that just because you were born in the country did not make you Irish. The immigration tide came to a halt as soon as they did that.
There were a number of french groups around the place, supported by oddbods from France that moved over. Eventually, the CO's disbanded all by 1 of them in Dublin as the congregations were not growing, but self sustaining (ie more people from France moved over to "help" in the field, but there was no growth).
I was in an english congregation in Spain, and there was a huge amount of growth for a while, so much so we had to split the district assembly up, some of us had to go to Madrid, others to Benidorm. Then when the pound started to lose against the euro, english pensioners "surfing" where the "need was great" started to leave, meaning that some english congregations were disbanded, and others amalgamated into being groups in the hall.
It is all very practical, but i remember the atmosphere being one of shrinking rather than "stream lining"
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outsmartthesystem
"I know that Jah and the 'loving' GB love the English speaking JW's more than all others. That is why the 'new' NWT is only available in English."
You got that right! I remember back in 2008 when they disbanded the congregation bookstudy arrangement. The GB said it was a "loving provision from Jehovah" because He saw that times were tough and with the poor economy and gas prices etc etc.......the holy spirit directed that the book study should be moved to the same night as the ministry school and service meeting. I recall everyone in our congregation marveling at how timely this announcement was. Yet all I could think about was........what about those poor brothers and sisters in Africa that have to walk through crocodile waters just to get to the meetings? Why weren't THEY important enough to scale back the number of times we meet each week?
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emeth
At this moment Jehovah's Witnesses produce literature in about 600 different languages. At the Circuit Assembly (theme God's word is beneficial for Teaching) we had last month it was announced that the number of languages will increase to 1000+ ,.. starting 2014.
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slimboyfat
Whoopee doo, pointless drivel, dumbed down to umpteenth degree, now available in over 1000 languages. Truly God is with these people.
On the topic of the thread, I am sure I remember someone posting that all the English and other foreign language congregations in Belgium were being closed. I wonder why they would do that.
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steve2
In New Zealand it is the foreign language congregations that have the healthiest meeting attendances. I know this because it was trumpeted at one of the recent district conventions, according to my JW relative. (Typical example of how the organization shows up the "weaker" ones by over-praising the stronger ones )
We know how poorly attended the English-speaking meetings are in New Zealand - especially mid-week.
I have not heard that they are cutting back on non-English-speaking congregations in NZ. With the recent sale of the New Zealand bethel and all correspondence forwarded to the Australian bethel, it would be madness to also reduce the focus on these sources of "growth".
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slimboyfat
Yeah well they were boasting about foreign language congregations here at thg DC just a few years ago too. The cutbacks seem to be a more recent development.
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emeth
@slimboy as far as i know foreign congregations became foreign groups in certain territories... they did not dissapear and all foreigners are still being served. I live 1 hour away from belgium
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rip van winkle
It is alive and well in NY
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dropoffyourkeylee
My daughter is in a foreign language congregation in a US New England state, and they seem to be going strong with no cutbacks, at least nothing I have heard about.