Wisdom, they have eased up somewhat with adding the bookstudy to the ministry school and service meeting and reducing days at conventions. Maybe they've done so out of survival instinct, wanting to keep they numbers that still attend. I don't dream that they will ease up on their cultish mind control approach, but they might if they understood how many thousands they have lost because of it. They might if they understood the risks they are facing of even more people waking up and walking away from their grasps. Might. But then maybe not.
No more circuit assemblies
by justmeok 51 Replies latest jw friends
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eyeuse2badub
More time for field service now! Praise be to our lords and masters.........THE GB.
Just saying!
eyeuse2badub
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RubaDub
were there not 8-day assemblies in New York at one time? 8am to 8pm?
Those "mega-assemblies" back in the 1950's and 1960's (7 and 8 days long) started in the early afternoon (around 1:30) and ended at 9:00 at night (unless Bro. Franz gave the last talk and then you were likely to be looking at something closer to 10:00 before the final prayer).
My ass still has retained a certain shape from those seats in Yankee Stadium when as a little boy I had to sit in them for a week.
Rub a Dub
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A.proclaimer
Could this be a sign of one of their cut backs on $$$? The good news is that now I won't have to sit 8 more hours there. I can only pay attention for so long before my mind wanders, and now that I know ttatt makes it more difficult. it's kind of ironic that they made a cut since just a while back there was a Watchtower study on the importance of assemblies and in an upcoming Kingdom Ministry, it keeps talking about the assembly. Anyway, once the congregations hear the news, they'll just accept it without really thinking about it, or just see it as a new arrangement that "our wonderful faithful and discreet slave" has provided.
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Nosferatu
There wasn't anything special about special assemblies anyway.
It makes me want to cry, thinking about the wasted weekends I sat in a stinky assembly hall. Time is the most valuable thing we have as humans, and so much of it got wasted on JW shit. And now that I've been 18 years out of it, they cut out one assembly day (and let's not forget elimination of the book study a few years ago).
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joe134cd
I'm willing to put money on it that there will be massive fire sale of assembly halls next. I reckon they have got their sights set on it as we speak. Of course the R&F will get the same B/S shit excuses of simplification and lessening the burden to the brothers.
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stillin
I always put one contribution on the box, whether it was a 3,4 or 2 day assembly. If there are two 1-day assemblies, I think that most people will feel obligated to contribute at each separate event. The buildings are paid for. Turn on the lights and the AC. Let the money roll in.
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blondie
Technically, the 8 days started in the morning with field service, all were expected to attend and go out but many skipped, like my family. I can remember what some jws felt the reason for evening sessions was to stop jws from partying in the evening to get their proper rest and be fresh for field service in the morning. Many parents complained about getting children to sleep then up early for FS. Some partied anyway and missed field service. We missed 2 whole days and visited some of the popular tourist attractions, no guilt expressed by my jw relatives. We were in a large city and the drive from hotel to convention site was long and jammed both ways. We were privileged with Fred Franz speaking; he went over 45 minutes. My family took advantage of that to leave before the thundering herd and get a headstart. Except for a few wild assertions (unsanctioned?), he was boring.
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Decided
They had food prepared at the assembly by us crazy voluntiers. I worked at about every assembly I went to washing dishes, emptying trash and about every thing else that needed done. I remember one assembly I went to and I didn't voluntier and it was so nice to be able to sit during the talks.
In NY we went out in fieldservice and the people there were so different than the NC folks. They asked why are you here ringing my door bell.
My main interest at the assembly was the young sisters. I met my first wife at NY. She was from NM.
Ken P.
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under the radar
I recall attending the New York International Conventions in 1958 and 1961(?) as a young child. Each day began with actual "sessions" at 9:00 am, after breakfast being served in big tents. There were long lines, but the cost was ridiculously low (about 35ยข) and the food was pretty good. The sessions ended about 9 at night. Everybody's brain was frazzled. I don't know what they were thinking when they decided to subject the "friends" to 8 days of unending indoctrination.
One thing I clearly remember about the 1958 convention. One of the speakers went on and on about how IF this old system lasted another 10 years, highly unlikely, then there were ONLY so many meetings till the end and how we couldn't afford to miss any. That was over 55 years ago. The Organization now bears little resemblance to the one back then. Almost every major belief has been changed. Now the whole thing is run by lawyers and bean counters. Everything is set up to protect the Organization and its assets. Reason, common sense, and humanity be damned.
I believe the field service thing was part of the conventions back in the 30's or 40's. Then they tried to revive it in the 70's. I don't recall it being a part of the 1958 or 1961 International Conventions. But hey, I was very young. Maybe I just don't remember it.