by punkofnice 29 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I seem to recall that there was an assistance fund set up for insurance on Kingdom halls that were essentially set up as insurance.
Where you were not to insure the khs by normal insurance companies.Does anyone know about this and does any kh claim againt the fund i.e. the watchtower®?
Sounds like a scam!
Yes. The WT Society acts as the insurance company for Kingdom Halls around the country. Each congregation is assessed an insurance premium to cover the KHall. The elders receive a periodic letter (yearly? I forgot) from the WT reminding them to pay the premium and outlining instructions to give to the Account Servant for submitting payment.
The WT prefers a lump sum, but will accept monthly installments just like any insurance company. The yearly? letter also reminds the elders to tell baptized publishers to use their worldly insurance instead of filing a claim on the KHall, since any payouts come from funds that would otherwise be used in furthering the worldwide work.
This is yet another quiet revenue stream out of the congregation funds and onto the WT Society.
Yes, I second the comments from Bob_NC, the KH's are essentially self-insured, through "Mother". I spent many years handling Accounting at the KH level, and there was NEVER a payment made to a third-party insurance company (like Allstate, Farmers, etc.) As Bob said, there is a set amount per publisher as a "recommended" donation, yearly. There is no special fund, it all goes the great and wondrous WWW (world wide work).
However, the times they use "insurance" is Very VERY rare. I can think of 1 KH that burned in the Portland, OR area about 12 years ago or so. Then, everything goes thru the RBC. Other than that type of thing, any "claims" are strongly discouraged. Publishers are encouraged to use their own insurance if they hurt themselves on KH property, etc. Yep, another income stream. Kinda like the old "Parking Ticket" scam at the Tacoma Dome from years gone by.
Bob and Tech: This sure sounds like a typical watchtower® scam to me.
I hear talk of "the WT is under financial strain." I don't know about all that. For steady income they have:
1. Kingdom Hall Insurance program.
2. Kingdom Hall Building Fund. (Donations from congregations lent back out on interest for KHall builds. WT = the bank.)
3. Weekly Circuit Assembly donations.
4. District Convention donations.
5. Contribution boxes for the Worldwide Work.
6. Traveling brothers insurance assistance program. (An amount assessed to each congregation per publisher each year.)
7. Traveling brothers automoblie assistance program. (An amount assessed to each congregation per publisher each year.)
8. Real estate sales.
9. Financial markets investments.
My mother and sister in law filed a claim because huge picture over literature counter fell on their backs. They paid 12,000.
The insurance shows the org has a vested interest in the KH properties. This will help them win if a KH says it wants to sell it's hall. They all belong to the org as they never take their name off the deed now when they loan you money to remodel. It is becoause of the Texas and Florida cong. getting ownership.
They paid everything in those days and the society paid nothing, so that is why they now insure the KH to show vested interest in care and insuring. (side-bar)
The premium paid for the WT insurance fund is another cash grab because very few congregations would dare make a claim to the society. I remember an instance when someone broke in the KH storage shed and stole the mowing/snow plow tractor and we simply made a resolution to buy a new one instead of making an insurance claim. It cost around $5,000 to the congregation. If a witness got injured how would he been seen by others if he sued for damages?
" few congregations would dare to make a claim to the society "____NVR2L8
.
That's considered robbin' the WTS God
We had an older visiting sister to fall inside our Hall and hurt her hip and back. Her hsuband was the visiting speaker that Sunday. She wasn't used to the floor plan. This sent her to a chiropractor or physical therapist for extended treamtments. Her husband, the brother, called later and asked about filing on our KHall insurance. We contacted the Society.
The Society told us to speak to them kindly and with understanding, but also to ask them to file on their personal health insurance if they had any. I was the Accounts Servant at the time, so the Secretary got the dubious task of calling them back. A week or so later I asked him how it went. He said they were not happy about it, but had health insurance, and so filed on their own.
What a bunch of nazi storm troopers.
