Is this new donation arrangement for real?

nugget

Just read a post on JWsurvey about the new donation arrangement. Congregations are to pledge a monthly amount to be sent to the society to fund the building of assembly halls and Kingdom Halls. Congregations who already have a loan from the society will no longer have to pay back the loan but the amount pledged should not be less than the current monthly repayments to the society. (therefore their loan payments continue indefinitely). Congregations will review the donation every year in May but once pledged there does not appear to be any wriggle room. I was wondering at what point congregations with a loan would be able to reduce their payment to the society or is this a burden they carry indefinitely.

Congregations that have been saving to buy a new hall or refurbishment are being encouraged to donate all their surpluses to the society holding back only as much as is needed for minor repairs. This means that there will be no wealthy congregations holding large surpluses that they can use as they wish.

I have a number of questions

I wonder what will happen to congregations who are close to affording a new hall and who donate all their surplus to the society. Will the society "fund" the new hall and then suggest that the congregation ups it's monthly pledge as if they were paying back a loan.

Will the society cover the cost of land in this new arrangement or will congregations have to fund that themselves?

Who makes the decision about building projects and what will be the criteria for having a new hall funded by the society. I suspect that congregations may not be deemed needy enough or the society will say that money is being used in poorer places where building costs are lower.

What will happen to congregations that do not want to donate surpluses to the society or whose monthly pledge is considered too low?

What will happen if congrgations can't afford the monthly pledge because a drop in numbers or because more affluent brothers move away?

Will this money have to be used for building projects and will it be used for the new HQ freeing up the billion from Brooklyn to be spent how they please.

What will happen if the kingdom has a mjor issue that needs thousands of pounds to resolve? How long will it take to get money back from the society for repairs, is this situation even covered by this arrangement or will the congregation be expected to use insurance.

I felt sick reading the post on JW Survey so glad to be out right now.

JustVisting

Nugget,

I agree, this is quite disturbing. If this new arrangement is in fact put in effect, the congos will be indefinetely on the hook for the pledged amount in lieu

of their monthly mortgage payment. One can just imagine that they have studied the possibility of some congos "defaulting" on their pledges, so I am

sure that they have contingencies. It is my understanding that remodels are all mandated by the RBCs and more so now that they have a centralized "RBC" arrangement. Sounds like Communism to me.

OUTLAW

Is this new donation arrangement for real?

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wearewatchingyouman

Sounds like Communism to me.

So you're saying JW's are becoming more like first century Xtians then. Acts 4:32-35

Sorry, but this is pure corporate capitalism through and through.

BluesBrother

A very well connected bro told me recently that changes were afoot and the things he hinted at gave me the impression that "The Society" were going to take much more control over K/Hall projects and Hall locations - but no doubt the locals would still have to pay for them.

His attitude was "It does not matter, it is all dedicated to Jehovah anyway". The see no difference ,apparently, in being dedicated to God and dedicated to The Society

nancy drew

They are so smarmy because they know what their doing but they weasel word it so it'll sound noble and good.

minimus

It's all about the money

BluesBrother

The Link

http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/governing-body-instructs-congregations-to-pledge-fixed-monthly-donations

designs

Tithing

Scully

Since the inception of the Kingdom Hall Building Fund™ in the '80s, congregations who took advantage of the arrangement have always been beholden to the WTS in perpetuity. The Loan™ would be financed based on the amount of property the congregation was able to procure - the Loan™ amount was never more than the collateral afforded by the value of the property.

The KH would be Dedicated™ to the WTS, essentially making it WTS property. Once the building Loan™ was repaid, the WTS then required that a per-publisher amount be donated every month (i.e., RENT) which was the equivalent of a mortgage payment.

FYI, I don't think the legality of acting as a financial institution (being in the business of financing building loans and collecting interest therefrom) has ever been challenged. I didn't think that a charitable organization could do these types of things.

Is this new donation arrangement for real?

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