Recent changes

Thumblina

I was on this board a lot when I faded and left 6 years ago but not been on much since. Is there any thread/s in particular to read showing the changes in the past 5 years? Or any kind willing person who has time to summarise them as a reply below?? ;)

NewYork44M

The biggie that I don't know if you heard, Armogeddon never came. I'll let others fill in the minor details.

Iamallcool

We no longer call Presiding Overseer, it is now called Coordinator of Body of Elders.

Iamallcool

No more book studies at homes.

Iamallcool

Public Talk is now 30 minutes.

Iamallcool

There are two different kinds of Watchtower. One is for the congregation and the other one is for the Public.

88JM

Many branch offices have been shut down and consolidated

New "schools" for couples and single brothers and sisters with focus mostly on training for circuit work/special pioneers. Requirements are fairly relaxed, taking entrants from 18 to 65 I think.

The above school replaces the Ministerial Training School and also mostly Gilead which is greatly downscaled and very much "special" invitation only now.

"Generation" doctrine has been re-worked at least twice in the last 5 years

Circuit assemblys are now only 1 day, meaning there are currently two 1-day assemblys, plus the 3-day disctrict convention, which are now called "regional conventions"

More "zone visits" in english speaking countries which are mostly like an extra 1-day assembly, but are mostly invitation only. Often they are broadcast to be projected in other assembly halls and venues where JWs are "invited". The Governing Body AGM in the USA is now also broadcast in english speaking countries to assembly halls and venues, and is also invitation only, mostly.

Public Watchtower and Awake are now only 16 pages thin, and both are monthly. Monthly study Watchtower is still 32-pages and there is also a "simplified" language version in English at least.

New World Translation has been slightly tweaked and Revised edition was released last year, removing some older language and some bizzare phrasings, and is now silver in color

More focus on the JW.org website - it's on all Watchtower and Awake's, all new brochures and tracts and campaign tracts

Auxilliary pioneering hours are 50 hours on most months, but some months there is now the option to auxilliary pioneer only doing 30 hours on campaign months, the month of the memorial and a month where the C.O. is visiting

There are now at least 2 flyer/tract based campaigns a year - one for the memorial and one for the district convention. Some years there may be 3 flyer/tract campaigns if they decide to do a "Kingdom News" flyer (I think there is one in August this year?)

Tracts, including campaign tracts are now recorded on publisher report slips under the "brochures" column

More pressure to stop JW kids going into higher education. If an MS or Elder lets his kids do so, the official proceedure is to "review" him, and supposedly remove him, but rules are more relaxed in some congregations.