by lurkernomore 30 Replies latest watchtower scandals
Thanks for that factfinder very informative!
I think the point Juan made is valid and has made a few appearances lately in that most growth, as stagnant as it is, does come from families already associated. On top of that the vulnerability off people in our locality is definitely pounced upon as the WT uses this as proof that we need to give them the 'truth' to improve their lives and become closer to god.
Combining"lands", reducing hour requirements (15 min a month to be Regular), reducing pioneer hours, and having child baptisims have helped keep hours up over the last few years. I wonder what the stats would look like without these tweeks.
steve 2-
The brother from Bethel was refering to the total publishers, which at that time was 2.9 million, wheras the PEAK publishers was only 2.6 million as reported in the YB. Thus there were around 300,000 publishers in the congs who went out in service at some point in that SY but did not report FS.
Yes, The yb always shows the average and peak pubs. But I was referring to the TOTAL as reported by the CO's to the branch offices. The lower number of 2.6 million was published as the peak pubs that year, while the 2.9 million figure was not used.
I agree, most baptisms are most likely children of publishers who are encouraged/pressured to get their kids baptized.
It is inconsistant to try and compare the number of studies and pioneers now with, lets say, the number in the 70's. As was mentioned, pioneers now put in 70 hours per month instead of 90, aux pios put in 50 or at times 30 instead of 60 per month.
As for studies, we used to have to conduct a study with someone for an hour at least 3 times a month to be able to report the study.
Now, they report "door-step" studies of 10-15 minutes!
If held to the older standards, how many pioneers and studies would there be now? A lot less I'd say!
And if small children and 15 minute pubs were not included, how many publishers would there be?
Any increases actual taking place must be very small.
lurkernomore- you're welcome!
didnt king David get into trouble running a census as to have the numbers of ... etc?
My mom came in because a JW woman who went to their door when she was a baby told my grandma that she would take her to church a few times a week to give her a break with her new baby. When the next new baby came, she brought my uncle, also. So, my mom went on the JW "church bus" from infancy (she was about a year old). Her mom never joined but went to some meetings. Her brother did join. My mom brought ONE person in that she knows of. Her next door neighbor/best friend (not through d2d service unless coffee morning gossip counts). My mom has no JW kids ever baptised. One friend-who got her husband (now an elder) and one kid out of two (also an elder, I think) in. I don' know their stats, but my mom, as much as she hates it, has been goin out in service regularly since she was baptised (well after 30) No suckers other than the neighbor to her credit and the neighbor was baptised before my mom was, so she probably doesn't even get credit for it. One of her sisters eventually gave in to family pressure (myriad family crises) and joined, left, joined, left, joined (ad infinitum) and now is a pioneer () The one brother, was totally a mess before he died. So, not one JW kid (or ex-none of the ex spouses are still JW). Just my mom and her sister. there may be a few shirttail relatives that still go to memorials, but none joined as a result of my mom though some did join. They are a whole other kettle of fish and the one that is still in killed a spouse and the mistress and her son killed his brother 'in a hunting accident'.
So, don't know how much happy happy joy joy I ever saw in the JW world, but I sure never saw anyone really come in because of FS unless you count the spiritual kidnapping that basically happened to my mom as an infant.ff
As the years have gone by they've diluted the requirements to be a 'publisher' more and more. Now it's 15 mins a month is enough in some cases, and a few years ago didn't they allow JW parents to count time doing a weekly bible study with their children at home? I think those changes have definitely sort of artifically boosted the numbers a bit. I wonder how many parents are totally inactive when it comes to door-to-door preaching but count 3 or 4 hours a month from doing a family bible study with their young kids?
One has to wonder what the attrition rate is going to be in the not too distant future as all the older ones that mostly came in during the late sixties and early seventies die off?? One would think that this is going to really effect the numbers?
Ha perhaps they'll start calling regular publishers, pioneers to really make things look 'good' lol
