by 4thgen 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Recently, we drove by the Kingdom Hall in Galena, IL, the sign was removed and it was closed down. A while back, the hall in Taylor MO was also closed. One congregation in Peoria, IL was dissolved last year. What Kingdom Halls do you know of?
It is always a shock at first to see the signs removed, but then again...people are waking up!
Are these areas where people in general are leaving because of the economy or are these halls really closing because of lack of jw's?
I personally know of 1. But to be honest it was a small town, and people were leaving it and moving to the city. Really a place that had nothing going for it. I remember back in the hay day however and the hall was first built there were over 100 pubs in it.
My family is in Nigeria and the last time I spoke with my dad, he said a hall in a town we used to visit when I was little got shut down because almost every publisher was involved in occultic practices and weird things used to happen in the hall so they dissolved the congregation, handed each one their publisher card and sold the hall.
How about a hall that never got built?
There are 4 conregations using my old Hall, 2 English and 2 Spanish. About 10 years ago all bodies of elders decided it was time to build a second hall. Donation slips were passed around to get an idea of how much money would be contributed on a regular basis, and property was located. A couple of years later the 2 English congregations began to shrink while the 2 Spanish were growing rapidly. It was the growth of the 2 Spanish congegationrs that was the main impetus behind getting a new Hall, because they were anticipating needing to make a 3rd congregation.
As of today I don't believe the 2 English have recovered, the likelihood is they are smaller than before, so not much financial support coming from the English side, and the Spanish congregations can't finance it all on their own. I am not sure of the state of the 2 Spanish, whether they are still growing or if they have started to shrink. I am told that the Circuit Overseer axed the project.
It's pretty dismal that 4 to 5 congregations together can't afford a new Hall, but the fact is it was never built due to lack of support.
Hail Michigan. Lake city michigan. Both combined with tawas Michigan.
The Natick, MA congregation was dissolved a few months ago, which is interesting since its Kingdom Hall is actually attached to the Natick Assembly Hall. Now the old Kingdom Hall just sits empty, aside from being used for the lunchtime Elders' Meeting during the Circuit Assemblies.
The KH in Wellington Street Peterborough UK is now a Pentecostal church. Well, it was dedicated for true worship.
They have merged and moved to an old Plymouth Brethren hall.
A few years ago 3 congs in southern IL were merged into one - both Carbondale and Anna IL were simultaneously shut down due to lack of interest and sent to the hall in Murfreesboro IL. Even that cong is now struggling I hear. I know of lots of others that were closed in the past few years - East Prairie MO, Shawneetown IL, and Flora IL all closed due to lack of interest.
Many, if not most English congs in rural America are teetering on the brink. Most of them are just a few families away from being shut down. Expect more to be closed as the money dries up.
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130905063117AApcDAK
As is the pattern worldwide in all countries with good internet access the JWs are in decline.
Donations are plummeting and longtime members are running for the doors .
It seems non-cult groups are growing and need larger places to meet.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/manukau-courier/9124458/Witnesses-sell-Elim-buys
