From reliable sources (brothers in position within the congregation) I've been informed that in two different locations within the UK ,4 congregations are to be consolidated .These men are loyal to the society and have no contact with ex-jw community .Many brothers and sisters within these 4 congregations are devasted upset and confused .One of these congragations has in excess of £150k in the bank currently "held" by the society on a loan .Do you have any more information on this ? Is this just a one off or a new trend ?
Kingdom Hall consolidations in the UK
by raymond frantz 17 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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88JM
"Consolidated" is a bit of a vague description to me - does that mean:
- 4 congregations will be dissolved and reformed as 2 congregations, but they keep their halls? If members are "devasted" and "very upset" I'm guessing it's not this one.
- Or is it that all 4 congregations will be dissolved and their halls will be sold off and the members will be sent to other nearby halls and congregations? This sounds more likely from what you're saying.
If it is the first case, then I've seen previous instances where a congregation's numbers sometimes hover for years around the "too small to split, but getting too big for the hall" mark, and there are sometimes many years of splitting and merging.
However in the second case, whole congregations being dissolved entirely because they have become too small (or over some issue) are pretty rare in the UK until now, unless it's perhaps a small non-english language congregation?
But if they are being dissolved because they are too small, then how have they managed to raise £150k and lend it to the society? Someone left them something in their will?
I'd be very interested to know the circumstances around this if it does prove to be true - i.e. if it's a small rural congregation and the numbers involved - because the local congregation here is also very small and rural (and certainly doesn't have £150k) and would be interesting to know why they have "consolidated" the ones you speak of and not the one here.
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Oubliette
Dissolve and reform the congregation moving the members around, meanwhile the WTBTS takes over th funds in the bank accounts of the congregations that have been "dissolved."
New congregations are formed and every thing starts from scratch.
Lather, rinse and repeat
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raymond frantz
no the congregations are pretty solid in numbers 100+ what they share in common is a fat bank account balance .All are in city centre's not rural .The common denominator here is that the 2 congreagations had to wait a long time for a refurbishement long needed and now they are told to move to nearby kingdom halls for no reason .So far that's what I've got...
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88JM
Dissolve and reform the congregation moving the members around, meanwhile the WTBTS takes over th funds in the bank accounts of the congregations that have been "dissolved."
If so (and it does sound a possiblity) I'd love to know how that was achieved - because to disperse 4 large congregations, surely it requires having nearby congregations with lots of spare capacity in their halls, or forming new congregations and sharing halls more?
EDIT: Ah okay Raymond Frantz - that's interesting. I would say I've heard of previous instances where a congregation couldn't rennovate because their current building was old or unsuitable and finding another location for a rebuild wasn't possible or too expensive, but even then, I've not seen a congregation dissolved over that - they usually just put up with their old hall. Obviously the congregations in your example were quite eager to push for a rennovation, and it sounds like they certainly had the cash to pay for it, but the cash was tied up with the branch who wouldn't release the funds? I thought the return of any loans made to the WTBTS was unconditional, or is that just personal loans?
I wonder with that loaned £150k if they found a way to funnel (or it was done willingly) it into the "worldwide assembly hall fund" so it's now non-returnable?
Interesting it should come at the same time as this: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/287036/2/Meeting-for-not-paying-assembly-fees
It's almost like a memo went out to circuit overseers to try to find ways to kick congregations out of their halls?
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raymond frantz
It sounds like they are sharing one hall (different times for meetings) for that I'm not sure and I will find out
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sparrowdown
My money's on new trend.
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Balaamsass2
lol- No congregation= bank account forfeit. Need that 13.5 Mil ASAP!
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nonjwspouse
my inlaws confgregation hall was told to move and share another hall and they were promised a new hall to be built ( I have no info on the accounts etc) . It's been over two years now. In law said they are approved to start in March. We'll see.
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Ocean1111
It may be about merging their assets into a more "manageable" package. Just a guess, but simplifying money control is the ultimate goal, imo. Of course with Bethel it is never discussed for what it really is, they have a handy "smooth word" smokescreen ready for all "adjustments". (Dan11:32a) But in reality, imo, the whole corporation is being packaged for liquidation over a few years of "attack of King North" or whatever illusion they want to present to JWs, to cover up, as usual, the real motive and objective.
People sometimes forget a billion+ in JW dollars and assets, guarded by sleeping JW guards, is an incentive to those who can easily appear to be JWs from within. It is not that surprising really, what is surprising is if it was not eventually pillaged, it seems like the stealing candy and the baby scenario.
Too bad JWs in organizational positions (and in general) could not compare global notes on these kinds of recent "adjustments", JWs have no form of external communications, they are relying on the Bethel switchboard filter. Thus strange anomalies, that may just be coincidence, are ignored, but in the cluster they are actually forming globally, another explanation may also be valid.
Making it more suspect is of course the Bethel "self fulfilling prophecy" where they actually could implode Bethel in a corporate sense, and sell that to JWs as "the end", and even call off the ministry from Bethel's own mouth. But in reality the corporate takeover is what would be completing, the world system will continue, and JWs will be left with the empty bag riddle, just trying to keep a hall roof over their head.
When we put all the pieces and dots together, it seems more is going on in the Bethel re-alignments than meets the eye, and is beyond the reasons they tell JWs they are doing these things, if even any sleeping JW should get a wild hair and even ask the simple question. Meaning most JWs have not even detected the thief, and when they did they said nothing, imo, overall. It is controlled by fear, by a GB group that developed not one single item from classic JWs of the past, and in modern JWs they are clearly a basic leadership based apostasy and global reproach.
Ultimately that is the only GB management experiment "innovation". They take credit for, and control, a ministerial system that had nothing to do creating. They are two face actors, imo. There are many red flags that if listed start to paint the real picture of what is coming on Bethel. That Bethel also has diligently prepared and maintains a nice exit hoax for JWs, just reinforces the need to just keep an eye on that den of robbers. JWs are not to blame as sluggish as they are, they are the target victims, the cash cow to put to pasture in the long run.
Like the writing on the wall, it is there for all to see, but not all are interpreting it, as obvious as it is. Most JWs are the ones not even seeing the writing.