by ozziepost 13 Replies latest jw friends
Australia's Service Report for January shows 59,111 reporting and just 42 Baptized.
This compares with 59,908 and 98 last year. The 1999 figures were 60,917 publishers and 56 baptized.
This represents a 3% drop in just two years.
Ozzie (of the New World statisticians class)
I'm part of that 3% !
January 2000 was the last time I handed in a service report. Or maybe I should say, the last report I'll ever hand in.
And then, Prisca, you went to the Vatican? !
Cheers, Ozzie
LOL...
well if you're going to become part of any other organisation, you might as well be part of the so-called Whore of the World?
It may not be so bad as that, Prisca. The Bible (Rev 17) doesn't identify the old harlot. But in verse 18 it says that she "is the great city". This great city is also referred to in 11:8 and 14:8 as Sodom and Egypt and Babylon the Great. But the identification with the Roman Catholic church is a matter of interpretation.
Does that make you feel better?
On the other hand, they could be right!
Cheers,
ozzie
awww... I was just getting used to being a lady of ill repute...
You still might be!!!
Ozzie
There's stacks of problems with the brotherhood here in Australia. I don't know where to start. The whole thing over here is a shambles. I don't blame people for leaving. These are the problems i've personally come across:
* Lack of coordination in literature dept causing lack of essential literature (Knowledge book, required brochure....I've had to wait 2 months for both of them!).
* Watchtowers and Awakes arriving 1.5 weeks later than in some congs close by.
* Territory maps going missing. Plus Pioneers hog territory.
* The whole siege mentality.
* MS and Elders elected cos of family ties (Wanna be an Elder?.....marry 1 of his daughters.
* Boring meetings.....I fallen asleep heaps at meetings especially Tuesday nites (TMS and service meeting).
* Elders are gutless. If an elders son/daughter commits a serious sin (no need for examples) they just get told off....but if someone who is sort of distant and doesn't do more than 15 hours a month and they commit a serious sin and even if they show repentance then they're still screwed!
* The hypocrisy.
* The big killer.....Lack of love shown among the brothers. The only time i ever get to see the rest of cong. is at meetings and field service. No visits, no invites for tea or coffee. nothing.
I got more but these will do for the moment.
G'day AK,
I'm sorry that your spiritual life has become empty. Of course, this is quite common in the Borg. I find that the remaining brothers and sisters are generally in 'denial'. They won't allow themselves to face the reality of what is really happening. So often a keen young MS will introduce the concluding song at the close of the Service Meeting with the comment: "What a fine meeting we've had tonight brothers. What wonderful spiritual food! Let's thank Jehovah with Song number xx" Yet we know that the meeting was awful. There was little or no spiritual food. At the most we were fed husks.
There is a way of gaining or renewing your relationship with Jehovah.
Be sure to read the Bible regularly. Any translation that you enjoy reading, but not the New World Translation. And, of course, regular prayer to God.
You can e-mail me if you wish.
God bless.
ozzie
Don't worry I still read just the Bible (no WT publications involved....isn't that evil?) and i pray often. I'm thinking of doing 70+ hours in April and when everyone is raving about me ("By his works he's saved!") i'll quit at the end of the month by either DAing myself or going apostate....Then again i might start teaching 'apostate' teachings (eg salvation by grace, 587/586BCE as the fall of Jerusalem.) during April.
