You might try:
I bet it's hard to get an appointment with him if you want to get your taxes done because he is the Secretary of the WBTS.
Who oversees the money for the WT?
by John Aquila 24 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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Finkelstein
The WTS has been encouraging congregations to hand over the land title over to the WTS. from set trustees who have the title in their name. I wonder why ???
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blondie
If they are a congregation in the US subject to the IRS laws for religious nonprofits, the congregation who holds the territory the KH sits on supplies elders in their congregation to act as trustees, They do not own it or anyone who donates the land or the money to build the KH, but the elders act as trustees as the IRS sets forth. The WTS is the parent non-profit whose authority only comes into play when they dissolve that congregation that holds the territory the KH sits on. Dissolve means the congregation is disbanded and members are sent to other congregations.
I doubt that until the WTS does that that the title can be put in their name but they are not owners but trustees.
http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Churches-&-Religious-Organizations
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Petraglyph
Checkout Open Corporates starting here:
WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF NEW YORK, INC.
The Company Officers names are clickable. You could spend quite a while following links ;)
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Juan Viejo2
After the Menlo Park federal lawsuit / debacle, it was made pretty clear that all Kingdom Halls, including those bought and paid for by members of local congregations (as was typical prior to 1990), now belong to the Watchtower (Pennsylvania Corp, I believe). The elders are required to add a clause in their deeds and corporate paperwork, that upon dissolution of any congregation, the property and all buildings transfer to the WT. Nothing is retained or controlled locally.
So that explains why the WTB&TS has been merging congregations. Once everyone has moved into a new location and abandoned the old - the Watchtower takes it over and sells it - and keeps all the money. This has been the general track in the past ten years:
1. Kingdom Hall A built and paid for by local congregation in 1950-1970s.
2. Kingdom Hall B built and paid for by local congregation in 1960-1980.
3. Kingdom Hall C built and paid for by local congregation with some WT financing in 1980-2000.
4. 2005 - Kingdom Hall A undergoes a major refresh. 2008 - congregation relocated and merged with KH B.
5. 2008 - Kingdom Hall A sold to a commercial buyer, any remaining loans paid off. Net goes to WT HQ.
6. 2009 - New Assembly Hall and Kingdom Hall built in the area. All members of Kingdom Hall A/B moved to new location. Kingdom Hall B sold off and all proceeds go to the WT HQ.
7. 2011 - New quick-build Kingdom Hall built (D). A large number of former KH A and B members are reassigned to (D) leaving KH co-located with Assembly Hall underutilized. Relatively new KH C is abandoned and members are moved to KH at Assembly Hall location.
8. 2012 - KH C is sold and all funds go to WTBTS.
9. 2014 - New Kingdom Hall built (E). A majority of members of old KH C and some from surrounding communities are reassigned to KH E.
10. 2014 - KH and Assembly Hall site repurposed or sold. Proceeds go to WTBTS. Circuit assemblies held in rented convention facilities.
This has been the pattern all over North America over the past 15 years. The real estate crash of 2008, set some of these projects back until property values began to increase substantially in 2012.
This constant relocation and reassignment of members has created hardship for older JWs. Some who could call a cab or get a ride to the local KH, must now arrange transportation to towns and locations that are more distant and in busier neighborhoods. Many KHs now have up to 4 congregations (some foreign language groups) made up from the base of original fully packed KHs.
It must be hard for some JWs to have to jam into 80 seat KHs with growing membership, while others share a 120-seat Kingdom Hall with a moderate number of English speaking JWs and 2-4 smaller foreign language congregations spreading their meetings across the whole weekend and three nights a week.
What your rank and file JWs don't realize is that they are just pawns in a big Monopoly style real estate game being played by the WT Penn and WT NY. Similar situations exist in the UK. Some JWs have never moved their personal residence but have attended up to 5 or 6 different KH locations in the past 15 years.
JV
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notoneoftheboys
Trust in jehovahs earthly servants, do not question where the money goes for you will be told voice dissent and you will be disfellowshipped. -
Billy the Ex-Bethelite
But in the broadcast last month, Lett assured everyone that the GB was more careful with WT assets than with their own money.
Hmmm, if that were the case, wouldn't they be that much more eager to open the books and show everyone where the money is coming from and going? We can only conclude that they aren't really that careful.
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John Aquila
Juan Viejo2 - The way you explained it kind of makes me very upset. They have a very elaborate scam going on, and for the sole purpose of taking advantage of the uniformed, troubled, young and gullible sorts of people.
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Calebs Airplane
The Rothschild family.