Signs of JW decline (page 2)

Farkel

: Taking all this into account, leads me to believe that the religion is on a slow fade to oblivion.

Will the last person to leave the Kingdom Hall please flush the toilet and send this religion back to its source of origination?

Farkel

Larc, do not fret, they have an answer in the wings for their decline. They will quote Matt.24:12, '...the love of the greater number will cool off.' They will manage to twist that scripture to explain the decline. Instead of using the word lawlessness in the first part of that scripture they will substitute the word with 'apostasy'. '...becaue of the increase of lawlessness (apostasy) the love of the greater number will cool off'.

Guest 77

drawcad_1

leaving magazines on peoples doors was frowned upon in our congregation. because, if there had been a break in or something had been stolen the householder would immediately blame the JW's.

TheOldHippie

riz - how are things over in Monaco? ....... :-)

minimus

The Watchtower's history has always had good periods and bad. Isn't this just Bible prophecy being fulfilled? But seriously,even if there's a decline, which I think, at best will be minimal, what's going to happen? From my vantage point, don't worry so much about numbers. Much of the numbers are questionable. Look at people's faces. Look at their eyes. Try to find their joy. So many are technically JW's but not in heart. Talk to people and you get the sense that most are going through the motions. They are not happy. If we saw a 2% increase in the numbers, what would we say then? IT DOESN'T MATTER! The quality of the Witnesses is not there....from the elders and circuit overseers to the rank and file.

RunningMan

Old Hippie:

Take the average publishers in your country last year, add the number of baptisms, then subtract 2.3% for estimated mortality and defections. I'll bet your 2% increase comes up about 2.5% short.

This is because the 15 minute rule has lowered the threshhold for who can be counted as a publisher, and the collection of the reports by the BS conductor has increased enforcement of reporting.

There is no increase in actual members in developed countries this year - only an increase in the number counted.

Dia

Can you give a laymen's explanation of the change in the counting method to which you refer? Please keep in mind that you are talking to someone who knows NOTHING about it.

Thanks.

Tinkerbell4125

Guest77, I agree with you. Even though I think the org. will evenually fade to nothing, *but not in my generation* the ones that stay will come up with something to explain why, like the scripture where it talks about the greater number cooling off. They have a answer for everything, don't they!!!

JT

Can you give a laymen's explanation of the change in the counting method to which you refer? Please keep in mind that you are talking to someone who knows NOTHING about it.

Thanks.

#######

for as long as i can remember and that is over 30yrs - the wt has required all jw to report only COMPLETE HOURS NEVER FRACTIONS

WELL AS the numbers continued to dropped they decided to allow jw to count time in 15min increments, which would allow 100's of 1000s of jw to be counted this month who could not be counted last month so on paper it shows growth, but in reality it shows what NEW MATH can do

smile

RunningMan

Change #1: Prior to last December's elder school, a person needed to put in at least one full hour to be able to submit a report for the month. About a year ago, the minimum was changed to 15 minutes. Only persons who are infirm or elderly can qualify for this lower standard, and it must be approved by the elders. Not many people use it (only about one per congregation). Yet it adds up to about 1.6% (which is the number I have heard).

In many ways it is a good change, because it allows people with limited ability to feel good about themselves. Just about anyone can preach for 15 minutes per month, even if it is just to their home care worker.

But, it does not increase the number of Witnesses in existance. It only increases the number that are counted.

Change #2: Again, prior to last year's elder school, the congregation secretary was responsible for collecting the reports. Each month, he had 50-120 reports to collect, check for missing ones, and call individuals who forgot to put in their time. Now, each individual book study conductor collects the reports. (Our hall doesn't even have a report box, anymore).

This means that each conductor only has about 20 reports to collect, leading to fewer reports being missed. It also means that more people will falsify their time. When the conductor calls for their report, and the publisher has no time, quite often they will just make something up.

Again, the reported numbers go up, but the actual quantity of JW's in the world, does not.

Signs of JW decline

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