Hi all :) Been a looooong time since I've been around. Anyways, I was wondering if the Kingdom Hall reno/upgrade scam is going on in Australia as well? The hall where I live apparently needs a complete gut and redo (admittedly the decor was horrid). I'm pretty sure the hall is owned by the congregation at this point so would they be doing this to get the deeds? Just curious because apparently they are bringing in a team to do the job.
Kingdom Hall Upgrades
by stuckinlimbo 8 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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OzGirl
Three halls to be sold in Adelaide and plans for a new one to be built.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-09/sale-of-jehovah-witnesses-halls-an-expansion-plan/6533544
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stuckinlimbo
Mr Wakeling is an excellent spin doctor! Black is white lol. -
blondie
Sale of three Jehovah's Witness halls in South Australia an 'expansion plan'
Updated 9 Jun 2015, 5:54pmTue 9 Jun 2015, 5:54pm
Adelaide's Jehovah's Witness community says the sale of three places of worship is not in response to dwindling attendances but is instead part of an expansion plan.
Regional congregation halls at Lobethal, Woodside and Craigmore have been listed for sale, while the Ceduna and Cummins halls are closing down.
A church spokesperson in Adelaide said the growth in members worldwide has created a need for bigger and better kingdom halls.
"The sale of three halls here in this part of Australia is not about attendances at all. Quite to the contrary," Mr Wakeling said.
"Because of this need around the world, for the first time in the history of Jehovah's Witnesses, we've set up a central management committee and the appropriate infrastructure to plan and design and build kingdom halls where they're best utilised.
"These three kingdom halls are part of the rationalising of where we are best optimising our facilities."
Mr Wakeling said the halls would be built with better facilities.
He said the congregations from the Adelaide Hills halls would be combined at a new facility at Mount Barker.
"The congregations of Crafers and Lobethal will retain their identity and they will still do their work in their assigned areas but they will simply now meet in a newer facility and they will share the management of that facility and the maintenance of that facility and that's an important way to optimise how we go about our work."
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umbertoecho
I wonder why all the large assemblies have been cancelled this year then. I have been told that the venues are too expensive to rent. This is a first for me having been associated on and off for decades.
Now there will be lots of small conventions held at the larger properties. My family told me this with looks of great sorrow......very odd.
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Splash
Further to travel, more inconvenient meeting times, but the WT get a pay day. -
DesirousOfChange
Once the Royal Commission gives it's opinions, somebody's gotta pay for the costs there will be to help child abuse victims.
Doc
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Alive!
Buy and sell. Buy and sell.
Do up, upgrade - spend hundreds of thousands on decor. Needless decor.
Our local baptist church has had the same building for the past 100 odd years - the interior is humble and simple.
The congregants dress simply, jeans, T-shirts - too interested in being Christians to faff about dressing up to the max.
The young never ever need to be counselled about indecent dress (unlike JW youth) as they are not into primping themselves up and trying to wear eye catching dress - they just show up like clean, fresh young people with no agenda.
They are wanting to do some renovations, but - funds to help an overseas village in Asia are the priority, providing decent housing and water resources.
I have seen hundreds and hundreds of thousands WASTED on refits when the existing hall was fine....this baptist church opened my eyes - filled to the brim, car parking awkward - they don't seem to over worry. They are more concerned with helping the community, spending efforts assisting the impoverished and needy - whilst the JWs have 'working bees' on their own buildings clean what is already perfectly clean.
Ugh.
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Alive!
The further you stand back - the more you see it for what it is.
The obsession with real estate is the catch.
In this the urgent time of the end?
Don't people matter more then bricks and land?
When I needed real pastoral care ( and many others) - the BOE were too busy doing JCs and building project management.
We know this isn't an isolated and local case - you've all experienced it.
