Latest rumor - all WT construction "suspended", except for Warwick (page 10)

Fisherman

......courts decimate them.

My money is on the WT.

Elisa1966

Sir82:

It is utterly confusing.

They had a big, big, BIG roll-out dog & pony video show earlier this year, inviting ALL elders to attend.

They completely revamped, top to bottom, how Kingdom Halls are going to built, how they are to be financed, and how they are to be maintained. They created new departments & new "special full-time" positions. They were gushing about building dozens of multimillion dollar "Remote Translation Offices" all over the world.

And now - pull the plug? Full speed ahead to dead stop in 9 months?

Lawsuits are not new. Contributions wouldn't plunge so precipitously in 9 months.

I just don't get it.

The same last Saturday (!!) here in Germany: Transmission from Selters in all Kingdom Halls in Central Europe (elders and MS only): Brothers, we need you for all the scheduled buildings. Interviews etc, all very "encouraging". Very detailed description of new LDC.

And now: nothing!

dubstepped

Fisherman: My money goes to the WT.

Fixed that for you.

dozy

I used to work for a firm that did a lot of company liquidation work and the current state of the WTBTS does remind me of a lot of the companies that I saw. It's classic textbook stuff.

They have a "Yes Sir , No Sir" unquestioning management culture exacerbated by having a group of incompetent men at the top who are in denial and ( in this case ) actually think that they are divinely appointed and that effectively God is running the business and will make sure they can't fail.

They have a series of legal cases and litigation taking up vast amount of management time and resources.

They have a lot of money tied up in property and other assets ( such as expensive printing presses ) that are not immediately realisable.

The core business ( in this case printing and resale of religious literature ) is in long term decline and the cash flow is drying up.

Rather than appoint people in management positions because of their ability and competence , they are appointed because of family connections , brown nosing and ( in the WTBTS case supposedly "spiritual qualifications").

The company goes on unnecessary empire building and acquisitions , assuming that everything will be "OK". (Memo - it won't. )

What the business really needs is a compete root and branch rebuild and bring in outside consultants but clearly the WTBTS don't have that option. They can't do what they really need to do because they always have to give the impression that "everything is wonderful". They have to keep on window dressing rather than taking the action that is really required to save themselves.

This kind of business can and does very quickly go bust. I've seen it happen. What happens is that the real state of the company is hidden for a long time then suddenly they realise they have no cash left. The trade creditors and insurers get spooked and they start to pull the plug.

It's not looking good for the Society........

respectful_observer

He did marvel at the high quality of material that they used. He said that this was waaay beyond what is necessary.

I was thinking the same thing. I can't find it right now, but one of the latest Warwick photo gallery updates has a picture of workers laying a beautiful cut block granite faced retaining wall. Where is this beautiful (and expensive) granite retaining wall? Based on the photo's caption....at the loading docks.

Obviously a normal concrete retaining wall would not have been good enough.

Doubting Bro

I think while they may be a scaled down version of what they once were, the WTS and JWs will exist in some form past my lifetime (I'm in my mid 40s). Yeah, they have really mismanaged things, completely over expanded while at the same time, their revenues have dropped.

When you think about it, they don't need much money to survive. I'll bet they could get by with a few hundred employees. Quit printing materials (release only online and allow JWs to print their own), get rid of all branches and have part time COs (this rumor has been floated before) that get no support from the mother ship. The overhead on the local KHs are covered by the local congregation and AHs aren't really needed since often times circuits can rent facilities very cheaply on their own.

Their biggest overhead is the printing operations which is not turning a profit obviously. They are reducing supply as a response to reduced demand but they are stuck with the fixed costs.

The religion will continue to morph but if anyone thinks its going away anytime soon, I believe they are mistaken. Unfortunately because I'd love to see it implode but it simply won't.

Vidiot

@ dozy...

You explained that really well.

Vidiot

Billy the Ex-Bethelite - "I think things really turned a corner when WT released that video showing Sparlock the Warrior Wizard getting thrown in the trash."

Yup.

The one-two punch of the Sparlock and Deafsturbation videos were definately the WTS's "jump-the-shark" moment.

Not that they haven't tried to top it practically every summer since.

Fisherman

But if true, it would be quite stunning. Bethel nearly "throwing in the towel" as it were.

What a fruitcake.

Magnum

Fisherman: What a fruitcake

Classic case of argumentum ad hominem, that is, attacking your opponent and not addressing the issue.

Latest rumor - all WT construction "suspended", except for Warwick

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