Thought on “0 hours” reporting (page 6)

Gorb

This week I walked by accident in a group of JW's in fieldservice. Nothing changed at all, many elderly sisters but the same look and feel, uber faces.

G.

NotFormer

Gorb, the ones counting on their fingers were probably pioneers, counting their hours.

Vidiot

So, the likeliest potential reasons are…

…attempting to reduce responsibility/liability for bad shit that happens in the door-to-door ministry…

…prolific door-to-door records aren’t really required anymore for tax-exemption…

…too many nonJWs know too much and are able to make the witnessing super-uncomfortable…

…the Org’s dwindling (active) numbers can’t keep up with the world’s growing population…

…I miss any?

Phizzy

" …I miss any? ", not really, but my post just back a page expands on your "bad shit...." comment, as always with the Org, follow the $$$.

NotFormer

Vidiot: "…prolific door-to-door records aren’t really required anymore for tax-exemption…"

This is an interesting thought that could warrant further investigation, should anyone be arsed to do so (I certainly couldn't be!). Has the US equivalent of a charities commission, or the IRS, or both changed anything in this regard?

Journeyman

The only option in the list Vidiot provides that I find credible is "the Org's dwindling numbers".

…attempting to reduce responsibility/liability for bad shit that happens in the door-to-door ministry…

Unlikely. They still require, and 'train' publishers for, door-to-door ministry.

…prolific door-to-door records aren’t really required anymore for tax-exemption…

Again, unlikely. They stopped door-to-door records in the EU zone due to GDPR some years ago, but still required reporting of hours and placements.

…too many nonJWs know too much and are able to make the witnessing super-uncomfortable…

See the first point. They still require publishers to engage in ministry, and door-to-door is still part of that. In fact, if anything in recent years they've been emphasising more talking to people and starting Bible studies rather than just placing literature, which would actually make you more likely to encounter knowledgeable 'opposers'

But that leads me to think of another possible reason, which is money-related:
Reducing costs of physical literature (maybe even phasing it out altogether eventually).

Along with removing the need for ordinary publishers to report hours, they've also removed the need for anyone to report numbers of placements. So they've basically cleverly axed the need to use any printed literature at all. You can witness 'equally' with just an electronic device, and sending PDFs or links to the public and your Bible studies (if you have any). You'll never have to handle a tract or magazine again if you don't want to, yet you can still report ministry and pioneer!

no-zombie

My accountant once said to me ... "the tax department never changes anything, unless there is something in it for them".

That being the case, we can be sure that the Governing Body isn't making these changes to some how lighten our load. No ... it would be to primarily befit themselves.

So I'm going with the ideas of ... saving money by going full digital, and dropping the embarrassing Annual Report.

dropoffyourkeylee

I think one of the reasons (there are undoubtedly lots of reasons), is to open up ministerial servant and elder to a larger group of candidates. E-V-E-N-T-U-A-L-L-Y, I predict, it will be opened up to women.

Vidiot

NotFormer - “…Has the US equivalent of a charities commission, or the IRS, or both changed anything in this regard?”

I’d be very surprised if it hadn’t.

I can’t see federal revenue agencies just arbitrarily handing out “charity status” designations willy-nilly without some minimum basic requirements to qualify, and more importantly, the paperwork to back it up.

And said basic requirements can and do come under necessary review and revision from time to time… it is, in fact, said revenue agencies’ right and responsibility to do so.

Vidiot

Another possibility is that the Org’s lawyers have informed them that their “charity” status’s days are numbered anyway, so why bother maintaining such prolific records if won’t matter in the long run?

They’ve demonstrated time and time again that when it comes to complying with the requirements of The World, they’re only concerned with doing the absolute bare minimum.

Thought on “0 hours” reporting

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