https://youtu.be/3YYLzu0bI_k?si=kKu6r9sZFeNJ3h9i
Whatever happened to those who came back to Jehovah? Due to slow growth and the constant scrutiny from governments like Norway in relation to their harsh disfellowshipping practices,last year in a move that no one expected the Watchtower for the first time extended an olive branch to all those who left the organization or were disfellowshipped in the past.Considering this practice was introduced over 60 years ago and with a rough estimate that around 100,000 leave Jehovah’s Witnesses every year the total number is in the several millions.So we should have expected millions to have accepted this invitation and rejoined the organization, the result though was an abysmal few thousands according to a recent jw update.
So now, for the first time, the latest Watchtower Study Magazine for April 2025 gives us an inside view on how this reintegration is coming along, and it doesn't look good!
Paragraph 14 Study Article 16.
"We can also prevent divisions in the congregation by striving to be refreshing and upbuilding to others at all times. (1 Thess. 5:11) In recent times, a number of people who were inactive or who were removed from the congregation have returned. We warmly welcome them! (2 Cor. 2:8) Note what happened to one sister who returned to the Kingdom Hall after being inactive for ten years. She said, “I was greeted with smiles and handshakes.” (Acts 3:19). How did those simple kindnesses affect her? She says, “It made me feel that Jehovah’s hand was guiding me back to happiness.” By being upbuilding to all, we can be used by Christ to provide refreshment to those “who are toiling and loaded down.”—Matt. 11:28, 29.
So what can we glean from this?
For decades, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have upheld disfellowshipping as a cornerstone of their discipline. Millions have been removed from their congregations for various reasons, ranging from doctrinal disagreements to perceived moral failings. Yet, the organization now seems to be shifting gears, extending an olive branch to those they once cast out or who quietly faded into inactivity. On the surface, this effort appears warm and inviting—who doesn’t love a comeback story? But a closer look reveals an awkward truth: very few of these lost sheep are actually returning to the fold.
When we talk about “a number” of returnees, as mentioned in the Watchtower’s recent material, it’s hard to ignore the glaring scale mismatch. Millions have been disfellowshipped over the past 60 years, and only a small fraction of that number has come back. A few thousand returning may sound nice in theory, but in practice, it’s more like trying to refill a swimming pool with a teacup. The organization’s portrayal of these reunions, however, is unfailingly upbeat. We’re told of smiles, handshakes, and a sister who felt “Jehovah’s hand” guiding her back to happiness. It’s a tidy narrative, perfect for publication, but it doesn’t reflect the complex, often painful reality of reintegration.My experience from my congregation is of that of one sister that was disfellowshipped for adultery in the past and now lives with her now worldly husband, she was reinstated immediately after this new policy came into effect because one of the elders was a close friend of hers and she has never been to a meeting since, so basically she only got herself reinstated so she can see her family again.So much for the Watchtower’s narrative.My understanding is that these people are dead weight for the Watchtower nothing to offer to them either monetary or participation in the congregations weekly activities.
Now, if that's the kind of new members they want back in, I'm afraid that's no help to them or the congregation.What has been your experience? Let me know in the comment section.
The truth is, coming back after years of disfellowshipping or inactivity isn’t as simple as walking through the doors of the Kingdom Hall and being greeted like a long-lost family member. For many, the congregation is an entirely different place from what they remember, and the emotional weight of years spent shunned by their closest friends and family lingers heavily. A few polite smiles and obligatory handshakes might help break the ice, but they don’t erase the trauma of being cut off or the scepticism about whether things have really changed. The very fact that the organization feels the need to remind members to be “refreshing and upbuilding” when someone returns hints at an underlying tension. Why would this need to be emphasized unless there’s a concern that not everyone will be as thrilled about these reunions as the articles suggest?
For the congregation, welcoming back inactive or disfellowshipped members presents its own challenges. The disfellowshipping policy has long been justified as a way to protect the flock from negative influences, with those removed often viewed as spiritually dangerous. Reintegration, then, requires a significant mental shift for active Witnesses, too, who have been conditioned to avoid or even fear these individuals. Suddenly, being told to embrace them as brothers and sisters again isn’t always easy—or, in some cases, entirely believable.
It’s also worth asking why the organization is concentrating on this effort now. For decades, disfellowshipping was presented as a loving form of discipline, even when it resulted in heartbreaking consequences like fractured families and social isolation. Now, there’s an unmistakable push to bring these people back. Is it out of genuine concern for their spiritual well-being, or is it motivated by something less altruistic? Membership growth among Jehovah’s Witnesses has been slowing in recent years, and the rise of online ex-JW communities has given former members a powerful platform to share their experiences. Could this renewed attention on welcoming back the disfellowshipped be, at least in part, damage control?
Whatever the motivation, the Watchtower’s approach to reintegration seems overly simplistic. Smiles and handshakes are nice, but they don’t address the deep wounds caused by the policy of shunning. Many who leave the organization spend years rebuilding their lives, finding new support systems, and coming to terms with their experiences. For these individuals, returning to the very system that caused their pain isn’t an easy choice—and often, it’s not a choice they’re willing to make at all.
The reality is that bringing inactive and disfellowshipped members back into the congregation requires more than a few magazine articles and a handful of anecdotal success stories. It demands a fundamental reassessment of how the organization treats those who falter, disagree, or simply drift away. Without addressing the root causes of the alienation, any attempt at reconciliation risks being little more than a Band-Aid on a much deeper wound. For now, it seems the Watchtower’s warm welcome has left a lot of seats at the Kingdom Halls still conspicuously empty despite their hope for the opposite, but we will have to wait and see