No the WT Borg is not closing! That's Wild Dreaming!

by DwainBowman 45 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • DwainBowman
    DwainBowman

    No the WT Borg is not closing! That's Wild Dreaming! They have been changing directions for a while now, and for whatever reasons, what is happening now is a part of that change! They most likely realized, they had not really stopped to count the cost (Luke 14:28-30) of the massive world wide building project's, and deserve all the ridicule, they will receive!!. But the world headquarters, is going forward in Warwick NY, and most of the proprieties in NYC, have been sold or will be. I would guess they will keep some really downsized offices in NYC. The 1600 being let go is from all over the world, not just NY Bethell's.

    If as the up coming letter says, they really plan on a much harder push into the field service, in what ever form that may take, the dollars will start to roll in faster! Plus the hardcore faithful sheeple, will feel compelled to do more, and donate more! and somewhere down the road, the building will go forward, maybe in a scaled back form, but it will go on!

    It dose not really matter how we feel about the borg, they have deep pockets, and are organized, were all just very loosely formed groups, that for the most part, don't even know each other : (

    That's my 2 cent's Worth!

    Dwain

    The info below is copied from William Bowen's FB page!
    +++++++++++++++++++

    Armageddon ThinkingWilliam H. Bowen·Tuesday, September 29, 2015 There have been several posts regarding the new adjustments of JWorg that include going to bi-monthly publishing of magazines, adjusting operations at Bethels around the world, stopping certain building projects, as well as indicating future adjustments in the Bethel family. For some in the xjw community this is seen as the beginning of the end and deemed as part of a financial collapse and or massive falling away of membership and general overall downfall of the organization. Sadly this cannot be further from the truth and for those on the outside it is misleading and smacks of tabloid journalism.
    There are three factors that drive the organization, membership, money, and power. How have these things faired in the last few years? 1. Membership – Growth continues with over eight million members worldwide. With the new marketing and branding of JWorg it can be expected that this will continue expedientially in the years to come. In the next three years expect to see over one million new members.2. Money – JWorg pays no salaries, provides no charity of any depth, so as a result is one of the most profitable religions in the business. While they own billions in properties around the world, they also have billions socked away in funds and stocks that are liquid assets that can be drawn on at any time. In addition, each Kingdom Hall, Regional Convention, and Assembly are nothing more than ATM’s that generate massive funds that more than covers their operating expenses. More members? More money. In 2002 with six million members they brought in 951 million dollars from the New York corp. With eight and a half million members now that means you are looking at around 1.3 billion dollars now coming in each year. They are not in any context, hurting for money, they continue to put millions in property and investments each year.3. Power – The Governing Body are more firmly entrenched than ever and without challenge. The new JWorg address allows them to get close and personal with members and make connection. They have effectively cut off the rest of the anointed from having any authority and given it all to themselves so they are in complete control. The latest drivel about the generations went off with a peep from members, because they can say anything and they will be followed. They are more firmly in power than ever in the organizations history.
    So if you sum it up the organization is getting stronger not weaker. Yes, they are having some growing pains, but these adjustments are smart moves, not ones of desperation. Printed material has been in decline for several years now and it is a very intelligent move to scale back on literature in printed form. The JWorg offers simplified delivery of all their materials and as a result will save millions. Do the math…. With less printing you will automatically need less labor and this calls for streamlining all their operations to reflect this. Fewer mouths to feed and take care of, with fewer operations to maintain and as a result, millions of dollars in savings, with essentially the same income. This will result in huge profits even greater than what they made in the past.
    We must never forget religion is a very profitable enterprise even when it is done very poorly as JWorg has done for many years. Now they are getting their act together and putting wheels in motion that will make them much more efficient and cost effective as well as far more marketable to the public. That is the big picture, so for anyone to predict their downfall, is simply a matter of Armageddon thinking, much like those within the organization. The facts are simple; Jehovah’s Witnesses are one of the wealthiest religions per capita on earth. They are getting a lot smarter with their money and marketing. The results will be growth and income in the years to come, which will mean many will need assistance by the negative way they are affected by this religion. If we can remember that our job is to help people heal and protect kids, instead of looking for the doomsday of a religion, then we can fill our time with productive activities to help those in need.
    https://www.facebook.com/notes/william-h-bowen/armageddon-thinking/10153683264546248

  • leaving_quietly
    leaving_quietly

    I agree, it's not closing. It may be stalling for a bit, and likely strategically. If anyone has played games like Clash of Clans or any other empire building game, there is a time to stop building and just let the gold roll in. At a later point in time, the amassed amount can be used to buy/build more. If it is true that downsizing will happen and building will be halted, I suspect it will only be for a short period of time. Six months, a year, maybe two years. A lot of money can be amassed in that period of time with the KH tithing that is taking place.

  • punkofnice
    punkofnice

    I think the WBT$ will be around after I'm dead. It's a business, they'll survive somehow.

  • steve2
    steve2

    William Bowen fails to note that growth of publishers in the wealthiest countries (I.e., the so-called Western nations) has slowed significantly in more recent years and, tellingly, baptisms have decressed overall. He calls JW organization one of the wealthiest religions on earth. Really? Even more so than the 7th-Day Adventists and Mormons? What does he base that assertion on? His article is the flip-side of those who predict a rapid demise of JW organization. Both polar views are likely way off course.

    BTW, few posters that I'm aware of have asserted the organization is finished! So Mr Bowen constructs an argument based on an exaggerated premise.

  • The Searcher
    The Searcher

    Interesting opinion & appraisal of the Org's current and future condition.

    I'm very happy to disagree with your "optimistic" outlook for the WTBTS - especially - "They are getting a lot smarter with their money and marketing."

    I reckon they've blown a lorry-load of money in the Wall Street casinos, triggering the global fleecing of congregations - that wasn't very smart! Smart marketing - to whom? We have no way of knowing how most J.W.'s are privately feeling/reacting to the Org's unwanted & unexpected changes/demands, but from personal conversations, I get a strong feeling of disillusionment of the Org from active J.W.'s.

    Let's see what new, draconian ideas are dreamt up in Brooklyn over the next few months. I expect more demands for cash, along with more guilt-tripping.

  • Magnum
    Magnum

    So if you sum it up the organization is getting stronger not weaker

    I disagree. Maybe in some ways it's getting stronger, but I can't think of any. It is, to me, far weaker than it used to be and getting weaker. Because of the wide availability of knowledge on the internet now, the org is being ever more exposed. It could once attract educated, intelligent, stable individuals from the outside, but those days are over. The org is getting weaker in that the collective make-up of individual JWs is getting weaker (less knowledgeable, intelligent, stable, etc.)

    It is no longer bold and confident as it once was. It used to virtually invite challenges to its doctrines, but now it runs from them (as do most individual JWs). The seeming scholarship of past years is gone. It has been forced to become more mainstream in an effort to appear more appealing.

    I don't know about the financial situation, but something must be wrong. They're now begging, they've done the Kingdom Hall money grab, etc. I think donations are slowing down and will slow down more as this system drags on with no end in site.

    I'm not saying it's going to crash and burn, but I don't see it getting stronger. I see it getting weaker and weaker and less influential and becoming attractive only to the less educated, poor, mentally unstable, etc.

  • John Aquila
    John Aquila

    Growth continues with over eight million members worldwide.

    Wrong!!!

    If you look at the statistics you know that this is not true. The above comment is making an assumption base on a short term view and predicting a long term result with assurance.

    It’s like focusing on one tooth of a circular saw instead of looking at the entire saw blade and the direction it’s cutting.

    In the 5 years prior to 1975, the number of publishers was increasing at an average of 15% per year. During the 1980s and early 1990s, growth continued at over 5% per year. This has fallen to between 1 -2%,

    The WT is not getting stronger, it is getting weaker.

    JWFacts.com

    Power – The Governing Body are more firmly entrenched than ever and without challenge

    Wrong!!!

    Never in the history of the WT Organization have there been so many people that are challenging the GB. They are being questioned, made fun of, and force to testify by authorities, (Royal Commission) and made to look like weak humans. There are hundreds of videos, blogs, and websites pulling back the curtain on these imbeciles.

    Money

    JWorg pays no salaries, provides no charity of any depth, so as a result is one of the most profitable religions in the business.

    Wrong!!!!

    When was the last time you heard the Mormons beg for money? Or any other religion for that matter. If money was no problem, business would continue as usual. The recent changes are visible proof that they are reacting to danger.

    Is this their demise, no,

    but it is visible proof that;

    they are not as powerful,

    the deep pockets are not that deep,

    and the growth is barely 2% annual growth.

  • My Name is of No Consequence
    My Name is of No Consequence

    Closing? No.

    Reinventing? Yes.

    Reinventing into what? Unsure.

  • cognac
    cognac

    I don't agree with this at all. Of course they counted the costs of construction. Something happened along the way that made them have to put a sudden halt on this. Remember, this issue happen AFTER they received 500 million in sales from property. That is VERY, VERY telling.

    Also, a lot has changed since 2001. Many, many more people are using the internet, for example, which has been probably the greatest demise for the JWs.

    Even Lett said that more money was going out then was coming in.

    Yes, they still have a ton of property that will keep them going for sometime. How much time that will buy them I don't have an opinion on yet.

  • cognac
    cognac

    I was wondering if they were going to resume construction next year when they recieved the 250 million from property sales.

    But, wouldn't that be weird? Because they just said they were stopping it to focus on the preaching in this, "time of the end"...

    Makes me think that that money is already used up. Otherwise, why take such a hard stance on stopping the construction to focus on preaching just to turn around a few months later and resume it? Especially where it's the property that's going to make them money...

    Seems like they *can't* continue it...

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