What do you think are the real numbers for yearly report? They can't be real the ones watchtower published. Last 20 years I have seen large groups of young people in my area abandon watchtower. Almost none coming in from preaching work. Half empty halls and lots of merging congregations. That most western countries are no growth or around -1% must be false. I would think about -10 or -20%. That watchtower that is hated by many would be doing better then other churches seems impossible. They aree cooking the numbers.
The real numbers for yearly report.
by Hellothere 7 Replies latest watchtower bible
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Balaamsass2
I agree. Steady declines are occurring in most areas with internet access.
However, I think Watchtower is combating this by making it "easier" to be counted as a JW, therefore changing the definition of what it means to be counted as one.
Even younger children are pressured to be baptized, thereby "juicing" membership temporarily.
"Active" publishers are now ANYONE with a heartbeat elders THINK participated in ANY type of service for 15 minutes.
"Pioneer" hours have been reduced so almost anyone can qualify, thereby keeping the numbers up.
"NEW" congregations in some third world areas are any group of people who can arrange some benches under a tree, where ANYONE can "PARTAKE". Lack of training, internet, and literacy results in a religion that most first-world members would not recognize as "Jehovah's Witnesses".
Personally, I think many people will stay on the membership roles in name only because of family and social pressures. Humans love to be part of a "tribe". ie: in many areas almost everyone professes to be Catholic, yet the majority of people only attend a few times a year to keep the family happy.
My 2 cents
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no-zombie
I'm in full agreement with Balaamsass, as its easy to see Witnesses continuing to make use of Zoom to attend meetings despite the threat of Covid being basically over. People are just tired of getting dressed up, driving down to the Hall and having sitting through another boring meeting. This is because, there is no real community spirit in congregations these days. As all organized congregational socializing was banned in a formal letter to the BOE from the Governing Body back in the 80's. Yes some congregations are more lively than others, but it is more the exception than the rule and probably more a reflection of the congregation's ethic makeup than its religious zeal.
And it a form of intellectual dishonesty to claim a increase in the number of regular and auxiliary pioneers, when the hourly requirement be become one has been getting less and less. But I recently came to appreciate something from an old post here which is quite true and illuminating.
Assume a congregation has only one person that auxiliary pioneers a couple of times a year. Say they do it three times because the hourly requirement is now lower. How many auxiliary pioneers does the congregation have? You would think one, of course ... but In the annual report, three have been counted.
Yes, I remember back in the day we used to get told, when our religion was small, that numbers didn't mean anything. But its funny how its everything now. I think that it must be just the American way, for everything to be bigger and better.
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punkofnice
My Dad was a manager in a Cost Office.
He often used to say, 'You can do anything with figures to make things go in your favour.' (Because he was British, he used the 'U' in 'Favour'. See how international we are).
What he meant was that you can't trust what's on the surface because it might not be so.
When organisations (With an 'S' not a 'Z' because that's how it is here), make declarations of stats and figures.........
...........why believe what they say? I don't.
With Watchtower Corporation(tm), are they taking into account all the expensive whiskey TOMO 3rd is getting drunk on every day?
There was this Elder(tm) in my last congregation(tm), bit of dimwit used to 'prove' the Corporation(tm) had Jehovah's(tm) blessing by saying, 'Look at the growth!'
What a niiny!
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Diogenesister
They were reporting to the media their numbers "approach nine million"?!! Very strange. I really don't believe that.
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Hellothere
I remember back in the 80s watchtower's proof they hade Holy Spirit was full kingdom halls. Catholic hade half empty cause they didn't have Holy spirit. It was in the watchtower study magazine. Of course, when kingdom Hall's became half empty, they needed another "proof " of God's favour. The new proof is, look at all hours we are making 🤮 They are so predictable and lame this day's. Another great proof of God's favour was door 2 door service. Catholics couldn't do same work as they didn't have Holy spirit. No explanation why Mormons could do the same work if they we're false religion 🙂
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Corney
Oh Jeez, here we go again
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