Congregation dwindles

by wannaexit 29 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  OrphanCrow

  Dps: Why do you think that?

  • South Dakota Population = 865,454

  • US JW-to-Population Ratio = 263

  • Therefore JWs in South Dakota is expected to be around = 3,290

  The article says 330, therefore most likely they've missed the last '0'.
  Additionally it appears that the figure of 3,330 was actually obtained in the first place by doing the above calculation.

  Two people have identified themselves as "serving where the need was great" in South Dakota.

  Which indicates that the area had a lower population ratio of JWs than other places in the States. If the journalist did, indeed, just do a calculation based on numbers that extrapolates the SD JW population from the US JW population ratios, then it is likely too high.
• 

  never a jw

  Dark
  

  "sure I understand, but if you use the JW-to-population ration from 25 years ago, you still get a figure today of 3,135 JWs in SD."

  But that would be missing a glaring point of the article. The JW population is shrinking while the general population is not.
  
• 

  darkspilver

  never a jw: But that would be missing a glaring point of the article. The JW population is shrinking while the general population is not.

  It's probably all the 'need greaters' + families going back home haha - now they've gone, the JW ratio has normalised. Just because an area attracts 'need greaters' doesn't necessarily mean the JWs are particularly below ratio, often it's a matter of sparsely populated territories - especially once you leave Rapid City or Sioux Falls.
  
• 

  LongHairGal

  ORPHAN CROW:

  The JW religion is really a "lifestyle" and one that I'm glad I changed!

  Why don't they be upfront with new studies and tell them THAT? Of course they don't dare or nobody would have joined.
• 

  redvip2000

  The easy reference to the Pew research and other obscure knowledge indicates to me the piece was written by a former JW, not a disinterested journalist.

  Any additional conspiracy theories you might have? The piece is signed by the name of the journalist which works for the paper. The entire article revolves around the fact they built a smaller Kingdumb Hall because of a smaller congregation, why wouldn't the journalist do a little homework to find out why people are leaving. The PEW research makes total sense.
  
  
• 

  sir82

  Only 330 JWs in the state of South Dakota? Doubtful.

  Later they mention approximately 17 sites where there are Kingdom Halls.

  If they meant to use "3300" instead of "330", that would make about 194 per Kingdom Hall, which is consistent with 2 or 3 congregations per KH.

  So my best guess is that it was a typo.
  
• 

  Pete Zahut

  It seems odd that a religious group who goes around recruiting new members with the intent to grow the congregation, bring in new members and supposedly save lives, would tear down a relatively new and larger building to install what looks to be a double wide mobile home, in disguise.
  

  It's almost as if they've resigned themselves that there's no hope for growth. Perhaps, the building they had, needed repairs or renovations and the cost of doing so was more than Warwick would allow them to reinvest and the mobile home was the only option they had to avoid having to drive to another town for their meetings.

  At least this new building can be moved if things get worse and they eventually get merged into another congregation.
• 

  steve2

  A bona fide journalist writes an in-depth article of local JWs, provides a somewhat bland overview of their beliefs and what they do, asks a couple of more hard nose questions - and all of a sudden is thought to be an ex-JW?

  An astonishing deduction.

  Imagine this: A journalist with absolutely no JW connection interviews the local JW spokesman. So far, so bland. The journalist doesn't have much of a story beyond a puff piece. So he googles JWs and presto! Gets more information than he can assimilate in his allotted hours - so presents enough to appear to have indepth knowledge on JW organization - such as the Pew Research (which contrary to one poster's comments is not obscure research - google it man).

  Out with the written-by-an-ex-JW nonsense theory; in with the journalists-can-use-google-too theory.
• 

  OrphanCrow

  Pete: It seems odd that a religious group who goes around recruiting new members with the intent to grow the congregation, bring in new members and supposedly save lives, would tear down a relatively new and larger building to install what looks to be a double wide mobile home, in disguise.

  I know, right?

  Where did the building come from?

  Why were the volunteers from Oregon?

  Who did they buy the building from? A JW firm in Oregon?
• 

  Vidiot

  OrphanCrow - "...what kind of prefab building was erected?"

  Lego, by the look of it.