Side effect of Downsizing......$$$

by Tech49 24 Replies latest jw friends

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  Tech49

  So here is a tidbit you will all just love!

  We all are hearing of the trend right now to ¨downsize¨ the congregations...ie... eliminate by combining, in order to blah blah blah...

  Here is what you didnt know: Every time a congregation is dissolved, for whatever reason, including merging or dispersing, WT MAKES MONEY! How so?

  Like this: example: KH has 3 congregations in it. Someone determines that 3 is too many, as attendance is low in all 3, so they dissolve 1 and disburse the people to the remaining 2. All 3 congregations have money in the bank, or funds on hand. When the 1 congregation is dissolved, their funds on hand DO NOT get transferred or shared between the remaining 2. If they have been saving for remodel or seats or TVś or anything..... GONE.

  The bylaws in the instructions to the congregations show that any funds on hand for the dissolved congregation ALL go to the almighty WT Headquarters. No one gets a say in it, no voting, no discussion. The older couple that donated their savings to their local congregation account to help out with something, or to cover expenses during disasters, or new carpet, or anything..POOF! GONE.

  Now granted, we are probably not talking about huge amounts of money per congregation, as previous instructions dictated that congregations only keep a few months expenses on hand at any given time (and send the rest to ¨mother¨ asap). But still, $5000 for every congregation dissolved could add up quick!

  All hail the money machine!
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  stuckinarut2

  Yes...good point!

  Once again it proves that nothing is actually owned by those in that cong. The "society" owns everything....
  
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  nowwhat?

  A good example is in my area. They closed a nearby hall and the sale proceeds are going to the remodel of our hall. In a nutshell any remodeling or builds are paid for by the sale of nearby kingdom halls. Yet the organization still collects from the world building fund. What are they doing with that money?!
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  jookbeard

  not rocket science, sell off of the KH as well.
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  _Morpheus

  Good catch. As an aside jook, thats the point. Often in urban areas the hall isnt sold, congregations are simply merged. It still equates to a money grab
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  stan livedeath

  yep. my late father donated £5000 to his congregation...which no longer exists. so i kissed that bit of my inheritance goodbye.
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  jookbeard

  Morpheus ; the funds from a disbanded/merged cong is hardly going to sit around for decades in an account collecting dust is it? they cant wait to get their dirty hands on it.
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  _Morpheus

  Jook, we are saying the same thing. My point is that even if a kh isnt sold its still a money grab by taking all the money the disolved congregation had saved. So if a hall goes from 3 congregations down to two, the org still stole money dispite a kh not being sold.
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  OnTheWayOut

  Aren't they pretty much at the point where congregations do not keep more than a small amount of operating funds on hand, anyway? Don't they no longer save money in congregation funds for chairs or repairs but give it all to Mother who pays for such things (if ever)?
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  Drearyweather

  WT MAKES MONEY!

  Local JW's are fine with wherever their money goes. Either to the Congregation or the WT, it is somehow used for furthering "Kingdom Interests".

  Once the money gets dropped in the contribution box, publishers don't have a say over it.

  However, it would be a completely different case, if it can be proved that leaders of the WT are swindling money to their own personal accounts. Does any ex-bethelite have any proof that this happens? Did Ray Franz tell anything about financial fraud within the WT?