Current JW growth in the United States in historical perspective and in comparison with other groups

by slimboyfat 28 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Doubting Bro

  It's a little shocking to see some of the mainline Christian religions with such drastic losses. Really interesting. I live in an area where many people still attend church, maybe not every week but still support those organizations. And there are many of the more conservative religions active (US). That's likely why my perception is that while they have dropped, it hasn't been terrible.

  I think the more conservative religions foster a mindset that they are the correct path which I believe builds more loyal members. If you couple that conviction that you are the only path with the drastic shunning that JWs use, you can see why they aren't losing as many members.

  I agree this religion (and most) is boomer driven and I think once they start passing away, you will start seeing swiftly declining numbers. Go to any convention/assembly. You'll see a large number of elderly and middle aged. Not nearly as many kids or even younger (20/30s) married couples who actually have or will have kids.

  Credit where credit is due, the JWs are keeping their numbers up pretty well despite putting minimal effort in retention other than the shunning policy.
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  Vidiot

  Doubting Bro - “I think the more conservative religions foster a mindset that they are the correct path which I believe builds more loyal members.“

  Yup.

  Downside (for said religion) is that when a member figures out that it is, in fact, not the correct path...

  ...say goodbye to that loyalty.
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  LV101

  If they're doing "pretty well" why the dumping/consolidations in their easy money countries.
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  slimboyfat

  Because they need the money. They have money problems not membership decline. They are closing KHs where they can get the best prices for them, not necessarily where numbers are shrinking.

  In other religions the number of congregations has inbuilt inertia and often falls more slowly than other measures, because religions generally don’t like closing down churches. They will try to avoid it if possible and struggle on with smaller congressions as long as they are viable.

  In the case of Watchtower, they need the money.
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  LV101

  Makes sense. Hard to imagine membership isn't plummeting between the aging adherents, poor youth retention rate, internet and religion's downfall in the country. Guess shunning is quite the successful tactic.

  Thanks.
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  Corney

  Just to outline what the current growth in the USA is, in the last half-decade (2014-9) the average number of publishers has grown by only 1.76%; in 2009-14, the growth was 7.41%, in 2004-9 - 10.17%, and in 1999-2004 - 5.54%. The number of congregations in 2019 was 10.3% lower than in 2016 and 2.3% lower than in 2009, and the number of newly baptized was 17.9% lower than 10 years go and 13.0% lower than 20 years ago.
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  redvip2000

  I think most of the jokehovian numbers are also bogus. Unlike the mor[m]ons, they do not have systemic doctoring of the numbers.

  Yeah it's a good point, because the reality is that JWs are determined to be viewed as the best, unique, approved, yadda yadda. They completely massage the numbers. Also because they are smaller, any small uptick translates into a bigger percentage.

  I think most other religions are not as obsessed with that.
  
  
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  Vidiot

  What slimboyfat said.

  Club membership numbers mean shit if you can’t actually afford to keep the club in the black.

  And like I keep saying...

  ...in what crazy-ass, fucked-up mirror universe are reduced product output, asset liquidation and consolidation, and non-stop legal troubles a recipe for robust financial health?
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  Vidiot

  Not to mention that I’ve long suspected they want to downsize said membership along with everything else, anyway.

  Doubling down on virtually every aspect of their ideology - no matter how offensive to modern sensibilities - can’t help but further alienate each successive younger generation of born-ins.