There is zero transparency to prove whether or not the funds did go to building Kingdom Halls or Assembly Halls in other lands. Watchtower's authority cannot be challenged. If anyone started asking questions, they would be met with silence and dealt with by the local body of elders.
$5.5 Million to be transferred to World Wide Work from Assembly Hall fund
by Sour Grapes 90 Replies latest jw experiences
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zophar
....hmm
Not doing what you said you would?
What happened to :
Matthew 5:37 Just let your word ‘Yes’ mean yes, your ‘No,’ no, for what goes beyond these is from the wicked one.
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sparky1
"It's right there in the fine print. The assembly hall belongs to Jehovah and any cash you brothers might accumulate really belongs to HIM. As Jehovah's earthly financial counselors, we invest his belongings as we see fit." - Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses
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_Morpheus
Totally agree db, i just think theres some details missing, especially regarding where they are meeting in the absence of the oromised assembly hall.
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dozy
It is interesting that the previous assembly hall was sold to another church ( just like the Bethel in New Zealand was sold to the Elohim church who said that the JWs " wished to sell it to a faith based organisation " )http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/manukau-courier/9124458/Witnesses-sell-Elim-buys .
I can't help feeling that even the most lobotomised JW would be somewhat uncomfortable with such transactions ( especially if they had worked on and / or donated money to the project). There isn't really any Biblical precedent for such dealings ( I don't recall Solomon deciding to "relocate" the Tabernacle and sell the original one to the local Baal woshippers for a tidy sum ).
Like much of the JW financial dealings these days ( such as selling many of the NY properties to Jared Kushner ) it does kind of leave a nasty taste in the mouth and I agree with many of the previous posters who suggest that it shows a degree of desperation from the Society that they are having to put what little morals they have aside in order to cash grab as much as possible.
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Sour Grapes
The JDubs in central Indiana had two assembly halls yanked from them. Years ago they made contributions to enable the purchase of the now sold assembly hall in Indianapolis and now the new promised assembly hall has gone up in smoke. The meeting next week should be interesting as the resolution is presented to all of the congregations for the transfer of the $5.5 million. I have no doubt that the resolution will pass since the voting is visual and verbal. No one would dare go against the wishes of Mother. If there was a secret ballot, no doubt there were would be many no votes.
Contributions from Indiana to the worldwide work will now slow down. That is how the Jdubs will cast their votes.
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dropoffyourkeylee
I can give a local perspective since I was in a congregation at the time (2010-2011) when these donations were accepted.
The plan was presented at the time to put up for sale the Indianapolis Indiana assembly hall and the London Ohio assembly hall, use the money and collect more donations to build a more centrally located, new-design Assembly hall in SW Ohio (near Cincinnati). The new hall would seat about 3500, and would be used for both circuit assemblies and a slimmed-down district/regional convention series in the summers.
The need for donations was supposed to be $8 million over and above proceeds from the sales of the two halls. Our hall took a survey of 'pledges' and came up with the figure of $600 a month to donate for the SW Assembly hall building fund. There was a special contribution box at the back of the hall just for it. The WT proceeded far enough to buy the property, but I don't think there was any movement beyond that. There was significant opposition from the local authorities over allowing a non-profit to use the chosen properties (it all had to do with the lack of tax revenues, and the area they had selected was in an industrial park).
The Indianapolis Hall sold a few years ago; I don't know where they are having their assemblies. The JWs are still using the London OH building as they always have,as it never found a buyer and was taken off the market. .
The 'special box' at the back of the hall disappeared a couple of years ago (about the time the KH mortgages were 'forgiven') and no mention was made of the status of the collected monies which had been forward to WT specifically for the SW Assembly Hall fund.
Now, on the Indiana side, apparently as the OP states, they are going to take the money for the WW work after resolutions pass (the initial donations took a resolution as well, if I remember correctly). I can't confirm that on the Ohio side they are doing the same as Indiana, though I expect they are.
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pontoon
The corporation is flush with $$$$. This new money grab is just normal operation procedure for Watchtower Real Estate and Internet Company.
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Are you serious
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
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WingCommander
Ha! What a shake-down and con-job!!! These charlatans truly are Master Crooks!!!