The following letter was read in the congregation today. It's for all the congregations in India. I have pasted it as it was.
Re: Developments in the India Branch
Dear Brothers:
It is thrilling to see the promise of Isaiah 60:22, “I myself, Jehovah, will speed it up in its own time”, coming true now in India. We are happy to update you on some of these developments.
Kingdom Halls: There is an urgent need for suitable Kingdom Halls and meeting places. During the 2018 service year we expanded the number of construction groups from one to four. During the next service year beginning in September we will triple the funds used for Kingdom Hall work compared to the previous year.
Remote Translation Offices (RTO): There are 13 remote translation offices, some of which are small and others which are big. Many RTO’s need to be renovated and some need to be moved to another location. We also need to add 95 persons to the RTO’s to bring them up to the proper number of staff needed to get the work done. This includes increased emphasis on audio recording. Currently only a small percentage of what is translated is recorded, but during the next year we will work to record most of what is translated and make it available on jw.org for downloading.
Literature and Magazines: During this next service year we will work to greatly increase the flow of magazines and literature to the congregations and to the field. While using the jw.org website, tracts, and contact cards in the ministry is good, it is not enough, and the Governing Body wants us to use more literature. This will also include expanding public witnessing throughout the country.
Increase in Pioneers: Many are reaching out to regular pioneer and Jehovah is blessing their zeal. (Psalm 34:8; Matthew 6:33) However there is still a great need for more help. Many congregations have trouble covering their assigned territory, many need help to start groups in a variety of languages, and large sections of India are still unassigned territory. For these reasons we will expand the number of those serving as temporary special pioneers during the next service year.
Theocratic Schools: During this next service year we will continue to conduct the School for Kingdom Evangelizers in many languages throughout India. This school equips students to serve where the need is great and open up new territories, as well as strengthening congregations who need elders or servants.
Relocation of branch office: For many years the branch office in Rajanukunte has been used to support the work in India. However, sometime in the second half of the next service year the branch office will be relocated and the current branch office will be sold. This is being done for three reasons; (1) we no longer print our own literature, (2) translation is not done at the branch but in remote translation offices, and (3) we want to keep the Bethel family as small as possible.
We are purchasing floor space in an office building for the branch office and Bethelites will live nearby in apartments purchased by the organization. This simplification will reduce the funds needed to operate the branch office and allow us to use more brothers and sisters in the pioneer work. Selling the old branch will also make funds available to greatly speed up the LDC program so that many more Kingdom Halls can be provided throughout India.
Funding the work: We deeply appreciate the loving and generous support you provide for the kingdom work in India. Through your voluntary contributions most expenses for the Kingdom work are cared for within India. However we want to make you aware of a temporary situation that is creating a special need. While we have the funds needed for Kingdom Hall construction, increasing literature and magazines, and caring for special pioneers and circuit overseers, we do not have all the funds needed to purchase the new branch office. When the old branch is sold more than enough money will be available, but we will need to pay for the new branch office before the old branch is sold. We find ourselves in a temporary situation where we are about 34.5 crores short of what is needed until the old branch is sold.
We wanted you to be fully aware of our situation so that you may consider what you might be able to do. Are any of you able to make a specific donation toward this need? Your donation can be placed in the contribution box marked “Worldwide Work” in your Kingdom Hall. Or are some of you in a position to make a conditional donation or loan until the branch is sold and then your donation would be returned to you? Please prayerfully consider whether you might be in a position to help in this way. If you would like to make a conditional donation or loan, please send an email to InboxAcct.IN@jw.org and we will let you know how this can be done. We are confident that Jehovah will bless the efforts being made to expand the preaching work, provide more Kingdom Halls, and help people of many different languages come to know him here in India. We are also sure that he will bless the arrangements to move to a new branch office and sell the old one.
May Jehovah continue to richly bless each of you as you put the kingdom work first in your lives. (Matthew 6:33) We love all of you very much and remember you in our prayers daily. Your brothers,
P.S.
The amount mentioned of Rupees 34.5 crores is equivalent to $4.8 million.
Regards,
Maxpayne