2017 Yearbook released (page 9)

never a jw

@Slimboy: this is a religion that is beginning serious decline

I am glad that you finally saw the light

never a jw

“I feel as if Jehovah were talking to me right in my room when I listen to members of the Governing Body and their helpers,” says Agatha, a circuit overseer’s wife in Ghana. “Without this tool, how could a poor girl like me in a small corner of the earth have such a great privilege? It has really brought us much closer to our dear brothers and sisters around the world.” p.24-25 YB2017

A "poor" girl in Ghana... with internet. We have to thank Satan's system of things for this. It used to be that poor people were starving. Now they even have internet.

Below are figures from Mexico (a country with one of the highest numbers of JW's) that show a rather dramatic decline in growth of average publishers, which peaked at 4% (2009 and 2010). In just six years fell to only 1.36 %. It's not just developed countries that see the BS of the Watchtower.

AVERAGE PUBLISHERS REPORTED

YEAR BOOK 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010

AVG PUB 829793 818481 802903 777429 749585 724690 696749 668876

GROWTH 1.36% 1.90% 3.17% 3.58 % 3.32% 3.86% 4.00% 4.04%

ScenicViewer

......comment from a sister who says watching the Governing Body on JW broadcasting is like listening directly to Jehovah.

“I feel as if Jehovah were talking to me right in my room when I listen to members of the Governing Body and their helpers,” says Agatha, a circuit overseer’s wife in Ghana.

Isn't a remark like this clearly promoting creature worship, making the G.B. seem like the equivalent of God? And from a Circuit Overseers wife no less. (I assume that both quotes above refer to the same remark in the Year Book.)

If I was an active Witness I would be longing for the teachings of Fred Franz, with the types and anti types, the King of the North and South explanations, and the "deep" understandings of prophecy. Of course it was all wrong, and F. Franz was a false prophet, but at least it was something you could get your teeth in to and it made you feel good about being a Witness.

Remarks like the above quotes come across as nothing more than immature fluff. I guess it's the GB's way of promoting itself as the source of truth on earth, but it is incredibly naive and transparent of them, making it obvious that Watchtower is just another man-made religion.

How could there not be a decline after a few years of this?

slimboyfat

Also striking was a comment that churches in Congo (Kinshasa) accused JWs of producing their literature from the spirit world because they said the letters www mean the number 666 in Revelation. This is the country where JWs claimed 22% growth over the last year. Maybe they are producing members, not just literature, out of thin air.

ScenicViewer

...letters www mean the number 666 in Revelation. This is the country where JWs claimed 22% growth over the last year.

That looks like something JWs themselves might have said not so many years ago. Superstition is as superstition does. Watchtower is getting what it deserves.

The people coming into the Organization are probably just as superstitious as their critics.

dropoffyourkeylee

Now they even have internet.

Just to give this some context, I think what they do is download the video at Bethel or elsewhere where there is internet, then go out and show it to people on the street or in their homes using a tablet with batteries. I have a friend in Congo and that is what they do. They say that the Caleb videos are a hit with the children, as they have never seen cartoons before.

slimboyfat

That's very interesting dropoffyourkeylee. JWs also made early progress in Southern Africa when they were among the first to distribute books and other printed material in the region early in the 20th century. They became known by some people as "the people of the books". It's interesting that they continue to use technological advances to get a competitive edge in less developed regions.

konceptual99

Over 30 people in the congregation my wife attends have not put in their report for December yet. There are about 110-120 publishers so it's a large proportion. Sure the time of year makes a difference with people ill and away but in the age of excellent communications it says to me people are simply not that bothered.

Given that there has been a net increase of just 26 people in the UK I am not surprised that there is an increasing apathy even amongst those still mentally in.

Roll on the summer conventions imploring desperately to these ones "Don't Give Up". Too late for me.

freddo

That bit which I have changed to italics and bold - how does that compare with Acts 12 v 22,23 do you think?

“I feel as if Jehovah were talking to me right in my room when I listen to members of the Governing Body and their helpers,” says Agatha, a circuit overseer’s wife in Ghana. “Without this tool, how could a poor girl like me in a small corner of the earth have such a great privilege? It has really brought us much closer to our dear brothers and sisters around the world.” p.24-25 YB2017

Acts 12 v 22,23 (NWT) says -

Then the people who were assembled began shouting: "A god's voice and not a man's!" Instantly the angel of Jehovah* struck him, because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten up with worms and died.

See also Revelation 19 v 10 and Acts 10 v 25.

2017 Yearbook released

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