I know that on paper the watchtower have about 8 million members but what if lots of them are just around so they dont get shunned and dont give any money in the box..They have been making cuts for a long time and in 2012 they closed 20 branch offices around the world,Of course some people are giving lots of, money but they have to find the money for from 40 and 60 million magazaines a month.
Cuts since 2012
by pepperheart 10 Replies latest watchtower bible
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pepperheart
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OnTheWayOut
Watchtower is a printing corporation trying to find a new path in a world where printing is dying. Regardless of how many members they have who are seriously contributing, they are suffering monetarily. Add the lawsuits in, the untold settlements- who knows how much trouble they are in?
You are certainly probably right about people just being around so they don't get shunned. And when they took the money from the congregations and started saying how they needed MORE MORE MORE, they profoundly changed many of those members. They still give, but most of them are not giving MORE MORE MORE. They deep down know that Mother took the money, Mother doesn't really need 25 bucks a head at the convention (or whatever).
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Finkelstein
Let it be understood that the WTS has never been richer $$$ in its entire history, via its cut back in literature printing,. its enforced set price for publisher's congregational contributions, via its sale of many of its branches around the world. ie. 1.5 billion US just for its Brooklyn sales
Don't let anyone fool themselves even from the deceiving lying GB members, that the WTS is cash strapped its not.
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Nicholaus Kopernicus
OnTheWayOut stated: "... they are suffering monetarily."
The WT has elevated their annual "ways of giving" artcle to a study item in the WT magazine. The article in question is entitled: "Seeking Riches That Are True". A sign that they are desperate or nearly so. It might exacerbate meeting attendance problems!
In my cong, at least 6 families have ceased giving due to the child abuse issue, the UN issue, and the aberant behaviour of the local BoE.
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jwleaks
Think of the Watchtower's cut back as a 'spiritual circumcision.' Only in this case they were left with the foreskin, merely a remnant of what they used to be.
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Crazyguy
They got to be hurting because they stopped some of the projects they had planned at Warwick. Rumor has it they spent a boat load at this place and maybe even a good portion of what they have received from sales of other properties has gone into Warwick.
Their plan to sue and win money from a former owner of Warwick didn't work either. I also believe a lot of people are just done giving them money. Even when i was in I think most didn't give.
This cult is also running scared , they are concerned that at any moment they will loose a child abuse lawsuit and then seize assets. Once a major suit is lost and isn't reduced on appeal then the flood gates of attorneys with more lawsuits will line up. We have seen ads in news papers already from law firms. Let's just hope the landslide happens soon.
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pale.emperor
I've only been out 10 months, is there a set recommended donation expected per publisher? Almost sounds like a tithe.
I never donated a penny even when I was hardcore JW. Couldn't afford to for one thing.
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Ruby456
Don't forget about how going more and more online and web based will affect numbers and worship. The global reach will intensify but people will shop around more - thanks to google
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average joe
I love how every time the topic of wealth comes up half the thread says they are poor and half the thread says that they are rich.
Lets be honest money is tight for many Americans and so they give less money to the kingdom hall. If one looks at things logically it takes massive amounts of money to give everything free and build around the world. Their new tv studios must be very expensive to run . After lawsuits, aid for national disasters, and so on I doubt they are flush with money. It must be costing a fortune to build the new headquarters.
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ScenicViewer
I love how every time the topic of wealth comes up half the thread says they are poor and half the thread says that they are rich.
There are signs that can be interpreted both ways, and as far as I'm concerned it's puzzling!
The property sales (KHs, branches, Brooklyn properites) should have the organization rolling in cash. Add in the set monthly donations that congretations are told send in monthly (an amount arrived at by local elders, and at least equal to what the KH payment was), and the raiding of the congregations bank accounts (send all $$$ to HQ except for $5000 and a few months operating costs), and the per publisher charge for assemblies and conventions - all of which were never done in decades past - and you would think that Watchtower is rolling in untold amounts of cash.
On the other hand the non-stop asking for money, the cut-backs of building projects around the world, law suits that have resulted in losses, eliminating the Disctict Overseer positions, and reduction of Missionary and Special Pioneer work worldwide, would suggest financial distress.
Were the sold properties mortgaged? Are the lawsuits more costly than the few that had a multi-million dollar payout? What exactly are the Organization's debts that we don't know about beyond day-to-day operating costs?
I hope that within my lifetime a high level JW who is really in the know about Watchtower finances (from the accounting dept, legal dept, etc), will defect and explain what it all means.