My old congregation still have nothing to show for all their efforts.

by RULES & REGULATIONS 15 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  RULES & REGULATIONS

  In the year 2000, our congregation decided to split into three separate congregations because of growth. There were 186 members. The Kingdom Hall had only 190 seats. Plus, it was probably making it difficult for the Elders to keep track of all the members. Less members, easier to keep an eye on them.

  One congregation decided to stay at the same Kingdom Hall, the other two decided to move to new locations.

  Our congregation decided buy a small building and remodel. They took out a loan from the Society for $85,000.They enlarged and repaved the parking lot, installed new bathrooms, carpets, seats, lighting and window treatments.

  Each family was asked to contribute a fixed amount every month for the loan. This was to be paid in addition to any other expenses.

  Around 2005, our congregation decided to have three other congregations use the Kingdom Hall because the expenses were too difficult to meet for each month. We only had 45 members attending.

  Two years ago, I was told that because there were four congregations using the same Kingdom Hall, and the meetings hours were getting too hard to manage, my old congregation decided to leave.

  They found a Kingdom Hall that needed another congregation to help pay for expenses.

  Here is my old congregation, 21 years later having to move twice, paying for the remodel, and paying monthly expenses. Having to start again, they will nothing to show for it. One day the Watchtower Society will decide to sell the Kingdom Hall and use it to pay all their lawsuits.
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  Overrated

  Wash, Rinse, and Repeat all on someone's dollar and they (Watchtower) Profits. Always a sucker to "Listen,Obey and Be Blessed "(Broke).
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  Rocketman123

  Didn't the WTS forgive loans that congregations acquired for renovation purposes ?

  There is no question to the occurrence that loans taken for renovation purposes were paid back slowly to the WTS HQ in the past or at one time.

  It was an advantage either way for these renovation projects in that it helped to increase the real estate value to these buildings and properties for when they did get sold the money went right back to the WTS $$$

  A win win for the WTS
  
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  RULES & REGULATIONS

  Didn't the WTS forgive loans that congregations acquired for renovation purposes ?

  Taken from JEHOVAH'S WITNESS HORROR STORIES:

  Stephen Lett: “Your loans are cancelled! Now, keep paying us.”

  

  chrisfugue

  

  Jehovah’s Witnesses have always said that they are different from other religions by virtue of the fact that they don’t pass a collection plate and they don’t hound their members for money.

  Oh really?

  On tv.jw.org, take a look at the May 2014 JW Broadcasting program, featuring governing body member Stephen Lett.

  He tells the sheep, straight out: “We need to increase our finances.”

  Then, somewhere around 21:00 minutes, he gets into some classic watchower DoubleSpeak. Follow along on the video if you can tolerate listening to him talk. Here are the relevant snippets of what he says:

  “We also have heard from Circuit Overseers and others that some of the brothers and sisters may have a misconception about some of the recent policy changes that have been instituted. For example, all congregations that had a Kingdom Hall or Assembly Hall loan to pay off were informed that their mortgages were cancelled. Now if you think about that it’s amazing, isn’t it? All their loans were cancelled. Can you imagine a bank telling homeowners that all their loans were cancelled and that they should merely send into the bank each month whatever they can afford? Only in Jehovah’s organization could such a thing happen!”

  He uses the word “cancel” three times. The congregations loans were CANCELLED. Let’s go to the dictionary.

  Cancelverb

  
  5.(Accounting) to close (an account) by crediting or paying all outstanding charges: He plans to cancel his account at the department store.
  6. to eliminate or offset (a debit, credit, etc.) with an entry for an equal amount on the opposite side of a ledger, as when a payment is received on a debt.
  

  Ok, so we have our definition of the word “cancel.” According to the dictionary, when Stevie Lett said “all loans were cancelled,” he must have meant “all loans were closed, all debts were paid, all balances were zeroed.
  
  But… but… in his very next sentence, he says:
  

  Can you imagine a bank telling homeowners that all their loans were cancelled and that they should merely send into the bank each month whatever they can afford? Only in Jehovah’s organization could such a thing happen!

  And later he says:

  … some of us took this to mean that the Organization had a surplus of funds and thus took this action, as if the loans did not need to be reimbursed. Could this misconception have affected the amount that some have chosen to donate each month?

  So… the loans were cancelled (wiped off the books, paid off.) Once they were cancelled, they are non-existent. When I pay off a car loan, the debt is cancelled. It no longer exists. It is gone. I don’t have to keep sending the bank "whatever I can afford."
  
  But after saying they were cancelled, Stevie says that they still exist… and they need to be reimbursed.
  
  So they weren’t cancelled at all. What happened was: the wt changed the terms of the loans. They no longer tell the congregations what their balance is, and the congregation no longer has a way to pay the loan off. They will just pay and pay and pay.
  
  Is this sounding mafia-esque to anyone other than me?
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  Rocketman123

  Is this sounding mafia-esque to anyone other than me?

  Sounds like a bunch of twisted bullshit (Double Speak) to keep drafting money out of people's hands.

  ......but then again the WTS has been twisting up bullshit since it started as a religoius publishing house some 140 years ago.
  
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  Rocketman123

  The honest truth to the WTS/JWS is that this organization was created and developed to procure money right back from its the early beginning of J Rutherford who lived a lavish lifestyle from the money left in the Watchtower Corporation by C T Russell.

  There has been a exponential amount of bullshit , lying, exploitation, manipulation and corruption to achieve this endeavor by the top orchestrators of the WTS/JWS.

  The lying and deceiving will continue on from that pressing agenda by the top executive directors of the WTS./Jworg. and the men who will eventuality take their positional place.
  
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  asp59

  Organisation has died out in the western world. They just exist now and keep afloat by JWs having children.
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  truth_b_known

  This is how one egotistical man's personal publishing corporation went from selling books to a real estate corporation masquerading as a religion.
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  Rocketman123

  truth_b_known
  
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  Overrated

  I love to see Watchtower loose money/membership, shows that finally people are waking up.