by integ 17 Replies latest jw friends
I know that here in Tucson there used to be 4-6 DC's a year. Both in English and Spanish. This year there was only 1 of each. I figured it was from lack of attendance but my mom says it is because of lack of money. I guess I never thought about it from that angle. Boy am I glad I talked to her because I could have been spreading malicious lies with out knowing it!
Edited for bad spelling.
Following the 1975 debacle, the borg experienced several (about 8) years of decreases but these flattened out and then increases occurred as the memories of the old-timers faded.
After the 1995 "generation" change, there was a similar series of decreases but, as with 1975, they are too are bottoming out and western lands started to show increases last year.
Here in Oz, a 1% increase was shown last year and this year's figures are continuing that trend. For example, the March 2003 report (a time of "increased activity") shows a total of 61,675 publishers; the peak for 2002 was 60,900. The number of reg pios is unchanged at 3,003, so all in all, we may start to see further increases.
You would think that the internet and the Sunday program would have had a more long-lasting effect, but it seems the R&F believe what they want to believe, and the householders are prone to believe their advertising and claims.
Cheers, Ozzie
It is common on this forum to read about da'd/df'd people whose whole families are witnesses, cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters and parents. Obviously part of this increase comes from witnesses who have reproduced and brainwashed their children. That is the way the Catholic Church grew. Why do you think they are opposed to birth control ??
As far as George Bush is concerned he is not causing the turmoil in the Middle East. That was there during the 90's. Remember the world trade city bombing in the early 90's, the embassy bombings in Africa ? These people hate the US and that is not going to go away, regardless of who is President. Bug
People have to believe in something. Even the churches of Christendom are experiencing fantastic growth where I live. So if mere numbers "prove" that Jehovah is blessing us, He must really approve highly of the Baptists, Methodists, Apostolics, Holiness, Independents, and Catholics!
Hell, I'd go back to meetings if it would get rid of George Bush!
now,now, logan, calm down, don't be too hasty.
I've noticed in my wife's former congregation that attendance is down. When my step-son was visiting I dropped him off at the meeting, and picked him up. When I went inside for the last 20 minutes of the WT Study (gag) I noticed that there was only about 2/3 the number I was used to seeing there just a few years ago. This was true for three Sundays in a row.
It is like this: if there were 80 people attending the meetings 2 yrs. ago, there are 50 people now. If there were 3 schools, there's now 1---barely! The only "qualified" men to "handle" microphones are elders and ministerial servants. Everyone else is either on restrictions or gone. The Halls are DEAD. If it wasn't for the elders and ms's families, there would be even more mergers and congregations gone.
I have read that the Catholic Church is increasing by 1,000,000 per year.
But really, I believe the Watchtower will eventually fade away like the Waldenses and other groups of the past. They wont be around for another two generations. They may remain like the Bible Students or something like that but the signs are there that they are on their way into oblivion. Part of the problem is that even when the GB dies, they have trained their successors to be company men just like themselves. So they will not change. They think armageddon is going to come any day now and fix things so they have no motivation to fix it themselves.
