by suavojr 11 Replies latest jw friends
Hi everyone
Wondering if anyone here knows why local congregations in Ecuador do not have accounts under the congregationās name. I just found out they use the personal information of one of the elderās š³ WTF
Whatās the legal reason for this?
Interesting. I was unaware of this
Sounds like someone (else) is fleecing the flock, the local congregation does not have a bank account under its legal name (the corporation that owns the deed and is owned by the WTBTS does, but not the legal entity that is the congregation and is owned by the elders) and they would only use this account for making cash deposits.
It would definitely not be under the name of one of the elders, it would be something like āKingdom Hall of <name of the area>ā and require 2 signatures for withdrawals. The āCongregation of Jehovahās Witnesses <name of the area>ā should not have any assets and at no point would they allow āJoe Elderā to be the congregation bank account.
All other bank transactions, including savings and credit card donations is handled directly by the local branch office.
I guess good for him, heās probably creaming off a nice chunk before forwarding. As long as he can hide it from the others, I know itās pretty simple to use your authority and subvert a younger MS to do this. Your CO must be laying into the donation thing pretty hard every time he comes though.
require 2 signatures for withdrawals.
AM, that it why the thieves get the money, one way or another, before it is deposited.
many ways, during prayer, filching from the boxes, have wealthy sisters give you money directly "for deposit" that the husband does not know about, no receipt for tax deduction. will executors, on and on.
Doubt that it's theft. The WTS would come down pretty hard on someone stealing their money.
What's more likely is that, in Ecuador, there is some tax advantage to the WTS to have the accounts in a private person's name rather than the name of the congregation.
Just about the only thing the WTS hates more than "apostasy" is paying taxes. They will do virtually anything to avoid paying any tax whatsoever.
Iām guessing if the bank account was in the elders name, and supposedly with no auditing accountability. Wt would just be leaving themselves wide open to be ripped off.
Possibly the situation in Ecuador is similar to the following? In a congregation in a European country l cannot name as it might give me away, I was once upon a time the accounts guy. The bank account was in the name of two elders. I was one of them. The reason for this was that at that time the congregation was not quite underground, but not really acceptable to the powers that be. To get around any possible hassle from the authorities regarding trying to open an account for a congregation of JWs, the two bros had a joint account and the money was deposited into that and sent on to another account in the branch officeās name, I think under another fictitious cover, cannot remember exactly. Wide open to one of us doing a runner with the cash when it built up a bit, if we were so inclined. We never did, of course. I was a true blue Witness then. All has changed since then. I also presided over the change to the congregation or members thereof not really having their own account but sending the money into an account in the name of the branch or some other offshoot of the GB. One of the many reasons why yours truly is here now!
I would guess that NewDay is on the right track. They are probably trying to evade some type of governmental scrutiny. Either that or they are really sloppy accountants.
@New day: Equador is pretty much a free and open and relatively stable country since the early 80s. Itās also a very religiously diverse country, so itās unlikely they would tax religion, youād hear them complaining loudly like they do about France and Russia.
The WTBTS doesnāt know it is being stolen from if it disappears between the box in the hall and the bank. I happen to know from experience itās rather easy to divert funds from one set of books to the other and even completely have it disappear from the books into someoneās pocket. I know at least one person that was disfellowshipped for doing it.
