by ExCircuitOverseer 40 Replies latest jw friends
Whether they go back to door-to-door or not, what will be different? Do you think there will be a noticeable drop-off in attendance as we have read on here that many have left or faded? Will there be a mass selling of Halls? Tithing?
Any other changes you think will happen when things return to “normal?”
I think there will be a noticeable drop-off in attendance. Attendance had been going down anyway and the pandemic made it worse. I think there will be a TON of talks about “being at the Hall in person” and “online is not a substitute for in-person unless you can’t make it in.” There will also be talks about God giving mankind “one more chance” and how we still need to preach. There will be more talks about contributions and donating. “Is Your Faith Now Stronger or Weaker?” will likely be one of the public talks post-pandemic. The pandemic in general will be referenced in everything for the foreseeable future. Witnesses are in for a lot of hard counsel coming their way.
I agree because I think an awful lot of PIMO’S and doubters, etc, will have used the pandemic as cover for a fade. Some may also use the old “stumbling” excuse not to return to Jeeehova, too.
Even for believers it’s going to be hard to give up the luxury of simply switching on the PC in your slippers twice a week, as opposed to dressing up head to toe, rounding up the kids and traipsing out in the cold
Definite drop off in numbers. This drop may work in watchtowers favour in that they’ll be able to use it as cover/a reasonable excuse for a big drop in their yearly print out of “official” numbers (that in truth was happening way before the pandemic started).
Echo on the meeting attendance drop-off.
I expect in-person meetings to resume with very limited capacity (20-30%) in the KHs for many months. Then, when finally full capacity is allowed, there will be a month or two of sparkling attendance.
Then, attendance figures will gradually decline to levels even below the 70-80% that was the norm pre-pandemic. The dreary grind of meeting after meeting after meeting after meeting.....(repeat 500 times) meeting after meeting after meeting will wear away the charm of seeing people in person again.
The WTS reaction will be perfectly identical to how they've reacted to every such "crisis" for the past 70-80 years - breathless articles and (well this part will be new) videos decrying "our lack of appreciation for spiritual things", screeching words about a "sacrifice of praise", Hebrews 10:24-25 will be used in multiple meeting parts nearly every week, COs will hammer elders, elders will hammer their field service groups, fathers will hammer their children, and...I dunno, children will kick their toys as the frustration mounts.
Other factors to consider are that not only is the CDC in the U.S. saying that variants of covid19 are on the rise...they're also saying that all the available vaccines do not have the longterm effect as they'd hoped. In other words you get the covid19 vaccination today...it may start loosing its potency & effectiveness as early as September...that's less than 6 months. As paranoid as WT has been this past year and still losing some 10,000 JWs to this pandemic...WT's feeling excessively endangered by this virus isn't going away any day soon...me thinks!
So zoom meetings just might be the only thing on the JW menu for months to come.
I do know that the base position of WT Inc is cautious to the point of paranoia. They are not going to "approve" meeting in person, door to door activity or anything that involves risk until safety is completely assured.
Imagine if a KH became ground zero of a disease breakout or a householder sued them because a Dub had called and infected the family and grandma died.
They have the mindset of many governments but their degree of caution will sacrifice anything in the interests of financial security.
So, in my opinion, don't hold your breath.
I don't expect a return to D2D ministry any time soon. I think the cart witnessing will return however, after all it's up to the public if they want to approach the witnesses, a safer situation than calling at people's doors.
Many witnesses I know are dreading having to go back to the KH. Not just the Covid problem but not fancying turning out on a cold wet night and then having all the problems of finding a parking space reasonably near to the KH.
George
Whatever happens, the Watchtower will spin it as a sign of the final part of the last days.
Meeting attendance will not just go down, but I imagine it will be the old timers who are filling the seats at the Kingdom Hall.
The door-to-door ministry has been the main pillar of JW life, but I think it will evolve. To keep members active in any form of the ministry they will have to continue to dumb down their product. The Watchtower will do this as a cost saving measure and a safeguard from having their members do their own research.
A pimi (as far as I know) told my wife she dreads having to go back to driving way out to a territory, dressing up for meetings, traveling. So much easier to put on a blouse and necklace, sip a brandy.
I'm sure lots of the no picture zoomees are not dressed "appropriately".
We elderly have to be conscious of crowds, so may still have to stay home.
Someone commented on letters being ineffective, that surely holds true for dtd too.
The hounders will come out in force, trying to goad people into going back to boasting sessions and full field circus once it is "safe". Of course, vaccinations and face masks will be mandatory. The biggest change is, in the event of a blizzard, instead of canceling a boasting session, they will hold a Zoom one. So much for catching a break in the event of snow.
