To those who attended, attendance up or down at your memorial? (page 3)

loneranger

ttdtt

Memorial speaker was a bethellite...talk at an assembly hall...applause after the talk...yes

Couldn't tell if ours was up or down, but pretty much all the inactive/kids of those who are in are the only new ones. No new blood that i noticed. Talk was by a bethelite and we didn't applaud afterwards.

A funny little lie i gathered from his talk was that this was the 1,984th memeorial celebrated since Jesus instituted it. Ummm, i'm pretty sure witnesses haven't been around that long.

disillusioned 2

Heard my husband tell my mum (I would'nt ask) there was 172 at memorial, early one. I have no idea whether this was up or down on last year but he said it like he was boasting that they had so many! My mum said they had 129 and "we only have a small hall" she said. Both congregations in Merseyside, Liverpool, UK.

millie210

The only people there who were not regulars were family members goaded , guilted or cajoled in to coming for the evening.

I saw 2 "Bible studies" both elderly people sitting with a pioneer sister,

TheListener

Seemed up. Noticed a few teens that brought friends from school and a couple bible studies.

No clapping

Khaleesi

They clapped after the talk.... not sure about attendence I went to a different one because it was earlier than mine, but I did notice vacant chairs & i walked in during the song, no problem finding a seat

JRK

I think that is the reason that they rent a facility and combine congregations here. They are probably trying to hide how bad the attendance really is.

JK

careful

Didn't attend but I can't help but wonder whether if there might be another reason they'd rent a big hall and have several congos attend. If they use the local KH, it's free, right? But if they use a worldly facility, they have to pay. So could this be another way to make money by soliciting funds? You know, "Brothers, we have to pay for this facility. I costs $5000 to rent. Put your contributions in the box as you leave."

I wouldn't be surprised if this idea came from HQ as a new way to make some more $$. They're ALWAYS doing that now...

Pittsburgh tim

My younger brother gave the Memorial Talk and invited me to attend. Had left the organization in 1992 when disfellowshipped. Attendance at his Hall for the Memorial used to be in 200+ this year was only 155.

JWdaughter

It used to be that the halls had one or two congregations, and they would all fit for the Memorial in two somewhat crowded sessions-about all they had time for due to the timing of the thing.

NOW, many congregations are economizing by having 3-6 congregations (yep, I saw one with six, recently) and there is no way that all of them can fit into the hall in the time frame they consider "commanded". Even when some of the congo's are smallish, like a Cambodian or Vietnamese congo, they speak a language that can't be understood by any others in the greater community, so they can't consolidate, so the English Spanish congregations CAN consolidate and leave the halls for the minority language congregations.

To those who attended, attendance up or down at your memorial?