"Deficit" at JW Assembly

by cookiemaster 39 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  OrphanCrow

  curiousconfused: and returning to my earlier analogy, most of us dont try and fully research the financial structures of whatever charities we might support.. we just support them - if we want to. Just offering a counterpoint...

  Yeah. Exactly. People donate when it benefits them and to whom/what benefits them the most. Those benefits come in the way of tax-exempt donations (the wealthier you are, the more that charitable donations will benefit you) and in the form of emotional return/confirmation/support/etc that the particular charity will afford you.

  Religious organizations are where the largest slice of charitable donations go in our culture.

  The WTS/JWorg is notorious for its lack of transparency in how and where the donated money is spent.

  You had said this: "most of us don't try and fully research the financial structures of whatever charities we might support". I am not sure who you mean by "most of us"...but, in the 'real' world, the world outside the JWLand, lots and lots of people either do their own research on charities or they rely on charity watchdogs to issue reports on the health of the charitable organizations.

  Charity Intelligence Canada gives the WTS a Grade "D". For its lack of transparency and its unrealistic and unreasonable charitable program spending of 97 cents for every dollar donated.
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  cookiemaster

  I think one issue with the lack of transparency is that they guilt trip you and make it sound through their announcements that the expenses of the assembly cannot be covered and thus they will be in dire financial trouble, which kinda panics everyone and makes them donate more before the assembly ends. At least that's the feeling I got at the assembly and I think this type of emotional manipulation of people is a pretty crappy thing to do.
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  Are you serious

  I was circuit accounts servant for 6 years until I stepped down as an elder because of my awakening. I can honestly say that at times we tried as hard as we could to be dishonest with the the brothers. If the time for the accounts report was coming up shortly and we were doing good with contributions, the assembly overseer would change the wording to make it sound as if we still needed more money to cover expenses even though we had more than enough.
  
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  Gayle

  Guess how many Assembly Halls there are worldwide?! 773

  https://tv.jw.org/#en/mediaitems/StudioMonthly2017/pub-jwb_201710_1_VIDEO (32 min. in)

  Big money makers for sure.
  
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  konceptual99

  cookie/are you serious - you've said some truths there. My father was responsible for circuit funds and he says exactly the same thing. It's not about there being some scandal of the halls making a profit, it's the way that the dubs are conned into thinking there is a deficit. If the announcement was transparent then there would be a lot less giving at the assembly.
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  konceptual99

  £120,000 contributions, £94,000 expenses and depreciation of £134,000. Seems like a loss. So much for assemblies generating huge income for Watchtower.

  Could be but there is alot hidden in there such as "costs of generating voluntary income" - approx £134k - which is not part of the running costs. What the hell is this? I think it's down elsewhere as "support costs" that was carried over from the previous year. Could be costs of plant perhaps? I am sure a forensic accountant could work it out. Either way you can bet your life the dubs are paying over the odds.

  Take a look the Surrey Assembly Hall - flagship money maker.

  http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Accounts/Ends09/0001090209_AC_20160831_E_C.PDF

  It continues to generate about twice as much as it spends.
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  redvip2000

  It's not about there being some scandal of the halls making a profit, it's the way that the dubs are conned into thinking there is a deficit.

  Exactly, that is the point. Because they could easily be completely honest and say.. "brothers, the expenses are covered, but we would like to collect $xxxx to help brothers in other lands too".... and so Jdrones could then be more judicious in how much they can donate.

  But instead, they make it seem as if some money was already spent in maintenance, and now they are just trying to make up that money that was already spent.

  This is not that much different that this lady who walks around town in my area, asking everybody for 50cents because she needs to take the bus to go home. And she collects this 50cents from dozens of people, then goes and buys things that she needs at the store.

  
  
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  NewYork44M

  God is all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow just can't handle money!

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iouZYYzQEjU

  God loves you - and he needs your money. So, it is no coincidence that assemblies run at a deficit.
• 

  respectful_observer

  Just thinking outside the box for a moment.

  For those countries where the WT is registered as a "charity" (e.g., UK, Canada), has anyone explored whether the WT's [fabricated/false] claims of "deficits" to the public as a means to drive contributions (which ultimately end up in the pockets of the WT charity) might run amok of any laws? Might be of interest to charity commissions/oversight bodies to understand how the whole approached used by the WT works.

  Imagine if the WT got called out in the public by government officials for using this "deficit" scare tactic on tens of thousands of members every single weekend -- all the while claiming tax exempt status as a "charity". The dollar figures would be headline worthy, I'm guessing.

  If you flip the WT stance around and described it this way to the average Jdub, what would their response be?:

  "Hey, have you heard that donations to the Catholic Church are really down?! I've heard the Vatican has decided to look at what their cash needs are, then determine a per head amount globally each Catholic would need to donate to meet that goal amount. Then at each Sunday service the priest has to announce how much more the parishioners still need to put on the plate to meet the goal set by the Vatican."
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  konceptual99

  I doubt it RO. It's very hard to prove since there are only verbal announcements and it would be very easy to demonstrate on paper that the assembly is indeed in deficit. It's how they justify to themselves they are not lying.

  There is nothing preventing a charity from having income greater than expenses, indeed it's a pretty sensible fiscal policy.