The Preaching Method Has Flip-Flopped Again

by pale.emperor 10 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  pale.emperor

  Im currently reading a book called Jehovah's Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jehovahs-Witnesses-Portrait-Contemporary-Religious/dp/0415266106).
  
  The researcher is a social scientist, was never a JW, who studied with the witnesses solely to write this book. His research has been quite thorough and objective which is commendable.
  
  He mentioned in the book how Rutherford didn't want his colporters (pioneers) giving their own sermons or bible interpretation, but instead he had them going door to door with his records. (I have some converted to mp3, they're very boring).

  
  

  When Rutherford died and Knorr took over, Knorr wanted each JW to be able to preach effectively. So they done away with the records and set up training for preaching, which would eventually become the kingdom ministry school.

  
  

  Isn't it strange then, that now they've effectively reverted back to Rutherfords method of referring people to a website and showing them a video on a tablet?

  My theory is that Tightpants Tony has something to do with this. He reminds me very much of Rutherford. His talks lack warmth, lack humor and he constantly berates his audience rather than showing any genuine love.

  It's interesting, and delightful, to see Watchtower flip-flopping once again on something they previously claimed was an improvement, the witnessing to people. Yet now the witnesses are wetting their pants in awe that their glorious GB have had "new light" from Jehovah in how to preach effectively - show them a video.

  
  

  Is it right that they're going to just call on interested ones now and not offer mags?
  
• 

  venus

  Their sticking to house-to-house mode of preaching was like still resorting to boat when there is a bridge now just because the founder of religion used boat as there was no bridge then.

  Today if the whole world is to be thoroughly witnessed to it is only a matter of months when all modern forms of telecommunication are made use of.
• 

  Phizzy

  I think the situation of simply using Cart and Tablet is seen by the JW leadership as part of re-branding, and modernizing, but to an extent has been forced upon them.

  Those that remain within the Org are almost all entirely unable to actually preach in a way that would make a convert, ( TMS epic fail !) their only hope is to snare someone into having a "Bible" study and then hope the propaganda material they are "studying" does the work that the individual JW is incapable of.

  Good luck with that boys.
• 

  Wake Me Up Before You Jo-Ho

  JW proselytizing then and now...

  

  

  Same, same but...

  ...

  oh, hold on.
• 

  _Morpheus

  Wow jo ho that picture says it all....
• 

  OneEyedJoe

  At the 2014 convention Losche was on stage going on about how the use of videos in the ministry was revolutionary and a big step forward and that it was not a return to the old days of using a victrola to play rutherford's sermons. He made this assertion without anything to distinguish the videos from the old recorded sermons.

  It's almost as if they're used to whatever they say being taken as fact without any need for substantiation. Weird.
• 

  Betheliesalot

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN4VW2MXlLA I cringe whenever I see some religion going to the street to loud mouth their beliefs. I guess the former individual thinks there is some scorekeeper in the sky keeping score for their salvation.
  
• 

  sir82

  I had never really made that connection before....

  Walking from door to door offering to show people a video on a tablet is fundamentally equivalent to walking from door to door and playing them a phonograph record.

  Of course, the idea of walking door to door to hype a website is beyond absurd. Who in their right mind uses a 19th century sales method to market a 21st century product?

  Can you imagine, say, Tesla building a steam locomotive to connect building A to building B in their manufacturing plant?
  
• 

  Room 215

  In both cases (door-to door canvassing with IPad vs with phonograph, and cart vs placards) are clearlly regressive and a de facto renunciation of Knorr's progressive innovations.
• 

  Giordano

  In every Congregation I served in there was always one sister, sometimes a brother........ but not so much, who had multiple bible studies.

  Their ministry was the bible study..........their effectiveness 70 to 90%.

  What they all had in common was warmth, understanding, a ready smile, an interest in the study that went beyond the study itself. A friendship if you will.

  They were the Society's hidden weapon......never recognized by the WTBTS of course. But their impact was tangible.

  In my first assignment pioneering 'where the need was great' in a remote N.W.Pennsylvania congregation ..........I was holding down 3 position's in a Congregation of 20 or so (mostly women) and it was personally embarrassing to me that some of these highly thoughtful........ quality sisters were not allowed to serve as a brother could.

  This was the Society wasting their best assets in the early 1960's and to this day.

  The preaching work has diminished for a number of reasons. That personal touch is missing to a large degree. Standing....... usually away from their cart is not a personal touch.

  I was checking out at Walmart the other day and the cashier asked me if I had a Walmart credit card...I said No, do you have an application so I can see if it's worth getting? She said no, you have to go on line to get the application.

  I still haven't gone to their site, remembered to go to their site, or have any interest in their web site. I would have looked through a brochure while the idea was fresh in my mind but.......I've lost interest.

  I think this is what is happening to the WTBTS.

  Listening to a phonograph record back in the day did not have that personal touch just that idiot Rutherford.

  Going to JW.org now has any number of fools bladdering about. Nothing personal.....just business.