I've been to several KH dedication meetings. I'm not sure what a FUND dedication looks like.
Selloff Hinted At Assembly
by thedepressedsoul 32 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Stealth
"'Zion's Watch Tower' has, we believe, JEHOVAH for its backer, and while this is the case it will never beg nor petition men for support. When He who says: 'All the gold and silver of the mountains are mine,' fails to provide necessary funds, we will understand it to be time to suspend the publication."
Zion's Watchtower in 1879
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darkspilver
hi blondie
Do I understand that congregations have no choice to send all but $5,000 in their savings to the WTS?
TL;DR - the WT are actually very effectively disincentivizing donations
In reality it means there is a huge disincentive to contribute anything but a bare minimum to local funds
Coupled with the fact that the WT have now 'unlinked' the monetary donations from the visible results of building/refurbishing a hall
Means a collapse in donations
Scenario One: When a congregation has a prospective kingdom hall to buy - a 'project' - the locals are willing to contribute, often a lot... local enthusiasm drives donations... and they can see the tangible results
Scenario Two: WT oversees new halls AND pays for it from central funds - much less incentive to contribute... much less enthusiasm (what do locals actually DO - the LDC comes in and builds it for them!)
Result - donations plummet
Think how 'wordly' charities drive contributions - sponsor a child, sponsor a dog, pay for a month's supply of food, get letters from your sponsored child/dog/cat, get updates – charities are eager to give people a tangible result from their donation. They want to incentivize continuing donations (the adverts - just $3 dollars a month, donate the price of a coffee each week etc, an ongoing donation, a monthly direct debit, only $3 or $5 a month!) and they focus increased donations with special appeals, often with specific goals.
WT is doing the reverse in overdrive - no goals such as a new hall or even XX amount of $$ needed for such-and-such, no physical new releases at Convention to donate for, less monthly magazines to donate for - vicious circle - the less tangible physical items you give to people, the less donations/money you get in return.
SIDENOTE - generally the differance in contributions made between a one day and a two day circuilt assembly was MUCH less in proportion than it 'should' have been - basically publishers didn't contribute double for the two day than what they contributed for the one day, a bit more maybe yes, but not double, no where near
People's concept of digital items is much less than for physical items - why was napster so popular? downloading a computer file of music is totally different in most people's minds to getting a physical CD.
Yes, I’m sure, if a congregation has a new hall built for them, contributions will go up – but no where nearly as much when it was ‘their personal congregation’s project.’
And for the other congregations?
If you merge or combine congregations together you are disincentivizing donations (well there’s more publishers now, so running costs are reduced, so your donation can be reduced)
If you move a congregation to another hall you are disincentivizing donations (well our car gas cost has gone up, and besides, running costs for the hall are shared between more congregations)
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sir82
Interesting points. Never thought of it that way before, but seems valid.
So the WTS is very likely shooting itself in the foot with the "solution" to their problem.
Why am I not surprised.
Once the money from the one-time cash-grab of congregation savings accounts runs out, they'll be in even worse shape than before.
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prologos
I did not hear that here, at a recent one day assembly, but that "we should be ready to give up all our possessions, or lose them, which is the same thing, if involuntarily caught in the wt trap.
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pepperheart
darkspliver i agree with what you say but that is assuming that warwick will agree to any new kingdom halls being built.What if a body of elders or even a co asks headquaters to pay for building a new hall and they say no.The local jws can either keep going as as they have been doing or stop being JWs
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joey jojo
Darkspilver,
I think you nailed the psychological aspect of local contributions.
I have posted the story on here before about my grandmother who donated a very large chunk of her retirement funds to help with renovations on the local congregation. In her mind she was helping the local brothers and by extension, the local community would benefit.
The hall was sold only a few years later and the congregation dissolved.
When she raised the issue with the c.o., he became irritated with her and told her not to worry because her contribution was going to help ' the worldwide brotherhood'.
I wish I could go back in time and rescue some of my inheritance :).
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Life is to short 2
It was mentioned at the one day where I live two weeks ago.
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James Mixon
Religion For Sale JW.org.........Buyers, it is not a requirement to be A JW.. Religion comes with 8 million members all ready to move our product....
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Brokeback Watchtower
These delusional baboons think they can get away with this sell off and still keep the rank and file in servitude by making them drive long distances for indoctrination session? No way Jose!