It would be nice if JW's could just open their eyes and see that the Watchtower has said several times, that they are a "business organization" and not a "religious organization".
They have a "Worldwide Real Estate Department" that could keep their doors open for years to come. There are properties we are not even aware of that the Watchtower Society has sold.
When some JW's pass away they leave all their property to the Watchtower Society. We never get to know about these transactions and how much that property sold for.
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2016-February-5
TO THE BODIES OF ELDERS
Re: Cancellation of approval for bodies of elders to sell properties
Dear Brothers:
In the past, some elders were assigned to assist with the sale of real estate or properties that were donated to the Worldwide Work. Since these assets belong to Jehovah, it cannot rightly be said that they belong to any individual or congregation, regardless of what its legal title may indicate.
The Governing Body is interested in optimizing resources that are dedicated for pure worship. With this in mind the Worldwide Department of Real Estate is responsible for administering the use of properties and the sale of real estate. Therefore, all approved sales of real estate that you received in the past have been canceled. Please remove any advertisements or signs that indicate a property is for sale and wait until a representative of World Headquarters communicates directly with you to give further direction on this matter.
The letter dated March 26, 2014, to all bodies of elders, mentions: “the Governing Body prefers that congregations not own or control property other than what is necessary for congregation meetings.” If a congregation owns one of these properties or real estate that was donated by a brother, you should notify the branch. For each additional property, complete and send the form Information Regarding Additional Properties that is available on jw.org to the inbox “Properties.” Any inquiries regarding this matter should be sent to this inbox.
PS: to circuit overseers. Please verify if in your circuit there are properties that were used for kingdom halls or properties of the organization. If so, gather all pertinent information and promptly send it to the inbox “Properties.” We greatly appreciate your help.
Actual Letter:https://www.filemail.com/d/bvucmxlfndmebts
Atlantis!