Accounts Report

by Lost in the fog 7 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Lost in the fog

  The monthly accounts report is read to the CONGREGATION and pinned to the notice board afterwards.

  At the circuit assembly and special day the CIRCUIT accounts report is also read to the audience - usually highlighting the costs associated with the venue and hinting that the contents of the contribution boxes won't cover the cost, while purposely neglecting to mention that the monthly deposits from each congregation in the circuit have not been included in the report and will actually result in a surplus figure. But then that might stop the guilt ridden audience opening their wallets and putting in as much as possible even if they couldn't afford to do so. (I used to work in the circuit accounts department so I know).

  So if it is done in the CONGREGATION and the CIRCUIT why isn't it done for the local BETHEL and ultimately for HQ?

  In an honest organisation wouldn't the JWs be highly pleased to see how much was being paid to take cases to the European Court of Human Rights, fighting Russian court cases, building those new buildings for the dear African brothers and sisters, and for the army of full-time workers?

  And be so moved as to hand over their rent money (and trust in Jehovah to provide before the landlord evicted them) to support the whole worldwide fund!?

  But they never will provide the congregations with their own accounts report will they, because it might reveal how much they are paying out on the (nonexistent) child abuse cases and other related issues.
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  sir82

  TBH, the "accounts report" read at the congregation or circuit level is one micro-step above "completely useless" anyway, so who cares that there is no similarly pointless report made at the branch level?

  The "accounts report" merely indicates 3 items: total amount received, total amount spent, and balance on hand. No detail whatsoever on where the money came from, on what it was spent, or whether anyone other than a JW window-washer who stopped taking math classes at age 12 performed an "audit" on the numbers.
  
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  road to nowhere

  Worthless. We used to report income, utilities, and any extra expenses. I notice they do not even di a sham resolution for CO expenses
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  eyeuse2badub

  When it concerns the 'real' money, the wt plays it close to the vest. No transparency!

  just saying!
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  DesirousOfChange

  hinting that the contents of the contribution boxes won't cover the cost, while purposely neglecting to mention that the monthly deposits from each congregation in the circuit have not been included in the report

  Since when does each Cong make monthly deposits to the Circuit?
  
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  Lost in the fog

  Desirousofchange

  In UK it was a regular practice that each congregation had a resolution to send x amount per month to the circuit.

  Once agreed it was seldom mentioned again, so probably not everyone in the KH knew.

  Some congs sent as low as £20 a month, some sent £200. An equalising occurred as per scripture principle.

  It is possible that this practice has stopped since I left.
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  Diogenesister

  Hey Foggy I guess they tell the members at congregation level as it is a legal requirement ? I'm not certain of course (being female I was never inducted into the vagaries of this "mystery religion"!) But I'm assuming that since each congregation is its own charitable concern, the officers have to let the members know?

  Of course that suits watchtower since it gives the illusion of transparency to the average dub.

  If watchtower listed all its incoming and outgoings it would be a huge eye opener for the JWs. Some countries make it available at branch level to a certain extent, as per law for charitable orgs as in the UK for example. But If watchtower HQ was forced to do so Jehovah would suddenly provide new light and insist they move to a shifty tax haven-type Island.
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  blondie

  Yes, the WTS operates around secular legal rules, have to protect their assets, can't depend on their god to do it.