People are important ...
numbers = people = $$$
Will
NEW 2003 Worldwide Service Report
by Joker10 34 Replies latest jw friends
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JH
Interesting read
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GentlyFeral
JT said,
how long have the jw been hovering around and batting around that 6million number- it is as if they just can;t break the 7 million mark
Yeah, that is interesting. When I was in ('73-'95) they were baptizing 250,000/year worldwide, and (apparently) keeping most of them. Average publishers increased by about a million every four years.
They were about 5.5 million when I left eight years ago, so -- that should be about 7.5 million by now.
That's as math-geeky as I'm ever going to get -- now I know they're in decline.
GentlyFeral
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Wallflower
Personally, I don't believe a word of the statistics.
Firstly, they come from the society itself. There is no external or public check of the numbers. Each congregation posts off its figures, I presume weekly, to the society. Everyone knows their little bit, but not whole picture. Who audits these figures? No one.
Secondly, you fakers. One faker would make the figures invalid. There are thousands out there, if not millions. You cannot interpret numbers when the data is flawed, as it obviously is.
Thirdly, the society can put whatever numbers it likes into the latest statistics. IMHO they are only there as a nice little motivator for the R&F. It would not be good for morale if a too bad drop in figures was reported. I know it has in the past, but the WBTS is trying to stop a drip, not an exodus. A drip is easier to hide.
Fourthly, they reported a 2% growth in the US. Now how can you square that with the anecdotal evidence in Metradons thread "The Watchtower Attendance Crisis" which is still live on the Board? Is there 2% growth, for every 100 Witnesses 2 joined last year? Or is there a decline? Someone is telling fibs.
Fifthly, the figures which would really make a difference and could be audited is the financial statement. Now that would be worth seeing. It would give a more accurate picture of the growth and state of the Org, but we are never likely to see that are we?
IMHO of course.
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stillajwexelder
Almost every country saw an increase in Bible Studies. From last year, tens of thousands more in the United States, and 10,000 in the UK. As expected, Bible studies rose to 5,726,509 (up 7.9%).
This is because of the realtively new method of being able to count a study. Yes if you stand on a door for 10 minutes and go through a page of the require brochure it can be counted as a study -- in the past this would have only counted as a Return Visit -- a study of course is both a study and a RV