Thank you, ILTT2, for all you do!
10 Graphs that show that the Watchtower is in trouble in Mexico
by ILoveTTATT2 31 Replies latest jw friends
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sparrowdown
Why would WT continue to throw money at physical bodies, books and buildings where growth is stagnating or in decline? That would just not make good business sense.
What's the state of health of the website? How much monies are being spent on new technologies?
To find out the future of WT and JWs follow the money.
Look at the projects they are investing in, where, what and who the money is being spent on, that's the only crystal ball where we might get a glimpse of future-WT.
The losses are only half of the story. IMO.
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UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Great graphs! I attended a Spanish congregation for awhile. When a watchtower study article made the statement a couple years ago, that all illegal JWs should return to their home country I could feel the air leave the room. I knew it would be down hill from there...
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ILoveTTATT2
However this graph shows how wildly successful the Watchtower has been in Mexico:
They've grown 100x in 60 years, and 1000x in 70 years: -
ironsnake656
Interesting information ILoveTTATT2. The graphics represent statistically what is happening in the last years regarding growing in numbers. I think grow of JWs in Mexico had their peak like 10 years ago.
Regarding the comments of the English congregations in Mexico, let me know to you what really happened. The hype of English field in Mexico started in 2006. Although few English congregations existed before that year, some CO sponsored to start meeting groups other than Spanish language, and some suggested to start English groups.
I attended a DA 2007 in Queretaro city, where all English field congregations attended (not all the brothers attended the DA since that city is far from other places, like Tijuana or Cancun), and we were visited by John Barr. Anyways, in that assembly all brothers were encouraged to move in the English field since it had "need of workers". Then a lot of brothers from Spanish congs moved to English congs, the problem was that those who moved were not the best brothers of Spanish congs: undesirable ones, rich, faders, naughty ones, double life, etc. English congs were labeled as debauchees congs by Spanish congs. Also, a lot of problems raised between elders of Spanish congs and English congs, because the way of doing and following the Org procedures (English brothers are more attached to the procedures and more liberal than Spanish ones).
Also, in Juarez there were 4 English congregations by 2010; by today there is just one. In Chihuahua city, there were two English congregations; today there is no English congs. The English field was reduced significantly the past 5 years. A lot of letters from the Mexican branch were read in the English congs to encourage those who is mother language is not English, to move away.
The thing that I see complicated in Mexico, is to help them to know about TTATT, despite the usefulness of internet. Most Mexicans do not like to read or research (it is something cultural), specially things related with religion.
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Crazyguy
So if the Mexican JWs don't have the internet and dont do any research then it must be said that the average Mexican doesn't have much internet access and doesn't do much research. So what are the reasons for why the growth their has been reduced?
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shepherdless
Firstly, let me applaud ILoveTTAT for his/her work, including translating jwfacts. It is extremely important work.
One comment and two questions:
If Mexico falls, pretty much the whole Watchtower falls.
Maybe in membership numbers, that is sort of true. However, Watchtower is essentially a business, and that means wealthy USA with its 1.2 million is by far the most important "Land". That being said, the borg is proportionaly more of a blight on the people of Mexico than virtually any country in the world.
First question: I was wondering whether Mexico becoming any less overwhelmingly Catholic, which may partially explain the flattening growth. My reason for asking is that I have noticed that the borg's success in any particular country seems to be directly proportional to how "Christian" a country is. Countries where there is a high proportion of the polulation professing Christianity seem to have the most JWs. Countries where the proportion of Christians are dropping seem to have had lower JW growth.
Second question: Does anyone know if JWs in Mexico are getting older on average (as statistical data shows they are in Aust and USA)? My reason for asking is that, after sifting a lot of data elsewhere (see my own threads), that gradually flattening growth is likely to coincide, even caused by, a membership that is ageing, which in turn is a reliable predictor of future growth/decline. Average age in a religion where many people are joining and leaving is not that important, but JWism is now a religion where there are few converts, and so the issue is very important. If the average age of JWs is increasing, or significantly above the population, it amounts to "locked-in" future decline.
But thanks again, ILoveTTATT. Please keep up the good fight.
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ironsnake656
Crazyguy, as sheperdless asked and answered, one of the big reasons why growth in Mexico is declining is membership ageing and few converts, plus limited access to internet and poor reading habits to get more converts as the Org is using the internet as a tool to proselyte. In Mexico, the people who visit JW website is the same JW, not interested ones.
Where is more growth is in other Protestant/Christian churches like Baptists, Pentecostals, Presbyterians, LDS, even growth in Saint Death Church and Islam.
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ILoveTTATT2
Then a lot of brothers from Spanish congs moved to English congs, the problem was that those who moved were not the best brothers of Spanish congs: undesirable ones, rich, faders, naughty ones, double life, etc. English congs were labeled as debauchees congs by Spanish congs. Also, a lot of problems raised between elders of Spanish congs and English congs, because the way of doing and following the Org procedures (English brothers are more attached to the procedures and more liberal than Spanish ones).
Hammer Head: Meet nail. So true. Everything in this paragraph is so true.
If you were rich, wanted to party, etc... you went to the English. There were lots of paradigms in the English, however. There were the uber dubs AND the double lifers at the same time, the super liberal elders AND the ones that followed the book...A lot of my waking up happened because of a super liberal elder...
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dozy
Economist article on JWs in Mexico - 5 years old now , but still relevant:
http://www.economist.com/node/21551091
Maybe any relative decline is just the law of diminishing returns. Only a small percentage of people will ever be attracted into a religion like JWs ( which , let's face it , if you weren't brought up into it & brainwashed as a child , very few people would be interested ). As the Economist article indicates , JWs are competing with Pentecostal groups , Mormons etc for the basic recruits ( mainly ex-Catholics). Many of these competing religions are more attractive in terms of lifestyle etc.