Remember Hour Quotas?

blondie

Hour Quotas timeline

Back in the old days long before 1952

“After staying in our ‘home’ for two days we decided that if we were going to meet our quota of 140 hours for the month

1952 some of the summer pioneers who are now going back to school find it possible to get in their 60-hour quota by spending a few hours in the afternoon and evening in the field service, and particularly on week ends.

1956 When engaging in the full-time service as a pioneer, a person has little time for personal pursuits. It is a work that requires careful budgeting of time. The pioneer minister must preach from house to house, make back-calls and conduct home Bible studies. He must meet the quota of hours set by the theocratic organization.

1959 The quota was 150 hours of field service a month with the phonograph

1960 At the end of the second month a letter came from the Society stating that they could not recognize anyone as a pioneer unless he met his quota of hours. From that day to this I have not missed meeting my quota of hours.

1961 Each congregation has its hour quota and each Witness strives to meet or exceed it. The average minister in a congregation spends some ten hours monthly in such evangelizing.

1986 In order to qualify for the regular pioneer service, an individual must be baptized at least six months and be a regular publisher. He should be in a position to meet the yearly field service quota of 1,000 hour

There have been more adjustments to the required hours. The ten hour quota for publishers was changed in the 70’s because jws were only putting in exactly 10 hours, figuring that was the requirement. WTS said that was the minimum, that jws should strive to put more in if their schedules “allowed.” That concept was used long after that to determine if a baptized male was qualified to be an elder or a ministerial servant. So some would meet that, get appointed then turn in less that ten hours a month…now counting hours is not required, just saying you “put some time in” that month. I wonder how this will affect the yearbook annual statistics report?

May 15, 1975 Watchtower p. 312 “ Attempts have sometimes been made to standardize the efforts of everyone with certain quotas established as common goals for all. (Set by the Watchtower Society) Zeal in many cases would then be measured (by the WTS) by success in meeting such goals. Invariably this has resulted in a tendency to compare ourselves with one another, which has never proved to be an accurate or approved measurement of love or zeal. 2 Cor. 10:12) Search as we may, we can find no quotas set forth in God’s Word as a minimum preaching requirement.

Rivergang

Up until about 1972, a JW could not even be deemed a "Regular Publisher" unless they met the minimum quota of 10 hours per month. Added to that, they had to have also conducted at least one bible study, placed at least 12 magazines, and made a certain number of "back calls" during that month - or else! (Particularly if one failed to "place" those 123 magazines, in which case that same said person was liable for the JW equivalent of "No.1 Field Punishment").

For those interested, WC Stevenson's 1967 work The inside story of Jehovahs Witnesses gives a full description of the complete matter of "hours", as it then stood. Certainly, when I first began attending meetings at the Kingdom Hall (circa 1970), that is all you seemed to hear about.

SouthCentral

It’s crazy how the organization has modified itself with the Times…

Great post as always Blondie!

Balaamsass2

I remember well the huge chart dragged out onto an easel every month on the platform during the 60s. Average hours. Bible studies. Subscriptions. Mags. Books. RV/backcalls. Stern warnings for slackers who could be guilty of bloodguilt!

100 hrs a month for pioneers. Timed coffee breaks.

One CO (Andy Laguna) told me in the 90s he wouldn't even consider appointing new servants who didn't average 15 hrs per month with at least one study.

no-zombie

In our hall, that board would be wheeled out onto the platform at the end of every month, to compare the congregation's averages with that of the national averages. Sometimes we were on par ... sometimes not.

But for us, it disappeared around the mid 70s.

Ron.W.

In the 1980's I worked 11am to 4pm every day and regular auxiliary pioneered - 60 hrs a month.

I started my ministry at 6am, doing street work to try and get my hours in before work.

I got no praise, thanks or recognition with those awkward hours.

Instead, EVERYONE quizzed me aggressively about why I wasn't a REGULAR pioneer doing 90 hrs a month!!

Back then, you could NEVER do enough.

Now, I very rarely, if ever see any local witnesses near me on the ministry, or even setting up any jw carts any more!

DisgruntledFool

The 'Service Meeting' was nothing more than a glorified 'Sales Meeting' and the old chart was just a tool to compare your 'companies' division (Congregations were at one time called companies) against the total performance of all the divisions combined.

WingCommander

The very fact that Congregation Members (errr.......now called "Adherents") were actually called "Publishers" really goes towards the man-made corporate structure of this MLM Cult.

Does anyone really think Jesus or YHWH God gives a shit how many hours you were preaching a month? That they'd smite you DEAD if didn't get 60, 90, or more hours a month? Total freakin' insanity. I'm just astounded people fell for this BS for so long.

The jig is up though. My "Generation" (born in 1979) and younger, don't give even (1) flying fugg about "making hours" or standing by some dumbass cart. Nope! It's a little bit of informal witnessing (aka, throw a business card down at the laundromat or dentist/dr's office), reading bible stories with the kids, volunteering on LDC or cleaning the KH, maybe shove a 5'er in the donation box if ya got it, and then they "check the box." Taa-Daa! All good for this month! Praise Jah .......errr......the Governing Body, for this glorious "simplification." Too many other things in life to get done and hobbies to enjoy.

Phizzy

I remember the quotas, from those early days, right through. It was not easy for me as a teenager and adult, as it had been inculcated in me by my Pioneer sister that we record our time honestly, subtracting the time spent on Coffee breaks or similar.

The hours I recorded were actually spent in the work.

Having got sight of some J.W's Reports once, I remarked to the Elder i was handing them to, that "here is a collection of Great Works of Fiction !".

He laughed and nodded in agreement, he was another honest one with his Report, but was well aware that most J.W's were NOT honest !

Biahi

I only reported 1-2 hours a month, towards the end of my time there. I stopped caring. I also did not want to convert anyone, why should they be miserable like me?

Remember Hour Quotas?

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