The Contribution Box

by professor 22 Replies latest jw friends

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  JustTickledPink

  My mom couldn't donate regularly because we were dirt poor, but when she made some big money on a job and FINALLY had a few pennies, instead of buying me new shoes I will never forget she would put 1/2 the money in the box to make up for all the times she couldn't donate. Sometimes that would be $500 at a time. For us living in a trailer park, that was HUGE money.

  The contribution/donation arragement also made it harder on Witnesses if they didn't get a substantial enough donation, some would feel obligated to pay for literature that they placed if the householder didn't.
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  professor

  We had one Nit-wit Elder that would just take bibles and books whenever he felt like it and give then as tips for waitresses.

  Can you imagine being the waitress who gets JW lit as a tip?! What a rip!
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  kwintestal

  We had one Nit-wit Elder that would just take bibles and books whenever he felt like it and give then as tips for waitresses.

  What kind of pioneer has money to go to a restaurant but not to 1. leave a tip. or 2. buy his own books?

  Kwin
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  Undecided

  I was the accounts servant for a while when I was still in my teens and can't remember much about it. The only money we sent to the society was for literature, I do remember that.

  Ken P.
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  TheListener

  I've never seen nor heard of someone being pressured publicly or behind the scenes regarding donations.

  I can imagine certain elder bodies giving stronger than society recommended talks about contributions though. The society is bad enough but when some power hungry elder or elder body goes to town on a congregation that really makes me mad.
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  IP_SEC

  I havent donated in years and no one has said anything to me.
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  AlmostAtheist

  This probably varies from congregation to congregation. I've been in several congregations and I've never been personally pressured to donate. There were the standard talks, of course, and in one congregation we were 'taken out to the woodshed' by an elder for our very low donations to cover literature.

  When I was the accounts servant in one congregation, I took the checks home and totalled them up there. It was a small congregation, nobody went to the boxes with me. None of the elders ever asked to know who contributed or how much.

  Dave
• 

  iiz2cool

  None of the elders ever asked to know who contributed or how much.

  They probably checked themselves when the audit was done every 3 months.

  When I was account servant? I noticed that the PO never donated anything, and I'm sure no one ever got on his ass. But I was regularly harassed for not donating.

  Walter
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  Doubtfully Yours

  Regularly, at the meetings, there will be a talk about contributions. The elders encourage the elderly to leave material goods to the WTBTS. There'll be articles in their publications about all sorts of contributions that are needed.

  Give, give, give, for God loves the happy giver!

  DY
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  professor

  Thanks for the comments. I've always liked the "no collection will be taken" approach. It seems to work well for the dubs.