130 years of preaching has failed.

by joelbear 24 Replies latest jw friends

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  Honesty

  
  
  130 years of preaching has failed because most people aren't as stupid as the Governing Body thinks they are. The real Kingdom message is drawing in converts by the thousands every month and it doesn't require studying an apostate piece of crap literature in order to get baptised in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
  

  
  
  If the dubs came out of the fog they are surrounded in and looked around they would see the increase in Christianity. New churches everywhere and new additions to existing churches. Typical dub response when it is mentioned. "It's easy to throw money at a church but it is hard to give of your time." They just don't get it.
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  potleg

  Years ago the cong. I was in had about 90 publishers and a new KH was neded...The C.O., George Cook insisted that if we built a much larger hall it would be filled. A new 150 seater was built, what a joke, It's never been filled except for weddings and funerals. recently they remodeled it, put in some walls, took OUT some seats...now it's down to 120...meetings usually run to about 60-70
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  Dazz_C

  After a lifetime in Dubland land and now several years fading it has struck me that with all the billions of hours, hundreds of millions of mags books and stuff, millions of donuts and coffee, all those people miraculously saved from suicide by a knock at the door, that the preaching work is a complete waste of time (thankfully no longer my time).

  Who's more famous Jehooba or Ronald MacDonald?

  The GB should have started a hamburger joint back in the 60s and put "life saving" messages on the burger wrappers, would have been much more effective
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  roybatty

  Less people know what Jehovah's Witnesses believe now than did 50 years ago. The peak of penetration was probably in the 50's and 60's and has been drifting lower ever since.

  Ask any random person on the street "who are Jehovah's Witnesses and what do they believe" and I'd be willing to bet that half say "Jehovah what?" and the other half would say "oh, those are the people who don't let their kids celibrate Christmas or birthdays."

  In my area the local churches are bursting at the seams (for better or for worse). They can't build new churches or add onto their existing church fast enough. The one exception is the local kingdom hall. This hall's territory includes the SECOND FASTEST GROWING COUNTY IN AMERCIA, yet, the same amount of people attend the hall as did ten years ago. One would think that other JW's moving into the area would fill the hall but it's not.

  From time to time it makes me truly wonder what is going on.
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  willyloman

  This hall's territory includes the SECOND FASTEST GROWING COUNTY IN AMERCIA, yet, the same amount of people attend the hall as did ten years ago.

  Just to add to the anecdotal evidence that contradicts the WTS' claims of "fastest growing religion," the area where we live in California has doubled and in some specfiic JW territories tripled in population in the past 10 years, and yet... same number of congregations, same number of dubs. I guess this means:

  1. Almost none of the people who are moving here in droves are JWs, or...

  2. People are leaving through the back door as fast as they are coming in.

  I keep thinking, man, if they can't show numerical growth HERE, they can't do it anywhere. It all points to the truth of the original post on this thread: The preaching work has been a dismal failure by any measure. The intelligent creator of the vast universe could not possibly be behind a marketing plan this poorly planned and executed.
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  jimakazi

  Yes but if they have a good heart Jehovah will move them to read the magazine and beg for a bible study?

  Well this is what my parents say anytime I raise the point - seems logical from a warped borg point of view.
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  sf

  I am sending this thread to PBS, Tom Sheppard and Joel Engardio. It's very informative and counters knocking.com.

  sKally
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  potleg

  witness should rename their work because they're not really preaching the way Jesus did, they are distributing printed literature. With all the junk mail we recieve each day and the info overload from other sources it's no wonder witnesses are getting less and less results for each hour spent in service. Plus I think the majority of JW's don't like going from door to door and if they had freedom of choice they would quit right now.
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  roybatty

  I keep thinking, man, if they can't show numerical growth HERE, they can't do it anywhere.

  My thoughts exactly. This kingdom hall was a quick build, built about seven years ago. I remembr sitting in elders meetings with the CO talking about the explosion in growth we would soon see. Nothing happened. When I drive by and look at the kingdom hall parking lot, I have to admit that the congregation hasn't shrunk in size, probably because of existing JWs are moving in but I keep thinking "how can they NOT be growing"? There are so many young couples moving into the area, starting familes and looking for a church. It's almost impossible not to grab at least a few of these people. Maybe these people, via the internet, have educated themselves about JWs. Who knows.

  You are right about the marketing of the JW religion. Whoever is in charge needs to be fired. It makes me me think about the church that was built at the same time as the kingdom hall. It's also literally right next door. As we were building the hall we use to make self-righteous comments. Looking at the situation now, It's ironic that the hall has stagnated in size while that church has had to add on twice. They've become huge. Maybe the JWs need to ask them for marketing advice.
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  mkr32208

  I was speaking to my mother about just this very thing the other day! We don't usually discuss religion at all (those that have read my threads know why!) But we were discussing this more as a marketing problem than a religious one and I really think that blew some MAJOR holes in her faith!!!!! Made me think that I've been going about this the wrong way maybe! She finally ended up with "I don't know what jehober is going to do with those that haven't been contacted, I don't know how he will judge those here who didnt' understand either"

  I asked her how jehovah could judge someone who refused to talk to a jehover witless because they thought that they were not christians? They were refusing to talk to someone who had rejected jehovers son right? So they were following the bibles council to shun whoever comes to you and don't have this message right?? So how can god judge them??? Big stumbling block... My pio sister in law was in back seat not responding but I know she runs right to brother (elder) and tells him and while she may not listen I know that he's getting chipped at!!!