Posts by darkspilver

21

REVEALED: The number of Bethelites over the years

by darkspilver in

jw
friends

in response to this thread.

i've put forward the argument that i believe that the 'organization' is financially effectively bleeding itself dry - it is actually financially imploding.. i believe that over the last 45 or so years, in particular, it has evolved from a relatively 'lean machine' into what is now a huge unwieldy organization.

as an organization grows i would expect increased efficiency through by both economies of scale, and advances in technology.. how has the watchtower organization fared?....

darkspilver

Thanks.

Good points

I fully understand your concern regarding the question of who actually counts as a 'Bethelite' - that is a full-time member of the Bethel Family - with the above figures I've listed above.

The number has been listed annually in the Yearbook (in the Grand Totals page/chart) since the 2006 yearbook - the number is listed as being "a total of XX,XXX ordained ministers staff the branch facilities."

I understand that Bethel is VERY hierarchical and specific with reference to what you are - ie are you an 'actual' member of the Bethel Family. I understood from those that have worked full-time on construction projects alongside working Bethels, including international, they had to be 'careful' - although the congregation they were assigned to viewed them as Bethel Family, they were not! they were construction.

Also note the language used below

Awake 22 December 2000, page 19
Truly, it is remarkable that the number of branch offices has increased from one a hundred years ago to 109 today that serve the needs of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 234 lands. And to think that these are staffed by some 13,000 dedicated Christian volunteers! Surely, their work along with that of the some 5,500 volunteers associated with the Society’s headquarters has been vital to the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jesus Christ that ‘this good news of God’s Kingdom would be preached in all the inhabited earth before the end comes.’—Matthew 24:14.

I haven't included the 13,000 in my table (as it is not precise) but it fits for the number of Bethelites - notice WT makes a clear distinction with 'volunteers associated with the Society's headquarters' - they're not 'Family'.

The numbers (references for which I got from the two WT Index Books under the heading 'Bethel Families') are spoken of by WT in a variety of terms - but all indicate to me that they refer to full-time Bethelites. Apart from the 2007 to 2015 references (with the wording as listed above) the others I used are:

Yearbook 1991, page 9
The full-time ministers who serve at Bethel help keep the publishers in their country organized for Kingdom-preaching and well supplied with literature. In 1980 the worldwide Bethel family numbered 5,039; ten years later the figure is 11,092.

Yearbook 1987, page 11-12
the 8,920 volunteers who serve in the Bethel families

Yearbook 1985, page 58-59
the Society increased the number of Bethel family members by 9.9 percent, for a total of 7,233 worldwide.

Yearbook 1984, page 8
Working at the Society’s headquarters and other factories, offices and farms are 6,582 members of Bethel families.

Yearbook 1981, page 14
During 1980, 5,039 volunteer workers staffed the 98 branch facilities

Yearbook 1979, page 10
At the Brooklyn headquarters there are 1,825 members in the Bethel family, and, together with the 646 serving at Watchtower Farms, we now have a total of 2,471. Earth wide there are upward of 3,000 who enjoy this special privilege of Bethel service. All of them share in preaching the good news of the Kingdom in association with the congregations to which they are assigned.

Yearbook 1977, page 10
Around the world Jehovah’s Witnesses have 97 branch offices. Working in these branch offices there are upward of 3,000 members of Bethel families. The largest group is located at the international headquarters in Brooklyn, New York

Yearbook 1976, page 259
In addition, the Society has operated 96 branch offices, where 3,734 members serve.

Yearbook 1975, page 258
In addition to these expenditures, there were expenses for the upkeep of the Bethel homes, where there are 3,307 persons who work in offices, kitchens, laundries, housekeeping and in the manufacturing of literature—all to further the preaching of the good news

Yearbook 1974, page 255
In addition to these full-time workers that were assisted, we have 2,733 members of the Bethel family working in 95 branch offices.

Yearbook 1973, page 256
The Society, with the help of 2,590 members of the Bethel family in 95 branches, is well prepared to see that everyone has plenty of Bible literature.

Watchtower 1 June 1971, page 335
Additionally, 2,304 served throughout the world as full-time ministers at the Society’s 93 offices producing literature and supervising the ministry of Jehovah’s witnesses.

Yearbook 1970, page 79
Families such as this are found in the 94 branch offices around the world. The other branch offices are not nearly as large as the one in Brooklyn, but all of them are doing the same kind of work. The members of all the Bethel families throughout the world total 2,126.

Yearbook 1969, page 61
World wide there are well over 1,800 individuals

Yearbook 1968, page 286
We also have 1,717 members of the Bethel family working in the 96 branches throughout the world. This is an increase over last year's membership of 1,591.

Yearbook 1967, page 319
In addition to all these full-time workers, we have 1,591 brothers and sisters working in Bethel homes around the world in 95 branches. This is grand!

Yearbook 1965, page 531
Some 1,500 Christian ministers are privileged to serve in what are known as Bethel homes, which are attached to branch offices

Yearbook 1965, page 271
Additionally, the Society operated the Bethel homes where 1,461 full-time workers were employed.

Yearbook 1963, page 49
There are 1,423 members of the Bethel families living at the eighty-seven branch offices of the Watch Tower Society.

Yearbook 1962, page 42
In order to keep up with the world-wide demand for literature the Bethel families have grown to 1,376 members in number.

Yearbook 1961, page 30
In these main offices of supervision known as Bethel homes there are 1,299 ordained Christian ministers working.

Watchtower 1 January 1960, page 25
At the eighty-five branches throughout the world there are large and small Bethel families, and in this group there are 1,236 persons

12

WT sells branch in Hong Kong for 65M

by Viva la Vida in

jw
friends

http://www.savills.com.hk/_news/article/574/141879-0/12/2015/savills-appointed-sole-agent-for-the-tender-sale-of-12-and-14-kent-road--kowloon-tong.

savills appointed sole agent for the tender sale of 12 & 14 kent road, kowloon tong.

the two-storey property at 14 kent road has a site area and saleable area of 10,771 sq ft and 4,303 sq ft respectively.

darkspilver

Thanks - interesting - I note that the original link was to a news story from December 2015, and the two buildings have now been sold

Thanks to the OP's additional link, from a story regarding another (unrelated) property sale nearby in September 2016, it refers to the SOLD prices obtained for 12 and 14 Kent Road:

http://www.scmp.com/property/hong-kong-china/article/2022895/prime-site-kowloon-tongs-beacon-hill-expected-sell-more-hk7
Number 12 Kent Road has a total gross floor area of 6,465 sq ft and sold for HK$260 million, or HK$40,216 per sq ft, while number 14, a total land area of 10,751 sq ft with the plot ratio of 0.6 times and the gross floor area is 6,450 sq ft, sold for HK$238 million, or HK$36,899 per sq ft.

Number 12 Kent Road sold for HK$260 million = US$33.5 million
Number 14 Kent Road sold for HK$238 million = US$30.7 million
TOTAL = $64.2 million

BTW, there are some more, external, photos at the following website - including one that shows the frontage and clearly shows an advertisement for jw.org

http://www.landscope-christies.com/property-detail/kowloon-tong/61e943

21

REVEALED: The number of Bethelites over the years

by darkspilver in

jw
friends

in response to this thread.

i've put forward the argument that i believe that the 'organization' is financially effectively bleeding itself dry - it is actually financially imploding.. i believe that over the last 45 or so years, in particular, it has evolved from a relatively 'lean machine' into what is now a huge unwieldy organization.

as an organization grows i would expect increased efficiency through by both economies of scale, and advances in technology.. how has the watchtower organization fared?....

darkspilver

In response to this thread. I've put forward the argument that I believe that the 'organization' is financially effectively bleeding itself dry - it is actually financially imploding.

I believe that over the last 45 or so years, in particular, it has evolved from a relatively 'lean machine' into what is now a huge unwieldy organization

As an organization grows I would expect increased efficiency through by both economies of scale, and advances in technology.

How has the Watchtower organization fared?...

In 1964 there was one Bethelite for every 686 publishers
In 2015 there was one Bethelite for every 307 publishers

Even with the increased language translation, how can an effective 123% increase in the WT's workforce be justified?

Side note - interesting that there is now a kind of reduction in languages with the WT's withdrawal of the Study WT in simplified French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, effective from May/June 2017.
Letter December 28, 2016 - Re: One Study Edition of The Watchtower in Languages Other Than English

To bring staffing levels down to the 'efficiency' of the mid-1960's - WT needs to lay-off 14,368 Bethelites

They're closing and selling off Branch Offices?

Yes, from a peak during 2009 of 118 Branch Offices down to 89 during 2015. That's a substantial 25% reduction, but most were relatively small Branches, and guess what?... over the same time, the number of actual Bethelites increased by 31%, from 19,829 up to 26,011 - ha! ha! work that one out!

Of course, it is true, Bethelites are now being laid-off - but how many? Well, we await the 2017 Yearbook when I'll update the following chart....

Side note - Nathan Knorr was WT President from 1942 through to 1977 when Fred Franz took over.

31

"Historical" Announcement This Week?

by headisspinning in

my daughter asked if anyone has heard anything about a 'big announcement' being made sometime this week in congregations in canada and possibly beyond... in her words "it's like a biggggg long thing, they cut out part of the book study for it and people heard it was a historical thing"... any ideas?

could it be the mexican branch closing or the theme of the convention?

or something else?

darkspilver

Could it be about the Special Convention taking place during July 2017 in Toronto, Canada?

This convention marks the 90th anniversary of Rutherford's landmark proclamation of Jehovah's 6th trumpet-like judgement in Toronto on Sunday 24 July 1924 at the 'Freedom for the Peoples' Convention as foretold in Revelation 9:12-21.

https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5695993188188160/_post/6018766154498048

38

If the WT is a "money making machine"...who gets the money?

by NikL in

jw
friends

i've seen claims over the years that wt is in the real estate, book publishing business and is a for profit enterprise at it's core.. can those of you that believe this to be the case tell me who benefits from all this wealth?.

the governing body lives in relatively humble conditions no?.

i've been curious about this for a while.

darkspilver

TBH I believe that the 'organization' is financially effectively bleeding itself dry - and that is were the money is going: The day-to-day running or operating costs are overtaking the income.

"They live humble lives in Bethel?" Maybe, but remember, although a 'humble' cheap cut of meat and two veg might cost less to buy than an expensive posh cut of steak - they both need to be prepared by someone, to be cooked in an oven, to be served by someone, to be cleared up by someone, to have the plates washed by someone - and both need kitchens that are lit and use gas/electricity.

Really, whether you have extravagant gold-plated taps or cheap stainless-steel taps in your bathroom - the operating cost of the hot water running out of them to fill your bath still costs the same.

Bethel workers are extremely hard-workers - I could not do what they - but there's a lot of Bethelites who's job is basically looking after other Bethelites - be it in cleaning, feeding, accomodation maintance, laundry, security - and then those Bethelites looking after the first set of Bethelites need looking after too. And suddenly Bethel starts to become a very service oriented set-up. In the beginning, the 1910s and 1920s, this was probably a very economic and cost effective set-up - but economics change over time, and I believe the breaking point was reached a good few years ago, it's just that the WT, being as big as it is, has been late (again!) to adapt and change with it.

Remember too the US$236 million-a-year cost that WT says is spent in caring for special pioneers, missionaries, and traveling overseers.

And are the rank and file donating? I think that the fact that the WT has been goading congregations into doing a regular 'congregation monthly donation' by resolution is very telling....

Previously, every two weeks, you would pick up a pile of new magazines from the KH - oh, remember to put some money in the contribution box - did you feel guilty about that pile of magazines building up at home that you haven't placed, don't worry, put a bit more in the contribution box, ah don't feel so bad now!

And now? They pick up a couple of single sheet tracts, a couple of very thin mags at the KH before they go out on ministry - not really worth contributing for, do it next week they think.... next week, and oh wait, they're not going out on mnistry this weekend, so no need to pick up tracts, oh and then they forget to contribute for last weeks....

Conventions? New book? Contribute for it! - Oh wait, video only last year, oh, download yourself, oh, forget to contribute.

Watched this month's JW Broadcast? - that'll be a dollar please! each! - do the R&F really contribute lke that? hmm, maybe that's why they kinda need reminding....

15

Question.

by phats in

hi, is there a scripture saying it's okay to beat your wife with a stick no thicker than a mans thumb or is this a myth?

i remember something & have done some serching but need help.

phats.

darkspilver

But the bible does have this law.
Exodus 21:20-21New International Version (NIV)
20 “Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, 21 but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property.

thanks blondie

the OP may wish to 'find' the above bible reference by getting the JW's Insight book and looking under the heading 'Beating'.

Via the Watchtower Online Library: http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200000592

10

Are donations still being asked for in the door to door ministry?

by ToesUp in

for you guys and gals still in.

do you still ask for donations when placing magazines and books?

.

darkspilver

The inside cover of the WT and A magazines state: "To make a donation, please visit www.jw.org"

There is a link in the footer section of the website labeled: "Make a Donation to Our Worldwide Work"

This link goes to: https://apps.jw.org/E_DONATE

In addition the rank and file can donate to their own local congregation via https://khdonate.net

BoE Letter April 17, 2016 - Re: Arrangements for Electronic Donations to Local Congregations

15

Question.

by phats in

hi, is there a scripture saying it's okay to beat your wife with a stick no thicker than a mans thumb or is this a myth?

i remember something & have done some serching but need help.

phats.

darkspilver

3rdgen: In one article a woman named Selma (beaten for 17 years by her husband) was told to ask herself what SHE could do to be a BETTER wife, implying maybe she was asking for it. Not ONCE was anyone in these articles told to call the authorities or find a safe house etc.

Sadly, that's very true - here is the account:

Watchtower 15 February 2012, page 29, paragraphs 11 and 12

(Sorry, don't seem to be able to insert an image of the scan)

Link to scan

10

Are donations still being asked for in the door to door ministry?

by ToesUp in

for you guys and gals still in.

do you still ask for donations when placing magazines and books?

.

darkspilver

I was not aware that the practice had been quietly phased out in Britain

I believe it has always been the case from when the 'new' donation arrangment was introduced - which is why Britain was so late in adopting the donation arrangment compared to other (including European) countries. Always surprised foreign JW visitors a bit when they wanted to get some magazines from the KH/Bethel and they had to PAY for them!

I think it hit the skids years ago however, nobody even thinks of asking for donations and haven't in a decade.

haha - never a truer word!

21

Theme of this year's series of Conventions

by MrTheocratic in

it was announced this week that the theme for the 3 day convention is "do not give up".

these are the words that are spoken to someone who is struggling and is in the process of giving up.

this theme tells me that many in the organization are tiring out and slowing down.

darkspilver

So, is it:

Don't Give Up

or

Do Not Give Up

?

Mr Apostrophe would like to know

I think he isn't needed?