the 2014 - 2015 jw statistics showed a peak publisher decline of 884 with the average publisher tally showing a gain of 183. .
the 2017 yearbook is now available via jw.org and the statistics for britain show a 2016 peak publisher increase of 630 and an average publisher increase of a paltry 26!.
nothing to shout about on the part of the followers of caiaphas in the britain branch.
back in the 60's--the total for the UK was about 60,000---i heard a circo say "the british field is dead"
on the subject of immigration---it is now very expensive--and difficult-- for NON EA people to emigrate to the UK. my wife is filipina--so i know what i'm talking about! i am surprised there are 8 filipino congregations in the UK.
the congregation there had about eighty “publishers” in it.
it was a mix of farmers and city folks.
there were three to four families there who had moved in from other states, to help out.
in the UK--the magazines sold for 4 pence--pre decimalisation money. pioneers paid a penny each. i had a big magazine route--and the 75% profit paid for my petrol ( gas )
i remember when the black gold edged new world bible came out--we pioneers made a good profit on those. and thats all we were--door to door salesmen.
with all the rules that we had to live under to be a good christian it's a wonder that we aren't all neurotic basket cases like i am!
let's compile a list of transgressions and rules that we had to live by.
no rated r movies.
so brother with non-jw wife who did not come had to find some sister to do it or go out in the car and manage it somehow)
oh yes--fornication is a sin too.
so my parents continue to pester me about getting baptized.
the other day my dad told me that i was old enough to make a decision, and was wondering why i wasn't ready (assembly is in a few weeks) so i told him calmly that i have many doubts and if i were to get baptized it has to be 100 percent my idea.
he was a little annoyed by this, and now wants to study the "is there a creator that cares about you" book (which is complete bs) with me.
black wolf
go along with what your father wants. i bet he will soon get fed up with it.
so my parents continue to pester me about getting baptized.
the other day my dad told me that i was old enough to make a decision, and was wondering why i wasn't ready (assembly is in a few weeks) so i told him calmly that i have many doubts and if i were to get baptized it has to be 100 percent my idea.
he was a little annoyed by this, and now wants to study the "is there a creator that cares about you" book (which is complete bs) with me.
you could always show your dad this forum.
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?....
really off topic--but
i was baptised in 1962 ( age 14 )
less than a million dubs.
i resigned in '71
1.5 million by then.
up untill 8 years ago--when i found this ex jw internet club--i thought the whole thing had more or less died out ! never had a door knocker--and my old mum and dad rarely mentioned their religion in my earshot.
still very surprised at the sheer numbers now.
it's no secret that both remaining a jw or leaving the wts can take a toll on mental health.
some will suffer from depression and ultimately some will have thoughts of suicide and a few will succumb to those.. but i don't recall ever seeing any hard stats or studies on it though.
i'm sure we all know of some people who have committed suicide but i don't know if, because you may have loose association with a much larger pool of people through the religion, that this only seems higher or maybe not be actually higher than the general population.. what i mean is, you go to a kh here there maybe 100-150 people, you attend circuit and district conventions with many tens of thousands - if any one person commits suicide then you likely hear about it and it becomes part of the anecdotal 'evidence' that is then put forward as a fact that there is a higher rate ... but is there?.
Phizzy:
"I heard of about four suicides in the decades I was in, but two were probably not simply because they were JW's, one poor girl had lost the love of her life, and one guy was heavily in debt."
here in the UK it's relatively easy in many cases to walk away from serious debts. if anyone is in that situation--Citizens Advice is your first call.
it's no secret that both remaining a jw or leaving the wts can take a toll on mental health.
some will suffer from depression and ultimately some will have thoughts of suicide and a few will succumb to those.. but i don't recall ever seeing any hard stats or studies on it though.
i'm sure we all know of some people who have committed suicide but i don't know if, because you may have loose association with a much larger pool of people through the religion, that this only seems higher or maybe not be actually higher than the general population.. what i mean is, you go to a kh here there maybe 100-150 people, you attend circuit and district conventions with many tens of thousands - if any one person commits suicide then you likely hear about it and it becomes part of the anecdotal 'evidence' that is then put forward as a fact that there is a higher rate ... but is there?.
Simon---
"It's similar IMO to the deaths due to lack of blood transfusion - many often make the news but many times we all know of the same, what appear to thankfully be rather isolated, incidents which make me question whether there are really the many hundreds of thousands that some claim there are."
me too. if some of the numbers ive seen quoted were true--it would be a massive scandal.
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.
They use the money to balance out the needs of those publishers/ congregations in poorer,/developing countries I would guess
bwaaa haaa haaa haaa---sooo funny.
at the beginning of this new year, i hope all those who have woken-up & stood up to the control & deception of the watchtower cult, realize what an amazing change you have accomplished.
congratulations.. i hope all who are exposing the wt be encouraged by the massive flood of those waking-up and then working shoulder to shoulder with you.. may this year 2017 bring many good things!..
xox.
happy new year from the UK--isle of wight branch
