Posts by slimboyfat

55

* 2018 Mergers and changes to UK congregations *

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

i have a document containing a list of all congregations in the uk.

periodically i go through the links and check to see if they're still registered as charities and if the location of the congregation is the same.. instead of posting a large list of changes all at once, i will be adding each change that i find in a new reply to this thread.. please check back here periodically.. truthseeker.

slimboyfat

Thanks for the info. Wasn’t there a Stevenston congregation at one time, as well as Kilbirnie?

So there’s no KH in the three towns or Kilbirnie?

Can you list any congregations/KHs in Ayrshire that have closed in the past 20 years or so?

17

JWs using 'apostate' phraseology?

by neat blue dog in

i've mentioned before how a regular pioneer used the phrases "tight-pants tony" and "don't drink the kool-aid".

well the other week, a different regular pioneer, and elderly one in fact, was talking about the simplified watchtower being discontinued and the normal one replacing it, and she said 'i guess they're just gonna dumb-down everything'.

then too even the org itself used the words "fade" and "shun" in recent articles, words that were previously shied away from.. anybody here experienced something similar, a seeming pimi saying something that makes you wonder if they've been sneaking ex-jw 'spiritual food' on the side?.

slimboyfat

The very fact that JW website now uses the word “shun” in relation to DFing. I can’t recall that was a JW term in that context before apostates popularised it.

In fact, the fact that JWs are adopting apostate terminology in relation to shunning seems to me to be a hopeful sign that they are on a journey toward abandoning the practice.

55

* 2018 Mergers and changes to UK congregations *

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

i have a document containing a list of all congregations in the uk.

periodically i go through the links and check to see if they're still registered as charities and if the location of the congregation is the same.. instead of posting a large list of changes all at once, i will be adding each change that i find in a new reply to this thread.. please check back here periodically.. truthseeker.

slimboyfat

That’s excellent, any information on Scotland?

From what I can tell: Glenrothes seems to have merged two congregations into one in the last year or two.

There is no longer a congregation in Ardrishaig.

Stevenston congregation looks like it is gone, replaced by Kilbirnie, but located in Stevenston! There must be a story there.

Further back: weren’t there more congregations in Ayr and Perth at one time? And wasn’t there a congregation in Ardossan or Saltcoats?

40

Any word yet on the Annual Meeting?

by careful in

it's just a week or two away and still no sign of the usual hype?

very strange.... anyone heard anything about it?

perhaps from those still in to some degree or from relatives/friends still in?.

slimboyfat

If you watch last year’s broadcast carefully, there is an odd sort of dynamic between Tony Morris and the members of the Watchtower Society. Almost as if he was trying to appease them, while announcing further cuts.

Is there possibly a move by Watchtower members to take over control of the Society? Does the structure allow for this? Strictly speaking the GB don’t have any legal power any more, so they may be vulnerable to a conspiracy, should it get off the ground. This assumes the presence in be movement of people with initiative, foresight and ethical independence: the very characteristics the GB attempt to drain from members and install loyalty.

40

Any word yet on the Annual Meeting?

by careful in

it's just a week or two away and still no sign of the usual hype?

very strange.... anyone heard anything about it?

perhaps from those still in to some degree or from relatives/friends still in?.

slimboyfat

Morph and careful, the voices of “reason” on the forum?

But seriously, consider what we know. That Watchtower faced a serious financial crisis in 2015 and embarked on a series of cuts to try to solve the problem. That having failed they have initiated a programme of selling KHs and other assets. And then comes the latest news of the biggest abuse compensation Watchtower has ever faced, with the prospect of more to follow. If all that doesn’t put them in a panic then what would? And if they were trying to give the appearance of running the show as normal you might expect them to make a big deal of the annual meeting. The fact they can’t even do that is revealing.

40

Any word yet on the Annual Meeting?

by careful in

it's just a week or two away and still no sign of the usual hype?

very strange.... anyone heard anything about it?

perhaps from those still in to some degree or from relatives/friends still in?.

slimboyfat

Maybe there is some sort of crisis going on at the headquarters and things are falling apart quicker than we expected.

92

Montana jury awards two women $35M in sex abuse lawsuit against Jehovah's Witnesses

by AndersonsInfo in

https://missoulian.com/news/local/montana-jury-awards-two-women-m-in-sex-abuse-lawsuit/article_1bcabb7c-7381-574b-a2ba-e011cc0250a6.html.

montana jury awards two women $35m in sex abuse lawsuit against jehovah's witnesses .

a jury in northwestern montana awarded two women $35 million wednesday in their lawsuit against the local jehovah’s witnesses congregation and its worldwide headquarters.. .

slimboyfat

$35 million here, $35 million there, pretty soon you’re talking real money.

90

Is attendance down in your location too?

by StarryNight9 in

jw
friends

i was commenting on another thread about how local kh attendance is down.

memorial attendance was also way down and the circuit assembly had hundreds less people than what is typical.

my jw family has even mentioned it.

slimboyfat

If I remember correctly (and I think I do) the percentage increase in congregations last year was the lowest on record. An increase of only 568 congregations, or 0.48%.

I suspect there may actually be a worldwide decrease in congregations next year. Surely a very significant development if it comes to pass.

9

"New Kingdom Halls Being Built Around the World.........."

by The Fall Guy in

that's what a very elderly jw sister said to me this afternoon, in response to all the sell-offs.

i didn't contradict her - she's far too close to the end, but if it had been a younger jw i'd have suggested this:.

"isn't it a pity that the society doesn't have a section on its web site where it could post photographs of all the new kingdom halls that are getting built every week/month?

slimboyfat

I’ll believe it when I see it. If new KHs are built in Africa you can bet it will be paid 100% with funds from Africa. Warwick can’t spare a dime.

Which African countries are actually growing at a rate that necessitates a lot of new KHs anyway? Angola and Congo and that’s about it. Even most African countries have only modest growth these days.

17

JWs using 'apostate' phraseology?

by neat blue dog in

i've mentioned before how a regular pioneer used the phrases "tight-pants tony" and "don't drink the kool-aid".

well the other week, a different regular pioneer, and elderly one in fact, was talking about the simplified watchtower being discontinued and the normal one replacing it, and she said 'i guess they're just gonna dumb-down everything'.

then too even the org itself used the words "fade" and "shun" in recent articles, words that were previously shied away from.. anybody here experienced something similar, a seeming pimi saying something that makes you wonder if they've been sneaking ex-jw 'spiritual food' on the side?.

slimboyfat

Yes, a local JW used the phrase “bunker video” in a Watchtower answer. Pretty suspicious methinks. 😎