It’s something of a puzzle to me just how ineffective JW preaching is nowadays. You would think that JWs would acquire at least some extra followers just by being so visible publicly and calling on lonely people from time to time. And it’s particlarly puzzling because it seems that their preaching was quite effective at one time. From listening to older members of the congregation, there were many converts to JWs in the 1950s through to the 1970s from the door to door work, a few in the 1980s, and hardly anything since. What went wrong? Their methods haven’t changed all that much, so why is the outcomes so drastically different?
I have a few ideas, but I’d be interested to hear what others think:
1. Society itself has changed and people are just not interested in the Bible any more or joining a church,
2. There is more information available to refute JW teachings these days.
3. JWs have lost their urgency and don’t really believe the end is near.
4. Additionally I think many JWs are fatigued by JW lifestyle and simply not terribly eager to drag others in. I recall a candid comment from someone that they wouldn’t necessarily recommend becoming a JW to anyone not already in it. Subconsciously I wonder how many JWs really feel this way. Very few JWs make great efforts to drag other family members, work colleagues, neighbours and friends, to the KH, as once was more common. So no wonder their efforts to actually convert householders is often halfhearted.