redvip, when they say that elders and mini servants are appointed by holy spirit, they simply mean those ones fit the qualifications given in the scriptures. If ones are not appointed, then the elders consider them lacking in one or more of those qualifications. Also although elders etc may fade or be kicked out, it doesnt change the fact that at one time they did meet the requirements. The org would point to Judas Iscariot as an example.
Posts by alanv
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34Another congregation bites the dust
by NikL inwent to the meeting last night with my believing wife.
the co was visiting and delivered a really cult-ish talk on loyalty but that's another story.. they made the announcement that starting january 1st they were going to have only 3 congregations in this town instead of 4.. they are dissolving one and growing the territories of the remaining 3. the reason given is that many of the elders are getting up there in age and can't do what they used to do.
basically not enough elders and ministerial servants...or even men reaching out for that matter.
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69
284000 baptized in 2017
by jw-verite inseen in the 03/2018 watchtower study :.
"during the 2017 service year, more than 284,000 “rightly disposed” individuals symbolized their dedication to jehovah by water baptism.".
https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/watchtower-study-march-2018/baptism-requirement-for-christians/.
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alanv
I dont think the org makes up the figures. Over the years they have reported many minus figures in different countries. Most who post on here are from USA and UK I think, so we would be surprised when we hear of increases. But those increases are not in the mainly developed world. They are often where people do not have the luxury of easy internet access. Once you drill into the figures you see why we think there is little increase. For instance in the UK last year there was an increase of just 26 publishers over the year. I also found that in the whole of Europe put together, there was no increase at all.
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69
284000 baptized in 2017
by jw-verite inseen in the 03/2018 watchtower study :.
"during the 2017 service year, more than 284,000 “rightly disposed” individuals symbolized their dedication to jehovah by water baptism.".
https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/watchtower-study-march-2018/baptism-requirement-for-christians/.
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alanv
eyeuse2badub. Although there is a reasonable amount of people getting baptised each year, the figure does not tell you how many witnesses have left, either faded or disfellowshipped etc. In other words they got 280,000 in through the front door but also a large number out the back door. JWfacts has some good graphs of this on his website.
Hopefully if it is published we will see how many publishers have left later this month .
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Less magaiznes per year
by punkofnice inonly 6 very thin magazines per year and then recycling the propaganda within.. how are your local congregations spinning this?.
i heard a local congo-abongo-i is launching a campaign™ to place as amny magazines as possible in the month (this or next...not sure..sources sketchy).
which i find a bit strange.
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alanv
ttdtt. To them it is no contradiction to totally change what was very important a few years ago. They always use the excuse that they are moving on as times change. The rank and file have learnt over the years that it is no problem at all to suddenly change something that was either doctrine, procedure or policy just a few years ago. That is the control Watchtower has over their minds.
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69
284000 baptized in 2017
by jw-verite inseen in the 03/2018 watchtower study :.
"during the 2017 service year, more than 284,000 “rightly disposed” individuals symbolized their dedication to jehovah by water baptism.".
https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/watchtower-study-march-2018/baptism-requirement-for-christians/.
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alanv
At the moment there are only a few totals for 2016 on the ''about us'' part of their website. I cant help but feel they are getting closer and closer to just putting out figures that dont show how the org is doing in different parts of the world. Just a few years back they had local congregation reports on the notice boards, national reports in the Kingdom Ministry and the yearly report in the Jan 1st Watchtower as well as the yearbook. That has all gone now. They have moved a long way away from that because of the pretty bad reports over the last few years. It will be just another step to cut the info from their site to the bare minimum. I really hope I'm wrong though.
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Less magaiznes per year
by punkofnice inonly 6 very thin magazines per year and then recycling the propaganda within.. how are your local congregations spinning this?.
i heard a local congo-abongo-i is launching a campaign™ to place as amny magazines as possible in the month (this or next...not sure..sources sketchy).
which i find a bit strange.
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alanv
The ideal for the governing body is that as many people as possible get to read the magazines. However from their point of view they would much rather that was done electronically rather than having to produce costly paper magazines.
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284000 baptized in 2017
by jw-verite inseen in the 03/2018 watchtower study :.
"during the 2017 service year, more than 284,000 “rightly disposed” individuals symbolized their dedication to jehovah by water baptism.".
https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/watchtower-study-march-2018/baptism-requirement-for-christians/.
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alanv
It may be that their push for children to get baptised is happening. We will have to see the rest of the worldwide report to see other figures to judge how the org is doing. Thanks for finding that figure though.
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Angry the BBC covered J.W. child abuse on the national TV news at 1pm but not 6pm or 10pm
by Isambard Crater indid the j.w lawyers gag the bbc or something?
not even newsnight covered it.
it was given 3 minutes every hour on the 24-hour bbc news channel though i guess..
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alanv
News items importance can change throughout the day. The BBC just decided some other news item was more important. It's important to us as JWs but most people have little or no interest in JWs.
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Baptismal Q`S asked in the year 1960 ,anyone ? Contrasted to what Q`s they ask now
by smiddy3 ini`m just curious as to what /who i dedicated/baptized my life to in 1960 compared to who or what j.w.`s are being baptized/dedicating their life into this present day ?.
and what scenarios this could lead into ?
would my baptism still be valid ?
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alanv
I too was baptised in the 1960s and at that time there was no mention of working with the organisation. The questions were purely about God and Christ, and how you feel about them. The questions were changed in the 1980s to get an agreement from the JW that they would work along with the org. Therefor those who were baptised before those new questions are under no obligation whatsoever to work along with the org, because they never agreed to that.
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In need of your advice. November broadcasting 2017
by pleaseresearch inso my mum asked me to watch the broadcast and to my astonishment i got through it without smashing my screen haha.. so i let her know what liars they are for saying they would never deliberately distort a quotation.. she is ok for me to give her some printouts of watchtower material where this has in fact happened, contry to what they say.. where should i start and what would be your best link, or way to approach this.
i think this is a good opportunity of waking her up, if she can see that the broadcast has lied to her, she won't be happy.. any advice is you can give is so appreciated.. thanks everyone..
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alanv
Also its no good going back too far, as JWs just say that things have progressed now