This topic is very interesting to me. I've never been a JW, so I am on the outside looking in. The JWs who used to come to our home told us all the time how churches are always trying to get your money, etc... That was a BIG point with them. The church we now attend has s system much like the KH, I suppose. They have boxes in the back where you voluntarily leave whatever you would like. They don't pass a plate nor do they make a big issue about money. However, I am aware that they have bills and many ministries and charities that they support. Donations are necessary, but no one takes a tally of who is donating what or how much.
Since the JWs I have met have made such a huge point about how the WTS doesn't ask for money, how are the financial needs of the local KH's met? If everyone feels they don't need to donate to help, then does the WTS headquarters pick up the tab? Do they provide records to account for the spending? (Most churches do, so that is why I ask. It is kind of nice to know that they are accountable and to be able to see where the money does go.) Also, with all the materials that they hand out door-to-door, I was wondering, does the WTS provide these materials free to their congregations? If not, then how much do they charge? Our JW friends insisted that we needed NWT, so I asked how much one would cost. They told me $5. When they delivered it, I pulled out the $5 and they kind of acted like they didn't expect it. I was getting ready to put it back in my pocket, and the guy reaches for it. He then explained that they are $5, but that he has to take it in "donation" form. Also, how many JWs give out Bibles door-to-door, as opposed to the literature? I've never had a JW offer me a free Bible.