I haven't read the wonderful responses, but wanted to comment on the opening post.
It is true that WTS is not closing. They have all these Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls and they have plans for next year.
Otherwise, I disagree with much in the post.
If as the up coming letter says, they really plan on a much harder push into the field service, in what ever form that may take, the dollars will start to roll in faster!
The "push" is just a distraction for their money problems. They don't really want to "place" literature, so they will encourage people to the web. Stories will always be about "somewhere else" other than where the members are that are hearing bout them. Even if they did push for more recruitment, I don't see more money rolling in. Dubs give their time and not their money.
Plus the hardcore faithful sheeple, will feel compelled to do more, and donate more! and somewhere down the road, the building will go forward, maybe in a scaled back form, but it will go on!
Dubs saw WTS take their congregation money recently in the big grab. Now they feel the pinch to donate monthly. Elders and others in congregations will do what they can locally and give their money at the Kingdom Hall and not at the Assembly Hall, just to keep the C.O. off their backs. So donations in one place will just cut down on donations in another place.
Buildings will not go up unless they are absolutely necessary. A few here and there will go up and the story will be about the great building program "somewhere else."
....they have deep pockets, and are organized, were all just very loosely formed groups, that for the most part, don't even know each other : (
Our looseness has virtually nothing to do with their failure or success. If we did organize well, they would just say it's Satan guiding us. They are failing all on their own. Their deep pockets are holding them together for now, but we are seeing that they aren't as deep as all that. As far as "organized," let us just say they don't have money geniuses running Watchtower. They sell properties AFTER the real estate bust of 2008. We've heard about their building problems with short-term volunteers not knowing what the last volunteers did.
From your quote:
1. Membership – Growth continues with over eight million members worldwide. With the new marketing and branding of JWorg it can be expected that this will continue expedientially in the years to come. In the next three years expect to see over one million new members.
No way. I believe 8 million is their peak based on their little slips of paper turned in monthly. I don't believe there will be significant growth at all. Time will tell. I don't think new marketing will help that. We may have seen their tipping point leading to their slow shrinking to insignificance.
2. Money – JWorg pays no salaries, provides no charity of any depth, so as a result is one of the most profitable religions in the business. While they own billions in properties around the world, they also have billions socked away in funds and stocks that are liquid assets that can be drawn on at any time.
With no salaries, they still goofed up and have to let workers go. They do own the properties, true. It isn't as liquid as some may think. It takes awhile to sell it all off.
3. Power
Generally true for the faithful, but the organization is not getting stronger. The more they crack down, the more people see it as crap.
Yes, they are having some growing pains, but these adjustments are smart moves, not ones of desperation.
I would say the exact opposite. Their people are not in positions of power because they are smart. They are kiss-asses and dedicated pioneer soldiers. Much of what they do is desperation.
