Posts by Mickey mouse

a scan of the report can be found at http://www.jwfacts.com/images/2011-publisher-report.pdf and i have started updating the graphs at http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/statistics.php.

as expected, it is following on from similar trends to the last 15 years.

Mickey mouse

Who knows what the future holds, but if decline was going to set in you might have reasonably expected it to have started already: the generation prediction failed in 1995, the Internet has been exposing them since the late 1990s, bad publicity on child protection in the mainstream media, book study cancelled in dubious circumstances, numbers of anoined on the increase, and goodness knows what else. Yet they still posted an all time peak for publishers in the UK this year. If all that didn't result in a decline then what exactly would it take?

I firmly believe that if they were measuring today exactly what they were measuring 12 years ago, you would see a decline. Interventions such as allowing people to count as pubishers by recording 15 minutes of time and allowing both parents of chidren to count as active pubishers by both recording time spent studying with their children have fudged the numbers.

I can't speak as to what is happening in other areas of the UK but in our congregation, we have had only one convert under the age of 60 in the past ten years that I can recall. Silver surfers are the fastest growing demographic on the internet though and I think this last stronghold of potential converts will become less productive in the coming years. Incidentally there is not much in the way of a foreign language field where I am and the picture is probably different again in those areas.

220

2011 Watchtower publisher statistics with analysis

by jwfacts in

the 2012 yearbook has released the publisher statistics for the 2011 service year.

a scan of the report can be found at http://www.jwfacts.com/images/2011-publisher-report.pdf and i have started updating the graphs at http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/statistics.php.

as expected, it is following on from similar trends to the last 15 years.

Mickey mouse

Also, I did a quick comparison of those the total baptized in 14 years vs. the difference between 1998 publishers and 2011 publishers. 2011 minus 1998 = about 1.8 million. Total baptized in that period = 3.9 million. I don't buy that the loss is all based on the natural birth/death rate as one would assume that the majority of those baptized in the last 14 years are generally healthy. There is a huge difference - 2.1 million unaccounted for or about 3.4% per annum (48% over 14 years).

Interesting. With the growth rate falling, it wouldn't take much for the publisher numbers to actually start falling.

25

A heartfelt "Thank You" to Simon, his family and to the all the mods

by Dagney in

jw
friends

the past few days i've been thinking about how life has changed since leaving the witnesses.

except for just a few, my former friends have been completely replaced by apostates.

who would have ever thought...i sure didn't.

Mickey mouse

Yes, I'd like to add my thanks too.

33

Some personal thoughts as 2011 comes to a close

by Terry in

jw
friends

first off, if you are in a safe place inside your head, merry christmas.

i was fortunate to have had childhood christmases in my home growing up.

many born-ins are probably never going to know what they missed.. also.... i am thinking about all the nice, friendly, happy things i've given up for jehovah and it saddens me.

Mickey mouse

Fine thoughts Terry.

Cheers

1

Does anyone else have parents who were only JWs until you became an adult?

by myusername in

my parents joined when i was born and left when i became an adult.

they're very controlling people.

i recommend the book 'if you had controlling parents' because i think people raised as jws will relate to it.

Mickey mouse

Sadly no but I have seen a few peope become JWs when they have young children and I think there can be a couple of things at work:

Becoming a parent can change your outlook on things;
JWism can offer a handy framework of control for a parent who doesn't know quite how to exercise their authority autonomously.

38

Please can we all have a go at describing and celebrating our different NEW IDENTITIES, versus our OLD WBTS IDENTITY?

by Fernando in

at one time most of us here identified as jws who follow the wbts gb/fds who claim to follow the bible etc.

some of us are journeying to a new identity, others may feel they already have a new identity.. although we likely have gone in many different directions, we share a common past which only ex-members can really understand and explain.

please could we each respectfully share and celebrate our unique perspectives of where we have come from, and where we each are now at on this journey?.

Mickey mouse

Old identity - I probaby appeared cold and aloof to a lot of 'worldy' peope, despite the fact that my natural personality is outgoing. I knew something was amiss in my life but couldn't put my finger on what it was <<<<like Truman. I felt frustrated and isolated from my fellow man.

New identity - I am much more interested in peope and my community. I think I was frightened of getting close to peope before because I knew that the JW awkwardness would become an issue at some point; it was easier just to fling a barrier up from the start.

8

Happy Festivus!

by charlie brown jr. in

happy festivus and as always............. be careful during the feats of strength!!!!!!!

!.

Mickey mouse

Before anyone asks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8g4Ztf7hIM