freddo

Joined

• started 77 topics
• posted 3,022 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by freddo

• 
  31

  Yearbook 2016: Annual Report (15177 Partakers)

  by Designer Stubble in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the 2016 yearbook is up on jw.orgbranches of jehovahs witnesses: 89 (was 90)number of lands reporting: 240 (was 239)total congregations: 118016 (was 115416)worldwide memorial attendance: 19,862,763 (was 19,950,019) decreasememorial partakers worldwide: 15,177 (was 14,121 in 2013:13,204) large increasepeak of publishers in kingdom service: 8,220,105 (was 8,201,205) minor increaseaverage publishers preaching each month: 7,987,279 (was 7,867,958)percentage of increase over 2014: 1.5 (was 2.2)total number baptized: 260,273 (was 275,581)average auxiliary pioneer publishers each month: 443,504 (was 635,298) huge decreaseaverage pioneer publishers each month: 1,135,210 (was 1,089,446)total hours spent in field: 1,933,473,727 (was 1,945,487,604) decreaseaverage home bible studies each month: 9,708,968 (was 9,499,933)

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freddo

  They are fudging. They emphasize what gives the best "spin" for them.

  Peak to peak comparisons show a drop in western lands including USA/UK/OZ. What their percentages show is Average to Average. Last year's peaks compared with this year's shows a drop all over the west. But in the world statistics where they do show peak increase they get a paltry increase of 18,000 or so.

  Memorial attendance is down and has previously been stagnant for four or five years.

  The child abuse cases and the money grabbing is taking it's toll. Now add in the fall out from the RAC, the generation overlap, closing halls and booted out bethelites and for this year we have a further recipe for dropping figures.
• 
  42

  2016 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses

  by wifibandit in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the 2016 yearbook is now on the official site.

  pdf.

  it has been added to the archive of all prior yearbooks.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freddo

  Peak to Peak (not Ave to Ave)

  2014 / 2015

  Australia 68,635 / 67,606

  -1029

  Britain 138,515 / 137,631

  - 884
• 
  23

  How did you feel on Christmas as a JW child?

  by cookiemaster in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this is obviously a question for born-ins like me.

  so, how did christmas feel to you as a child?

  to me it was awful.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freddo

  Not having Xmas was (and is) no big deal. I had "worldly" grandparents who gave me £5 each at Xmas which would be like about £50 now I guess. But going to school afterwards evading the "what did you get?" kind of questions was difficult.

  My mother actually used to get me something a few days after the 25th "in the sales" - I remember one year when I was about ten getting an Airfix kit (UK version of the type of Revell plastic models) of the Saturn V Apollo rocket that went to the moon which was all the rage in the late sixties early seventies. Another year I got a "Blue Pullman" Triang-Hornby train set.

  So I just said that these presents were "for Xmas and that we got a good deal because they were cheaper after the holidays".

  The defence mechanisms we learned eh?
  
• 
  42

  Beards

  by HowTheBibleWasCreated in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have a beard.

  i spend a month on vacation with no worry from the congregation overseas of course.

  i grew a full beard now and with glasses i finally have posted my picture on facebook og me... next to half life 2 cover showing i look like gordan freeman lol.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freddo

  In the surrounding congs (let's go with the twenty or so in our circuit in the UK) let's assume that there are 180 or so elders and about 120 servants.

  Circuit level: CO's still enforce "no beards on the assembly platform" made up rule.

  Cong. Level: I can think of three/four elders with full beards and another three/four with goatees. I know some congs do not let elders with beards/goatees give public talks or go on the platform. I believe about half a dozen or more min servs have goatees or beards.

  So out of an "appointed man" body of say 300 around 15+ have something beyond a moustache. 5%?

  We have had visiting elders give public talks with a beard at our hall from time to time.

  Out of 20 congs I think a handful have a prevailing view that a neat beard is ok on the platform. Some forbid it and a couple really get on the case about it even for background things like running microphones.

  
  
  
• 
  29

  Latest, SHOCKING JW Paedophile case.

  by Phizzy in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  http://www.stratford-herald.com/45973-jehovahs-witness-jail...

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freddo

  Well done Barbara!
• 
  19

  Disassociation letter

  by BeautifulMind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  good evening.

  i have a question about where to send my disassociation letter.

  do i give a copy to the overseer of the cong i was in and the branch?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freddo

  If you are determined to go ahead, why not give a copy to everyone you know listing your reasons?

  Don't make it too long - anything up to one page - listing such things as child abuse, money-grabbing, failed predictions - with scriptures and WT quotes to support your view.
• 
  406

  ex-jw-uk

  by bigmac in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm quite new to this site, & have realised some members have a union jack symbol under their avatar.

  i don't.. could we have a "show of hands" from any uk members?

  i've already found several by reading older posts..

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freddo

  Welcome fizzle! Tell us more when you feel able.
• 
  40

  2014-12-17-BOE-Children Give Up Your Pocket Money!

  by Atlantis in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  petra!

  2015-12-17-boe already, you dear brothers have done so well, sending gifts both large and small.

  for in-stance, two children, five and seven years old, sent their pocket money to help build our new bethel instead of going to the circus, writing, "this is much better than that!

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freddo

  Sofia: (looking glum) "No ice cream."

  5 yr old friend: "No circus."

  7 yr old friend: "No circus for me either"

  Caleb: "Let's sing a song!"

  Let us tell you what we heard!

  Gotta buy a Rolex for Sam Herd!

  Can't have ice cream; or circus acts too!

  This religion is a lump of pooh!

  All collapse laughing and plan their exit strategy.
  
  
• 
  57

  Is zeal beginning to vanish?

  by Caupon in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it has to be starting to fade somehow.

  the very last time i went out in field service, hardly any were out.

  maybe just about nine people were out and man if you could just see their faces.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freddo

  Also those with any zeal - the piousneers and the like - have all sodded off to the cart bystanding work where their hours rack up for little effort. Not for them plodding from door to door with the weirdos and old-fashioned.
• 
  10

  Bethel reassignments. A question.

  by freddo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  1. in january the first uk bethelites will be hitting the streets.

  are any coming to a circuit near you and what effect do you think they will have on the local congregation they are sent to?.

  2. if you know of bethel closures/reductions already - such as spain, italy, nz etc.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  freddo

  I'll take that as a no then ...