myname is lame said "Odd thing for a religion to be bragging about."
Very true. Especially one whose leader had "nowhere to lay his head".
i just spoke to my dad who's been an elder since ~'72 and still is.
he told me about a meeting he just had about kh annual maintenance.
whoever led the meeting (not sure who) announced the world leaders in re locations owned:.
myname is lame said "Odd thing for a religion to be bragging about."
Very true. Especially one whose leader had "nowhere to lay his head".
just a note that 10 years ago, (christmas day, 2005), was my last time inside a kh.
a lot has taken place for the better in those 10 years:.
1. met the love of my life and happily married for 9 years, two days ago.. 2. completed a master's degree.. 3. work at senior management level in the it field.. 4. have a savings and retirement, and no debt outside of a mortgage and 1 car loan.. 5. lots of travel to several places that i never would have done as a jw.. 6. contribute to what i believe are meaningful causes.. 7. read, think, and meditate for myself.. 8. have a great extended family i inherited from my wife.. 9. lots of other great stuff, too much to list.. none of this is intended to be boastful.
i have a question for elders here or recent elders.
were the elders, in the last 10 years, given instruction to keep a copy of every publishers blood card on file at the kh?.
we moved to our current cong 6 years ago, and shortly after we moved in, the boe requested everyone update and give a copy of card to the kh.
Normally the Secretary keeps on file all those who lodge a copy of their AMD/Blood card with the congregation. Every 5 years he should encourage you to fill out a new one to keep them up to date.
Once a year or two there is a reminder through the KM and the Secretary usually reminds everyone to fill one out.
In my hall there is "encouragement" to complete one so that if there is an emergency and you are sparked out then the liason committee can act upon your wishes on your behalf.
There is no compulsion but keen group overseers can get on your case.
I have never known an elder - or when I was an elder - any pressure as to choices as to fractions etc.
Just say "no". Don't explain further.
there has been many threads from various posters around the world about recent bethel layoffs.. so far i remember threads about:.
south africa.
united states.
Britain is in full swing kicking out Bethelites. The first lot leave in the new year. They were called in on a weekly basis in November and December and got told they would be out two months after being told.
So January and February is when they hit the streets and have to pay their own way.
They stop all the feeding, washing and cleaning malarkey on the 11th January.
Not sure of the total numbers but each week for the next two months a couple of dozen will leave. I wonder if they will dance out to the "HAPPY" song?
Hi "closed" and welcome. Please share more.
A very true perspective. The only real non - born in, outside growth is in the "foreign langauge" field in many "western" countries.
this was how it was described to me yesterday by a brother who has been there for some 40 years.
"everyone is about gone; the governing body is set to leave within 2 months; the kitchen and laundry personnel are gone and i have to fend for myself now.".
"also the aggravation of 4 to 5 business men in suits with clipboards daily checking out the watchtower properties.
Ha!
11 months ago and it's the "HAPPY" video.
What a difference in less than a year.
i have been lurking here for about 6 months, and being the last day of the year, and ready to start the new one afresh, i want to share the story of our exit from the org.
i have found the personal experiences of others of immeasurable value, (and its been a while since a good exit story has been posted) that i hope this can be of benefit to at least someone.. .
my mother became a jehovahs witness when i was about 9 or 10. i remember initially hating all of the new sanctions put on our lives (no birthdays and christmas anymore) but for some reason i soon after joined her in attending the meetings and eventually got baptized at the age of 14. my staunch catholic father converted a couple of years later.
Mrs. Obfuscate. Thank you.
Please stay and post more. It is very encouraging.
It is invaluable to have someone around here who wasn't personally affected by child abuse to feel so strongly about the ARC.
news just released in the uk on the bbc news website.
so, it's that time of year again.
here's a few of my predictions.
) no armageddon.
Worldwide
1) As mentioned - no more WT Library on CD/DVD.
2) Peak to Peak publishers will drop - if reported honestly.
3) Child Abuse matters will take a bigger toll.
4) Trolley Carts will prove just as fruitless.
5) JWTV will make more people wake up.
6) Re-assigned Bethelites will be more wary about taking on privileges.
7) More Hall sales and money grabbing.
8) Aux Pioneering at 30 hours - open all year round starting in March
U.K.
All the above will apply especially no 2 "peak to peak" drop which happened this year and no 3 with the charity commission investigation into jw handling of child abuse.
The only ones coming in other than "born-ins" will be nutters, fruitcakes and weirdos.
Baptisms will be low but may rebound a bit from the low "post 2014" year just reported.
My circuit
A kingdom Hall with just one congregation may be sold off. I don't think we will lose a congregation this year but it will be moved in with another hall.
I hear that at least three reassigned bethelite couples will be assigned to congregations in our circuit as regular (i.e. no money, you're on your own) pioneers.
More elders/MS resigning/removed.
My Congregation
I think an older elder and/or MS will die or be incapacitated - no one in particular, just that we've got two over 80 and three over 75.
Can't see any "appointments" this year (maybe a young buck towards the end of the year but he could go either way) unless someone moves in. One "nice but dim" MS looks like he might even be asked to fall on his sword.
Can't see any baptisms either.
Even lower meeting attendance averages - reporting about 65 out of 90 at present.
More apathy, judicials, boredom and slacking off.
[note: copy/pasted this with permission from reddit.].
once each year, the governing body writes a direct letter to the congregation members included in the yearbook.
in his annual message to the catholic faithful (urbi et orbi) delivered on christmas day, the pope spoke about world peace, terrorism, and the refugee crisis.