I'm sorry, I'm an accountant and this graph is meaningless. It shows twenty-two years, and only has actual numbers for eight of them. The reason I asked the question about cost vs market valuation is because the answer to that question has a huge impact on the meaning of the results. Market rate valuation can create wild swings in the value of assets held, which are meaningful only if you have to convert the asset into cash immediately. It also does not include assets held by other corporations, notably all the local Kingdom Halls.
Posts by JeffT
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23Why the Governing Body caught a frightful fright
by Saintbertholdt init has been extensively reported on the forum that there has been a marked increase in effort over the past two years by the governing body of jehovah's witnesses to encourage an increase in monetary donations.
this has also been accompanied by the stripping of financial capital from the local congregations.
as has also been reported on this forum, this has in all probability been done to facilitate the financing of the vast new hq building project as well as the financing of the shift from a publishing company to becoming an internet based charismatic multimedia company which produces lame pixar/disney animation knock offs while simultaneously parading the governing body's ever expanding waistlines, blingy accoutrements and stupid grins.. meanwhile the financials of the organization remains as murky as ever.
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37
Infighting at the top?
by JeffT inwe've all been trying to decipher what is going on at the top of the watchtower organization.
clearly, the game's afoot, we just don't know what game we're playing.
item: the constant harping about money and donations.
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JeffT
What Fisherman said is along the line of what I am thinking. It may not be a fight within the GB, but a turf war between various departments. I suspect the business decisions are being made by lawyers and accountants, and as Beth Sarim points out, consultants. I do think the GB is incompetent at all levels, they may well know that. This leaves them dependent on the advice they are given by competing advisers.
I converted when Knorr and Franz ran the show (1973). One of the appeals of the organization was the appearance (at least) of depth in the literature and meeting parts. Those days are long gone, replaced by (as noted by previous entries in this thread) insipid music, inept videos, and dumbed down lectures. This will cost them their most loyal members, which is why I say there might be a schism.
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23
Why the Governing Body caught a frightful fright
by Saintbertholdt init has been extensively reported on the forum that there has been a marked increase in effort over the past two years by the governing body of jehovah's witnesses to encourage an increase in monetary donations.
this has also been accompanied by the stripping of financial capital from the local congregations.
as has also been reported on this forum, this has in all probability been done to facilitate the financing of the vast new hq building project as well as the financing of the shift from a publishing company to becoming an internet based charismatic multimedia company which produces lame pixar/disney animation knock offs while simultaneously parading the governing body's ever expanding waistlines, blingy accoutrements and stupid grins.. meanwhile the financials of the organization remains as murky as ever.
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JeffT
Does the WTBS report assets based on cost or market value? -
37
Infighting at the top?
by JeffT inwe've all been trying to decipher what is going on at the top of the watchtower organization.
clearly, the game's afoot, we just don't know what game we're playing.
item: the constant harping about money and donations.
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JeffT
We've all been trying to decipher what is going on at the top of the Watchtower organization. Clearly, the game's afoot, we just don't know what game we're playing.
Item: the constant harping about money and donations
Item: the seizure of local assets
Item: major changes in field service (the carts and use of computers)
Item: changes in meetings and stuff like the new songs coming out
Item: videos of people dancing (!?!?!?) in Kingdom Halls and the like.
What does this add up to? Given the complete lack of transparency, we don't know. But I've suspected for some time that there is a major power struggle at the top of the pyramid. These recent changes seem more and more like splits I've seen in secular businesses when owners/managers can't agree on the next course of action.
To me, the fight in Watchtower land is starting to look like a fight between old hard-liner conservative "company men" and younger, more liberal "reformers." The first group wants to keep it the way its always been, the second may be trying to present a more mainstream face to the world. I've said this before, but I'm more convinced of it now, this would explain the schizophrenic nature of the changes.
I think the money talk and grabbing may be about controlling the assets, rather than some actual shortage of funds. It's possible that the money is ending up in different parts of the organization, under the control of different individuals.
If I'm right, we may see an actual schism at the top. That would create a real headache for the R&F.
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76
What is your relationship with ALCOHOL?
by nicolaou inhere in the uk new drinking guidelines have been issued which suggest "no more than 14 units a week - equivalent to six pints of beer or seven glasses of wine.".
another piece of the advice which is getting a lot of attention is that "if people drink, it should be moderately over three or more days and that some days should be alcohol-free.".
already people are making cries of "nanny state!
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JeffT
Do people really need to be told this?
Yes, but the people that need to be told that probably can't act on it on what you tell them. I've been sober since August 29, 2005. I now work in a residential treatment facility. People come to us because alcoholism is a disease, and requires treatment.
Side note: medical science is now pretty clear, all additions effect the same parts of the brain. Even gambling addiction has a similar effect on the pleasure centers. There is a genetic component, which is why I said above that addicts can't act on this information on their own.
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12
Anyone have a pdf of the accounting instructions of the regional building committee ?
by average joe inlooking for the accounting instructions of the regional building committee in pdf please if anyone has?
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JeffT
I will be watching for that as well. -
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Do all congregations have to destroy all documents related to cases of Pedophilia?
by opusdei1972 ini have been reading in facebook that there is a new society's order for destroying all documents concerning cases of pedophilia in all congregations.
is it true that the elders have received such an order?
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JeffT
I'd like to see the US version of this letter. -
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Do all congregations have to destroy all documents related to cases of Pedophilia?
by opusdei1972 ini have been reading in facebook that there is a new society's order for destroying all documents concerning cases of pedophilia in all congregations.
is it true that the elders have received such an order?
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JeffT
It is yet possible that this will present a problem, I don't know how it may play out in court. True, they are not destroying official records, but it won't look good in a deposition if elders start saying they destroyed their own notes under instruction from the WTBS. Jurors are going to here that and ask themselves "Why?"
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JW Real Estate Owned
by badcompany ini 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:.
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JeffT
Not even close.
http://nreionline.com/retail/2015-top-retail-owners
Granted this is measure in square feet, but the number of locations is a stupid way to measure real estate. Note that none of the companies mentioned even show up on the list.
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Prediction: jw.org sign up with monthly subscription fee
by bohm inthe wtbs is changing media from print to online.
if we look at other companies doing the same the obvious buissness model is subscription with a monthly fee people can choose themselves.
the wtbs can continue to offer everything for free, however subscribers might earn a button for social media or somesuch ("wtbs donor").
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JeffT
At the time they went to the donation arrangement, I thought they were making a big mistake. The advantage they had, and gave away, was that the R&F paid for the mags up front. What they did with them (place them for free, place them for cost, pile them up in the closet) didn't matter to the WTBS. They would have been money ahead to pay the taxes and be done with it.
I think part of the decision was that they didn't think the locals could handle figuring out all the taxes. A subscription service maintained at HQ would be relatively easy to administer, as all the money would come into one place and the staff their could handle it.