This is undeniably a great thread. Several have said that the proceeds from the sale of the Brooklyn properties will last the Society for decades. I disagree. They are looking at a large building project in upstate New York (Warwick and Ramapo) that needs a large amount of capital, they still have as many C/O's and D/O's still operating, many of them with health problems, they still have missionaries and special pioneers that they are paying for. They also still have 98 Branches still operating with the associated staff and costs.
Add to the above the settlements for pedophile cases or other liabilities, the loss of revenue from the governmental banning of the work in Russia and Eastern Bloc nations, and finally the increased costs for printing of literature that no one reads. All of these things take an incredible amount of money.
At this rate they will continue to scale back operations in a desperate attempt to stop the financial hemmoraging. I think they see the writing on the wall. Look for more changes to printing operations and personnel and significant doctrinal adjustments as 2014 approaches.
"Brothers and Sisters, are we not glad to be eyewitnesses to the prohecy that is mentioned in Isaiah, where Jehovah promised that he "would speed it up in his own time". Truly things are now speeding ahead to the glorious finale soon to come. (wait for applause to end)
SIAM