Where I am it's a tourist destination and the "friends" are just in a social club to participate in recreation together. I mean you have a few self righteous types and a few throw-aways, but mainly it's social. The meetings and service are done at an absolute bare minimum just to stay in the club.
The org is selling the story that they are building hundreds of kingdom halls in Africa (just heard it from an LDC rep 2 days ago) where there is supposedly a 5% growth rate per year. That is why they are selling halls and consolidating congregations in the United States.
I honestly don't even pick up a shred of doubt from the dubs here. They buy the story 100%.