2017 Figures released to Bethel families worldwide:
Peak Publishers: 8,457,107
Total Baptized: 284,212
Regular Pioneers: 1,225,279
Memorial Attendance: 20,175,477
Hours: 2,046,000,202
Drearyweather
JoinedPosts by Drearyweather
-
60
2017 Service Year Report Grand Totals
by Drearyweather in2017 figures released to bethel families worldwide:.
peak publishers: 8,457,107. total baptized: 284,212 .
regular pioneers: 1,225,279 .
-
-
-
93
Higher Education
by Brian J injust spent 8 hours in a 1 day elders school last weekend.
clarification given: "moving forward any elder, ms, or pioneer who themselves or someone under their roof enrolls in higher education, may no longer qualify for privileges in the congregation.
their qualifications will have to be reviewed by their boe.".
-
-
Drearyweather
In Latin America JWs (who can afford it) have been sending their kids to Universities for years because of the economical situation and how competitive the job market is.
Yes, even in India, most elders and their kids have college degrees. Even in the local congregation. Only those are deleted or have their qualifications reveiwed who send their kids away to live in dorms because most of these kids either fade away or get involved in some pretty nasty stuff.
-
18
"We never solicit donations" - really?
by doubtfull1799 ininspired by this weeks clam article which again "reminds" the brothers pdf their obligation/privilege to donate "voluntarily" i have complied a list of articles or videos in the last 5 years where donations are indeed solicited or encouraged.
the society may argue that these are not actual solicitations because no plate was passed around.
but a donation box is just a more discrete and subtle version of the plate.
-
-
Drearyweather
But a donation box is just a more discrete and subtle version of the plate.
Honestly, I never felt that the contribution box or these articles brought any kind of pressure on me or my family.
Before becoming JW's, we were Catholics and had neighbours who belonged to another small local Christian sect. Apart from the collections plates that were passed, each month my father received an envelope in which he had to put money and return it back to the Church. While my neighbor always told us about the tithe that they had to regularly pay.
However, after becoming JW's, never were we pressured or hounded by elders to donate to the society which was a welcome change for us.
I regularly read testimonies on this forum, but never have read any story where elders have reprimanded or taken action against anyone simply for not regularly contributing in the donation box. Instead, many here have told that they have never contributed a dime in decades. Many websites have a "donate" button on their websites, we don;t feel pressured by it to donate. We simply ignore it if we want.
Ignoring the contribution box in a kingdom hall is much much much simpler than ignoring the collection plate that gets passed around in a church.
-
29
Inside Story Logo
by MrHappy inthis may have been covered before but have you noticed the logo design of the "inside story" on this months video the 143rd gilead graduation.
it appears as a pyramid containing the masonic symbol of the compass and square, with this reflected below the text.
the art pieces on the shelf are also interesting and maybe someone has some thoughts on these.
-
-
Drearyweather
Yesterday my sister prepared some samosas (deep fried indian snack which are triangle shaped and almost resembles the pyramids). I'm now thinking whether she has some connections with freemasons.
-
7
Position on blood idolatrous?
by Jehovah lol ini just had this thought in my other thread.. jehovah witnesses refuse blood transfusions because they believe blood to be the sacred symbol of life.
that's the primary reason, the medical justifications are simply ad hoc excuses.
couldn't it be said that their willingness to give their lives for the sanctity of the symbol of life is idolatrous?
-
-
Drearyweather
So how can a Jehovah`s Witness use blood fractions in good conscience as a medical procedure since fractions are obtained by a laboratory procedure from donated blood that is given by worldly people who are going to be destroyed at Armageddon and stored in a laboratory and processed into fractions.
Its more like - a Hindu guy will not eat beef (cow meat) but is fine with wearing leather jackets made from cow skin
-
55
The watchtower does not have the resources
by pepperheart inif you have a look at the december broadcast on jw tv they tell you that they wont be showing you a normal format for december but the 143rd event of gilead because the watchtower does not have the resources other wise to translate it many different lanuages.. with all the cuts the watchtower have made and are going to make you would have thought that they would have lots of resources.
-
-
Drearyweather
So the watchtower is cuting down on the number of magazines to concentratre mostly on the web and now they cant find 600 jws from all the world and $1.5 million to translate the web programes in about 200 lanuages
That is if you say 3 people to translate a lanuage and if they live at bethel at $50 per person per week
Pepperheart, Let me help you more in this:
You don't just need 600 JW's, but 600 trained translators who have expertise in translating videos. Currently, 90% of the existing trained translators are busy translating the Song book, revised nwt, Nwt study edition, revised OD book, revised SKE curriculum and the revised public talk outlines. So practically, you cannot overnight have another batch of translators ready to do this job.
Lets take the 3 hour Gilead graduation program. You are right, It will take 3 people to just translate it. But, it doesn't stop there. You need following more resources for each language:
You need a coach and an assistant who will read through the script and prepare a team of people for auditioning for the narration. Each different voice for a different speaker/person on the video. You can't have an 18 year old give his voice for an 80 year old Sam Herd.
After auditioning, the coach and his assistant will take the approved candidates and practice each and every line of the script to match the voice, emotions and gestures of the English speaker.
After the practice session, the entire team will go the the local recording Studio at the RTO or travel to the Branch office studio to start the recording session.
At the studio, you will need a sound engineer and a reading coach who will listen to all the recording and may ask the candidate for multiple takes.
Finally, the sound engineer will do the task of editing and re-editing till the final copy is done. and then it goes to the branch office.
So now, pepperheart, factor all of the above in your calculations and let us know your final assessment.
I have worked as a Translator and believe it, Translation requires massive efforts and humongous amount of energy and time, and it seems naive to just pass it off as a $50 per person per week job, as you say.
-
16
From enemies to friends: Did it really happen?
by StephaneLaliberte inyesterday, they showed the story “from enemies to friends” at the kingdom hall.
my mother in law told me about it as she was touched by the story.
so then, later in the evening, i searched for the video and found it in the january 1st 2017 broadcast.
-
-
Drearyweather
What do you think about the Sabina Hernandez video?
-
28
The end of an era ......
by snare&racket ini have written some time ago, about how the religion i grew up in no longer exists.
i was an 80’s jw kid who became a pioneer then a bethelite.
they have new meetings, new elder roles, new acronyms, new core teachings, new songs and even a new bible.
-
-
Drearyweather
Do we have info of what happened to the sign "Brooklyn Tabernacle" which was atop the Hicks Street Property which was sold in 1918?
-
-
-
Drearyweather
If the debate on his smile is over, i think most people would start estimating the cost of the suit that he is wearing and will then compare it with a photo of run-down shack or a bamboo roofed kingdom hall in Malawi.
-
18
New Light
by Lost in the fog inam i the only one who can't reconcile new light with the light gets brighter?
if it matters at all.
i bring a candle into my house and light it.
-
-
Drearyweather
Lost in the fog, Can you point out or source some references from the WT publications where they have used the term "New Light" while changing or adjusting their doctrines?