It is entirely possible that COVID will drive the final nail into coffin on the three annual assembly/conventions. My PIMI dad lives in an area of the U.S. with lots of JWs that can barely afford food/clothing/shelter - much less an expensive trip for one-day or multi-day meetings. Some simply don't go or go to one that is closer but that is not the one they are assigned to. He and I have had many discussions over the last 3-5 years about why would the org. continue to have the assemblies when they could simply stream everything to the KH. This is especially true now that the assemblies have little or not content that is anything local to the area. Years ago there were elements of the assemblies that were locally engaging such as knowing people or being in the dramas, a lot of personal experiences/interview and other items that made the convention feel "local". The majority of that is gone now and with the added video content you have to ask - why continue to do these as a large group??? Even many PIMI believers have these same thoughts, as my Dad does.
Posts by JWTom
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22You heard it here first. U.S. District conventions CANCELLED!
by nowwhat? inprudent decision even if the pandemic is over you are going to have people that.
lost jobs can't afford to go.
not allowed any vacation time rest of year.
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JWTom
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COVID-19 another example showing local publishers/congregations are on their own?
by JWTom inmy area is a large city spread across two u.s. states and multiple different cities and counties.
the area of 2.5 million is covered by parts of 4-5 different circuits.
many of those attending meetings are at-risk individuals with health problems or age related risk.
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JWTom
My area is a large city spread across two U.S. states and multiple different cities and counties. The area of 2.5 million is covered by parts of 4-5 different circuits. Many of those attending meetings are at-risk individuals with health problems or age related risk. Some congregations are 70% at risk individuals.
As a born-in JW this pandemic appears to be further evidence that more and more of the organization functions are simply being dumped on the appointed men and RAF. I believe many of the appointed men realize this but are powerless to do anything about it due to being trapped. The decision making being passed to each local congregation has created a patchwork of random approaches to meetings and service. There is no clear direction. There is every possible combination of scenarios from no meetings, service, etc. to full meetings, full service (no restrictions).
It seems the org. could provide some clear direction on a country level and say: We cannot meet until it is safe - no more in-person meetings until the authorities deem the threat to have passed. And to me this would give some remaining members confidence that there was a plan. The current approach of making all of the decisions based on what the local body thinks leads to a crazy disconnected and sometimes insanely ridiculous way of doing things. This pandemic makes me so appreciative that I am no longer an elder.
PS: I realize there are many other examples of the org. abandoning the local congregations and leaving it up to the local elders to make important decisions or to do all of the work of keeping things running smoothly. Feel free to post your favorite one! This pandemic just seems to be a glaring example that the GB and Bethel have little to offer beyond parroting what the government has already said - and then more or less saying - GOOD LUCK!
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JW views on saving and retirement
by neat blue dog inprobably one of the most common causes of cognitive dissonance many jws face is the choice to plan for retirement.
if you're a good jw, then you should believe that the end will be coming soon, surely before you retire.
that's what i did when i was younger, blowing decades that could've been better spent because i believed the end was coming, so any planning was a waste of time.
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JWTom
Good comments overall. This is a significant area where the vast majority of JWs destroy their life as an older person...sad to see the many, many cases where this is true.
Completely agree and my experience as well in interacting with others. I simply laugh in private at anyone that basically has no plan and is hoping for the best. There 100,000s of example where someone has had no plan and basically ends up dead due to having no resources to take care of themselves when a serious health issue arises. Also, many that are in their 70s still working like a dog due to not planning.
We are at the higher end of the financial spectrum and will routinely offer our thoughts or help if someone is looking at how to plan for the future with savings, investments, etc. For all of the others that have "hope as a strategy" we just shake our heads.....
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Chat Sites to Meet Witnesses?
by JWTom ini heard this site used to have a chat feature.
i go to chatstep.com and will meet a witness there sometimes.
does anyone know other chat sites that are good for meeting witnesses?
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JWTom
Witness I talk to are alot more open and candid in anon chat. Wll talk about many things that would never talk about in person.
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Adding insult to injury when the WT kicks out a congregation from their hall
by nowwhat? innot only does the organization confiscate the hall the congregation owns.
but then the former congregants are told to continue to pay for utilities and they are still responsible for upkeep and maintenance.
so they still have to cut the grass etc.
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JWTom
The KH real estate is worth a fortune in the US. Liquidating all those KHs was a reality that was coming, just a matter of time. The only thing that would have changed that would be a growing organization and there are many threads on here about the reality that most congregations are slowly declining in attendance. Any shrinking organization has to keep cutting.
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Chat Sites to Meet Witnesses?
by JWTom ini heard this site used to have a chat feature.
i go to chatstep.com and will meet a witness there sometimes.
does anyone know other chat sites that are good for meeting witnesses?
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JWTom
Anyway, chatstep.com is a site that has a JW room much of the time.
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Chat Sites to Meet Witnesses?
by JWTom ini heard this site used to have a chat feature.
i go to chatstep.com and will meet a witness there sometimes.
does anyone know other chat sites that are good for meeting witnesses?
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JWTom
Surprised to see those comments, there are quite a few former or current witnesses that come here to talk. Pretty apparent from the comments of some.
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Chat Sites to Meet Witnesses?
by JWTom ini heard this site used to have a chat feature.
i go to chatstep.com and will meet a witness there sometimes.
does anyone know other chat sites that are good for meeting witnesses?
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JWTom
I heard this site used to have a chat feature. I go to chatstep.com and will meet a witness there sometimes. Does anyone know other chat sites that are good for meeting witnesses? Feel free to send me a private note on here if you have a comment or question.....or just post for all to see lol.
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A film about Jonah
by Sergey Antonov inwho has any thoughts about the new film about the prophet jonah?
how could they divide the entire period into days, if the bible does not say so?
the king ordered them to fast 20 days before the destruction ???!
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JWTom
The videos that have come out at convention the last few years are very sensational/fear inciting and are intended to impact people's emotion. Video is much more personal and impactful than lectures. The ending video this year really served no purposes but to make people feel like they will be saved at the last minute. That was the only point, there was really nothing learned from the video other than to create an emotional response.
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No meetings memorial week
by Saltheart Foamfollower inthe august monthly announcements letter, among other things, says that if a memorial is midweek, there is to be no midweek meeting and if at a weekend, then no weekend meeting.
previously it was only no other meeting on the same day.
is this because so many congregations now share halls that scheduling it has become almost impossible?.
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JWTom
ScenicViewer - I agree, you hit the nail on the head. Also, I think you have to acknowledge that anytime you have mutliple meeting stacked up together like weekday meeting, memorial/annual meeting, Sunday meeting, Circuit Assy then the attendance at some of them suffers. From a purely mathematical standpoint, cancelling some of the meetings that are negatively affected around memorial, Circuit Assy or other special events will serve to improve the numbers at the meetings that remain. In our Cong. in the US, right after assembly or memorial our meeting attendance falls significantly for a couple of weeks.
Also, there is the reality that some of these events will likely go away completely in the not too distant future. Simply a lot cheaper to meet in KH, not at facilities.....