@joe134cd
"I believe wt numbers to be totally transparent and if anything underestimates membership growth."
As a former elder of 25 years and congregation secretary, congregation elders do all that they can to keep the numbers up! They call irregular or inactive ones and badger until they pull field service time from the air. The reporting of 15 minute increments for older and infirmed was simply to keep publisher count up. Remember In Africa JW's were crossing crocodile infested waters to get to the meetings and field service, preaching from an iron lung, and witnessing without arms and legs, and then bam, only 15 minutes per month and you remain a regular publisher. I don't believe the 8.6 million for one second!