Another thing I remembered - the US Branch is NOT the head branch anylonger. They are just another branch, like the British branch, the Australian branch.
So with no central branch facility in the world, who really pulls the strings?
truthseeker
JoinedPosts by truthseeker
-
33
Manpower problems at Bethel reason behind delay in annual report
by truthseeker ini was talking to a ministerial servant last week, and he said that a bethel elder told him the reason why the 2004 annual service report was .
delayed, was because of man power problems.
they simply don't have enough staff at the us branch, because the annual report is already .
-
-
-
33
Manpower problems at Bethel reason behind delay in annual report
by truthseeker ini was talking to a ministerial servant last week, and he said that a bethel elder told him the reason why the 2004 annual service report was .
delayed, was because of man power problems.
they simply don't have enough staff at the us branch, because the annual report is already .
-
-
truthseeker
Ok, let me clarify a few points.
The ministerial servant definitely told me that an elder said there was manpower and manangement issues at Brooklyn Bethel.
The annual report is out in a few European countries, though likely he meant that the Branch insiders know the report, and what the figures are, rather than them being published in European watchtowers.
I too, fail to see what connection there is between bad manangement and staff shortages, and the release of the annual report in the Jan 1st issue.
This is unprecedented though - what possible reason could they have for putting the report in a later issue? I mean, the tax year ends in December, but the service year ends in August. They have aa full 4 months to get those figures in, and you know how they all moan at everyone to put their report in.
I don't understand what is going on with DUMBO either. I mean, they just sold 360 Furman Street for close to $200 million, moved a lot of staff and the printing dept to Patterson, and now they want to build MORE residential apartments?
For who? Why? What will they do in Brooklyn? Why not just build more apts. at their Patterson complex?
-
16
How many went to heaven in the first century?
by truthseeker inif william josephus estimated that by the end of the first century, there were about 1,000,000 christians, and paul wrote that the good news .
had been preached "in under all creation", then why did john say in revelation that only 144,000 would go to heaven?.
why were those who numbered more than 144,000 christians prior to john's revelation in 96ad not informed that there hope was invalid?
-
-
truthseeker
Hi Aniron, interesting points.
I think I got the 1,000,000 Christians muddled re: the quote, it was around the 500,000 mark. Other sources suggest 1 million Christians, but exact numbers are hard to come by. There were no field service reports then.
-
16
How many went to heaven in the first century?
by truthseeker inif william josephus estimated that by the end of the first century, there were about 1,000,000 christians, and paul wrote that the good news .
had been preached "in under all creation", then why did john say in revelation that only 144,000 would go to heaven?.
why were those who numbered more than 144,000 christians prior to john's revelation in 96ad not informed that there hope was invalid?
-
-
truthseeker
If William Josephus estimated that by the end of the first century, there were about 1,000,000 Christians, and Paul wrote that the good news
had been preached "in under all creation", then why did John say in Revelation that only 144,000 would go to heaven?
Why were those who numbered more than 144,000 Christians prior to John's Revelation in 96AD not informed that there hope was invalid?
This has greater implications - the Governing Body and Anointed Remnant are not going to heaven either?
It's interesting to note, that the Gospels and book of Acts talk more about the "Kingdom of the Heavens" than the paradise earth, so obviously
in most peoples minds, heaven was the place to be.
-
33
Manpower problems at Bethel reason behind delay in annual report
by truthseeker ini was talking to a ministerial servant last week, and he said that a bethel elder told him the reason why the 2004 annual service report was .
delayed, was because of man power problems.
they simply don't have enough staff at the us branch, because the annual report is already .
-
-
truthseeker
I was talking to a ministerial servant last week, and he said that a Bethel elder told him the reason why the 2004 Annual Service Report was
delayed, was because of man power problems. They simply don't have enough staff at the US Branch, because the annual report is already
available in some European countries.
-
2
Are the Kingdom Minstry article usually different in other countries?
by truthseeker ini am curious to know whether or not, articles in the km are different in other countries.
happened, and that is in the km for britain, at the beginning of 2001 there was an article called, "facing challenges in 2001" - they mentioned .
a lot of negative stuff, low meeting attendance, number of inactive publishers etc.. .
-
-
truthseeker
I am curious to know whether or not, articles in the KM are different in other countries. I have only seen one example of where this has
happened, and that is in the KM for Britain, at the beginning of 2001 there was an article called, "Facing Challenges in 2001" - they mentioned
a lot of negative stuff, low meeting attendance, number of inactive publishers etc.
It seems for the US, meeting attendance, meeting attendance and more meeting attendance is the order of the day in our KM articles.
-
28
Preliminary US service report for 2004 - based on KM figures (0% increase)
by truthseeker inbelow are prelimiary figures for the 2004 service year, based on numbers given in the "our kingdom ministry" magazine.
publishers
(inc. pioneers) baptized
-
-
truthseeker
Below are prelimiary figures for the 2004 service year, based on numbers given in the "Our Kingdom Ministry" magazine.
Publishers
(inc. Pioneers) Baptized
September 2003 981,784 1,737
October 2003 989,636 2,650
November 2003 981,909 2,714
December 2003 991,443 1,810
January 2004 997,742 1,798
February 2004 1,001,560 1,463
March 2004 984,608 1,827
April 2004 1,007,774 2,583
May 2004 991,779 2,580
June 2004 971,110 3,253
July 2004 994,664 5,536
August 2004 1,019,696 (Peak) 2,624
AVERAGES Publishers Baptized
2004 Service Year 992,808 30,575
2003 Service Year 988,236 30,401
The results are as follows:
For the 2004 service year, there was a 0.46% increase in the number of publishers. This will show up as a 0% increase when the official 2004 service year figures are published in the Feb 1st, 2005 Watchtower.
For the 2003 service year, there was a 2.0% increase in the number of publishers.
What is notable is that the peak figure of publishers for 2004 is 1,019,696. The peak figure for 2003 is 1,029,652. The peak has declined by 10,000.
Baptisms were a fraction higher up on last year, but only by 174.
As the United States is not religiously homogenous, high baptisms will usually hover around the 30,000 number.
There is clear evidence that the 15 minute rule for certain publishers, has exhausted its effectiveness, and that growth in the United States once again, faces decline.
-
68
There is NO annual service report in the Janaury 1st WT
by truthseeker inwell, i have confirmed rumors that have gone around about there being no annual service report for the january 1st, 2005 issue.. .
it seems, for reasons unknown, that the watchtower has ended another decades long tradition.
in the second study article for the january 1st, 2005 watchtower, entitled, "trained to give a thorough witness," paragraph 24 reads: .
-
-
truthseeker
Well, it seems that the Witnesses haven't reached or passed the 7 million mark yet.
-
68
There is NO annual service report in the Janaury 1st WT
by truthseeker inwell, i have confirmed rumors that have gone around about there being no annual service report for the january 1st, 2005 issue.. .
it seems, for reasons unknown, that the watchtower has ended another decades long tradition.
in the second study article for the january 1st, 2005 watchtower, entitled, "trained to give a thorough witness," paragraph 24 reads: .
-
-
truthseeker
Well, I have confirmed rumors that have gone around about there being no annual service report for the January 1st, 2005 issue.
It seems, for reasons unknown, that the Watchtower has ended another decades long tradition.
In the second study article for the January 1st, 2005 Watchtower, entitled, "Trained To Give A Thorough Witness," paragraph 24 reads:
More than 6 million witnesses of Jehovah are now busy in over 230 lands. The February 1, 2005 issue of The Watchtower will carry the annual report of their activity during the 2004 service year. That report will demonstrate Jehovah's rich blessing on the preaching work. In the time that remains for this system of things, may we continue to take to heart Paul's stirring words: "Preach the word, be at it urgently." May we continue to give a thorough witness until Jehovah says that the work is finished.
Of course, Jehovah is never going to say that "the work is finished" as he never even authorised this work in the first place. Seriously though, does anyone know why the Society would move the date of the annual report to February?
It's not a real biggie I know, but any break from tradition usually has deeper implications for the Watchtower, such as phasing out all US magazine subscriptions.
-
11
The Logisitcs of Destroying Organized Religion
by truthseeker inthey define babylon the great as the "world empire of false religion", and that jehovah god will use the united nations to turn on her.. .
the "keep on the watch" brochure says the following, regarding the destruction of babylon the great:.
"for our day, the bible forecasts that political governments, like a wild beast, will turn on "the harlot" and strip her naked, exposing her real .
-
-
truthseeker
Jehovah's Witnesses are familiar with their doctine concerning Babylon The Great's destruction. They define Babylon The Great as the "world empire of false religion", and that Jehovah God will use the United Nations to turn on her.
The "Keep On The Watch" brochure says the following, regarding the destruction of Babylon The Great:
"For our day, the Bible forecasts that political governments, like a wild beast, will turn on "the harlot" and strip her naked, exposing her real
character. They will completely destroy her." - Revelation 17:16
And Revelation 17:16,17 says:
"And the ten horns that you saw, and the wild beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her devastated and naked, and will eat up her
fleshy parts and will completely burn her with fire. For God will put [it] into their hearts to carry out his thought, even to carry out [their] one
thought by giving their kingdom to the wild beast, until the words of God will have been accomplished."
There are a few problems with this scenario to consider.
1) The United Nations was unable to prevent the war in Iraq, the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, and is corrupt. In effect, they are a paper tiger.
2) Their may be 10 kings (horns) who think God's thoughts, but their are over 200 sovereign nation states. What say do they have regarding the religion of their people?
3) Many countries throughout the world are democracies. Democracy is defined as the following:
- Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.
- A political or social unit that has such a government.
- The common people, considered as the primary source of political power.
- Majority rule.
- The principles of social equality and respect for the individual within a community.
What do you think the people will say, when their government tells them they can no longer go to church and worship God? Do you think they will actually do this?
How could millions of voters simultaneously decide they want religion to go?
How are the governments going to persuade the public to stop going to church?
Say for example, Tony Blair, bans religion. Is he going to use the army to stop people from going to a church/synagogue/mosque?
4) Many counties are theocracies. Notably, Iran, has a hard line clerical government. Can you really see Iran, whose religion is their way of life, suddenly renouncing Allah and all religion?
The millions of Muslim men and women - are they simply going to stay home and become atheists? Their religion is how they live.
So as you can see, their are several problems that appear, when we talk of religion being destroyed by the United Nations.