Ex-accounts servant here. Almost all the expenses are on the report, but none of the income. It always bothered me to see the big red number, but I also knew how tight most JW's are. I hate seeing things operated in the red, so I reasoned without it being done that way it truly would end up with a deficit.
Has money taken over...
by emptywords 42 Replies latest jw experiences
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MeneMene
Yes, it’s all about the Money!
Many years ago my father’s siblings had signed over all their inheritance to one unmarried brother that lived at the family home his entire life. He managed the estate, grew and sold off timber, leased the land out for farming, purchased more property, etc. In his later years when he had been hospitalized with Alzheimer’s, the Elders (one was his cousin) from the local KH visited him in the hospital with a completed Will leaving everything to the WTBTS and had him sign it.
When he died there were 4 of the 10 siblings still living. All were very old and not competent to handle such decisions. Three of them decided for the whole family that the Will should be honored and everything given to the WTBTS. One sibling had been ill for the last few years and on medications. He was seeing hullicinations. The last time I saw him he had regressed many years and thought I was my mother. His family was having very bad financial problems.
His sister and 2 brothers agreed to give him a few thousand of his share of inheritance which I understand didn’t even pay off his medical bills. My father explained to me his brother didn’t deserve his share because he had never been financially responsible and the family had helped him out over the years.
Their youngest brother’s wife (she was not even a descendent – the daughter of this deceased youngest brother was the heir) was given the task of taking the invalid/mentally incompetent brother to the attorney’s office to sign away his inheritance. She was also paid out of the estate the same amount as this brother. She had always been taken care of by the family since her husband died young and left her with a daughter.
Apparently the attorney realized there were issues and did send out letters to all the heirs of the deceased siblings. They were given the opportunity to dispute the Will and stop the funds from going to the WTBTS. My cousins were each waiting for the other one to step forward and dispute it. Each one was either a JW in agreement or too afraid of the family & WTBTS to say anything. The time frame they were given expired and the WTBTS got the money. ($600,000 minus $$ given to the brother and sister-in-law and fees to the attorney.)
I am still very angry with my father for his part in cheating his brother out of his full inheritance. I am angry with my father that he didn’t see the need to help his own children if he didn’t need the money himself. As always the WTBTS came before his own children. I have a brother and sister that are still slaving away for the Governing Body. Even if he did not see fit to give it to his three unbelieving children, I would rather it go to my brainwashed brother and sister that do need it badly.
I am angry that none of my cousins had the guts to stop it and I know many of them really needed the money.
Lately the elders have visited my parents. My father is nearly 93 and drives himself to the meetings. It is rare that he misses one. He has a magazine delivery route that he still drives since they stopped the subscriptions. He also has a study with an elderly invalid man that is house bound and will never be a JW but dad can count a study anyway. He was reader at the book study until just recently.
So, I know they are not visiting because he is missing meetings or spiritually weak. My mother does not go as much because of health issues but takes every opportunity to preach at people that visit.
They are sitting on some valuable property. I am very concerned the elders will be putting more and more pressure on them to sign it over to the WTBTS. My father is gullible enough to do it.
Sorry, that was my rant for the day. -
Lady Liberty
Dear Menemene,
OH MY GOODNESS!! It just makes my blood boil!! I can only imagine how you must feel!!! UNFREAKINGBELIEVABLE!
L.L.
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Lady Liberty
Dear Candily,
I actually went there for the assemblies then, and remember..we DID pay for parking. I don't personally remember the year, however, this article illudes to it being in the 1990's. http://www.reexamine.org/wtobserver/apps/pbcs.dll/articlea0c8.html?AID=/20040322/JWANDSOCIETY9/10520008
So I am not actually sure. I will see if I can find it for sure.
Sincerely,
Lady Liberty
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Hortensia
Hi emptywords,
I was my mother's executor. She left a $50,000.00 annuity to the WTBTS. It would have been more, but my sister found out early enough to convince my mother she shouldn't slight her children or grandchildren.
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frankiespeakin
Yes I have seen their solicisitations, truely dispicable. The GB works them to death even up until old age and then wants to take from thier families inheritance. Greedy just plain greedy.
Well after all they gave themselves that right to ask, being they are the only true religion and only they can speak for God and all, they gave themselves the right to bleed the flock under thier care of everything, they are the Faithful and Discrete Slave(Masters). Doublespeak.
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heathen
I do remember that every month after they built the new kingdub hall I attended that they spent a million or so dollars for they would get down right harassing about paying the mortgage on it . Where's the money? where's the money ? we need money , we need money . Telling that to people that have to pioneer fulltime in the ministry as well as have some sort of low paying job in order to remain a good dubby. Just insane the crap these people will pull. When people get jobs to help pay for stuff they complain you aren't doing enough in the ministry . Just disgusting . I was so sick of hearing this crap after a couple of months .
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TJ - iAmCleared2Land
I worked in accounts at the DC, and was on the Saturday lunch elder's "business meetings" at the Circuit Assemblies. Let me explain to you a little about why there's ALWAYS a deficit on Sunday afternoon's "financial report":
During that meeting, the convention chairman reads a summary of the donations and expenses, and PROPOSES to the meeting that "we send to the Society a donation in the amount of $xx,000" from the funds donated. Note: the amount proposed is ALWAYS more than what has already been received, putting us "in the red". The vote is put to the elders in the meeting to YAY or NAY the contribution amount. (Let's see a show of hands: how many of you, WHEN YOU WERE A WITNESS, if you'd been an elder, would have stood up and said "HELL NO!"... of course, the motion passes).
That $$-to-NY-donation amount is rarely itemized to the crowd, so you'll just hear "expenses incurred so far this convention have totalled $yy,000, leaving us with a deficit of $zz,000. We're confident of your continued support and thank you in advance for your heartfelt contributions."
The "expenses incurred" include the big bucks they've "agreed" to send to the Society, but those funds haven't YET been donated. The Sunday afternoon report is guaranteed to produce in some a feeling of guilt over "all we've received, but we've not yet covered the expenses" and the Sunday evening donations are ALWAYS staggering in amount, well above and beyond what was "needed" to meet the donation to the Society.
Oh, and at the circuit assembly... the "circuit" has to pay RENT and INSURANCE to the Society for the use of the facility, above and beyond the "contribution". (EDIT: This is in reference to those circuits that have their own Assembly Hall, not rented commercial facilities.)
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frankiespeakin
Those money grabbing self appointed Faith and Discrete Slave(Masters). The flock is thiers to skin whenever they wish.
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TJ - iAmCleared2Land
I actually went there for the assemblies then, and remember..we DID pay for parking.
Regarding Tacoma: I was living in the Pacific NW at that time, and can concur about the parking. It used to be that we "bought" the little parking card when we got to the lot, then they started "selling" them, weeks in advance, at the KH (probably so the attendants wouldn't have to handle the cash), with the warning that you wouldn't be able to park, or at least would be required to buy a parking ticket if you showed up without one displayed in the window of your car. The parking "ticket" was a 5x5 card-stock brown or green (depending on the year) WT-logo'd "parking" card, valid for the days of ONE assembly only (so you couldn't share it with friends or family attending another week).