HERE'S THE 2007 SERVICE YEAR REPORT

by Mary 66 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • Jringe01
    Jringe01

    Although I believe that a lot of people are leaving the religion I do not believe this report gives us any indication as to how many.

    Just because the number of people baptized is larger than the increase in average publishers doesn't mean that it's a reliable yardstick for determining how many have left. Don't forget that many people preach without being baptized.

    Thus unbaptized publishers, deaths, immigration and withdrawl/expulsion are the 4 factors that can affect the numbers. However since you cannot reasonably know how many people fall into each category then it becomes mere speculation to insist that because the number baptized is larger than the average increase then "x" number of people must have left.

    Many of you on this board would not hesitate to jump on the WTS for speculations so then why would you turn around and speculate yourselves? If you want to continue to make a case against the WTS for it's past and continued speculations then you must hold yourselves to a higher standard or else they'll be able to turn the charge back on you and then it becomes a pointless discussion.

  • Chef
    Chef

    4800 hours = 1 convert. Almost 2 and a half years of effort (40 hours a week x 50 week) to get 1 new member. Dosen't really seemed like a very efficient endeavor.

  • AwSnap
    AwSnap

    I was just having this discussion with a jw today. We read the scripture about how "the good news will be preached in all the inhabited earth"....I asked "what about China & other lands where people cant hear about the Witnesses?" The response was: "Well, there might be just a few who wont be able to hear the truth before armaggedon comes". Thanks to GaryBuss, who posted the 2008 annual report. Would you say China is one of those countries included at the bottom of the chart, which says : 30 other countries....18,041 publishers. Is that total????

    I just found out how many people are in China. Those jw's better get to knocking on doors!

    http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=wb-wdi&met=sp_pop_totl&idim=country:CHN&q=population+in+china For those of you too lazy to look it up, there are one BILLION, three hundred twenty five MILLION, six hundred thirty-five THOUSAND, nine HUNDRED & eighty-two. Let me repeat:

    1,325,635,982

    Wow.

  • zarco
    zarco

    AwSnap - good point. China is roughly 4.4 times as large (population) as the United States. The preaching work in the US has gone on for 100 years or so and it has not even got a good foothold in China yet. Using JW logic, the end is a long, long way off.

  • Farkel
    Farkel

    Interestingly enough, the USA has the third largest population of any Country in the world, although 300,000,000 is a pittance compared the the populations of China and India.

    Farkel

  • blondie
    blondie

    The WTS doesn't expect that many people in China will be reached but that it won't stop the end from coming.

    *** w65 9/15 pp. 575-576 Questions From Readers ***

    Since millions of persons in China and other places have never heard the Kingdom message, will these people be preserved through the destruction of Babylon the Great and the war of Armageddon, or perhaps be resurrected later?—H.S., U.S.A.It is important to understand what the Bible says about the destruction to come at the end of this system of things. In his illustration of the sheep and the goats Jesus indicated that a separating work would be done "when the Son of man arrives in his glory," and that persons would be classed as either "sheep" or "goats." (Matt. 25:31-46) In part, the basis for the separation would be the reaction of people to the preaching of the good news of the established kingdom. That preaching work is now being done by Jehovah’s witnesses. Jesus explained that those on earth who favorably responded to that message and treated kindly its bearers would be classed as "sheep" and would enter into "everlasting life." The rest of mankind who did not respond favorably to the preaching work and offered no aid to those who carried the Kingdom message would be classed as "goats" and would go, not into a temporary death, but into "everlasting cutting-off" at the time when judgment is executed.

    But some persons, appreciating that millions of people are to be resurrected and given an opportunity to serve God, wonder if the millions of individuals living today who apparently have never heard the Kingdom message preached will be everlastingly destroyed without ever having had a witness about God’s purposes. It is true that at present it appears that there are vast numbers of mankind who have not heard the Kingdom preaching. Also, from what the Bible says and from conditions in the world, we know that we are in the "last days." But we do not know just how much more will be accomplished in preaching the Kingdom message before the end comes. (2 Tim. 3:1-5; Matt. 24:3-13) If at the end of the second world war someone had said that the Kingdom preaching would be carried out, by more than a million publishers, in over 190 lands, including communistic countries, many might have found that hard to believe. Yet, Jehovah has blessed his people, and that is exactly what is being accomplished. So, if it is Jehovah’s will to have this message personally carried to the millions on earth who seemingly have not yet heard it, that will be accomplished. If he chooses, he could see to it that this message is spread in ways that we cannot yet imagine. Jesus did foretell that "this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come." (Matt. 24:14) We can rest assured that God will see that the preaching work is done to his satisfaction. After that "the end" comes.

    Then those who correspond with "goats," whether in China or elsewhere, will be pronounced "cursed" and will not be permitted to survive that "end" into God’s new order of things. Since these go into symbolic "fire" (like the Devil and his angels), their punishment will be everlasting. They will never be resurrected.—Matt. 25:41-46.

    "Just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; and you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be. But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace."—Ps. 37:10, 11.

    *** w00 1/15 p. 13 par. 17 "Keep on the Watch" ***Fifth, we see a global preaching work being accomplished, which Jesus said would take place just before the end of this system. Jesus stated: "This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14) Today, that prophecy is in the course of fulfillment on an unprecedented scale. True, untouched territories still exist, and it may be that in Jehovah’s due time, a large door leading to greater activity will open. (1 Corinthians 16:9) Nevertheless, the Bible does not state that Jehovah will wait until every individual on earth has received a personal witness. Rather, the good news must be preached to Jehovah’s satisfaction. Then the end will come.—Compare Matthew 10:23.

  • Heaven
    Heaven

    According to Ray Franz in his book "In Search of Christian Freedom", the JWs in Morocco were instructed NOT to preach to Muslims in that country. This seems completely contradictory to me. I mean, if you truly believe that you're doing 'life saving work', then wouldn't you WANT to preach to people who WEREN'T Christians?! To me, this completely nullifies any claims they have about the importance and urgency of their work.

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