Smaller conventions in 2013 because plans are made for HUGE anniversary conventions in 2014?
No more 3-day DCs starting in 2013?
by respectful_observer 162 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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cedars
I love this rumour, I really hope it turns out to be true!
If it's going to happen, it will first be announced in a letter to all congregations that will, of course, be leaked online many days before it is due to be read out (as with the reduction in the magazine pages). I can't wait to write about it, and add it to the already considerable list of evidence that the Society is downscaling its operations for financial reasons.
How abundantly Jehovah provides!!
Cedars
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RAYZORBLADE
I drop by occasionally, and it never ceases to amaze me the latest happenings with WTBTS.
I remember 34 years ago attending a 5 day International Assembly in Montreal. It was a battle to keep cool during those hot days in early July 1978.
Then attending 4 day assemblies in the summer. Last District Assembly I attended was in Portland, Maine in July 1983.
It's been a long time; trust me no longing for those long grueling talks; drowsiness and the food.
Read about the pending law suit Skeeter1. It will be interesting to see what happens with this one, but I'll bet some 'new light' has been shed.Any bets as to when it will be reduced to 2 days?
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slimboyfat
Highly doubtful in light of the new brochure ('Who's doing Jehovah's Will Today' or something like that?) their pushing, it specifically mentioned three day district assemblies, no?
If I remember rightly the new Organized to do Jehovah's Will book was released after the Book Study meeting was dropped yet it still referred to it as a very important meeting.
As for the conventions and assemblies three times a year following a "Bible pattern", they used to make big thing about having five meetings a week and gripping on with your whole hand (five fingers) but that didn't stop them dropping one of the meetings either.
It seems they are cutting back so fast they can't keep track of it all or do it in an orderly fashion.
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under the radar
This may be a case of waning interest in many areas coupled with the lackluster economy. Gone are the days when the average "publisher" could uproot his whole family and traipse to New York for a delightful 8 day festival of spiritual gorging. Just think what such a thing would cost today. Again, partly because of the economy in general but also largely because of the Society's discouragement of higher education and the careers that go with that, most of the "brothers" simply couldn't afford something like that. Oh, some would wreck themselves financially to try to make it, but I doubt nearly enough could actually pull it off to make it worthwhile.
I was in NYC as a child for both the 1958 and 1963 for the International Conventions. They were indeed 8 long, long days. Everyone, including the most ardent adults, was exhausted both mentally and physically at the end of each day. I doubt anyone retained very much from the ceaseless pounding of spiritual drivel into their skulls.
Anyway, reducing the conventions from 3 back to 2 days may be a back-door way to try to increase attendance. Of course, I haven't been to a JW meeting of any kind in about 10 years and will never go to one again, but I can see why they may want to try this out.
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transhuman68
IMO the WTS has been asking too much from too many people, for too long- without giving anything back in return. The downsizing of practically everything; while a welcome sign for us, may allow the WTS to retain dubs who would otherwise burn out and fade away.
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slimboyfat
I don't agree. I tend to think that JWs will respond to being required to do less by doing even less than they are being asked. It's a downward spiral. I think many people mentally responded to the dropping of the book study by thinking "oh, the meetings are not that important after all? It doesn't matter if I miss a few more then."
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PrincessCynic
I agree with what many of you have said, in fact I'd be surprised if they DIDN'T cut the conventions back to 2 days in the next year or 2. If they're going to the extremes of closing down branches and cutting the magazines in half, they'd be stupid not to cut costs in this area too.
I just attended one here in the UK, there were roughly 2600 LESS in attendance on the Friday than there were on the Sunday afternoon. I spent a lot of time during the sessions wandering about, and so did 100s of other attendees. The local MacDonalds was full of them every time I walked past during the sessions. People were getting up and coming back with a load of coffees for everyone in their group shamelessly during the program. It's obviously too long for most to pay attention to even after shortening the program and making every talk shorter to keep them interested.
I think rented venues are causing problems too. At the one I attended there was a crazy amount of brothers attending. It could only be because of strict health/safety/security rules imposed by the venue. At one point I stood out in a corridor where you couldn't hear anything of the convention and counted 15 JWs working as attendants, standing around talking in groups of 2 or 3. Walk further around the corridor and you'd see 15 more. They even had to resort to having sisters attending, probably the same amount as they had brothers.
Also, if their game plan is to keep JW kids in and get them heading for baptism, forcing them to sit through 3 days of a mind-numbingly boring DC is NOT the way to go about it.
And they definitely neglected to mention anything about next years conventions at this one. All of the conventions are being shuffled around in my area, getting smaller and cheaper by the year. I don't think anyone would be surprised or particularly suspicious if they announced there were going to be 2 day conventions in assembly halls next year.
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breakfast of champions
Jehovah's Celestial Chariot is broken down in the left lane of the Cross Bronx Expressway. Traffic is backed up for miles.
The Cherubim just rolled up all the windows and locked the doors.