Sparrowdown: "I agree for all the reasons given in the article that the WT is faced with a decision: adapt ot die.
Reform would be the logical conclusion (put through the WT spin-cycle to emerge as nu-lite of course.)
I 'm just dying to see which way this particular cat is going to jump."
Ditto. Entire books have been written about this (see "Change or Die" by Alan Deutschman). It is common for corporations to be overtaken, at least temporarily, by large social, cultural and economic changes, especially if they have arrogantly or ignorantly thought that they were immune. This 'cat', the Dark Lords in this case, is both arrogant and ignorant.
As some of us have suggested, the re-tooling of their business design has consultant written all over it. It shouldn't be seen as a death stroke, as numerous corporations have rise from the ashes, like a Phoenix, to be re-born as something better.
Having said that, you are spot on (are you really LisaRose??) as usual. Which way will this cat leap. They seem to have placed their trust in whomever is directing the change, for good or bad. The problem with the Dark Lords is cash flow, as we have routinely suggested. Old money, deep pockets and capital gains shouldn't be used for O&M expenses. The cash flow for their business design has dried up, so they've invented a new one.
It is fraught with problems, as they are trying to get operating funds from the poorest and least educated religious group in the world. Good luck with that. Unlike IBM, GE, Apple, etc., they are severely limited with options for new venues for cash flow. The new strategy hinges on one thing, methinks: whether the rank and file will fork over limited $ to the Dark Lords in sufficient manner to keep the engine running.
Once they have to dip into reserve, capital gains, savings, investments, etc. to cover operating expenses on a regular basis, the fat lady has begun to sing.