I can't find the link to this page, but recently snippets of a CO meeting with the elders and MS's revealed the following:
Here are my notes from the biannual CO visit. The notes are from the CO Meeting with Elders & MS 2006 Service Year outline. The topics from WTS are Sense of Urgency, Higher Education, Independent thinking, Marital Arrg, Invalid baptisms.
Sense of Urgency - Concern among FDS that some are losing their urgency, they don't believe we're in the last days. Some say, "When the end comes, it comes" speaking of Armageddon. Appointed men what can we do to maintain a sense of urgency? Preaching the good news zealously will help us keep a sense of urgency. Don't get sidetracked with secular work or material things. Don't take a laid back view of meeting attendance. Keep on the Watch brochure, pp 25 - 27: pray continually, be realistic in expectations (this system is going to be difficult), remember the key issue is Jehovah's sovreignty our issues aren't more important, and draw close to Jehovah. We're living deep in the time of the end, don't be focusing on "paneled houses" (reference to Haggai).
Now, from a personal perspective in my hall I do not see a sense of urgency. Reading posts here of other personal experiences in their own halls would indicate an implied acceptance that the end is not near, and may not even come in their lifetime.
I see married couples who are getting homes built and taking out 30 year mortgages.
I hear the friends talk about their 401k's, and if you're not from the USA, these are retirement plans.
I observe as people go away on long weekend breaks without making up their field service time.
I hear nothing of spiritual matters, or the end times when I am attending a gathering.
I watch as elder's children go to college and get a degree.
I see adults going back to school to get a degree and work a full time job.
I hear people talk about getting a good education to get a good job.
I hear talk of people being promoted.
I observe young married witnesses go on spending sprees, having everything now and building up huge debt levels
All this in my own congregation - now think, if this is generally being repeated throughout the world, although mostly developed countries, the sense of urgency has GONE for all except the old timers and maybe the middle-aged generation.
There seems to be a new "enlightenment" age in the JW mind set - they may never admit it to their friends or family, they may even try not to admit it to themselves, but they know, in the year 2006, that things are going on exactly as they were 10, 20 or 30 years ago.
Recently I came to hear of a young couple who are planning to move abroad, the brother is cashing out his 401k to pay for the expenses. This may not be sound financial advice, but the couple are not concerned about retirement, they think it's decades away and they don't feel that Armaggedon is coming.
Recently Metatron made the comment that many Witnesses are in Witnesses in name only, they go to the meetings, comment, go out in service but they live their own life and have their own rules regarding blood transfusions and college education.
If this trend continues, the WT will have a very difficult time playing the Urgency card, simply because no one is listening anymore.