Older generation JW's are being sacrificed by the Society? Why?

by nicolaou 22 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  nicolaou

  What has changed in the last few years?

  • Cheap paperback books.
  • 15 minute rule.
  • Reduced Pioneer requirements.
  • Public/Private Watchtower
  • Only one pair of mags to public per month.
  • Doctrinal changes re 'generation', 1935 etc
  • Public Talk cut to 30 minutes.
  • And now the Book Study kicked into the long grass.

  This is an organisation that, since the big 1995 'Generation Change', is clearly slimming down and planning it's future srategy. Real estate is being sold and essential operations are being relocated to more cost efficient locations. Ted Jaracz is the last old-timer left and it's clear that the new guard are ramping up the changes.

  Is any of this upsetting the rank and file? My kid brother (21 years old - baptised at 15) reacted to last nights announcement with joy that he'd now be able to watch the footie on a Tuesday night! He was beaming! Our stalwart 64 year old JW mother was right there and was hating every second of it. So what's my point?

  I think NewWatchtower are quite prepared to sacrifice the older generation of JW's, to look over their heads at the current crop of young people and do anything possible to try and retain them. Pensioners cannot contribute much, it's the working young things the Society need to retain and they have been making their investment in these people for the past few years.

  Make the field service easier, make the targets more attainable. Cut the amount of boring magazine reading required, pamper to short attention spans by reducing all meeting lengths and now even cutting out one evening completely!

  The older folk are being ditched in a last gasp roll of the dice to make this organisation viable to the next generation. Good luck with that Watchtower, it isn't going to work.

  Your days are numbered.
• 

  carla

  So basically they are going to become more mainstream? just like any other 'church'? What is the 15 minute rule?
• 

  joelbear69

  i agree. they are using similar tactics to other religious organizations.
  
  plan on them soon instituting reach out programs to help the poor,
  sick, etc. I know I know, totally against WTS practice in the past, but
  these are the kind of actionable programs young people like.
• 

  funkyderek

  carla:

  What is the 15 minute rule?

  As long as whatever you're doing is over in less than 15 minutes, it doesn't count as fornication!
• 

  Blueblades

  Most of the older generation is dying off. What you have left is burnt out and used up, financially broke, no pensions, no medical, no savings, and many left alone as their mate has died.

  These older ones have given their all to an ungrateful society that has left them in the lurch. Blood is on the altar of the society. The lifeblood of the older generation has been drained from them.

  Blueblades
• 

  LovesDubs

  Funky LOLOLOL!!

  And the good news is if it takes MORE than 15 minutes you can report the time as you were 'ministering to some deserving one's needs"
• 

  sir82

  Interesting idea, the only problem is, "youths" (hate that tem) are not "reaching out" for "privileges" ().

  It's all well and good to jettison the older crowd, but there is virtually no one under 30 who wants to do anything in the org. That is way different from when I was growing up. What happens in 20 years when the vast majority elders are in their 60's or older, and there are not nearly enough replacements waiting in the wings?

  Hmm, sounds a bit like the Catholics' "priest shortage" the WTS was gloating over in past years!
• 

  Finally-Free

  They're widening their profit margin by cutting services and still maintaining control of their members. The BS was never a source of revenue. The publications printed are fewer in number and of inferior quality. Yet they will still expect to receive the same amount of "donations".

  This also gives the elders an extra evening each week to hold judicial committees and pursue faders.

  W
• 

  journey-on

  The older ones also remember pretty vividly the "old light". Once they're gone, that old light can be forgotten and never brought up again. And

  the new and improved Nulight can take completely over. I look for them to implement some kind of Youth programs that will put some vitality

  back into the lackluster publishers. They can use the building of Youth Centers as an excuse to ask for more donations, even though they

  assuredly would be built by volunteers. But, I think the young b&s would fork over hefty $$ if they thought they might be getting a basketball

  court thrown into the mix.
• 

  WTWizard

  First, to answer the "15 minute rule", it refers to publishers that are elderly or in bad health that cannot do a whole hour of field circus in a month. They lowered the minimum to be counted as active to 15 minutes to allow them to inflate their numbers by counting these ones.

  As for anyone under 30 not wanting to stay in, I am almost 45 and I want nothing more to do with the Washtowel Slaveholdery (except to bash the crap out of it, and hope to help do it in). I especially loved when they failed, miserably, to complete the Waste of Paper Distribution Campaign in time.