What is the cost of a new convert?

by dgp 5 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  dgp

  I read somewhere that every new baptized convert takes MANY hours of preaching, many more than before. I'm sorry to say that I forgot the number of hours. However, I was wondering about the cost in terms of money, supposing it were possible to calculate that.

  At the very least, you would have to count:

  All the books the convert gets, (since they are free for the new person)

  All the hours the JW teaches him, paid, at, say, the minimum wage.

  All the preaching work the convert him or herself makes (again, at the minimum wage)

  The gas and the car the JW's use to go to the neighborhoods.

  A fraction of the cost of holding the event (assembly?) where these people baptize.

  New Kingdom Halls for the new people (meaning chairs, the building itself, sound equipment...)

  All the Watchtowers and Awakes and other books the new JW is expected to read which, I understand, he or she will receive even if they are to be tossed somewhere and never read.

  All the administrative work involved in the new converts.

  All the resources used up on people who won't even open their doors, all the magazines discarded, et cetera.

  Whatever missionaries get (even if it's next to nothing, as I understand).

  And then, if I'm correct, much of this money is simply wasted because many of the new baptized people are born-ins.

  I have the feeling that, if we could calculate all this, the cost of every new convert is huge.

  Any thoughts will be appreciated. Thanks.
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  cameo-d

  Damn. I read it wrong. I thought you said "convent". I thought you were looking to set up a home for apostate nuns!
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  dgp

  Well, I'm starting to believe that a CONVENT would be cheaper to build than a JW convert. And then, it would probably belong to the religious group for much longer.
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  OnTheWayOut

  All the books the convert gets, (since they are free for the new person)

  It is hoped that the convert donates something, but WTS also counts on the recruiter to donate until the recruit starts.
  I think most converts start donating something some time after they start attending meetings.

  All the hours the JW teaches him, paid, at, say, the minimum wage.

  Nobody is paying members to go out and do that. The gas to get there, the time- all on the members.

  All the preaching work the convert him or herself makes (again, at the minimum wage)

  The gas and the car the JW's use to go to the neighborhoods.

  It is really like you are tabulating how much time and money and energy are wasted by members.

  A fraction of the cost of holding the event (assembly?) where these people baptize.

  I guarantee that WTS is making money on these events or they would stop having them. No cost whatsoever. Baptisms add to the reason people come, so they should be paying them a fee.

  New Kingdom Halls for the new people (meaning chairs, the building itself, sound equipment...)

  Kingdom Halls only cost the locals money. WTS loaning money out for these keeps their money from being "liquid" and seizable. The locals pay the loan back and then WTS has a new place of worship. Regardless of who owns it, if they supposedly need the money, WTS will get it from KH properties.

  All the Watchtowers and Awakes and other books the new JW is expected to read which, I understand, he or she will receive even if they are to be tossed somewhere and never read.

  They had hoped mags would pay for themselves, but you may have a point there. They are certainly looking more and more like a cost to WTS instead of a product to profit off of.

  All the administrative work involved in the new converts.

  Locals go over questions. Locals fill out some cards and stuff. WTS doesn't know who they are. No cost to WTS.

  All the resources used up on people who won't even open their doors, all the magazines discarded, et cetera.

  Back in the day, the cost was minimal and then WTS wanted the members to pay all that. It is becoming less and less profitable.

  Whatever missionaries get (even if it's next to nothing, as I understand).

  To capture new territories is "priceless." They still might haul people in and make a profit off their efforts. Maybe/maybe not.

  And then, if I'm correct, much of this money is simply wasted because many of the new baptized people are born-ins.

  I think you are saying "all the recruiting efforts have virtually no return but the newbies are almost entirely born-ins." Stats back you up in many places.

  ...the cost of every new convert is huge.

  And the value of getting out is "priceless."
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  dgp

  On The Way Out, thanks for your post. My point was good ol' "There's no such thing as a free lunch". I see it's the rank-and-file who pay, and the WTS reaps all the profits; so, as long as field service continues to provide profits, and, hopefully, the occasional convert, it will continue. But the cost of making a new convert is just HUGE.

  I checked JWFacts and there they say that the number of hours per baptism (worldwide) is 5,639. Let's say that the bulk of converts comes from poor countries where the brothers and sisters would get very low salaries anyways. But, much of the preaching still takes place in rich countries, where every working hour would be paid much better than in developing countries. So, and though I recognize this is an arbitrary figure, let's say that every preaching hour were paid at US$ 1.00. The cost of every new baptism would already be above US$ 5,639. And some of these guys will be disfellowshipped, and never reinstated, which means the "investment" is lost.

  What I deplore the most is the opportunity cost for brothers and sisters. I am not sure if it would be at all possible to consider the huge loss, financial but above all human, involved in not attending college and going out for field service instead. If a sister were smart enough to be, say, a great scientist, but she chooses the theocratic way and never enters college, what would the loss be? And that figure would have to be added to the cost of converting whoever she converts.
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  Out at Last!

  A multi million (billion?) worldwide organization that uses slave labor, and can't afford to keep most of their slaves fed and housed? Something is drastically wrong here. It was a publishing company from the start, and still is. Now the message is getting very old and stale.