Just found out that the attendance at the memorial (1st one we missed) was down 25% over 2009. The Cong. even had the hall on rotation this year too! Any others heard the same? I suspect that in developed countries - with internet access, the attendance will be down. Now they will shift to "sifting" mode.
Memorial Attendance Down?
by Simon Morley 25 Replies latest members meetups
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jdhf
Hey there Simon...this was also the first memorial I didn't attend...but i was told that attendance was down by nearly 20 this year....there has been alot of things going on in the cong but no-one has left the territory as such. telling, isn't it!?
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yknot
I wasn't told by how much but I understand our 9:15pm time-slot was a real killer....... there was empty seats!!!!!
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shamus100
GOOD!
Anyone else? Don't be shy... I won't rip your face off, although I'd sure like to...
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ziddina
Hey, Funny Monkey, back off!!
Simon Morley, you wrote: "I suspect that in developed countries - with internet access, the attendance will be down. Now they will shift to "sifting" mode..."
Uhm, I can see why you said that, but if I were in their shoes, I would try to bring back many of those inactive members!!!
I see some obvious parallels with the WTBTS' membership issues and the social/Medieval re-enactment club I'm a member of - the S.C.A. Their membership started up in the early '70's - thrived during the 'hippie' period, the '80's, and to an extent also during the '90's... But now much of the original group are well up into their 50's to 70's, and there doesn't seem to be as much 'new blood' coming in... The S.C.A. isn't adressing the problem directly, at least not to the extent I would like to see, but the local groups of the S.C.A. are focusing on getting inactive members enthusiastic about 'playing' again... That is the "common sense" response to such a situation...
'Course, who would call the Watchtower Society an organization led by common sense...???
Zid
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tec
Don't they count the attendance so that when it starts to stop or go down, the 'power of the holy people is broken' - (can't remember the scripture, sorry). And then the end will come? I'm pretty sure this is what I was told.
Tammy
Edited to add: Found it! Daniel 12:7
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stillajwexelder
As soon as I have our figures I will let you know. But Worlwide will be a key statistic
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wary
ooh I didnt go.
My first miss in forty years.
Fortunaltly I was working away and drank red wine in the motel room.
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Simon Morley
Zid: (SCA – Society for Creative Anachronism?) I agree with your observation. I came in around 1983 – 85 and fit your profile of being between 50 - 70. I did a quick scan of the latest “Association” list and there is no new influx similar to what I recall in the 80’s. It was so easy for the JW’s to box any dissent and marginalize apostates as “nutbars” back then. I recall trying to get research at libraries and such on JW’s back then – it was near impossible. Ray Franz book had just hit the street in 1983, but was not widely available. I am convinced that I would not have become one 25 years later with the research we have today.
I have heard of two other congregations now in our city that have numbers down over 2009 in the 20 – 25% range. It may well be the natural attrition attributed to death + fade vs. born ins + new recruits. I suspect that it will be down in developed lands and likely up marginally in undeveloped lands.
Stillajwexelder: Thanks for that – I agree that the worldwide number will be a key statistic, let’s see!
Jdhf: Yes very telling to me, I got a sense from the person who told me that most were shocked. Given the attendance they had it was slightly better that the typical meeting during the CO visit – plus they were simply trying to guilt me and my wife for not attending!!
Yknot: Some areas have it so late due to daylight savings time kicking in that they choose to go to an earlier one. That is why I am surprised that my former cong did not have a bigger number as it had the default 1 st time slot at the hall.
Shamus: nice to see you are feeling better!
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blondie
As to the attendance, it would be interesting to see what the percentage of non-jws and inactive, da'd, df'd jws is compared to regularly attending jws.
I wonder how the attendance at the 4/18 "Special" talk is compared to the memorial?
I remember too that attendance was up at the meetings shortly after 9/11 but in a couple of years reverted to original attendance numbers.
