BTTT
I spoke with my MIL last night, who is very excited about April. It seems that people in her congregation are theorizing that this is a "test run" to see if a more permanent arrangement is in order.
She said something that, together with what many people here have said, gave me pause. The conversation went kind of like this:
MIL: 30 hours isn't that hard to do. Maybe they're seeing if it goes well and then they'll change the requirements so that lots of people can aux. pioneer.
My wife: Then why doesn't everyone just put in 30 hours without the title of pioneer?
MIL: Well, I think that when you actually sign up to pioneer, you're more likely to work hard to make your time.
And there it is. The title of pioneer or even auxiliary pioneer are already revered among JWs, something to attain to. So, you make the hours requirement almost ridiculously low, so that fewer people have an excuse NOT to pioneer. Then you count on the fact that, once signed up, MOST will not fake their hours but will work extra hard to make their time month after month.
Benefits for the WTS leadership:
Numbers to prove that Jehovah is "speeding up the work before the end" and the associated sort-lived rush that this gives the publishers.
More people being kept too busy "making their time" to do much else... like get on the internet and such.
More people making changes in their lives - 'simplifying' - in order to pioneer. Once they have invested in it, they will be more likely to keep doing it.
A way to separate those who are "weak"- why can't you put in 30 hours, Brother Hasaregularjob? Even Sister Singlewithkids is doing it! Then, once these less zealous ones are known, they can be subject to more scrutiny, shepherding visits, pressure, etc.
While I'm not a WTS conspiracy theorist, it does look like this Loving Arrangement from the Governing Body TM really is at the very least a way to create more pressure on the publishers to do even more.