@wobble- how did you see other's pub record cards? I remember back in the 70's and early 80's the elders would give us each our card to look at at the KH for a few minutes- that was only on occassion. But since then they NEVER let us see our cards! I don't know why. I never got to see anyone else's card, not even my brother's when we were in the same cong. We were told we could see ours only.
But why would the society fake their reports? What would be the point? An increase of 2% is hardly encouraging! Why not show a 15% increase or 20% and say: Jehovah is really speeding up the work!
Growth rates have been lackluster for a very long time. I was discouraged. If the society were to exaggerate the reports shouldn't they at least report good increases?
I can see that many here doubt the yb figures but it would make no sense to me for the society to do that.
RE: FS hours- yes, alot of time gets reported that technically should not. I recall one "brother" ( he did not last long!) who took me and my brother out in fs in his car group one day. As soon as we got in the car he said to us:" Armageddon!' Then he laughed and said- 'there, I started my time.' We were not baptized yet. I thought he was kidding. He told us later he always counted time he spent talking to us. I told him we are publishers! He said he did not care. Anyway he dissappeared after maybe a year. No surprise. Why did he even bother to go out in FS?
Some kept their fs time going while we stopped for coffee breaks- telling the waitresses we were jws and offering them literature. Yes, alot of time was spent driving to and from rural territories too. We would make an rv first- then go. But we were out there to preach, even if we did not find anyone at the doors to talk to all morning. I counted my time for that.
But I don't see the point in the society faking how many publishers there are. If they are going to lie they should at least make up some "encouraging" increases!
As for elders or others in the cong who completly made up their fs reports-why were they even there? They were lying to Jehovah! If they did not believe it was the truth just don't go out in fs anymore. I gave up fs when I no longer believed JWs were God's org.