"Suggested" Donation when attending Circuit Assembly

by BluesBrother 45 Replies latest jw friends

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  out4good3

  I remember seeing a post long ago that mentioned that the reason for the excessive expenses and that there was always a deficit was that expensed into the budget was always a prearranged resolved donation that was slated to be sent to the soceity. Of course, this resolution would not be read out to the R\F when the accounts were shared, on ly that there was a deficit and a reminder to always honor jehovah with your valuable things.

  Too bad that for your valuable things all you got in return was garbage.
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  BluesBrother

  The Assembly Hall in question was indeed Dudley. which has a very wide catchment area across the West and East Midlands of the U K . As far as I know the scheme is National.

  Back in the day, of course, the food service provided the funds to hire the hall or to pay for the Assembly Hall. That cost money from the attendees but at least it was their choice to eat and they got something for their money. At that time the elders would be called to a Sunday lunchtime meeting just to pass resolutions about the surplus and Circuit Funds. We all wanted it over a s a p.

  I do not know what they are up to now, beyond what is announced. A savvy dub will pay this fee and knock it off his congregation donations....
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  Bonnie_Clyde

  The comments on the costs of renting versus owning an assembly hall reminded me of the early 1970's when Clyde was accounts servant for the assemblies. The excuse that was used to get the congregations approve an assembly hall was how expensive it was to rent the high schools. Clyde was fairly vocal that the last high school we "rented" was free and the one before that was $1,000 for the weekend (3-days), and that was the highest we had ever paid. But, not only did the assembly hall get built, another assembly hall went up about 15 years later about 70 miles away. A lot of the brothers who contributed time and money for the first one were hit upon to do it again.

  But get this! Not too long after this, the elders who inherited the first assembly hall sent letters to the congregations who were now using the second hall asking for donations for renovating their facility. This was their reasoning: any time you move out of a house, you want to make sure it is in perfect condition for the new tenants. So Clyde asked the question, "If you give away a building, does the new tenant really expect to you leave it in mint condition?" Shouldn't the new tenants be greatful for what they have? Actually, I don't think these yoyo's ever got the money, at least not from our congregation, because our elders saw it the same way. They couldn't see donating time and labor for two assembly halls and then being hit for help with renovating the first one.

  Bonnie
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  ziddina

  Wow, Bonnie...

  The gall of those people!! I'm glad the elders turned them down!!
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  steve2

  None of these points would be anywhere remarkable if the Watchtower itself did not have an established history of well over one hundred years of loud vocal condemnation of the churches of Christendom who are blatantly portrayed as constantly pressuring their members for money.

  The Watchtower also has a sickening history of trumpeting, by contrast, how different it is (e.g., "Seats free - no collection").

  Fact is, wherever you've got organized religion, you've got a pool of people who are at high risk of being fleeced. I suppose if those people also claim to belong to the great crowd of "other sheep" they're asking to be fleeced. But to be fleeced by those pulling the wool over one's own eyes is a bit rich. Okay, I've made my point so I'll stop with the analogies.....
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  konceptual99

  Very interesting reading St. George. I looked at the accounts for the Surrey Assembly Hall (a.k.a. Haysbridge) - where our cong is assigned. The charity has funds of over £4 million, takes almost £300k a year and has costs of £160k. We are encouraged to live a simple life, just enough to get by. If the assembly hall was doing the same they would be saying don't worry about donating, we have the costs covered.

  Not only do they not do that, they are disingenuous in how funds are solicited. The accounts when read out at the SAD or CA relate to the circuit attending the event and often are showed to be in deficit. So you get people encouraged to donate using the cash boxes or credit/debit card machine for a building with loads of spare cash. Would people donate if they knew the hall had £4 million in the bank?

  So, effectively you have a business raking in a tax free profit of almost £160k a year. On the basis of the hall's own accounts it could be run for 20 years with no need for any more donations.

  What am I missing here? I must be wrong somehow? Surely if they really had funds like this then they would go to benefit others in some way? Surely there would be no solicitation of funds with guilt laden begging talks?