Your Take On 30 Hour Pioneering

by jw07 13 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  jw07

  The GB has magically reduced the hours sufficient for being an auxillary pioneer for March and April to 30.

  This is my take:

  It's a carefully researched marketing push. The governing body aka faithful and discreet slave, aka those 8 directors who seek to write the script to your life need a way to boost profits for their cash cow: the field service.

  More than likely they recognized March and April as the most profitable months due to the fervor of memorial season, both prior to and a little after the event.

  At the same time they need the ministry to look more attractive with the aim of increasing revenue through it, so they dangle the carrot of being an ‘auxillary pioneer’ by cutting down the hour requirement.

  The result: more dubs get duped into going out MORE for March and April, increasing donations, and thus injecting some nice, quick cashflow.

  Oh, the ‘increased hours’ looks good on paper too.

  PS: Many dubs will push themselves harder, and then yap about how blessed they feel after getting a rush of endorphins from the exertion and sunlight.

  Whats your take?
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  wisdomfrombelow

  I never really understand the difference between someone who gets pioneer hours and a pioneer. With the except of the status and required approval of the body of elders, it is just someone doing a certain amount of time in the field ministry. Since an elder or ministerial servent should, by station of their title, already be "exemplary", if they as a regular publisher reach the required hours for an auxiliary pioneer for a particular month shouldn't they be considered an auxiliary pioneer even if it is retroactive? If you think too much about it then you'll realize just what it is--a title which means very little and you can create your own titles to mean whatever you want and apply them to yourself and get as much or even more benefit.
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  cobaltcupcake

  The titles meant something back in the days when we paid a certain amount for the literature. Pioneers and Temporary Pioneers got a discount rate so that they could make a little money off their placements. Pennies meant something back when gas was less than 50 cents a gallon.

  Nowadays, the only real benefit to having the title of "Pioneer" is going to Pioneer School and the extra days of everlasting life you accrue for each year of pioneering.
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  Hortensia

  the extra days of everlasting life you accrue for each year of pioneering.

  very funny!

  It pains me to think of all the time I spent getting 100 hours a month all those years ago. Can't believe I wasted my life that way.
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  jwfacts

  It is like a multi-level marketing scheme. JWs need titles and levels to motivate them. Since most Jws never achieve anything whilst witnessing, they cannot get motivated from love of God and neighbour to put more hours in, so the only reward they get is the title.
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  LouBelle

  back in my day you had to hit 60 hours. I pioneerd in the months of April because we had our shcool holidays (well about 10 days) and I used to hit it hard during those holidays and end up not having a bloody holiday. I feel robbed.
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  WTWizard

  This is what I call inflation. You are wasting your life either way--30 hours at a time or 200. People are not willing to waste 200 hours a month, unless their opportunity costs are extremely low. Yet, most everyone can be guilted into wasting at least 30, and at least a few times a year. As for looking good, it is like calling something a "dollar" that isn't. To me, a "dollar" is 1/20 ounce of gold. Can you get 1/20 ounce of gold for a dollar these days? If not, it isn't a dollar--yet it gets the title "dollar". When "toilet paper" is a better title.

  Likewise, "pioneer" is a misleading title these days. A true pioneer is one that prepares the way for others to follow. A scout is one that is right at the edge exploring to see if it's feasible for others to follow. After the scouts, you see pioneers going ahead and actually preparing the way for others. Do you see scouts within the witless organization? I never did. And, those so-called pioneers never did more than circle the area where others have been many times before. They are no more "pioneers", 30 hours a month or 200, than a dollar bill is a true dollar. As the dollar (unless you can genuinely buy a full 1/20 ounce of pure gold with it) is actually a toilet paper, a "pioneer" that doesn't prepare the way for others to follow is actually a pious-sneer.
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  hoser

  WTWizard
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  breakfast of champions

  I doubt this 30 hour has anything to do with money (although it might be a by-product).

  They realize people are slipping away: 2014 is right around the corner, they've switched much of their content over to the internet (scary for them), and I'm sure they have some major whacky doctrinal changes ahead in the near future. How do they keep people in?

  The 30- hour month is right out of the Cult Guidebook under the chapter "Time-Consuming Meaningless Tasks Leave No Time For Critical Thinking".

  30 hours is perfect: if you're a working person, its doable if you spend every weekend in service; plus you get a little status with from the "pioneer" title. Keeping people busy so they don't notice the bullshit is mostly what this is about.

  From a psychological perspective, actually physically performing tasks reinforces a person's beleifs and reduces cognitive dissonance. For example, someone with doubts who signs up for the 30 hr month will unconsciously say to themselves "I must believe this is true, because I observe myself talking about it to others." Weird but true.

  And I would be surprised if this 30 hour thing wasn't extended to all 12 months and used as kind of a "meter" to judge between who is really "spiritually minded" and the undesirables.
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  OnTheWayOut

  Whats your take?

  There's no longer any significant increased revenue from increased recruiting time. The real money is in the contribution boxes, mostly at assemblies/conventions.

  But they gain better control over the remaining JW's if they can get them to do more more more more of the work.

  Males probably see signing up for aux. pioneer as the shortcut to making rank. And it probably works in most congs.

  I think a side result that still makes what you say come true is that the 30-hour publishers kind of "fudge" their hours and they feel guilty about sitting at Starbucks for their 30 hours and they put more money in the box.