So Spill the Beans, Brothers: Were There More or Fewer At this Year's Bore-Fest

by steve2 51 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Phizzy

  We used to have three Bros count the Mem. attendance, and we would average out the result as all three always came up with a diferent number. LOL

  I would love to know how many attended locally, but there is no way to find out for me, a "spirtual danger". LOL

  Despite a number of JW's moving in to the area, and a number having children, I would doubt that they have asignificant increase in numbers from when we left, but I have no way of confirming that. I suppose we will see a (fictional) figure reported for the Country as a whole some time ?
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  subytrek

  Yes, I've counted at meetings, assemblies, and Memorials before and yes it isn't as easy as it looks to count people since they are walking around, in the back, in the bathroom, etc. The numbers you see in Yearbooks are not that accurate. Also, I know several people that go to more than one Memorial, especially in the foreign language congs. Many people go to both English and whatever foreign language they are in. So, they get counted twice which inflates the numbers.
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  AmandaRulez

  My brother-in-law took attendence this year and said it was 164, last year was 135 at the local cong.
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  steve2

  Thanks to all who've responded. I acknowledge this is not scientific and will have no bearing to eventual official reports of attendances in specific locations, let alone countries. I notice that for the last 2 years, the organization has been tight-lipped with these attendance figures in Western countries -undoubtedly due to poorer overall attendances compared to earlier years.Usually, if their numbers look good, they're proclaimed earlier - as in "new peaks" outlined in The Kingdom Ministry.Last year, this sorry man hung out for the Memorial attendance figures like a dog for a favorite snack and was not rewarded at all until the current Yearbook dribbled out. Smiddy would rightly see this state of anticipation as pathetic. I confess I am very pathetic...at times.

  As anticipated, the Memorial attendances worldwide and in the USA and other countries such as New Zealand (Go Kiwis) and Australia were down compared with 2011.
• 

  Phizzy

  A friend who still attends his K.H told me thay had 110 present at his Hall, a smallish Congregation, and that figure is 10% up on last year !

  He thinks that this year could very well see an attendance of 20 million Worldwide. He may well be right.

  We look for evidence of decline, but so far it seems that may not be the case in terms of pure figures, of course, we shall have to wait and see.

  What gives me heart, is not figures, but what I see with my own eyes.

  For the first time in my over sixty years of either membership or observation, I see the WT in Panic Mode.

  The selling off of properties around the world, the axing of District overseers, the winding down of the publishing arm of the business, the re-branding to JW.org, and the desperate new donations system, they all smack of panic measures.

  Whether it will work remains to be seen. Personally I think they need to not just re-brand to the extent of getting a LoGo " out front" they need to address the hugely off-putting aspects of the religion.

  They need to be appealing to 21st Century Man,and Woman, and they ain't goin' to do that with a19th Century message.
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  Vidiot

  Phizzy - "Personally I think they need to not just re-brand to the extent of getting a LoGo " out front" they need to address the hugely off-putting aspects of the religion. They need to be appealing to 21st Century Man,and Woman, and they ain't goin' to do that with a 19th Century message."

  What you're describing is called "progressive reform".

  And they can't.

  They've painted themselves far too tightly into an ideological corner; if they tried to implement genuine reform at this point, they'd (among other things) arguably no longer be Jehovah's Witnesses.
• 

  Sapphy

  Maybe my local congregation bucked the increase trend. Last year they had 218, this year they had 183. I think the fact it was monday night might have had something to do with it.
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  metatron

  Good observations, Phizzy

  From the outside looking in, we see small steady increases - but from the inside looking out we see near panic

  What are they so afraid of? What's the reality that has them fearful? What do they know that we don't?

  metatron
• 

  twice shy

  They're afraid of the internet. The more they pueh their website the more this one is seen. It seems like they are paying someone to have this website come up at the bottom of the page that pulls up their official site first. JW.net used to be at the top.
• 

  Vidiot

  metatron - "What are they so afraid of? What's the reality that has them fearful? What do they know that we don't?"

  Occam's Razor - the simplest explanation is the most likely one...

  ...the WTS is dying; it's all but inevitable at this point.