Those of us who were in the organization in the 1960s and 1970s have a less controversial take on this current "trend" to break up field service into "coffee breaks" with later in-the-morning pre-service meetings.
There have always been a hard core of Witnesses who were intolerant of the relatively relaxed approach most JWs took towards field service. Pioneers in my old congregation avoided sisters with children like the plague because tending to children slowed things down - and the more zealous ones would start their field service around 8.00am and romp up to the rendezvous (yes, that's what it was called) closer to the agreed-upon time for "others". It was a matter of conscience whether the early birds kept counting time during that meeting - let's just say, the more desperate you were to make up your hours for the month, the more inclined you were to pad the hours.
Nowadays, the contrasst between the hard core and the "others" is perhaps more clearly demarcated but at least there is now explicit recognition that coffee breaks are okay. In the 1970s, one had to engage in elaborate deceitful acts to get a break mid-morning ("Oh, you'll have to excuse me, but I've got a very important Return Visit across town" i.e., cafe ).
Yet, I must confess that when I see the morning's field service program (as was displayed on the website of a kingdom hall in the UK) I couldn't help but think what pussies the Witnesses have become. E.g., meet up with the international delegates for field service at 10.00am and return to the kingdom hall at 11.00am to get ready for the tour! Even their God, Jehovah, could be forgiven for exclaiming, "Why bother!"
Deep into this time of the end, these are the tired, slim pickings of this worldwide work of urgency. "Will you pass me my triple-shot latte, sister? Thanks"
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...OUTLAW