Watchtower Society no longer contact? Why?

by GermanXJW 15 Replies latest jw friends

  • GermanXJW
    GermanXJW

    I noticed that in September 2001 there was a change in the contact adress in the JW literature.

    For example, Awake! September 8th, 2001 says on page 5:

    Would you welcome more information? Write Watch Tower at the appropriate adress. [...] Offices of the Watch Tower Society in selected countries
    .

    The next issue, Awake! September 22nd, 2001 reads on page 5:

    Would you welcome more information? Write Jehovah's Witnesses at the appropriate adress. [...] Offices of Jehovah's Witnesses in selected countries
    .

    I think this has to do with the founding of the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. But I think the CCOJW is in Patterson, they give the Wallkill-Adress.

    However, the Watchtower Society seems to step into the background.

    Does anybody know if there are legal reasons?

  • slipnslidemaster
    slipnslidemaster

    They've been backing off the Watchtower name for a while now. I think that there has been a change in management or somebody finally won an argument.

  • Amazing
    Amazing

    Since the creation of more corporations and the resignation of the Governing Body from all corporate positions in October 2000, many have speculated that this was for some legal reason to shield the GB from lawsuits and protect the assets of the mother corporation, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.

    I have spent time with an attorney on this issue, who himself has sued and won against religious organizations in cases of child molestation. He was very adament that the Watchtower Society cannot shield its assets or its leaders from judgment. There is too much linkage between the GB and their direction over policy and what is published through the Watchtower Society. There is no escape for them once the big lawsuits are completed and the Society and its GB are found guilty ... they can slice and dice their assets and corporations all they want ... but it is all fair game when plaintiff attorneys get the courts to issue Citations for Discovery of Assets.

    Edited by - Amazing on 1 July 2002 9:46:12

  • Perfection Seeker
    Perfection Seeker

    Speaking of changes, why are they no longer mailing out subscriptions? My mom told me its so people APPRECIATE them, the cost of mailing, blah blah blah- and so only active people get them. My sister said it is probably cause Apostates keep getting them- and pointing out errors. Just curious WHY they are stopping. I have thrown mine away for 2 years without even opening them, so no great loss here! :-) ANYONE?

  • Amazing
    Amazing

    Hi Perfection: Many years ago, I recall sometime in the late 1970s or maybe early 1980s, the Society asked JWs to stop their subscriptions and get their magazines at the Kingdom Hall ... this was stated to be a logistical concern, not cost cutting ... that is, demand was outpacing their ability to print enough magazines to meet the mailing deadlines ... cost cutting was a side benefit, but not that great, because they still had some shipping costs. So to take some pressure off, they had us do this for a time.

    Then during this era they also stopped using commercial shipping and started their own trucking out to regional distribution centers, often a warehouse built on Circuit Assembly property, and asked the JWs to set up their own pick up system.

    Years laters, after the Society built and installed more printing facilities, they asked us to resume again our subscritpions.

    My belief is that this recent change has far more to do with "cost" and "Control." It is far cheaper to send the magazines in bulk to distribution centers and have the JWs pick them up at the Kingdom Hall ... and then is some non-JW gets a magazine at the door, and writes to the Society for a subscritpion, the Society will dispatch someone to call on them with regular magazine deliveries ... and increase personal visits ... and frankly, this is far more effective in developing Bible Studies to work with those who show enough interest to contact them for a subscription ... and it creates more service time for those assigned the follow-up.

    A side benefit is that ex-JWs are less likely to get magazines or be called on ... but I doubt that the Society is too concerned about this because ex-JWs can get the magazines if they really want them ... so there is no point in trying to fight it.

  • Fire Dragon
    Fire Dragon

    Perfection Seeker,

    It was speculated in my old cong that one of the reasons they stopped the subs is so that incase the Great Trib started, there would be no way for the governments to find all the dubs. Think about it, subscription lists have every name and address of every dub in the world....no list, less persecution for the dubs when the GT breaks out.

    -Fire

  • MikeMusto
    MikeMusto

    The subscription issue has serious issues. The truths that God offers are free and should
    be abundant to all. Like the waters of Revelation, they should flow freely and abundantly. By now
    limiting who can now get these "truths" are they limiting who can get these truths? Unfortunately

    the rank and file are just going along with the flow on this issue. Not questioning anything. For

    example, notice the Societys words in the following KM.

    *** km 4/81 3 Are You a Subscriber? ***


    Are You a Subscriber?

    1

    Why do you recommend that householders subscribe to The Watchtower? Is it not because you know that by their doing so they are availing themselves of an abundant and continuous supply of spiritually upbuilding information? Receiving the magazines at home regularly will maximize the opportunity for them to be motivated favorably toward the truth. Would this not also be true for ourselves? So, are you and every member of your family subscribers?

    2

    Think of the benefits. For one thing, subscription copies of the magazine arrive weeks before the issue date. This allows ample time for reading and personal and family study before the congregational study. Due to sickness or other reasons, or simply through being forgetful, we may miss out on picking up the magazines at the Kingdom Hall. With the magazines coming to us regularly in the mail, we are assured of getting every issue, thus building up a complete file for future use in connection with the Theocratic School and service meeting, as well as for research. In many families, the children are very much encouraged when the magazines come to them in their own name. This helps them to take greater interest in the magazines and receive greater benefits therefrom.

    3

    This month we will be offering the Watchtower subscription once again. It would be appropriate to start with ourselves and our household becoming subscribers. Then, we might think about those among our friends, relatives, acquaintances, workmates, schoolmates, and so forth, who may enjoy receiving a gift subscription. Of course, the house-to-house work is still the principal way in which we may obtain subscriptions. Yes, by looking out for all the opportunities, we will have another rewarding month of activity with the magazines.
  • Perfection Seeker
    Perfection Seeker

    FIRE DRAGON & AMAZING- Thanks for the information. I've been curious for some time- but didn't want to probe my mother much- since every question I ask is followed by about 10 hours of preaching. MUCH easier getting the answers here. THANKS :-)

  • Billygoat
    Billygoat

    Thanks Mike for that KM. Interesting...but I'm just curious what the wording is now that they're asking R & F to NOT subscribe. Does anyone have that?

  • blondie
    blondie

    *** km 2/72 8 Question Box ***


    Is each publisher encouraged to have his own personal subscription for "The Watchtower" and "Awake!"?

    Many of our brothers are now getting their "Watchtower" and "Awake!" magazines at the Kingdom Hall. We encourage this arrangement. It saves the Society a tremendous amount of work and it saves you money.

    We will try to get new subscriptions from people who do not regularly attend meetings at the congregationpeople with whom we conduct Bible studies or on whom we make back-calls, friends, relatives and people we meet in the house-to-house work. They should be encouraged to obtain subscriptions for the magazines. But after they are publishers and are attending meetings regularly, they might be encouraged to get their magazines from the magazine counter.

    For some this will mean quite an adjustment. And there will be a need for us to get into the good habit of going to the magazine counter each week to pick up the latest copies of "The Watchtower" or "Awake!" for our personal use and for distribution in the field. Dont neglect it and then find later that members of your family missed out on an issue and the supply at the Kingdom Hall is gone. Rather, begin now to make it a regular part of your activity at the Kingdom Hall to stop at the magazine counter each week for your latest copies of "The Watchtower" and "Awake!"

    Individuals wanting the magazines sent directly to their homes should not be discouraged from subscribing. People may have good reasons for wanting to have the magazines sent by mail to their homes. But, as mentioned above, it will mean less work for the Society and it will save you money if you obtain your individual copies of the magazines at the Kingdom Hall.

    *** km 4/73 1 Branch Letter ***


    Dear Kingdom Publishers:

    Watchtower Farm has been the scene of a lot of excitement lately. The Society has completed one new factory there and another one, huge building, is well under way.

    Since February 2 the first factory there at the farm has been producing literature for your use in the field. On that day, just a few weeks ago, the first magazines rolled off the printing presses in that new factory. And now this delighted the large family that serves on your behalf there at Watchtower Farm! Now two presses are running, and there are more to come. Three more large rotary presses have already arrived from Germany, and soon these will be erected, ready for production. Our brothers there are willing and eager to supply all the magazines that you can possibly use in proclaiming the good news.

    With the new printing facilities, our capacity for producing magazines and handling subscriptions has been greatly increased. So we are now able to invite all of you publishers in the continental United States to have personal subscriptions for The Watchtower and Awake! again.

    We want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for responding so well to the recommendation in Kingdom Ministry to obtain personal copies of the magazines at the Kingdom Hall when that seemed advisable. While some may prefer to continue doing that, doubtless many of you will again want to have both The Watchtower and Awake! sent directly to your homes. If you and other members of your family would like to have personal subscriptions, we will be pleased to provide that service for you now.

    As for magazines sent to or from other lands, due to the high postal rates it is requested that publishers continue to get personal copies from the congregations supply, if that is what has been done up till now.

    *** km 10/73 7 Are You a Subscriber? ***


    There is no need to hold back from entering personal subscriptions, feeling that these would be more work for the Society. In the past it was suggested that the brothers pick up personal copies at the Kingdom Hall rather than subscribe. Your cooperating during this period was a great help and was very much appreciated. But we want all to know that now we will be very glad to mail the magazines directly to your homes. Encouraging others to subscribe is more convincing when we ourselves are subscribers. Of course, this applies to The Watchtower also.

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