JWs With A Financial Interest In The Org

by JW_Rogue 21 Replies latest jw experiences

  • JW_Rogue
    JW_Rogue
    Through personal experiences which I'd rather not relate because it would give away my identity I have come to a realization. Many brothers own businesses that a greatly supported by witness activities. When local congregations need some service they will prefer to do business with a JW. Some large printing companies regularly do business with the JWs and basically have standing orders for things like memorial invitations, convention invitations and cart sign printing. Contractors who do RBC work can also benefit as they will no doubt be recommended for projects when a brother or sister has a need. The WT says that Kingdom Halls aren't a place to conduct business but that is just an outward display in reality JW activities often support small businesses operated by JWs. Most witnesses if they find out about this don't see anything wrong with it. They reason that supporting their brothers is better than supporting a "worldly company" but they don't see how financial ties could motivate decisions made by the org and local elders. Eventually all the money comes from local brothers and sisters.
  • StarTrekAngel
    StarTrekAngel

    It would not surprise me at all. Just check the case of QSC Telecom and you would see a definite arrangement where an individual could benefit from doing big business with the org.

    In my personal experience, there is this one elder, the one that gave me my study, who I accidentally caught at least twice. I would see him at assemblies from far and recognize him. Coincidentally, foot traffic and the shape of the place itself, would lead me to have to approach him from behind to say hi. In at least two of these cases, he was talking to someone, near a corner. When I got closer, he was handing the other guy a check. He would look noticeable distressed upon realizing that I came close and probably saw that. He will still greet me and pretend nothing happened. The funny part is that he was always paying the same guy. Don't know the other guy name but he was always in charge of fixing the mic at assemblies.

  • label licker
    label licker

    Won't argue with you on that one. The brother who made all the cabinetry (literature counters, kingdom hall signs, front podium and stage ect,,) was none other the nephew to the brother who signed the cheques for services done in Georgetown, Ontario bethel. Andrea Ramseyer was the bethelite and his nephew who had the business was Rick Ramseyer. Before bethel let him do their custom work for them, Rick had to let his employees go because he was always whining he couldn't compete with the big guys.

    Last time we did any processing for bethel, our cheques were signed by Andrea Ramseyer. It's who you know.

  • ToesUp
    ToesUp
    Anyone remember Mighty Distributing? a.k.a. Mighty Auto Parts. 90% of all the franchisee's were witnesses and the Mighty Corporate owner's were VIP's with the U.S. branch bethel leadership. You had an automatic trust of the "brotherhood". Many millionaires were created because of the "brotherhood"! Follow the money!
  • Oubliette
    Oubliette

    JW_Rogue: Many brothers own businesses that a greatly supported by witness activities. …. Eventually all the money comes from local brothers and sisters.

    Congratulations!

    You figured it out.

    So let's review: It's a scam AND a cult!

    (Although, technically that's redundant. While not all scams are cults, I maintain that all cults are scams.)

  • JW_Rogue
    JW_Rogue

    This is an example I found pretty quickly on from an "about me" page: JW Imprints provides Jehovah's Witness public witnessing signage & imprints of convention invitations, memorial invitations & handbills. The company owners are active Jehovah's Witnesses in their local congregations. We are independently owned and operated and NOT A PART OF The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Inc. or Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc..

  • stillin
    stillin

    When our local KH wanted to remodel they did some tentative shopping on their own to see what might be included in the scope of work. Of course the RBC had to be involved because there are many congregations that did horrible remodels, etc. so to protect the congregations from themselves, we found that nearly every phase of the project was overpriced because the RBC uses their own vendors. The reply, when we told them that we could do better on our own,was that they would have more purchasing clout because of being a big-volume, repeat customer with these vendors!

    we paid more so as to save money. If you can understand this, please explain it to me.

  • sir82
    sir82

    We are independently owned and operated and NOT A PART OF The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Inc. or Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc...but by God, we sure love that they pay us gobs of money. Ain't the spiritual paradise grand?

    There, fixed that for ya.

  • purrpurr
    purrpurr

    Yes I know of jw's who have building firms and printing firms who get a large bulk of their work from the WT.

    I also know on a smaller scale that there is an expectation in the Cong that if you are a small company you should be giving goods/ services either at a big discount or for free!

  • Bonsai
    Bonsai

    You mean a financial interest like this?

    http://ameblo.jp/shou-tan-jw/entry-12050523831.html

    or this? (sorry it's in Japanese)

    https://www.etsy.com/jp/search?q=jw+org+tie+clip&page=1

    Disgusting...

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