According to the 2014 annual report:
"Worldwide, there are 115,416 congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses and 8,201,545 publishers."
I don't understand how the bOrg is facing financial difficulty. With all the leaked info today, I'm confused about this 180 turn they're making.
For starters, I used to be the accounts servant in my Congo back in the late 90s/early 2000s. After paying the monthly utilities, we would have anywhere from a $300 monthly deficit to a $1500 surplus (our funds on hand hovered around $3000-8000). Under this new policy, ALL surplus funds go directly to the bOrg now. I understand that globally, the amounts will vary and there's also currency exchange, etc, but let's say for the sake of argument that each Khall sends in $200/month (probably a low estimate). That's still almost $277 MILLION annually.
Or, based on my observations collecting accounts, not everyone donated. Those who did would donate regularly by check each month. Those contributions varied fr $10-200. It would average out to be about $20 per publisher per month (that's probably a high estimate). If that average donation is extrapolated to the number of publishers globally, that's $1.9 BILLION. Annually. Not to mention the windfall they made earlier this year when they gobbled up the funds on hand from every congregation. Not to mention stocks and property left in wills.
Either way you look at it, this organization is making a BUTT LOAD of money. Selling real estate in Brooklyn heights and assembly halls, smaller branches around the world in addition to moving everything to a web site (so the pubs can print with their own ink or use tablets), reducing page volume and frequency of magazines and axing 1600 bethelites (and removing the traveling DO's), I don't see how it's possible that they're in a financial mess. Even if every molested kid settled for financial damages, it's still a drop in the bucket if they're always taking this much money in.
What I see is a hostile corporate takeover by a younger GB. It's glaringly obvious that they've hired a slick, expensive independant group to advise them on restructuring, PR, marketing and cost reduction.
The Conti case was an initial judgment of $18 mil with the bOrg successfully reduced on appeal ( with bethel lawyers who work for nothing). They know that in most countries, they can't be sued for the "2 witness rule" or for not reporting molesters due to protected clergy status. The most they'll do is settle for a modest sum and put a gag order on it. I truly believe they don't see the child abuse lawsuits as anything to worry about. In fact, the recent corporate restructuring puts greater distance between the bOrg and congregations. Revised verbiage also puts a distance between congregations and individual publishers.
What they've done in the meantime is liquidate, reduce expenses and drum up calls for more donations. May broadcast, this weeks wt article, the mortgage scam are all the average JW sees. The bethelites and eventually average dubs will hear the news of the bethel layoffs BEFORE they hear the info from the annual meeting. I believe this is 100% intentional. It will spook the average JW into thinking, "holy shit! we need to fork over even MORE $$$--they're obviously in trouble" when they're actually back stroking in cash like Scrooge MacDuck.
If my hypothesis is correct, my question is why? WHY are they sucking up so much money an what on earth are they planning to do with it? Warwick cannot possibly be that much.
If I'm way off, please enlighten me. If you're a bethel insider, PM me if you know what's really going on.