Even with recent changes it’s a struggle to get people to attend (page 4)

pepperheart2

as said the changes mean nothing to most people out in the real world

LongHairGal

I started my ‘Fade’ from the Witness religion in 2001… When 9/11 happened and some inactives were scared and coming back, I was the one running out.

As far as I can see with these recent changes: (no more hourly time slip reporting and beards permitted), maybe a few younger people might stick around for a time… Surely I don’t see these changes enticing any intelligent people back who have left.

When I left, they weren’t using iPads yet. They weren’t showing videos yet. When I left, my congregation were basically responsible people (no desperation yet). The mentality was that the End was coming ‘soon’. The pioneers who hardly worked weren’t worried yet and expected Armageddon to save them from not preparing for retirement ‘in this system’.

Fast forward to now in 2024: the congregations suffered a loss of many after 1995. In fact, that’s why I left.. The End still didn’t come to save anybody.. Covid came and was a false hope that the End was near… Now, many have reached senior years in many case$ unprepared. Even for seniors who prepared, they still have to deal with illnesses.. Why on earth would anybody who is long out of the religion want to go back there?

Foolednomore

Face it, Jwism does not work. Just alot of BS!

JW GoneBad

"...struggle to get people to attend!"

Last week's mid-week meeting nearly 50 participants on zoom...only one participant (a elderly sister & her husband) camera was on...otherwise all other cameras were off! Of those 50 participants on zoom 5 were elders & their wives & all their cameras were dark/off...go figure!

WingCommander

Sounds like the "sighing and moaning of the Nations" is coming from inside WatchTower Congregations!

Ever think maybe WatchTower is actually "Babylon the Great", and the people getting away from her detestable behaviour are the ones being sifted? The irony!

blondie

JWGoneBad,

"Last week's mid-week meeting nearly 50 participants on zoom...only one participant (a elderly sister & her husband) camera was on...otherwise all other cameras were off! Of those 50 participants on zoom 5 were elders & their wives & all their cameras were dark/off...go figure!" I told my husband this is what I would do if I was still in, turn off the camera and go around doing stuff around the house.

Balaamsass2

I had an old High School friend who is PIMO call me a couple of Sundays ago. He told me was enjoying a cocktail on the deck and throwing a ball for the dog..... while logged in (dark) on Zoom..."Attending" the meeting.....lol.

Journeyman

Ever think maybe WatchTower is actually "Babylon the Great", and the people getting away from her detestable behaviour are the ones being sifted? The irony!

For some time I've certainly thought it's arrogant of the GB to assume the JW org would not also be tested and need purifying. Of course, they would never admit it, as they claim it was somehow all done by 1919, but all the scriptural evidence is that even if an org is supported by God it gets more sifting and testing.

The nation of Israel was constantly in need of cleansing. The first century Christian congregation had "certain men" that had slipped in, and misunderstanding and internal wrangling like circumcision, and who was "best", and whether or not the resurrection had happened, and many other controversies (plus of course individuals among them who were practicing badness like immorality, stealing, etc, that needed weeding out). Even in Revelation when the congregations with the lampstands are examined, Jesus basically gives a number of the warnings that they need to sort themselves out before he comes.

The principle used to be mentioned that "judgement starts with the house of God". Funny how that verse - along with many others which should prompt honest self-examination by the GB, helpers and other prominent men in the org - gets overlooked these days!

Just look even at their most recent example, with the lack of humility over the subject of beards: no apology for error, no recognition that it was a false issue that never had a scriptural basis, and worse, they somehow make it out to be God's volte-face by Lett claiming that now "Jehovah dignifies us with the choice for each brother to decide for himself whether to grow a beard". Err.. Christians have always had that freedom, it's only been a certain group of men on earth who have made an issue out of it up until now!

--

Back on the main subject though: In my area, meeting attendance is moderate. It's still not what it was before COVID, but I have to say it's not dropped through the floor. In fact it's gradually been improving, although there's still about a quarter of the congregation regularly on Zoom.

Attendance for in-person ministry groups, however, is way down, and those that do attend seem to do a lot less and be a lot less 'zealous' than we all used to be (house to house is usually just a few doors then go separate ways on "return calls"). Most publishers at Zoom ministry meetings will just get their territory and disappear off shortly after the prayer, so you have no idea if they're writing, calling on doors or not even doing anything!

Elena

Yes attending the meeting and ministry groups dark is a growing trend. They can’t stop it because so many elderly and infirm rely on zoom. They can’t police it saying you are well enough to attend in person. If someone says they are not well how can someone tell them they are wrong.

Yes those on zoom ministry groups don’t do letter writing anymore. They don’t hand out territory like they used to in covid. I think they said something about writing letters to out through not at homes yourself . But nobody really does this as far as I know.

Vidiot

Journeyman - “… I've certainly thought it's arrogant of the GB to assume the JW org would not also be tested and need purifying…”

Agreed.

On a related note, the Old Testament God had no qualms about bitch-slapping his “chosen people” of Israel when they got out of line and wouldn’t straighten up.

Hell, he used their “worldly” enemies to do it.

😏

Even with recent changes it’s a struggle to get people to attend

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