So what happens next...

by Farmer Jim1 62 Replies latest jw friends

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  Farmer Jim1

  With what is arguably the biggest change to JW life in recent decades (the scrapping of publishers counting hours) what does this lead to?

  In my mind these are the results;

  1) A massive decrease in 'preaching hours'. Areas of the UK that seldom see the JWs door knocking will increase.

  2) Apathy increasing from the 'middle group' of witnesses i.e. those that never reached the pioneer/Uber dub status but we're steady plodders.

  3) A decrease in exposure to indoctrination for many members. It becomes easier to miss meetings and ministry and speed up the unplugging from the source.

  4) A speeding up of congregations being merged/buildings being sold as average attendances fall. It would be interesting to get perspectives on meeting attendance these days. Does anyone have any insights?

  I left fairly recently in 2017 but the religion is already unrecognisable from the one I knew.
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  stan livedeath

  can you say where abouts in the UK you are Jim ?
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  Farmer Jim1

  Yeah, I spent most of my life in North Manchester and Bolton but have lived in Shetland for the past 7 years
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  stan livedeath

  nice--i'm at the other end of the UK--the I o Wight.
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  Farmer Jim1

  What's the JW scene like there?

  Where I am now there were about 35 JWs on paper to a population of about 23000 in 2017. A very different JW social scene for younger ones than in Manchester, felt sorry for the few that were there.

  I occasionally see an elderly couple standing next to a cart in the town harbour but as far as any meaningful 'preaching' goes it seems pretty dead and buried. I would be very surprised if many folk have even spoken to a witness in the past five years. It's only my take on it but there's no great preaching work going on here!
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  stan livedeath

  the KHall in the town i live in --a very smart high profile quick build--was sold and is now an animal hospital. Ive asked door steppers in the past--why was it sold--answer--"to pay for more halls in Africa." But i havnt had any door knockers since covid. Even the cart crews seem to have disappeared.

  50 years ago the average publisher to population ratio here was twice the national average--with 5 k halls--now there are 3--as far as i know.

  I have family nearby still in the cult but i have been totally shunned by them for the last 30 odd years. I think most of the other jw's i used to know have either died or moved off the island.
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  MissDaSilva

  Is that in Ryde Stan? I have friends on the island.
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  jwundubbed

  In order to get baptized I had to be regularly be reporting at least 10 hours a month. If no one has to publish hours anymore... is this criteria just scrapped? I mean, I think it is a great change and I'm all for it.. in or out. But it actually seems like a good criteria that people wanting to be baptized as Jehovah's Witnesses actually do witness to a specific standard. I mean, it's part of the name.

  Anyone know what happened with this?
  
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  stan livedeath

  MissDaSilva18 minutes agoIs that in Ryde Stan? I have friends on the island.

  yes--next to a busy macdonalds drive through and a large tesco superstore.
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  MissDaSilva

  I remember that hall. There’s a nice garden centre opposite. That would have fetched quite a good price in that location. The governing Nobodies definitely getting richer.