2017 Yearbook released

bohm

I saw this on Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/5mlgsm/2017_yearbook_of_jehovahs_witnesses/

Overall the numbers are better than last year (1.8% growth compared to 1.5% last year -- as I predicted ;-) ) with an increase in all major figures including 1300 more congregations (I assume this is not physical kingdom halls?). But

But but but: Memorial partakers grew by almost 3000 to 18000 and a (slight) DECREASE in average publishers in the US. Western Europe to appears to be very flat.

Just copy-pasting the overall figures:

From 2016:

Branches of Jehovah’s Witnesses: 89

Number of Lands Reporting: 240

Total Congregations: 119,485

Worldwide Memorial Attendance: 20,085,142

Memorial Partakers Worldwide: 18,013

Peak of Publishers in Kingdom Service: 8,340,847

Average Publishers Preaching Each Month: 8,132,358

Percentage of Increase Over 2015: 1.8

Total Number Baptized: 264,535

Average Auxiliary Pioneer Publishers Each Month: 459,393

Average Pioneer Publishers Each Month: 1,157,017

Total Hours Spent in Field: 1,983,763,754

Average Bible Studies Each Month: 10,115,264

From 2015:

Branches of Jehovah’s Witnesses: 89

Number of Lands Reporting: 240

Total Congregations: 118,016

Worldwide Memorial Attendance: 19,862,783

Memorial Partakers Worldwide: 15,177

Peak of Publishers in Kingdom Service: 8,220,105

Average Publishers Preaching Each Month: 7,987,279

Percentage of Increase Over 2014: 1.5

Total Number Baptized: 260,273

Average Auxiliary Pioneer Publishers Each Month: 443,504

Average Pioneer Publishers Each Month: 1,135,210

Total Hours Spent in Field: 1,933,473,727

Average Home Bible Studies Each Month: 9,708,968

jambon1

I always wonder what prompts the memorial attendance increases. World events?

As for the partakers - it's utterly laughable. When I left ten years ago there were 8500 max partaking.

Batshit mentalists.

dubstepped

Well, those 3,000 extra partakers are obviously mentally ill. Not necessarily because the governing body said they are to discredit them, but because they're Jehovah's Witnesses in the first place. It just comes with the territory.

bohm

No surprise, but the growth seems to predominantly happen in Africa and South America, with a LOT of zero % growth in Europe and a slight contraction in the US/Canada. Even Mexico is only growing with 1%...

For instance, the largest growth happened in the republic of Congo with almost 38'000 publishers joining the borg in that country alone (Could this be due to migration?)

blondie

Thanks, bohm!

OUTLAW

Total Hours Spent in Field: 1,983,763,754
Total Number Baptized: 260,273

7,499 hrs to get 1 Baptizim..

We know at least half of those are JW Kids..

So..

It`s really 14,998 hrs or more.....To get 1 converted JW..

schnell

I have a personal observation about Africa. For a time, I joined a few other American brothers in adding some Nigerian brothers on Facebook. This wasn't new to me, since I have had a few online friends for years who are Yoruba. Then more than one of them started messaging me and asking for money, because we're Christian. I know it wasn't just me, because another American brother commented about the same thing.

It was bizarre. And I feel like a huge tool, but how am I supposed to diligently check this? I mean, I don't just give money to just anyone. And how do I get the money to them? PayPal? Bitcoin? The mail? Okay, who is actually getting the money? Is there a charity I can donate to instead that will help them?

But the biggest question was: Beyond tragic institutional poverty in humanity's homeland, why are these African JWs asking for money? And the answer is, at best, because we're "Christian", and because these people are looking for help. Because JWs are offering a brotherhood and present spiritual paradise and future earthly paradise, so why wouldn't they ask?

And then when I read here about brothers in Africa asking for state assistance because the Watchtower won't help them in some way, man, Africa is growing now but that is going to blow up right in their face.

joe134cd

Hey its not all bad news as the following cut n past shows. With 75% of new publishers coming from countries who simply don't have the money to support the preaching work. This must be a financial drain.

Angola: 9% growth, 10k new publishers
Brazil: 8% growth, +21k pubs.
Ecuador: 4% growth, +3k pubs.
Ghana: 3% growth, +4k pubs.
Mexico: 1% growth, +11k pubs.
Rep. of Congo: 22% growth, +33.7k pubs. -record holder
Nigeria: 1% growth, +3k pubs.
31 other lands: 12.2% growth, +4.5k pubs.

About 90k new publishers from 119k overall, or in other words 75% of all new publishers worldwide, came from those countries. This speaks for itself.

OneEyedJoe

What are the numbers for the US? Exciting to see a decrease here, not just because it's home for me but because it's home for them.

I was causing optimistic that this would be the year for decrease in the US, it's nice to see that it happened.

bohm

Two interesting numbers:

During the 2016 service year, Jehovah’s Witnesses spent over $213 million in caring for special pioneers, missionaries, and circuit overseers in their field service assignments. Worldwide, a total of 19,818 ordained ministers staff the branch facilities

During the 2015 service year, Jehovah’s Witnesses spent over $236 million in caring for special pioneers, missionaries, and traveling overseers in their field service assignments. Worldwide, a total of 26,011 ordained ministers staff the branch facilities.

2017 Yearbook released

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