I get the impression from replies that the zeal of yesteryear for the door-to-door work has evaporated, leaving largely older JWs "on their own".
This is a significant shift in my view, considering the high conscientiousness exhibited by JWs in earlier decades.
We scrupulously wrote down "Not at Homes" (as they were called) - and persisted until we found someone at home. I recall "experiences" given at conventions about the efforts by some Witnesses to contact Not at Homes and the "fruit" it bore (e.g., when the householder was finally contacted, interest was shown, a study started, then attending meetings and out door-knocking).
Special Pioneers, along with Regular Pioneers, drove this work and it was clear that interest was found each time the territory was combed. Judging by the annual reports for at least two decades, the "slowing down" of growth has become increasingly obvious.
What interests me is the present spluttering "growth" seems to reflect born-ins than it does "newly interested ones."
My hunch is that the era of "career" door-knockers is over, although the older timers haven't yet reached the point of stopping altogether. By contrast, to newer generations of JWs, the concept of spending your days and years door-knocking is foreign - hence the "slide" into trolley or cart work or, more likely, inactivity.
This looks like the 'Mormonification' of the JWs - the focus is uncreasingly more internal - visiting those raised in the religion and/or have already established ties to JWs. Look at the Bibke Studies JW parents can now count with their kids. The more general outreach is f-f-fading. 😔
