Covering the territory

Ding

How often are JWs trying to cover a given territory nowadays?

Logically, they should be trying to cover the territory more and more often the closer Armageddon gets, but it seems to me I see them out far less often than I used to.

NotBlind

Their goal is to cover all territories at least once a year. Congregations that can't do this can get assistance from the home office or surrounding congregations to cover their territories.

Of course, what they call 'cover' the territory is a lot different than it used to be. Lots of publishers knock so quietly that nobody would ever know they were there. Is there a No Trespassing sign anywhere on the premises? Skip the house! Nobody at home? Leave a tract and forget about it!

A lot of territory coverage (maybe 30 to 40%?) consists of Memorial/Convention invitation canvassing, where no real message is conveyed. Gone are the days when JW's prepared, rehearsed, and delivered a 4-5 minute sermon at the door which actually included Bible scriptures.

This generation of JW's seems more interested in making an appearance on Saturday morning, working a few houses, then hightailing it to McDonald's/Starbucks/Panera Bread for a lengthy break.

redvip2000

agreed. Less and less.

I have lived at my current house for 6 years and had 2 visits. One of them I actually spoke to them. Now, it's possible that they have come and i'm not there, but in that case, the protocol should be to continue to return until they reach someone.

Field serve-us is basically a report you fill out, there is no real interest in talking to anybody. Even when they are out, they will walk as slow as possible and stop frequently.

redpilltwice

Popular statements I've heard (and used myself):

"People see us" or "Don't worry, Jehovah will draw sheep-like people through his angels, it's his work".

Lame excuses, there's less and less oil in the lamps.

steve2

In the build up to the alleged momentous year of 1975, we covered the vast local territory every few weeks so that householders would literally say, "You people were here earlier this month", to which we would reply, "We know!" and then plough on into our spiel and how perilously close the end was. The number of new ones publishing and getting baptized was absolutely astonishing. I recall occasions when so many carloads of us turned up on the territory that brothers had difficulty organizing smaller groups. We had no coffee breaks and we worked hard.

The contrast more than forty years later is striking: When I do see the Witnesses doing the territory, they are few in number, they are usually older women and they saunter along the street as if they are out for a Sunday stroll.

Logically - and by JWs' own reasoning - we are now so much closer to the end - but the evidence in support of the closeness from JWs own activity levels robustly contradicts their feeble claim.

Ding

Without a date, there's no real sense of urgency, but they don't dare set another date in the age of the internet.

GrreatTeacher

Maybe the slow pace is a function of the aging of the members.

wozza

Here south of Adelaide 30 years ago we would average 10 days to 2 weeks for most maps ,some rural ones were once a month , but sometimes when pioneering we would be short of maps and cover the territory fully 3 times ,hand the map back in and get it back to go within a week . The urgency was strong to not dawdle on the streets and cover fully the houses .

At times with the total territory being covered in under 10 days we would finish a map and then start it again immediately ,with the elders stressing that the angels are working hard and we are there to help them find the last of "the ones sighing and groaning " ,that's how close the end was.

Fast forward to today mmmmm....trolleys ,shuffling along , taking coffee breaks etc.

When I moved to Queensland north of Brisbane for a few years it was hard to adjust to a much slower pace on the territory ,they EVEN HAD COFFEE breaks an hour after being out , one elder even told me to slow down as we'll get the territory done .

When I moved back to my old area in South Australia over the years I saw the complacency begin to grow as "The Generation " was obviously getting old to all observing.

alanv

One third of the world has never even heard the JW message. This is clearly seen by reading the service report each year in the Yearbook. In countries where witnesses do cover their territory regularly, most people have no idea at all what the JW message is. All most people know is that they dont take blood, dont celebrate birthdays and Christmas, plus a growing number now know about the JWs awful child sex abuse policies.

pale.emperor

Lots of publishers knock so quietly that nobody would ever know they were there. Is there a No Trespassing sign anywhere on the premises? Skip the house! Nobody at home? Leave a tract and forget about it!

This is true! We actually had an announcement to not call on doors which said "NO COLD CALLERS" and "NO SALESPEOPLE". Then a few weeks later another announcement saying we should actually call on them because we're not selling anything, then a month later another announcement once again telling us not to call.

Even when they are out, they will walk as slow as possible and stop frequently.

Ever heard of Pioneer Pace? It's a real thing. You always know who the pioneers are because they wait about 5 mins per door and walk as slow as possible to the next one. It's not even said as a joke, they even say it about themselves. My ex-mother in law starts her time by handing a tract to a passer by on her way out - then goes to the meeting for field service (still counting her time) and by the time she's done her 2 hours on Saturday she tots down at least 3 hours or more. Combine that with pioneer pace and you soon get those hours. All perfectly acceptable nowadays to get your hours in.

"People see us" or "Don't worry, Jehovah will draw sheep-like people through his angels, it's his work".

Oh dear, i've heard this many times. Great excuse to not knock on a door that has a barking dog or a hot girl sunbathing in her front garden.

Covering the territory

Share this