There is NO annual service report in the Janaury 1st WT

by truthseeker 68 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  hillary_step

  GDT,

  what a bunch of cynics we have here! the annual report was announced at our circuit assembly last w/end, very encouraging, ==about 500,000 more publishers and good growth in studies etc....from what some of you say you'd prefer to see everything collapse, but who would be ready to 'go, make disciples in all nations'? you? not me alone with a few 'mates' that's for sure. cheers, gdt

  The annual growth rate worldwide was just 1%, the lowest in my long memory for many, many decades. Whatever spin you, or your leaders put on this, this low figure is indicative of something apart from the closeness of Armaggedon! Best regards - HS
• 

  StinkyPantz

  I blame the Internets..
• 

  RunningMan

  I think they will start jiggling the numbers somehow

  They have already done that. A couple of years ago, they widened the definition of publisher to include anyone who spent 15 minutes in a month in service. By casting the net wider, I heard they picked up about an extra 1.5%. This is not a real increase, just a more moderate definition.

  So, what't next? Will they start counting anyone who has a publisher card - including irregular and inactive ones? Maybe they will begin reporting all baptized persons or hang their hat on memorial attendance.

  And, let's not forget the rampant fraud that goes into the individual reports. How many here have fudged their service reports? Heck, for my last couple of years, my report was 90% fiction.
• 

  one

  One percent grow is no grow, realistically.

  It is merely the mathematical and logical result of birth certificates issued to jw couples as result of their intimate relations.

  BTW wt is opposed to gay marriage.. and now you know why.
• 

  blondie

  In 1977-1979 there was a decrease

  *** yb77 pp. 23-30 1977 Yearbook of Jehovah?s Witnesses ***

  This year there was a peak of 2,248,390 Kingdom publishers reporting service activities. In 1975 the peak was 2,179,256. While there were more Kingdom publishers in the field service during 1976, the report of activity shows that the hours were fewer, namely, 359,258,019 hours, to compare with 382,296,208 hours for the previous service year. There are not as many pioneer publishers as the year before?114,026 special and regular pioneers reporting, to compare with 130,225 the year before. Since there were some 16,000 fewer pioneers, the hours were also down. There were also reports that some publishers in the congregations did not spend as much time in the field service as formerly. There is still much work to do in the Kingdom-preaching activity and it is hoped that in the new service year, with the adjusted arrangements for pioneer service, and increasing appreciation for the privilege of Kingdom service, we are going to see more time devoted to the service of Jehovah in the field.

  ***

  yb78 p. 32 1978 Yearbook of Jehovah?s Witnesses ***

  Kingdom preaching activity from 216 countries under the supervision of 96 branches reached a peak of 2,223,538 publishers. This was a decrease when compared with the year 1976. There are various factors contributing to this. With a decrease in the number of those reporting, it is understandable that the hours spent (321,424,305) of those reporting would be less.

  ***

  yb79 p. 23 1979 Yearbook of Jehovah?s Witnesses ***

  There has been an overall 1.4-percent decrease in the number of Kingdom publishers. This has had a bearing on the decline in other features of the work as far as the totals are concerned. There are individual countries where increases continue, whereas other lands show a leveling off or a drop in activity. While 95,052 new ones were baptized in expression of their faith, thus declaring themselves to be disciples of Jesus Christ, this has not resulted in a proportionate increase in the number of Kingdom publishers. On the contrary, there were 2,086,698, on the average, who shared in making known the "good news" compared with 2,117,194 the year before. The peak number of publishers came to 2,182,341, which is also below that of last year. It is obvious that for one reason or another a number did not share in giving a witness each month, and others became inactive.

  *** yb80 p. 11 1980 Yearbook of Jehovah?s Witnesses ***

  (For example, had it not been for disfellowshipings, the United States would have seen an increase of almost 3.5 percent instead of almost 1.5 percent.)
• 

  metatron

  500,000 more publishers would be an 8% increase.

  Does anyone really believe that?

  metatron
• 

  hillary_step

  Blondie,

  The decreases that you noted were as a result of the 1975 debacle, well documented by Raymond Franz in 'Crisis of Conscience' - a decrease which resulted in much Boardroom chattering in Brooklyn. I believe that from 1980 onwards these losses were reversed and the WTS then saw consistent growth in the 2-3% category for the past twenty-three years until this year.

  The 1% worldwide growth figure has to be very worrying to the WTS as it seems that it can no longer rely on its Third World increases, in recent times its main area of growth, for evidence of Gods Spirit! I doubt very much that the candid nature with which the WTS announced its decreases back in the 70's, when Raymond Franz was still a member of the Governing Body will happen again.

  Best regards - HS

  PS :

  (For example, had it not been for disfellowshipings, the United States would have seen an increase of almost 3.5 percent instead of almost 1.5 percent.)

  You cannot really factor in this figure this year, unless you factor it in for all the past figures. As such it is not indicative of a potential growth.
• 

  acsot

  And, let's not forget the rampant fraud that goes into the individual reports. How many here have fudged their service reports? Heck, for my last couple of years, my report was 90% fiction.

  My reports for the past two years have been 100% fiction! I get a great deal of pleasure in messing up their supposedly sacrosanct service numbers.

  So, if the GB knows it's fake, why even bother? Why don't they just fudge the figures themselves?
• 

  blondie

  HS, I thought that was funny how the WTS grasps at straws to explain any decrease. It is never their fault. Another "debacle" is on the horizon.

  With the slowing of funds to the KHs and WTS, the "materialism" the WTS thinks is reponsible of the slowing down in the hours, I wonder how they will fudge the numbers. The elders used to try and twist the numbers by leaving the inactive cards out of the box when the CO visited. They wanted their numbers to look good.

  Vote with your pocketbook

  Vote with your feet

  Blondie
• 

  catchthis

  Let's not forget the possible hit they took with the UN NGO membership withdrawal. That alone closed many figurative doors into a handful of countries. NGO membership could be likened to diplomatic immunity in some cases, thereby giving them the leeway to distribute the literature in tougher nations.