Flurry of new hall builds or remodels?

by Pistoff 6 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Pistoff

  Hi all.

  What is going on in your area with respect to hall building or remodeling? There are lots of remodel projects around my area; it does not seem that the growth is here to merit the building.

  My hall is going to sell it's building to generate the cash for a new building; the current one is a 20 year old quick build.

  The thing is this: I don't know why they just don't remodel, or split the hall. The excuse is that there are not enough elders; so now they are going to put up a completely new structure to house a large congregation? I thought that they liked to keep the halls at 100 or so, and would import elders to keep them at that size.

  The cynic in me says that the WT is encouraging this, and looking to the resulting mortgage interest as income.

  Any thoughts?

  P
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  jeeprube

  I used to be very active in the hall building work in our region of western Missouri. I think there is so much emphasis on Hall building because it serves to re-enforce the perception of Jehovah's blessing. It's an artificial way to build up an ongoing ever expanding movement idea. many times this is done to the financial hardship of the members. Case in point: one of the first hall builds I worked on was a congregation which encompassed at least three small towns. The brothers had calculated the morgtage payment based on the number of publishers in the congegation (standard procedure). With in one year of completing the project, a movement within the congregation began to divide and form a second congregation. Within one year they got their wish, and split. They built a second hall as soon as possible. Now you had TWO payments split among the same group of people.
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  blondie

  Remodels are popular if the cost of a new building is beyond the reach of the congregation.

  I see new buildings when the congregation can come up with enough money from the sale of the old and local commercial loans to build a new one.

  What I don't see is building because of new congregations being formed.

  Some congregations have sold their hall and not been able to come up with enough local commerical loans to building a new one and have had to move in with 2 congregations already sharing one building.

  The WTS is not making many loans to build or remodel kingdom halls in the US lately. I don't know about Canada, UK, or Australia.

  Blondie
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  Ticker

  They were still offering loans in Canada apox. 5-6 years ago, im not sure now if they are anymore or not. Of course they had to go through reviews from the building commitee as to what was the best plan of action, whether it be a remodel or a build. The thing I never agreed with even when I was a witness was the charging of interest on the money loaned. When the society borrowed money from a congregation for its interest abroad it was always lent with zero interest. Now the society loans money, which initially was donated by the very members borrowing it back to build a facility which basically furthers the societies interests, the congregation got charged interest. I just could never justify the double standard and it really bothered me. Now though I realize that the Watchtower Society is just a business and it all makes perfect sence, but it still pisses me off that they do this to their members. Guess they dont have to follow the bibles advice of lending without interest to thoese in need.

  
  
  Ticker
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  luna2

  I have no special knowledge at all, but I'm getting the impression that KH remodels or new builds are like a lot of things the FDS encourages...busy work. Keep the R&F on the theocratic hamster wheel where they mistake movement for progress.

  It's like the new publications, such as this year's DA offering, which has little to nothing that's new and appears to be just a way of generating brief excitment, new revenue, and are used to keep "new light" or "present truth" in front of the faithful.
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  roybatty

  Like I posted before, I live in the second fastest growing county in the U.S. and there is no plans (that I know of) for building a new Hall. Hell, there is no need to. Looks like the same amount of cars in the parking lot for the last ten years even though the county has doubled in size.
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  Ticker

  I certainly agree with the above posters statement. The congregations in the western countries are definetly not growing at all. Where I am located they are actually shrinking slowly with most of the members being quite elderly and no real new members other then some long time members children who may have gotten baptized. As for newcomers from the territory, absolutely none for the last 5-6 years that I have noticed.

  Ticker