The Sacred Field Ministry Stopped by a Bad Flu?

[Jack Ryan]

So a bad flu came along... scared the world and stopped the "constant feature" of our Kingdom service.....Hmmm

I remember so many examples of righteous and brave brothers doing "underground" work in scary countries ... risking and sometimes losing their lives just so that some green bibles and watchtowers could make it to x country under ban.

Fast forward to 2020.... JW's turn into Televangelists conveniently in the mid 2010's and all it takes is a bad flu to stop "the constant feature"

"The sacrificial smoke" pleasing to Jehovah himself.

The territories became so scary they had to stand with carts instead of actually approaching random people and knocking on doors.

Fast forward and now we don't see anything going on anywhere.....

 

If only the brothers back in the 70's and earlier knew that phone call witnessing once a week would be enough to garner eternal life.... no need to smuggle watchtowers or risk walking long driveways with dogs.

 

So many lives wasted......

 

And now you can be JW's by just subscribing to JW.org via your Roku and look presentable, repeat the same mantras that they tell you... and voila!  You'll be part of the "meek" inheriting the Earth while your neighbors will be "weeping and gnashing their teeth".....

Except that part where you eventually get ill, need medical care, a job and have no money because you don't have a vocation.... why? Because getting an education was considered "worldly".... (while Televangelism isn't?)  That was the very definition of worldliness back in the 1989. (maybe heavy metal music was worse... slightly)

 

Enjoy your exclusive and supposedly elite club.... it is disintegrating in front of our eyes.... it isn't even recognizable as the same JW's as yesteryear.... except for the judgmental, holier than thou, we will survive while everyone else dies mentality..... that is as strong as ever.

 

[Srecko Sostar]

2 hours ago, Jack Ryan said:

Kingdom service

WTJWorg has always expressed pride that the only real preaching service is when JWs go from house to house, and that some other forms of service are only ancillary or rare exceptions if a JW member is sick or bedridden.
COVID is an interesting phenomenon. The whole World stopped, "God's Chariot" stopped. But WTJWorg buys and sells, builds and plants ... as people (who didn't pay attention) did before the Flood.

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

The JW witnessing work certainly hasn't stopped here in the UK. The JWs have been sending out letters by the hundreds it seems. In some towns residents are complaining about the letters but at least it proves that letters are being sent, and they are being read. 

In conversation with an Elder yesterday he told me that magazines are still arriving here in UK, though I don't know where they are being printed. He also mentioned a 'new' study book, 'Enjoy Life Forever'.  I don't know exactly how new this book is but he said that a few copies are arriving in his location.  He did admit that the 'zoom' (or whatever they use) meetings were not as spiritually upbuilding as the personal 'getting together', but that brothers and sisters were still visiting one another where possible. He is the literiture servant for his congregation so deals with all the mags' and tracts etc. He also told me that the convention is available for viewing on the JW Org website, under Broadcasting. 

Although I don't agree with all they say and do, there is no point in pretending that they are inactive, because here in the UK it is obvious that JWs are still very active. 

[Arauna]

15 hours ago, Jack Ryan said:

and now we don't see anything going on anywhere.....

I do field service regularly - just like before .... so we have turned to digital preaching. 

[Space Merchant]

They're still active, granted when someone or a group is dedicated to the commission, regardless of how it is professed, it will not stop them, regardless of what is done or what has been taking place, this is evident by their number of members they currently have.

They sit at 8.7-8.75 million now compared to last check in 2018

On 12/21/2018 at 10:50 PM, Space Merchant said:

I have posted the statistics before and the current adherents, which sits at 8.45 million (8,457,107) adherents, peaked. This includes 120,053 churches in 240 lands, studies at 10,071,524, with 20,175,477 regarding their communion services.

Prior to the pandemic, there were many, many people looking into the Bible, thus sought after groups thereafter.

That being said, they're far from an elite club. The elites are the ones seeking interfaith, and have done so prior to the pandemic. Thus makes the One World Religion and what they will be doing very soon.

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/2020-service-year-report/2020-grand-totals/

How Many of Jehovah’s Witnesses Are There Worldwide?

2020 Report

Number of Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide 8,695,808

Congregations	120,387
Lands where Jehovah’s Witnesses preach	240

2020 Grand Totals

 

• Branches of Jehovah’s Witnesses: 87

• Number of Lands Reporting: 240

• Total Congregations: 120,387

• Worldwide Memorial Attendance: 17,844,773

• Memorial Partakers Worldwide: 21,182

• Peak of Publishers *: 8,695,808

• Average Publishers Preaching Each Month: 8,424,185

• Percentage of Increase Over 2019: -0.6

• Total Number Baptized *: 241,994

• Average Pioneer * Publishers Each Month: 1,299,619

• Average Auxiliary Pioneer Publishers Each Month: 338,568

• Total Hours Spent in Field: 1,669,901,531

• Average Bible Studies * Each Month: 7,705,765

•  

 

[Thinking]

19 hours ago, Srecko Sostar said:

WTJWorg has always expressed pride that the only real preaching service is when JWs go from house to house, and that some other forms of service are only ancillary or rare exceptions if a JW member is sick or bedridden.
COVID is an interesting phenomenon. The whole World stopped, "God's Chariot" stopped. But WTJWorg buys and sells, builds and plants ... as people (who didn't pay attention) did before the Flood.

that’s the biggest load of crock that’s put out on the net…It was an Avenue of the preaching work and the most successful at one time….nothing not one little thing can any witnesses do that will help him attain to everlasting life or survive into the coming day of Jehovah….

Anything anyone gets is pure mercy and grace graciously given by the Creator…Jack and SS..if you feel we have let the people down…then you go out into the Door to door work..with your bibles…why are you not doing that……

Bible studies and baptisms are still happening….if anyone goes out on the doors in Australia…you will be viewed by the householder as Freddy Kruger…such is the hysteria and fear factor over here….and what purpose will that serve…none…so we adapt..just as the apostles had to adapt their preaching at certain times….do either of you think that the Christians during the horrific reign of Nero didn’t tread very quietly and carefully in that period of his rule….they adapted to that time period…thus we must adapt…what worked for us previously …certainly won’t work now…

But for those reading this..the preaching work goes on…on a personal level I have more talks and studies now than ever before….people are asking questions….people are worried ….

As to who is going to survive all of this…we dont know who…it’s up to Jesus to do the judging….Jehovah is the reader of hearts….and yes we as a people did once preach and teach that you had to be a baptised witness to survive…(.but some  of us also did not believe that)…once again as a people we have had to eat humble pie….and realize only Jesus can judge this…we cannot say or even think such things…so hey…a lot of us are getting fat on eating humble pie…

[Srecko Sostar]

5 hours ago, Thinking said:

eating humble pie…

 

5 hours ago, Thinking said:

a lot of us are getting fat on eating humble pie…

David Splane Convention talks does not support humility. 

"Media Reports are often carefully worded to avoid a lawsuit", he said .....I guess lawsuit by WTJWorg Lawyers against freedom of speech of ex-JW or CSA victims or other who speak how WTJWorg practice in some life situations is wrong.

He talks about the fact that not everyone who is convicted and punished "by man" is also guilty (because God does not think he is guilty) .... so then switch to the topic that if someone reads how an individual or organization is sued, then settle the matter out of court. Settling out of court does not mean someone is guilty, he says.

Well, then he says a jury is a bunch of ignorant people who know nothing about law. The jury, he says, does not always have access to all the facts, because judges and lawyers decide what to present to them.

Splane concludes that neither party, (the plaintiff's and the defendant's lawyers), want the whole truth to be known and visible in court.

Accordingly, he said in fact also this:  WTJWorg lawyers don’t want to give all the truth to the Court, to the jury, to the public. And this in fact means:  WTJWorg lawyers don't want to give justice to the victim.

And "the public" are both group, so called worldly people and JW members. With this Convention talk he gives to JW members and public a big fat lie as "proper food in proper time". 

Yes, David Splane's "preaching service" from door to door of every person who opened the door of their home with the click of a finger on the jworg website, fulfilled the prophecy of Jesus.

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

23 hours ago, Thinking said:

As to who is going to survive all of this…we dont know who…it’s up to Jesus to do the judging….Jehovah is the reader of hearts….and yes we as a people did once preach and teach that you had to be a baptised witness to survive…(.but some  of us also did not believe that)…once again as a people we have had to eat humble pie….and realize only Jesus can judge this…we cannot say or even think such things…so hey…a lot of us are getting fat on eating humble pie…

 

17 hours ago, Srecko Sostar said:

David Splane Convention talks does not support humility.

 

17 hours ago, Srecko Sostar said:

He talks about the fact that not everyone who is convicted and punished "by man" is also guilty (because God does not think he is guilty) .... so then switch to the topic that if someone reads how an individual or organization is sued, then settle the matter out of court. Settling out of court does not mean someone is guilty, he says.

It's interesting to read these comments because it does make sense from both sides. Most 'boots on the ground' JWs are nice humble 'ordinary' people. Having been a JW in different congregations, I've known some nice people. Generally not the Elders though. Most Elders I've met have been unplesant. 

So, @Thinking are you saying that at one time you had to preach / teach something that you did not actually believe ? This isn't a trick question, it's taken from your own words as I've quoted above. 

The 'eating humble pie' is sometimes a good thing. I've been 'shot down' by SM many times of late, and in most cases he is right. So in my prayer to God at night I feel very guilty and find it hard to pray. Each day I'm realising that I'm more imperfect than I'd like to be. 

On this question of "had to be a baptised witness to survive", has there been a definite change in the Watchtower / JW Org teaching on this matter ?  I'll have to try and research that. 

@Srecko Sostar I haven't yet managed to listen to this Convention. What day was this talk on please ? I'd be interested in hearing it. Settling out of court does not mean someone is guilty, he says. But when that settlement includes the forced instruction that the Victim is not allowed to talk about the court case or accusation. When the victim has to agree to keep quiet then it's known as 'Hush money'.  It's no longer compensation, it becomes a payment to the victim to order them not to tell the truth to anyone. 

That is when we see the big difference between the 'boots on the ground' JWs, and the Governing Body and their lawyers. 

My apologies to @Jack Ryan as we seem to have taken this off topic. 

[Arauna]

2 hours ago, Patiently waiting for Truth said:

to read these comments because it does make sense from both sides.

In my language we call that sitting on the fence.......

[Srecko Sostar]

4 hours ago, Patiently waiting for Truth said:

 I haven't yet managed to listen to this Convention. What day was this talk on please ?

https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/2021Convention/pub-co-r21_8_VIDEO

Start at 1:03

[Space Merchant]

@Thinking Isn't there any instance of a house holder wanting you to come speak with them during the pandemic? Granted some restrictions are "temporarily" lessen in some cases.