Q2.1 How big is the WTS and how fast does it grow? The membership is often distorted in the press, either to ridiculously small numbers, or threateningly large ones. To set the matter straight, the following figures come from the WTS and cover 232 countries:- 1993 1994 Peak Publishers 4,709,889 4,914,094 Average Publishers 4,483,900 4,695,111 Average Publishers (prev yr) 4,289,737 4,483,900 Growth 4.50% 5.00% Baptized(*) 296,004 314,818 Average Pioneers 623,006 636,202 Congregations 73,070 75,573 Total Preaching Hours(+) 1,057,341,972 1,096,065,354 Total Bible Studies(*) 4,515,587 4,071,357 Memorial Attendance 11,865,765 12,288,917 (*) These figures include children of JWs; the father of the family will `count' 1 bible study and 1 hour per week. Children also make up a sizable number of the baptized figure. (+) If you spoke to a JW in 1994, whether at the door, telephone, office or in a UseNet newsgroup, then likely one of these hours is `yours'. Some of the more interesting parts of these statistics require a calculator; here's an example - Q2.1.1 How much preaching does it take for one conversion? There's some simple math here: Total Number of Hours 1,096,065,354 over ------------- Total Number Baptized 314,818 equals 3,481 Hours/convert Total Number of Hours 1,096,065,354 over ------------- Average Publishers 4,695,111 equals 233 Hours/pub/year Hours Per Baptism 3,481 over ----- Hours Per Publisher p.a. 233 equals 15 years/pub/convert At first glance, therefore, it would seem that it takes 15 years for the average publisher to make one convert; statistics are not available for how many books, magazines and resulting contributions the average publisher handles in that 15 years. Second glance will turn up a few factors which affect the figures:- a) These hours are for 1994, many of the baptisms are from preaching in previous years. Therefore there'll be a minor lag between the conversion and preaching figures; this factor is decreasing to statistical insignificance by the trend for 6-month conversions. b) Publishers come in two flavors - pioneers who work between 720 and 1440 hours a year, with an average of 1000, and the ordinary publishers, who typically averages around a 100 hours per year. 1994 Total Hours 1,096,065,354 less 636,202,000 (636,202 * 1000) ------------- 1994 est. Publishers Hours 459,863,354 Thus, with 14% of the membership doing 60% of the preaching, the averages split (with more simple math) to: Publishers Years per Conversion 35 years Pioneer Years per Conversion 3.5 years An added factor, further upsetting this balance against the publisher, is the more organized and effective ministry of the pioneers. c) A substantial number of bible studies and baptisms are those of JW children. Numbers are not available for this, but a rough estimate of 10-20% would knock the average publisher to over 40 yrs per convert. d) The growth figures vary greatly across countries; whereas most of Western Europe is almost stagnant, it is compensated by high baptism figures in developing countries. There are also large parts of the earth - India, China & the Islamic nations - which account for half the world's population and which have virtually no JWs. Q2.1.2 How many members are lost each year? No direct figures are available for this. However, calculate the increase between 1992 and 1994 and compare to the number baptized. (Growth) (Baptized) 1994 Average Publishers 4,695,111 less 1993 Average Publishers 4,483,900 = 211,211 314,818 less 1992 Average Publishers 4,289,737 = 194,163 296,004 Compared to the baptism figures, there are missing numbers of 101,841 and 103,607, respectively. This figure encompasses the deceased, the inactive, disfellowshipped, disassociated. (A 1% mortality rate may be expected, but again a JW has suggested that 0.5% is more likely given the demographic profile of membership.) It is also inflated by those who were baptized in 1994 but were already active preachers in 1993, but this is more than compensated by the larger number who are preachers in 1994 but not yet baptized, i.e. still students (usually so for a few months) or unbaptized children (perhaps for 10 years or more). As with all these figures, the picture varies greatly across the world, and one may expect most doctrinal dropouts in developed, more educated lands. One JW has calculated, based on statistics for expulsions in the WT, figures of 1.3% (1979), 1.14% (1988) and 1.15%(1989), where the figures are based on the peak publisher counts. These figures were given in the context of expulsion for sexual practices; as is explained below, most of those who are disciplined for `sinning', say sorry and are retained as members; the only unforgivable, and hence the most common reason for expulsion, is disagreement with WTS doctrine and authority. Q2.2 Where can I find the accounts of the WTS? You can't! Chase Manhattan have them somewhere for the parent organization in NY, but the only figure released into the public domain is the amount of money spent each year on missionary activity. Accounts are orally produced, however, for congregations & circuits. The situation may differ according to local laws in other countries, certainly the book _Trumpet of Prophecy_ was able to publish the accounts of the IBSA, and it's subsidy from the NY HQ. The only data turned up by company searches relates solely to the bootom-line sales and employee figures. In 1994, the WTS of New York reported sales of $1,248,400,000 with 11,000 employees. The finances and property status are complicated by the use of a front company, CO-HI (from Columbia Heights, the address of the corporate HQ of the WatchTower), registered in Delaware, and run by wealthy JWs. The founder is one Dick Wallace, whose other company - Mighty Distributing Co. - franchises out auto-part retailing to JWs. CO-HI has been used to purchase land in both Brooklyn and upstate NY from sellers who were reluctant to sell to the WatchTower Society itself (it's tax-avoidance schemes and self-sufficiency make it an unwelcome neighbour); it appears that CO-HI also operated certain of the WT buildings in Brooklyn and made some rental deal on them to the WTS. Details, however, are difficult to ascertain, given the secrecy of both corporations. (See g89, 4/22, p24) Q2.3 What's all this fuss about organization? The number one word in the JW vocabulary is `organization', and its synonyms `The Society' and `Mother'. This has developed into a fetish over the years - everything is seen in terms of it, not only is there great pride in the physical manifestations of it in buildings and computers, but JWs make pilgrimages to factories, office blocks and assembly halls; the new university on 684 acres at Patterson, NY is reputed to cost, in materials alone, $50,000,000, a new dwelling tower in Brooklyn is a mere $35,000,000 and the rococo grandeur of the Stanley Theater in NJ contains a single chandelier worth $1,000,000. Whilst you may not be able to find the word 'organization' in the Bible, the JW can see it everywhere: Adam & Eve - organization; Moses & Exodus - organization; Noah & ark - ditto; Rechab the teetotaler - ditto and so on for every scene and concept in the Bible. Oddly, for all that JWs are proud of organization, it can at best be a value- neutral term - since Satan and his hordes of demons have, you guessed it, an organization. Not only does the WTS read organization into the entire Bible, but they also use Bible events as parallels or 'foreglimpses' of their own organization - this reaches its conjectural zenith in the self-focussed interpretations of Revelation. Interestingly, in 1985 the baptism vow was changed from declaring allegiance to God and Christ, to allegiance in the WatchTower Society. Also, the crucial question in disciplinary matters is not repentance of sin, but `do you accept the WTS as god's channel'. The WTS is also known as the faithful and discreet slave, slave class and God's channel of truth. Further references to the organization are listed:- WT 12/1/90 p19 Never learn the truth just by reading Bible. WT 4/1/86 p31 Must accept beliefs unique to JW'S. WT 3/15/86 p16 Any questioning of the org reveals a Satanic influence. WT 5/1/84 p31 Stay away from non-WTS literature. WT 2/15/83 p12 Must associate with organization to get life. WT 1/15/83 p22 Avoid independent thinking. WT 12/1/81 p14 Be ready to obey org.. WT 12/1/81 p14 Be ready to obey org.. WT 2/15/81 p18 Tells us not to be skeptical of slave class. WT 2/15/81 p17 Bible can only be understood by God's human channel. WT 3/1/79 p1 Put faith in a victorious organization. WT 2/15/76 p124 To disobey org. is to disobey Jehovah. WT 7/1/73 p402 Organization only one that understand deep things. WT 6/1/67 p338 Heavy research not needed only WT publications. WT 5/1/57 p274; WT 11/1/61 p668; WT 7/1/73 p402 ditto WT 6/1/67 p337 Basic principle of WT organization is OBEDIENCE WT 6/15/57 p370 Respond to organization as you would God. WT 5/1/57 p284 Do not criticize the organization. WT 9/1/54 p529 Bible cannot be fully understood without the org. WT 2/1/52 p80 We should meekly go along with the organization. WT 6/15/38 p182 Organization is God's not man. [Also check file keystone.txt in the organization archive] Q3.0 How do JWs maintain their much vaunted unity? Any JW will tell you that they're part of a united international brotherhood - but ask them how they know they are; the simple answer is that they are repeatedly being told so, mantra-like, in all their literature. This belief of unity is firmly established and is reinforced by selectively remembering the actions which display it and forgetting or not even seeing those that don't, and looking at a sea of 1000s of faces and assume them united. Most of us (one hopes) have many anecdotes of how friends or strangers have shown us hospitality or courtesy; to the non-JW these are reassurances of a shared human decency, to the JW the similar experience of the many decent, kind people in his church will be proofs of a unique brotherly love. His standoffish attitude to 'worldlings' (yes, this is a JW term) helps to guarantee that such experiences are minimized with those outside the brotherhood. As an example, the 1990 International Convention in Berlin is hailed as a great triumph of unity - not mentioned are the apologies governing body members made to the Polish delegates for the cold shouldering they received from their German `brothers' - only the PR spin remains. The old stick'n'carrot are used - eternal life on paradise and your dead family back if you're with us; eternal death any-minute-now when Armageddon strikes if you don't, even if you are Mother Theresa. This elitist salvation is backed up by a strong negative campaigning; any JW discussion quickly will descend into diatribes against other churches (the Roman Catholic Church has long been the main target) for their alleged `apostasy', mass clergy paedophilia, involvement in wars etc. This is used not only to get people into `the one true faith' but also to keep them in - `but where else is there' a JW is likely to ask if he discovers something unpleasant about the WTS. Just like any other product promotion that depends on bashing the opposition it's worth being cautious as to why they have to do so. Another reason for the apparent unity is the slogan, jargon and picture-oriented nature of the bulk of the literature and sermons - everything is explained in illustrations, and only a few learn and research doctrine in conceptual terms. Hence they can claim unity, but it's a muddle-headed one - they can all agree on vague rhetoric and artist's impressions of Paradise - but the simple, uneducated ones believe only that they are going to live forever and that Granny will be resurrected. The more intelligent ones are left with problems since the WT concept of `study' means looking up WTS books to find out what they say, an exercise simply in memory, and also because WT teaching conflicts with so much accepted scientific, historical and religious teaching and has a long-running tendency to relate contrivedly Biblical prophecy to minor events in WT history - such ones either apply their intelligence to baffling themselves with casuistic arguments or place things they dislike `in brackets`. "He set to work to exercise himself in crimestop. He presented himself with propositions - 'the Party says the earth is flat', 'the Party says that ice is heavier than water' - and trained himself in not seeing or not understanding the arguments that contradicted them. It was not easy. It needed great powers of reasoning and improvisation... It needed a sort of athleticism of mind, an ability at one moment to make the most delicate use of logic and at the next to be unconscious of the crudest logical errors. Stupidity was as necessary as intelligence, and as difficult to attain" G Orwell, _1984_, Part III Chap IV Therefore, when discussing doctrine with them, avoid the lazy mistake of assuming that their personal beliefs are identical to that propounded in the WT literature. The differences in practice and belief are large - but they all agree that they all agree and that's all that matters for an appearance of unity! Note what the sociologist James Beckford said after a long study of JWs in England and Scotland (The Trumpet of Prophecy): - "What is sociologically interesting about JWs is that they derive psychological satisfaction from perceiving a coherent pattern in their beliefs regardless of possible inner inconsistencies, and that, even if they do notice inconsistencies, they can then abrogate personal responsibility for their own beliefs in the safe conviction that *someone*, *somewhere* in the WTS must be able to solve the problem. An implicit premise in the argument is usually that, if the perceived inconsistencies were real, then the beliefs would not have gained widespread popularity" p120 [Italics his] This bifurcation between individual and organization belief is made easier by the inherent duality of the message - the literature and talks aimed at JWs themselves often delves into fire-and-brimstone treatments of other churches (esp. the Roman Catholic one) and other parts of `Satan's World' - Big Business and Government; however, the doorstep (and UseNet) message soft-pedals (and often denies) this part of the message, and a front of tolerance (even approval) of other churches and institutions is displayed (net.JWs are ipso facto liberal - disregarding `motherly' advice by simply being on net conferences, and often defend the WTS by instancing their own untypical actions re blood, higher education, association etc). The JW may go along in the communal attack on other groups, but often when presented with individuals from those groups is led by his better nature to forget the official group-think, and leave final judgment to God. Key is the difference between what one *believes* and what one *believes that one believes* - the latter, second-order beliefs, are much more important in a large group. In essence, many people may have widely diverging views but all agree on the common slogans. The same method is used by, say, the US Republican or Democrat parties who wisely avoid controversial matters at their own conferences and stick to the balloons, anthems, `apple-pie and motherhood`, platitudes and party-poppers with which everyone can agree. `Hot' stuff is rarely discussed in public or private JW circles, and any recourse to Brooklyn HQ is met by a couple of elders at the door with no answers but plenty of questions about the correspondent's loyalty. _Don't make waves_ - the key survival tactic of the old Soviet citizen - is the watchword. An appearance of unity is much simpler when disagreement is not possible! One consequence of this, is the misunderstanding that happens when a non-JW has read up on their doctrines, has come to the conclusion that anyone who believes all that is quite wacko (yeah, yeah, God used the Allied powers and gave them victory to save JWs from the hands of the Nazis, I *don't* think) & then meets a JW, who doesn't think of himself as wacko, and cannot understand the position in which the non-JW puts him - for quite frankly, most *aren't* wacky, and don't believe (or euphemistically, `don't understand', `it's so *deep*') 90% of the stuff in, e.g., the _Revelation_ book - they sort of put up with when it is studied, quickly forget it, and hope it goes away. There are a few who like to know every nuance of interpretation (this week's!) and can go into long and futile debates on them, but most simply hold to a few positive doctrines (you will be resurrected, there will be a paradise) and several dozen negative ones (no Christmas, no blood, bad naughty Catholics, no extramarital sex). Typical is a senior JW (he'd risen to the rank of District Overseer, roughly equivalent to a mainstream archbishop) claimed that he believed 97% of doctrine, but admitted under close questioning to a belief in some ineffable, personal spirit - a.k.a. the (im)mortal soul (q.v. Q4) - and didn't believe the no-marriage-in-the-resurrection doctrine. Hence, don't make the mistake of assuming that because the doctrine is eccentric that the followers also are - the majority are fairly normal individuals. Basically, there's very little between them and any other mainstream Christian - the simple ones (majority) fend the other doctrine off as `too deep for them' and the sophisticated gracefully put up with the indulgence of the old men who interpret all world history and scripture around themselves. Most don't give a thought to arcane stuff of Scripture - it may be suspected that if Arius had beaten Athanasius all those years ago, JWs would be the staunchest Trinitarians about and hitting mainstream jesus-is-only-god's-son-folk over the head with proof texts, and getting all hot and bothered about not recognizing the divinity of Christ. It's best to stick to absolutely basic doctrine rather than arguing over stuff that the JW either does not really believe in, or does not particularly care about, or knows might be totally changed in the next WT issue. --------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/apl/jw/jwfaq.02.txt (continued, see jwfaq.03.txt)