Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Full Text of Letter Regarding No More Bookstudy
I wasn't able to get a copy of the letter off the information board but here is the exact text of the letter that was read at our English meeting today.
TO BE READ AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE WATCHTOWER STUDY OF THE WEEK OF APRIL 21 - 27, 2008 FROM THE GOVERNING BODY OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES
To All Congregations:
Dear Brothers,
At 1st Corinthians 7:31 the bible tells us that “the scene of this world is changing.” The truthfulness of these inspired words is felt by each of us on a daily basis. As we draw ever nearer to the Great Tribulation Satan’s anger against us is intensifying.
The Governing Body is fully aware of the mounting pressures that YOU, the Lord’s precious sheep, are experiencing. Like the first century Governing Body we wish to add no further burden to you, except what is necessary. Therefore, after prayerful consideration we have decided to take steps to lighten your load by adjusting the weekly schedule for congregation meetings. Commencing January 1, 2009 the Congregation Book Study will be held at the same time as the Theocratic Ministry School and the Service Meeting. The name of the Congregation Book Study will be changed to the Congregation Bible Study. After a song and prayer the Congregation Bible Study will be conducted for 25 minutes in much the same way as it is conducted now. Qualified elders will conduct the study on a rotation basis. It will be followed by a 30 minute Theocratic Ministry School. After another song there will be a 35 minute Service Meeting. The three meetings will conclude with song and prayer. The total time for these three meetings including songs and prayers will be 1 hour and 45 minutes.
We will continue to follow the same patterns for meetings for field service including arrangements in smaller groups. In time you will receive further information relative to the Congregation Bible Study and meetings for field service.
This adjustment in our weekly meeting schedule will be beneficial in many ways. For example, in many lands the cost of fuel is escalating, and much time is expended in travelling to and from congregation meetings. However, there will be even greater benefit!
The importance of personal and family bible study cannot be overemphasized. This adjustment in our weekly schedule will provide each of us with an opportunity to fortify the spirituality of our families by scheduling a specific evening each week for family worship. Family heads must shoulder the responsibility before Jehovah to ensure that a meaningful, regular, family bible study is conducted. Single brothers and sisters with no family responsibilities will be able to use this time for personal bible study.
It is vital for all to buy out the opportune time and to strengthen themselves for what will shortly take place. The “great day of Jehovah” is fast approaching. How urgent it is for all of us to seize and use the time remaining to build ourselves up in this most holy faith! May we be determined to benefit from these adjustments as we continue to follow our Great Shepherd who leads us to grassy pastures of peace and refreshment. We send along an expression of our warm Christian love, praying that Jehovah will continue to watch over you and strengthen you in these difficult times.
Your Brothers,
The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses
TO BE READ AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE WATCHTOWER STUDY OF THE WEEK OF APRIL 21 - 27, 2008 FROM THE GOVERNING BODY OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES
To All Congregations:
Dear Brothers,
At 1st Corinthians 7:31 the bible tells us that “the scene of this world is changing.” The truthfulness of these inspired words is felt by each of us on a daily basis. As we draw ever nearer to the Great Tribulation Satan’s anger against us is intensifying.
The Governing Body is fully aware of the mounting pressures that YOU, the Lord’s precious sheep, are experiencing. Like the first century Governing Body we wish to add no further burden to you, except what is necessary. Therefore, after prayerful consideration we have decided to take steps to lighten your load by adjusting the weekly schedule for congregation meetings. Commencing January 1, 2009 the Congregation Book Study will be held at the same time as the Theocratic Ministry School and the Service Meeting. The name of the Congregation Book Study will be changed to the Congregation Bible Study. After a song and prayer the Congregation Bible Study will be conducted for 25 minutes in much the same way as it is conducted now. Qualified elders will conduct the study on a rotation basis. It will be followed by a 30 minute Theocratic Ministry School. After another song there will be a 35 minute Service Meeting. The three meetings will conclude with song and prayer. The total time for these three meetings including songs and prayers will be 1 hour and 45 minutes.
We will continue to follow the same patterns for meetings for field service including arrangements in smaller groups. In time you will receive further information relative to the Congregation Bible Study and meetings for field service.
This adjustment in our weekly meeting schedule will be beneficial in many ways. For example, in many lands the cost of fuel is escalating, and much time is expended in travelling to and from congregation meetings. However, there will be even greater benefit!
The importance of personal and family bible study cannot be overemphasized. This adjustment in our weekly schedule will provide each of us with an opportunity to fortify the spirituality of our families by scheduling a specific evening each week for family worship. Family heads must shoulder the responsibility before Jehovah to ensure that a meaningful, regular, family bible study is conducted. Single brothers and sisters with no family responsibilities will be able to use this time for personal bible study.
It is vital for all to buy out the opportune time and to strengthen themselves for what will shortly take place. The “great day of Jehovah” is fast approaching. How urgent it is for all of us to seize and use the time remaining to build ourselves up in this most holy faith! May we be determined to benefit from these adjustments as we continue to follow our Great Shepherd who leads us to grassy pastures of peace and refreshment. We send along an expression of our warm Christian love, praying that Jehovah will continue to watch over you and strengthen you in these difficult times.
Your Brothers,
The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Hear The Announcement in English Regarding No More Bookstudy
Just in case you slept in this morning and didn't get to the KH, here's an MP3 of the letter being read....
No More Bookstudies (Look To The Right of the Screen: 2007427_announcement.mp3): http://www.divshare.com/download/4361643-f65
You will notice that the announcement says that the Bookstudy is now to be referred to as the Congregation Bible Study. Who are they trying to kid? We have never studied the Bible. It has always been a book written by someone in the organization telling us what the Bible says.
It also mentions that gas prices is one of the reasons for the elimination of the Bookstudy. Well, even though gas prices in the United States have skyrocketed, there are other places in the world that pay far more for gas than we do. If the part about doing it because of gas prices were true, they would eliminate the study immediately, not six months from now. Maybe they have special communication with Jehovah who told them that they should wait six months?
This is all just spin. The real reasons are entirely different and non-spiritual. Remember when we stopped selling the Watchtower and Awake from door to door and gave them away for a contribution? Well, the organization said at that time that the reason was that more people could receive lifegiving information. Bull crap! The real reason was a lawsuit against one of the televangelist and it was decided that religions would now pay tax on all goods sold. So the Watchtower, seeing the writing on the wall, stopped asking for money and gave the magazines away on a contribution basis. The publisher was still expected to pay for them though and all contributions were given to the organization. Quite a little racket.
No More Bookstudies (Look To The Right of the Screen: 2007427_announcement.mp3): http://www.divshare.com/download/4361643-f65
You will notice that the announcement says that the Bookstudy is now to be referred to as the Congregation Bible Study. Who are they trying to kid? We have never studied the Bible. It has always been a book written by someone in the organization telling us what the Bible says.
It also mentions that gas prices is one of the reasons for the elimination of the Bookstudy. Well, even though gas prices in the United States have skyrocketed, there are other places in the world that pay far more for gas than we do. If the part about doing it because of gas prices were true, they would eliminate the study immediately, not six months from now. Maybe they have special communication with Jehovah who told them that they should wait six months?
This is all just spin. The real reasons are entirely different and non-spiritual. Remember when we stopped selling the Watchtower and Awake from door to door and gave them away for a contribution? Well, the organization said at that time that the reason was that more people could receive lifegiving information. Bull crap! The real reason was a lawsuit against one of the televangelist and it was decided that religions would now pay tax on all goods sold. So the Watchtower, seeing the writing on the wall, stopped asking for money and gave the magazines away on a contribution basis. The publisher was still expected to pay for them though and all contributions were given to the organization. Quite a little racket.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Letter From Governing Body Regarding No More Book Study (Spanish)
The Organization once wrote this in a Kingdom Ministry:
What a blessing the Congregation Book Study is! This loving arrangement from Jehovah helps us maintain our sure spiritual footing during the challenging times in which we live.—Ps. 26:12.
I guess Jehovah has now changed his mind!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Who Owns The Kingdom Halls?
The Watch Tower Society originally claimed to be a publishing corporation, and various Bible Student groups merely suscribed to their literature and much of the beliefs. This was during Charles Russell's presidency. They met in homes, and stated that they always would operate this way. Each group elected Elders, but there was not 'official' ties to the Watch Tower corporation.
In the 1930s J. F. Rutherford forced all the 'Ecclesias' (Bible Stident congregations) to register with the Society to maintain their affiliations, thus creating an organized religion (something that Russell condemned as being part of Babylon the Great.)
[bTwo very important facts remained: 1. Each congregation still owned its own property as a non-profit association or corporation in their respective states. 2. The Society continued to claim that they had no clergy distinction, and thus no heirarchy. (The Society legally claimed that they were a 'congregational' organization and not a heirarchial organization.) The Roman Catholic Church, for example is Heirarchial, with a Pope, Cardinals, Bishops and Priests, and the Chruch owns everything. The Southern Baptists, on the other hand, are Congregational. Each congregation is totally independant, and can tell the central convention to get lost if they wish.
What happened in Bonham, Texas?: The body of elders and the majority of the congregation decided to leave the Watch Tower organization. And with that, they took the Kingdom Hall. The rremaining JWs and the Society sued in court to recover the Kingdom Hall. For the first time in its history the Watch Tower Society made two important arguments: 1. They were now a Heirarchial like the Catholic Church, with the Governing Body, Branchs Overseers, District Overseers, Circuit Overseers, and Elders appointed by the Society. 2. The Society as a heirarchy, therefore, had the rightful tital to the Kingdom Hall.
This was a serious departure from all their previous claims, and is among the many issues that impressed upon me that the Society was no longer what it claimed to be.
The result?: The Society lost because the Bonham congregation was able to prove that the Society was a historically a 'congregational' organization, and as such had no legal title or interesst recorded on the deed. The Society was unable to establish legal interest.
The Subsequent Changes: Among many changes to establish legal interest was to start getting recorded on deeds as the first position leinholder when making remodel and quick build loans. (I can recall the days when we would get remodel loans from the Society, but nothing was ever recorded on the deeds.) The Society started a group insurance program for all Kingdom Halls, ostensibly to provide lower cost premiums, but also this showed an interest in each property.
And, while I did not follow the corporate changes after this, I understand that the Society started holding the deeds to local Kingdom Halls or at least assuring that each congregation was so established that its corporate by-laws would preclude losing the property if the congregation opted out of its Watch Tower affiliation.
In some religious affiliations, even though each congregation is independent, they will have corporate congregation by-laws that dispose of a church should its membership be reduced by a certain percentage. This prevents the few remaining members from getting the wealth should a church come to its demise. Rather, once a certain low membership is maintained for a period of time, then the church property becomes the property of some pre-selected charity, or the religious convention they were part of.
What did the Society do?: While, I have no doubt that the Society set up some arrangements as a result of Bonham, Texas, it was, nevertheless, done very slowly over a long time. Even by the mid to late 1980s, long after the Bonham decision, my own Kingdom Hall was solely owned by the local members as a Non-Profit Association in the State of California. The Society had no legal tital or interest in the Hall. Our remaining loan was not recorded against the property. SO, this process has taken them a long time, and even after I moved to Oregon in the late 1980s, our Kingdom Halls that we attended were still locally owned. BUt I understood that new 'Quick-Builds' were being set up with a different deal. I left in 1992 and have not followed this aspect - exactly. But some of the property deed research I have done reveals that the Society does not yet own all the Kingdom Halls. So they are still vulnerable in some respects should a local congregation decide to otp out of its affiliation with teh Watch Tower Society.
Circuit Holding Corps.: I am not aware that the Circuit Holding Corporations are for owning Kingdom Halls, but rather, for the ownership and operation of Circuit Assembly Halls. If they are being used to hold local Kingdom Hall property, then this is a new one on me.
Other State and Regional Corps.: Oftentimes local corporations will be set up by the Society to establish a legal base on which to rent stadiums and other facilities for conventions. The local corporation will engage in the negotiations and obtain the necessary permits, liability insurance, etc. Then, if something bad happens, resulting in serious injury to hundreds or thousands of people, then the Society will not be directly liable - at least they hope that it works that way. A good, but mean, injury lawyer might be able to penetrate the local corporations and nail the Society in New York.
In some states a corporation must have stockholders or own property, so in some cases in order to incorporate in a given state, the Society might have to technically issue some stock or buy a house to use for its offices. But, in other states, a non-profit corporation only has to register with 3 officers, and can use any address for its registered agent.
The Significance of Bonham: While the legal ramifications and actions taken by the Society are not 100% certain, the moral, ethical, and mostly "historical" implications were monumental. The Society moved from a lose groups of unofficial Bible Students to a highly organized heirarchial religion just like the Roman Catholic Church in almost exactly 100 years from its inception. It wnet from condemning organized religion as being part of Babylon the Great to becoming the model of organized religious corporation, just like the Catholic Church - the Society grew up to be just like her mom.
In the 1930s J. F. Rutherford forced all the 'Ecclesias' (Bible Stident congregations) to register with the Society to maintain their affiliations, thus creating an organized religion (something that Russell condemned as being part of Babylon the Great.)
[bTwo very important facts remained: 1. Each congregation still owned its own property as a non-profit association or corporation in their respective states. 2. The Society continued to claim that they had no clergy distinction, and thus no heirarchy. (The Society legally claimed that they were a 'congregational' organization and not a heirarchial organization.) The Roman Catholic Church, for example is Heirarchial, with a Pope, Cardinals, Bishops and Priests, and the Chruch owns everything. The Southern Baptists, on the other hand, are Congregational. Each congregation is totally independant, and can tell the central convention to get lost if they wish.
What happened in Bonham, Texas?: The body of elders and the majority of the congregation decided to leave the Watch Tower organization. And with that, they took the Kingdom Hall. The rremaining JWs and the Society sued in court to recover the Kingdom Hall. For the first time in its history the Watch Tower Society made two important arguments: 1. They were now a Heirarchial like the Catholic Church, with the Governing Body, Branchs Overseers, District Overseers, Circuit Overseers, and Elders appointed by the Society. 2. The Society as a heirarchy, therefore, had the rightful tital to the Kingdom Hall.
This was a serious departure from all their previous claims, and is among the many issues that impressed upon me that the Society was no longer what it claimed to be.
The result?: The Society lost because the Bonham congregation was able to prove that the Society was a historically a 'congregational' organization, and as such had no legal title or interesst recorded on the deed. The Society was unable to establish legal interest.
The Subsequent Changes: Among many changes to establish legal interest was to start getting recorded on deeds as the first position leinholder when making remodel and quick build loans. (I can recall the days when we would get remodel loans from the Society, but nothing was ever recorded on the deeds.) The Society started a group insurance program for all Kingdom Halls, ostensibly to provide lower cost premiums, but also this showed an interest in each property.
And, while I did not follow the corporate changes after this, I understand that the Society started holding the deeds to local Kingdom Halls or at least assuring that each congregation was so established that its corporate by-laws would preclude losing the property if the congregation opted out of its Watch Tower affiliation.
In some religious affiliations, even though each congregation is independent, they will have corporate congregation by-laws that dispose of a church should its membership be reduced by a certain percentage. This prevents the few remaining members from getting the wealth should a church come to its demise. Rather, once a certain low membership is maintained for a period of time, then the church property becomes the property of some pre-selected charity, or the religious convention they were part of.
What did the Society do?: While, I have no doubt that the Society set up some arrangements as a result of Bonham, Texas, it was, nevertheless, done very slowly over a long time. Even by the mid to late 1980s, long after the Bonham decision, my own Kingdom Hall was solely owned by the local members as a Non-Profit Association in the State of California. The Society had no legal tital or interest in the Hall. Our remaining loan was not recorded against the property. SO, this process has taken them a long time, and even after I moved to Oregon in the late 1980s, our Kingdom Halls that we attended were still locally owned. BUt I understood that new 'Quick-Builds' were being set up with a different deal. I left in 1992 and have not followed this aspect - exactly. But some of the property deed research I have done reveals that the Society does not yet own all the Kingdom Halls. So they are still vulnerable in some respects should a local congregation decide to otp out of its affiliation with teh Watch Tower Society.
Circuit Holding Corps.: I am not aware that the Circuit Holding Corporations are for owning Kingdom Halls, but rather, for the ownership and operation of Circuit Assembly Halls. If they are being used to hold local Kingdom Hall property, then this is a new one on me.
Other State and Regional Corps.: Oftentimes local corporations will be set up by the Society to establish a legal base on which to rent stadiums and other facilities for conventions. The local corporation will engage in the negotiations and obtain the necessary permits, liability insurance, etc. Then, if something bad happens, resulting in serious injury to hundreds or thousands of people, then the Society will not be directly liable - at least they hope that it works that way. A good, but mean, injury lawyer might be able to penetrate the local corporations and nail the Society in New York.
In some states a corporation must have stockholders or own property, so in some cases in order to incorporate in a given state, the Society might have to technically issue some stock or buy a house to use for its offices. But, in other states, a non-profit corporation only has to register with 3 officers, and can use any address for its registered agent.
The Significance of Bonham: While the legal ramifications and actions taken by the Society are not 100% certain, the moral, ethical, and mostly "historical" implications were monumental. The Society moved from a lose groups of unofficial Bible Students to a highly organized heirarchial religion just like the Roman Catholic Church in almost exactly 100 years from its inception. It wnet from condemning organized religion as being part of Babylon the Great to becoming the model of organized religious corporation, just like the Catholic Church - the Society grew up to be just like her mom.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Big Changes Coming Soon To A Kingdom Hall Near You!
There is going to be an important announcement soon at all Kingdom Halls. I know this will be hard to believe but the society is doing away with the book study in private homes! Very soon now the weekly book study will be incorporated into the weekly Ministry School and Service Meeting. I am not sure exactly how, but the book study will be only 25 minutes long and it will be before the Ministry School. One less meeting per week. Aren't we all thankful to Jehovah that he has seen fit to give us a more free time that we can spend in the field service recruiting members for the Watchtower organization. I suppose that the society is responding to the fact that the brothers are moaning and groaning over having just too much to do. Now, if the Watchtower would just stop making ridiculous predictions and cautioning us about the end being near while they are planning for the future by selling property and planning new projects that will take years to complete.
Some Witnesses will view the announcement as a sign that the end is near. Some of them will exclaim that it is a loving provision from Jehovah. These Witnesses need to take off their rose colored glasses and wake up! Witnesses are leaving the organization at an alarming rate. This latest change has to do with the economy! A mass exodus is going to lead to loss of income. The economy is in trouble but if you've got a printing business with guaranteed subscribers paying the costs and you can keep that in place then you can weather the coming economic collapse a lot better. The Watchtower organization is doing what it can to secure its future income as much as possible; they are tightening their grip on the fold.
Some Witnesses will view the announcement as a sign that the end is near. Some of them will exclaim that it is a loving provision from Jehovah. These Witnesses need to take off their rose colored glasses and wake up! Witnesses are leaving the organization at an alarming rate. This latest change has to do with the economy! A mass exodus is going to lead to loss of income. The economy is in trouble but if you've got a printing business with guaranteed subscribers paying the costs and you can keep that in place then you can weather the coming economic collapse a lot better. The Watchtower organization is doing what it can to secure its future income as much as possible; they are tightening their grip on the fold.
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