Two RV's a list of NH's and a GOAT

Do you remember;

S8's?  Little forms that you had to fill out while on field service.  Those little forms were full of code. For instance;

NH meant 'not home'.

DNC (Do Not Call) meant someone was really pissed that you woke them up.

RV was of course a Return Visit - someone didn't kick you off the doorstep.

W/A - you placed some magazines with someone who took them in the mistaken belief you would now leave them alone - little did they know they would now become an RV!  

BK - wow you placed a book - of course the BK would then be followed by the book title. TTTLTEL was my favourite (The Truth That Leads To Eternal Life).  It was my favourite because, at the time, it was in the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest selling non-fiction book.  Non-Fiction?  Really?

Sometimes, back in the seventies and early eighties, when a publisher met a particularly non-responsive householder they would write the abbreviation GT on the S8.  This of course meant; GOAT.  The Society got wind of this and asked all publishers to refrain from judging people - apparently that's Gods job.

Of course the S8 is long gone, resigned to a past that included five day conventions, fortnightly magazines, one hour public talks, Tuesday night book studies and District Overseers.

It's a long time since the demise of the S8 and in those intervening years the Society has developed into a corporate monster.  Back in the day the local congregation elders ran the circuits and districts with the help and guidance of branch appointed overseers.  Talks were, in most cases, prepared by the speaker who was provided with an outline of the subject and some suggested scriptures.  Manuscript talks, prepared by the Society and read word for word, were a rare occurrence and generally only used the week after the memorial - this meeting was known as the 'special' talk.

Local elders made decisions on donations, Kingdom Hall refurbishments, the appointment of elders and ministerial servants, comments to the local press etc.  Of course the Branch office were consulted on certain subjects and they used both Circuit and District Overseers to keep an eye on things but their touch was light.

Today the Society has total control.  In fact that control is such that if a body of elders question a decision the Society has made the whole body are likely to be removed.  This occurred in Menlo Park congregation in California USA.  It appears that a sister in that congregation was asked to move to a congregation much further away by the circuit overseer.  (This sometimes happens if they are trying to balance congregation sizes and it's unlikely this sister would be the only person asked to join another congregation).

The sister, it is claimed, resisted the move and asked the local elders to back her request to remain where she was.  The whole body agreed with her arguments for remaining and wrote to Bethel to ask that she be allowed to stay.  What exactly happened next is up for debate but what is known is the whole body of elders were removed from their positions.

Remember the local elders are the trustees of the congregation, responsible for the funds, the building and all other assets.  The Governing Body demonstrated to all other congregations that they can (and will) remove control of those assets if any body of elders does not toe the party line.

Since the incident at Menlo Park the Governing Body have 'requested' all congregations send surplus funds to the Society.  That is funds that are over and above three months running costs and a small amount of cash for unforeseen situations.  Imagine if any body of elders resists this request?

Why do the Society want all this cash?  There are 118,000 congregations around the world with 8.2 million active members.  Through contributions and enormous sums raised by inheritance as more and more JW's leave all their money and property to the religion, the congregations raise billions every year.  The sums are eye-watering and now the Society wants almost complete control over it.

Make no mistake, the organisation of Jehovahs Witnesses has survived the criticisms and ridicule it has received over the last hundred years because it is a fantastic business model.  The new emphasis on promotion through the internet, with JW.ORG at the forefront, is just the latest example of how this media savvy organisation uses targeted mass advertising to keep generating the cash.

The difference between now and the time of the S8 is now they have become politically astute, using their power and authority to gain a stranglehold over the entire organisation which in turn creates a funnel for the cash to stream straight into their hands. 

Someone recently asked me if I thought the Governing Body sincerely believed what they teach.  I don't know any of them personally so I can't answer.  However money, especially on this scale, is a huge incentive to keep things ticking along whatever they sincerely believe.  The fact that they are prepared to crush any dissenting voices to their 'requests' should send alarm bells ringing in every Kingdom Hall.  But of course it won't because questioning the Governing Body would simply demonstrate 'disloyalty'.

So the reality is, they can do what they want, when they want and if you don't agree you're out.  Even if the dissent comes not from a single person but a whole body of elders.