is no search for the little ones, those weak, in need... If you know anyone in need of a gathering place and fellowship without judgement, please send them here RR. This place has been a much-needed respite for many of faith over the years.[/QUOTE] I can only speak about my neck of the woods...we have a new good lot of elders...and yes they go out looking and checking up on many of us......we have picnics...beach gatherings and more seem to be present at the zoom meeting than ever at the KHs...but there are so many trials and tribulations for so many....most of us never want to go back to KH meetings ...the pressure is off ...yet new and very difficult pressures have replaced them...some are ringing up and checking on older sicker ones every day just in case they have a serious fall...some of us have to buy food for others as the economic situation has become bad for a few...busy bees have been arranged to clean an older sisters yard...another to fix a bathroom and toilet..and a number of people have approached some brothers and sister and asked them what they think is going on in the world...I know four inactive ones or two who had left JWs swearing not to come back now restudying and attending zoom meeting...I think they may actually read places like this .....
The vaccine roll out has created alot of quiet head scratching. I'm not suggesting they contain blood products, yet it seems some are wondering why cong would consent not knowing what was in it. There are some very smart people in the congregations generally who have a habit of politely suspending their critical thinking when 'necessary', to support the program. Almost as a kind of religious rite of sufferance. However it is definitely causing concern when those smart ones see their cong sis & bros not applying critical thinking to the Covid 19 propaganda. It is a dichotomy given a free pass. If you train people to ignore their thinking abilities when it suits your purposes you cannot arm them for the world's devices at the same time. Another relative dynamic is the issue of staying as close as possible to the congregation at this time. Although this is continuous council it is now being given [among Jah Wits] within the auspices of 'the end is drawing in - according to the Covid event'. There is a problem of perception here: the WTBTS did not pre-warn of any kind of possible occurrence of this nature. Social distancing mandates don't really have the character of persecution specific to believers yet obviously for satan it is a strategically specific bounty. Sifted grain. As such the emphasis on staying close as possible to the cong for reasons of spiritual safety [during COVID] falls a bit flat. If there is no strong counsel about injection of unknown substances and there was no preemptive warning about the possibilities of a general social distancing phenomena world wide, it leaves the idea that spiritual protection in the time of COVID has little specificity to counsel. Like the army of Romes 1st temporary apperance over the horizon. A head scratcher yet also a heads up.
Kevin Green, Greensburg Daily News, Ind. Fri, July 16 Breaking a century-old tradition in the name of health and safety, the largest convention organization in the world has moved its annual in-person event to a virtual format for the second time in as many years, cancelling nearly 6,000 conventions in 240 lands. For nearly 100 years, summers in Indiana have featured Jehovah's Witnesses streaming into cities like Evansville and Indianapolis to take over hotels and fill restaurants as they attended their conventions. In 2020, the pandemic unexpectedly interrupted that tradition moving the international religious organization to cancel in-person conventions throughout the world and launch a global virtual event. This was a first for Jehovah's Witnesses, who have held public conventions in stadiums, arenas, convention centers, and theaters around the world since 1897. "Powerful by Faith!" is the theme of the 2021 global event https://news.yahoo.com/jehovahs-witnesses-hold-global-virtual-195100013.html
'The pandemic may leave a permanent mark on Jehovah’s Witnesses by ending door-to-door ministry, even after restrictions ease, he said.' ............[reportedly] https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/05...-end-of-door-knocking-for-jehovahs-witnesses/
I haven't been inside a Kingdom Hall in 25 years. As a Letter Carrier for USPS I deliver Witness letters just about everyday. Just this past week I have been delivering invitations to the Conventions. Many Churches have reopened their doors to their congregants, and yet the Kingdom Halls remain closed. Mortgages still need to be paid, especially if the Society is the lender and holds the deed to the property. I've been associated with the Bible Students since before I left the Witnesses, actually attended both Witness meetings and Bible Students meetings for 2 years. Every evening I was attending meetings and on Sundays attending the Hall in the mornings and the Ecclesia in the afternoons. That said, Bible Students have been taking advantage of the Internet since the 1990s. They even invented a zoom like software for shuts-ins and isolated ones. A few brethren who worked in the computer industry, refurbished laptops and desktops and gifted them to those who didn't have any. My Ecclesia hasn't met physically since Covid. I think that the course the Society will take is sell all Kingdom Halls and have them return to the old book study days, meeting in small groups in personal homes. Maybe they'll have special zoom meetings for the Service Meeting to let Witnesses know what the GB is doing. Or one thought may be to create mega halls, like the mega churches, that way they can have one large Hall for thousands to attend. Just a thought! RR
Wow. thats a whole lot of scripture. Sometimes wtbts seem to atempt to over-extenuatingly promote good citizenry. Its a bit unfortunate really. Might be the reason for overly cautious re opening.They've been counseling that wearing face masks is good, i dont believe it's healthy. 25 years can pass quickly, 25 years ago; counsel from the platform in a kingdom hall was, 'The internet is evil, stay away from it.' Right now the internet is the only Kingdon hall platform. You could be right about some kind of property shake up. They have definately changed their attitude toward the bethel property holdings. I thought it was a knock on effect from the 9/11 WTC event. New York seems to be a city extremely affected by the present political tumalt, although on a more sarcastic note moving further away from the U.N. Must be very emotional for the GB.
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/community/articles/evangelizing-by-mail-jehovahs-witnesses "Among the unforeseen ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic: the disruption of unannounced home visits from Jehovah’s Witnesses. The denomination, famous for these visits—as well as for carts stocked with religious literature on busy city streets—suspended all in-person outreach on March 20, 2020. Since then, instead of knocking on doors, Jehovah’s Witnesses have been mailing letters. “We hope this letter finds you and your loved ones are doing okay during the Pandemic,” one such letter begins."