Flip-side News: JW Conventions - Who Do They Target? (Are They Changing Their Focus?)

Each year, Jehovah's Witnesses hold conventions around the world where millions of Jehovah's Witnesses collect to enjoy talks on Bible subjects that announce new understandings of scripture and release new publications for learning the meanings of Bible lessons and prophecies.

Who the Conventions are for

But who are these conventions for? Some seem to think that because we hand out invitations to the public that they are geared to the public. But think, we invite the public to all our meetings, and yet, our weekly meetings are geared to instruct Jehovah's Witnesses, with the exception of the weekend public talk. So likewise, our conventions are geared toward instructing Jehovah's Witnesses, and the public are invited.

Let me state that again: Jehovah's Witness conventions are designed for edifying Jehovah's Witnesses. Again, JW conventions are for Jehovah's Witnesses. The public is simply invited to attend as a witness to them. But conventions are not designed for the public. If they were, they would be much more simplified with a lot less theocratic language.

We Took a Hit, but We're Not Down

Some who would like to see us fade away are exalting over the hit we took in 2015 after the Royal Commission. The two court cases in which child molestation victims sought damages from an innocent organization, damaged us in 2012 and 2013, but we began to recover in 2014. When the public finally settles down and perhaps realizes that all of this is over things that happened 19+ years ago and more and that we do not operate the way certain ones claim, it will begin to feel like old news. Despite these things, our membership throughout the world is still increasing, while Christendom's membership, and especially the participation of its members, is decreasing.

Where is Jehovah's hand in this? Take a look. From 2006 to 2010 we had record growth almost double that of any previous year, giving us a windfall of both funds and membership. The court cases in 2012 and 2013 did not hit us near as bad as when the court documents were leaked in 2002. We survived that event just fine without any need for financial restructuring. In fact, we restructured just before that. We see this as a sign of divine protection. Restructuring financially again in 2014 allowed us to stave off the hit in 2015, which still is not even close to what happened from 2002 to 2004. Even then our membership still continued to grow. No matter how much Satan harps on this issue, he can't break Jehovah's hand. The fact is, we baptized over a quarter of a million people in 2015.

However, some are claiming that the 2016 convention title, "Remain Loyal to Jehovah" is because of the numbers, and that we normally gear our conventions toward the public, but now we're supposedly trying to hold onto our numbers. While we are trying to help the 1% that failed to make a showing last year to remain loyal, our conventions have never been geared toward the public, as explained above.

Take for example the 2010 convention theme, "Remain Close to Jehovah". We did not suffer any reduction in membership or reduction in growth prior to that convention, In fact, quite the opposite. 2009 was our best year ever, Yet the talk is instructing attendees to "remain" in their relationship to Jehovah. The same goes for the 2009 convention, "Keep Seeking God's Kingdom." (2008 was another banner year. Likewise, this year, we are being asked to "Remain loyal to Jehovah". This title in no way speaks to the fact that we are trying frantically to hold on to members. We took a hit, but not that hard a hit, and not so hard that we can't hold on. It is simply reflective of the fact that none of our conventions are, or ever have been, targeted toward the public.

Do Not Let Them Stop Your Thinking

Every year, every week, every day, it's the same old tired song from those seeking our end. They paint every little thing as the sky falling for Jehovah's Witnesses, and yet we remain to be one of the fastest growing religions year after year. Why do they try to do that? Because they want people to panic. Why do they want people to panic? Because when people panic, they stop thinking straight and start thinking in reactionary ways. You see, such ones do not have reasoning on their side, so they have to resort to the tactic of trying to get people to react rashly. It's the lowest hanging fruit they can possibly get and thus it is the most common. They could do it every year and we'll still have growth every year, even if diminished, because this is Jehovah's organization, not man's.

Instead of responding reactively to the thought-stopping propaganda of such ones, try thinking carefully. Always assume that those rejoicing over the least negativity toward us are trying to covertly stop your thinking, because that is exactly what they're trying to do. Instead of taking their word at face value, look for contradictions in what they say. Often, the cognitive dissonance between what they are trying to get you to believe and what they know to be true is revealed in contradictory statements, usually involving a quote and their opinion. Just ask yourself if a quote is really saying what they forcefully interpret it to mean.

Frankly, I often ask myself why I bother with running this blog when apostates so often do the job for us by exposing their own lies and intents by their own contradictions. I suppose I just need to publicly roll my eyes from time to time, for their being such bad liars who will eventually fade away like the chaff.

Really, lying is so ubiquitous among these opposers of our work that, humorously, they cannot even trust each other. They have to question information "leaked" by other of like mind because they know how untrustworthy the sources actually are. I suppose that comes with their being covert liars.



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Comments

Robert Murphey said…
Frankly, I do not see how a convention donning such titles are reflective of trying to hold on to people. Those titles simply reflect timely reminders.

Let a light bulb blow in NY and not immediately get replaced, and they'll say its because they cannot afford to replace it.

Its is really pathetic.
Robert said…
Thanks for that info you added, CJ.

That hit, and the ones prior, only serve as evidence that people are reactionary, primarily emotionally, and is not indicative of people rejecting our message based in its own merit.

Its like when you're engaged to marry someone, and you hear something "shocking" about their past, and you abruptly break off the engagement. If a person allows emotions to negate all the equity they've built in that relationship, that person is probably not for you anyway.

I have a similar view with the information you provided. Allowing stories to shake your faith is a strong indication of how strong (or weak) you are. People would spend years in the truth and claim they love Jehovah, but when a news article breaks accusing the organization of something, they are inactive or disassociate themselves and allow themselves to be used by apostates.

When the smoke clears and the facts come out, those who left see they were wrong and want to come back, but are too embarrassed to because they've told all their friends how "evil" we are and coming back would be a HUGE hit on their personal reputation.

This *can* be a form of persecution, and fulfills what Jesus said regarding seeds sowed and heart conditions. Matt 13:21 says:

"Yet, he has no root in himself but continues for a time, and after tribulation or persecution has arisen on account of the word, he is at once stumbled".

The fact that we've recovered well shows that apostates attack people emotionally, and since emotional reacts lack depth, people are back listening and getting baptized again.

If anything, this is STRONG evidence that apostates and opposers can't disprove our beliefs, so they have resort to emotional attacks, which succeeds as long as the story is in the news.

Indeed, Jehovah's has allowed things to happened. This tells Him much about the depth of your faith and love, regardless of what ones says.
Dismythed said…
Indeed. Actions speak louder than words. I love the engagement analogy. Very appropriate and spot-on.
Robert said…
Thanks bro.

A bible account that somewhat mirrors that sort of reaction by fellow Witnesses is found at John 6:60, 66. There we read in verse 60: "When they heard this, many of his disciples said: “This speech is shocking; who can listen to it?” And verse 66: "Because of this, many of his disciples went off to the things behind and would no longer walk with him".

The word I am keying on is "shocking" which describes a strong emotional reaction. And to add insult to injury, they didn't even bother getting clarification on what he meant, but just went off to the "things behind".

What I am doing is drawing a principle from here: When you hear of allegations of coverups or whatever, it behooves you to not just become "shocked" and react and leave like the faithless follower of Jesus. GET THE FACTS!!

Personally, I would want to save myself the embarrassment pointed out here at Proverbs 18:13:

"When anyone replies to a matter before he hears the facts, it is foolish and humiliating."

A good principle for our brothers and sisters to follow.






Robert said…
Also the "the sky is falling" proclamation is over 100 years old.

Think about it. By the end of 1914 when expectations regarding Armageddon and a heavenly resurrection were not realized, onlookers were certain that we would fizzle out. In 1918 when prominent members of the organization were jailed for 9 months, its not hard to imagine Christendom writing our obituaries.

Fast-forward 57 years after the sky was supposed to had fallen in 1918, we arrive at the famous date of 1975. Surely after then, the sky would be roof-high.

Again, let us count forward 27 years (we are still around??) to 2002, the year mention in CJ's post. We were supposed to definitely see such a decrease in membership and finances that we would not sustain the organization. Now, 14 years later in 2016 after the Royal Commission, this would mean the beginning of the end of our organization...the same end that we were supposed to see in 1914, 1918, 1975, 2002, and now in 2016.

Over the past 102 years, the "sky has fallen" in at least 5 different periods in our history.

So is the sky falling, or is this mere wishful thinking and thought-terminating propaganda from our opposers?


Robert said…
I was just looking at the Convention Program online, and got to thinking that while our opposers may allege that the title of the Convention is a numbers grab, it could quite possibly be designed to prepare us for the near future and an attempt to make one last "push" for those who are inactive or have studied before to save their lives.

Who knows, really? Our opposers, as I said before, are not apart of the decision making process that goes into deciding the content of our Conventions, so they're just guessing and making stuff up, as usual.

Since our organization preaches a life-saving message, all of our Conventions carry that overall message.



Dismythed said…
I've actually been waiting for a good discussion on loyalty for a long while now. This convention is going to be a really good one, in my eyes, whatever its reason. It's a long time in coming and I think every apostate out there should attend and learn how low and disloyal they have been. Maybe some will turn back. I'm looking forward to every subject on the menu.
Robert said…
Yeah, I am looking forward to the subjects and talks myself, whatever the reason for the Convention.

I'm confident that even if some won't turn back, they may take to heart the points in the talks, and reflect on what they have been missing...such as a loving brotherhood and a growing, spiritual family, and also a future that the world cannot provide.

We can only hold out hope.

Robert said…
I do not know how the Slave goes about deciding themes for our Conventions, but I think this is one is timely.

We've been discussing loyalty for a few weeks now pretty good, and I think its because loyalty, and I mean genuine loyalty, not the superficial loyalty that comes with a price tag, is extremely rare. Even the marriage arrangement is facing a loyalty crisis, in my opinion.

If you look at the business world, and this is particularly evident in professional sports, its all about results. They're 'loyal' to you as long as you are benefiting them, and that goes both ways as well.

I think this convention will remind us of why we should not take that view with Jehovah. Jehovah is the gold-standard of loyalty, because in Bible times he was loyal to people were incapable of brining Him any personal benefit. Can we do the same when tangible benefits have not yet come from Jehovah?

That's what I want to learn more about.