A few days ago I posted an article about a special meeting to which all elders in the United States branch territory were invited. The purpose of the LDC (Local Design/Construction Department) meeting was to unveil a new style of standardized kingdom hall that is far better suited for re-sale with commercial applications in mind.
As you would expect, rank and file members were excluded from the meeting despite their contributions paying for the buildings that were being discussed.
Now the entire 2 hour, 40 minute meeting has been leaked on YouTube. I haven’t had chance to go through it all yet, but I thought JWsurvey readers would appreciate the “heads up” and the opportunity to form their own conclusions about what was said during the event.
I am told there are copies of the video in private circulation, so even if Watchtower pulls some strings and has YouTube take the video down, you can expect it to pop up again somewhere.
When you add this latest leak to the leak of Watchtower’s elder training videos on disfellowshipping and suicidal ones 12 months ago, it should go without saying that the organization does not enjoy the uniform support of elders to which it aspires.
Further reading…
It appears to me the governing body all dress like they were attending the Oscars……or plan to do a runway show. They put so much importance on their appearance, trying to look like a CEO. Guess they have the money do pay big bucks for their “outward appearance”. I do recall they boasted years ago when I was pioneering, that rich brothers donate top quality suits for them, and other clothing. All of this, when Jesus didn’t even have a stone on which to lay his head.
How do I get the link to send this video on to my still-active friends?
(I can’t direct them to this site, for obvious reasons)
Also, someone had a like to a great music video on Jesus Wouldn’t Wear A Rolex. I would love to have that link too.
Thank you!
There is something incredibly sad to me about this. There is absolutely no room for any individual creativity when it comes to building design. What a joyless, boring, uncreative organization.
Who really is the faithful and discreet slave? 1) it is a parable and not a real application to any society or religion.
2) This organization through its actions have not proven themselves to be faithful and discreet in many ways anyway!!!
I’ve been out of the WT for 15 years now, after being in it for 30 years. These guys just haven’t learnt anything about whats going on around them. They continually hide their heads in the sand. Seemingly oblivious to the fact that people inside and outside the WT are getting more and more wise to them.
JJ, click on the YouTube logo on the bottomright. That should open a new page, then you can copy+paste the link from the url bar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwjAc_BT6kw
LOL, didn’t mean to embed that video again… just to show the url :-) (Love automagic stuff!)
BTW, what’s with this habit of not wanting to record prayers? At the start, the prayer is skipped in the recording. I can remember in the past some people also objecting to this in the kingdom hall; never really understood why back then either.
I hope the video wasn’t so jerky for all those elders watching; oh my, it’s annoying! For those too lazy to “view the fine video” (haha!): numbers mentioned in the video (for USA):
977 kingdom halls in 602 cities used by 4-6 congregations. These congregations together have 455,556 publishers which is 35% of the total number of US publishers.
131 in Los Angeles
40 in Dallas
48 in Miami
A specific Miami situation is mentioned containing within a 1.5 mile radius:
4 kingdom halls (2 double auditorium, 2 single)
29 congregations with 3200 publishers total
Does anyone know more details about this? An auditorium shared by 5 (or even 6!) congregations seems almost ridiculous to me… they are all having 2 meetings per week, so when would these be? For 4 I can think of (Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu evening & 2xSat,2xSun) but for 5..? Maybe a foreign language group on Friday night but more than that?
“Overcrowding is impacting meeting attendance and is restricting growth” … we can’t think of any other reason why meeting attendance would be declining…? :-)
“The need for more kingdom halls has become urgent on an unprecedented scale!” ….. are we looking at the same yearly statistics here??
I can’t get over the expression “master plan” didn’t a guy in Germany back in the late 30s also have a “master plan”.
I think this is the beginning of serious downsizing,all those Kingdom halls are going to be reviewed ,I’ll bet that a lot that need big upgrading are going to be sold off under the”master plan”,time for the org to start cashing in its scattered assets.
In the video they talked about future growth,where exactly is this growth?
In the western world it’s about 1.5%,so maybe it time to sell off western assets to fund third world growth,ahh the “master plan”.
I bet this drives the GB members crazy! There’s nothing a control freak hates more than anything that provides evidence of their lack of control!
Kudos to whoever leaked this!
@oubliette,yes indeed,I wonder what the leadership must be thinking when they see this all over the Internet.
I just can’t get over all the departments,it must be costing a fortune to just run the organization before it actually does anything!never mind helping anyone financially! That idea is just too Christian!
When Jesus said two or three meeting in his name,I wonder if that’s all he wanted,not this beauractic multi departmented monster!
The whole caboodle is creaking and splitting apart at the seams.
Child abuse scandals – leaked vids – Tony Tightpants a global laughing stock – Elders and Bethelites spilling secrets galore.
Thank you Gareth, I think that I got it.
Yes, Obliette and Wild Olive, just having this video at all, never mind so quickly, proves that there are many on the ‘inside’ who are working to tear this organization down.
Reading the story of The Manhattan Project, America’s and Britian’s project to develop the Atomic Bomb, there were scientists who were feeding the Communists information as the project was developing. These scientists were afraid of The Capatialistic West having all that power, (rightly or wrongly who knows?) but they prevented a one-power system. My father has a theory that Communists, in other countries, were good for the working man here in the West. The Capitalists paid factory workers well, to keep them pacified, not like now when they get paid peanuts. And all of our good factory jobs have moved to the Comunist countries like China and Vietnam. But I digress…
I like sharing these videos with my indoctrinated friends and family because it proves that the Faithful and Discrete Slave (which was just a parable!) are NOT feeding them, except on a need-to-know basis, which the rank-and-file hate. It infuriates my wife that I consistently have more information, and quicker, than she or her “privileged” parents do. It always gives me something to “encourage” my friends with, while leaving these little, nagging questions with them.
I’m sure that there are many trapped inside of the Watchtower who don’t know what to do. They obviously don’t like what is happening but they don’t know if they should leave or work for change.
LDC = Last Days Construction company
I guess in first century, while busy preaching the end, for some 40 years, the Christians were busy in construction/real estate! Why can’t JWs see the laughable contradiction.
they clearly were not prepared for the internet to take off…smh, that should’ve been their number one priority all along. the members should be petrified of cell towers to mp3 players and everything in between by now lol…mention the word “internet” and a complete hush comes over everyone XD…that would’ve been the only way to even halfway keep them corralled away from it lol.
whelp morons will be morons, I don’t care how many other morons they have willing to follow them. the cat is out of the hat…and there is no putting it back.
Yes JJ,it probably means that someone in that actual meeting was involved in leaking it,how otherwise could you get hold of the video so easily? Wouldn’t it be awesome if the mole was there! I wonder who it is,ToMo3 or Big Grin Letty,maybe that’s why he always has that ridiculous grin! Lol
This is the direction they are receiving from Jehovah? Blessings from Jehovah. Jehovah loves his people so he will make this happen. This is just what infuriates me. The suits and the manicured fingernails and the amount of money going into this. Poor nutrition causes nearly half (45%) of deaths in children under five – 3.1 million children each year. Do these people ever actually go out and help their brothers and sisters who are starving to death?
Melka, I was thinking the same thing. For all you lurkers out there reading this, ask yourselves who really is the faithful and discreet slave/christian? Is it the one who will help anyone who is starving needing shelter and clothes or is it the one who is helping an organisation prosper with fancy gold watches, gold pinky rings, tv evangelical shows, magical singing trolly carts, suits that match their bibles ect,,,
Which person would you want to be? One who cares for anyone or just a certain group which is themselves?
Love is only a word. The action you do is the meaning you put into that word.
They said in this video, that this is a 5 year project. I thought Armageddon was coming any minute so why not just use all the empty churches that will be left over after the Great Tribulation? It’s like the cart is ahead of the horse here.
All the Society has to do is to come up with the plans for those new Kingdom Halls. That’s easy enough. They know that whatever it is that the Society asks them to do the rank and file will do it, no questions asked. The Society knows that all those people going to any Kingdom Hall will feel very looked down on, if they don’t one and all support any Kingdom Hall project. People do have fun working together with one another but in the video, it makes like you can’t even go and work on one of those projects unless you have been “approved”, which to me is demeaning.
When the Society wants to sell those Kingdom Halls, the Society will get a whole lot more money for them, as long as the congregations keep them up to date.
I watched two seconds of it and couldn’t continue with the boredom… Can someone provide any interesting tidbits or did Cedars cover it all…?
The 2015 YB, indentifies the 3 most Baptize countries in 2014:
1.) US, 36,044 increase of 2%
2.) Brazil, 29,870 increase of 2%
3.) Mexico, 27,701 increase of 3%
data populated from page 176+
If you combine Brazil and Mexico’s baptized you have 57,571 or 21,507 more than the US.
The video mentions on macKH’s, 131 LA, 40 Dallas, & 48 Miami.
Does anybody see a pattern developing?
The YB goes on to mention the following from pages 17-18.
In April 2014, there were over 270 large projects that needed to be completed, including 90 remote translation offices, 35 Assembly Halls, and 130 branch projects.In addition, there is a pressing need for Kingdom Halls, with more than 14,000 that must either be built or under go major renovation.
Also if you glean on pages 15-16 you will see the new “Worldwide Construction – Local Design Construction aka LDC. No more Regional Building Committee aka RBC.
Watchtower will need to bring it in and show the love bomb and open up there pockets, oops I mean there surplus of pool of money.
Spend the entire 1.5+ Billion dollars in thus massive realignment of commercial macKH’s.
Then explain to Attorney Zalkin, I have exhausted all my money and I have filed chapter 11 and 13, I’m in bankruptcy, I can not pay your lawsuits against the mothership – The Watchtower.
Brother Cedars, . . as Brother TTP-TM3 said, ‘you must have connections. . . or Jehovah must have his hand in your business.
We look forward to your next talk!
MASTERPLAN Repeated many times over next 5 years & beyond! Sounds something The NAZI Party in The 1930s came up with!! You know the one Rutherford wrote a letter to & praised for being in opposition to the Wicked Jewish Anglo-American powers!!I have noticed in the last Year or so hardly any Emphasis on how near ARMAGEDDON is? Here in England the New Bethel at Chelmsford is also a 5 year Project !! I think there will be New Light soon as this ORGANISATION bears no Resemblance to the First Century Christianity! This is a MULTI BILLION PROPERTY & REAL ESTATE EMPIRE Run by ACcountants in Expensive Business Suits!!& GOLD WATCHES !! SAMUEL( not the PROPHET in the Bible who was not Materialistic) HERD Looks like is a fan of ROLEX in his latest Monthly Propaganda Video which is GOOD REASON NOT to Get BAPTISED at 12 Years of Age ! 8 Million Gullible JWs are ‘FOLLOWING the HERD ‘like a BUNCH of DOZEY COWS being DRAINED of their MONEY & TIME& ENERGY!!
Pickled says it so well,the silk suits and pinky rings are just getting to much,what a bunch of fashionistas.
Well it seems that Armageddons not coming within 5yrs at least,so we can all breath now.
I just wonder where is all going?
Melka, Label Licker, you are absolutely right. But it goes one step further: THEY LOOK DOWN ON ANYONE WHO DOES VOLUNTEER WORK!!!
Soooo, many brothers and sisters I know, who are fed up, but who need to do the double game (or lose family and friend) have gone underground, helping others, feeding the, clothing them, consoling them. Isn’t unbelievable
That there exists such religion, where the doing of good to
others must be done in secret for fear of being “punished”?
@Minion, does the yearbook say how many died or got disfellowshipped or just how many got baptized? That makes a big difference as to the actual increase. It could be that the Society has ulterior motives. Maybe they just want the rank and file to think there’s that much of an increase to support these massive building projects. They did mention funds needed over and over again. Also, if you can stomach watching the whole thing, one of those “humble” and “modest” men is wearing 2 pinky rings and another ring on his right hand, in total 3 rings and one isn’t a wedding ring.
INCREASE in Numbers is being Hampered by lack of Kingdom Halls so said Roberto LUCIFER or is that Luciano!! The ORGANISATION is sounding & Looking more like The MAFIA every day & using JEHOVAHs Name like some Lucky Charm!!
One very interesting tidbit I thought was at 1:00:50 in, where Michael DiMaio (introduced 0:59:38) says “if we just start all over what would we do? It was very clear very quickly that it would be more commercial construction than residential construction.” But just a few seconds later Jonathan Robbins says the “decision became being batted back and forth, and became a very emotional meeting” and later “You couldn’t tell which way this was going” painting a whole different picture. Revisionist history happening already right in front of the viewers.
But the most interesting follows (still Robbins speaking) “We stopped the discussion, and we said we weren’t gonna discuss this any further. We weren’t gonna debate residential or commercial any further. We were gonna take a vote on it, and it was either Yes for commercial, or Yes for residential. So, a prayer was offered.” (Lahfdany) “There were those who later were saying they were going into the prayer still somewhat unsure.” (Robbins) “And then the brothers were asked to vote. ‘Those in favor of residential structure, raise your hand.’ And I must admit, I didn’t know which way it was gonna go. No-one moved. ‘Those in favor of a commercial structure, raise your hand.’ Every hand went up.” (Leopold) “Goose bumps. Because you know Jehovah was behind it. We could have sat there for the next five days, and discuss the pros and cons.” (Robbins) “We said at that point that we’ve been directed by holy spirit. We will not discuss [can’t hear] any longer, we put our entire energy in commercial building.”
I think this is a clear example of ‘group voting’ where everyone influences each other, fearing to raise hand (for the first, residential vote) and later many hands go up, all go up. I wonder what the outcome would have been if everyone would have voted on a piece of paper…. Isn’t it highly unlikely that opinions are so divided and then after one prayer, so united?! They most probably prayed at the start, and/or in the morning as well, as is their custom, so….
Steven Lett quotes 2 Corinthians 8:13-15 (2:28:12) bringing attention about the equalizing that took place in the first century.
2 Corinthians 8:14
your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness.
According to this verse people should have the same. This perfectly in line with Jesus teaching. But Steven Lett applies the scriptures for something completely different. For Jesus the recipient of the contributions were people for Steven Lett infrastructures. This is not unique to JWs. For the majority of Christian denominations the contributions are to be spent for the organization and not for the people. But Jesus has clearly encouraged to help the people.
They have formed their own government, a business primarily, using religion as a carrot to use JW which many are lovers of God and are doing what they believe is Gods will, believing the GB. The GB are self appointed kings rulers over the JW.
JW think they are doing all this for God. I feel very sad and sorry for JW, they are being used by those that are deluded or are they that is the question I keep asking myself, do they really know what they are doing to JW or are they just as deluded passing on their delusion to the b/s.
who will be the faithful and discreet slave is not a statement is a question in a parable. this question have never be answer for 2000 years and will never be answer because we don’t know if this statement is on the original manuscripts, and we don’t have the original copies of the new testament and we don’t know if Jesus have say this. the question is this what is really the food that slave will give;
is the watchtower and awake magazines? or the Jehovah witnesses meetings; and what actually is the purpose of this food? did Jesus have in mind the watchtower and the their literature? or this organization in all? if this is truth then is like we walking in fragile ice on top of a lake water.
@Gameisover, it’s also totally disgusting that brothers and sisters aren’t technically supposed to go to food pantries to pick up food to feed their families since a lot of them are run by churches. I volunteer one day a month at a pantry run out of a church, and whenever I see someone dressed really nice, I always wonder if they’re witnesses. But they can’t tell their “friends” that they need help, because they will be made to feel guilty. I have heard of it happening in a previous hall. And another couple I knew didn’t have money to buy food to bring to the convention, and this woman was actually bragging about how poor they were. Her husband was an elder, and he gave parts on the convention, and they were both regular pioneers. It made me sick to my stomach, and it still disturbs me, almost 10 years later.
These poor people trust the GB, that the “Masterplan” will include the Rank and File in some capacity. It’s one thing to try to fix the corruption in government, even though people know what’s going on, but how the GB get all of these sheeple to go along with this, when all they have to do is walk away… they have the power to do that. What’s going to happen to them if they don’t? It’s so scary.
I wonder when there’s “special” meetings like that that all the elders have to attend, if they get a sick feeling in the pit of their stomachs wondering what is coming next that adds to the already full plate that they are trying to juggle. Just how much pressure can the rank and file and the elders take before they collapse under it? I am so glad I don’t have to be there anymore listening to that. It is so easy for the Governing Body come up with these “plans” when they aren’t the ones having to have a 2nd job to pay for it and aren’t the ones doing any of the physical work.
Interesting
Pinky ring
Indications of affiliation or conveying messages
At times, pinky rings have been worn with the intent to In the 1950s and 1960s,[6] These rings became a self-identifying symbol in the gay community,[7] worn by both gay men and lesbians.[8] Especially in the United States, pinky rings also developed an association with criminal activity.[9]
Here in the U.S., especially in the more affluent areas, there are lots of attractive Kingdom Halls, lovingly built and maintained by their congregations, with manicured lawns and beautifully landscaped, in many cases a source of pride and rightly considered a credit to the surrounding community, not to mention serving as an exemplary “witness” to their neighbors. What now happens to these?
How will these older JWs regard these soulless, Soviet Era Cookie-cutter design proposals, foisted on them on a “take it or else” basis?
i think there is also much honesty in these new arrangements. of course building more kingdom halls shows more presence of JWs and gets more people interested in this religion. i don’t think the primary usage is reselling. maybe the plan is to use them for 20 years and then to build a new one and sell the old one in order to get more money for the “kingdom interests”, who knows. if only they would teach the right message. then all these arrangements would be wonderful. imagine you could worship jehovah in kingdom halls without fear, pressure and wrong doctrines. but this is just a dream, as it seems.
Up to 6 Congs, using one building they said, then started scavenging for
any Bible texts they could twist, to claim it was due to a prophesied
increase. and JHVHs blessing, Acts, Isaiah, Eclesiastes, Exodus, you name
it, the point was well laboured.
You must ask the question, “If JHVH provided the increase in sheep”?
“Why did he overcrowd them all in one pen”? why not a parallel
increase in accommodation?
The mess is due to their own neglect, it seems apparent that little or
no money has been made available for K,H building, for some time.
Banks, and mortgage lenders have tightened up since the crisis of 2007
it seems unlikely that an avaricious, money conscious org, would act
differently. But now they’ve devised a way of fleecing the sheep.
building can go ahead.
The elders there, were counselled not to complain or look back, and
were brought to heel with another avalanche of scriptures.
It was purely a business meeting, laying down organisational policy
complete with the usual propaganda whitewash, turning a self made
crisis into a blessing from God. Hustlers!
I wonder why this video isn’t for the rank and file members. I guess it will be soon released for all JWs, especially Stephen Letts “Give us your labour and money” part. I don’t think there will be a lot of elders in these fulltime construction teams.
In our local area we had to congs, i was used to help divide the town to create a south & North unit, over the coming years one of the units failed, numbers dropped & people left, the fault was the body of elders & how they ran the show, now we have been put back together as one unit, the KH is packed on most occasions, some say that we are propspering, total rot, we are just the same place but now together, same rotten elders running the show, so its failing underneath the surface, & few of my freinds are still serving & can see it all.
We now are going to use the assembly hall for all assemblies, its to small, they need a bigger building, its built in an area far removed from any accomodation, built on cheap land, no where to stay for assemblies. as far as contributions go, as i have said befor i give nothing, what did Bono once say, “the god i believe in isnt short of cash!!!
@Ted. Your comment sums up what the Organisstion has become a very suave Property Business Empire with Pharasaical HYPOCRITAL men in FLASHY business suits,LOTS of Gold Rings & Gold Watches telling The Ordinary JW to Cut Back or Give up Material Possessions to either Pioneer or spend YEARS working for FREE at Bethel on New Projects BUT The 7 GOVERNING BODY members ALWAYS HAVE PEOPLE SLAVING for THEM: Chefs,Cleaners,Car Mechanics,Accountants,Lawyers,Doctors ,Dentist,Opticians,Nurses,Architect,Structural Engineers,& 8 MILLION GULLIBLE JWs Financing their LUXURIOUS OPULENT Lifestyle Never having to Worry about Heslthcare or A Pension .JESUS Had Nowhere to Lay his Head !! Apostle Paul was a TENTMAKER so as not to be a BURDEN on the Brothers. Simple Lifestyles !!!