Real Estate And The New Donation Arrangement

The Watchtower Society's sold properties in recent years include:

360 Furman Street = $205 million
67 Livingston Street = $18.6 million
89 Hicks Street = $14 million
169 Columbia Heights = $50 million
50 Orange Street = $7.1 million
165 Columbia Heights = $4.1 million
161 Columbia Heights = $3 million
183 Columbia Heights = $6.6 million
105 Willow Street = $3.3 million
34 Orange Street = $2.825 million
Bossert Hotel = $81 million
67 Remsen Street = $3.25 million
173 Front Street, 177 Front Street, 200 Water Street = $30.6 million
117 Adams Street, 55 Prospect Street, 175 Pearl Street, 81 Prospect Street, 77 Sands Street, 90 Sands Street = $375 million

TOTAL = $804,375,000 in real estate property sales.

The Watchtower Society has also recently arranged for congregations to survey and collect a form indicating a pledge amount publishers commit to in writing that would be donated monthly, in cooperation with a new donation arrangement.

There have been a few letters sent to the elder bodies concerning this arrangement, including a four pages one, in which only the first page was read to the congregation.  The three pages that followed laid the groundwork for the below "adjustments".

In the letter dated May 12, 2014, and shared among the Elder Body alone, it directs:

In part, it stipulates:

1.  Each congregation is allowed to keep 2-3 months of operating expenses in the bank.

2.  A maximum amount of $5000 per Kingdom Hall in additional reserve.

3.  The only other items permitted to be consider and have money set aside is for other already agreed to resolutions such as: The Kingdom Hall Assistance Arrangement, The Traveling Overseer Assistance Arrangement, and now this new arrangement which is completely restructuring finances.

Surplus in the bank is to be sent to the Watchtower Society and not saved by the congregation.  This was covered on page 3 from the letter dated March 29, 2014 (Again, only page 1 was read to the congregation):

The Governing Body has referred to the above restructuring of finances towards a so-called "Kingdom Hall and Assembly Hall construction program".  They are taking practically all of the congregations' saved and surplus money in addition to setting up (indirect) tithing with its members.

Please, Jehovah's Witnesses - WAKE UP!

Appointing Power And Responsibility

The following letter dated April 22, 2014 was recently read to all congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses from their Governing Body:

Oddly enough, it has taken decades for Jehovah’s Holy Spirit to reveal to the Governing Body this scriptural precedent of having traveling/circuit overseers perform appointments and deletions of Ministerial Servants and Elders directly for the congregations.

Or is the reason due to what was once viewed as power and control by the Governing Body has become a liability.

Indeed, by placing the responsibility of appointment and deletions into the hands of Circuit Overseers, issues like Elders and Ministerial Servants sexually molesting or even raping children cannot be traced directly back to the Governing Body as the ones responsible for appointing and retaining such individuals within the congregation.

Rather, the finger points and accountability reaches to the height of the Circuit Overseer only; whereas now the Governing Body can once again wash its hands clean of responsibility.

The Governing Body is not only retreating in their previous prominent physical location to a more secluded and isolated area, they are also trying to minimize and reduce their accountability towards congregational issues.

Truly these are spiritual leaders of integrity and self-sacrifice, are they not?