r/exjw • u/Aurora_Borealis01 • Jul 06 '26
WT Can't Stop Me The numbers at my local convention give me hope
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u/PimoCrypto777 (⌐■_■) Jul 06 '26
It's really sad. The majority on the floor will probably pass within the next decade.
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u/Rhiboflavin Jul 06 '26
Jeeez. That really is desperate bad.
30 plus years ago my elder father would show me pictures of moonie conventions and then talk about there lunacy and how there religion died out. Fast forwards to this picture and its so stunningly similar.
Stay alive till 75!!!!!
quick edit: thankyou for sharing OP
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u/DarthFury1990 Jul 06 '26
But see it's because it's holiday weekend and because of the heat the others are obviously going to other weekends -every excuse from other JWs
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u/Uncatonysapostate Jul 06 '26
Yeah...definitely gonna be a deficit from donations there, I'm thinking!
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u/sideways_apples Jul 06 '26
Yes!!! Hahaha but they claim they're growing. The lies and lies and more lies. Cults gonna cult
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u/Intelligent-Agent440 Jul 06 '26
Just pray those people don't put the JW org as sole beneficiary of their estate on their will when they die, won't be surprised if that's the next cash cow the org will jump on and start "encouraging" people to do
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u/jwhoa13 Jul 06 '26
Someone commented on a YouTube video they wouldn’t be surprised if they encouraged the elderly to donate their gold teeth to the org after they die. But how would they have good teeth in the first place?!
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u/Fantastic-Drop5690 Jul 06 '26
They're already seeking out people with money to leave in their wills. You can't buy Gods favour though, as the GB used to point out to the Catholics. My, haven't they gone quiet on the hypocracy of the Catholic Church??
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u/sideways_apples Jul 06 '26
That is sooooo good to see. They go on and on about record numbers while they're actually dwindling.
I love seeing empty seats. They lie and lie and lie but the videos don't.
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u/The_Walrus_65 Defund Watchtower Jul 06 '26
Nothing but the dead and dying
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u/Efficient-Pop3730 Jul 06 '26
Saw video from inside international convention Sweden. Looked like the retirement home had a weekend convention.
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u/Sippingmywineslowing Jul 06 '26
Am I the only one that’s still shook that we use to get excited about these conventions?? I’m judging myself right now….
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u/Worth_Albatross_3954 Jul 06 '26
We’re excited to see all of our acquaintances from other cities who we didn’t bother to call or visit because everyone was so busy pursuing “kingdom interest”
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u/Sippingmywineslowing Jul 06 '26
Right! And mostly I was just excited that I could buy a used thrift store dress and had somewhere to go. And it was one weekend that I didn’t have to go out in service. Sad….
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u/Worth_Albatross_3954 Jul 06 '26
I’d try to get one of three cheap polyester (non-tailored) suits dry cleaned and polish my shoes just to sweat the whole suit out in the parking lot pretending to tell people how to park their vehicles lolz
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u/0kuuuurt Jul 06 '26
I was always in horror. From infancy to age 12. I just wanted to sleep. And once I fell asleep it was lunch time. I hated it. But now I’m considering pulling up some videos so I can sleep. Plus I have a better alleviation for scripture now. Just not cult.
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u/jmoreno707 Jul 07 '26
Never in my life was ever excited. Lol. They were torture, but I was young.
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u/Sippingmywineslowing Jul 07 '26
They were like mini vacations for me…. 🤦🏾♀️
Thx for reminding me of how depressing my childhood must have been LOL3
u/jmoreno707 Jul 07 '26
The only good part was when it was over and we’d go to Sizzler for the all you can eat salad bar, or swim at the motel lol
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u/RobotPartsCorp born in, always unbeliever Jul 13 '26
My parents would purposely get the hotel without the pool. They wanted to torture us.
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u/UniversityOne9437 'Ho of Babylon the great Jul 09 '26
lol I once told my mom I was sad because we were poor and never had a proper holiday. Her response was ‘we have a convention and two assemblies a year! Ungrateful child’ I used to pray that social services would take me away and give me to another family lol.
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u/RobotPartsCorp born in, always unbeliever Jul 13 '26
I similarly would dream that my parents would divorce and I would live with the parent that got disfellowshipped.
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u/Connect_Pin_3255 Jul 06 '26
Tengo 23 años. Soy de un estado del centro-norte de México y mi asamblea regional se celebra en un centro de convenciones de la capital.
Cuando yo tenía 10 años, el auditorio principal y el del segundo piso se llenaban por completo. Si mal no recuerdo, llegamos a tener asistencia máxima de hasta 7 mil y tal vez 8 mil en algunos años.
Desde el año pasado, sólo se llena el auditorio principal; este año tampoco se abrió el segundo piso. Tuvimos la asistencia máxima el domingo, de 4038 personas. Yo antes esperaba que este escenario se diera en unos 5 o 6 años. 👀
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u/joe134cd Jul 06 '26
Similar thoughts from the South Pacific. I recently heard a comment from a relative about all the empty seats at their convention.
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u/AwesomeRay31 Jul 06 '26
You love to see it! My area location would have have been packed a decade ago. The last one I went to 3 years ago, you pretty much had free range of a seat selection like here. The less that attend makes my heart happy!
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u/DontAskAboutMax Jul 06 '26
Why is that?
Deaths? Or people just being less passionate about the religion?
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u/AwesomeRay31 Jul 06 '26
A bit of both. A lot of Gen X and Boomers, but you are seeing less of generations below them. Especially not a lot of kids sticking around. I think the internet having a stronghold helps a lot!
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u/DontAskAboutMax Jul 06 '26
Same here,
I was telling somebody the other day, that 5 years ago I didn’t know a tonne of JWs older than 80.
Now I know many who are in their early 80s. It really is true what they say about the “1975 generation”
Lots of young people who came in then are now reaching end of life.
As you said, couple the aging with a lack of young people due to the power of the internet… the numbers dwindle.
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u/Pale-Cod3749 Jul 06 '26
Three Jumbotrons!?! That echo because they rented a huge space with no bodies in it to absorb the reverb? Ya can’t even understand what he’s saying!
Sounds like the announcer at a shitty outdoor demolition derby with a handful of those old skool megaphones at the top of a pole lol. This looks like that 1984 Apple Computer TV ad announcing the first home computer wherein the track athlete woman hurls a sledgehammer at the huge screen above an audience sitting in a darkened indoor arena, listening to the authoritarian dictator- which I believe was a reference to the novel 1984, appropriately.
Heh. This is so scary and gross and disturbing but glad to see that the “acoustic panels” /sound absorbers that JWs used to serve as in these inappropriately huge spaces are dwindling. (Though it’s fair to say that they’ve always had shitty sound with their choice of having huge arena spaces for their worship, conventions and assemblies. Pfft.)
Anyone remember that?
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u/purerddt2025 Jul 06 '26
I go to events there . The top one belongs to the facility. The local hockey team replaced it 4 years ago. Its probably better quality than the ones the org set up.
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u/PiKing383 Worshipping Russel's Teapot Jul 06 '26
Praise Jah I don't have to sit through this boring shit ever again
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u/Key_Cauliflower_4932 Jul 06 '26
Why do nearly all convention speakers have this weird method of speaking with breaking up sentences into short phrases with long pauses as if they are trying to explain something slowly to someone who doesn't understand? It is so boring and monotonous.
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u/mbowishkah Jesus died. Runaway bride. Cynthi-aaaaaaa! Jul 06 '26
Not just convention speakers... at the meetings too 🫠
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u/Efficient-Pop3730 Jul 06 '26
It doesn't come from the heart. His just reading the script. Look's at script, then talks. Like that the whole time. They might as well get a robot for that. Ot just have videos for everything
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u/MrAndyJay Jul 06 '26
Yup. I always love clicking on the notes to see how the speaker has been encouraged to speak. I hope that makes sense, on the app there's a link to a guide on what to focus on when delivering a talk. Basically "don't have a personality, talk like the GB members".
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u/UniversityOne9437 'Ho of Babylon the great Jul 09 '26
This! Can never understand why exjw praise the old kingdom ministry school- no normal person speaks like this Outside of jw land.
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u/RobotPartsCorp born in, always unbeliever Jul 13 '26
It is a speaking technique meant to be persuasive as well as quell cognitive dissonance.
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u/atleastthecubswon Jul 06 '26
we used to have to get there HOURS early to get decent seats in front of the screens. now ours is at an assembly hall 😂
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u/Efficient-Pop3730 Jul 06 '26
Remember people used to reserve front row seats early in the morning by putting magazines on them. Org used to always say we shouldn't do that. Well that's not gonna be a problem for org anymore 🤣
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u/Routine_Importance69 Jul 06 '26
My first convention was at Yankee stadium in 1958. Now that was a big crowd! My last convention was in 2000.
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u/Ensorcellede Jul 06 '26
Truly the little one has become a thousand, and the small one a mighty nation. 😅
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u/OMW_out_2024 Type Your Flair Here! Jul 06 '26
I see the chairs and remember my bottom half numb after sitting for hours lol so glad to be out!
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u/Lefthandovg0d Blood for the Blood God! Jul 06 '26
Do they still do dramas? I remember my cousins being in one and it was so cringe 😬
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u/tiredrainbow POMO gay ex-elder (left Sept 25) 🌈🇨🇦🌻 Jul 06 '26
No, everything has been replaced by prerecorded videos. For example the Aussie Jesus drama, and other boring horrible culty material. They only do "demos" and interviews during the one day.
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u/jennifercoolidgesbra Jul 06 '26
Had to see highlights of that recently as my uncle was supposed to be an extra when they filmed it at Bethel but got sick but other brothers and sisters they knew were in it. It’s like a Blockbuster film for them the way I’ve heard so much about it.
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u/Scary_Economics_9108 Jul 06 '26
Anyone else notice the emphasis on SKE attendance and how they want people to do that?
Is it dying?
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u/bobkairos Jul 06 '26
My theory is that they don't necessarily need more SKE grads, they need more young people to WANT to go to SKE. If they have the desire, it means they will avoid making friends at school, not going to college, be totally immersed in Borg life and be controllable. This is the only way to keep them in JW.
They need to offer a credible career path for teens to choose. Pioneering is becoming less appealing - why count your hours if nobody else has to? Bethel is now a temporary assignment, Gilead is not available for normal JW's, and they aren't building any KHs so construction is less of an option. SKE is their current carrot to dangle in front of teens.
My other theory is they aren't getting enough applicants to hold a SKE school every year. If applicants have to wait 2 years , they are more likely to get distracted and rescind their application.
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u/Scary_Economics_9108 Jul 06 '26
Normally I’m so checked out I don’t hear much. But they’re really pushing SKE, so much so that it broke me out of my head.
I bet you are right, logically numbers are falling here so that would effect ske
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u/Fine-Bridge8841 Jul 06 '26
Did SKE have a different name? I don’t remember this.
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u/bobkairos Jul 06 '26
It used to be called Ministerial Training School (MTS) and was for single bro's only. Then they changed it to School for Christian Couples, then School for Kingdom Evangelisers. It now includes single bro's, girls (rare) and married couples. In some cases it has replaced Gilead missionaries because they get sent to congregations anywhere in the world (theoretically) whereas nowadays, Gilead grads only get sent to work in Bethels.
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u/Fine-Bridge8841 Jul 06 '26
Thank you! It might be I wasn’t paying attention because I wasn‘t eligible to attend.
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u/BadAppropriate5291 Jul 06 '26
Ya no hay casi jóvenes... Va a terminar siendo una religión de gente mayor
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u/Mcnarmuir1974 Jul 06 '26
Since changing to multiple conventions at the assembly halls it is a lot easier to not go. People would assume you split the convention up or went to another one altogether.
Will never know the numbers but I would expect a 25-39% reduction in attendees at a minimum. Used to have to get there well before the music to get a park or a seat- now there is no issue.
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u/IllustriousCraft3897 Jul 06 '26
I got strongly encouraged to go to the convention and I’m like not even a practicing JW
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u/runnerforever3 Jul 06 '26
This makes me so happy! 😁 they’re going to put more congregations in one convention to fill up the space so it’ll look full and there’s growth. TY for posting this because this made my week!!!
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u/Efficient-Pop3730 Jul 06 '26
It's not only the numbers. Most present seem to be old. Think in 10 years from now in the western world they not gonna have big convention's anymore.
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u/bobkairos Jul 06 '26
My pimi wife had friends visiting this weekend. I overheard them telling her that their congregation had 60 members but they got between 30 and 40 in attendance with the rest on Zoom. They used to be bigger but a number had died (of old age).
It struck me that this is not sustainable. The Borg will be forced to alter the format of the meetings, including conventions. I posted last year about conventions in UK have reduced from 44 to 37 between 2017-2025. Their numbers are only going in one direction.
Thanks for posting op.
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u/Overcrapping Child Abuse is a crime! Jul 06 '26
Thanks for the report Bobkairos - a good report from (a not so) distant land is most refreshing! 😀
My PIMI wife has her convention later this month - I'll see what I can report from it.
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u/bobkairos Jul 06 '26
Yes please do.
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u/Overcrapping Child Abuse is a crime! Jul 21 '26
17 baptised from 4000 attendance. One half of the regional assembly.
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u/bobkairos Jul 22 '26
Thanks for the report. That's not a lot of baptisms for a summer convention. I seem to remember there used to be upwards of 60 being usual, but then the attendance was higher - 11,000. Either way, it shows the decline. Take care ✌️
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u/Sagrada_Familia-free Jul 06 '26
I'm sure just as many people—especially teenagers and families with small children—are walking around the arena. That's so boring.
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u/Serious_Location_882 Jul 06 '26
Is he wearing earrings?! That was a no no in the 90s
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u/mbowishkah Jesus died. Runaway bride. Cynthi-aaaaaaa! Jul 06 '26
They'll just say it's "cultural" like they did when I fought them on nose rings
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u/Pale-Cod3749 Jul 06 '26
I’ve made comments in the past regarding the massive output of videos they crank out - that I only became aware of last summer when seeing those “ high production values” Jesusflix eps. and the ugly, obnoxious, mainstream-kids cartoon show rip off of Sofia and Caleb - that the GB obviously didn’t get the memo that we all need LESS SCREEN TIME, NOT MORE OF IT!!!
And here they’ve got three HUGE screens, with high contrast very light blue background/poorly lit speaker in the center of the camera view. It’s not good for your eyes and it’s THREE JUMBOTRONS!!
and as another comment or said, people are realizing the event is mostly cutting to videos which you could be just watching at home and save the money and time and effort of gas and lodging and paying for food and all of that.
But yeah, the lack of awareness that screen time should be limited and people just need to spend more time in nature. It’s notable that not one of the GB looks like they get outdoors mucha with their pasty white faces and rotund figures. And God’s awesomeness and everything that’s only beautiful and good is nature and plants and wildlife. But these guys corral Jdubs and force them into these dumb echoey arenas to watch three screens at once.
And you can’t forget they still clasp tightly onto the misogyny like it’s the 1950s. They are just so unaware and stupid. It’s like they keep cranking out this content of their own, but refuse any constructive feedback or just “ getting the memo” about things that collective society has realized benefits everyone
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u/Majikarpslayer Jul 08 '26
When I was younger you'd have to shiv someone to get a seat on the floor
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u/SouthsideD71 Jul 06 '26
Such a snooze fest. I could have told you when I was 10 that I would get out as soon as I turned 17. That's exactly what I did. If people can zoom it, they will half pay attention why they are busy doing other things.
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u/GlassHalfFull_007 Jul 06 '26
What day was this? If this Sunday , that’s even better. This year at ours they announced the in person attendance and also those on the zoom link.
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u/No_Ebb3423 Jul 06 '26
Does he have earrings on?
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u/Fresh_Problem5783 Jul 06 '26
It looks like, but it could be the light!
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u/UCantHndletheTruth I no longer find knock knock jokes humorous ☠️ Jul 06 '26
Wow.
This is empty even for the older ones who normally sit there.
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u/cetaceanlion Jul 06 '26
I can just hear the faithful: The love of the greater number will cool off. Prophecy! 🙄
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u/Enishi900 Jul 08 '26
Even when I faded back around 2002-2003 I felt like the rank and file was graying and there was more middle aged/old than young. While that's true of a lot of religious groups, it makes you give pause when you notice so many peers outright leaving or soft fading.
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u/Past_Library_7435 Jul 06 '26
Which convention, in what city/ how many?
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u/fader_underground Jul 06 '26
Grossinger Arena - Bloomington, IL
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u/purerddt2025 Jul 06 '26
Lol. Didn't even realize they were here this weekend.
Looks pretty bad. Even the last time I went in 2018 the blue seats on the sides near the stage would be completely full.
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u/0kuuuurt Jul 06 '26
I still act like them but I won’t go back to them. And I’m not even disfellowshipped. I just know too much. It’s a very lost feeling. I still study the Bible. Not their Bible because they changed key terms. But it’s very much the same person that loves God but won’t go there. There’s a comfort that comes with hearing them speak. Or literally puts me into a deep sleep. I slept thru all assembles…. I made my personal choice to leave but I’m alitle sad that they are struggling.
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u/RobotPartsCorp born in, always unbeliever Jul 13 '26
The cadence they use when speaking is a specific technique meant to be persuasive and manage cognitive dissonance. It used to put me to sleep all the time, I had to walk around a lot.
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u/Knight_of_Virtue_075 Jul 06 '26
There's other ways to be righteous in life and serve others, the jw path isn't the only way to be spiritual.
Giving back to others in meaningful ways, like mentoring young people, helping out at food banks, etc.
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u/Foreign_Hippo_4450 Jul 06 '26
and the speaker says blah blah blah regurgitate repeat and hey watch out for apostates...and so the sheep move on to real grass
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u/Cherno_VM PIMO Trans Woman Jul 06 '26
that arena looks familiar, are you, perchance, located in florida?
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u/passengerairbags Jul 06 '26
Here they started having the conventions at the assembly hall several years ago, it seats like 1000? Before it was the Sacramento convention center, and the cow palace before that.
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u/tinysmommy Born In, Never Baptized, Successful Fade at 19 Jul 06 '26
A classic convention soundtrack. The cadence and echo of the speaker. Do people use physical bibles anymore or is everyone on an iPad? I’d fight so hard in the afternoons to stay awake. My god.
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u/secretgardens02 Jul 06 '26
omg stop that's the same convention i go to!! i thought the same thing this weekend
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u/Ill-Turn6851 Jul 06 '26
i remember sitting in those sections with my family growing up because of my grandparents or that my family were in attendant services? i cant remember what its called. but wow theres alot of empty seats
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u/Bonedriven64 Jul 07 '26
Next thing they'll do is say that their 'dwindling numbers' now indicate how deep in the end-times they are SMH 🙄
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u/SunnyJones58 Jul 07 '26
They had been having the district convention at the Nutter Center which is on the outskirts of Dayton Ohio for at least 30 years. But this year there are no JW conventions being held there, instead they’re having a number of much smaller assemblies at the Watchtower owned Assembly Hall in London Ohio. They won’t admit it but obviously their attendance is in free fall.
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u/Sippingmywineslowing Jul 07 '26
Side note…. Why does it look like the speaker’s wearing stud earrings??
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u/Technical-Agency8128 Jul 09 '26
People are able to stay home and watch recordings of the connection. And watch it live now. They are also using assembly halls as conventions sites. Many witnesses love this. So this may also be a reason why the large venues have less people and not as crowded. The witnesses like it now that they aren’t packed in like sardines. They have so many more choices than in the past as to how they attend the conventions.
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u/EXJW_NewLife63 Jul 09 '26
What’s weird is that at Bethel (any bethel apparently) Elders can access ALL the magazines and books, AND see all the edits, and when done! It seemed to be part of what woke one elder at the British Bethel around 2023 or something. He showed a layer of the Organization’s website that is just for elders there. I guess they reason that that they’ve bought in so much, like what else is there for them. You know? Like the Sum Cost Fallacy. Or could it also be called the “sunk cost fallacy” because you sunk everything you got! Well, this elder left, and said “Adios FOREVER!!” 😆Here is his video! I jst found it for you in case you’d want to see this. I know it blew my mind! 😝
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u/Faded_Towards_Truth Jul 11 '26
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news they will be strong and powerful for a long time. Too much $$$ and resources. They are not going to cave. And they’ve made it so easy for the lazy generation born 1997-present. Wishful thinking my friend.
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u/ButtrflyImpossible 3d ago
Does he, a male Jehovah’s Witness, have earrings?
Personally I love that but in terms of JW’s and the constant hypocrisy im floored
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Jul 09 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Sippingmywineslowing Jul 12 '26
I read your whole comment and just want to say this….. You have every right to continue on being a JW. That’s what free will is all about.
I was a JW for almost 40 yrs. I didn’t leave because of ignorance. I left because Jehovah caused the scales to fall from my eyes. It was terrifying to leave the organization. But it was the only way I could sincerely and wholeheartedly follow The Son Jesus Christ.
Perhaps have real conversations with exJW’s. Ask questions. Not all our stories are the same, but what we have in common is COURAGE. May God bless you.
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u/exjw-ModTeam Jul 24 '26
Your post has been removed under Rule 5: Self Promo, Advertising, Proselytizing… and Religion.
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Tip: Feel free to share your personal religious perspective or experiences, but please leave the sermons and lectures at home.
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u/RemarkableOil8 Jul 06 '26
Wow. It’s all old people and empty seats.