Has the mass exodus begun?

the more nornal brothers with no family ties will definetely leavy.

crazy ones, headcases, nerds, old ones, and family tied ones will stay to the end.

I hope so.

I left many friends in the BORG, and I can only hope that they will see the BORG for what it is and bail from the farcical joke that it is.

Cheers,

Alex

Unfortunately, it can hardly be considered that a 'mass exodus' has begun when they had a 3% worldwide publisher increase last service year.

Whatever credibility the WTS has been losing with all their scandals, etc, is being offset by developments on the world scene that making more and more JW's (and non-JW's) suppose that the GT is on the horizon after all. Economic recession, world food shortages, soaring petrol prices, terrorism, renewed threat of nuclear war, al quaeda, threat of horrible diseases, etc, etc.  It almost does look like the riders of the apocalypse are about to ride forth (not since 1914). That's why we won't see any 'mass exodus' soon.

The internet is the most powerful external weapon against the Watchtower. The most powerful internal one is themselves. With all these changes the more savvy of the brothers will begin to see all this maneuvering for what it is. Desperation.

That is true.  It is not a mass exodus yet.  But it is something.

The "growth" was a manipulation of numbers to include many 15-minutes per month publishers. 
Still, it shows that there are not less JW's yet.  But there will be.  There will be.  SOON.

Every new light has new questioners.  Virtually none of the children who have not been baptized
will ever stay in the religion once they are adults, and hardly anyone from the field is attracted
to the organization.  So before a mass exodus, you have the shrinking by dying off.  I think 2008 or
2009 will show the shrinking. 

Buildings for sale will run out in Brooklyn.  Soon, the Kingdom Halls will be going.  Maybe they will
eventually farm out their reduced printing demand and sell the valuable presses and lay off more
40-60 year old Bethelites.  Maybe they will get rid of half the C.O.'s and cut the strings to the
special pioneers.  Maybe there won't be printing, but the stuff will go to the P.O. on the computer
and the local dubs must pay to print it on the computer or at Kinkos.

They are doomed, I say.  DOOMED!  They will run out of cuts to cut.  It will happen in my lifetime.
But I don't think they will close shop in my lifetime.  I hope I am wrong about that last one.

I don't believe any of their numbers especially since they are now told to count even inactive ones!

And, I agree with Lady Lee.  I'm sure they would spin any decrease as "the love of the many is cooling off".

They twist scriptures like pretzels and serve it to the rank and file with a giant gulp of Kool-Aid on the side!

Exactly!  Just makes me giggle I'm still counted in the numbers, no need to contact me to encourage me. 

Hence the "growth" in the numbers reported wherein most all of us here have seen an overall decline here in the US. 

Side point:  I went to my old hall a month ago.  I have not been back in 6+ years.  The hall was full that day, I only recognized about 30% of the people.  Lots of move-ins in a beach area.   I am curious to know others who have left, but I sure haven't heard of any.