SOME OF THE FEED-BACK COMING IN SO FAR FROM SOME OF THE FRIENDS ABOUT THE 2009 STATS: S emailed: “Few thoughts about the stats page (and others). There is a text in Finnish that is no Finnish at all, but a garbled text of nonsense. Ireland and Greece do not count themselves in East Europe. +the page is very difficult to read (it is too wide)” G emailed: “Heard from one knowledgeable commenter: ‘I was so glad to see Germany, Poland and Japan with ZERO growth!! I know that the growth in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece is due to the illegal immigrants pouring into them from Africa, NOT from the natives. We can only hope that as the economy recovers, numbers will go down next year!’ “I appreciated those comments. In those countries where there are illegal immigrants the Society can seem to provide a "quick fix" with love bombing, promises to a new world coming, etc., but with time, many of those will leave the organization in a short time as quickly as they came in. I remember last year you had a good analysis report and breakdown of these statistics that I enjoyed. I know many stats now are perhaps discouraging to us because of too many increases and how they may "cook" their books. But so encouraging, bottom line, that their baptisms they admit are dropping and that is big! That is even when they are baptizing so many children at ages younger than what is socially acceptable as mature enough, especially when it involves in second part to a man-made claiming 'spirit-directed (?)' organization. Thank you again, Joe, for all your work. Good health to you and 2010!” Some other thoughts: They used to require that to be counted an active JW, JWs had to put in a minimum of many more hours a month, later dropped it to only one hour and in the case of elderly or sick JWs they may count them as active too if they put in just 15 minutes a month. So the 4% rise in the U.S. is a manipulation of the reality. Only the Spanish language community is growing for JWs in the U.S. It’s important as we see Watchtower sinking that we ourselves stay strong as believing Christians and help out anytime we see some jumping off the sinking ship into the sea. To me it is not discouraging but encouraging for I know that to have any "increases" that actually don't exist, they are having to resort to trickery and manipulations, which means they are desperate.

Three items follow for your attention:   1. Passing this along from Cynthia Hampton to you:   “Dear Friends,   I am writing to you because some of you have written to me to express interest in going to our West Coast Conference for Ex Jehovah's Witnesses.  Here is a recap of what some of you may already know:   Date:  May 21-23, 2010; beginning Friday at 5:00 for dinner, ending at 12:00 noon on Sunday May 21st. Place:  Calvary Chapel Murrieta Hot Springs Conference Center Address:  39405 Murrieta Hot Springs Road                 Murrieta,  CA   92563   Map:  http://maps. google.com/ maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=39405+Murrieta+ Hot+Springs+ Rd,+Murrieta+ CA+92563&sll=37.0625, -95.677068&sspn=53.829089, 113.90625&ie=UTF8&source=embed&hq=&hnear=39405+ Murrieta+ Hot+Springs+ Rd,+Murrieta, +Riverside, +California+ 92563&ll=33.567073, -117.152882&spn=0.035544, 0.077162&z=14   Cost:  $169.00   Some people have asked me why it costs $169 for each person to attend the conference.   This is the cost of a $20 registration, your room and all your meals, which is $149.  Everyone who registers for the conference will stay at the conference center, you do NOT have to get a hotel room.  All the meals are served at the conference center, you do NOT have to go off-site to get a meal.  I suppose you would not have to pay the $169 IF you were going to stay off-site and eat your meals elsewhere and that will cost you more.  But the meals there are excellent, the facility is beautiful and I think everyone will enjoy it.  If you stay off-site and want to eat your meals there, then the cost for meals is $95, so it really makes more sense to pay for the whole thing, stay there and eat all your meals there.   How do you register?  There are two ways to do it.  First, you can do it the old fashioned way and send me a check for $169.00 in the mail.  Please email me and I will send you my personal address.    Why are you making out the check to me instead of the conference center?  That's because the Conference Center assigns the person heading up the retreat to collect all the monies and do the registration.  After everyone has paid for themselves, I have to write one big check to the conference center, to "settle up" with them.  I will be the person who assigns out the rooms to everyone.    The second way to register for the conference is online through Meetup.com.  You can register for either the Downey Ex JW Meetup or the San Jose Ex JW Meetup. http://exjw. meetup.com/ 397/calendar/ 11964248/   http://www.meetup. com/Ex-Jehovah- s-Witnesses- in-San-Jose/ calendar/ 11964322/   At each of these sites you can register through Meetup.com and pay your $169 through PayPal   We are still in the process of making up the program schedule, but we do have the following speakers scheduled:   Friday Eve:         TBA; introductions, comedy Saturday p.m.    Charles Love, Former JW Elder, now Christian Pastor, and author of the book, Twenty Questions Jehovah's Witnesses Cannot Answer. Saturday Eve:     Pastor Pat Lazovich of Calvary Chapel Sierra Vista with his fabulous Pottery Presentation (I mean this IS fabulous) Sunday a.m.        Don Veinot, President Midwest Christian Outreach Christian Outreach   Please let me know if you have any questions.  Write to me at hampton_cynthia@ hotmail.com   I hope many of you are able to make it in May!  Please forward this email to anyone you know who is interested.  Thanks!   In Christian Love, Cynthia Hampton”   2. I enjoyed seeing Stephen Paul Woodard’s having a license plate that says Ex-JW and wrote this as a comment on his Facebook site:   “Excellent.  Another way is to cut a florescent colored posterboard to the size of a license plate, write "Ex-JW" or say a website "CHRISTIANWITNESSES.COM," then set it in the back windshield on the driver's side to keep the field of vision clear for spotting traffic.  It can be seen night and day, removed or put back easily, used as you drive around  convention areas, kingdom halls etc.”   3. For those who missed, Watchtower’s claimed 2010 statistics are commented on at:

January 3, 2010 First, I was just sent the following link to pass along. It invites ExJWs to attend a West Coast ExJWs Meetup; details here: http://www.exjwslosangeles.org/wcnx Second, it's being reported at the JWD forum (rightly or not as this is still to be confirmed one way or another) there was an 8.7% increase in memorial partakers to 10,857 in 2009, up from 9,986 in 2008. Watchtower is claiming to now have about 7.3 million members, a 2.2% increase worldwide, though (supposedly) a 4% increase in the United States, which most outsiders believe is false. Worldwide the Bible Studies being conducted by JW publishers (rank-and-file JWs) for the 2008-2009 Service Year increased 3.2%, to 7,619,270 publishers. A poster on JWD had mixed up the Bible Studies figures with the professed membership growth figures. Third, yesterday night I sent you an English and Swahili item, but below here am sending something better. Please share with any African facebook friends. Finally, today being Sunday, I encourage each of us to open our Bible, read a chapter and while doing so ask “how might I be able to apply this chapter to my own life somehow??” If you do so, you may be amazed at how applicable God’s Holy Spirit makes it. FACTS ABOUT THE WATCHTOWER SOCIETY OVER JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES Watchtower Society teaches Jehovah’s Witnesses to not use emergency blood transfusions. 1 Samuel 14:31-35 shows God forgave Saul's men. They had eaten meat together with blood. Jesus Christ said God wants Mercy not Sacrifice. (Matthew 12:7) Watchtower Society sends all Jehovah’s Witnesses to preach at doors. Some of the people are pedophiles. They sexually molest children. Christ says protect children, and he also says people who hurt children are evil. (Luke 17:22) Watchtower Society says Jehovah’s Witnesses must do what its Governing Body commands. The Bible says do what Jesus Christ commands. Jesus Christ says show love to other people including enemies. (Matthew 5:44) Watchtower calls people who disagree with it enemies. It commands families to shun those Jehovah’s Witnesses who disagree with Watchtower. Watchtower Society teaches many people will never die, but Paul says all people sin and therefore ALL people will die. Read 1 Corinthians 15:22. Watchtower Society says a Great Crowd of dead Jehovah’s Witnesses will live again on earth, but Revelation 19:1 says the Great Crowd is in heaven. Paul says only one faith exists which is true, (Ephesians 4;5), but Watchtower Society says it is the only faith which is true. Paul was speaking about Christianity in general. Watchtower did not exist when Paul said one Faith exists. The one Faith is Christianity, and it has many branches. Some are good branches, some branches are average, and some branches are very bad or evil. Watchtower teaches Jehovah’s Witnesses to not celebrate Christmas and other holidays, but Colossians 2:16 says Christians can celebrate holidays. Christian Love and Joy are fruits of God’s Holy Spirit. They help to defeat evil. (Galatians 2:16) Love never fails! (1 Corinthians 13:8) Christ is the most faithful and loyal servant of God, not men on the Governing Body of the Watchtower Society. Watchtower Society said people alive in 1914 will see the End of the World then paradise on earth. This is false. 2014 is 100 years after 1914. You will know the Truth and it will set you free. Christ says he is The Truth, (John 14:6) not the Watchtower Society. He is gentle, his yoke is easy not heavy. (Matthew 11:29, 30) Christians need the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16), not the Watchtower Society. UKWELI KUHUSU WATCHTOWER SOCIETY JUU YA MASHAHIDI WA YEHOVA Watchtower Society hufundisha Jehovahs Mashahidi si damu zitokanazo na matumizi ya dharura. 1 Samweli 14:31-35 inaonyesha Mungu alivyosamehe watu wa Sauli. Nao waliokula nyama pamoja na damu. Yesu Kristo alisema Rehema Mungu anataka siyo Sadaka. (Mathayo 12:7) Watchtower Society zituma Mashahidi wote Jehovahs kuhubiri saa milango. Baadhi ya watu ni pedophiles. Muudhi kingono kwa watoto wao. Kristo anasema kuwalinda watoto, na yeye pia anasema watu ambao kuumiza watoto ni maovu. (Luka 17:22) Watchtower Society anasema Jehovahs Mashahidi lazima kufanya nini Linaloongoza amri yake. Biblia inasema kufanya kile Yesu Kristo amri. Yesu Kristo anasema upendo kwa watu wengine pamoja na maadui. (Mathayo 5:44) Watchtower wito kwa watu ambao hawakubaliani na ni maadui. Ni familia amri waachane Mashahidi Jehovahs wale ambao hawakubaliani na Watchtower Society. Watchtower Society inafundisha watu wengi kamwe kufa, lakini Paulo anasema watu wote na kwa hiyo dhambi ALL watu watakufa. Soma 1 Wakorintho 15:22. Watchtower Society anasema umati mkubwa wafu Mashahidi Jehovahs wataishi tena duniani, lakini Ufunuo 19:1 anasema Mkuu Crowd mbinguni. Paulo anasema lipo tu imani moja ambayo ni kweli, (Waefeso 4; 5), lakini Watchtower Society anasema ni imani tu ambayo ni ya kweli. Paulo alikuwa anazungumza kuhusu Ukristo kwa ujumla. Watchtower hakuwahi kuwepo wakati Paulo alisema mmoja Imani lipo. Imani ni mmoja Ukristo, na ina matawi mengi. Baadhi ni matawi nzuri, baadhi ya matawi ni wastani, na baadhi ya matawi ni mbaya sana au mabaya. Watchtower hufundisha Jehovahs Mashahidi si kusherehekea sikukuu ya Krismasi na mengine, lakini Wakolosai 2:16 anasema Wakristo wanaweza kusherehekea sikukuu. Mkristo Upendo na Furaha ni matunda ya Roho Mtakatifu wa Mungu. Msaada wao kushindwa maovu. (Wagalatia 2:16) Upendo kamwe inashindwa! (1 Wakorintho 13:8) Kristo ni mwaminifu zaidi na mtumishi mwaminifu wa Mungu, si wanaume juu ya Uongozi Mwili wa Watchtower Society. Watchtower Society alisema watu hai mwaka wa 1914 wataona Mwisho wa Dunia juu ya ardhi kisha peponi. Hii ni uongo. 2014 ni miaka 100 baada ya 1914. Mtaujua ukweli na itawaweka ninyi bure. Kristo anasema yeye ni Ukweli, (Yohana 14:6) si Watchtower Society. Yeye ni mpole, nira yake ni nyepesi si nzito. (Mathayo 11:29, 30) Wakristo wanahitaji Biblia (2 Timotheo 3:16), si Watchtower Society.

January 1, 2010 Rick Fearon wanted you to know and pass around that Saturday night his Phone Conference talk-show called SixScreensOfTheWatchtower will be focused on what those speaking regard as the most significant events of the past decade, that is the years 2000-2009; and you are invited to listen in or even participate.  It’s January 2 at 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.  Just dial 712-432-8710 and when asked for pin use 9925#.   At times he will un-mute the line or tell you that you can do if you want to comment by pressing #1.  If you need your voice disguised, just mumble that you want that and he has a device that he can use for it.  Past guests have included exJW writers, also some who exited Watchtower but formerly were Circuit or District Overseers, on its legal staff, associated with its research and writing department, etc.  Programs are recorded and past ones can be heard by clicking on tapes at the sixcreensofthewatchtower.com website. The following somewhat mimick a similar letter item posted earlier by Rick.  It includes some of my thoughts, too, as well as some from others still in the underground. ------ A 2000-2009 NEWS OVERVIEW ABOUT JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES INCLUDING ELDERS.  In the decade now past the Watchtower Society men over Jehovah's Witnesses found themselves increased shoved onto the defensive as the organization careened toward 2010, the 100th anniversary of the year 1914, the “marked year” which  the Watchtower long predicted had had a generation that would see “The End” with Armageddon followed by paradise on earth.  Also during the decade Watchtower set up some new corporations and for the first time no corporate president was of the anointed class.  This applied to the President of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Max Larson, and also Don A. Adams, President of Watchtower’s worldwide Governing Body.  Toward the decade’s end Watchtower also began selling off buildings in Brooklyn, preparing to move elsewhere, selling under-used kingdom halls, compacting others, laying off staff all around the globe, including many of the oldest, sickest and most costly Bethelite workers. Watchtower’s long secret liaison as a Non-Governmental Organization associated with and supporting the U.N. brought on an especially embarrassing scandal as also did the nationally televised Dateline NBC program on child molestation.  More of the Public learned about Watchtower’s policy of making all JWs, including those who are pedophiles, preach at doors.   JW pedophiles, murderers, rapists, etc, mostly those who had been in power as elders and ministerial servants, were convicted in various countries, details coming to light on the internet.  Those convicted included Watchtower staffers such as serial pedophile Jesus Manuel Cano who had been stationed in New York, Michael Porter of metro London, also murderer Kelly Jarka an elder in  southern California etc.  In 2009 Police and news reports indicated that Phil and Nancy Garrido of central California and the Night Stalker rapist of aged women in London had also been JWs following the Watchtower Society.  Some active-, exiting-, former-JWs and persons never-JWs urged the FBI and other bodies to investigate incidents such as involved alleged or possible wiretapping and harassment of members, former members and some who had never been JWs. Among others Bethany Hughes, daughter of Lawrence Hughes of Calgary, Canada, died after refusing blood due to Watchtower’s anti-emergency blood transfusions policy, igniting a multi-year series of embarrassingly public informative lawsuits.  An underground group called Associating JWs for Reform on Blood published Watchtower misdoings on the issue (ajwrb.org),became more openly active, then went back underground.  Those still “inside” Watchtower also helped expose this and other matters by underground letters etc.  Despite a gag order, Associated Press (A.P.) reports broke showing that some 16 child molestation lawsuits were settled out-of-court in the Napa Valley of California for millions of dollars with individuals alleging abuse against themselves or their kids by Watchtower elders.    A "gag" order was put upon the settlements and the W.T. paid out millions of dollars, no doubt trying for example to keep lurid details hidden and its “most knowledgeable person” President Don Adams from having to testify in court.  Entering 2010, and, as said, with 2014 looming, Watchtower was desperate to get more elders as so many had already stopped being elders.  It ended the mid-week Book Study nights in JW homes, moving those into kingdom halls on the weekends.  Presiding Overseers were renamed Coordinating Elders.  Word came that Watchtower wanted to restructure the elders so that for example they would have to handle judicial committee matters themselves so that courts would consider the local and regional elders more liable in lawsuits than world headquarters staffers.  Printing began of a Watchtower magazine to be read by the Public so that the Public would not see the Watcthower magazines that JWs were getting.  Printing costs were cut as deeply as possible, some use also being made of the internet.  Watchtower redefined downwards how much time was needed to be a pioneer etc, manipulations were apparently made to keep statistics from revealing its problems in retaining members, etc. Repeated warnings were issued that JWs needed to not be reading opposition literature on the internet, this generating all the more curiousity.  The nationally respected Barna survey showed that young JWs in particular wee quitting.  Many said the Watchtower’s way of life had become unliveable.  They knew they would be shunned for leaving but had so much of their lives ahead that they did not want to be wasted as they saw had been the case with JW parents.  Many of the JW parents had become JWs as part of the Babyboomer generation and were beginning to grey, be sicker, etc.  Some big name JWs such as Michael Jackson left the Watchtower, or, as with Sirena Williams, stayed associated but basically ignored what it said.  In fact a whole new class of JWs called The Conscious Class developed, nominally still JWs in order to keep family ties, but in fact being otherwise basically just paying lip-service to Watchtower’s harsh, rigid policies.  On the internet former JWs went from having emailing and having websites to using blogs and forums.  In the middle to late part of the decade some went to having their own online fellowships the most successful basing their unity on love with freedom to differ rather than doctrinal sameness.  Some also began holding free call-in Telephone Conferences.