CONVERTING GETS HARDER

(Investigator 104, 2005 September)


Jehovah's Witness (JW) statistics in their yearbooks include the number of baptisms, the number of hours JWs spend proselytising, and the number of "return visits".

A "return visit" is when a JW calls again on a householder who showed interest or when he visits to conduct a "Bible study".

The table below shows how many hours and return visits it takes on average to make one convert.

It can be interpreted as follows:  

It's taking more and more hours to achieve baptisms.
 
It's taking more and more return visits to achieve baptisms.
 
Making converts got more difficult in the 1960s. 

After 1965 people again got baptized more quickly because Armageddon was awaited in the mid-1970s.
 
A new increase in difficulty occurred in 1976-1978 when hopes of Armageddon in the mid-1970s failed. 

Difficulty increased again near 2000 when predictions of Armageddon in the 20th century failed.


Year Baptisms Hours
in Millions		 Hours
per
Baptism		 Return
Visits in
Millions		 Return Visits per Baptism
1951
63,200
62.85
990
20.44
320
1955
63,600
83.83
1,350
27.14
430
1960
69,000
131.66
1,910
44.44
640
1965
64,400
171.23
2,660
59.17
920
1970
164,000
267.58
1,630
121.23
740
1975
295,000
382.30
1,300
155.34
530
1976
197,000
359.26
1,820
145.68
740
1977
124,000
321.42
2,590
    
1978
95,000
307.27
3,230
130.18
1,370
1979
114,000
318.97
2,800
134.01
1,180
1980
114,000
339.43
2,980
142.10
1,250
1985
190,000
590.54
3,110
224.73
1,180
1990
302,000
895.23
2,970
    
1995
338,000
1,150.15
3,400
    
2000
289,000
1,171.27
4,050
433.45
1,500
2004
262,000
1,282.24
4,890
    



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