From: Kaunteya (das) JPS (Mayapur - IN)
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2004 10:27 PM
To: Nama Hatta (Congregational Dev.) Forum

Subject: Something very interesting from the Jehovah's Witnesses

Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir, ISKCON Mayapur

Hare Krishna, Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Here is a link to a 5-year report of the JW's preaching: www.jwic.com/stat.htm. It's very instructive how they count every hour of preaching and cultivation and compute how many hours it takes in different countries to convert one person; where they grow more and were they grow less, etc.

Your servant, Kaunteya Das

From: Dayananda (das) ACBSP (26 2nd Av., New York – USA)
To: Nama Hatta (Congregational Dev.) Forum
Received: 02/28/04 06:31 PM

Subject: RE: Something very interesting from the Jehovah's Witnesses

Hare Krishna Kaunteya Prabhu, please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I've been looking at the Jehovah's Witnesses numbers for several years and, like you, have been impressed with their strategies and their attention to organization. I believe their example is proof that we need to place more focus on book distribution in our congregations. The dedicated Jehovah's Witnesses are called "publishers," just as we are called "devotees." They distribute a significant amount of literature, estimated to bring in several million dollars per week, as compared to our one million per year in the United States. (In the U.S. up to $5 million is still considered a SMALL business.)

Their movement is only 125 years old. (It languished for its first 35-40 years.) Ours is 35 years old. We have more sophisticated book distribution tactics, better literature, more literature (variety), potentially better sales service, a positive sales message—"enjoy with Krishna now" vs. "WATCH for the second coming to enjoy with Christ later"—delightful prasadam, delightful chanting, and more.

Why are we behind? I believe it is because our leaders have not yet seen the potential of our congregational members as book distributors. It's not their fault. They have much to do. Yet, I hope to show them that potential!

When I go to my local large subway here in New York City, there are up to nine Jehovah's Witnesses. These people are average, working-class, salt-of-the-earth, good, cleanly-dressed people, who are middle-aged or young, black or white, Hispanic, etc.

In the New York area I've begun working hard to encourage our local congregations to get involved in book distribution. I have many ideas and am myself going out on a book table each weekend, in spite of my busy schedule as a full time professional and temple president of 26, Second Avenue.

I'm determined. Last week we started a website, www.cbdi.info [doesn't seem to exist anymore]. We have a long way to go, but we are taking the first steps in a thousand mile journey. Also, as a little added information, here is a piece from a newsletter we recently started, which is directed toward temple presidents in North America.

(Excuse my focus on finances; I do believe that the financial potential is secondary or tertiary to preaching and training.)

Your servant, Dayananda das

The Financial Potential of Book Distribution in North America

Each year a certain religious organization based in the United States publishes statistics about its membership. The sect was established in the 1880s and by the 1960s, when ISKCON was formed, had a membership of 300,000. Today the organization boasts one million active members, and each donates four hours per week to outreach programs and book distribution. Thus, the one million members contribute more than 184 million hours per year.

Although the organization does not publish financial data, inside information estimates that the congregation makes several million dollars per week in literature sales. Presuming ISKCON could follow suit and mobilize a congregation of 300,000 members for four hours per week, ISKCON could achieve 60 million hours per year of book distribution, several million dollars per month of literature sales, and about $50 million per year revenue. Such figures are optimistic, but they give an indication of the value, both spiritual and financial, of a well-coordinated effort in book distribution.

More reasonable goals for ISKCON might include mobilizing 60,000 active members over the next several years, each of whom would be asked to donate two hours per week. Such a volunteer effort would amount to five million hours per year dedicated to book distribution and would gross as much as $10 million per year in book sales.

Contact the CBDI office. Let us work together to make these figures a reality!

Letter PAMHO:15114831 (163 lines)
From: Internet: "CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU DAS"
Date: 05-Mar-08 07:19
To: Nama Hatta (Congregational Dev.) Forum

Subject: Re:Something very interesting from the Jehovah's Witnesses

Dear Dayananda Prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I received this email four years ago and am explaining my little realization here. I applied this system and succeeded.

Inspired by this email I started Bhagvad Darshan in Gujarati. I used congregation devotees for all kinds of management, all voluntary service. We started BTG with 2,000 subscriptions; then, the next year 6,000, and now, in 2008, we have 17,000 subscriptions. You mentioned one point, that we were behind because our leaders didn't know the potential power of our congregation.

I understood that our congregation is has a very big potential—but how to engage them is the important question. We have only 40 serious families, but they are making 17,000 subscribers, and others are engaged printing, designing, writing articles, etc. Please see the attached file for our BTG report and future plans.

your servant C.M. Das
ISKCON, Vallabh Vidyanagar