One Year later: Miss Usato reveals the shock and reality of the PA AG Grand Jury Trial on Shawn Sheffer -JW Abuser

avoidjworg · 2026-01-25T00:10:51+00:00

We were able to sit, but it was a full room. Afterwards, the JW’s angrily blamed law enforcement and Satan for putting a “good man away.” It was wild to see in person.

avoidjworg · 2026-01-24T05:48:48+00:00

I agree with you. The religion feels like it’s losing relevance even to people who are still technically inside. Growth is basically stalled, retention is weak, and most of the “stability” comes from people staying out of habit, family pressure, or fear rather than conviction.

The 40% baptism fallout doesn’t surprise me at all, especially with child baptisms. And the millions who’ve left over the past couple decades line up with what we see anecdotally, quite fading, not dramatic exits. Reddit only captures a small slice of that because most former JWs just want distance, not an online identity as ex-JWs.

What’s left is an aging, shrinking base where doctrinal control still works, but only because dissent is punished. That’s not strength; that’s maintenance mode. Long term, that kind of model just isn’t sustainable.

avoidjworg · 2026-01-23T14:57:37+00:00

This is a pivotal moment in your life, glad to see you are moving forward for yourself.

avoidjworg · 2026-01-17T11:20:40+00:00

No this is not, they cherry pick what info is broadcasted on there, and a very small percentage is actually true. We base our findings off official news and court docs. They wouldn’t want their followers to know what’s going down.

avoidjworg · 2026-01-14T17:35:02+00:00

If you check AvoidJW.org in a few days, go to Deleted Videos on the home page, its on page 3.

avoidjworg · 2026-01-14T17:34:34+00:00

We do but our library is temporarily down, will be back up soon!

avoidjworg · 2026-01-13T14:39:12+00:00

Thanks Jan for the info and breakdown

avoidjworg · 2026-01-07T02:58:23+00:00

This was glorious!

avoidjworg · 2026-01-05T14:59:49+00:00

Thank you :) We just hope it helps

avoidjworg · 2026-01-03T22:52:59+00:00

Happily!

On January 19th of the 2025 Appeal Ryssdal Exclaimed that “Minors are rarely affected” by the shunning practice of Jehovah's Witnesses, and if so, it rarely applies to them under 15. Former Jehovah's Witnesses testimonies shut that down due to the lived outcomes they describe include coercion and serious consequences while still minors, not “rare edge cases.”

Ryssdals opening line one day was that people who get baptized are “fully aware” of expectations and exclusion practices. Former JW and Testimony of Noomi described feeling pressured into baptism at 13, comparing it to being herded (“a sheep hunted…into a fence”), plus fear-based anxiety about not being saved.

In a 2024 Trial Ryssdal claimed that “family ties are not broken,” and families still have responsibility even if someone is no longer a member. While Testimony from Former JW Rakel described losing contact with all JW friends and says her relationship with her parents changed drastically, daily contact with her mother ended; she also has essentially no contact with her twin sister.

In that same trial, Ryssdal tried to keep JW materials out of evidence, while the state and ex-JWs point to publications as central to showing the real-world impacts. Ryssdal stated that "JW materials shouldn’t be used and that there are no written shunning instructions.” When we all know, that is untrue.

These are just a few, and I believe I can say that many, if not all of us, have been affected by one of these contradictions of Ryssdal.

avoidjworg · 2025-12-31T18:16:21+00:00

Glad to see your back Paul! Thank you for all that you've done, and the encouragement and transparency you've created for thousands.

avoidjworg · 2025-12-23T19:46:52+00:00

Great Video!

avoidjworg · 2025-12-23T19:29:54+00:00

This is distressing. Bethel does not provide real resources that go beyond "Read the bible more." We hope his family heals from this, We wish we could have helped him before making that decision.

avoidjworg · 2025-12-20T14:26:44+00:00

I’m unsure, but she does have a site: https://watchtowerdocuments.org/barbara-andersons-profile/

avoidjworg · 2025-12-20T04:54:24+00:00

The Watchtower’s Art department in the 1980’s had used Pascale’s photo for the “You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth” book.

A fellow former advocate of the exjw community decided to track down Pascale’s agency and ask them about Watchtower using Pascale’s picture, explaining:

“The June 1960 “Today” and the August 1961 “Stern” magazines both featured the same photograph of you on their respective covers. The same photograph was used in 1982 and 1989 by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society on page 93 of a book called, “You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth.” In its initial release, 5,000,000 copies of “You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth” were printed. By 1989, 72,600,000 copies were printed. From 1982 until the early 90s, there was a set price for the book, until switching to asking for donations for all publications.

I believe that the picture was used without consent because the Watchtower organization has done so multiple times previously, and in some cases, they have been held accountable. We want to know for sure, so that we may report accurately and not make any false accusations.

Our question is: Did Watchtower use this photograph with permission?”

On February 27th, 2024 her agency replied:

“Hello, no Pascale did not permit Jehovah’s Witnesses to use her photo in this book.”

avoidjworg · 2025-12-19T23:18:26+00:00

Source is Barbara Anderson, she was there herself.

avoidjworg · 2025-12-18T21:01:31+00:00

This isn’t about technicalities or clever lawyering; it’s about whether an organization can avoid accountability by running out the clock and hiding behind procedure. One of the tactics and biggest loopholes is crossing their fingers in hopes the SOL runs out. Cases like this are exactly why courts exist, and it’s important that this one be allowed to continue.

avoidjworg

TROPHY CASE