Question on downsizing

Champion

If that is true what will seriously happen to those at Bethel? How many people are there and what ages? I was telling my husband about it and he said they are just so pathetic! All thier bull$hit about love and then they just disgard you. I really feel sad for the people. Does anyone know anyone there? Do they know about it yet?

daniel-p

There are about 6000 bethelites spread throughout Wallkill, Patterson, and Brooklyn. These numbers could be a bit off, bu that was the figure when I was there.

jeanniebeanz

Even I feel badly for them.

Re-entering the jobmarket with even a six-month gap on your resume can really hold you back. I cannot imagine having a five year or more gap... but at least the economy is on the upswing...maybe they won't have too hard a time of it.

On the plus side, maybe it will spur some to seek education in order to feed themselves. Hopefully, that would make them think.

Jean

SWALKER

There are about 6000 bethelites

I thought the number was much less as they had already had a downsizing a few years back. I may be wrong though...does anyone here know how many there are at present?

Swalker

darth frosty

The trippy thing about leaving bethel is they dont tell you squat. Its like the shawshank redemption when they got paroled. your institutionalized and dont know how to deal with the real world.

Of course once you get out most think 'okay let me get back to my roots' typically that means trying to pioneer in some way or at least get as many hours as you can. But, what you dont realize is the world has turned and changed since you went in. So of course the next mistake you make is trying to immerse your self in 'theocratic activities'. That doesn't cut it either because people have lives, you dont come out of prison and immediatly adjust to life outside. So then you try to build a spiritual life of your own (if your not already married.) Now when you are at bethel you are admired. But once you leave, no matter what the reason, JW's tend to look at you funny in one of two ways. First some, for whatever reason, look at you as week someone who couldn't cut the mustard. This could stem from jeolousy or a belief that if you left bethel you must not be as spiritual as some thought. I always found this attitude to be funny considering that JW's preach not to judge one another, but they judge you in every possible way one can be judged, usually based on their own personal criterior.

Now the second way people look at ex-Bethelites is probably worse that the first. Some may look at you as this saint. I heard one brother say to one who had just gotten back from Bethel "you walked and sat with kings." They are put on this pedestal and expected to live up to incredibly unreachable expectations. Some are willing to put all they own and are into the care of an ex-Bethelite. The outcome of this of course is destined to failure because you have some one who hasn't delt with the reality of life, along with the fact that more-n-likely they have no current sense of self. Like I said you just leave Bethel with no where to go and no idea what to do. Now you have to deal with people in the congo that want to look at you as their congo sherpa.

With all these Bethelites about to be released back into society you can expect major upheavals in the various local halls. If the ones ask to go are the mid and upper 'heavies' the ones who were biding their time till they can run and dictate organizational procedure, how kind do you think they will be to the simple publisher. They will leave with a vengence and grand purpose to 'whip their new congo into shape. The 'sheep' will be gathered and penned for their own well being.

Jeffro

darth frosty:

Now you have to deal with people in the congo that want to look at you as their congo sherpa.

congo sherpa? If your sherpa is in the congo, he ain't much of a sherpa.

darth frosty

sherpa is also a term used for a personal guide or leader.

Spectre

Jeffro, I am in pain from laughing at that one.

daniel-p

OK, you got about 3300 Bethelites in Brooklyn - they sent up a hundred or so with the construction of the new printery. So at Wallkill that would make about 1500. Patterson, I believe, is pretty stable at 1200. That comes to 6000. I dont know... it could be a bit lower, but they really haven't sent that many home yet. They are doing this process slowly so as not to cause a stir or panic. They utilaze the natural attrition rate and let a few go from the middle ranks and that means they could probably skim off a hundred to two hundred per year nonchalantly.

metatron

My question is, what were these guys doing - that can be jettisoned so precipitously? I doubt that they had 500-1000 people

just wandering around the factory or laundry. What work is being dropped to permit their release?

metatron

Question on downsizing

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