News from Bethel Heavy (page 6)

SnakesInTheTower

I can see another aspect to this.

Over the last 20 years or so, the society has had over 100 graduating classes of MTS...100 classes @ 25 students per class = 2500 MTS grads that never made it to the coveted (and implied promised) CO position. What I could see happening is a lot of these brothers being "bumped up" to "Circuit Elder" (I can see this happening, afterall, there were Bethel Elders for years). I know of 2 others in my old assignment that are getting restless after 6 years in the same congo...and another from the same class that has also been in his assignment 6 years... They are getting restless. Who knows how many of these MTS grads are still in the Borg? Enough to fill this particular need I would think.

A year or so before I was deleted as an elder, I sat on a JC for a case of apostasy (ironic, eh?). The case was appealed and an appeals committee came down...3 Super Elders...including 1 PO that was an MTS grad (though that grad has moved back home with his wife and new baby). These 3 elders had been used a lot by the Society on tough JC cases and 1 of them is also a sub CO..... yep, I could see them being used in this new mini-CO role.

I dont see the local BOE ever being replaced. Have to keep the hounders in the congo..and to train the MS's to be elders...

RE: Bethel Real Estate Corporation.

No surprise. The DUMBO project was DOA a long time ago with Brooklyn Heights politicos over the Society's refusal to have ground level commercial (storefront retail, restaraunts, etc) usage. A block square project would have created 4 dead zones...one on each side of the property.

No surprise about abandoning Brooklyn and moving to upstate NY (Walkhill and Patterson). The money from the sale of 100s of millions of dollars of prime Brooklyn Heights real estate will be enough to build out upstate facilities... (Furman condos are going for as high as several million dollars each)...The Society has 1000 acres at Patterson if I recall, probably more. I can see the Brooklyn area congregations shrinking and/or being disolved and combined into single congos. All of those Bethelites are the only thing keeping some of those congregations afloat attendance-wise.

The only thing I see that I dont agree with is the time table...I can see the property sale being accelerated... if the right buyer comes along..you can be certain that WTBTS will jump at the chance to unload the properties.

just some thoughts..

Snakes (of the "glad I am not one of their MTS lackeys anymore" Sheep Class)

isaacaustin

what is DUMBO project?

cinnamon1642

The only reason I can think of the delay for the property sales is they will need some place to house the current Bethelites in Brooklyn until the new buildings are completed at Wallkill and Patterson. I could see some buildings being sold after the Wallkill expansion. I'm sure they'll keep they're main office at 25 Columbia Heights until they are all moved to Patterson.

james_woods

"Down Under Manhatten Bridge Overpass". It is a neighborhood, trendy I guess (from a travel channel segment last week), and I suppose the WTS wants to cash out their building purchases by building million dollar condos there.

SnakesInTheTower

google DUMBO Watchtower Brooklyn Heights or combinations of those

might be something on Randy Waters site... www.freeminds.org

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DUMBO,_Brooklyn

DUMBO stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass

images of local paper of the plans back in 2004:

http://www.watchtowernews.org/4towers.jpg http://www.watchtowernews.org/4towersb.jpg http://www.watchtowernews.org/4towersc.jpg

Snakes ()

willyloman

If they plan on selling everything off in the next 7 - 13 years, I guess the Governing Body members don't believe 'the End' is 'right around the corner' after all.

That was my thought back in the early 80's when they announced plans to build out at Patterson, a 10-12 year project. Now, 25 years later, they are announcing more expansion for Patterson. And the beat goes on.

Doubting Bro

Snakes, Great thought on the MTS boys. I didn't even think about them but given their level of indoctrination, they would make perfect "circuit elders". Plus, a few that I've met have delusions of grandeur and this will feed right into that. On the timetable regarding the real estate, I'm thinking this is just in response to the market being down. If the market were to rebound or someone to offer them higher than market price for their properties, they will jump on it (like any good business man would do). Once I started recognizing the WTS as a business instead of a religion, all of their decisions became so easy to understand and anticipate.

Doubting Bro

daniel, "On another note: These new visits by local elders will probably turn into a really retarded, boring thing in a few years, just like the visits from the Service Overseers at the bookstudy. Anyone remember that lame "arrangement"? No one wants to hear some kind of "special" talk given by their own local Joe Bob Elder. And three times a year!? Goodness gracious --it's just going to be the same thing over and over again." Amen that that!! The only difference I can see is that I'm sure the circuit elders will be delivering a WTS outline as opposed to coming up with material on their own. Suggested themes: "Glory God with your valuable things", "Do not forsake our Christian meetings", and "Remember, if you don't pass out mags, you will die at the Big A".

Seeker4

That original post makes perfect sense to me, including the timetables. It'll take a few more years to send all the current POs through the week-long school.

Interesting that the concept of persecution is mentioned five times in the quotes: isolation, difficult times, and other buzz words. This gives the rank and file the impression that these are big doings created by imminent persecution, and not just downsizing due to expenses.

The selling off of perhaps billions in Brooklyn Heights real estate is no surprise. It has long been one of the primo sections of Brooklyn, and even more so now. Getting out of Brooklyn has been a long term goal of the WTS for decades.

Using a handful of circuit POs to fill in for COs and elimination of the COs fits what we've been hearing. Using persecution as an excuse for simplifying and cutting expenses is typical of the WTS.

This all makes sense.

S4

Sunnygal41

when they bought that parcel of land on Route 22 way back, I had a feeling they planned on moving everything out there at some point, which was only confirmed when I heard they were moving all the GB up there and the main depts. we'd have to be blind not to figure that one out. there is much more freedom of movement out there than in NYC, with all it's existing rules, regs., labor laws, etc etc.........and, they've been soooo generous with that town.........they donated brand new fire engine(s)? if I remember correctly?

Terri

News from Bethel Heavy

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