by inbetween 7 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
To all with bethel inside information:
Normally the brothers serving at Bethel are also connected with some local congregation. In my area, the brothers in bethel support different congregations in their city.
How is this in New York ? And especially are the members of the GB also supporting local congregations, and maybe giving parts from the podium there as well ? Or are they excused and just busy giving talks at conventions or thinking about new rules for their followers ?
just curious..
good question. I would think Barbara Anderson can answer this question.
It wouldn't surprise me if the members of the GB did not attend
the local congregations. Years ago, we were told the the members were
exempt from going house to house because of their reponsibiliity running
the organization. Their exalted positions can be illustrated by the experience
of a friend who toured Bethel. The group was told that if they saw a member
of the G.B. they were not to bother him as he was "busy doing the Lord's work."
For some of us, it was hard to understand. Christ criticized those apostles
who prevented the children from seeing him. Were G.B. members better
than him?
I would love to know the answer to this as well.....good question.
I would also love to know if their accomodations at bethal were more extravagant than the others.
I don't see a point of the GB being part of a congregation. They get their fellowship at bethel and they write/approve all the literature so they get their spiritual food as well. No need for a congregation.
-Sab
Historically, the GB have attended the Brooklyn Heights congregation.
Being on the GB, it's pretty much a given they are elders there.
However, I strongly suspect there is an "understanding" among the other elders in that congregation that GB members are exempt from "normal" duties, like school talks, reading the Watchtower, KH cleaning, and even standard elder duties such as judicial committees.
I think you'd need input from someone who attends / attended the Brooklyn Heights congregation, or at least knows someone who attends there.
Rutherford had a small congregation in Beverly Hills while he was president - Bertha, Betty, the Booze and the Cadillacs.
Lot of the GB in the 90s went to foreign language congos. Losch surprisingly goes to English congo: Red Hook Brooklyn. As for the others, I haven't really kept up - Barr probably goes to Brooklyn Heights - but they also have the tie-ins for the infirm directly to the rooms. OT: When I was there I hacked into it via my radio. Watchtower Night was much better in my room with a beer.
They all go and are on the elder bodies but most of the time they don't take a postition of secretary/SO/COBOE because they're away a lot with talks etc.
However, for the record, I used to see Klein all the time out in service in the Heights.
