What are Bethelites in foreign service? I've heard this term but do not know much about it. Is then when they start at Bethel in their home county? Then they apply or are asked to go to Bethel in another country? Temporary or permanent assignment?
For Bethelites or anyone who knows - 'Bethelites in foreign service'
by A question 8 Replies latest jw friends
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A question
BTTT
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BluePill2
You are correct. Bethelites in Foreign Service (BIF's) are Bethelites "on loan" to another branch. When I was in Bethel, the Borg used this service assignment in a pretty loose way. I've met BIFs that where "forgotten" in their assignments and stayed for years and others had a specific "contractual" agreement that they HAD to return after x months.
Usually this kind of service was used if a Branch needed help from a specific specialist (IT, Printing being the most needed) and couldn't find locals to do the job or needed to train locals. This is when Crooklyn would send someone "in special mission" from another branch.
For the appointed couple this would mean that they had "special privileges/rights" like flights being paid to go home, either at a set period or for medical treatments or for International Assemblies. Some other perks where also usual. But the most important thing is that they knew, if the present assignment went to shit, they had a "secure job" back home.
And, last, but not least: locals would bow before the "eminences" and some of them would feel "suuuuuuper special", like being part of some inner circle of the inner circle kind of thing.
This in a nutshell. If I remember something else, I will write.
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BluePill2
By the way, there are far more assignment types than this one. People in special service had all kinds of funny "titles" there where also International Servants, International Temporary Servants, Bethelites in Foreign Service for Construction, Regional Office Construction Servants, and many many more.
If I remember, with the guys from the field, we had like over 40 kinds of service assignments (including the famous Regular Pioneer).
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BluePill2
One thing I remember was that whenever foreigners would get invited to Bethel, after a while some of them would get pissed because they where in the exact same situation like BIF's and yet had to cover their own travel costs. Let's say for an instance that a British guy would go overseas to serve where the need was great, lets say to South Africa, as a pioneer. After a while he would get an invitation to come and work at South African Bethel. He would be considered a local Bethelite. No special rights. If he had been a Bethelite BEFORE and sent out to South Africa, then he would qualify to be a BIF.
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JakeM2012
Aquestion, Bethelites in foreign service is a Brooklyn term for when bethelites serving at their homeland branch would be asked to serve in a foreign country either on a temporary or permanent basis. For instance, when the society was building many of the branches that they have recently sold some of the overseers were sent from Brooklyn, Walkil, or Patterson to oversee the work. I believe that the Bethelites in foreign service still get the homeland monthly stippend. There are probably 16-20 different types of "Bethelites" ranging from several temporary statuses to Full Blown Bethelites with all the benefits, and evidently, bethelites in foreign service. The "full blown" bethelites that I knew that went overseas on "temporary" assignments could be overseas from 3 to 5 years before they returned to their Walkil home. I hope that this helps.
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BluePill2
JakeM2012:
I forgot about the money thing. Yes they would have their homeland reimbursement (which makes a difference in some countries).
I served at several of the branches that where built under the eye of Brooklyn/Walkill BIFs.
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JakeM2012
Cool.
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A question
Okay, I see. So it isn't something that your typical new Bethelite would get or apply for (unless he moved up the ranks). You only get it if they need your skill in another branch then. Am I correct.
PS: BluePill2 - If you could answer anything in that PM I sent that would be great.