It's not only Springsteen's latest song that is inaccurate, but Bethel certainly doesn't look after it's own.
I know it's very easy for us to what to criticise Bethel after our experiences, but if we are reasonable with the WBTS and approach this with an open mind, can we conlude it's fair how Bethelites are treated?
I know with any company if an employee breaks the rules, they have to leave. Being fair, I can't wave a finger at Bethel for telling those who break rules, sin, etc., to leave. The difficult fact is that Bethel provides not just work but also accomodation, so the person who leaves is left without anything. In the UK, if you have no permanent address, you can't get a job or even state welfare payments, and if you have no job, you can't rent, so unless you have a friend or relative to rescue you, you join the many homeless persons. However, if one wants to quit Bethel, they could plan it so somehow they fix a job first while they have an address, then sleep rough, in their car, until they get a flat.
What concerns me more is that if someone becomes ill, generally Bethel just throws them out. Besides the fact they can't get a job, state welfare or a room to live in, they are ill. What is this person meant to do to survive? How are they meant to buy food? After all the years of hard work they put into Bethel, they are on the street, no qualifications, perhaps now of an age that doesn't appeal to employees, and please don't say the congregation will be so moved with love that they take them in like experiences in the Bible.
Companies have to give sick pay to employees, soemtiems for months, even years, when there is major illness. Bethel doesn't give anything, while we all know it really ha money, with all its stock options (even if it's not a lot, it could work some retirement/illness plan). It's not thankful for Bethelites, missionaries and DO/COs hard work, but chucks most of them out to the skip like old machinery. Where is the love?