1000 asked to leave Brooklyn Bethel! (page 3)

Prisca

Yep! I heard about this last Sept. from someone in the accounting department!

And it's now July - 10 months later, and this is the first we've heard of it?????

I held-off from putting anything on this board because I was waiting for an official announcement to the family (including and the Farm). According to my source, who has access to financial records, they've had a sharp drop-off in donations in the last 2 years. Consequently, they're forced to make these cuts. Foreign branches (including Hawaii) were told to make similar reductions a year ago and have reduced staff by 30% or more in some cases.

kat7302,

The GB views ever increasing #'s (including increases in administration) indicative of Gods blessing, whereas decreasing #'s as a lack of his favor. Therefore, I'm sure that they waited until the last minute for this reduction.

Edited by - cyberguy on 17 July 2002 5:33:27

Edited by - cyberguy on 17 July 2002 5:34:35

Edited by - cyberguy on 17 July 2002 5:35:11

Edited by - cyberguy on 17 July 2002 5:39:20

Mackin

The saddest fact to me reading the original post was the fact that hardly anyone volunteered to go. What does that tell you? The force is still strong, luke!!!!!!

The reason the didn't volunteer to go is because if you are prepared to tow the Bethel line and obey all the rules without question, and can blind yourself to all the crap that goes on there, Bethel life can be pretty sweet.

Think about it, comfortable room (in many cases luxurious), good food, virtually no living expenses etc. Sure you only get a minimal allowance but you've only got yourself to spend it on. Not a bad lark really. Better than many in the real world. Oh and (in NZ at least) no tax!

Wouldn't you try to stay as long as possible?

Mackin.

abbagail

I had remembered hearing this before, but couldn't remember where, then found this link in my folder. Short-term memory loss because, come to find out, this below thread was around mid-June, a mere month ago:

What's the deal with not needing Bethelites? Read 957 times. Interesting comments there, too:
< http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=30387&page=1&site=3#393269>;

Maybe there were prior threads last Sept.? Anybody do a "search" yet to see?

I wrote MORE in this post, and after posting, half of it disappeared. How does that happen? Arrrgggh!

Scumrat, your post was hysterical (funny) about the $$$$.

Kat's comments were good, too, about feeling bad for those who would have to go. I mean, only SIX out of 5000+ volunteered to leave? That's some loyalty right there. -- Also, I very much wanted to go to Bethel when younger and first studying. In my innocence I actually wrote them a letter and asked if I could go there to work and live. Of course they wrote back a nice letter, and basically said, "That ain't how it works dearie..." ;) -- Reality was I would never have been able to keep up the pace physically, and I always hated getting up early. :)

Cyberguy wrote: "Foreign branches (including Hawaii) were told to make similar reductions a year ago and have reduced staff by 30% or more in some cases."

Can't remember where I saw it, I'm thinking it had to have been at Watchtower Observer, all those WTS letters Kent has posted over there. It was a letter from WTS to the INDIA BRANCH OFFICE telling them they had to downsize, and lay off some special pioneers, and that NO MORE $$ would be forthcoming from HQ. I felt really sad for the Indians, and how they must have felt getting a letter like that. It must have felt like getting kicked in the stomach. If I get the motivation, I'll see if I can find it and post a link.

GRITS

Edited by - grits on 17 July 2002 6:44:25

Francois

Remember when Ray Franz left after 30 years of dedicated service, they gave the poor guy and his wife, neither one of them exactly spring chickens, ten thousand measly dollars. The bastards

Francois

Pathofthorns

I had posted something several months ago that in order to reduce staff the Canada branch had openly told bethelites that if they got married they would not be accepting them when they re-applied. I think others mentioned that this was not limited to just Canada but was part of a world-wide effort to down-size.

Path

Dismembered

Kick their ass Seabass

Larsguy

Hi Kat and others...

Yes, unfortunately those at Bethel may come out of there with none of the basic benefits which is unfortunately, but you characterized them as "giving up everything" to go there. But really that's a two-sided coin. Maybe like some career criminals they weren't going to do anything that challenging in the first place. Bethel may not be financially appealing but then every single aspect of their daily needs are taken care of. They don't have to worry about the basics including food and shelter! If someone said: "Come to New York, get room and board in a wonderful Christian environment" I might take them up on it. Maybe they are not leaving becasue it's so great not to worry about those things so many in the "real world" have to deal with, particularly even people with training and professional degrees are now being laid off, particularly now in the high-tech sectors.

So it's a 2-sided coin. Bethel is a great alternative when you're young; like going into the military. It's just hard news when you leave and face the being competitive in the job market.

Not disagreeing with your sentiments, just thowing in some perspective. Obviously this is a general disaster for the individuals!

L.G.

Room 215

Hi all,

If true (sorry, but I'll await confirmation), I wonder what the selection process was like? What factors are weighed when deciding who gets asked to say and who goes? Hmm...... It's also not to hard to imagine that a good number of those given the ``pink slip'' are going to be pissed off; and are good bets to spread their bile among the greater part of the 1,000 congregations they're sent back to, assuming they just don't throw in the towel on the ``truth!"!

MikeMusto

I will confirm with my inside sources

1000 asked to leave Brooklyn Bethel!

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