Bethelites - heavy pressure to auxiliary pioneer this past April?

sir82

Forgot to mention this as a "highlight" of the DC I recently attended.

The speaker was giving details of how many JWs served as auxiliary pioneers in April (when the hour requirement was temporarily reduced to 30).

Something like 2.5 or 2.7 million of the worldwide population of JWs AP'ed that month.

The really surprising thing was, 83% of the US Bethel "family" pioneered that month! 57% of the worldwide Bethel "family' AP'ed in April.

Can you imagine? 40+, maybe 50+ hours of work per week, "family" WT study, the congregation you attend probably 45-60 minutes away...and 83% "volunteered" their services to get 30+ hours of field serve-us in?

I have to imagine that the pressure on Bethelites to pioneer in April was extraordinary. Especially in this era of layoffs, when the size of the Bethel "family" was reduced by 1/3 within the past 5 years.

So, when the next round of layoffs comes, who's going to get the axe? "Well, Brother Slacker, I see you only had 15 hours of service last April instead of 30...perhaps you aren't zealous enough for Bethel after all...buh-bye!"

I imagine the only "legitimate" excused ones were the geriatrics, the paper-clip sorters and chair straighteners, or the ones in the infirmary.

Does anyone have any Bethel contacts who can verify that there was such heavy pressure on them?

Does anyone kjnow if any GB members, or other Bethel "heavies" AP'ed in April?

Gayle

wow,,I think they are just trying to burn every one out! And it used to be the new boys/girls had extra "primary" classes and studying, and to read through the whole Bible in 6 mos. Is that about the same now-a-days too or ?

I think since the AP was sooooo successful, they will try to guilt everyone to do it 'every' month since it was sooooo grand.

Gayle

oh, sir 82,,thank you for all your reports,,is US Bethel, now considered in 3 locations, Brooklyn, Wallkill and Patterson? How many in each area? and what basic works in each location are done and is the 7-member GB still based at Brooklyn?

sir82

I don't know everything, but...

Yes those are the 3 US Bethel locations. Don't know how many are in each location, but total population is around 4000. The GB remains in Brooklyn for the time being.

designs

Sales technique mantra- 'Sell the Sizzle not the Steak'.

Doubting Bro

It seems around here, the CO put a huge amount of pressure on local servant bodies (both elders and ms and their wives) to pioneer in April. I have to believe that the Bethelites got even more pressure. I was told by one of the local servant's that said the CO told them during his Friday evening servant meeting that he would be following up with those who didn't a/p in April to find out why!

stillin

I was under the impression that a Bethelite is already considered a full-time servant/pioneer. Somebody corect me if I'm wrong

blondie

When I was out at Wallkill in the mid-80's, Bethelites were not allowed to auxiliary pioneer....of course more hours then. It was considered that it interfered with their Bethel duties....

RayPublisher

Massive pressure. We got it bigtime from the Elder body in April. When I was at Bethhell (a long time ago lol) I was told that it was unbalanced TO Aux Pi because of the heavy load at Bethel and that it was sacred service, hour for hour same as the ministry.

To put in 30 hrs locally as well must have been very exhausting on most of that 83%...

sir82

I was told that it was unbalanced TO Aux Pi because of the heavy load at Bethel

Interesting.

The cynical side of me suggests that pressuring Bethelites to auxiliary pioneer this April, and maybe every April to come, is a way to get some to crack under pressure, so they voluntarily leave, and thus make the WTS look like less of a "bad guy" ("we didn't fire them, they quit!") in order to accomplish another downsizing.

If someone quits there's no obligation to assign them as CO or Special Pioneer (no need to pay them).

Bethelites - heavy pressure to auxiliary pioneer this past April?

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