more from london bethel

by stan livedeath 47 Replies latest members private

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  Simon

  oooh--i see my headline title cock up has been corrected--was that divine intervention ?

  Nah, it was just me :)
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  St George of England

  Incidentally, didn't we read in on this board that Drage and Ellis et al were removed from office due to child sexual abuse not by them but by their appointees?
  

  @halfbanana - Yes, there is an article here about it:-

  http://www.silentlambs.org/jworg-ibsascandal.htm

  Being removed from the IBSA board didn't mean being removed from the IBSA offices though!

  George
• 

  Half banana

  Thanx George
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  konceptual99

  I really don't think any of this signals the imminent demise of the WTS. I think they have let their eyes become bigger than their belly and someone had the bollocks to stand up to the GB and tell them they were spending too much too fast and did not need so much in the way of facilities.

  I think they have realised long term donation levels are not a sure fire thing. I think they have realised that they can easily cut resources at Bethel with little impact on service delivery, especially as so much is moving towards electronic distribution. I think they have also taken a calculated risk that the level of discontent will be low and even those that mumble and moan will fall into line in the main. They are distracting the R&F with yet more changes in process, plus so much of this is out of sight from many and therefore out of mind.

  In terms of getting rid of so called experienced people, I think many of the younger guys are probably as technically capable as some of the older guys, more aware of current technology, more malleable and less close to needing health care support. The WTS will be no different to any other corporate and will be full of middle management promoted to the level of their own incompetence.

  Where they need specific expertise then go to the congregations and get an expert elder and other volunteers on as as needed basis.

  I know from years of managing people that you can ALWAYS do more with less IF you have a willing and competent team.

  I think they can see possible a financial "perfect storm" of high costs, an aging workforce, decreasing donations, increased tax liabilities and legal settlements all coming together in the next 5-10 years and are clearing the decks to ensure solvency in the long term.

  They know the big A ain't coming and are doing what they can to ensure the business is viable for the upcoming decades.
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  punkofnice

  half nana - Then I heard him give a KH dedication talk

  Ironic that they have dedication talks then sell the buildings.

  Wow, Jehovah(tm) really IS blessing this org!
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  Half banana

  Yes Punky it used to be called a KH dedication... but now it's the launch of a new money-spinning industrial unit.
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  dozy

  I think Konceptual kind of nailed it in his post.

  When I was an active JW I remember having a chat with one long time London Bethelite who felt that the Bethel had far too many "workers" around. He reckoned that If it had been a proper business where they had to pay the staff rather than a charity then they could easily ditch 60% - 70% of the staff without anybody noticing. There were a lot of long term older ones who did very little or nothing but kind of hung around the place because they had lots of friends in Bethel & nobody wanted to see them go. For many it was more of a residential social club than a place of work.

  One of the sisters in Bethel married to one of the "higher-ups" had relatives in our congregation. She was late 50's - supposedly assigned on some office duties. Her relatives found it amusing that in reality - she did absolutely nothing other than occasionally wander in if she had nothing else to do and basically lick a few stamps or do some light filing. She would often come here during the warmer months on long vacations ( allegedly for "health reasons" ) - a month at a time.

  I would imagine there are loads of other JWs in a similar situation and maybe the WTBTS has decided with all the financial stresses it is time for a cull. If so - a lot of cozy JWs are going to get a huge wake up call.
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  fulltimestudent

  Its a serious matter for the poor bastards who are getting sacked from their divine appointments of service (my sarcasm streak is ascendent) but they should not feel too bad about it, after all kind old YHWH/JESUS is giving them all another avenue of service, isn't he? Albeit this new avenue of service means that they have to find their own tucker, so they will need to have absolute trust in the promises of YHWH/JESUS as typified in Mathew 6:19, and 25-33 that YHWH/JESUS always provides.

  But we poor apostates OTOH, having already been cast into to the outer darkness and condemned to the judgement of tartarus ( 2 Petr 2:4) can only stand by and smirk as the waters of Yahweh's blessings dry up and we watch the silly buggers writhe due to with the torments of pressing economic problems.