What is G-JOBBING for Bethelites?????????

by JT 79 Replies latest jw friends

  • bigboi
    bigboi

    Say BM:

    When were you there man, and do you know a Derrick Mumford? I have ties to him. Holla back.

    ONE....

    Bigboi

    "it ain't what ya do. it's how you do it" quote from the song "True Honeybunz" by Bahamadia

  • Maximus
    Maximus

    JT, I had an interesting call today in which I asked about G-jobbing at the Bible House. I was given quite an up-to-date tour, although asked not to be too specific.

    Seems as this hallowed practice has been refined to an absolute art form, especially at higher levels. I've just about seen it all, but I was really impressed at the devious attempts that are so far very successful.

    I was told it's about like the war on drugs, with only a small percentage caught or prosecuted, and there are indeed devious methods used even beyond phone-tapping, that involve computers ....

    This will drive the official monitors nuts, because some of their overseers are involved.

    smile

    Maximus

  • philo
    philo

    LOVE IT. ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. I admire the ingenuity of the so called Bethel drones. And I had no idea about it either.

    philo

  • Had Enough
    Had Enough

    Hi there JT, Maximus, RW:

    I love hearing about these things guys..it just reinforces my convictions that I had a totally pollyanna-type picture of what being a Bethel was all about.

    But I don't understand something here. And PLEASE don't get me wrong..I'm not being judgemental or self-righteous..I just can't reconcile the image I'm getting about all of these cloak-and-dagger goings-on and the picture I have of what being in Bethel is supposed to mean.

    I mean I thought that devoted spiritual-minded brothers go there and have the "volunteer spirit" and are devoted to furthering God's work. Yet it seems so many even in the upper-eschelon are involved in this stuff to the point of going to great lengths to hide their activities from "spying, prying eyes". So obviously if the "powers that be" have to spy to find things out, it is considered wrong...and yet so many do it anyway and hiding it so they "know" its considered wrong.

    What happens to that devotion to going there further the Kingdom blah blah blah?

    Had Enough

  • RationalWitness
    RationalWitness

    Had Enough,

    Those who have 'served' at Bethel know that it is not by any means a majority who engage in g-jobs; it was (in my experience) a small minority and generally limited to non-overseers and 'low-level' overseers. Bethel elders as a rule had no need to engage in g-jobbing since they were always well cared for on speaking assignments. (Those who DID were simply materialistic--how else can I put it?) Bethel elders were assigned out typically once a month on a speaking assignment within a 200-mile radius of Brooklyn, and while visiting a congregation, it was common for one or more of the friends to give the speaker $20 to $50. Now, of course, Bethel elders also receive Special Assembly Day speaking assignments, where they are entertained by the entire circuit.

    I had my honeymoon bankrolled by a well-heeled JW just because I had been to his congregation a few years earlier for the Memorial. (It was his suggestion, by the way, not mine; I never asked anyone for money, nor did I ever imply I was in need ... although there were a couple of times people could see I had no winter coat, etc., and gave me used clothing.)

    Of course, those REALLY high up in the Organization did not even have to rely on speaking assignments for financial support ... they had their regular contributors sending them 'gifts' on a routine basis. Maximus will probably recognize who I mean, when I say that one of my personal favorites used to receive a CASE of Chivas Regal like clockwork. As well as smoked salmon or shrimp flown in frozen. Oh my, I'm starting to laugh now as I think about all the memories.

    Anyway, just want to assure you that No, not ALL of those fine spiritual men at Bethel are grossly materialistic. Some are the genuine article, some are self-sacrificing ... but too many are willing to sacrifice others' lives (e.g., the insane blood policy) before they will sacrifice their own comfortable illusion of being God's appointed. And too many of the rest are unwilling to speak up for fear of losing what they have.

    Cheers,
    Rational

    Trust those who are searching for truth; doubt those who have found it.

  • Had Enough
    Had Enough

    Hello Rational Witness:

    Thanks for the input. I have no trouble realizing that my ideal of a pure org. no longer exists.

    I guess what I had trouble with was what happens to brothers once they get in there. I believe most go in with good motives but I guess trying to live with such a pittance given to them by the org. was very difficult given the amount of travelling costs for meetings and service.

    What an eye-opener it has been to hear all you brothers' first-hand experiences, but at least I'm glad I now know the reality and not just the fairy-tale.

    Thanks to you all for clueing us in...It really is funny to picture the "cloak and dagger" spying stuff going on. I love it!

    Had Enough

  • Prisca
    Prisca

    This is a fantastic thread!

    Just wanted to bring it back to the top again.

    Thanks for your insights JT.

  • JT
    JT

    TO EVERYONE esp the guys with connections to THE BIG HOUSE

    ######

    THE info in this thread really allows persons to see what type of things go on INSIDE and the mindset that is there- all the hush hush- kep it quiet etc that goes on is unreal.

    these were just some of my personal exp and as you have seen many others can relate much the same

    i loved the guy getting the fresh fish flown in

    only in wt world

    james

  • jschwehm
    jschwehm

    Hi-

    I am sure that many who go to Bethel are sincere. I am also sure that many who serve in positions of power in the organization are sincere as well. However, as with most things a time comes when an organization loses its roots and the reasons why it exists in the first place. At this point its continued existance at all costs usually becomes the goal. Make no mistake about it. Those individuals who move up the organizational ladder are organization men and are wholly devoted to it. Individuals like Ray Franz and others who put their conscience before organizational loyalty are rare.

    When I was leaving Bethel, Harold Corkern who is now the president of one of the new corporations, called me into his office and told me not to discuss those bad things that happen at Bethel with the brothers "on the outside". He said the bad things that happen at Bethel are "none of the business of the brothers on the outside". He told me that the brothers on the outside need to know "only the good things about Bethel."

    Harold is a nice man and very sincere but he is wholly devoted to "mother". You can only get to those positions by demonstrating your loyalty to the organization and many times this means hurting individuals to get to those positions. There is really no difference between moving up the organizational ladder at Bethel and moving up the corporate ladder in the world except that at Bethel God is invoked more often. And, while money may not be the currency in which an up and coming heavy at Bethel is paid (although you can get material benefits from moving up in the org) POWER is the ultimate currency in which these guys get paid.

    Now, lest anyone think I am painting these guys as sinister or evil, that is not my intention. It is simply human what these guys are doing. In an organization that is heirarchical with no checks and balances on power, these problems will occur because of the way humans are. The fact that they believe that God has put them in these positions of power greatly aggravates the situation of course. It is not necessarily sinister or conspiratorial, it is human for abuses occur when power is not checked and in the borg there is no institutional mechanism to check power.

    The most irritating thing is the propaganda that the organization puts out to make it appear as though they are better than any other religious organization on earth. In reality, the religious organization run by the JWs is just like every other religious organization it does some good things and does some bad things. It may help some people but it hurts many other people. And, I would submit that because of the dysfunctional nature of the organization and its bizarre beliefs and the dishonesty of those in charge, the organization hurts more people than it helps.

    Jeff S.

  • bj
    bj

    Thanks for the interesting information.

    Jeff, can you tell me, in what year your conversation with Harold Corkern took place?

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