New Bethel/Missionary Requirements.

by Doubtfully Yours 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  TheListener

  From my memory the Blondie is right. It was 19 to 35 for bethel service. However, being a pioneer was the extra credit that would get you accepted but not a requirement. Non-pioneer brothers have been accepted to bethel. Obviously, it's the exception not the norm.

  Also, perhaps by inviting 18 year olds to the admittance meeting, which is a stupid waste of time meeting, they can get them primed to apply when they're 19. Although I thought bethel wasn't in need of many new ones, since they've been downsizing.
• 

  sweet tee

  so maybe it's a slight change. There comes a point, though, in our apostate ramblings when you 'gotta ask, "What the hell is the big deal?"

  It's not that small changes are a big deal, but it could be indicative of something going on within the borg. That's why I'm interested in these topics. Even though the change was made some time ago it was AFTER I left - so this is NEWS to me. I'm glad somebody can stomach the meetings () and bring the 411 back to the forum.
• 

  littlerockguy

  They are probably looking for those new in the organization who actually got an education before they became witnesses. You can be a good JW and pioneer and not get a vocation/trade/education or be a bad or weak JW and get an education and become active again and go to bethel to use your special learned skills from your "worldly education".
• 

  Elsewhere

  But already before you could be accepted in bethel if you had any (special) skills.

  I can burp the alphabet.

  I'm not sure what is going on with that 1982 KM. I went to bethel around 1992 to do two weeks temp work. I distinctly recall that I could not be considered for full time bethel work without pioneering.
• 

  blondie

  I think they want to eliminate that year where the 18-year-old might get tied down with debt (car) or romance (baby).

  At one time they did take 18-year-olds at Bethel but they weren't mature enough (translate homesick, missing mommy).

  ***

  km 5/74 p. 5 How Are You Using Your Life? ***

  But if you are a single brother between 18 and 35 years of age, in good health and baptized for more than one year, we encourage you to consider Bethel service.
• 

  blondie

  The requirements for Bethel have been very flexible depending on supply and demand.
• 

  blondie

  *** km 3/95 pp. 5-6 Bethel Service—More Volunteers Needed ***

  That is why pioneers are often chosen when new volunteers are selected for Bethel. When a person has disciplined himself over a period of time to spend 90 hours a month preaching and teaching and giving to others, as well as scheduling necessary work to sustain himself, he has built a good spiritual foundation for Bethel service and its orderly way of life. Please note, however, that Bethel service is not limited to those who are pioneering. Anyone meeting the basic requirements can apply.
• 

  tijkmo

  remember though that pioneering was always used as the springboard to greater priveleges...even when there was no guarantee of getting the greater priveleges

  2 of my old aquaintances will be joining bethel at the end of this month...they have no special skills..they will enter as janitors...unusual thing here is they are married..to each other...dont think that ever happened before...

  mind you in the uk...last service year there was the grand total of 0 applications for bethel..thats none..zero..nil..nada..zilch..less than one
• 

  Mulan

  When I was a teenager I used to go to those meetings every year. At that time, they encouraged "all who were interested" to come to the meetings. I started going at about age 15. It seemed to me that they wanted to start early getting the young ones interested in making Gilead or Bethel service a goal for their future.

  I was very disappointed when they started restricting it by age and by being a pioneer (probably when I was about 17). I for one, lost my enthusiasm for going to Bethel or to Gilead, without that summer meeting. So...........I got married. Hahhahahha.

  Maybe now they are just reverting to the old days, maybe a good thing. For once.
• 

  JustTickledPink

  I remember it being a requirement to be a pioneer. I even pioneered for many years but they didn't accept single females.

  So if you have ZERO skills, not even a pioneer, am I reading this correctly... a SINGLE FEMALE can be accepted into Bethel ???? As far back as I can remember no single girls were allowed or accepted unless they had some special skill or degree.