Ed Dunlap Describes His Experience In The 1980 Bethel Purge (2 Part Audio)

by Jeremy C 12 Replies latest watchtower scandals

• 

  Jeremy C

  Up until the purges that took place at Brooklyn Bethel in 1980, Ed Dunlap had served as the Registrar and one of the senior instructors of the Gilead School. Dunlap was one of the victims of the witch hunts that took place in 1980 and was disfellowshipped for "apostasy", along with members of the translation department.

  In Raymond Franz’s book Crisis of Conscience, Ray Franz discusses Ed Dunlap’s experience in detail. Dunlap and Franz were close friends who often discussed various Bible topics with one another. Ed Dunlap got into serious trouble when he began to offer his personal honest viewpoint regarding various Bible teachings to members of the Bethel family who asked him questions.

  In this two-part audio recording, Ed Dunlap in his own words, talks about his decades of full time service and devotion to the organization. He explains the serious problems that he began to see with various Watchtower teachings and practices. He elaborates on what lead to him being interrogated by members of the Governing Body, and summarily disfellowshipped.

  Here is the link to his two hour talk. The audio is not of high quality and a little difficult to understand at times, but is definitely worth listening to. Scroll down the page about a third of the way, and you will see the section titled:

  "Edward Dunlap: Testimony on Bethel In 1979".
• 

  yesidid

  Thanks Jeremy, that was very interesting.

  .
• 

  drifter

  Thanks for sharing that jeremy, l enjoyed it very much.

  Ed can express himself well.

  It made me sad, mad, glad and happy to realise l am out of that CULT!!!
• 

  fjtoth

  Up until the purges that took place at Brooklyn Bethel in 1980, Ed Dunlap had served as the Registrar and one of the senior instructors of the Gilead School.

  That statement doesn't present a true picture.

  At the time Dunlap was disfellowshiped, Albert Schroeder was the school registrar and Ulysses Glass was the school's senior instructor. Dunlap had not been on the school staff for several years prior to his disfellowshiping. Still, concern for the school was always close to his heart.

  Frank
• 

  james_woods

  I believe that Ed was being used in the writing department at the time right before the purge. I know he was probably just about the sole author of the pocket sized book on James.

  Ed and Betty moved back to my hometown Oklahoma City essentially with nothing but the clothes on their backs and worked labor and secretarial jobs to support themselves until Ed died of a heart attack some years later. Betty is now in a nursing home, at the last I heard a few months ago - suffering from a form of Altzheimers. She was hoping to move back to Australia with relatives, but the disease had just progressed too far for her to be able to make the move.

  I used to call her at least a couple of times a month until she had to be hospitalized.

  For the record - none of the Dunlaps nor any of their extended family ever tried to "start their own religion" or cause any trouble for the Okla City JW congregations. They were there if someone approached them to talk about the issues, but they did not promote their beliefs.
• 

  james_woods

  BTW, one of Ed's friends (and probably also a friend of Rays) was a retired circuit overseer and congregation overseer who did a really excellent audio tape on the subject of the "faithful and discreet slave". I don't have it any more or even remember the guy's name, but it is also well worth listening to if someone could remember this and find it.
• 

  Dogpatch

  Thanks JeremyC, I will put up an mp3 of Dunlap that is better shortly.

  I remember the day Dunlap was going to be DFed (or at least announced as such).

  I was at my table in the dining room at 124. I was literally shaking, and as a table head that was unnerving to me. I wondered if anyone else knew what I felt. My heart was pounding like a drum. My pulse could be seen in my arm. I was so paranoid I thought I was gonig to ass out. I looked around, but everyone was preoccupied with the announcement. I don't even remeber who the jackass GB member was who read it off. People were weeping, it was surreal. Never before in 5 years of Bethel had I seen this.

  Cabeen had told me the night before that they were going to read off his DFing. So I knew it would be big. After that it was really hard for me to go to breakfast, as I couldn't eat. What was fun and clever, being Martin Luther at the Wittenburg door, was suddenly real life, and people were getting "killed." I wanted out.

  Randy
• 

  thepackage

  Very enjoyable! THANKS!
• 

  dawg

  All of you who took a stand in the 80s for the real truth are heroes in my mind... There should never be a day when we allow men, nothing but men, hurt others with doctrine and/or anything else. I'm proud of you, one and all!
• 

  flipper

  What Ed Dunlap had to go through in Bethel was disgusting ; and cult behavior at it's worst by the unjust treatment he received at the hands of the governing body and other powers that be when he was there. I hope the maggots eat out Jaracz's eyes in his grave ! Peace out, Mr. Flipper