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According to Isaiah 60:17,
Jehovah said: “Instead of the copper
“I will bring in gold,
and instead of the iron
I will bring in silver.”
With these words,
Jehovah promised that the quality
of the earthly part of his organization
would gradually improve.
Over the years,
he has refined the way
we carry out his work
—including the very important work
done at Bethel.
The vital work at Bethel
accomplishes two important objectives:
to make spiritual food available
to as many people as possible
and to support the worldwide preaching work.
Whenever the Governing Body
has adjusted the work at Bethel,
it has been to support these objectives.
Over the years, we have made changes
to our printing methods,
use of technology,
and construction techniques
and have simplified
branch territory oversight,
just to name a few.
The Bethel family worldwide
has supported these refinements
by following the admonition found
at Colossians 3:23:
“Whatever you are doing,
work at it whole-souled as for Jehovah,
and not for men.”
Many have faithfully served
at Bethel for decades
and experienced these refinements firsthand.
Like Jehovah,
we deeply value those
who willingly offer themselves
for sacred service.
They echo the spirit of Isaiah,
who exclaimed:
“Here I am! Send me!”
Around the world,
the number of young brothers
applying for Bethel is growing.
At the same time,
there is always a need for trained,
spiritually qualified brothers and sisters
in the field.
In reviewing the needs of Bethel
and the worldwide field,
the Governing Body has decided
to make an adjustment
to the way Bethel service is viewed.
Moving forward,
Bethel service will no longer be viewed
as a lifelong assignment.
Bethel will continue
to be a place where individuals
come to work hard for Jehovah
and receive training
that can be used by his organization.
However, the focus will now be
for brothers and sisters
to use that training in the field
or wherever Jehovah’s organization
needs them most.
To support this decision,
we are excited to inform you
of a series of new refinements at Bethel.
First, there will be
more regular movement of personnel
from the field to Bethel
and from Bethel back to the field.
As mentioned earlier,
serving at Bethel will no longer be viewed
as a permanent assignment.
So while there will always be a need
for experienced older ones to help train
the next generation of Bethelites,
many who come to Bethel
will serve for a time,
receive training,
gain valuable experience,
train others,
and then apply that training in the field.
There will be predetermined times
in each Bethelite’s service
when we will consider
where his or her training can be best used.
How does this movement
benefit the organization?
We invite you to pay close attention
to the following interviews.
My Bethel training as well as my assignments
definitely taught me a lot about discretion.
Working with these mature brothers and sisters
that have that experience
and that trust in Jehovah
is something that helps me
now as a new elder within the congregation
to be able to also see
how I can continue relying on Jehovah
within my assignment
as well as seeing what I can do
to continue providing for the friends,
just as we did
when I was serving at Bethel.
Initially when we were reassigned,
we started reading the Gospels again
from the beginning,
and that was exactly what I needed:
seeing those same words
reaffirming Jehovah’s love for us
and that this is just a part
of what was best for Jehovah’s organization
and that by following
and cooperating with it,
we would continue to have Jehovah’s blessing,
even in our new assignment.
At Bethel, you get the opportunity to be
in contact with a lot of people.
You make a lot of friends
with the people you work with.
You see a lot of friends
come and visit Bethel.
And so you see a larger organization
than (maybe) the congregation you came from.
And you begin to appreciate
that you have this large family,
this large brotherhood.
I’m able to take those stories,
and I’m able to take that experience,
and I’m able to share that locally
with the congregation that I’m in
to encourage them to reach out
and to see that there’s
so much more available to do.
There’s a big organization behind us
supporting us
that’s a demonstration of Jehovah’s love
and his care for us.
And so you can share these good things
—you can tell these good things to others—
that you’ve seen.
As these examples clearly show,
even if Bethel is not a lifelong assignment,
it is a life-changing one.
Does this mean
that everyone currently serving at Bethel
will eventually be transferred to the field?
No.
There will continue to be a need
for both older and younger ones.
As Proverbs 20:29 states:
“The glory of young men
is their strength,
and the splendor of old men
is their gray hair.”
The Watchtower, March 15, 1993,
commented on this verse:
“When youthful strength
“is combined with the experience
and wisdom of years,
a very strong combination is formed.”
Those words have certainly proven true
at Bethel.
The deep spirituality
and decades of experience of older ones
are vital.
But you may be wondering,
‘If there is more regular movement at Bethel,
how will the vital work done there
continue to be cared for?’
That leads us to the second refinement.
Greater emphasis
will be placed on accelerated training.
We want to help brothers and sisters
gain the skills needed
to serve in a variety of assignments
more quickly.
This training includes
entrusting younger brothers
with more responsibility sooner.
Older brothers
will assist and mentor younger brothers,
helping them to take on positions
of responsibility and oversight
at Bethel.
Such training
will add to their value at Bethel,
prepare them to be used
to fill future needs in the organization,
and even build in them
qualities and abilities
that will be valuable in the new world.
How have branches already benefited
from applying this direction?
Please pay close attention
to the following expressions.
The pace and quality of the training
keeps getting better.
Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach,
we are encouraged to think carefully
about the personality, strengths,
and skills of each brother
as well as any areas where he needs support.
So rather than just hoping for the best,
when the training is tailored,
it lays the groundwork for success.
When I was a young person,
I don’t think I got a lot of training.
I got assignments,
but I didn’t get a lot of training.
The organization is growing,
so training is essential,
and it’s good to see it
being accelerated, or speeded up,
to get the work done.
The organization benefits greatly
from training
and entrusting young brothers
with responsibility.
We’ve seen that young brothers
bring energy and fresh ideas
while older ones offer wisdom and experience.
When you combine these,
that’s how the organization can keep growing
and adapting to new challenges.
A third significant refinement
will involve the way we organize
the large number of willing volunteers
who apply to expand their theocratic service.
Greater emphasis will be placed
on making wise and judicious use
of part-time commuters
as well as remote and temporary volunteers.
This means determining
the right number of people at Bethel
so that as many as possible
can devote their efforts
to the all-important preaching work.
The benefits of this approach are many.
Consider the following experiences.
We’ve come to appreciate that Bethel service
isn’t about where you are,
but it’s a form of service.
It’s a sacred service that can be provided
from anywhere on the planet.
I went to Bethel when I was young, 19,
and spent some years there, left,
ended up getting married and having a family,
and now several years later
working with Bethel again.
I’m working remotely, and it’s part-time,
but I continue to see
the benefits of that work
and how it refines you.
It continues to train you.
Again, you get, like, a window into seeing
how Jehovah is directing his organization.
Well, it does require flexibility.
We have to look past
a person’s schedule or location,
and we have to get creative in making sure
that we build support arrangements
so that a remote volunteer from anywhere
can work with us.
You may be in a different time zone,
but they include you in discussions.
They make you feel like you’re trusted,
like you’re part of the group.
We often don’t get to handpick our team.
And yet, Jehovah provides
amazing brothers and sisters,
very capable brothers and sisters,
that can help.
I think if we keep an open mind
to different ways
to get the work accomplished,
we actually have found that we can adjust
our staffing down within Bethel
and not compromise the service and quality
provided from the department.
The appreciation from the local congregation
—it’s such a big component
of being successful
in helping part-time at Bethel.
We have begun working
with branches worldwide
to implement these adjustments
in a gradual way,
and we are already seeing positive results.
Branch Committee members have observed
a growing number of opportunities
for brothers and sisters
to receive Bethel training.
In turn, this new approach
is stirring even greater enthusiasm
among young ones
to reach out for expanded theocratic service.
In addition,
Branch Committees are reporting
that those who have transferred
back to the field
are having a positive impact
in supporting the preaching work worldwide.
Many have expanded their ministry
and made themselves available
to assist with specific needs,
such as
with Local Design/Construction activities,
Hospital Liaison Committees,
and special metropolitan witnessing.
Some have moved to areas
where more Kingdom publishers are needed,
attended the School for Kingdom Evangelizers,
and more.
These three refinements
will allow more brothers and sisters
to benefit from the training
and experience gained
through Bethel service.
In turn, they can use this training
to advance Kingdom interests in many ways.
Ephesians 4:16 describes
how the body of Christ
is being “harmoniously joined together”
and works according to the functioning
of each individual part.
It is our hope that these refinements
will help all of us
to continue to work together in harmony
and remain responsive
to Christ’s headship in a spirit of love.
Younger brothers,
we encourage you to consider prayerfully
whether now is the time
to reach out for Bethel service.
During the dedication talk for one
of the new buildings at Brooklyn Bethel
in 1960,
Brother Frederick Franz,
a former member of the Governing Body,
described Bethel
as “the grandest educational institution
in all the earth.”
More than 65 years later,
we still wholeheartedly agree.
Serving at Bethel is a unique opportunity
to receive valuable training
—training that can benefit
both you and the organization
for years to come,
including into the new world.
Parents, help your children
to make serving at Bethel a goal
so that they can receive
this valuable training.
This is one way that you can help them
to ‘work hard for Jehovah
in whatever they are doing.’
To those who have already started serving
outside of Bethel,
please be assured
of our love and appreciation.
Your Bethel experience is a gift.
Be generous in sharing that gift with others.
Encourage your brothers and sisters
to serve Jehovah whole-souled
in ‘whatever they are doing,’
so that they too can experience
the blessings you have enjoyed.
Your fine example
will leave a lasting impact.
Those you encourage now
will never forget the love you have shown.
In harmony with Isaiah 60:17,
we are confident that Jehovah will continue
to refine the arrangements at Bethel
to meet the needs of his organization.
We are also confident
that our love and devotion
to Jehovah and his organization
will move all of us
to serve Jehovah whole-souled
in whatever we are doing,
now and into the future.

Bethel Service—A Vital Part of “Whatever You Are Doing”