BETHEL HOMES

“Bethel” is a Hebrew word meaning “house of God.” The Watch Tower Society has established Bethel homes in all parts of the world. Bethel should be the house of God where true worship is carried on and where people dwell together in peace and show their love for Jehovah God by the works that they perform.

The Bethel home in Brooklyn, New York, is the largest in size and members. According to the record on August 31, 1969, there were 1,124 in the Brooklyn Bethel family. This family, along with all other families in the 94 branch offices throughout the world, totals 2,126. In 1959 in Brooklyn there were 571 members of the Bethel family; now, ten years later, the family has grown to 1,124. Of this number, about 150 are sisters. No wonder with this growth the Society has had to carry on a great building program. During the past few years the Society acquired another half block in the Brooklyn residential area so as to house more members of the Bethel family. They built a new seven-story structure at the corner of Pineapple Street and Columbia Heights. This is just across the street from the main office at 124 Columbia Heights. Since our acquiring of the property in Brooklyn on Columbia Heights, the entire area known as Brooklyn Heights was declared a ‘historical district.’ This means that all building comes under the supervision of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The building that was finally designed and accepted by the Commission was according to their wishes. Commenting on this matter, the New York Times of October 4, 1967, said editorially: “The [Watchtower] Society has made extensive changes in the building as originally planned to insure that it will conform to the character of the area. This kind of cooperative concern on the part of landowners is as important as laws in preserving the quality of any neighborhood.” This new structure was dedicated May 2, 1969. So now in Brooklyn Heights the Society has three half blocks of buildings, all connected by tunnels under the street.

We very much appreciate having this new structure. It certainly relieved the pressure on the Bethel home as far as accommodations are concerned. To give the reader a comprehensive idea of these three half blocks, we set out herewith pictures of the three buildings.

We had a special dedication program for the opening of this new addition. Following some opening remarks on its use, the entire family, along with students of Gilead, enjoyed a tour of the new premises. All were very pleased with what they saw. These new premises include, on the lower floors, a very up-to-date laundry, a garage, and a fine area for a library. Over the garage in the rear of the building there is an immersion pool that the circuits in New York city are now using for baptisms each Saturday morning.

This new building was put to good use at the time that sessions of the branch servants from all parts of the world were here in June 1969. In fact, the branch servants were among the first ones to use this new home. Since that time the inside painting work has been completed and now regular members of the family are moving in to occupy various rooms in this fine new structure.

It is hoped that by the end of this year the Kingdom Ministry School, which we had to move to Pittsburgh, can return to the Brooklyn headquarters and that we will be able to accommodate the fifty overseers and ministerial servants that attend the Kingdom Ministry School each two weeks, as well as house the students of Gilead School for missionary training.

You can imagine what it means to feed this large family. Just think of over 1,100 people sitting down at tables and being served at one time. It takes about one good-sized steer to furnish the meat for one meal. There may be some leftovers that go into stew. Or, perhaps you would like to prepare the 350 chickens that are needed to feed this family just one meal. In a week’s time the family will consume around 12,600 eggs. Where do we get all the food? The Society for some years has operated its own farms. We now have three farms, one called Mountain Farm in New Jersey​—about 80 miles from New York, where much food such as apples, peaches, pears and vegetables are raised; Kingdom Farm, near Ithaca, New York​—about 250 miles from New York city where the Society has about 500 acres of field crops and a considerable number of milk cows for furnishing the Bethel family with cheese and fresh butter; and Watchtower Farm​—about 100 miles from New York city consisting of about 1,500 acres. The greater portion of our food supply comes from Watchtower Farm, where we have 620 head of cattle, 350 hogs, and 6,600 chickens. We have a very large vegetable farm here, too, where over 100,000 quarts of vegetables are canned or frozen.

During the past year, 1969, the Society completed the construction of a new slaughterhouse. Our meat is inspected by the state government and is then brought into New York city for our family meals. At the close of the year we were just completing a new dairy barn, which will accommodate around 120 dairy cattle. New installations are being made for the pasteurization of the milk, and we hope to increase our production of cheese and butter. All those who work on the farms are ordained ministers, and they devote their evenings and weekends to attending congregation meetings and conducting Bible studies in the homes of the people.

The whole purpose of this large organization is to produce Bible literature for the spreading of the good news of God’s kingdom. Everyone’s work, no matter where it might be, reflects itself in the cost of these publications. It is because of this Bethel home and farm operation that the Society is able to distribute literature in over 160 languages at such a nominal cost. Every one of the men and women working in the Bethel home is dedicated to Jehovah and wants to see this good news of the Kingdom preached in all the world for a witness. Thus all of these persons have a share in making possible the actual production of Bible literature by taking care of all the various necessary departments, and they also share individually in going from house to house, conducting Bible studies in the private homes of the people and sharing in congregation meetings.

Families such as this are found in the 94 branch offices around the world. The other branch offices are not nearly as large as the one in Brooklyn, but all of them are doing the same kind of work. The members of all the Bethel families throughout the world total 2,126. During the past year the Society also finished building new Bethel homes and Kingdom Halls in Barbados, Brazil, Cyprus, Dahomey, Fiji and Puerto Rico. Arrangements or construction are under way for new branch offices in Chile, Cameroun, Guadeloupe, Switzerland, Taiwan and other countries during 1970.

It is essential that the Society continue to expand its facilities, and within a few years we feel sure our present facilities in Brooklyn for housing the Bethel family and for printing literature will become too small. This is the day that Jehovah God wants the Kingdom news, as well as his vengeance upon the wicked system of things, preached far and wide. As one continues reading this Yearbook he will see that outstanding advances have been made in countries throughout the world in the preaching of the good news. It is no wonder that more people are required in the Bethel family to take care of this greater activity. We rejoice in this great prosperity that Jehovah has brought to his people. The Bethel family is anxious to do all the work it possibly can in order to keep Jehovah’s witnesses in the field supplied with the literature they need to preach the Kingdom good news.

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Brooklyn Bethel home constructed in 1950, showing 1927 structure on far end and 1969 building in foreground at right

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Addition to Bethel home completed in 1960, with roof of 1969 building in close foreground

[Picture on page 77]

Latest addition to Brooklyn Bethel; three historical buildings and large apartment at right also provide housing for family