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Religous Order

The Watchtower talk about the great apostasy being laid in the separation of the clergy class within the early churches. However they continue to make separate classes of their own. Also please see God's Organisation.

Yearbook 1995 pp 5,6

Among the full-time workers were 15,145 members of the global Bethel family. They help to provide literature, supervision, and other beneficial services in support of the worldwide work of Bible education. Of these, 5,082 serve at the world headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, and at nearby facilities. All of them are members of the Order of Special Full-Time Servants, a religious order that is devoted exclusively to the ministry.

[Emphasis Added]

Yearbook 1996 pp 8,9

Among those in full-time service are 16,468 Bethel family members around the globe. Of this number, 5,709 serve at the world headquarters; all of these are members of the Order of Special Full-Time Servants. Additionally, 4,374 care for assignments that require them to travel from one assembly to another in an assigned district or from one congregation to another in a circuit. One of the principal activities of all such traveling overseers is taking the lead in the field ministry.

[Emphasis Added]

Yearbook 1997 p.28

There are 5,581 volunteers who serve at the world headquarters on a regular basis; all of these are members of the Order of Special Full-Time Servants. All together, there are 16,966 Bethel family members around the globe. Housing is provided for them in the Society's facilities.

[Emphasis Added]

Yearbook 1997 p.15-16

An unusual six-year legal fight came to a positive conclusion in Brazil during this service year. In November 1990, Brazil's National Institute of Social Insurance notified the Society's branch office that henceforth the 853 (now 1,150) members of the Bethel family there would not be viewed as religious ministers and so would come under the country's labor laws. A long legal battle began. Happily, on June 7, 1996, the Judicial Advisory of the Office of the Attorney General in Brasⓗ?a issued a decision upholding the position of members of the Bethel family as religious ministers working as full-time volunteers.

[Emphasis Added]

Yearbook 1998 p.29 Yearbook Report

Altogether, there are 16,982 volunteers who regularly work at the Society's headquarters and branch facilities worldwide. Because of the circumstances under which they serve, these Bethel family members are all included in the Order of Special Full-Time Servants.

[Emphasis Added]

Yearbook 1999 p.27 Highlights of the Past Year

As the number of publishers increases-and 316,092 more were baptized this past year-additional branch facilities are also required. At present, 17,781 in Bethel families around the earth render service as members of the Order of Special Full-Time Servants.

[Emphasis Added]

Galations 5:19-21

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, and they are fornication, uncleanness… divisions, sects, 21 envies, drunken bouts, revelries, and things like these. As to these things I am forewarning YOU, the same way as I did forewarn YOU, that those who practice such things will not inherit God's kingdom.

[Emphasis Added]