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Branch Letter

My dear Fellow Publishers World Wide:

The December reports came in from 200 countries, and I thought you would like to know what’s happening. Well, December showed a new peak in publishers of 1,345,111. This increase of 88,327 publishers over last year’s average makes all of us very happy! Here was something else that was most revealing: In the first four months of this 1970 service year, 55,754 persons symbolized their dedication by immersion. If this is any criterion of what we might expect during the next eight months, then upward of 150,000 persons will be baptized by the end of August. Can that be true? Yes, if it be Jehovah’s will.

No doubt about it, Jehovah is blessing our efforts in this marvelous ingathering work. If this projection of maybe 150,000 newly baptized Witnesses proves to be true, then, including those baptized in 1969, the two years’ total will be more than one-quarter of a million Christian witnesses. Do you feel the responsibility of seeing to it that these newly dedicated ones are feeding on the Word of God regularly?

What are you doing about it personally? Well, in harmony with the theme for March we certainly want to help to build everyone on Christ Jesus as the foundation and to appreciate what Jehovah God is doing for us through him. The Memorial celebration will implant deeper in our minds this truth, and by loving personal attention we will surely want to help these new ones in this regard, too, won’t we?

These are perilous times! Individually each one of us must stay inside the congregation of God. We must study the Word of God together. This is truly essential to our staying on “The Road Back to Peace in Paradise.”

During April we always try to put forth an extra effort to help newly interested ones to appreciate the privilege of field service. Very likely you will bring many persons to the congregation’s Memorial celebration, and likely you can aid some of them to join in praising God during April. If they are going to get Jehovah’s goodwill they will have to get busy in preaching the good news of the Kingdom, like you are doing. It is urgent.

The activities of March and April will no doubt start many interested ones thinking about attending one of the fine conventions this summer. We certainly will want to help them to get to a convention. Many of them undoubtedly are going to be baptized at that time. What a privilege you have to help these people to prepare for that. And what happiness we all are having in these “last days” helping so many people to get onto Jehovah’s side. Without hesitation we can “go therefore and make disciples . . . baptizing them.” Making disciples is a lot of work. But we enjoy it and, too, we appreciate so much God’s help in doing it.

May Jehovah’s rich blessing continue with you as you seek to accomplish his purpose. Be assured of my warm love for all of you.

Your brother,

N. H. KNORR