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Jehovah Provides

As told by Newton Cantwell

CHERISHING the memories now of more than thirty-nine years of full-time service in the Christian ministry as Jehovah’s witnesses, my wife Esther and I marvel at how good Jehovah has been to us. ‘In favorable season and in troublesome season’ we have experienced his kindly care and provision for our daily needs. (2 Tim. 4:2) And it is always a delight to reminisce about those former days.

It was after our marriage in 1907 that we began to study the Bible in earnest with the help of Bible literature published by the Watch Tower Society. Strangely, an ex-Baptist minister had much to do with directing our attention to the Society’s literature and encouraging us to study it.

Both of us from an early age had entertained a strong desire to be serviceable to God and an aid to our fellowmen. We both had early misgivings about the teachings of Christendom’s churches, especially the repugnant teaching of eternal torment of helpless creatures. Though we did not become acquainted with each other until we had grown up, when we did we found that we had much in common.

As a young married couple we would regularly study the available Bible-study aids of the Watch Tower Society, looking up all the cited texts of Scripture. The result was that we gained a firm foundation of knowledge that later aided us to make the decision to serve Jehovah. By 1916 we had progressed to the point of sharing, in a small way, in the distribution of the Society’s Bible-study helps. From this start it was an easy step to get into the regular house-to-house distribution during periods between schoolteaching terms.

After 1924, when we moved back to Tennessee from southern Missouri, our family members were growing up and preparing to be publishers of the Kingdom message. It was our privilege to be “sharpshooters,” a term applied for a time after 1907 to those who could not leave home or engage full time in the spread of the message but who were willing to serve actively as time would permit in their own neighborhood. We continued to be richly provided for spiritually. We always conducted a brief discussion of a Bible text each day; we had our family Watch Tower study each week and enjoyed periodic visits of the Society’s traveling representatives called “pilgrims.”

DOOR OPENS TO GREATER PRIVILEGES

As we advanced in knowledge our desire for a greater share in Jehovah’s service grew. During a six-month stay in Missouri in 1929 we had the privilege of providing rooms for two of our Christian sisters who worked full time in proclaiming the good news of God’s kingdom. This whetted our spiritual appetites and moved us to think more constructively of our circumstances and our future.

When we returned to the farm in Tennessee a young couple, Ed Finkbeiner and his wife, came to preach full time in our area. Their fine example and many words of encouragement led us on toward a decision. In 1931, returning from the Columbus, Ohio, convention of Jehovah’s people, where the name “Jehovah’s witnesses” was officially adopted, Louis Larsen, a special traveling representative of the Society, stopped for a visit with us. We had late sessions with the entire family present. There were six of the children at home, two still in school. It was during this visit that we symbolized our dedication to Jehovah by baptism in water. And pioneering or preaching God’s Word full time was seen as a distinct possibility for us.

Now came the time for a decision. What would it be? Would we apply for pioneer service or would we stick to previous plans to give the children a “better” education? There were reasons for not pulling up stakes. The health of the mother of the family was not the best. Besides, the opportunity turned up for us to enjoy better living conditions. It came in the form of an invitation to become manager of a fine modern experimental farm, financially backed by the local banker.

After prayerful consideration, we made up our minds. Our farm was put up for sale, but not so that we might move onto the experimental farm. Rather, it was so we could enter the ranks of pioneer ministers. Within a few months the farm was sold for cash, yes, even in the midst of a financial depression. We were confident now that the door of opportunity was of Jehovah’s provision.

In February 1932 we moved to our first pioneer assignment, which was Anderson County, Tennessee. It was not long before we had spent all that we received from the sale of our farm​—mainly on doctor bills. We recall that when we moved to our second assignment we had just enough to pay two weeks’ rent in advance, with $5 to spare. Nevertheless, we knew that Jehovah would provide as long as we diligently carried out our service.

TRUST IN JEHOVAH PLUS DILIGENCE

The service of the pioneer minister in those days was somewhat different from that of the modern pioneer. Back-call and Bible-study work had not yet been inaugurated. Rather, we spent our time distributing Bible literature. By diligence in our ministerial work and assistance that Jehovah provided in other ways we could get by financially. We were fortunate enough to have a small fluctuating income besides, though far from adequate for our family of nine.

Those were times of depression, too, so that people in general did not have much money. This meant exchanging literature for all kinds of things​—fruits, vegetables, canned goods, grain, and so forth. Thus we never did have a food problem. At times we also accepted live chickens and raised them for subsequent sale, this providing the emergency funds that aided us to attend a convention or move to a new assignment.

We learned to economize in various ways. On moving into a new territory, I would, for example, speak to some of the gas station owners and explain that we had three cars on the road each day in connection with our Christian work. This usually resulted in our obtaining gasoline at a discount. Our sons soon learned to take care of our auto repairs, so saving us much in garage bills.

At that time most of the roads were in bad shape. They were not well marked or maintained. Often we had to walk long distances to reach some homes. On one occasion one of our cars rolled over and was demolished. But there was no thought of turning back. We managed to buy a replacement and carry on.

What a privilege it was to operate as a family group and cover twenty-seven counties in Tennessee, around fifteen in Kentucky, as well as some in Virginia! And as we served, Jehovah provided progressive training. We learned to use the printed “Testimony Card” after having used a memorized presentation from house to house. Later came the phonograph work​—offering to play for interested persons brief Bible sermons on records. That involved carrying around a machine that weighed some twenty pounds.

Now, of course, we have the fine Bible sermons that we can give extemporaneously at the homes, and we have the delightful work of calling back on people manifesting interest with a view to organizing family Bible studies. This feature of the work we learned with the help of a question booklet used in conjunction with the set of phonograph records on the subject “Uncovered.” And when outdoor sound lectures were developed, we were able to obtain sound equipment and convert our car into a “sound car.” It has been a joy to taste all these fine privileges.

OTHER BLESSED PROVISIONS

It has always been a pleasure to attend conventions and experience the strength derived from association with thousands of our fellow ministers. And especially is this so when one’s regular scene of activity is in isolated rural areas. Our first small convention was at Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1930, when A. H. Macmillan and A. Koerber were the featured speakers. In 1934 we attended the convention at Atlanta, Georgia​—our first large one. From then on we never missed any of the annual conventions until in more recent years poor health prevented it on one or two occasions.

It was at the 1937 convention in Columbus, Ohio, that we had the joy of being selected as one of the first groups of “special pioneer” ministers, assisted financially by the Watch Tower Society to maintain a well-organized campaign of education. Special application forms were filled out by the entire family, our youngest member at the time being fifteen. The applications accepted, we were given our first special assignment in New Haven, Connecticut, where there was considerable religious opposition to our preaching activities.

Both physical and spiritual endurance were now necessary. Imagine our situation after spending many years in the warm South, and now exposed to the bitter winters of the New England coast! And, too, more hours in the ministry were required on the part of special pioneers. Certainly warmer clothing was needed. Happily, Jehovah saw to our needs.

Up till then we had been accustomed to much work in rural areas and in small towns. Now we were to experience witnessing in large cities. And each time we went out in our ministerial work in this new assignment, it was with the realization that we might be subjected to unjust arrest. In fact, we were arrested on many occasions. Finally, as a result of the arrest of four of our family on a charge of disturbing the Catholic peace by playing phonograph records in the homes of persons willing to hear them, a case was fought through the Connecticut courts and as far as the Supreme Court of the United States. The decision, holding that prosecution of Jehovah’s witnesses was a violation of religious freedom guaranteed under the Fourteenth Amendment, was one of many legal victories that Jehovah gave to his people.

Meantime we were assigned to territory on Staten Island, New York, and in this and other assignments in the New York area we had the joy of close association with our Christian brothers at the Bethel headquarters of the Watch Tower Society. This was surely Jehovah’s provision for our spiritual advancement! And many blessings followed.

What a blessing, for instance, in 1939 to have three of our sons called to work at the Society’s headquarters! And then in 1944 one of our daughters was privileged to go through the third class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead and thereafter take up foreign missionary service.

One of our special pioneer co-workers during this period was Florence Woodworth. Her association, together with that of her husband Eldon, a longtime member of the Brooklyn Bethel family, had a most beneficial effect on our whole family in a spiritual way.

As 1950 came along, and our children now all on their own, so to speak, we found it advisable in order to meet our pioneer goals of service to apply for territory where the climate would offer fewer problems. Our request was granted and soon we were serving at Chase City, Virginia, where I was appointed as overseer of the congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses. With Jehovah’s help I was able to keep up this responsibility until 1964. At the age of eighty-six it then seemed only right that younger men whom I had helped to develop to maturity should take over the load.

Both of us are still able to carry on as pioneers, though, of course, we do not always meet our goal of hours. At ninety-two years of age I cannot complain about my health, and only pray that I may continue to love and serve Jehovah while I have breath. At seventy-six, I may add, Esther is in better health than when we entered the pioneer service back in 1932.

After thirty-nine years in full-time service and many, many years as part-time publishers of the good news of the Kingdom, both of us can say that we have never been in want, either materially or spiritually. Jehovah has indeed provided. And we have the pleasure of knowing that our children are devoted servants of God​—two of our sons being traveling representatives of the Society and the other managing one of the Society’s Caribbean branches, while two of our daughters are in full-time service, one here in the United States and the other in Uruguay. In fact, our cup of joy really overflows to see our children to the third and fourth generation sharing in the proclamation of God’s kingdom.

In what other work or organization could one hope to serve joyfully for thirty-nine years and then in old age be able to say that it is actually only the beginning? We look forward to the next stage, beyond the “great tribulation,” when Jehovah will provide his servants new assignments of work under conditions of peace and happiness guaranteed by Christ’s thousand-year rule.​—Matt. 24:21.