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1962 YEARBOOK or JEHOVAH S WITNESSES
1962 YEARBOOK
OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES
CONTAINING REPORT FOR THE SERVICE YEAR OF 1961
ALSO DAILY TEXTS AND COMMENTS
Corporate Publishers WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY j OF NEW YORK, INC.
INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION 124 Columbia Heights Brooklyn 1, N.Y., U.S.A.
Branch offices appear on last page
Copyright, 1961, by | Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society of Pennsylvania Made in the United States of America
WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA
OFFICERS
N. H. KNORR President
F. W. FRANZ Vice-President
GRANT SUITER Secretary-Treasurer
WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF NEW YORK, INC.
OFFICERS
N. H. KNORR President
F. W. FRANZ Vice-President
GRANT SUITER Secretary-Treasurer
INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
OFFICERS
N. H. KNORR President
A. PRYCE HUGHES Vice-President
E. C. CHITTY Secretary
GRANT SUITER Asst. Secretary-Treasurer
Page
Cameroun, Republic of .. 142
Central African Republic . 113
Communist and
Difficult Countries .... 272
Congo, Republic of the .. 92
Dominican Republic .... 125
Page
Leeward Islands (Antigua) 184
Senegal, Republic of .... 144
Southern Rhodesia .... 245
Tunisia, Republic of .... 145
Turks and Caicos Islands . 173
Union of Soviet Socialist
United States of America . 70
Virgin Islands (U.S.) ... 235
Service year chart, page 34
1962 YEARBOOK
OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES
It was Nisan 14, A.D. 33, passover night. At Jerusalem treachery was in the air at that late hour of night. The betrayer had his plans well laid. Nothing was left to chance. Yes, there was a full moon, but, thought the betrayer, it could be cloudy, and in that garden of beautiful olive trees the Master might be sitting in the shadow of their leaves. So there must be torches and burning lamps to light the way up the hillside of the Mount of Olives, where Jesus was sure to be. The betrayer “Judas took the soldier band and officers of the chief priests and of the Pharisees and came there with torches and lamps and weapons.” As the Devil’s agent Judas at last proved himself to be the disloyal disciple of Christ Jesus by being the leader of the mob that would soon seize the Son of God. He “knew the place, because Jesus had many times met there with his disciples.” —John 18:2, 3.
This was no surprise attack to Jesus. He was aware that he was going to be betrayed that very night and that he would die that same passover day upon a torture stake. “Because he knew before the festival of the passover that his hour had come for him to move out of this world to the Father, Jesus, having loved his own that were in the world, loved them to the end.” (John 13:1) This was the hour; and, hearing the crushing of dirt under many feet and seeing the lights coming closer, “Jesus, therefore, knowing all the things
coming upon him, went forth and said to them: ‘Whom are you looking for?’ They answered him: ‘Jesus the Nazarene.’ He said to them: ‘I am he.’ ” (John 18:4, 5) For him to say that took courage! He knew it meant his death.
Just a few hours earlier in “a large upper room” in the city of Jerusalem Jesus introduced to his eleven faithful disciples something new. Judas did not even know about it. He was not there with Jesus when “he took a loaf, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying: ‘This means my body which is to be given in your behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me.’ Also, the cup in the same way after they had the evening meal, he saying: ‘This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood, which is to be poured out in your behalf.’” (Luke 22:19, 20) Jesus knew that he must die so as to carry out the will of his Father. In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed to his Father with such earnestness and fervor that “his sweat became as drops of blood falling to the ground.” He prayed: “Let, not my will, but yours take place.” (Luke 22:42, 44) It took courage to pray this.
Jesus Christ had internal strength, full confidence in Jehovah God his Father as he stepped forward into the full light of the moon, the burning torches and the lighted lamps, facing these men with their weapons, swords, clubs and staves. After he identified himself to them, “they drew back and fell to the ground. Therefore he asked them again: ‘Whom are you looking for?’ They said: ‘Jesus the Nazarene.’ Jesus answered: ‘I told you I am he.’ ” (John 18:4-8) He had no fear of men. His hope was in Jehovah! He was calm but courageous. However, Peter, the impetuous one, was the man who was going to display momentary bravery. The historian Mark tells us that the betrayer Judas “came straight up and approached [Jesus]and said: ‘Rabbi!’and kissed him very tenderly. So they laid their hands upon him and took him into custody. However, a certain one of those standing by drew his sword and struck the slave of the high priest and took his ear off.” (Mark 14:45-47) The name of the slave was Mal-chus. Jesus, however, said to Peter: “ ‘Put the sword into its sheath. The cup that the Father has given me, should I not by all means drink it?’ Then the soldier band and the military commander and the officers of the Jews seized Jesus and bound him, and they led him first to Annas; for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.”—John 18:10-13.
Jesus did not show his courage by fighting with carnal weapons nor did he want his disciples to show theirs that way. So he touched the ear of the man that Peter struck and healed him. With calm courage “Jesus then said to the chief priests and captains of the temple and older men that had come there for him: ‘Did you come out with swords and clubs as against a robber? While I was with you in the temple day after day you did not stretch out your hands against me. But this is your hour and the authority of darkness.’ ” (Luke 22:52, 53) Satan the enemy of Jehovah God and of the Son of God did not seize Jesus in broad daylight while preaching in the temple. Stealthily he had his cowards do his dirty work at night. Persons filled with hate, as the Devil is, cannot see light. “He that says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness up to right now.” (1 John 2:9) How true Jesus’ statement: “But this is your hour and the authority of darkness”! It took courage not to fight back.
While this discussion was going on the disciples of Jesus were drawing away to the rear “and they all abandoned him and fled.” (Mark 14:50) However, as they led Jesus off and brought him into the house of the high priest, Peter was following at a distance. “Now Simon Peter as well as another disciple was following Jesus. That disciple was known to the high priest, and he went in with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter was standing outside at the door. Therefore the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper and brought Peter in.” (John 18:15,16) But did these two disciples have enough courage to stand up for Jesus Christ then? Did they have the faith and strength necessary to stand alone as Jesus was now standing alone before the Jewish religious leaders and later before Roman rulers? It was going to come to that test for them. Jesus was then undergoing a supreme test of his courage. He had a full comprehension of the fight that was then on between Satan and himself. Jesus was trusting in Jehovah! He was setting the right example for all lovers of life to follow. He could say: “Be courageous and let your heart be strong. Yes, hope in Jehovah.”—Ps. 27:14.
Previously that same night, Nisan 14, Jesus had said to his eleven faithful disciples: “You are the ones that have stuck with me in my trials; and I make a covenant with you, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom.” Then Jesus addressed his words to Peter and said: “Simon, Simon, look! Satan has demanded to have you men to sift you as wheat. But I have made supplication for you that your faith may not give out; and you, when once you have returned, strengthen your brothers.” Then Peter said to him: “Lord, I am ready to go with you both into prison and into death.” But Jesus said: “I tell you, Peter, A cock will not crow today until you have three times denied knowing me.” (Luke 22:28-34) Jesus knew that Satan would try to sift all Christians as wheat, and therefore they all needed more faith. They needed a helper, the holy spirit, from God, and this Jesus promised them. He said: “I am telling you the truth, It is for your benefit I am going away. For if I do not go away, the helper will by no means come to you; but if I do go my way, I will send him to you. And when that one arrives he will give the world convincing evidence concerning sin and concerning righteousness and concerning judgment.”—John 16:7, 8.
AN AID TO COURAGE
This helper came later at Pentecost when the faithful followers of Jesus Christ received the outpouring of holy spirit, and this spirit of God moved them to speak in many tongues “about the magnificent things of God.” (Acts 2:11) This, Peter said, was a fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy too. “ ‘And in the last days,’ God says, ‘I shall pour out some of my spirit upon every sort of flesh,’ ” sons, daughters, young and old men as well as slaves. Peter emphatically stated: “This Jesus God resurrected, of which fact we are all witnesses. Therefore because he was exalted to the right hand of God and received the promised holy spirit from the Father, he has poured out this which you see and hear.” (Acts 2:17, 32, 33) On that festival day of Pentecost “about three thousand souls were added” to the Christian congregation. The people saw and heard the power of this helper back there at Pentecost, and people are seeing the effects of it on Jehovah’s witnesses down to this day.
This helper or gift of the holy spirit Peter and the other disciples did not have at the time Jesus was seized and bound and taken before the chief priest. So we find Peter watching outside and wondering what would happen to Jesus. When “the servant girl, the doorkeeper, then said to Peter: ‘You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?’ He said: ‘I am not.’ ” (John 18: 17) Luke gives us a soul-stirring picture of Peter’s public denial that he was a Galilean like Jesus. Said Peter to another inquirer: “Man, I do not know what you are saying.” Then “instantly, while he was yet speaking, a cock crowed. And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter, and Peter recalled the utterance of the Lord when he said to him: ‘Before a cock crows today you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.” (Luke 22:60-62) Peter needed divine help, faith, holy spirit and association with his Christian brothers. On the other hand, Jesus was displaying marvelous faith in his heavenly Father. He had no fleshly help. All he could do and wanted to do was hope in Jehovah! So he was courageous.
Jesus, though, had spoken plainly to his disciples about these very happenings and gave warning of what the future would hold for noncompromising Christians. He said: “I have spoken these things to you that you may not be stumbled. Men will expel you from the synagogue. In fact, the hour is coming when everyone that kills you will imagine he has rendered a sacred service to God. But they will do these things because they have not come to know either the Father or me. Nevertheless, I have spoken these things to you that, when the hour for them arrives, you may remember I told them to you. These things, however, I did not tell you at first, because I was with you. But now I am going to him that sent me, and yet not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ ” (John 16:1-5) Having Jesus so close to themselves, he being a perfect man, he being the Son of God, he being the Messiah, he being the performer of miracles, it was difficult for the disciples to appreciate that he must die upon the torture stake and be raised from the dead in order to establish his everlasting kingdom that he had taught them to pray for. But he told them all of these things, knowing they would get understanding when they received the holy spirit. But their receiving the holy spirit was contingent on his dying and being raised from the dead so that he could go to his Father and prepare a place for his faithful 144,000 followers.
With that prepared heavenly place in view, the apostle Paul said: “I am pursuing down toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God by means of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:14) To gain that heavenly prize Paul kept up a courageous pursuit. Was he going to let pressure crush him? Was he going to fly to pieces under the impact of tribulation? He answers these questions by saying: “Who will separate us from the love of the Christ? Will tribulation or distress or persecution or hunger or nakedness or danger or sword? Just as it is written: ‘For your sake we are being put to death all day long, we have been accounted as sheep for slaughtering.’ To the contrary, in all these things we are coming off completely victorious through him that loved us.” (Rom. 8: 35-37) So Paul could press on courageously.
Paul’s faith was so strong that it held firm under all kinds of difficulties. Is yours as strong as that? Paul appreciated now through his own experiences what Jesus on that passover night said to the apostles: “Look! The hour is coming, indeed, it has come, when you will be scattered each one to his own house and you will leave me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have said these things to you that by means of me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage! I have conquered the world.” (John 16:32, 33) When Jesus said: “I have conquered the world,” he meant that if his followers took courage they could conquer the world too. Jesus had a unified heart free from fear of men. (Ps. 86:11) So must his loyal followers have courageous hearts, strong through faith and hope in Jehovah. With such courage every footstep follower of Christ who is doing the will of God will have no fear of any religious, political or business man, because he will only glorify Jehovah’s name. He can respect men but not venerate or fear men. “Trembling at men is what lays a snare, but he that is trusting in Jehovah will be protected.”—Prov. 29:25.
HISTORIC EXAMPLES
There are numerous examples of real courage in the lives of God’s dedicated people. Moses was one of such examples. Even as Jesus admonished his disciples to take courage, so Moses long previous admonished Joshua and a whole nation to take courage. Moses had courage when standing before Pharaoh, telling him about the ten plagues that were coming upon Egypt. Thereafter it also took courage for Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt and through the Red Sea and on into the wilderness of Sinai. It took courage also to go up alone into the mountain of Sinai and receive from Jehovah God the Ten Commandments and be willing to guide the children of Israel under these laws.
It took courage for the twelve spies whom Moses chose to go into the Promised Land to see in advance what kind of country it was. These men went north to the Negeb and on into the mountainous region to learn what kind of people were dwelling in the land. Were they strong people or weak? Were they few or many? Was the land good or bad? They were to spy out the cities, dwellings, encampments and the fortifications. Was the land fat or lean, and were there trees? Before the spies set out, Moses said: “You must show yourselves courageous and take some of the fruitage of the land.” They did so. “Finally at the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land.” (Num. 13:17-25) What was the report? The land was flowing with milk and honey. In proof they brought along some of its fruitage. All this was a good report; but ten spies were afraid of the people who lived there. They told of the very great fortified cities. Fearfully they said not to go into the land. But Caleb, a courageous man like Joshua, said: “Let us go up directly, and we are bound to take possession of it, because we can surely prevail over it.” (Num. 13:30) But the Israelites were afraid because of the majority report. They did not trust in Jehovah God. They murmured against Moses and his brother Aaron, and many went on to say: “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! ’ ’—Num. 14:2.
The fear of men, the fear of the governments that were possessing the Promised Land, held back the children of Israel from going forward even though they had the preceding year passed through the Red Sea, gaining deliverance from Egypt, under the guidance of Jehovah God. All of this should have been fresh in their memory. Moses and Aaron, seeing the attitude of the people, fell upon their faces before all the congregation of Israel. Joshua and Caleb, two faithful men who had spied out the land, ripped their garments apart, “and they proceeded to say this to all the assembly of the sons of Israel: ‘The land that we passed through to spy it out is a very, very good land. If Jehovah has found delight in us, then he will certainly bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that is flowing with milk and honey. Only against Jehovah do not rebel; and you, do not you fear the people of the land, for they are bread to us. Their shelter has turned away from over them, and Jehovah is with us. Do not fear them.’ ”—Num. 14:5-9.
If these Israelites had had the spirit of David, who lived centuries later, they would have cried out enthusiastically: “Be courageous, and may your heart be strong, all you who are waiting for Jehovah.” (Ps. 31:24) They would have moved ahead. But they lacked courage and stayed as wanderers in the wilderness. They had no faith, therefore no courage. Now they would be like exiles for forty years until the whole faithless generation died off. What a disgrace, when with courage they could have been conquerors!
With the rebellious ones having died off in forty years, the time came for the nation to cross the river Jordan into the Promised Land. Moses, 120 years old, was about to die too. But he was not weak in faith, for with conviction he said to the nation: “Jehovah your God is the one crossing before you. He himself will annihilate these nations from before you, and you must drive them away. Joshua is the one crossing before you, just as Jehovah has spoken.” Now comes very strong admonition from Moses for all the new generation of Israel to hear: “Be courageous and strong. Do not be afraid or suffer a shock before [these enemies], because Jehovah your God is the one marching with you. He will neither desert you nor leave you entirely.”—Deut. 31:3, 6.
Moses talked to Joshua personally as their leader and said: “Be courageous and strong, because you—you will bring this people into the land that Jehovah swore to their forefathers to give to them, and you yourself will give it to them as an inheritance.” (Deut. 31:7) Did the Israelites show courage to follow their new courageous leader? History proves they did. They marched with Joshua across the Jordan, and Jehovah gave them the victory over their enemies.
COURAGE TO FACE A NEW WORLD
To the children of Israel this was like going into a new world. It was a new land, not a wilderness, but a very pleasant land, virtually a Garden of Eden. They had to work for it, in fact, fight for it, but not in their own strength. It took faith in God, for his servant Moses said: “He himself will annihilate these nations from before you.”
In these last days, at the conclusion of this system of things, how many people have the courage to move on into a new world of righteousness? Yes, how many even want it? How many have the courage to preach it publicly and from house to house? Do you believe that the Greater Moses, Christ Jesus, died for you so that you could live in that promised land on earth, actually the new Garden of Eden? How much do you believe in the new world of righteousness? Only enough to pray silently or inside a religious building: “Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth”? (Matt. 6:10) Hundreds of thousands of men and women of all nations not only believe in praying for that kingdom but are actually proclaiming it loudly, publicly, just as Jesus and his faithful followers did one thousand nine hundred years ago. Are you?
Read what Paul wrote for us today: “Now these things . . . were written for a warning to us upon whom the ends of the systems of things have arrived.” (1 Cor. 10:11) Do you feel just as Joshua felt when Jehovah said to him: “Only be courageous and very strong to take care to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn aside from it to the right or to the left, in order that you may act wisely everywhere you go. This book of the Law should not depart from your mouth, and you must in an undertone read in it day and night, in order that you may take care to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way successful and then you will act wisely”? (Josh. 1:7, 8) Faith and courage did it then! Faith and courage will do it today, if all believers will not depart from the complete “book of the law,” the Holy Bible. Read it! Study it! Live it! Make this matter of taking in knowledge of Jehovah God and his Son your life, because that is just what it is.—John 17:3.
No one can turn aside from the instruction of Jehovah God, not even right or left, and act wisely. Wisdom comes from Jehovah God. He is the source of all knowledge, and the information men need today is found in Jehovah’s written Word. Oh yes, many will say the Bible is old-fashioned, an ancient history book. Is it? Well, your salvation is written in there. Life or death—which do you choose? It takes courage today for most people to look inside a Bible, let alone study it or discuss it with someone. If it was necessary for Jehovah to tell Joshua: “This book of the law should not depart from your mouth, and you must in an undertone read it day and night,” in order for him to “act wisely,” how much more do we need it today so as to act wisely! Let us have the courage today to do so in this world. A person who believes and lives according to the teachings of Christ will have the necessary courage to act even when faced with tribulation. Satan, “the god of this system of things,” will not be his friend any more than he was Jesus’ friend. Satan was Jesus’ adversary. He is the adversary of all Christians, too, but they can courageously conquer his world.
COURAGE TO CONQUER RELIGIOUS OPPOSITION
Moses stood before Pharaoh with courage. Joshua was courageous when going into the Promised Land. David, though a shepherd lad, stood courageously before the giant warrior Goliath. Jesus faced his adversary with courage. All of these men received their courage through faith in Jehovah God. They believed! After God’s spirit was poured out at Pentecost the early Christians did the will of God whole-souled and were full of faith. (Eph. 6:6) The message concerning the kingdom of the heavens had to be given out to mankind. Jesus Christ must be preached as the way of salvation. The apostles, filled with holy spirit, had a message concerning Jesus to declare: “Let all the house of Israel know for a certainty that God made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you impaled.” (Acts 2:36) The fear that scattered the disciples just for knowing or being with Jesus on the night that he was taken prisoner was all gone. Courage had now taken its place through faith.
Multitudes came from cities round about Jerusalem to hear the apostles speak, and they brought the sick persons “upon little beds and cots, in order that, as Peter would go by, at least his shadow might fall upon some one of them.” What faith! All of them with such faith would be cured. It took courage to come and be cured. (Acts 5: 14-16) The preaching of the good news then knew no bounds—neither should it today. With courage Jesus had overcome the world; now the disciples of Christ Jesus must do so. Did they have enough courage through faith? Let us see.
A test of courage came when “the high priest and all those with him, the then existing sect of the Sadducees, rose and became filled with jealousy, and they laid hands upon the apostles and put them in the public place of custody. But during the night Jehovah’s angel opened the doors of the prison, brought them out and said: ‘Be on your way, and, having taken a stand in the temple, keep on speaking to the people all the sayings about this life.’” (Acts 5:17-20) Under such a command by Jehovah’s angel the apostles were not hesitant; they were not fearful. True, they had been thrown into jail the day before, but they were trained to preach and preaching was their work as ministers. They were commanded to speak about “this life” and tell the people how to get it. At daybreak they went into the temple and taught the people.
When the high priest arrived, he called together the Sanhedrin and assembled the older men of the sons of Israel, and they sent officers to the jail to bring the prisoners forth. In amazement they said: “The jail we found locked with all security and the guards standing at the doors, but on opening up we found no one inside.” Such a situation was enough to disturb anyone. And these Jews were especially disturbed because they wanted to stop this preaching of the good news. Just about this time a certain man arrived and reported: “Look! The men you put in the prison are in the temple, standing and teaching the people.”
“Then the captain went off with his officers and proceeded to bring them, but without violence, as they were afraid of being stoned by the people. So they brought them and stood them in the Sanhedrin hall. And the high priest questioned them and said: ‘We positively ordered you not to keep teaching upon the basis of this name, and yet, look! you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you are determined to bring the blood of this man upon us.’ In answer Peter and the other apostles said: ‘We must obey God as ruler rather than men. The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus, whom you slew, hanging him upon a stake. God exalted this one as Chief Agent and Savior to his right hand, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these matters, and so is the holy spirit, which God has given to those obeying him as ruler.’ ” (Acts 5:22-32) Surely the apostles recalled Jesus’ words then: “A slave is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you also; if they have observed my word, they will observe yours also. But they will do all these things against you on account of my name, because they do not know him that sent me.” (John 15:20, 21) How true Jesus’ words were now for the apostles!
The words of those apostles in that religious court show that fear of man was gone. Even the fear of the religious high priest and those associated with him was gone. The hearts of those early Christians were unified in the fear of Almighty God.—Ps. 86:11.
CHRISTIAN COURAGE IN SPAIN IN 1961
When you read thrilling experiences like this of the early Christian congregation, how does it make you feel? What would you as a Christian under such circumstances do about further declaring of the good news of God’s kingdom? Just what position would you take if you were in a country where the government and the religious leaders declared that you may not under any circumstances express yourself? What would you do if you were in a Catholic country or any other country and were told by the authorities, ‘We positively order you not to keep teaching upon the basis of this name’ and not to speak publicly about your God and his written Word? That is the situation that many Christian witnesses of Jehovah find themselves in in the country of Spain right now.
Because of the persecution that has been brought upon Jehovah’s witnesses for preaching the good news of God’s kingdom in Spain, many individuals throughout the world have written letters of protest to the Spanish government and their official representatives in different countries. The persecution is being brought upon Jehovah’s witnesses by the Spanish government and the Catholic clergy who incite the government. In reply to protests of this kind the Spanish Embassy in Washington, D. C., writes:
“There is complete freedom of worship in my country as article VI of the Bill of Rights (Fuero de los Esna-noles) states: ‘Nobody shall be molested for his religious beliefs nor in the private exercise of his worship.’
“No one can claim that there is no freedom of worship in Spain where for 15,000 non-Catholic Spaniards there are about 260 Protestant churches and a few mosques and synagogues. It must be understood that religious proselytism or propaganda is not permitted by a duly approved law which intends to prevent any possible disorder or reaction. The overwhelming majority of the country is, as you surely know, Catholic. On the other hand Catholics believe that Protestant doctrines are in error. Therefore, the Spanish Government cannot admit error be spread among its citizens. This attitude is a logical consequence of its beliefs.”
From this we see the Spanish government says you can believe what you want to, but do not tell anyone. It must be “a private exercise of his worship.” The position taken by the Embassy is that the Catholics believe that Protestant doctrines are in error, and, of course, they class Jehovah’s witnesses as being Protestant because they are the only ones in Spain that are protesting the false teachings of the Catholic Church. What are Jehovah’s witnesses doing in Spain? They are not causing a disturbance. They are merely trying to teach the Bible to the people, which the Catholic Church does not want the people to have. True, Jehovah’s witnesses are talking to Catholics, because there are not many other people in that country to talk to. So if they are going to preach in Spain they must speak to Catholics about God’s Word.
In the days of the first Christians shortly after Pentecost, when there were only a few thousand who professed to be Christians, in what country were these Christians situated? In a solid Jewish community. The Jews, through their rulers, had already put the Christians’ leader, Jesus Christ, on the torture stake and killed him so as to stamp out this “new religion.” But these followers of Christ still had Christ’s message in their hearts and minds. As the years went on many others received the good news through the apostles, and the truth of God’s Word spread. The apostles could not close their own mouths nor could any of the converted Jews. (Acts 5:41, 42) But the Jewish religious leaders did not want anyone in their community to hear this new teaching. What did these religious priests do but arrest these followers of Christ and throw them into prison. On letting them go after a flogging, thinking that they had scared them, the priests through their chief said: ‘We positively order you not to keep teaching upon the basis of Jesus’ name.’ (Acts 5: 28-40) These religionists could easily make laws; they were in power. But what about the command of Christ Jesus to his followers to preach the truth? Whom would you have obeyed?
The same situation exists in Spain 1900 years later. The Spanish Catholic law says you cannot talk to others about the Bible. They say Jehovah’s witnesses may carry on the private exercise of their worship but they may not do what Christ commanded: “Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations.” (Matt. 28:19) No, not in Spain!
The early Christians would not think of stopping the proclamation of the good news and they did not stop, regardless of all the persecution and trials that were brought upon them. We today thank God that they had the courage to press on, because many more thousands of people in many lands learned the way of eternal life. At one time Paul hoped to go to Spain, but Paul in his aggressive ministry would not be welcome in Spain today. The truths that he taught would not coincide with the false doctrines, the ceremonies and the dictatorial attitude of the Catholic Church in Spain now. However, thousands of Spanish people are grateful that Jehovah’s witnesses have persisted in preaching from house to house and that they come to their homes and study the Bible with them and that they are obeying God as ruler rather than the Catholic bishops of Spain. Why so? Because many individuals in Spain have learned the truth, have withdrawn from the Catholic Church and now have the joy of proclaiming the message as other faithful witnesses of Jehovah have been doing for years.
In the 1952 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses, page 75, this report is published about Spain: “The police, ever on the alert, watch the publishers very closely, resulting in the following experience: Two of the servants of the Barcelona units found apparent interest in a certain house and arranged for a Bible study. When they made the return call they found two members of the secret police waiting for them. They were arrested. Their homes were searched, literature was seized and they were put in prison. Later the literature was carefully examined and they were questioned. However, little was said until the police found an article in Despertad! (Awake!) about Franco and conditions in Spain. That roused the anger of the police and the two brothers had to stand the fire of abuse and threat. However, after filing a complete police record of them and warning them of the consequences if they continued in their work of preaching the good news, the authorities let the brothers go.”
In those days, ten years ago, there were only 121 of Jehovah’s witnesses preaching the good news of the Kingdom. But these courageous witnesses of Jehovah God would not keep quiet. They kept preaching the good news. And many of those they talked to during the years learned the truth and dedicated their lives to Jehovah God, and these too have preached, until now, ten years later, there are 2,141 ministers, Jehovah’s witnesses, preaching the truth in Spain. So during all these ten years of persecution, which is now getting worse, Jehovah’s witnesses in Spain have done the same thing that Jehovah’s witnesses did in Palestine. They have obeyed “God as ruler rather than men.”—Acts 5:29.
COURAGE FOR RELIGIOUS PURIFICATION
It takes courage to stand up against a whole people or a nation and promote true worship as King Asa did in the land of Judah 978 years before Christ: “And Asa proceeded to do what was good and right in the eyes of Jehovah his God. So he removed the foreign altars and the high places and broke up the sacred pillars and cut down the sacred poles.” The prophet Oded encouraged King Asa. “And as soon as Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage and proceeded to cause the disgusting things to vanish from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities that he had captured from the mountainous region of Ephraim, and to renew Jehovah’s altar that was before the porch of Jehovah.” (2 Chron. 14:2, 3; 15:8) King Asa had to hope in Jehovah and be strong and courageous to do this. But he had the backing of God, and he told the people “to search for Jehovah the God of their forefathers.”—2 Chron. 14:4.
Jehovah’s Christian witnesses have shown this same kind of courage in all the nations of the world. They have done an iconoclastic work even in Christendom, where millions of Catholics worship images instead of the true God. Because of Jehovah’s witnesses’ teaching the people what the Bible says about image worship many have destroyed their images. Around the earth there is much image veneration of all kinds of gods, large and small. Hundreds of thousands of open-minded people, however, have listened to Jehovah’s witnesses and learned what God’s Word says about image worship; and these have taken courage and broken away from their religious systems and their idol worship, as Asa directed the people to do long ago.
Paul had the very same situation to face in his day. It was not Paul’s purpose to put someone out of business. Rather, he said: “Woe is me if I did not declare the good news!” (1 Cor. 9:16) He was obligated to tell the truth, and the result was that many people stopped buying images. Demetrius was in the business of making silver shrines of Artemis, and shrine-making was a good business then. It still is today, especially in the Catholic religion. But this business of making and selling images was slowing down to a noticeable extent as a result of what Paul was telling the people. It took courage to go right on preaching with big business fighting him. Really all he was doing was preaching the truth from God’s Word and directing them to the true worship of Jehovah God. However, this Demetrius did not like losing business. So he said to his fellow craftsmen: “Also, you behold and hear how not only in Ephesus but in nearly all the district of Asia this Paul has persuaded a considerable crowd and turned them to another opinion, saying that the ones that are made by hands are not gods.” (Acts 19:26) This speech caused quite a disturbance in the city of Ephesus. A mob was formed. This caused a great uproar, ‘and people shouted for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” ’ “Now after the uproar had subsided, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had encouraged them [his brothers] and bidden them farewell, he went forth to journey into Macedonia. After going through those parts and encouraging the ones there with many a word, he came into Greece.”—Acts 19:34; 20:1, 2.
As it was in Asa’s day and Paul’s day, we find it to be true right down to our day. Image worship, which is false worship, must be brought to the attention of superstitious people who are seeking truth and righteousness, so that they can turn away from their false religion.
While Christian overseers like Paul see it is their privilege to talk to strangers about the good news, at the same time overseers must encourage the faithful Christians themselves with many a word to press on in the right way. Paul’s faithfulness under persecution stimulated those Christians truly dedicated to God to continue on in their work even though Paul would be leaving them. To see people turning away from idol worship and associating with the true worshipers of Jehovah is very encouraging, but one must also face the wrath of the religious organization these people are leaving. Faith in what one believes enables one to face the trials, but one can face them more courageously by regularly meeting with the congregation of God’s people, who have the same mind and spirit.
MUTUAL ENCOURAGEMENT
Did you ever stop to think too that the overseer who helps bring the congregation on to Christian maturity also needs encouragement? His being encouraged and strengthened in his own faith can very often flow from the most humble, meek and backward person in the congregation. The very presence of that person at the meetings and the interchange of expressions with him help the overseer and others within the congregation of God to help one another. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians Paul said he took courage because of the congregation. He tells us how he learned that Titus’ spirit had “been refreshed by all of you” in the congregation. Titus had an important position as overseer with the early church, and he was built up and encouraged by the very ones he went to serve. Titus loved this congregation because he saw the obedience of all of them. What effect did this successful visit of Titus have upon Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, the one who felt “the anxiety for all the congregations” daily? Paul tells us what it did to him: “I rejoice that in every way I may have good courage by reason of you.” (2 Cor. 7:13, 16) Yes, Paul was made strong and courageous through the congregation’s faith.
On the other hand, Paul’s unwavering faithfulness even in prison in Rome gave courage to his brothers. Paul’s prison bonds became “public knowledge in association with Christ among all the praetorian guard and all the rest; and most of the brothers in the Lord, feeling confidence by reason of my prison bonds, are showing all the more courage to speak the word of God fearlessly.” (Phil. 1:13,14) Paul’s right example of going to prison for righteousness was a boon to the Christian congregations. Paul’s writing letters to congregations throughout the world and doing this while in prison stimulated all the followers of Christ and made them press on fearlessly. It made Paul happy and he rejoiced to see the courage of his brothers in speaking the word of God regardless of what happened to them in the various districts of the Roman Empire. The same is true today.
When a Christian is taken to prison for speaking the good news, or when he is put into a concentration camp because he refuses to say that salvation comes from a man like Hitler and his government, or when he is persecuted or harassed because he preaches the Bible to his neighbor but the law of the land says you may not talk about God’s kingdom to anyone, then God’s people will show their faith with courage to all the world. Let the whole of the Devil’s organization try to throttle down the preaching of the good news of God’s kingdom in these last days and it will boomerang on them. The light of God’s Word will shine through no matter how great are the persecution and tribulation that are brought to bear against the faithful servants of God. That is just as true among Christians today as it was among those who made up the early Christian band. Peter gave Jehovah’s Christian witnesses and all others who want to get out of this scared-to-death world this advice:
“But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are happy. However, the object of their fear do not you fear, neither become agitated. But sanctify the Christ as Lord in your hearts, always ready to make a defense before everyone that demands of you a reason for the hope in you, but doing so together with a mild temper and deep respect.”—1 Pet. 3:14, 15.
Today we are living in a time of the world’s fear, fear of annihilating itself. Yet why is there such fear among the nations? Because there is no love. Jesus said: “Love one another just as I have loved you.” (John 15:12) This kind of love you will find in people dedicated to the doing of Jehovah’s will, and they will suffer for the sake of righteousness and do it together with a mild temper. But where is there any love among the nations today or even among all the peoples of the various nations? If you want to find such love you will have to separate yourself from the nations as Jesus and the early Christians did. Jesus said: “They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.” (John 17:16) To take such a position in this world full of fear takes courage. But it can be done, as Jesus said: “In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage! I have conquered the world.” (John 16: 33) So can you if you are a dedicated Christian. Many have conquered, and your brothers will help you even though the situation at times looks dark. When Paul was on his way to prison in Rome the congregation went out to meet him, and the record in Acts 28:14, 15 says: “From there the brothers, when they heard the news about us, came to meet us as far as the Market Place of Appius and Three Taverns and, upon catching sight of them, Paul thanked God and took courage.”
These brothers from Rome came out to meet a stranger to them, but he was a brother in bonds. They had never seen Paul before; but they remembered Jesus’ words: “I was a stranger and you received me hospitably; naked, and you clothed me. I fell sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to me.” (Matt. 25: 35, 36) The dedicated Christians in Rome never had the opportunity to wait on Christ Jesus as the apostles and Mary and Martha and many others had waited on Jesus and taken care of his needs in Palestine. But Jesus said: “Truly I say to you, To the extent that you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” What was being done for Paul was like doing it to Jesus. Their just meeting Paul showed the love and faith the congregation had for a faithful brother, and this act on the part of the congregation gave Paul courage.—Matt. 25:40.
Do you need courage? Then let us meet together, “not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you behold the day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:25) Today thousands of people conscious of their spiritual need are pulling away from this wicked world and seeking the truth with Jehovah’s witnesses. They are coming from all kinds of religious groups, as well as from those persons who say they have no religious affiliation. Why? Because they love life, and Jehovah’s witnesses study the Bible. This will help them to build up their faith in God the Giver of life. As these thousands study the Word of God together with the congregation of God’s dedicated people their faith will be built up and that will make them courageous and strong—a necessary thing in these days. Then the world’s fear is no longer their fear, because Jehovah’s active witnesses are actually waiting for the destruction of this system of things in the battle of Armageddon. While they are waiting they proclaim Jehovah’s kingdom as the only hope for mankind. Even though the nations and most of the peoples of the world disagree with their comforting message and many witnesses of Jehovah are persecuted, imprisoned, even killed for preaching from God’s Word, they call to mind the strengthening words of the psalmist David: “Be courageous, and may your heart be strong, all you who are waiting for Jehovah.”—Ps. 31:24.
BE IMITATORS OF CHRIST AND SHOW YOUR COURAGE
Do you say you are a Christian? If you answer “Yes,” could you prove it to the apostle Paul? Listen to him talking to us: “Now that we have left the primary doctrine about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying a foundation again, namely, repentance from dead works, and faith toward God.” (Heb. 6:1) Our being Christians means we have dedicated our lives to the service or worship of God and have confessed this step publicly by being baptized. Has our progress as a Christian ended there? Let us never think that by doing that much it is as far as we need to go. It is not! It is just the beginning of “a new birth to a living hope.”—1 Pet. 1:3.
The truly dedicated person must move ahead, must make progress. Having “tasted the fine word of God” he must courageously imitate Christ and go on doing God’s will. To this end Jehovah has poured out his holy spirit on all sorts of flesh and so has revealed the magnificent things of God. A Christian, having had the opportunity to take in knowledge of God and his purposes, is like soil drinking up rain. He must now be productive. The apostle Paul said: “The ground that drinks in the rain which often comes upon it, and that then brings forth vegetation suitable to those for whom it is also cultivated, receives in return a blessing from God. But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is rejected and is near to being cursed; and it ends up with being burned.” (Heb. 6:7, 8) What kind of soil do we want to be? Fine soil, of course, for Jesus said of persons like fine soil, “These are the ones that, after hearing the word with a fine and good heart, retain it and bear fruit with endurance.”—Luke 8:15.
Just what are you producing as a Christian in God’s organization? Is it good fruits? Or is it fruit like millions of so-called Christians produce, the “works of the flesh” as Paul puts it? In plain language he enumerates the “works of the flesh” as “fornication, uncleanness, loose conduct, idolatry, practice of spiritism, hatreds, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, contentions, divisions, sects, envies, drunken bouts, revelries, and things like these.” (Gal. 5:19-21) These are bad fruits, “thorns and thistles.” But how many persons in Christendom are bearing good fruit “with endurance”? For a real Christian to “press on to maturity” his fruitage would have to be “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, selfcontrol.” (Gal. 5:22, 23) To produce love, joy and peace today in this world of strife, hatred and fits of anger takes courage.
Paul had warm love for his brothers and he was convinced that their fruitage would not be “thorns and thistles” but the better things, which would be accompanied with salvation. Therefore Paul wanted to stir the Christians up to produce better fruitage. They needed it! So he said: “God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work . . . But we desire each one of you to show the same industriousness ... in order that you may not become sluggish, but be imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Heb. 6:10-12) Each and every Christian must show eager concern about the hope set before him right down to the end. No one may become lazy, because, if he does, he will never inherit the promises.
That statement of Paul’s is just as true today as it was when he said it nineteen hundred years ago. Today everyone in the congregation of God must be a dedicated, ordained minister, a preaching and teaching minister, and there is no time between now and “down to the end” to become sluggish. A Christian must be an industrious person. He took on this work to get things done. Otherwise there would be no basis for his hope ever to be realized. Paul felt that way about his meeting his obligations and said: “Really, woe is me if I did not declare the good news!” (1 Cor. 9:16) If ever there was an energetic follower of Christ who wanted to help all people proclaim God’s kingdom it was Paul. He said: “I have made myself the slave to all, that I may gain the most persons.” (1 Cor. 9:19) He had no use for lazy people. There was work to be done. His Master, Jesus, died in this work, and Paul, being a good imitator of him, could say to us: “Become imitators of me, even as I am of Christ.”-—1 Cor. 11:1.
Can you as a Christian say you “do not loiter at your business,” that you are “aglow with the spirit,” that you “slave for Jehovah”? Do you, because of preaching the good news of God’s kingdom, “endure under tribulation”? (Rom. 12:11, 12) Yes! you may say; but how much time do you spend talking to other people about Jehovah the Creator of heaven and earth, and about his Son, Christ Jesus, and the Kingdom you pray for in the Lord’s Prayer? Do you devote ten hours a month to this work of talking, or just two and a half hours a week, only twenty minutes a day? Think about it! That is not too much time for a Christian to spend, is it, in order to show he is an imitator of Christ?
Jehovah’s witnesses may not loiter at their business. Theirs is a world-wide assignment to prophesy and speak of the wonderful things of God. In their world organization there were 884,587 individuals, on the average, who every month during 1961 devoted some hours declaring the good news of God’s kingdom. They met up with much opposition to their preaching in many of the 185 lands and
islands of the sea where they preached, particularly behind the Iron Curtain. In those lands under totalitarian oppression we find a marked decrease in the number of ministers talking about God’s Word to others. The pressure was very great and the loss sustained in regular publishers came to 9,405. It could be, though, that not all the reports from these persecuted and harassed witnesses of Jehovah ever got through to the branch offices. However, what courage the witnesses of Jehovah must have had in these countries in order to continue to imitate Christ Jesus and stay in the ministry! It should stimulate all Christians everywhere else to devote more time to the great Bible educational work being carried on in these last days and on down to the end of these days.
Throughout the whole earth Jehovah’s witnesses have increased 3.9 percent during the past year in the number of those sharing in the Kingdom proclamation. But in 175 countries, excluding Iron Curtain countries and countries where the work is banned and where reports are incomplete, the average increase in Kingdom publishers was 5.8 percent, or 42,614 more witnesses of Jehovah. However, when we subtract from these the loss of ministers in the ten countries where Jehovah’s witnesses are under ban, the net gain in regular monthly ministers world-wide is 33,209. The highest number of Witnesses preaching any one month during the year was 956,169—truly a great crowd of praisers.
Many of these, however, who claim to be Jehovah’s witnesses have some serious things to think about. All should know that Jehovah looks on the heart. Further, all should ‘remember those who are taking the lead among them, who have spoken the word of God to them, and as all contemplate how their conduct turns out all should imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever.’ (Heb. 13:7, 8) Paul said: “Do not be carried away with various strange teachings.” So do not look for an easy way out of your responsibility. As Christians Jehovah’s witnesses have a work to get done, and so everyone claiming to be dedicated to Jehovah God must examine himself to see if he is really doing God’s work and is an imitator of Jesus Christ, be he a young student in school, or a single person without obligations, or a married person. All must be Christians in their everyday life. Their light must shine. How and to what extent is your light shining?
With 33,209 more witnesses of Jehovah reporting in 1961, there were only 1,032,856 additional hours spent in preaching the good news. Why? Had just these witnesses of Jehovah let their light shine twenty minutes a day, two and a half hours a week, ten hours each month, they could have spent 3,985,080 hours preaching the good news during the year. Throughout the world the average hours of the congregation publisher dropped, and the same can be said for the pioneers and special pioneers. Why?
There were 23,443 fewer Bible studies conducted during the year. A lower number of hours, on the average, by the Kingdom publishers often means fewer Bible studies. It takes time to conduct a Bible study, and still there were more persons to conduct more Bible studies. What is happening? Could it be too much loitering for some, some not carrying out their responsibility, not imitating Christ?
Another outstanding weakness in the report shows that there were 1,227 fewer pioneers in the field this year than last year. Still there were 33,209 more persons who went out regularly in the work as congregation publishers. In the freer countries the increase in publishers was 42,614. Where among these and the rest of the publishers is the pioneer spirit, like that had by the apostle Paul?
1961 SERVICE YEAR REPORT OF
|
1960 |
1961 |
%Ine. |
Peak |
Av. |
No. | |
|
Av. |
Av. |
over |
Pubs. |
Pio. |
Public | |
|
Country |
Pubs. |
Pubs. |
I960 |
1961 |
Pubs. |
Meet’gs |
|
U.S. of America |
232,632 |
248,681 |
7 |
273,131 |
8,353 |
251,560 |
|
Alaska |
282 |
312 |
11 |
346 |
22 |
268 |
|
Bermuda |
34 |
39 |
15 |
49 |
1 |
55 |
|
Guam |
19 |
31 |
63 |
36 |
4 |
37 |
|
Iceland |
36 |
44 |
22 |
53 |
10 |
23 |
|
Sudan |
24 |
27 |
13 |
29 |
2 |
4 |
|
Argentina |
6,791 |
7,672 |
13 |
8,212 |
390 |
5,767 |
|
Australia |
12,746 |
13,650 |
7 |
15,331 |
472 |
12,245 |
|
Austria |
5,654 |
6,043 |
7 |
6,506 |
164 |
3,923 |
|
Bahamas |
168 |
198 |
18 |
225 |
23 |
165 |
|
Belgium |
6,228 |
6,366 |
2 |
6,856 |
180 |
4,224 |
|
Congo |
1,137 |
1,385 |
22 |
1,657 |
5 |
99 |
|
Bolivia |
390 |
407 |
4 |
478 |
50 |
496 |
|
Brazil |
18,711 |
21,806 |
17 |
24,451 |
791 |
19,271 |
|
British Guiana |
647 |
675 |
4 |
755 |
66 |
646 |
|
British Honduras |
209 |
216 |
3 |
236 |
23 |
96 |
|
British Isles |
43,650 |
44,974 |
3 |
49,670 |
1,423 |
50,039 |
|
Aden |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 | ||
|
Gibraltar |
14 |
15 |
7 |
19 |
4 |
10 |
|
Malta |
8 |
8 |
12 |
3 | ||
|
Burma |
168 |
180 |
7 |
195 |
35 |
213 |
|
Canada |
34,603 |
36,459 |
5 |
40,230 |
1,252 |
25,586 |
|
Ceylon |
195 |
210 |
8 |
224 |
42 |
158 |
|
Chile |
2,025 |
2,380 |
18 |
2,553 |
179 |
2,121 |
|
Colombia |
1,529 |
1,870 |
22 |
2,013 |
179 |
1,680 |
|
Congo Republic |
863 |
682 |
716 |
27 |
787 | |
|
Central Afr. Rep. |
1,019 |
634 |
929 |
10 |
1,107 | |
|
Gabon Republic |
53 |
47 |
65 |
4 |
107 | |
|
Tchad Republic |
11 |
16 |
45 |
20 |
14 | |
|
Costa Rica |
2,259 |
2,386 |
6 |
2,507 |
89 |
1,172 |
|
Cuba |
11,898 |
12,973 |
9 |
14,011 |
676 |
15,265 |
|
Cyprus |
460 |
483 |
5 |
530 |
21 |
142 |
|
Israel |
51 |
59 |
16 |
67 |
6 |
26 |
|
Denmark |
9,024 |
9,327 |
3 |
9,835 |
201 |
10,304 |
|
Faroe Islands |
20 |
23 |
15 |
24 |
6 |
22 |
|
Greenland |
5 |
8 |
60 |
12 |
5 |
6 |
|
Dominican Republic 460 |
617 |
34 |
681 |
59 |
313 | |
|
Ecuador |
585 |
691 |
18 |
751 |
81 |
956 |
|
Eire (Ireland) |
196 |
198 |
1 |
209 |
72 |
274 |
|
El Salvador |
540 |
591 |
9 |
638 |
61 |
526 |
|
Fiji |
182 |
202 |
11 |
229 |
18 |
320 |
|
American Samoa |
27 |
22 |
25 |
12 |
8 | |
|
New Caledonia |
19 |
19 |
21 |
1 |
8 | |
|
New Hebrides |
2 |
3 |
50 |
4 | ||
|
Niue |
9 |
New |
9 | |||
|
Tahiti |
17 |
28 |
65 |
36 |
3 |
6 |
|
Western Samoa |
50 |
52 |
4 |
64 |
3 |
16 |
|
Finland |
7,740 |
8,011 |
4 |
8,706 |
234 |
9,331 |
|
France |
14,231 |
15,655 |
10 |
17,108 |
310 |
11,085 |
|
Algeria |
138 |
162 |
17 |
185 |
15 |
81 |
JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES WORLD-WIDE
|
No. of |
Total |
Total |
New |
Individual |
Av. Bible |
|
Cong’s Literature |
Hours |
Subs. |
Magazines Back-Calls Studies | ||
|
4,333 |
6,240,290 |
37,232,859 |
779,769 |
44,802,299 12,520,464 185,785 | |
|
7 |
8,667 |
60,406 |
1,476 |
59,767 |
21,499 314 |
|
1 |
1,720 |
4,531 |
229 |
7,479 |
2,419 39 |
|
1 |
1,816 |
9,844 |
213 |
9,925 |
3,292 53 |
|
1 |
2,744 |
15,815 |
270 |
20,221 |
6,117 68 |
|
1 |
225 |
7,098 |
55 |
1,235 |
2,281 |
28 |
|
222 |
165,282 |
1,405,793 |
18,960 |
1,265,148 |
621,342 |
6,980 |
|
363 |
231,587 |
2,066,969 |
28,978 |
2,368,432 |
655,768 |
8,937 |
|
182 |
112,679 |
839,648 |
4,685 |
982,549 |
379,638 |
3,800 |
|
7 |
17,265 |
49,673 |
994 |
60,306 |
20,104 |
301 |
|
116 |
120,100 |
922,911 |
6,865 |
1,119,491 |
314,741 |
3,764 |
|
12 |
2,316 |
309,648 |
147 |
1,738 |
131,966 |
1,124 |
|
14 |
14,464 |
99,192 |
1,615 |
97,856 |
31,784 |
469 |
|
703 |
360,867 |
3,319,795 |
31,120 |
2,280,583 |
1,127,039 |
15,566 |
|
20 |
18,722 |
146,209 |
1,816 |
126,962 |
52,246 |
776 |
|
9 |
2,708 |
47,361 |
161 |
359,924 |
17,207 |
235 |
|
932 |
1,074,119 |
6,034,384 |
55,586 |
7,492,037 |
2,700,540 |
30,195 |
|
41 |
268 |
33 |
120 |
2 | ||
|
1 |
979 |
7,279 |
31 |
4,008 |
2,694 |
31 |
|
1 |
213 |
1,009 |
7 |
433 |
611 |
13 |
|
5 |
20,235 |
72,139 |
750 |
65,876 |
25,405 |
308 |
|
826 |
489,111 |
4,926,092 |
56,789 |
5,000,505 |
1,549,319 |
20,276 |
|
8 |
19,521 |
80,127 |
804 |
60,701 |
27,815 |
324 |
|
73 |
87,199 |
525,104 |
5,540 |
582,448 |
209,767 |
3,211 |
|
54 |
47,851 |
487,031 |
2,589 |
349,883 |
182,415 |
2,375 |
|
13 |
3,566 |
144,392 |
54,717 |
608 | ||
|
14 |
1,953 |
104,521 |
55,651 |
631 | ||
|
2 |
2,696 |
14,070 |
6,235 |
90 | ||
|
221 |
3,256 |
948 |
16 | |||
|
69 |
15,584 |
371,357 |
757 |
141,810 |
121,101 |
1,934 |
|
369 |
209,102 |
2,364,754 |
17,339 |
2,010,701 |
907,036 |
13,407 |
|
12 |
9,930 |
72,813 |
535 |
33,723 |
24,794 |
281 |
|
2 |
3,589 |
14,514 |
265 |
8,684 |
5,649 |
59 |
|
206 |
67,498 |
1,126,139 |
2,130 |
1,051,220 |
455,134 |
4,789 |
|
1 |
975 |
10,566 |
39 |
14,403 |
4,257 |
25 |
|
1 |
446 |
3,929 |
1 |
1,281 |
1,799 |
21 |
|
20 |
15,851 |
157,025 |
336 |
79,277 |
75,053 |
1,247 |
|
22 |
21,563 |
200,337 |
1,543 |
169,989 |
74,885 |
962 |
|
4 |
7,988 |
125,235 |
300 |
75,924 |
31,885 |
152 |
|
14 |
12,524 |
153,821 |
1,068 |
104,829 |
54,555 |
796 |
|
6 |
11,185 |
52,736 |
706 |
39,000 |
19,242 |
272 |
|
1 |
2,243 |
16,920 |
151 |
12,176 |
5,891 |
70 |
|
1 |
211 |
2,680 |
3 |
260 |
1,130 |
16 |
|
45 |
138 |
2 |
32 |
46 |
1 | |
|
32 |
451 |
46 |
no |
12 | ||
|
1 |
2,032 |
6,341 |
153 |
3,789 |
1,999 |
31 |
|
1 |
1,496 |
11,421 |
81 |
8,666 |
3,230 |
45 |
|
342 |
114,434 |
1,049,862 |
12,611 |
1,312,469 |
424,096 |
4,579 |
|
290 |
442,466 |
2,022,156 |
25,010 |
2,352,293 |
842,846 |
9,406 |
|
2 |
20,297 |
40,871 |
1,505 |
57,459 |
16,303 |
176 |
|
1960 |
1961 |
%Inc. |
Peak |
Av. |
No. | |
|
Av. |
Av. |
over |
Pubs. |
Pio. |
Public | |
|
Country |
Pubs. |
Pubs. |
I960 |
1961 |
Pubs. |
Meet'gs |
|
Cameroun |
4,266 |
4,570 |
7 |
4,871 |
194 |
5,927 |
|
Malagasy Republic |
52 |
70 |
35 |
76 |
9 |
53 |
|
Reunion |
5 |
New |
6 |
2 |
2 | |
|
Senegal Republic |
21 |
27 |
29 |
29 |
5 |
4 |
|
Tunisia |
52 |
64 |
23 |
74 |
7 |
34 |
|
Germany, West |
65,179 |
67,814 |
4 |
70,712 |
1,305 |
53,677 |
|
Ghana |
7,657 |
7,931 |
4 |
8,662 |
410 |
7,200 |
|
Ivory Coast |
64 |
87 |
36 |
121 |
7 |
61 |
|
Togoland |
259 |
281 |
8 |
343 |
23 |
263 |
|
Greece |
7,337 |
7,965 |
9 |
8,831 |
84 |
1,968 |
|
Guadeloupe |
239 |
280 |
17 |
290 |
14 |
269 |
|
French Guiana |
4 |
12 |
200 |
16 |
2 |
63 |
|
Martinique |
47 |
70 |
49 |
78 |
6 |
68 |
|
Guatemala |
877 |
993 |
13 |
1,040 |
109 |
1,578 |
|
Haiti |
731 |
786 |
8 |
895 |
66 |
817 |
|
Hawaii |
1,439 |
1,590 |
10 |
1,708 |
78 |
1,266 |
|
Honduras |
513 |
571 |
11 |
617 |
59 |
504 |
|
Hong Kong |
207 |
214 |
3 |
237 |
36 |
304 |
|
India |
1,528 |
1,622 |
6 |
1,715 |
173 |
1,053 |
|
Indonesia |
431 |
477 |
11 |
517 |
86 |
441 |
|
Italy |
5,413 |
5,838 |
8 |
6,304 |
178 |
2,871 |
|
Libya |
63 |
50 |
53 |
2 | ||
|
Somalia |
2 |
4 |
100 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
|
Jamaica |
4,333 |
4,324 |
4,812 |
148 |
4,175 | |
|
Cayman Islands |
17 |
19 |
12 |
26 |
4 |
36 |
|
Turks & Caicos Isis. 3 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
7 | ||
|
Japan |
1,551 |
1,376 |
21 |
2,082 |
242 |
2,358 |
|
Okinawa |
81 |
111 |
37 |
124 |
18 |
62 |
|
Korea |
3,655 |
3,914 |
7 |
4,204 |
299 |
3,708 |
|
Lebanon |
522 |
610 |
17 |
678 |
39 |
753 |
|
Bahrein Islands |
1 |
New |
1 | |||
|
Iran |
21 |
19 |
24 |
4 |
25 | |
|
Iraq |
1 |
1 |
2 | |||
|
Jordan |
57 |
59 |
4 |
64 |
12 |
79 |
|
Kuwait |
11 |
10 |
15 |
1 |
20 | |
|
Qatar |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 | ||
|
Syria |
75 |
79 |
5 |
95 |
4 |
17 |
|
Leewards (Antigua) |
94 |
97 |
3 |
109 |
10 |
152 |
|
Anguilla |
6 |
7 |
17 |
9 |
3 |
39 |
|
Dominica |
107 |
112 |
5 |
121 |
6 |
108 |
|
Montserrat |
12 |
13 |
8 |
16 |
5 |
58 |
|
Nevis |
29 |
28 |
32 |
2 |
22 | |
|
St. Eustatius |
3 |
New |
4 |
1 |
2 | |
|
St. Kitts |
63 |
60 |
71 |
5 |
53 | |
|
St. Martin |
28 |
34 |
21 |
37 |
4 |
29 |
|
Liberia |
471 |
565 |
20 |
620 |
71 |
690 |
|
Luxembourg |
289 |
291 |
1 |
303 |
12 |
188 |
|
Mauritius |
39 |
48 |
23 |
55 |
7 |
40 |
|
Mexico |
20,681 |
22,235 |
8 |
25,171 |
1,019 |
16,411 |
|
Morocco |
227 |
199 |
233 |
21 |
110 | |
|
No. of |
Total |
Total |
New Individual |
Av |
. Bible | |
|
Cong’s Literature |
Hours |
Subs. |
Magazines Back-Calls Studies | |||
|
69 |
38,674 |
1,306,549 |
2,199 |
547,512 |
5,330 | |
|
1 |
6,934 |
22,028 |
947 |
23,365 |
9,600 |
138 |
|
675 |
2,746 |
80 |
2,378 |
1,099 |
28 | |
|
1 |
2,766 |
9,203 |
264 |
4,255 |
4,016 |
45 |
|
1 |
2,046 |
17,188 |
146 |
14,952 |
6,654 |
48 |
|
891 |
654,495 |
8,682,060 |
35,025 |
10,199,659 |
3,455,722 |
34,847 |
|
208 |
153,842 |
1,937,730 |
4,419 |
435,469 |
576,173 |
8,131 |
|
4 |
5,542 |
27,458 |
172 |
15,457 |
9,019 |
112 |
|
10 |
8,422 |
86,494 |
249 |
16,210 |
20,352 |
304 |
|
314 |
45,321 |
767,028 |
2,990 |
478,898 |
445,726 |
3,052 |
|
10 |
6,844 |
50,199 |
449 |
45,849 |
17,619 |
249 |
|
1,326 |
4,406 |
105 |
5,555 |
1,832 |
26 | |
|
2 |
3,135 |
17,933 |
321 |
16,705 |
6,398 |
97 |
|
31 |
33,141 |
278,061 |
1,993 |
212,222 |
91,521 |
1,388 |
|
25 |
14,530 |
191,182 |
813 |
77,411 |
62,965 |
1,004 |
|
28 |
53,536 |
310,337 |
8,588 |
417,099 |
104,913 |
1,722 |
|
11 |
13,416 |
165,189 |
1,452 |
104,330 |
58,043 |
765 |
|
7 |
15,341 |
72,856 |
1,418 |
62,058 |
28,175 |
392 |
|
67 |
90,370 |
430,502 |
4,569 |
177,258 |
141,017 |
1,664 |
|
22 |
78,022 |
169,100 |
1,270 |
126,652 |
58,460 |
778 |
|
242 |
126,341 |
699,766 |
6,126 |
691,605 |
302,718 |
3,723 |
|
1 |
125 |
4,198 |
3 |
350 |
2,305 |
44 |
|
569 |
2,355 |
142 |
771 |
810 |
10 | |
|
153 |
50,623 |
618,023 |
1,643 |
416,752 |
236,939 |
3,966 |
|
1 |
661 |
7,680 |
60 |
5,080 |
2,966 |
31 |
|
281 |
1,832 |
854 |
595 |
9 | ||
|
73 |
146,529 |
553,697 |
9,561 |
639,060 |
204,436 |
2,583 |
|
4 |
10,418 |
35,249 |
782 |
58,279 |
11,272 |
150 |
|
98 |
61,574 |
845,731 |
6,070 |
488,438 |
295,992 |
4,464 |
|
16 |
26,679 |
117,809 |
121 |
1,475 |
42,507 |
669 |
|
2 |
28 |
25 |
1 | |||
|
1 |
1,230 |
6,682 |
180 |
2,712 |
2,433 |
33 |
|
3 |
75 |
29 |
1 | |||
|
3 |
1,187 |
20,589 |
32 |
1,555 |
7,122 |
81 |
|
1 |
349 |
2,239 |
33 |
131 |
741 |
4 |
|
31 |
275 |
127 |
54 |
1 | ||
|
2 |
270 |
11,079 |
15 |
2,111 |
33 | |
|
3 |
2,850 |
22,786 |
272 |
18,089 |
8,304 |
107 |
|
1 |
575 |
4,405 |
22 |
2,120 |
1,509 |
20 |
|
6 |
898 |
21,798 |
76 |
10,741 |
6,996 |
118 |
|
1 |
608 |
9,200 |
50 |
5,225 |
3,132 |
43 |
|
2 |
224 |
4,761 |
4 |
2,351 |
2,084 |
30 |
|
51 |
523 |
3 |
207 |
194 |
7 | |
|
3 |
1,048 |
14,227 |
65 |
13,353 |
5,511 |
89 |
|
2 |
1,028 |
9,022 |
120 |
7,489 |
3,457 |
47 |
|
18 |
21,319 |
225,582 |
608 |
60,506 |
65,958 |
809 |
|
11 |
4,245 |
41,184 |
232 |
77,962 |
20,391 |
197 |
|
2 |
4,548 |
14,690 |
189 |
15,086 |
5,246 |
80 |
|
865 |
250,431 |
3,523,897 |
24,100 |
2,132,558 |
1,060,505 |
18,198 |
|
8 |
6,314 |
49,178 |
913 |
54,418 |
20,566 |
243 |
|
1960 |
1961 |
%Inc. |
Peak |
Av. |
No. | |
|
Av. |
Av. |
over |
Pubs. |
Pio. |
Public | |
|
Country |
Pubs. |
Pubs. |
I960 |
1961 |
Pubs. |
Meet’gs |
|
Netherlands |
11,706 |
12,007 |
3 |
12,743 |
334 |
4,668 |
|
Neth. Ant. (Curasao) 149 |
161 |
8 |
174 |
12 |
55 | |
|
Aruba |
117 |
108 |
121 |
5 |
71 | |
|
Bonaire |
16 |
19 |
19 |
23 |
2 |
46 |
|
Newfoundland |
476 |
489 |
0 |
542 |
29 |
490 |
|
New Zealand |
3,533 |
3,721 |
5 |
4,068 |
93 |
2,814 |
|
Nicaragua |
354 |
414 |
17 |
470 |
36 |
297 |
|
Nigeria & S. Cam. |
30,001 |
31,195 |
4 |
35,729 |
1,499 |
22,147 |
|
Dahomey |
879 |
871 |
1,101 |
42 |
703 | |
|
Fernando Po |
16 |
39 |
144 |
94 |
19 | |
|
Northern Rhodesia |
27,583 |
27,988 |
1 |
29,882 |
379 |
15,322 |
|
Kenya |
86 |
107 |
24 |
115 |
4 |
89 |
|
Tanganyika |
455 |
559 |
23 |
654 |
45 |
846 |
|
Uganda |
10 |
13 |
30 |
19 |
2 |
11 |
|
Zanzibar |
2 |
New |
2 | |||
|
Norway |
3,328 |
3,455 |
4 |
3,626 |
99 |
1,659 |
|
Nyasaland |
13,954 |
14,135 |
1 |
14,708 |
636 |
12,717 |
|
Mozambique |
526 |
633 |
20 |
784 |
43 |
723 |
|
Pakistan |
96 |
117 |
22 |
129 |
11 |
46 |
|
Afghanistan |
7 |
10 |
43 |
10 |
1 |
2 |
|
Panama |
1,231 |
1,284 |
4 |
1,414 |
107 |
1,070 |
|
Papua |
257 |
317 |
23 |
377 |
14 |
202 |
|
New Britain |
67 |
70 |
4 |
79 |
6 |
49 |
|
New Guinea |
63 |
84 |
33 |
120 |
7 |
57 |
|
Solomon Islands |
119 |
142 |
19 |
163 |
3 |
352 |
|
Paraguay |
310 |
368 |
19 |
411 |
40 |
327 |
|
Peru |
1,138 |
1,277 |
12 |
1,372 |
157 |
1,683 |
|
Philippines |
28,108 |
29,190 |
4 |
35,713 |
2,178 |
16,816 |
|
Portugal |
780 |
1,055 |
35 |
1,174 |
40 |
761 |
|
Angola |
13 |
21 |
62 |
23 | ||
|
Azores |
39 |
56 |
44 |
62 |
7 | |
|
Macao |
1 |
New |
1 | |||
|
Madeira |
19 |
23 |
21 |
27 |
3 |
1 |
|
Sao Tome |
9 |
11 |
22 |
13 | ||
|
Puerto Rico |
1,652 |
1,910 |
16 |
2,082 |
105 |
2,148 |
|
Tortola |
11 |
8 |
10 |
2 |
15 | |
|
Virgin Islands (U.S.) 78 |
90 |
15 |
99 |
4 |
61 | |
|
Sierra Leone |
282 |
317 |
12 |
344 |
62 |
738 |
|
Gambia |
3 |
9 |
200 |
15 |
2 |
51 |
|
Guinea |
3 |
19 |
533 |
31 |
3 |
17 |
|
Singapore |
104 |
115 |
11 |
134 |
15 |
30 |
|
Malaya |
60 |
88 |
47 |
104 |
19 |
98 |
|
North Borneo |
14 |
17 |
21 |
20 |
1 | |
|
Sarawak |
5 |
1 |
3 | |||
|
South Africa |
16,637 |
17,416 |
5 |
18,631 |
974 |
16,829 |
|
Basutoland |
121 |
119 |
130 |
13 |
118 | |
|
Bechuanaland |
209 |
174 |
198 |
11 |
145 | |
|
St. Helena |
37 |
33 |
40 |
1 |
31 | |
|
South-West Africa |
100 |
124 |
24 |
141 |
8 |
70 |
|
Swaziland |
380 |
399 |
5 |
435 |
15 |
345 |
|
No. of Cong’s I 189 3 3 1 30 |
Total -literature 99,000 6,573 2,397 649 7,989 |
Total Hours 1,521,851 33,096 16,930 3,521 73,725 |
New Individual Subs. Magazines E |
Av. Bible Jack-Calls Studies | ||
|
3,390 975 621 94 1,063 |
1,227,378 37,197 19,672 2,591 93,455 |
550,718 14,053 6,256 1,358 24,829 |
6,035 173 88 16 289 | |||
|
109 |
58,315 |
496,896 |
6,305 |
575,095 |
160,863 |
2,195 |
|
12 |
6,437 |
96,771 |
678 |
70,691 |
34,075 |
496 |
|
605 |
222,843 |
7,226,029 |
6,568 |
693,534 |
1,757,064 |
27,540 |
|
21 |
7,062 |
230,004 |
258 |
16,144 |
56,929 |
471 |
|
94 |
6,950 |
3 |
266 |
2,533 |
64 | |
|
535 |
129,474 |
4,786,695 |
3,258 |
262,943 |
1,234,161 |
21,425 |
|
5 |
3,746 |
19,308 |
276 |
12,414 |
8,151 |
128 |
|
19 |
13,524 |
176,504 |
236 |
15,737 |
52,055 |
860 |
|
1 |
548 |
3,517 |
15 |
758 |
1,419 |
25 |
|
34 |
78 |
1 |
63 |
19 |
2 | |
|
131 |
64,488 |
420,922 |
3,217 |
575,922 |
182,290 |
1,606 |
|
377 |
71,502 |
3,611,158 |
1,671 |
95,513 |
1,170,153 |
10,314 |
|
7 |
7,477 |
183,526 |
77 |
9,908 |
53,543 |
705 |
|
3 |
5,525 |
29,022 |
672 |
17,102 |
10,388 |
128 |
|
1 |
307 |
964 |
23 |
596 |
349 |
3 |
|
41 |
22,780 |
285,379 |
1,464 |
190,793 |
104,554 |
1,553 |
|
8 |
3,999 |
50,724 |
53 |
8,420 |
14,014 |
221 |
|
1 |
526 |
18,955 |
15 |
3,481 |
7,676 |
90 |
|
4 |
775 |
20,530 |
31 |
2,448 |
9,706 |
110 |
|
4 |
667 |
27,361 |
13,518 |
127 | ||
|
22 |
8,566 |
95,133 |
825 |
70,504 |
30,574 |
419 |
|
39 |
45,754 |
377,978 |
3,283 |
292,553 |
131,080 |
1,744 |
|
929 |
242,090 |
5,733,275 |
25,185 |
2,134,455 |
1,296,106 |
19,446 |
|
25 |
23,592 |
177,397 |
1,300 |
84,354 |
77,241 |
1,028 |
|
1 |
349 |
3,073 |
15 |
460 |
1,908 |
41 |
|
4 |
919 |
14,632 |
76 |
3,301 |
6,783 |
92 |
|
2 |
58 |
1 |
34 |
1 | ||
|
1 |
437 |
6,026 |
24 |
1,477 |
2,176 |
27 |
|
52 |
1,096 |
6 |
85 |
173 |
4 | |
|
47 |
97,342 |
358,438 |
11,323 |
523,462 |
127,488 |
2,195 |
|
1 |
577 |
3,376 |
89 |
2,492 |
1,256 |
23 |
|
5 |
3,123 |
14,725 |
549 |
17,333 |
6,120 |
99 |
|
11 |
15,728 |
132,091 |
1,132 |
95,811 |
45,543 |
631 |
|
764 |
4,508 |
88 |
5,780 |
2,167 |
26 | |
|
1 |
1,516 |
7,350 |
1,138 |
1,711 |
40 | |
|
2 |
9,792 |
31,079 |
998 |
35,425 |
10,610 |
142 |
|
5 |
52,382 |
37,141 |
45 |
919 |
13,744 |
224 |
|
288 |
1,184 |
34 |
641 |
424 |
9 | |
|
74 |
461 |
4 |
286 |
274 |
3 | |
|
461 |
322,973 |
3,865,103 |
24,479 |
1,542,618 |
1,057,635 |
15,827 |
|
4 |
1,353 |
33,972 |
77 |
4,391 |
6,930 |
124 |
|
5 |
2,382 |
43,691 |
53 |
3,809 |
11,698 |
169 |
|
2 |
213 |
4,814 |
10 |
2,438 |
1,170 |
22 |
|
6 |
7,081 |
23,241 |
397 |
25,636 |
7,388 |
98 |
|
9 |
2,435 |
85,261 |
106 |
12,037 |
24,420 |
332 |
|
1960 |
1961 |
%Inc. |
Peak |
Av. |
No. | |
|
Av. |
Av. |
over |
Pubs. |
Pubs. |
Public | |
|
Country |
Pubs. |
Pubs. |
I960 |
1961 |
Pubs. |
Meet’gs |
|
Southern Rhodesia |
12,487 |
11,949 |
12,695 |
596 |
15,543 | |
|
Spain |
1,627 |
2,011 |
24 |
2,144 |
113 | |
|
Canary Islands |
31 |
55 |
77 |
60 |
6 | |
|
Surinam |
345 |
368 |
7 |
418 |
40 |
388 |
|
Sweden |
8,118 |
8,412 |
4 |
9,026 |
295 |
8,772 |
|
Switzerland |
4,778 |
4,932 |
3 |
5,125 |
105 |
2,482 |
|
Liechtenstein |
3 |
4 |
33 |
6 |
2 | |
|
Taiwan (Formosa) |
1,809 |
1,900 |
5 |
2,459 |
126 |
1,922 |
|
Thailand |
345 |
343 |
369 |
49 |
253 | |
|
Cambodia |
8 |
9 |
12 |
11 |
5 |
18 |
|
Laos |
5 |
6 |
20 |
8 |
5 | |
|
Vietnam |
14 |
14 |
17 |
8 |
63 | |
|
Trinidad |
1,543 |
1,552 |
1 |
1,621 |
82 |
1,223 |
|
Barbados |
569 |
556 |
605 |
17 |
802 | |
|
Bequia |
8 |
7 |
11 |
2 |
19 | |
|
Carriacou |
22 |
14 |
19 |
1 |
11 | |
|
Grenada |
160 |
143 |
159 |
14 |
118 | |
|
St. Lucia |
81 |
72 |
79 |
10 |
180 | |
|
St. Vincent |
75 |
61 |
79 |
9 |
59 | |
|
Tobago |
44 |
45 |
2 |
52 |
5 |
36 |
|
Turkey |
311 |
386 |
24 |
440 |
16 |
76 |
|
United Arab Rep. |
429 |
443 |
3 |
458 |
37 |
316 |
|
Uruguay |
1,343 |
1,458 |
9 |
1,570 |
109 |
1,053 |
|
Falkland Islands |
6 |
4 |
5 | |||
|
Venezuela |
2,003 |
2,314 |
16 |
2,569 |
129 |
1,786 |
|
175 Countries |
727,812 |
770,426 |
5.8 |
845,130 |
29,228 |
677,995 |
|
110 Other Countries 123,566 |
114,161 |
—7.6” |
120,039 |
616 |
49,487 | |
|
Grand Total |
851,378 |
884,587 |
3.9 |
965,169 |
29,844 |
727,482 |
■‘Work Banned and Reports Are Incomplete ‘'Percentage of Decrease
As the organization of Jehovah’s witnesses gets larger, closer attention and supervision must be given to the individuals in it. Are the congregation servants, the circuit servants and district servants doing that? How necessary it is to heed the warning: “Beware, brothers, for fear there should ever develop in any one of you a wicked heart lacking faith by drawing away from the living God; but keep on exhorting one another each day, as long as it may be called ‘Today,’ for fear any one of you should become hardened by the deceptive power of sin.” (Heb. 3:12, 13) Brothers, Paul felt his responsibility; do you feel yours?
Right now in most parts of the world Jehovah’s witnesses do not have to suffer the trials and difficulties that their brothers do behind the Iron Curtain. How many can take advantage of this and arrange their affairs and time so as to have much greater shares in preaching the good news wherever they are? It is true
|
No. of |
Total |
Total |
New Individual |
Av. Bible | ||
|
Cong’s Literature |
Hours |
Subs. |
Magazines Back-Calls Studies | |||
|
361 |
150,514 |
2,551,169 |
3,744 |
342,875 |
707,995 |
10,868 |
|
42 |
42,104 |
405,644 |
33 |
83,369 |
198,138 |
2,668 |
|
2 |
993 |
17,338 |
2,310 |
7,268 |
109 | |
|
7 |
9,435 |
83,464 |
594 |
80,929 |
30,621 |
381 |
|
249 |
153,043 |
1,153,288 |
15,297 |
1,621,300 |
461,693 |
4,310 |
|
114 |
114,200 |
607,360 |
6,080 |
969,948 |
258,105 |
3,228 |
|
54 |
529 |
3 |
254 |
280 |
6 | |
|
65 |
18,616 |
334,957 |
1,412 |
83,630 |
145,077 |
1,414 |
|
22 |
30,810 |
95,650 |
1,797 |
74,420 |
29,282 |
356 |
|
1 |
1,409 |
6,857 |
320 |
6,046 |
2,827 |
35 |
|
1 |
1,155 |
5,525 |
71 |
3,761 |
2,074 |
22 |
|
1 |
4,411 |
12,181 |
798 |
14,099 |
5,573 |
64 |
|
41 |
23,865 |
288,306 |
2,365 |
232,702 |
114,122 |
1,714 |
|
23 |
4,365 |
83,547 |
552 |
55,668 |
28,145 |
495 |
|
109 |
4,112 |
1 |
993 |
1,478 |
21 | |
|
1 |
78 |
3,371 |
4 |
707 |
1,296 |
21 |
|
5 |
1,553 |
34,426 |
156 |
17,241 |
11,978 |
170 |
|
2 |
982 |
22,061 |
149 |
14,656 |
7,973 |
128 |
|
2 |
1,663 |
19,019 |
123 |
8,189 |
7,175 |
105 |
|
1 |
1,082 |
13,180 |
157 |
10,074 |
5,918 |
64 |
|
10 |
5,660 |
69,721 |
97 |
1,448 |
33,046 |
360 |
|
15 |
2,777 |
89,249 |
58 |
1,420 |
36,268 |
500 |
|
39 |
22,869 |
347,353 |
1,997 |
171,532 |
125,909 |
1,738 |
|
44 |
404 |
2 |
190 |
299 |
7 | |
|
47 |
57,750 |
491,863 |
3,290 |
392,168 |
176,203 |
2,626 |
|
17,245 |
14,184,093 125,294,392 1,320,824 |
104,402,615 |
42,492,979 569,351 | |||
|
4,312 |
466,522 |
7,401,148 |
1,871 |
879,261 |
2,511,287 |
53,314 |
|
21,557 |
14,650,615 132,695,540 1,322,695 105,281,876 |
45,004,266 622,665 | ||||
|
1960 |
1961 | |||||
|
Memorial Attendance World-wide |
1,519,821 1,553,909 | |||||
|
Memorial Partakers World-wide |
13,911 |
13,284 | ||||
that 132,695,540 hours were spent during the 1961 service year in preaching the good news of God’s kingdom, but could there have been more? Are times so good in this old world that it makes one forget about the time he hopes to spend in the new world? This is no time to be “drawing away from the living God.” Keep that strong heart. Yes, hope in Jehovah.—Ps. 27:14.
When you study the 1961 field service chart on pages 34-41 note some of the big, prosperous, industrial countries of the world and explain to yourself why there is only a 2- or 3-percent increase in publishers in such countries. Compare your country’s total hours with last year’s total hours and see if you gave a greater witness in your assigned territory. If not, then ask yourself, Why? Have I had anything to do with the decrease, or the seeming standstill, or with the little progress made? Every dedicated person has a responsibility before Jehovah God to preach the good news. This Kingdom message is vital to the lives of millions of persons before Armageddon breaks. How did your congregation affect this year’s report? These are things for each dedicated person to consider. Do you feel every home in your territory was called on often enough? Was there any relaxing or sluggishness on the part of the dedicated ones in your congregation? Did you go out of your way to help them if any brothers were slowing down? Are you satisfied with your service report? Are you serving Jehovah whole-souled?
These are questions that Jehovah’s witnesses must consider, because they are God’s servants, yes, “ambassadors substituting for Christ” and, if really substituting, then they must be imitating Christ. To be sure, many people do tell us that we call at their doors too often. But, on the other hand, there are millions of persons being comforted. Are we to slow down in doing good because some do not want the good? Paul looked at it this way: “Do not let yourself be conquered by the evil, but keep conquering the evil with the good.” (Rom. 12:21) When a Christian keeps working at conquering evil with good, then a lot of good is dispensed in this wicked world.
Look at the good being done for the readers of the Watchtower and Awake! magazines. Jehovah’s witnesses obtained 1,322,695 new subscriptions during the year. That was excellent, and the distribution of individual copies of the magazines, The Watchtower and Awake! was fine too. There were 105,281,876 copies distributed by the brothers all over the world. This was an increase over last year of 5,686 new subscriptions and 8,199,443 individual copies of the Watchtower and Awake! magazines distributed by Jehovah’s witnesses. They also placed 3,887,207 bound books and 10,763,408 copies of booklets.
Think of the good done through the back-call work. Back-calls on interested people increased by 563,287. There were 569 more congregations established throughout the world, making a total of 21,557. More circuit and district servants were sent around to visit these congregations, and these special servants totaled 1,870.
In order to keep up with the world-wide demand for literature the Bethel families have grown to 1,376 members in number. More persons came to the Memorial celebration in 1961 than the year before. There were 1,553,909 in attendance, an increase of 34,088. However, those partaking of the emblems decreased, as some of the remnant through death finished their earthly course. This year 627 fewer partook of the emblems, which means there was a total of 13,284 partaking of the bread and wine at the Memorial celebration in 1961.
The Society, anxious to spread good news, had one of its biggest printing years because of the demand for Bibles, books and magazines on the part of the brothers in all parts of the world. The total Watchtower production reached 95,296,708 in 61 languages, and the total Awake! production reached 88,969,505 in 23 languages. The Society also printed 5,851,105 Bibles and other bound books and 13,084,075 booklets. It is interesting to note, too, that up to the present time the Society has printed literature in 146 different languages, and there are some tracts being prepared now in other languages, which it hopes to get out during the 1962 service year.
The Society was pleased to enroll more special pioneers during the year, and now we have 6,377 special pioneers, including the missionaries working in 153 different lands of the earth. This is an increase of 487. The Watch Tower Society, due to contributions to the work, was able to help these brothers and sisters to the extent of $2,328,819.69.
Jehovah’s witnesses, in addition to going from house to house, making back-calls and holding one-hour Bible studies in the homes of interested people, arranged for 727,482 public meetings to be held in different languages in all parts of the world. All of this bespeaks their energeticalness and courageousness in preaching the good news of God’s kingdom in all parts of the world. All of this was done in spite of opposition, persecution and many hardships. Jesus would be doing the same thing today if he were on the earth. Jehovah’s witnesses are imitators of Christ because they have faith in him. This faith keeps them on the move. Peter, one of Jehovah’s witnesses, had such faith too and he said: ‘‘According to his great mercy he gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Pet. 1:3) Jehovah’s witnesses would like all people to have that hope, and that is why they have become imitators of Christ Jesus and show courage in preaching the good news in these last days of this wicked system of things.
Do you claim to be a Christian? Do you love the good news of God’s kingdom? Then why not associate with Jehovah’s witnesses in doing the simple work the apostles did, going from house to house, making back-calls, conducting Bible studies and preaching the good news under all kinds of adverse conditions. Paul outlined how you can show your Christian courage when he said: “Become imitators of me, even as I am of Christ.” —1 Cor. 11:1.
THE BETHEL HOME
On the Brooklyn Heights overlooking the East River and the busy New York harbor there are two large twelve-story buildings, which are used to house the Bethel family. At the close of the service year, August 31, 1961, there were 653 members of this family, all of them dedicated to doing the will of Jehovah God. The Bethel home is a busy place, because all these men and women are living at the headquarters of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., to help in publishing the Word of God so that it may have world-wide distribution in many languages. In the building known as 124 Columbia Heights there are situated the main offices of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., and the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. Both of these corporations are used by Jehovah’s witnesses throughout the world. The New York corporation of the Society directs the work throughout New York state and all the United States primarily, and the Pennsylvania corporation gives its special attention to the eighty-five branch offices in the different parts of the world. They are two separate societies, but their interests are the same in seeing to it that the good news of God’s kingdom is preached in all the world for a witness as Jehovah has commanded.
One might divide the work of the Bethel family into three divisions. The first one is the devoting of about eight and three quarters hours a day to the printing of Bibles, books, booklets and magazines and to taking care of all the work necessary to see that that is done, which means not only running presses and bindery equipment and a shipping department but also an office, housekeeping, cooking, laundry and everything else needed to make a good, regulated home. These 653 Christians who have come from all parts of the United States have volunteered their services. The only persons that can come into the Bethel home are those who make application to come and are ordained ministers, which means they have dedicated their lives to the service of Jehovah and have been baptized. If one’s application is accepted and he is between the ages of seventeen and thirty-five years, he is called into the home and assigned to some specific work. But there are two other interests for each member of the family. The second interest is education spiritually. To this end the Society has a special school for training speakers. There are also certain evenings set aside during the week for the study of the Scriptures and conducting meetings with the use of some of the Society’s publications. All of this requires much preparation, and a goodly number of evenings are used by every member of the family to improve his Bible knowledge. The third feature, and a very important one which helps every member of the family, is activity in the field service, that is, going from house to house distributing the publications of the Society, which help people to understand the Bible better, and conducting home Bible studies. Each member of the family averages approximately fifteen hours every month in this activity. In addition to the five and a half days each week that they work in the Society’s printing plants or home and the many hours spent in Bible study and attending meetings, they have in mind the vital need of sharing in the preaching activity.
There are other dedicated persons directly connected with this Bethel home and they are the ones who work on some farms that the Society has. There is one farm in New Jersey where the land is used particularly to raise fruit and to raise milk cattle. This farm in New Jersey is situated about fifty miles from the city. Another farm that the Society has, known as Kingdom Farm, is located in upper New York state near Ithaca, and there are forty-six persons in this farm family to take care of approximately 800 acres of land and the buildings. They look after 264 head of cattle and 132 hogs and 2,360 chickens and turkeys. They do a lot of canning of food during the summer and fall months. All the food grown on these two farms is used either by the farm family or the Bethel family in New York. But in addition to taking care of these families it is necessary to feed the 100 students who are at the Kingdom Ministry School at Kingdom Farm and the 100 Gilead students who are living with the Bethel family in Brooklyn. This means that there are approximately 900 persons to feed every day in the year, and these two farms certainly provide a large portion of the food necessary to satisfy the appetites. It is most interesting to note that it costs the Society $.53 per day per person to feed these 900 persons. In other words, a meal for each of these persons costs around $.18, on the average, throughout the year. No matter where anyone works in the Bethel home, in the factory, the office, on the farms, in the laundry or kitchen, or doing housekeeping, each job plays an important part in the manufacture of the literature that the Society tries to produce at as low a cost as possible in order that everyone, everywhere, in any language, can get the Watchtower subscription for $1.00 a year or a bound book for $.50.
The Bethel family is indeed happy, too, to have with them in Brooklyn, New York, the 100 students from 45 different lands throughout the world who are attending Gilead School. At Kingdom Farm the members of the farm family are happy to have the Kingdom Ministry School students associated with them. The Bethel family in New York also enjoyed the friendship of many branch servants, missionaries, circuit and district servants who were living with them during the period of the United Worshipers District Assembly at Yankee Stadium. At that time there were 901 persons living in the headquarters buildings situated on Columbia Heights. It is a joy to be in this Bethel family, and there are like families throughout the world where-ever the Society has branch offices. The purpose of these families is for serving the congregations of Jehovah’s witnesses, the missionaries and pioneers throughout the world.
Jehovah’s witnesses also use other societies that they have formed. For example, in Cuba, Mexico, Brazil, Germany and other countries there are societies that legally carry on the ministry in these different lands.
Jesus said: “Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And, look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.” (Matt. 28:19, 20) This work Jehovah’s witnesses are trying to accomplish around the world, and the Bethel families at Brooklyn, New York, and in all the branches rejoice that they have a part in this work with their brothers everywhere.
UNITED WORSHIPERS DISTRICT ASSEMBLY
One of the outstanding events in the lives of Jehovah’s witnesses during the year 1961 was the six-day United Worshipers District Assembly, which began at Yankee Stadium in New York city on June 20 and was held in different cities throughout the summer in America, Canada and European countries. The program was the same in thirteen cities and it had to do with the true worship of Jehovah God. The subjects discussed were very broad in their scope, but all the talks were based on the Bible, and excellent instruction was given on how to carry on the teaching and training program for all persons who go from door to door preaching the good news of God’s kingdom. Further, information was given on how to handle Bible questions and conduct home Bible studies. Talks were given concerning faith, the deceptive power of wealth and loyalty with a unified heart. Good counsel was given to overseers on accepting responsibility, and it was shown how the Kingdom Ministry School is serving its purpose. Those in attendance heard instruction on remaining steadfast, accepting discipline, and conduct in the family circle and in divided homes. The young people in attendance at these assemblies received counsel on fleeing from the desires incidental to youth. The sanctity of blood was given a thorough discussion. The need for every individual to dedicate himself to God and to grow to maturity and to keep close to the congregation and its scheduled meetings was excellently handled as was the need for personal study.
It was a well-designed program, outstandingly so, and one thing that will long be remembered by those in attendance is the release of so many publications for Bible study. Jehovah God showered his people with new gifts that will certainly strengthen them spiritually and will aid each and every one to wage more effective spiritual warfare in the field.
The first surprise was the Sermon Outlines booklet, and this was released at every one of the conventions and in many different languages. What an aid this will be in back-call and Bible study activity!
The next surprise for the English-speaking convention delegates was the Watch Tower Publications Index, 1930-1960. Many comments have been received by the Society on how useful this publication has been in gathering together information and looking up things in the Society’s publications that the mind no longer remembers in detail.
The new booklet Blood, Medicine and the Law of God was greatly appreciated by everyone because this is something that will be useful in discussions with doctors and will answer the much-asked question, Why don’t you take a blood transfusion?
The biggest thrill of the convention came on Friday afternoon when the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures was released, and what amazed everyone was that this entire Bible of 1,472 pages could be had on a contribution of only $1.
On the very first day the Bible was available at the New York convention 138,367 copies were distributed, and by the end of the Yankee Stadium assembly 208,818 copies were already taken out of the Society’s stock for the use of the publishers in the field or in their own homes. The distribution during the first three days after the release of the New World Translation at Yankee Stadium was an indication that this volume would have a tremendous distribution before many years passed.
Then came Saturday and the release of the new book “Let Your Name Be Sanctified,” which now brings to God’s people enlightenment on the Elijah and Elisha work. The greatest attendance at any of the conventions was, of course, at the public meeting held Sunday afternoon in each of the convention cities. The total attendance at the thirteen assemblies for the talk “When All Nations Unite Under God’s Kingdom” was 481,195. All attending this lecture were given a free copy of the talk in booklet form. It appears that this was the greatest gathering of Jehovah’s people at any assembly of his witnesses up to this time, and this was accomplished in eleven weeks.
While all the conventions operated very smoothly and everyone attending was able to take in the spiritual food, there were some interesting side lights at different assemblies that added additional sparkle to the United Worshipers District Assemblies.
In New York city the day before the convention convened the New York Times newspaper came out with an article entitled “Catholics Urged Not to Discuss Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses” and the newspaper commented on the June 24 issue of the magazine America, a Jesuit weekly, which intended to give instructions to their church members not to speak to Jehovah’s witnesses when these called at their homes during the convention period and even thereafter. Quoting from the Jesuit weekly magazine, America, it said this: “The Jehovah’s Witnesses are specialists in their own peculiar way. In general they know more about the Bible than most Catholics. Since they insist on carrying on all discussions on the basis of the Bible, a Catholic involved with them will be forced to meet them on their own grounds. While the Witnesses’ view of the Bible is a distorted one, the deplorable lack of knowledge that a Catholic is likely to have of the Holy Scriptures puts him at a serious disadvantage. It would be well to advise unprepared Catholics to avoid them, for they will accomplish little and may endanger their own faith.” This is quite an admission on the part of the Catholic magazine to point out that their parishioners do not know sufficient about the Bible, which the Catholics claim to use, to cope with Jehovah’s witnesses in proving their faith when these witnesses call at their homes.
This magazine, along with newspaper comment on the article, caused much discussion throughout the city of New York. It was even talked about on radio and television programs. It kept the people mindful of Jehovah’s witnesses being in town and gave Jehovah’s witnesses a wonderful opportunity to talk about the Bible in their door-to-door witnessing work.
The second assembly, at Houston, Texas, aroused so much attention that finally the newspapers took cognizance of the convention, whereas four years previously the papers ignored a similar gathering. Like the New York assembly, Houston also had a special auditorium for the Spanish-speaking people, and all of them were blessed with the same program.
At Vancouver, in western Canada, the weather proved to be favorable for this excellent outdoor meeting with the exception of one day of rain, and the 28,952 that attended made this the largest convention that was ever held in Canada. At the Vancouver convention the talk on blood caused a stir among the doctors, and the newspapers had much to say about it. In fact, since that time there have been many articles published in the magazines and newspapers of Canada on the matter of blood transfusions and there have also been programs on radio and television. This booklet is giving the people of Canada and other parts of the world the opportunity of seeing the Bible’s side of the issue.
The fourth week of the United Worshipers District Assembly found a great crowd of people assembling in Copenhagen, Denmark, for the convention there. Many Americans and Canadians flew in special chartered planes so that they might be able to attend the six large European assemblies. Twenty-seven flights left the United States and five left Canada, making a total of thirty-two special chartered planes carrying 3,161 persons from the North American continent to Europe. A good many brothers flew by regular carrier to Europe and others went by ship. Additionally, a goodly number of the brothers in Great Britain went to the Copenhagen assembly, and this gave the first European assembly a large English-speaking contingent. It was necessary to arrange a seating in the large football stadium so as to accommodate the delegates speaking different languages. At one of the sessions when a special count was taken by language it showed that there were 9,200 in the Danish section, 5,400 in the Swedish, 2,200 in the Norwegian, 3,400 in the Finnish and 2,400 in the English. All these delegates to the convention were able to hear all the talks in their own languages. It was truly an international assembly of united worshipers and showed how people from all nations, kindreds and tongues could come together in their worship of Jehovah God and enjoy the fellowship of being with one another. At the Copenhagen assembly there were thirty-four different countries represented.
There was considerable opposition on the part of the State Church of Denmark with regard to Jehovah’s witnesses having their assembly in Copenhagen. The semiofficial State Church paper, Kristeligt Dagblad, warned all church members against offering rooms to Jehovah’s witnesses. In commenting on this article, the weekly newspaper Virum-Posten warned its readers to reject the request for rooms. “Say No! If you have already said yes, then cancel your offer immediately. If you say yes, you are practically a member of Jehovah’s witnesses already.” However, Jehovah’s witnesses were able to find accommodations for 15,500 in the homes of the Danish people, and a very fine tent city grew up inside the Amager Trotting Track near the Kastrup Airport in Copenhagen. The grass field within the track was rented by the Society and the land was laid out for a neatly arranged tent city. From the very first days of the convention more than 1,800 tents were set up, accommodating 5,500 inhabitants.
Prior to the Copenhagen assembly it was a matter of great concern to the brothers when the Directory of Air Traffic in Denmark denied landing permission for the chartered airplanes carrying thousands of delegates. Representatives of the Society were informed that this denial of landing permission for nearly 3,000 tourists coming there in chartered planes was made after the head of the tourist association had stated he would not protest or object to this treatment of these tourists coming to our convention. This report indicates how powerful the church’s influence is even on the tourist association in Copenhagen, which is supposed to want people to come into the city. This proved to be a very serious matter, and, rather than deal with the minor officials in the Directory of Air Traffic, the Society’s representative in Copenhagen went directly to the Minister of Traffic and the Prime Minister of Denmark, and here sympathetic understanding of our problem resulted in landing permission being granted for all planes that were to arrive within the next few days. This avoided a great hardship that would have befallen many of the brothers. So when the first chartered plane left the United States all was clear for landing in Copenhagen. Despite all the religious opposition and newspaper opposition and the tourist bureau’s opposition, a very successful convention was carried on in Copenhagen, with a public meeting attendance of 33,513. Two days prior to the public talk 855 of our brothers were baptized, symbolizing their dedication to the doing of Jehovah’s will.
Turin, Italy, had a delightful place in which to hold its convention. If it had not been for the direct interest taken in the assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses by the mayor of Turin and another well-known lawyer, the Exhibition Building in Valentine Park would hardly have been rented to Jehovah’s witnesses for their six-day assembly. The authorities in the city continued to raise obstacles against the holding of the convention up until the time that the mayor wrote a letter asking them to arrange for the rental of the Exhibition Building on the days requested. Permission was also granted for a public meeting, the first public meeting in Italy to have publicity throughout the city. Large banners advertising the public talk on Sunday were used for the first time in Turin. Some of the Catholic priests were quite upset when they saw the city workers hanging up the banners over the city streets advertising the public talk. The priests tried to put pressure on the workers to prevent them from putting up the signs, but the city employees did not give in to the threats of the priests. They explained that they had a job to perform and that nothing could stop them from doing their work. The priests went away quite angered and in defeat.
Another very outstanding thing about the assembly in Turin was the use of the Villaggio Italia, or the Italian Village. This very lovely spot in Turin provided housing for thousands of delegates at very low cost. The directors of the Village co-operated very well with the Society’s rooming committee, and we certainly appreciated their kindness.
The work throughout Italy is moving ahead rapidly, and Jehovah’s witnesses in Italy enjoyed their grandest assembly, with 6,372 attending the public meeting.
While the assembly was in session in Turin the Hamburg convention was also convening. Weeks before the convention began, Jehovah’s witnesses in Hamburg were going from house to house trying to find rooming accommodations for the delegates. When the clergy woke up to what was going on, a bishop wrote a very hateful article in the newspaper and it was widely circulated throughout Germany. His goal was to influence the Hamburg populace to give no rooming accommodations to Jehovah’s witnesses. In the opening days of the assembly the religiously controlled press of Hamburg had nothing to say about the gathering of over 60,000 Christians in the city. It was not until Thursday of the convention, after many people in the city had phoned the newspapers and very strong protests had been registered with the newspapers, that anything was said about this tremendous gathering of Christians in Hamburg. Despite the lack of publicity on the part of the newspapers and in spite of six days of rain, over 65,000 delegates were there for the last few days of the assembly, and at the public meeting on Sunday afternoon, with rain falling until 1:30 o’clock that afternoon, 88,338 came out to the stadium built by Jehovah’s witnesses in the city park to hear the public lecture.
Jehovah’s witnesses spent ten weeks building the convention accommodations in the city park. These included the open-air seating arrangement, which had no cover, the kitchens, cafeteria tents and other necessary departments. They put in all the toilet facilities and necessary plumbing also. It was a tremendous job and still the newspapers of Hamburg took no notice of it. Nothing like that had ever happened in the city before on such a colossal scale. Fifty-three countries were represented at this assembly, and due to the fact that sufficient sleeping accommodations could not be found in the homes of the people the officials of the city were kind enough to open their schools, and 30,000 delegates slept in schoolrooms. The police department was most co-operative and must be complimented for their excellent work. All city departments worked with the convention and were most helpful. It was only the newspapers under the influence of the clergy that put up strong opposition to the assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses. But despite all their efforts the people of Hamburg received a grand witness concerning the King and his kingdom. Forty-seven special trains were used to bring delegates to the convention and to return them to their homes. The largest baptism of any convention this year was in Germany when 2,301 were baptized.
The next week the United Worshipers District Assembly moved into London, and on Monday of that week there were sessions held in the branch office of the Society in London for the benefit of branch servants from Europe and parts of Africa and Asia and for the zone servants serving the branch offices of the Society in different parts of the world. The president of the Society and other representatives from the headquarters office met every morning throughout the week of the convention in London with these special representatives in order to handle the problems pertaining to the preaching of the good news of the Kingdom. These meetings included discussions on what could be done to give the Kingdom preaching activity a wider spread in the territory where the servants had jurisdiction. These meetings were a duplicate of similar meetings held during the Yankee Stadium assembly, when thirty-eight branch servants from South and Central America, the islands of the Caribbean and North America gathered together for discussions on better organization of the work in different parts of the world. In these two meetings it was possible for the president of the Society to speak to seventy-eight special representatives from different parts of the world regarding the progress of the chartered purposes of the Society, namely, disseminating the truth of God's Word in all parts of the world in all languages to all peoples. These sessions were most profitable and encouraging.
Beginning on Tuesday afternoon the regular sessions of the convention opened at the Twickenham Stadium in London, and the Sunday Times of July 30 had this to say about the convention: “Indeed, the whole assembly has had the air of a good garden party: calm, cheerful, inflexibly polite to the outsider, and very well organised. To the outsider, this sheer competence would appear one of the Witnesses’ two main strengths. For a spiritual body they have one of the best temporal organisations in the world. But behind everything a Witness does lies a scriptural reason. Indeed, their one basic tenet is recognition of the Bible as wholly, literally and exclusively true. And in this appears to lie their second strength: that they can produce an answer to all questions.”
The Sunday edition of The Observer had this to say concerning Jehovah’s witnesses’ assembly: “They are highly organised, these people who come from all classes but predominantly from the lower middle-class. But they are above all courageous. They will stand by their belief in the Bible even if they have to break the law or forfeit their life.”
The weather in London was perfect for the assembly during all six days, and on Sunday afternoon at the public meeting there were 48,070 in attendance.
After the London assembly many of the delegates wanted to travel to the assemblies in Amsterdam and Paris, and special trains were arranged to carry thousands of people from England to the Continent again. Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam was used for the assembly location. Here, too, the facilities for operating a convention were very good and an excellent tent camp was arranged right near the stadium. All the newspapers in Amsterdam were intensely interested in what was going on, and the tremendous crowds of Jehovah’s witnesses coming into the city amazed everyone. Jehovah’s witnesses are growing by leaps and bounds on the Continent, and in the Netherlands there proved to be 23,708 persons attending the public session.
While this grand assembly was going on, there was another assembly to the south, in France. Paris was the city chosen for the French assembly. While it appeared to be a rather awkward time to have a big gathering, because of the difficulties France and Algeria are having, still permission was granted for Jehovah’s witnesses to meet in the Colombes Stadium just outside of Paris. The police were most co-operative in connection with this assembly because they did not want any troublemakers, who seemed to be throwing bombs around where people gathered together, to get into our peaceful assembly. Their co-operation was excellent and they gave splendid protection to the Witnesses, keeping their eyes open for troublemakers who might try to cause any disturbance.
One of the outstanding features of the assembly in addition to the grand gathering of all our French brothers was the assembling of some 800 of our brothers from Spain, who came from that land to enjoy the rich spiritual feast in Paris. They had meetings in their own language, and what a joy this was to them! In Spain, of course, Jehovah’s witnesses are forbidden to meet together, but here Spanish brothers from the same city and from many other cities were able to sit together and hear all the talks in their own tongue, which talks were also being given in French to the great crowds assembled in France. There were also eighty people there from Portugal, and lectures were given simultaneously in French, Polish, Spanish and Portuguese. Delegates came there from Belgium, the French-speaking section, and also from Switzerland. And many other nationalities were represented. It was a fine assembly and the weather was ideal. One of the things that brought great joy to Jehovah’s witnesses was that at this assembly about 9 percent of those in attendance were baptized. One thousand two hundred and three symbolized their dedication to the doing of Jehovah’s will. Percentage-wise this was by far greater than any of the other assemblies held during this summer of 1961.
This brought to a close the six wonderful assemblies in Europe, and then the delegates started for home. There was still a series of four assemblies to be held in the United States: Oklahoma City, Omaha, Milwaukee and San Francisco. All of these proved to be most successful. The grandstands, auditoriums and other facilities all proved to be just about large enough to handle the crowds, with the exception of Milwaukee. Here every accommodation that Jehovah’s witnesses could rent in the heart of the city, the Arena, the Auditorium, and many other halls, proved to be much too small, and finally thousands had to sit in chairs that were put on the streets outside the auditorium. However, these people were well served by loud-speaking equipment. Excellent publicity was given in all the newspapers and on the radio concerning these grand gatherings of Jehovah’s witnesses, which brought to a conclusion the United Worshipers District Assembly for the summer.
A summary of the attendance is set out below, giving the public meeting attendance at each assembly and the number baptized.
|
Location Public Meeting Attendance |
Number Baptized | |
|
New York |
92,901 |
1,732 |
|
Houston |
21,300 |
424 |
|
Vancouver |
28,952 |
606 |
|
Copenhagen |
33,513 |
855 |
|
Hamburg |
88,338 |
2,301 |
|
Turin |
6,372 |
258 |
|
London |
48,070 |
828 |
|
Amsterdam |
23,708 |
521 |
|
Paris |
23,004 |
1,203 |
|
Oklahoma City |
12,744 |
299 |
|
Omaha |
11,528 |
188 |
|
Milwaukee |
40,552 |
727 |
|
San Francisco |
50,213 |
1,032 |
|
Total |
481,195 |
10,974 |
The good things spoken at these assemblies of united worshipers did not end with the San Francisco gathering, but now throughout the winter in Central and South America and different parts of the world the same program will be carried on among the people of many languages so that more of Jehovah’s witnesses may be blessed with these same truths. The reason why Jehovah’s witnesses gather together in these great assemblies year by year is that they might be built up spiritually. They know the value of God’s Word and they want to know more about it and live by it, because it means their everlasting life. The words of the wise man in Proverbs 2:4, 5 say: “If you keep seeking for it as for silver, and as for hid treasures you keep searching for it, in that case you will understand the fear of Jehovah, and you will find the very knowledge of God.”
OVERSEERS OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES
The dedicated, baptized followers of Christ Jesus known as Jehovah’s witnesses today make up the congregation of God. Certain individuals with maturity and a clear understanding of God’s Word whom “the holy spirit has appointed” as overseers are selected to shepherd this congregation. It is so recorded in Acts 20:28 of God’s Holy Word: “Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed you overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God, which he purchased with the blood of his own Son.” As it is stated here, it is God’s congregation and does not belong to any man. However, it is not wrong for a man to desire to do the work of an overseer in connection with God’s congregation. The highest form of work that a man could do on earth today is to be a shepherd of a group of dedicated people who want to give Jehovah exclusive devotion. All individuals wanting to do the will of God appreciate that they are imperfect and make mistakes and they need help. The help comes from Jehovah God, but God wants those who are stronger in his organization to help the weaker ones. If a man seeks the position of an overseer in order that he may shepherd those of God’s congregation properly, then he is certainly seeking to do the right thing. Paul admonished Timothy: “If any man is reaching out for an office of overseer, he is desirous of a fine work.” (1 Tim. 3:1) What finer work could a man do? What higher occupation could a man seek after than that of an overseer? Think of the blessings that an overseer can bring to the household of faith. Of course, to be such a one within Jehovah’s organization and to have such a high honor and privilege of service one must be, as Paul said, irreprehensible. The qualities of an overseer are set forth by the apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 3:2-7. The tens of thousands of congregations throughout the world must all have overseers, individuals wholly devoted to Jehovah God, interested in their brothers and who will take the lead in service and the lead in giving instruction. In addition to this the Society appoints from among those who have qualified as overseers in congregations individuals for special service. These may act as circuit and district servants, branch and zone servants or may hold special positions as members of the Bethel family in different parts of the world. It would be impossible to list all of these, but many who have been in the service for many years and who have received special appointments are listed here.
LIST OF ORDAINED MINISTERS APPOINTED TO SPECIAL SERVICE
Aaron, Gray Abad, Ervin Jores Abasto, Silvestre Abbuhl, David Abrahamson, R. E. Accardi, Litterio J. Ackermann, Heinz Acquah, Daniel Sasu Adams, Don Alden Adams, Floyd Adams, Joel C. Adams, Karl A. Adjei, Emmanuel K. Adu-Manuh, D. E. Ahuama, Friday A. Aigbeuboile, Patrick Aigner, Franz Ajibade, Abel O. Ajose, Matthew Ade Akakambama, G. Akpabio, Asuquo O. Akwamoah, D. Y. Alderson, G. R. Aldrich, Lloyd Elgin Aleman, Francisco Aliferis, George Allen, Malcolm S. Allen, Paul A. Almati, Leo G. T. Alsup, Robert R. Alvarado, Jose Amadi, Eugene U.
Amenele, Simon P. Ames, John Matthew Amores, Victor G. Amorim, Jose Amy, Donald Duane Anderson, Eric M. Anderson, Fred A. Anderson, Marvin F. Anderson, R. L. Anderson, Willie Andersson, Allan Andersson, Karl Ivar Andrezejewskl, Paul Anguiz, Rosalino Anstadt, Edmund Antao, Sergio A.
Aoanan, Catalino C. Appenzeller, Werner Arango, Julio Araujo, Ruben A. Arbore, John M.
Arciga, Justlno Areniego, Clemente Armour, Robert C. Arnett, Douglas D. Arnott, Harry W. Arroyo, Arnulfo Ashby, Dennis N. Atiemoh, Henry Atkinson, George Attwood, Anthony C. Atzemis, D. C. Aufdengarten, B. C. Aveline, Andre R. J. Avila, Jose Avoletta, Raymundo Ayinla, Amasa Aylward, Kemmer S. Azcuy, Juan Baczynski, Francois Baeuerlein, John A. Bahus, Per Bajec, Ludwig Baker, Ernest W. Baker, Robert Lee Baker, Waldo C. (Jr.) Balboa, Renato Banda, Florentino Bangle, Aleck Banks, Thomas E. Barber, Carey W. Bareuther, Oskar Barker, Lester Barlaan, L. U. Barter, Per Henry Bartow, Albert L. Barr, John Edwin Barrera, Eleodoro Barrientos, Luis Barry, William L. Barth, Josef Bartja, William D. Bartl, Rupert Bartlett, Milton E. Bartrip, Trevor G. Bartzsch, Otto Barwell, Sidney G. Baswell, Macario B. Bateman, Roger Batul, Emilio M. Baud’huin, Robert Bauer, Enrico Bautista, Pedro C. Bautista, Wulberto Baxter, Donald E. Baxter, Lester E. Baxter, Wallace H. Bayonne, Augustin Beamont, Walter Beavor, Ernest E. Becerra, Jaime Beda, Louis R.
Belfiore, Salvatore Belflamme, A. H. J. Bellegante, Anthony Belokon, Nicholas Benavides, Manuel Benesch, Howard J. Bennett, Ernest S. Bennett, Ralph G. Bennett, Walter K. Benson, Raymond C. Bentley, Halliday Bentsen, F. T. Berg, Albert Berg, Lloyd Martin Bergersen, Willy Bernardino, T. P. Beukes, Petrus J. Bicknell, Ronald V. Bigler, Paul Bingham, Cecil L. Bittner, George G. Bivens, William A. Blaine, Ray Arnold Blalock, Charles W. Blane, Abner F. Blaney, John B, Blankson, John O. Blankson, Nee A. Blenman, Egbert E. Bluemel, Wilhelm R. Bockaert, Jean-Marie Bodinier, Joseph Boeckel, Dale R. Boer, Marinus W. de Bogard, Gerald J. Bogard, John Bolli, Eugene Bonno, Arthur Bons, Josef Booher, Phillip G. Booth, John C. Borchardt, Arthur L. Borglin, G. A. Goran Borre Hansen, Egon Borroto, Rolando Borys, Fred Bosompem, C. K. Botha, Joseph F. Bower, Arthur N. Bowman, David F. Boyd, Donald A. Braddy, Lindsay J. Bradley, David G. Bradley, Lester D. Brandt, Eugene R. Brandt, Richard H. Brandt, Roy Bravo, Orestes Breit, Frederick O. Brekke, Norman A. Brewer, Henry C. Bribina, N. A. Brillantes, M. Z. Brink, Karl R. Brisart, Nicolas Brissett, Henry L.
Britten, Eric Broad, Albert W. Brodie, Ralph Brodie, Roy Bromwich, N. C. Brown, Geoffrey W. Brown, Sidney J. Brown, Victor H. Bruton, John Gist Buchta, Egon Buck, Samuel D. Buckingham, G. Buckingham, J. F. F. Buenger, Philip Bull, William John Burczyk, Benno O. Burnett, Charles Burt, Donald H. Burt, Gaylord F. Burtch, Lloyd Byron Buschbeck, Guenter Butler, Jack Edwin Buttinelli, Leopoldo Cabral, Jacintho P. Callaway, Neal L. Calsbeck, Cornelius Campau, John L. Campbell, Merton V. Cantwell, Henry A. Cantwell, Jesse L. Cantwell, Russell D. Canty, Clyde Carl, Gotthold Carlson, Karl E. A. Carmichael, G. P. Carnie, William Carrasco, Ismael Carrbello, Peter R. Casola, Peter A. Castillo, Ramon Castro, Benito Catanzaro, Angelo A. Ceirano, Amado Chae, Soo-Wan Chapman, Percy Charles, Ellison Charlwood, Edmund Charuk, Michael Chavez, Heriberto Chavez, Rufino Chen, Ah Pang Chen, Chin Ting Chibvamushure, S. Chifuka, Elie Brown Chinyoni, Gibson Chipwaka, Muleba Chisaka, Ayton Chiseko, Edward Chitty, Ewart C. Chitty, Kenneth J. Chitundu, Peter Chivweka, Silas Chun, Young-Soon Chyke, Calvin M. Chynn, David W. Cialini, Giuseppe
Cimwaza, Lester Ctuffa, Francisco Ciuffi, Francesco Clare, Donald A. Clark, William K. Clarke, Cecil Percy Clay, Edgar Allan Clegg, Douglas G. Clep, Michel Clutterbuck, P. A. J. Cole, Janies Douglas Collier, Roland E. Collins, Boyd W. Combs, Hiram T. Conceicao, F. I. da Conley, Donald S. Constantinides, G. Conte, Anthony Cooke, John Roy Coonce, C. Harold Cora, Albert M. (Jr.) Costa, Jose I. (Jr.) Couch, George M. Couch, William D. Coultrup, Charles R. Coville, Allan S. Covington, H. C. Cowles, Paul J. Cowling, R. M. Cox, Donald G. Coysh, Eric G. A. Crichlow, B. F. (Jr.) Critti, Alfred Cruey, Carl David Cumming, Albert E. Curry, Vernon A. Cutforth, John A. Dakos, Dennis W.
Dalfsen, A. Z. G. van Daniel, Rabson Danley, Albert F. Danyleyko, Maxim Dargies, Paul Darko, Theodore A. Darko, William T. Datisman, Donald C. Daudo, Goodwin T. Davey, Oliver Lester Davis, James Walter Davis, Randall V. Deane, Eldon De Boer, Adrian DeCeeca, Giovanni Dehnbostel, Heinrich DeJulio, Robert G. Dell’Elice, Romolo Del Pino, Rogelio Del Rio, Juan Deninger, Orville E. Derderian, D. P. Detofolli, Jose E. DeVoe, J. M. (Jr.) De Wandel, George Diamond, Robert H. Dias, Gentil F.
Dias, Joao
Dickmann, Heinrich Dideriksen, Bent Didur, Alexander M. Didur, Thomas A. Diehl, Willi Dies, Harold James Dixon, Russell D’Mura, Peter Dobart, Edward Dominguez, R. Donaldson, Norman Donaldson, William Doncel, Roberto Donley, Carl T. Dooh Ngoh, Jean Doulis, Athanassios Douras, George Dowell, Roy Lee Drage, Ronald Drake, Grenville Droussiotis, Savvas Dryden, Wesley N. Dube, Meshack S. Duffield, Harry W. Dugan, Lester M. Duncombe, V. R. Duncombe, Yorke M. Dunlap, Edward A. Durllque, S. G. L. Duterte, Ulysses S. Dwenger, Heinrich Eames, Joseph R. Eaton, Andrew Kirk Ebel, LaVerne J. Eckley, Fred G. Eicher, Charles E. Elnschuetz, Willi Eisenhower, C. R. Ekitanie, Etim A. Eldridge, Francis R. Elliott, Ernest C. Elliott, George Elmer, Preben K. Eloranta, Vilho Emter, Ernst Eneroth, Johan H. Engelkamp, R. J. Engler, Paul H. Englund, Olle A. E. Eplscopo, Philip Erickson, R. R. Eriksson, Gustav A. Eriksson, Kurt H. Ernst, Donald E. Espadas, Hector Esparza, Pedro Estelmann, Otto Estepa, Alfredo Ewald, Klaus M. Fahie, Robert John Fajardo, Felix S. A. Fajardo, Manuel Fallick, Ronald C. Fanin, Fernando Farmer, Herbert J. Farneti, Walter
Fayad, Samir Feke, Preston B. Fekel, Charles John Felix, Eduardo F. Feller, Jules Ferreira, R. A. Fetzik, Harry A. Feuz, Gottfried Filson, James W. Filteau, Hector M. Fisch, Wilbert D. Fisher, Charles W. Flach, Fritz Fleischer, Pahl R. Flekal, Ferdinand Fletcher, John R. Fleury, Maurice W. Florentino, E. A. Flores, P. G. Foerster, Dietrich K. Foerster, Johannes Fogarty, H. M. C. Ford, Walter S. Franceschetti, R. Franck, Alvyn L. Franke, Konrad M. Franks, F. N.
Franz, Fred William Franz, Raymond V. Fredianelli, Bruno J. Fredianelli, George Friend, Maxwell G. Friend, Samuel B. Frost, Charles E. Frost, Erich Hugo Fry, John Searle Fujikura, Kazuro Funk, Ernest Furchtmann, Heinz Furrer, Werner C. Gabardo, Guy Gabert, Diethelm Gabrielidis, P. Galbreath, D. M. Gameng, L. G. Gamero, Jose T. Gangas, George D. Gannaway, K. N. Garcia, Adalberto Garcia, Gabriel Garcia, Humberto Garcia, Josue Garcia, Samuel Garrard, Gerald B. Garrett, Floyd F. Gaskin, Archibald S. Gates, James F.
Gatti, Piero Gavino, Pedro C. Gay, Vivyon Gee, George Geiger, Henri A. General, R. H. Geng, Karl George, Arnold E. George, Saleem Georges, Ronald K. German, Nicholas Gertz, Arthur Georg Geyer, Benjamin P. Gibb, George R. W. Gibbard, John Gibbon, James (Sr.) Gibbons, James E. Gibson, Stephen D. Gielenfeldt, D. C. Giffin, Bruce E. Gilks, Walter R. Gilmore, Edmund J. Gilmore, T. H. (Jr.) Glaeser, Kurt Glass, Ulysses V. Giendining, C. C. Gloria, Gorgonio C. Goebel. Ludwig H. Goff, Cecil Joseph Goffi, Nazareno Goings, Chester Gonzales, Toney P. Gonzalez, Ramon M. Gooch, Wilfred Good, Harry C. Goodwin, Neil V. V. Gorra, Joseph Tofy Gosden, Percy Gott, Robert Elwin Gough, Robert Goux, Arthur R. Govea, Ruben Gowero, Daston Graham, Allen L. Grahn, Rune Gray, John Gray, S. W. (Jr.) Green, Kenneth A. Greenlees, Leo K. Greis, Bernhard Grencer, Andrew Griesinger, T. A. Griffin, Oran Lynn Grlica, Peter Grogg, Harold Lee Groh, John Otto Grover, Erwin A. Gruetter, Max Guerrero, C. M. Guest, Douglas A. J. Guiver, Ernest J. Gumbo, Stainer E. Gumede, Jeremiah Gunther, Charles D. Gustafsson, Lars M. Hachtel, Floyd H. Haegele, Karl Hagen, Roar A. Hagensen, L. K. Haigh, Joseph H. Hall, Raymond G. Hamilton, Milton R. Hamilton, W. C.
Hammer, Paul Haney, Arthur
Hankins, Robert J, Hannan, George E. Hannan, William T. Hanni, Fritz Hansen, Hugo Bogh Hansen, Julius Hanson, Bengt Olof Hansson, Karl G. Harbeck, Martin C. Hargis, Calvin Harman, Dennis A. Harper, Eric T. Harris, Harley R. Harrop, Stuart A. Harteva, Kaarle A. Hartlief, Markus Hartmann, Manfred Hartstang, F. Harvey, F. E. Hatton, W. A. C. Hatzfeld, Robert H. Hau, Aage Hauck, Otto Haupt, Dean Havlin, Paul D. Hawkins, Alonzo Heard, Franklin M. Hector, William E. Heiner, Horst Heiberg, Leonard C. Held, Douglas Ede Helstrom, Daniel N. Henderson, R. N. Henry, Charles V. Henry, Herbert T. Henschel, H. G. Henschel, Milton G. Herms, Juergen Hernandez, Felipe Hernandez, H. Hernandez, Pedro Hernandez, Ruben Herrera, Hector Herrera, Juan Hershey, Monsell Hess, Laverne E. Heuse, E. C. (Jr.) Heuwieser, Manfred Hewson, Arthur D. Heyward, Joseph Hibbard, Orin J. Hlbshman, David Z. Hilborn, Howard M. Hinderer, James A. Hinkle, Dwight D. Hodgson, O. J. M. Hoffmann, F. C. S. Hogberg, Paul Holien, Marvin L. Hollender, Loy D. Holmes, Calvin H. Holms, Robert A. Holnbeck, R. A.
Holz, Kurt Homolka, Charles P, Hooper, Edmund W.
Hopkinson, Denton Hopley, Alfred Hopley, Randall Hoppe, Karl Horton, Bert Hosie, Douglas M. Hoskins, Hayes Houston, Joseph M. Hove, Clrlndo W. Howard, J. C. (Jr.) Howze, Weldon L. Huber, Emil Hughes, Alfred P. Hughes, Gwaenydd Hunlck, Hollister A. Hunter, Wayne Husby, Kjell Georg Hutchinson, R. E. Hutchison, M. F. Hutchison, Neil U. Ibanez, Orestes Ibanga, John J. Idowu, T. A. Idreos, Plato Ihrlg, Elmer Carl Ilebiyl, Benjamin J. Ileogben, John O. E. Ingold, Reeves D, Insberg, Ans Inzunza, Trinidad Ishii, Seiji Itty, V. C.
Jack, Andrew Jacka, Ronald N. Jackson, Harold K. Jackson, William K. Jakobsen, Egon Jalandoon, M. J, Jandura, John R. Jaracz, Theodore Jarquin, Maximino Jarzyna, Edwin S. Jason, John Jenkins, George Jennings, Herbert Jensen, Bent H. Jensen, Bertran Jensen, Hermod Jensen, Klaus M. Jensen, Svend A. Jensen, Svend E. Jlya, Rankin Johannessen, Preben Johansen, John Johansen, Svein Johansson, Erik V. Johansson, Jerker A. Johansson, Lars Ove Johansson, Sven G. John, Seth John, Wilfred H. Johnson, C. E. (Jr.) Johnson, Curtis K, Johnson, David P. Johnson, George A. Johnson, Harry A. Johnson, Joseph H. Johnson, Lennart A. Johnson, Verville G. Johnson, Wayne L. Johnson, William D. Johnston, Dennis Johnston, Paul E. Johnstone, Alan C. Jones, Charles Jones, David Gus Jones, Mack Callies Jones, Stanley E. Jones. Thomas R. Jontes, Leopold F. Jorgensen, F. J. Joseph, A. J. Judge, Benson Kachepa, Potipher Kadzalero, J. D. Kalaj, Arnold P. Kalekesha, Sosala Kaliande, Wenstone Kalle, Rudolph Kallio, Leo Donatus Kaminaris, M. E. Kamm, Albert Kangale, A. K. T. Kankaanpaa, E. J. Kankaanpaa, T. J. Kapindula, Gray Kapinlnga, Fermson Kaptein, Maarten Karamalis, N. C. Karanassios, Peter Karanassios, S. Karkanes, V. C. Katantha, Z. M. Kattner, Erich Kawasaki, Robert K. Kays, Harry Isaac Keeble, Melford G. Keen, Grant Street Kehinde, S. A. O. Kellaris, A. N. Kelsey, Richard E. Kennedy, Edgar C. Kerasinis, C.
Khanyanga, Faston Khumalo, Owen Kibezi, Jacob Killian, David R. Kim, Jang-Soo Kim, Sung-Kon Kinaschuk, E. H. King, Gordon D. King, Harold G. Kirk, Robert W. Kirksey, Curtis E. Kejellberg, Gustaf Klein, Karl F. Kleinke, G. W. R. Klenk, Hans Klinck, Walter E. Knecht, Rudolf Knoch, Ray W. Knorr, Nathan H.
Knott, Wayne M. Koerber, Anton Kolar, M. M. (Jr.) Konstanty, Willi Kovacic, Richard Kovalak, N. (Jr.) Kraker, Simon Kramer, Carl F. Kraushaar, L. Krebs, Donald R. Kretschmer, Horst Kriefall, Edwin W. Krieger, Cecil E. Kristoffersen, Bent Krivulka, Daniel L. Krochmal, Chester Kronvold, Kurt V. Kroschewski, Leo Krueger, Walter Kruijft, A. D. de Krzyzanowski, M. Kuenz, Guenter Kugler, Lothar Kugler, Otto Kuhn, Kurt M. Kuhn, Wenzel Kulkys, Albertas Kultoniak, Jean Kumbanylwa, J. Kunze, Wilhelm Kuokkanen, R. O. Kurkutas, P.
Kurzen, J. G. (Jr.) Kurzen, Russell W. Kushnir, John Kushnir, Paul Kusiak, Michal Kutch, John A. KuwazA. M. M. Kwakye, Alfred B. Kyllonen, Kalevi Lacson, D. P. Laguna, Andrew Lamb, Warren L. Lamp, William Lang, Julius Lange, Gerhard Langley, James T. L.angley, Roy W. La Pastina, F. A. Larsen, Jorgen Larson, Jorgen H. Larson, Max Harry Lash, Dale E. Lastima, Geronimo Lategano, C. J. Latimer, William A. Latyn, Mike Frank Laukkanen, H. U. Laurldsen, Soren K. Leach, Raymond B. Learned, Alvin E. Leathco, Charles D. Lebid, Michael Leech, Dennis Leffler, Ralph H.
Lehky, Ladislav V. Lelbensperger, C. F. Lemos, Delfino A. Lentz, N. A. F. Leone, Louis A. Leoppky, Stanley P. Leroy, Marceau Lester, Cornelius Letonja, Anton Levering, Walter Lewinson, B. A. A. Lewis, David U. Liang, Fu-Lone Lietzke, Georg Lietzke, Joachim Lietzke, Wilhelm E. Lin, Kun Sheng Lin, Yee Yia Lindem, Ralph T. L.inden, David W. Linder, Emil Lindsay, Ludwell M. Linton, James S. Lisiak, Adam Lisle, Jack L. (Jr.) Littau, Harold A. Little, Kenneth A. Liwag, Salvador A. Lopez, Bartolo Lopez, Samson L. Lovato, Pedro Lovinger, Royal P. Lowe, Russell A. Lozano, Rodolfo S. Lu, Lorrln K.
Lubeck, Joseph Ludwig, Albert Lukuc, Fred Lundgren, H. B. Lunkenheimer, O. Luts, John Luz, Geraldo P. da Lyambela, Solomon Mabilat, Guy MacAulay, Daniel F. Macdonald, Oliver A. Machado, Wilson B. Mackey, Weldon MacLean, Donald H. Macmillan, A. H. MacNamara, A. W. MacPherson, J. £•’. Maday, Caesar W. Madden, Patrick C. Madsen, Harald Madsen, Kaj Fog Mafambana, A. Magni, Nicola Maguetas, M. da C. Mahecani, Cornelius Mahlangu, Adam Mais, Montague Makayi, Esiraeri Makela, Otto Makhato, Felton K. Makumba, S. L.
Malaspina, Frank D. Malas sab, Irineo B. Maldonado, Aurelio Mama, E. M. K.
Mampouya, Simon Manera, A. C. (Jr.) Manfredi, Elmer L. Manjoni, Jones Mann, Albert H. Manns, Warren H. Mansavage, Victor Mansilungan, A. D, Manussakis, Titus Manyochi, Robin Maphuta, E. P. Marcy, Victor L. Marechera, Jeremiah Markus, John F. Marlot, Edouard Marquez, Juan M. Martikkala, Emil A. Martin, Douglas W. Martin, Stredic A. Martinez, Antonio Martins, Ramiro Martinsen, Kjell Martinsen, M. Masanga, Elijah Mase, Samuel Mashazi, Helvie M. Mashele, W. S. Mason, Benjamin B. Masondo, Andrew Matare, James Matawanylka, Nesbet MathenjwA. M. R. J. Mathes, Harlan C. Mathew, Karote T. Mathiesen, Andreas Matthews, Arthur E. Matthews, Dennis J. Matya, Wilford L. Maxwell, Ivan L. Mayer, William E. Mayo, Jorge Mbock, Pierre McBrine, John W. McDonald, Alan W. McDonald, Denis N. McGregor, Lorne McInnis, William McKay, Homer K. McKee, Burleigh F. McKee, Charles M. McKinney, N. H. McLellan, Neil McLellan, William McLemore, Lester L. McLenachan, John Medina, Guillermo Melegrito, Catalino Melin, Alf Gabriel Mendoza, Marlo A. Meng, Charles J. Merry, David G. Meszaros, Steve J.
Meyer, Heinrich Mhlongo, Joshua P. Michalopulos, John Miles, John Calvert Miller, Grant Dallas Miller, Harley E.
Miller, Milan James Miller, N. T. (Jr.) Miller, Raymond C. Milliken, F. H. Mills, Donald M. Mills, Evanson J. Mills, John J. (Jr.) Mills, Woodworth E. Misterfeld, Carl S. Mitrega, Peter Mkhwanazi, W. G. Mock, Russell V. Mokowe, Richard Molohan, Charles V, Molohan, F. Jerry Mora, Jose Moran, Farah Moreton, Ernest V. Morgan, George E. Morgan, Roger Lee Morrison, Donald J. Mortlock, Albert A. Morton, John C.
Moser, Earl Andrew Mouritz, Douglas L. Mozo, Adrian Mpange, William Mphezulo, Joel M’Poumpiel, Ernest Msinga, Bernard Mukaronda, Nason Muller, Bohumil Muller, C. F.
Muller, Emile Mundell, James S. Muniz, Juan Munoz, Alvaro Munsterman, D. R. Murcia, Luis Musandinane, A. Muscarlello, Blosco Mussio, Otavio Mutale, John Muurainen, Eero M. Mvelley, Samson Mwango, James L. Mwene, Dixon Mwenya, W.
Mzanga, Emmas B. Nathan, Jack H. Ndumo, Solomon Nedd, Zephrine O. Nel, Gerhardus C. Nelson, Eric Einar Nervo, Toivo Israel Neuenschwander, H. Neumeister, Erwin Nevar, Nick Newcomb, Clarence Newman, Alfred W. Newton, Robert D. Nielsen, Aage M. Nielsen, Arne S. Nielsen, George W. Niemi, Veikko J. Nilsson, Bbrje Nilsson, Gerhard Nironen, Eero Nkablnde. Stanley Nkume, M. O. Nogaj, Edmond Nonkes, Goitze Nonkes, William H. Nordin, Kenneth H. Nordstrom, Erik North, Philip A. Noseworthy, E. A. Nsomba, Trophim Ntande, Raventi E. Ntentha, Wales Nti, Kofi Nunez, Jesus Nyamujarah, F. A. Nylen, Roland F. Obadan, Gabriel O. Obarah, Peter Ono Obiebi, Clifford Sinl Obot, Edet Nsa Obrist, Paul Oertel, Henry Carl Ogosl, Z. S.
Ojie, Ashadi Ojoh, Isaac A. Ok, Yei-Joon Okerezi, Agwu Ono Okunniwa, T.
Ole, Kalu Onuma Olih, Albert N. Olipaz, B. de V. Ollvar, Vicente G. Olofsson, Inge E. Olson, David A. Olson, John H. Oltmanns, Gerhard Omavuayenor, J. A. O’Neill, Dunstan J. Oniyide, Timothy O. Opara, Samuel W, Opitz, Gerhard Opong, Kofi Oshunloye, Simon A. Osueke, Benjamin Ott, Carlos Owen, Donald O. Owens, Daniel J. Oyeniyi, James O. Oyewole, Ladipo Paclfici, Luigi Paixao, Agenor da Pallari, Vaino J. Palliser, Peter S. Pantas, Pacifico E. Papageorge, D. Papargyropoulos, A. Papyros, Phoevos C. Park, Chong-Il
Park, Li-Kyun Parkin, Ronald J. Parr, Glynn Passlow, Mervyn H. Pate, Arden Pawils, Guenter Peace, Clayton L. Pearce, Eric A. Pearson, Vernon L. Peloyan, A. Harry Peltonen, Aarne I. Pena, Jose Pena, Ramon Penda, Martin Perez, Santos Perholtz, Michael Perkins, Keith E. Perry, Graham A. Perry, John Alves Perttula, Erkki Peter, Egon K. Peters, August H. Peters, Raymond W. Peterson, William Petrowski, Paul Pfltzmann, Martin Phillips, George R. Phillips, William E. Phlri, Smart N. Photinos, Peter Piccone, D. A. Piet, Gerrit J. Piispa, Veijo B. M. Pinder, Jack Pinheiro, Noel Pittman, Edward D. Pizzimenti, F.
Platt, Frank Gordon Pletscher, Reinhard Ploettner, Reinhold Plumhoff, Fred H. Plumhoff, Sidney H. Plummer, Lee R. Poetzinger, Martin Pohl, Will Charles Pomo, Gideon Porter, Robert Earl Powers, Jack D. Powley, Arthur Pramberg, Jack Price, Alan Prighen, Matthew O. Prisi, Jean-Louis Prosser, Calvin S. Pulver, Harold M. Puster, Robert W. Pysh, Elmer Quilter, Roy Stuart Quintanilla, Jose Rachuba, Erich Rajalehto, Raimo J. Ramirez, Pedro Randall, Charles A. Rann, George A. Raper, Archie V. Raseboka, P. J. W.
Rasmussen, C. M. Rasmussen, Hugo N. Rasmussen, J. E. F. Rawirl, Rudolph W. Rawls, John W. Reano, Pablo Reaves, Gerald J. Redford, Jack D. Reed, Charles H. Reed, Kenneth M. Rees, Philip D. M. Reijntjes, W. C. Reimann, Karl Reiter, Ferdinand Renoldner, John Renton, John (Jr.) Repo, Veikko O. Resuello, Daniel C. Reusch, Lyle Elvem Reuter, Georg Reyes, Jacinto Reyes, Martin Ribeiro, Pedro R. Rice, Usher Lee Richardson, C. E. Richardson, N. (Jr.) Rico, Luis Ridenour, Roger L. Rieger, Charles W. Riemer, Hugo H. Rimmi, Pentti H. Ripley, Stephen Ritokoski, Vaino I. Ritt, Horst Robbins, James C. Robison, Corwin A. Rocha, Antonio A. Rodriguez, Gonzalo Roe, Wendell P. Roesner, Ted Roy Rohrer, Arnold Rojas, Hector Romano, Joseph A, Rombe, Isaac Ronco, Philip G. Rooy, Pieter C. de Rosam, E. D. (Jr.) Roschkowskl, Heinz Rose, Gerald Stanley Rose, John Darryl Rose, Raymond R. Ross, Gerald V. Ross-Jensen, W. R. Rubio, R. M.
Rudtke, Wilfried Ruggero, Kenneth A. Ruggim, Arnaldo Ruggles, Paul R. Ruiz, Alvaro Ruiz, Erasmus Rundel, Juergen Rusk, Fred (Jr.) Russenberger, Hans Ruth, Wilmer Besco Ryan, Roy Ansil Saia, Joseph
Sainthill, E. C. (Jr.) Sakatos, R. G.
Salango, Felix C. Salavaara, Kalle Salih, Natheer Salinas, Adulfo Sallis, Gilbert W. Salonen, Antti U. Salvatierra, W. C. Samayoa, Armando Samuelsen, Kare Sanchez, Leonardo Sanchez, Octavio Sanchez, Renato Sandeen, Harold P. Sandner, Max Sansom, Robert D. Santone, Antonio Santos, A. J. dos Santos, Januario B. Santos, Roberto Sarakin, Charles W. Saturnino, A. B. Saumur, Laurier Savoy, Kenneth R. Sawalich, Howard S. Scaglione, Joseph Scharner, Josef Schaumburg, S. Scheibner, Erwin Scheider, Wilhelm Schemmel, Jose N. Schlumpf, Walter Schmidt, John J. Schnabl, Alfred H. Schneider, Gottlieb Schoenfeldt, Helmut Scholz, Joachim Schroeder, Albert D. Schuette, Werner Schuetz, Hermann Schuler, Gerald J. Schultz, Reinhard Sciascia, Frank W. Scurti, Bruno Seabra, Antonio Secord, Arthur H. Seegelken, G. D. Segal, Marlo I. Seignobos, Jean E. Seiji, William van Seitz, Hans-Werner Sekela, Vasil Selby, Douglas W. Serrano, Bruno Sewell, John E. Shakhashiri, G. J. Shalkoskl, H. E. Shawver, Windell G. Sheldon, Charles C. Sherman, C. O. (Jr.) Shuter, Sidney A. Shyers, George F. Sibiya, John E.
Sibrey, David Siemens, Allan B.
Signell, Kenneth A. Silva, Carl Silva, Fabio Celso Silva, Jose Rollm Silva, Jose R. da Simcox, James E. Simpkins, William J. Simpson, James J. Sinaali, Mukosiku Sinclair, David G. Singer, Earl V. Siolkowski, John Sioras, John Peter Skalecki, Antoine Skinner, Francis E. Sklavounos, T.
Slik, Henry-Small, Albert E. Smilnak, Michael Smith, Keith Neville Smith, Leonard E. Smith, Louis D. Smith, Raymond H. Smith, Stephen Smith, Thomas E. Snider, Donald N. Snow, Frederick W. Snyder, Ralph L. Sondermann, G.
Sosa, Filemon Sosa, Reynerio Sotiriou, Michael C. Souza, Josias Souza, Mario R. de Sowell, Arthur F. Spacil, Frank Spangenberg, W. Sparks, Ronald A. Spear, Frank W. Spence, Silbert E. Spilling, Barry J. Spotta, Karl Staff, Eugene T. Stallard, Esel D. Statton, Clare Edsal Stebbins. Keith W. Steele, Charles A. Steele, Donald L. Stegenga, Dirk J. Steinemann, Hugo Steiner, James Burt Stephen, Eliya Stepien, Erwin Sterke, Frederik de Stevenson, Paul M. Stewart, Albert O. Stitz, Clarence V. Stoermer, C. A.
Stokes, Alan Stanley-Stone, Roscoe A.
Stoute, Arnold T. Strand, Roy Ivar Strandberg, John R. Streit, Walter
Stuefloten, John W. Stuhlmiller, Alois Suess, Oscar F. Sugiura, Isamu Suikkonen, Rauni J. Suiter, Grant Sullivan, Thomas J. Sunal, Rudolph Sutherland, John P. Svantesson, Erik Svennback, A. G. Svensson, Allan Svensson, Curt Svensson, Hugo Swader, Robert E. Swingle, Lyman A. Sydlik, Daniel Sypsas, Athanassios Szewczyk, Heinz J. Szumiga, Marian Szymczak, Daniel Tabios, Julio M. Tabios, Santos M. Taffs, Siegfried R. Taggueg, Percy Tanare, Diosdado M. Taylor, John E. Taylor, W. Richard Templeton, R. R. Terry, Roger L. Teubner, Titus Tharp, Alexander E. Thieme, Guenter Thomas, David J. Thomas, Fritz Hans Thomas, Owen Thomas, William R. Thompson, A. deL. Thompson, J. (Jr.) Thompson, M. F. Thongoana, J. S. Thunberg, Curt L. Tiainen, Matti K. Tiolo, Jonas Toikka, Esko Tapio Tolenaar, J. H. D. Tolentino, G. G. Tomlanovlch, J. R. Torres, Edward W. Toth, Frank Joseph Touveron, P. M. J. Tovar, Juan Townsend, Keith S. Tracy, Frederick A. Tracy, Robert N. Tracy, William A. Trapp, H. Daniel Trost, John Donald Trost, Peter Ronald Truman, Ivan W. Tseckalis, Vassilios Tuazon, I. D. Tubini, Giuseppe Tuendemann, S. B.
Tumia, Miehele Turnbull, Douglas Turner, Lawrence Turner, Lowell L. Turpin, Walter E. Tymkovich, Ed W. Udoh, Reuben A. Uhlig, Guenter Ulrich, Clarence Umek, Bernard Uwaeme, Dick O. E. Uzomaka, N. C. Vainikainen, A. M. Valentino, Luiggi D. Valerio, Nazario Van Assel, Karel Van Daalen, Emil H. Van Der Bijl, G. N. Vanderhaegen, P. J. Van Ike, Donald G. Van Slpma, S. M. Van Zee, Fred Post Vazquez, Manuel Veenstra, William Veesenmeyer, Alfred Velasco, Arnulfo Ventura, Felipe P. Vera, Luis Vergara, A. G. Versari, Sergio Vigo, Malcolm J. Visser, Melis S. G. Voigt, Walter E. Vorster, Jacob R. Wagner, Andrew K. Wagner, Ludwig Wakefield, W. H. Walden, William C. Walker, A. Vallan Walker, James R.
Wall, Levi Wallen, Robert W. Wallis, W. A. N. Walters, Gilbert T. Walters, Ronald J. Wandres, Albert Ward, Donald E. Wargo, Michelle Warlenchuck, G. A. Washington, A. W. Wauer, Ernst Waziwadi, Jaison Weber, Jean Webster, James O. Weckstrom, Erik A. Weidner, Harold J. Weigel, John Allen Weining, C. H. Wenas, Max H.
Wenek, Geremias Wengert, Joseph Wentzel, Petrus J. Werden, Claude H. Wesley, John Basil Wesley, Nicolas West, Keith S. West, Therlo Henry Wetzler, H. D. (Jr.) Wheeler, James S. Wheelock, R. C. Wiberg, Carl Emil Wichtermann, K.-H. Wicke, Alfred Emil Widen, Jan Billy Wiedenmann, David Wiegel, Arthur Wiegersma, Aalzen Wieland, Edward W. Wihlborg, Ingvar Wijngaarden, J. van Wildman, Lewis A. Willhite, Lovell G. Williams, Charles F. Williams, Frank Tai Williams, Harry R. Williams, John E. Williams, John H. Williamson, Otu G. Wilson, Ennis R. Wilson, Frederick J.
Wilson, J. L. (Jr.) Wilson, John Alfred Wilson, Smith Winberg, Arne Winkler, Robert A. Wischuck, John N. Wisegarver, V. C. Wissman, Walter R. Wong, Arthur Chong Wood, Eden R. Woodburn, Martin Woodworth, H. P. Woodworth, W. E. Woody, Charles Worsley, Arthur A. Wosu, Amos Anucha Wozniak, Andre Wright, W. H.
Wrobel, Paul Wulle, Otto Wuttke, Richard Wynes, Emlyn Wynn, John Alfred Yaremchuk, William Yates, Allan John Yeatts, Hugh M.
Yeatts, Lowell K. Yeatts, Thomas R. Yeatts, William R. Yllera, Fred S.
Yoram, Kenneth Young, Charles W.
Young, Gordon Keith
Young, R. G. (Sr.) Young, William L. Yuchniewicz, S. S. Zachariades, John Zakian, Arthur S. Zarate, Roberto Zedi, Ernst Zeller, Horst Zenke, Howard W. Zettel, Gerhard Zielinski, Alfred Zilke, Otto Ziwawo, Delson Zondo, James H. Zondo, Welcome Zook, Aquilla B. Zoumbos, Lambros Zuercher, Franz Zyto, Casimiro
WATCHTOWER BIBLE SCHOOL OF GILEAD
The Watchtower Bible School of Gilead opened its 36th class in beautiful, new and spacious quarters at 107 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, on Monday, February 6, 1961. On that day there were enrolled 101 students, representing 45 lands. The registration showed this student body to be a very mature group. The average age of the students was thirty-three years and the average number of years that each had been in the truth was twelve. All these students were specially selected by the Society and called from these many lands to take up this new and expanded ten-month course. A number of the students from foreign countries arrived six to eight weeks in advance of the opening of the school because they needed some help in getting an understanding of English. Special English classes were arranged for and instruction was given all day and on into the evening. Different members of the Bethel family assisted in this English course in the evenings after their regular working hours so as to aid these brothers to understand different voices and get acquainted with different pronunciations. These students who were a bitweak in their understanding and speaking of the English language were very grateful for this additional help before school opened.
It has been a real joy to the Bethel family in Brooklyn to have the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead now situated in its new headquarters, and the students of Gilead, being in this new location, can be better trained for the purposes the Society has in mind for their future service. The registrar of the school gives us this report on the 36th class, the first one in its new location in Brooklyn.
Brother Knorr’s welcoming address, delivered in the school lecture room, described the purpose of the school, giving helpful counsel and a preview of some of the things ahead. As the students, in groups of twenty-five, proceeded to the four classrooms, Bibles and other textbooks were given out, along with explanation of the courses by the instructors, and assignments were made for recitation the next day.
Monday evening provided a stimulating and enjoyable session in the Bethel Kingdom Hall. After the regular Bethel Watchtower study was concluded, Brother Knorr called on the students to introduce themselves to the Bethel family. Many wore their colorful native costumes as they came to the platform and stated their names and home countries, and one representing each of the forty-five countries related an experience from his native land. The family expressed keen interest in these accounts of Jehovah’s blessing and protection of his people wherever they may be in the earth. This introductory session proved to be relaxing, as all now felt acquainted and completely at home in their new surroundings.
The enlarged ten-month course is designed to give training for organizational work in the Society’s branch offices and printing plants in various parts of the earth; also for supervising the field ministry, organizing congregations and giving personal training to the brothers in these congregations. Some of those attending the school will serve as missionaries, opening up new fields for the preaching of the good news and expanding the activities of Jehovah’s witnesses, especially in countries where there is much territory not yet reached by the Kingdom message.
The school’s educational program is divided into four general categories: doctrinal, organizational, field ministry and history. (1) Doctrinal courses consist of a complete study of the Bible, verse by verse. This is an interpretative study and a consideration of the application of Bible principles to Christian living. A course in Basic Bible Teachings provides a study of the fundamental Bible doctrines and Christian principles, to equip the minister to teach and to apply these principles and inculcate them in others. Much research is required in these courses, concentrating on the Watchtower bound volumes and the Society’s other publications. (2) The organizational courses entitled Branch Organization, Factory Operation, Fundamentals of Business Law and Supervising the Ministry consist of intensive training in branch office and factory operation. The study of these things is accompanied by practical application, student groups being taken on guided tours of the home and factory. Experienced ones working in these departments give small groups explanations and demonstrations of the work being done. The operation of the Society’s branch offices, with office supervision of districts, circuits, congregations and pioneers, factory production and care of Bethel homes are taught. (3) The section devoted to field ministry concentrates on the activity of the individual minister preaching the good news of the Kingdom from house to house, calling back on interested persons and conducting Bible studies. Planning and preparation of congregation meetings, effective speaking, conducting of demonstrations and the various congregation studies and the training of individual ministers are considered. (4) In the section of the curriculum devoted to history the courses are entitled History of Religion and History in the Light of the Bible. Here a consideration of the history of the religions of the earth is made, with emphasis on true religion. A study is made of world history as it touches upon Bible events and Bible lands and as these things have affected God’s people through the ages.
It has been found to be very profitable to have the school located at the Society’s headquarters, where close supervision can be given and where the benefit of the maturity and experience of those at headquarters can be gained by the students. These experienced ones give many of the school’s daily lectures, covering their respective fields of activity.
When not in school the students care for assigned duties in the Bethel home, office or factory. Firsthand instruction and practice can thus be given as the Bethel brothers become teachers, instructing the students in actually doing the work as developed by the Society through many years’ experience.
Each student also gets opportunity to apply the ministerial training of the school in actual field ministry, as all are assigned to work with one of the 15 (of the 113) New York congregations nearest the school. The interchange of encouragement is greatly appreciated by both students and brothers in New York city’s congregations as they attend the meetings and engage in weekend field activity together.
The students have made many expressions of appreciation for the fine facilities that the Society has provided for the school. To add to their practical training and to increase their powers of observation, special supervised tours, about once a month, are arranged. Small groups under the guidance of members of the Bethel family visit educational institutions and places in New York city, such as museums, aquariums, botanical gardens and the UN headquarters. Afterward, written reviews are given on these tours.
On October 2, two months before the end of the school term, the Society’s president announced that, while most of the students would be returning to their home countries, there were a few other places where a special need exists and that he had prepared written invitations for some to fill these places. As each student waited in keen anticipation, invitations to assignments in fifty-three lands were handed out. With this added impetus, all are joyfully looking forward to applying the good things learned to increase the praise to Jehovah’s name and to strengthen the brothers in whatever part of the earth they are assigned.
KINGDOM MINISTRY SCHOOL
In this very busy world an overseer in the congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses must be a man who can organize his life so as to give the proper attention to all in the congregation and be a blessing to them. At the same time he cannot be a man who ignores his own family in favor of the congregation, but he must use the spirit of a sound mind. What a wonderful opportunity has been afforded the congregation servants throughout the world of coming together at the Kingdom Ministry School to get a training that will help them to do just what the Bible says an overseer should be able to accomplish! Paul, talking to Timothy about overseers, said that an overseer should be “irreprehensible, a husband of one wife, moderate in habits, sound in mind, orderly, hospitable, qualified to teach, . . . reasonable, not belligerent, not a lover of money, a man presiding over his own household in a fine manner, having children in subjection with all seriousness; (if indeed any man does not know how to preside over his own household, how will he take care of God’s congregation?).” He must be “a lover of goodness, sound in mind, righteous, loyal, self-controlled, holding firmly to the faithful word as respects his art of teaching, that he may be able both to exhort by the teaching that is healthful and to reprove those who contradict.”-—1 Tim. 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.
Just imagine sitting down for four weeks and studying with an able teacher about all these different qualities an overseer should have! To this end the Kingdom Ministry School has proved most profitable, and during the last service year 918 brothers, both overseers and some special pioneers, and 78 special-pioneer sisters have received this training in the United States. That means a total of 996 have gone through the Kingdom Ministry School at Kingdom Farm in South Lansing, New York, in the last twelve months.
In addition to this, hundreds of other overseers have gone through the Kingdom Ministry Schools that the Society has established at branch offices and at other places throughout the world to aid the overseers to appreciate their responsibilities better and to show them how to organize their daily routine so as to be a greater blessing to the congregations.
One of the features of the United Worshipers Assembly was an hour-long report on the Kingdom Ministry School and its purpose. This program was put on at every one of the assemblies, and it was greatly appreciated by those overseers that already had gone through school and those who are anticipating it. Many of the letters received at the various schools and at the president’s office report on how much the students have benefited from the school. One writes: “Many are my memories, but those fondest will always be of the happy month I was privileged to spend at the Kingdom Ministry School. I am very grateful and appreciative and I am sure that all of us came away from the school with at least one lesson deeply embedded in our minds for the fine, excellent example set before us. That lesson was love. It is helping greatly.” Another writes: “We desire to say that the congregation here has already felt the effects of the training given our overseer as we are already experiencing better meetings, better ministerial service in the field, as well as all of us individually being enthused to improve our service to Jehovah.”
One brother in Italy who qualified to be an overseer, but was not the congregation servant in the city where lie was working, asked to be sent to where the need was great in another town where the congregation needed a capable man as a congregation servant. He was so anxious to go to the Kingdom Ministry School to get the training and to use it for the blessing of people that he was ready to move into a territory where the brothers and sisters needed an overseer to take the lead in the work.
It has been a real joy to see how the congregation servants throughout the whole world have arranged their affairs at home and with their employers to get to this school so that they might be better qualified for their most important job, as an overseer and ordained minister in the congregation.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Peak Publishers: 278,131 Population: 178,464,236 Ratio: 1 to 653
The 1961 service year in the United States was climaxed by the sixth United Worshipers District Assembly. From the end of June and during July and August, in many parts of the country the publishers of the Kingdom good news were able to use the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, and this proved to be a delight to all these ordained ministers of God. The use of this translation of the Bible in the field is bringing much joy to all the publishers.
There was a fine increase in the number of publishers in the United States over the previous year. While the increase for the 1960 service year was 5 percent, the United States enjoyed a 7-per-cent increase during the 1961 service year. It is believed that the good counsel of the United Worshipers Assembly program for all the brothers throughout the land and the reorganization of the work as far as the circuits are concerned will have a very telling effect upon the congregations and the witness to be given in the United States during the 1962 service year. After all the circuit servants and district servants in the United States went through a special course at headquarters, it was believed advisable to have the circuit servants visit the congregations once every four months instead of twice a year. Putting this arrangement into effect increased the number of circuits in the United States from 204 to 257. It is hoped that with the more frequent visits by the circuit servants to the congregations more of these congregations will be able to attain a 10-percent increase during the 1962 service year. Right now there are 4,333 congregations in the United States under the jurisdiction of the Brooklyn branch office, and it is a joy to see that the publishers as a whole in these congregations have put in more hours preaching the good news of the Kingdom than at any time before, but the average hours per publisher dropped again, to 9.3. This is the second time in the last six years that the publishers in the United States have been under an average of ten hours. It is hoped that during the 1962 service year all the congregation publishers will strive again for the ten-hour average and better, which they did during the years 1956-1959 inclusive. If this can be accomplished it will mean, by Jehovah’s undeserved kindness, the greatest witness ever given in the United States in one year’s time. It is our prayer that each one will courageously press forward in preaching the good news of God’s kingdom everywhere.
Many very heartwarming experiences have been
reported to the office, and a few of these are set forth by the branch servant for our enjoyment.
From beginning to end the 1961 service year was filled with vigorous and rewarding work. The thrilling special issue of Awake! on “The Catholic Church in the 20th Century” stirred excitement all over the country. Hundreds of telegrams, special-delivery letters and phone calls were received asking for additional magazines. A total of 4,973,374 magazines was placed in October, which was 1,285,714 more than for the previous October.
Being alert to contact all possible householders results in blessings. Writes a pioneer, “While in the magazine service on Saturday I knocked on a door but received no answer. Hearing children inside, I decided to go to the back door. A young woman greeted me, readily took the magazines, stating she had read them before and liked them. I made arrangements for a back-call the next week, at which time I placed the Paradise book and started a study. We have been studying since June, and she is now a weekly publisher and regular meeting attender. Her husband, who opposed at first, has seen such a change in her that he has begun studying and is enjoying what he is learning. He recently said, ‘How happy I am you came to the back door.’ ”
One circuit servant wrote, “I called on an inactive, dedicated couple and found them still loving the truth, but they just could not get going. I found that when they took their stand for the truth they had only been helped halfway through ‘Let God Be True.’ A study was started with them. On the next visit it was a joy to see this inactive brother on the service meeting program, and during the week he and his wife worked with me and took me on their own home Bible studies.”
One pioneer found an inactive publisher to be fearful of going from house to house. To build her up, arrangements were made for a personal study. After a few studies she was invited to attend the meetings and then to go along to another study the pioneer conducted. Next, on back-calls and then on not-at-homes between back-calls. Four months from the time she was contacted she was attending all meetings, going from house to house each week and conducting a home Bible study on her own.
Sometimes a study must be conducted with the Bible alone to convince the more skeptical that Jehovah’s witnesses are speaking the truth. A Catholic woman sought to bolster up her husband’s sagging faith in their religion, but he would accept only the Bible for proof. In all her twelve years of religious schooling she did not know the Bible, so she consented to a study in the Bible only, with her aunt and uncle who were Jehovah’s witnesses, so she might learn and build up her husband’s faith. She soon found the Bible was clearly proving her Catholic beliefs to be false. To her parish priest she went for Scriptural answers, only to find that he had none. He scolded and belittled her for questioning the church. Finally becoming angry and throwing his own Bible into the wastebasket, he stated, “I am God.” To other priests she went, only to find that they too did not know the Bible nor could they support their beliefs. She continued to study with Jehovah’s witnesses, and now she and her husband are dedicated publishers, rejoicing in the fact that they have been able to assist four of her brothers and sisters and her parents to begin studying with Jehovah’s witnesses. Again this proves that the powerful sword of the spirit in the hands of a skillful teacher can easily cut aside the bonds of error holding those hungering for the truth.
Have you tasted the joys of the pioneer service? What can compare to the thrill of seeing honest-hearted persons respond to the truth by making their lives over to serve Jehovah? Pioneers constantly experience these joys. One pioneer writes, ‘‘My past six years of pioneer service have been the greatest of all my life. I have just been told by one of my Bible students that she wants to symbolize her dedication by baptism. She makes the fifty-second in my six years of pioneer service. Jehovah has certainly blessed me in so many ways, though a lot of that time I have been in and out of hospitals.” Another pioneer promptly followed up a placement of two magazines and found the young housewife so interested that she started a study. After only four studies her husband came to the Kingdom Hall and also requested a study. The girl’s mother and her younger sister in a neighboring congregation also began studying. After a short while her brother and his wife joined the study, making the sixth adult student. Of these, five have been baptized and the sixth is on his way to making his life over to serve Jehovah. The pioneer writes, “It has been a thrill, and I’m so grateful to Jehovah for this experience.” If you are free to pioneer, do not hesitate to take up the full-time preaching service. These heart-warming experiences can be yours.
LEGAL RIGHTS DEFENDED
There were five cases that were handled by Counsel for the Society involving the witness work and park meetings. These were in Watertown, Connecticut; Levittown, New Jersey; Shrewsbury, New Jersey; Union City, New Jersey, and in the Bronx, New York city. A case involving child custody was handled in Malone, New York.
The blood-transfusion issue cropped out again this year in several places, particularly in New York city and New Jersey. There were two cases where custody of the children was taken away from the parents, and these have been appealed to the higher courts.
The draft cases subsided in number considerably during the year. However, one draft case is now pending in the Supreme Court of the United States and will be determined during the latter part of 1961 or the first part of 1962.
The most outstanding decision of the year in favor of Jehovah’s witnesses was that involving the tax exemption of the Kingdom Farm operated by the Society at South Lansing, New York. On November 17, 1960, the Court of Appeals, New York state’s highest court, settled a thirteen-year legal battle and granted exemption to the Society from real estate taxes on the 800-acre farm where food is grown to feed the Bethel family. This was under the tax law (now Real Property Tax Law, §420). As a result of the decision, costs in the amount of $6,397.32 paid by the Society were returned, and a refund of all the taxes paid by the Society, under protest, since 1954, in the amount of $29,521.13, was ordered to be made by the Town of Lansing, Tompkins County and Lansing Central School District.
The City of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, is one of several suburbs of Kansas City, Missouri, that have given the brothers there difficulty under Green River ordinances. The mayor of Lee’s Summit was especially mean when the congregation servant of the Kansas City congregation, Raytown Unit, tried to explain the work of Jehovah’s witnesses and persuade him that the law did not apply. He stated that Jehovah’s witnesses would have to stop all activity and “that the next time we came to Lee’s Summit, to have our bond money ready as we would be put in jail or arrested.” After the Society’s General Counsel wrote to the city officials, the mayor-had a drastic change of heart, as reported by the congregation servant: “We were privileged to meet with the City Council last night at Lee’s Summit. The mayor stayed away from the meeting, and we were able to get the matter straightened out, as they informed us that we could continue to preach there as in the past. We feel that it is a closed matter now, and the mayor says that he will not give us any more trouble.”
Much more could be said about the stand Jehovah’s witnesses have taken in the courts of the land and with the police officials in behalf of their right to preach the good news of the Kingdom. These are just a few examples. But the fight for freedom of worship continues.
PRINTING ACTIVITIES IN BROOKLYN
The production of the Watchtower and Awake! magazines climbed rapidly during the year. The combined increase was 9,773,210 copies over the previous year. Due to the fact that the Brooklyn plant now produces over 115,000,000 copies of the Watchtower and Awake! magazines, the Brooklyn, New York, Post Office has informed us that their receiving department is a bit too small now for this tremendous bulk that is going out every year. Very fine arrangements were made between the Post Office and the Society in that an agreement was reached whereby the United States postal trucks come directly to the factory to pick up the magazines instead of having the magazines rehandled in the Post Office. By so doing much time is saved for the Society in trucking the magazines to the Post Office, and the United States Post Office System saves much time because of not having to rehandle the magazines, but their trucks can take the magazines directly to the train terminals. The Society very much appreciates this service, and it is beneficial to the Post Office Department as well as to the Society, for it saves work and gives speedier delivery to the magazine subscribers.
Magazine production has certainly kept the factory busy during the year. It was necessary to get some new presses into operation in order to continue the increased printing of magazines. The big thing in addition to magazines that kept the factory busy was the printing of the new Bible. The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures was produced during the last year in the factory, and it kept two of our twenty-two linotype machines busy a good part of the year, from September 9, 1960, until it was completed. Throughout the early part of 1961 many of the factory departments were busy working on just the Bible. By the time that the service year ended, August 31, a little better than one million copies of the Bible had been printed on the Society’s presses and a total of 655,042 Bibles had been completed and delivered to the shipping department. Those acquainted with printing and who know how much work goes into the printing of a book appreciate that a Bible with forty-six signatures, or thirty-two-page parts, takes a tremendous amount of work to print, collect, sew, bind and get ready for shipment. Many extra hours were spent in the manufacture of this Bible in order to get it out for the first convention, at Yankee Stadium, but the Bethel family was delighted that they could spend extra hours from seven o’clock in the evening until nine-thirty for a whole month in order to get a sufficient quantity of the Bibles on hand for the opening of the New York convention. Everything is geared in the factory now to get out one and a quarter million completed Bibles by December 31. The reason for this is that throughout the greater part of the English-speaking world a special campaign will be on in December to distribute the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. The Bethel family hopes that every Bible that is in the congregations’ stocks will be placed during the month of December, for the Bethel family looks forward to the winter months and to the making of many, many more Bibles to replace these Bibles so as to continue its distribution throughout the world.
The tremendous distribution of The Watchtower, Awake!,' Bibles, bound books and other literature required the Society to obtain and use 8,649 tons of paper. In order to let the reader better appreciate what this means, the Society received in Brooklyn during the year 345 carloads of paper, each having 25 tons. This meant handling seven carloads of paper coming into the plant each week, putting it through the manufacturing process and shipping it out again in the form of magazines primarily, then books, Bibles, booklets, tracts, and so forth, in all languages to all parts of the world.
The members of the Bethel family truly enjoy their grand privilege of serving the brothers everywhere, and to think that these publications can be produced in many languages and can be sent to the ends of the earth makes all of them feel that they have a very important part in spreading the good news to the ends of the earth.
In November, 1960, the Society began to print at the Brooklyn plant some Braille publications for the blind. Those interested in Braille can always write to the Society for further information on this matter.
The Brooklyn Bethel family through this report would like to send their love to all of you and express appreciation for their privileges of service, and all of them rejoice in the fact that they are privileged to assist their brothers around the world. They know that when they are really busy and all the thirty presses are rolling at top speed that means that the brothers in the field the world around are having good success in preaching the good news of God’s kingdom, which must be preached everywhere to all nations, kindreds and tongues.
BROOKLYN FACTORY PRODUCTION REPORT
|
1959 |
1960 |
1961 | |
|
Bibles |
122.959 |
769,027 |
757,899 |
|
Books |
4,958,594 |
6,240,213 |
4,809,465 |
|
Booklets |
16,941,303 |
13,057,566 |
12,081,228 |
|
The Watchtower |
63,957,860 |
57,402,520 |
61,071,030 |
|
Awake! |
48,616,100 |
47,935,500 |
54,040,200 |
|
Convention Reports |
414,630 | ||
|
Total |
135,011,446 |
125,404,826 |
132,759,822 |
|
Advertising leaflets |
131,882,500 |
130,024,750 |
145,828,325 |
|
Calendars |
284,772 |
309,150 |
340,242 |
|
Miscellaneous printing |
54,571,855 |
59,120,178 |
74,988,771 |
|
Magazine bags |
1,086 |
2,861 | |
|
Tracts |
64,055,603 |
14,781,800 |
14,735,900 |
|
Total misc. printing |
250,794,730 |
204,236,964 |
235,896,099 |
REPORTS ON OTHER TERRITORIES UNDER THE UNITED STATES BRANCH
The Brooklyn branch office keeps in close touch with Jehovah’s witnesses in different parts of the world where these groups of witnesses have not been assigned to another branch. The Society is interested in trying to get the good news of the Kingdom preached in every part of the earth, and when new territories are opened up sometimes it seems best to handle them directly from the Brooklyn office, giving them close attention so that, if necessary, missionaries can be sent in to take oversight. Some experiences are set out herewith for Alaska, Bermuda, Guam, Iceland and Sudan. Next year Alaska will be handled as a separate branch, because on the first of September, 1961, the Society opened up a branch office in Anchorage, Alaska. Better attention can be given to the publishers in that land who work under altogether different conditions than the fortyeight States that closely adjoin one another.
ALASKA Population: 226,167
Peak Publishers: 346 Ratio: 1 to 654
The high point of the year’s activity in Alaska was our United Worshipers District Assembly in Anchorage, August 24-27, with a peak attendance of 435 and 16 baptized.
After six years of patient cultivation a back-call finally bore fruit. A fisherman, disgusted to the point of agnosticism with the hypocrisy of Christendom’s religions, finally conceded that only a divine spirit could have produced the Bible and the pure worship practiced by Jehovah’s New World society. Rejoicing at the prospect of being a part of a society filled with the unhypocritical brotherly love produced by Jehovah’s spirit, he was married in the Kingdom Hall after six years of consensual life and promptly began informing all his friends that he was adjusting his personal life so that he could become one of Jehovah’s witnesses. As a result of his intense incidental witnessing at least fourteen persons have taken interest in the good news and two families are now studying.
Our brothers prove they are in unity, not by mere words, but by united action. When the brothers in Fairbanks began to build their own Kingdom Hall many neighbors were openly skeptical. With a building season of only three months in the far north and using only the voluntary help of the brothers, many of whom are unskilled, it is understandable that outsiders felt as they did. However, the Kingdom Hall was completed, not in three months, but in nine weeks—even though most of the brothers were attending a district assembly for a week of that time. Neighbors watched in amazement. Passers-by stopped to look and inquire. Also, during this time the brothers not working on the hall construction attained an all-time peak of hours. Observing the beautiful new Kingdom Hall, seating 250, the father of one of the brothers was indeed prompted to acknowledge: “The unity of you people almost converts me.”
Finally, those attending the Anchorage assembly were thrilled with the announcement that, effective September 1, 1961, Alaska would become a branch. We rejoice in the advance of the work in that land to the far north.
BERMUDA Population: 53,640
Peak Publishers: 49 Ratio: 1 to 1,095
Following the Kingdom Ministry suggestion to direct new ones to the organization definitely brings results. Last August a publisher placed a book and “Good News” booklet with a person of good will. A back-call was arranged and a study started. From the outset good progress was made and after a few studies she was invited to the public talk and Watchtower study. With the warmth and devotion she saw manifest on these occasions more progress was forthcoming. She attended the district assembly in September and then started going from house to house. This person now is enrolled in the theocratic ministry school and has already given her first student talk. She will be immersed at the forthcoming United Worshipers District Assembly. All this within one year, and all because of Jehovah’s blessing upon the efforts of this publisher who saw the wisdom of progressively directing this newly found “sheep” to the organization.
Sometimes one minister will find a person of good will, will plant the seeds of truth, but another may water such and bring it on to maturity in another location. Such is often the case in Bermuda, an ocean crossroads, where approximately one fifth of the population (10,000) is semi-transient. In this connection a publisher going from house to house contacted a person of good will originally from Panama and resumed the home Bible study; this person made excellent progress in knowledge and is now regular in the service. The reverse is also true, for many studies started here often have to be resumed elsewhere, as these people move on to other locations. We are therefore encouraged to keep on making a contribution to the expansion program, for the seed planted may be nurtured and developed in another land.
Those who desire to serve where the need is great often must endure and wait on Jehovah’s direction to remain in their assignment. After ten years of faithful and tactful service in Bermuda, a brother has finally been granted domicile here. Helped by sponsors, particularly a leading businessman, this brother finally has aided the authorities to see that ministers of the New World society are peaceable and neutral in the affairs of this system. This is a victory for Jehovah’s organization here and will undoubtedly contribute to expansion in this place.
GUAM Peak Publishers: 36
Population: 39,333
Ratio: 1 to 1,093
We were happy that the Society was able to send the zone servant for the Far East to spend four days with us and be the principal speaker at the assembly.
A Paradise book was placed with a lady who had read the Watchtower and Awake! magazines. A Bible study resulted. Her progress in accurate knowledge and her sincerity soon succeeded in getting her somewhat opposing family interested. Her priest told her fifteen-year-old daughter that she was too young to understand the many questions she asked him. Now the children have been transferred to the public school, as the lady did not want to send them to a school that taught false doctrine. The husband met the priest one day, and the priest said that he had not seen his wife at church for some time now. When he reached home he told her about meeting the priest. The wife did not wait for the priest to come to see her, but she went to see him. During the conversation she told him that she had been going to the Catholic Church for thirty-eight years and no one had come to her house to teach her the Bible. The priest then offered to help her, but she said, “No, Jehovah’s witnesses are doing that already.” Then the priest told her that Guam belonged to the “virgin Mary,” but the lady told him that the island of Guam belonged to Jehovah God and that she had found it out by studying her own Bible. The lady has her studies twice a week and now she is sharing her knowledge by going in the service. All the family attended the United Worshipers Assembly in Guam.
ICELAND Population: 169,961
Peak Publishers: 58 Ratio: 1 to 3,207
The brothers in Iceland enjoyed a year of great blessings and eleven brothers enjoyed Kingdom Ministry School training.
A sister relates: ‘I often set hair for the sisters, relatives and neighbors, and I talk about the truth as much as I can. Those who do not want to hear it do not come often or at all again. But one of my neighbors really-liked the truth, so I looked forward to the time when she would come again. This led to a very good Bible study. For one year it continued, but because the opposition of her husband increased the study was almost stopped. He had never looked into the publications, but during one month there were two days when he was obliged to stay home from work. Now he took the opportunity to read, and he read three booklets, one bound book and one Watchtower article during this time. My next study with his wife was in reality a question-and-answer session with him. Since then he has attended the study. But that is not all. He has encouraged his entire family of six persons to study and takes them to the Watchtower study and book study. They are all well prepared to give comments, and it is very encouraging for us to see them set such a good example in this regard.’
When contemplating the possibilities and opportunities of going to serve where the need is great in other countries, many brothers are worried about the language difficulties. Sometimes an error in language can prove to be a blessing in disguise, as demonstrated by the following experience: One day one of our pioneers presented himself as a minister or servant, preaching from house to house. In one house a young lady came to the door, and as soon as he had stated what he was she invited him in. It turned out that this lady misunderstood who he was, for in Icelandic “servant” means a waiter, and she really thought that he was a colleague of her husband, who was a waiter at the local hotel. She knew her husband would soon be in, so she thought she might just as well invite his supposed workmate in to see him. Of course, they had a good laugh at that when the misunderstanding was cleared up, but soon the husband arrived, and our “spiritual waiter” did not waste time but really served the young couple a fine spiritual meal, which they liked very much, and they even asked him to come back, but. not alone—they wanted him to bring his wife. Soon a regular Bible study was started, and the interested couple made rapid progress, so much that they soon began to serve the same kind of spiritual food to others. Even when working at the local hotel the young waiter talked to all who would listen. In a short time they became regular publishers from house to house, and both are now baptized. They are very happy that they were called on by this “spiritual waiter” and they are also very happy that our pioneer brother did not hold back from giving a witness in a language other than his own.
SUDAN Population: 10,000,000
Peak Publishers: 29 Ratio: 1 to 344,828
A visit by the zone servant was much appreciated and forty-five persons enjoyed a special talk he gave the congregation.
As the Witnesses share in the field ministry, they find there are yet many people of good will to hear the voice of the Fine Shepherd. Some years ago a study was started with a lady who showed great interest, but due to her husband’s strong opposition it was discontinued. However, she did not forget the voice of the Fine Shepherd, and in time arrangements were made to resume the study. While on a visit to another country she was baptized, but her husband and relatives still opposed the truth. However, a brother, in the course of business, visited the husband and had a good opportunity to explain the truth to him. It was enough to convince him that his wife’s hope and purpose in life and her talking to others about the new world under Jehovah God are right and that he should defend his wife whenever people speak of her faith.
ARGENTINA Population: 20,999,100
Peak Publishers: 8,212 Ratio: 1 to 2,552
The joy of serving Jehovah on the part of the Argentine brothers certainly was great during the 1961 service year. They have sown with a bagful of seed and have reaped joyfully. This condition is described in Psalm 126:6: “The one that without fail goes forth, even weeping, carrying along a bagful of seed, will without fail come in with a joyful cry, carrying along his sheaves.” And so it has been in Argentina during the past twelve months. A great ingathering has taken place. Jehovah’s witnesses have been very busy going from house to house, making back-calls, conducting Bible studies and preparing for the future. The branch servant gives us these items of interest:
Hunting for the sheep takes time and patience in going back. The joy of finding the other sheep and feeding them, bringing them to the organization, is seen from this experience: “Going from house to house, I went to one home where no one was there. I noted this on my house-to-house record and returned time after time but not finding anyone. I was determined to return until someone would be found, remembering the instructions in the Kingdom Ministry that not a house should be passed up. One day I made the visit and arrived just in time to get the people at the door and ready to leave again. I gave a condensed sermon and interest was shown. They asked me to return the next day and said they would take the book. I returned and the Paradise book was placed, but the best of all was that I was able to start the study at once. This was in September, 1960. The study progressed and, as we went along in the study, mention was made about telling the joys that they were receiving to others. In March, seven months later, this couple went with me in the service. It is a great joy to see the first two publishers working with us in our assignment.” Are you too so diligent in returning when you find no one at home?
What results are you having on your Bible studies? A brother tells how a Bible study was started on a back-call: “An elderly sister felt that she was not able to handle the call so she asked me to go with her. The study was started with the family and I conducted it. Every week the attendance increased. A public talk was arranged and twenty-two were there for the talk. The study progressed, with an even better attendance than before. We studied half of the Paradise book and these sheep wanted to tell their joys to others, so they started out in the service with me. What joy I experienced when, at the circuit assembly, ten of the twenty-two that were at the talk just a few months back stood up to be baptized!” This study has been converted into a service center now and never has lower than thirteen publishers in attendance.
The Kingdom Ministry School was started in August and the joy of the twenty-five students is very hard to express. There were eighteen circuit servants, two district servants and five congregation servants in the school. We are now waiting to see the application of this wonderful study in the congregations that our circuit servants will be visiting. All the brothers expressed their thanks to Jehovah and his organization for this wonderful provision made for them.
I am pleased to say too that the expansion not only is in the field service but also here at the branch. The old building has been demolished and today the construction company is hauling away the rubbish, making way for the digging of the new foundation and the new construction. We are pleased to see this being done so that we will have more space to work in and better living quarters.
AUSTRALIA Population: 10,398,170
Peak Publishers: 15,331 Ratio: 1 to 678
Jehovah’s witnesses in Australia had another very busy year, and a number of the Australians found it fitting to move out to the islands of the Pacific. Twenty-nine left the mainland, and the tally now shows that 130 Australians are in the islands, including twenty-two children. What a joy it must be to the people of the islands to have these ordained ministers bring them the good news of the Kingdom! When they once learn the truth they will realize that this is God’s doing, just as it is stated in Paul’s words: “We are therefore ambassadors substituting for Christ, as though God were making entreaty through us.” (2 Cor. 5:20) Jehovah certainly puts it in the minds of his people to go and work where the need is great. But in Australia itself lots of things are happening too and good experiences are reported, and the branch servant relates these happenings.
The establishing of the Kingdom Ministry School in February and the report of more than 15,000 publishers in the month of April were the two outstanding events of the year. On February 13, twenty-five enthusiastic-circuit and district servants began their studies at the first class of the Kingdom Ministry School in this country and by the end of the service year six classes, totaling 143 brothers, had completed this excellent training. It is amazing the way the Lord has opened up the way for most of the overseers to get to the school, as about 90 percent of those invited have been able to come for the entire month, and it is even expected that some of the remaining 10 percent will be able to arrange matters to attend school later. Meeting attendance shows a marked improvement in congregations where the overseer has been trained at the Kingdom Ministry School.
One notable point of theocratic expansion was the establishment of a new congregation at Thursday Island off the tip of Cape York. Here a special pioneer couple have worked tirelessly for seventeen months among these islanders. They write, “One of the lay preachers on Horn Island is especially interested and obtained a Paradise book. We were not able to go over for a while, and all the time we would meet people from Hom Island asking us when we were coming back. One of these, a woman, said that last Sunday the lay preacher we had spoken to gave the sermon at Horn Island, and after the session she said to him, ‘I know where you got that sermon from, from the Paradise book!’ He said this was true, and she told us it was the best sermon they had ever heard.”
We can all use our influence to help others to spend more time in the Lord’s work. One faithful sister writes: “Before I began vacation pioneering, although I longed to do it, I was afraid to do so in case I should not get my hours. Now that I am doing general pioneering I feel quite sure that I could have done so. Working
on that assumption, I arrived at the conclusion that others may feel the same way; so I drew up a chart showing one week’s work covering twenty-five hours. I picked out one in the congregation who I felt might be able to vacation pioneer for two weeks if approached quietly and fully prepared. This I did, with the result that during my six months of pioneering I have had four different partners, with one sister just finishing her third assignment.” '
A ninety-one-year-old sister who is not to be deprived of the privilege of serving Jehovah decided that she would write letters to all the lighthouse keepers in Australia. She was very businesslike about it and, after some effort, obtained from the Director of Lighthouses a list of all manned lights in Australian waters. She has fifty-six on her list. It is a joy to see her thrill at having this assignment of territory and the thorough way she goes about it. You can imagine her happiness when recently she received a letter from a fifteen-year-old girl, the daughter of a head lighthouse keeper, saying how impressed she was with the letter her father received and with the tracts enclosed. This young girl has asked the sister to write and send her more information about the Bible.
A sister working in a clothing factory was refused time off to attend a district assembly and so she gave notice. The boss asked what she would do when she came back. Her reply was, "We will let that attend to itself; maybe you will be advertising for someone and I will answer the advertisement.” On her return, there was the advertisement, which she answered, and got the job, and so she now has her old job again.
Repeatedly the brothers are counseled to follow the methods outlined by the Society. A brother who was invited to take the part of “Interested” on the circuit assembly program was given a copy of the full outline to prepare. Endeavoring to get the points in mind, he concluded the best way was to try it out on three men with whom he studied. The response was amazing! So the brother followed up by inviting them to the circuit assembly. On the section of the program entitled “Listening to Results” he was interviewed and delighted to explain that because of practicing what the brothers had just seen demonstrated the three young men were now sitting in the audience.
Thirty-one Australian brothers were able to attend the United States and European United Worshipers District Assemblies. They were thrilled to hear Brother Knorr’s announcement that an Australian city would be included in the international series of conventions arranged for 1963. We eagerly now all look forward to that great event and extend a warm welcome to all our brothers from other lands.
AUSTRIA Population: 7,060,133
Peak Publishers: 6,506 Ratio: 1 to 1,085
The work is not easy in a Roman Catholic country, especially when the country has been dominated by the Hierarchy for so many years, as Austria has been. It is impossible to break down quickly the barriers of the religious teachings and the creedal traditions. But Jehovah’s witnesses continue to press on and bring blessings to the people. Filled with the good things from God’s Word, Jehovah’s witnesses in Austria are like the man that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 12:35: “The good man out of his good treasure sends out good things.” To prove that, here are a few interesting experiences from the branch servant.
It is encouraging to note how a certain young man found his way to the New World society. He lives with his parents in a house that stands right in the middle of a large forest. Our brothers preached in the territory round about, but nobody thought there was a house in the forest. On a Saturday this young man went to the next town, where brothers offered the magazines in the street. Out of curiosity he took two home. When he read them he was convinced that this was the truth and he decided to search for Jehovah’s witnesses. He went to the police and it happened that the policeman knew a sister and gave him her address. This sister was surprised and happy when the young man stood at her door with The Watchtower in his hand and asked for information. A home Bible study was started and he also never failed to be present at the meetings. Thus he made good progress and within a short time he was baptized and became a mature servant of the Most High.
Often the creedal traditions have put a kind of superstitious fear in the hearts of the people, which makes the “soil” so hard that it seems difficult to plant the seed of truth. However, the following experience is certainly encouraging:
A woman of good will decided to do away with all her Catholic things, a lot of which she had brought from a pilgrimage to Lourdes. Just when she was taking down from the wall a crucifix the woman living next door came in and, terrified, asked her: “What are you doing?” “I am going to throw all this into the river Salzach,” was the answer. “You are out of your senses,” said the neighbor, and told her excitedly that a man who threw a stone against a crucifix soon thereafter caught his hand in a circular saw. “You will see,” she said; “you will not survive this.” The interested woman explained that she was not doing it to make God angry, but because God does not want these things. Then she went to the bridge and threw everything in the river. Thereupon the neighbor came every day to see if she was still alive, and found her always well and happy. After some time had passed the neighbor told her that several nights she had not been able to sleep for fear of what would happen, and that she was still afraid. But seeing that the woman of good will was still alive, she was now willing to study the Bible with her. And it turned out to be a very regular and blessed home Bible study.
The Kingdom Ministry School Course has been appreciated by all students. Now the third class is progressing, and, like the classes before, all those participating are amazed at the amount of instruction and knowledge that can be gained in such a short time.
Another provision Jehovah had made for his people were the assemblies last summer. Three special trains and many cars brought Austrian brothers and people of good will to Hamburg.
Thinking of our brothers who are persecuted, all were thankful for having the privilege of being together with so many of Jehovah’s people and enjoying with them the spiritual food in peace and freedom.
BAHAMAS Population: 106,677
Peak Publishers: 225 Ratio: 1 to 474
Many things have been going on in the Bahamas to keep the brothers busy and happy during the past service year. They have had a number of excellent assemblies and a good many of the brothers from the United States traveled to the Bahamas to attend the United Worshipers District Assembly in July. The things spoken at the conventions and later published in The Watchtower have had a telling effect upon the lives of the people of the many islands making up the Bahamas group. Having in mind the scripture: “Let each one of you individually so love his wife as he does himself; on the other hand, the wife should have deep respect for her husband,” we find a very interesting experience taking place in the Bahamas that the branch servant reports on along with some others.—Eph. 5:33.
We have found that the honest ring of truth in The Watchtower can change any heart, young or old. On the island of Eleuthera, a seventy-three-year-old man was contacted and he agreed to come to the Watchtower study. It was the first of the series on marriage, and the brothers were wondering how he would accept the message as he was not married but had lived in consensual marriage for thirty years. He attended all the studies on that subject and then determined that he must get married himself, and especially so when he was told that he must first straighten out his marital affairs before he could participate in the ministry. Many of his neighbors and relatives tried to stop his marrying. His bride to be was even hesitant because she was afraid of being laughed at. Some told her: “You are too old to get married,” but she realized that the truth was the way the missionary put it: “You are too old not to get married.” A few months later, when the circuit servant visited the congregation, the man and his bride were married in the midst of many astonished onlookers who had turned out for the wedding and the marriage talk. One week later this older brother began his public ministry and soon hopes to symbolize his dedication.
Jehovah has many ways of collecting his “sheep.” Sometimes they even come to us and ask for help. This happened this year in the Bahamas when a phone call was received in the branch office in Nassau. The caller said that she wanted to know why we had stopped coming to her home. The missionary answering the phone supposed that she was a person being studied with by a negligent publisher. But no, there was no one studying with her, but she thought it was a good idea. She simply was a person on whom house-to-house calls had been made in the regular course of witnessing and now she wondered why someone had not been there for the past few weeks. She was assured that we were interested in her, and that same day two subscriptions and a book were placed with her. A study was immediately started, with the result that the next month she was in the house-to-house work herself, and after three more months was conducting four home Bible studies herself and had symbolized her dedication at the United Worshipers District Assembly.
In the Bahamas we many times must travel long distances to attend our circuit assembly. One brother and his wife were willing to travel over 450 miles to come to the assembly. They first had to take a small sailboat for a sixteen-hour overnight trip to another island. After walking across this island and spending another night there, they were ready to get on a motor vessel for the 400-mile trip to Nassau. But when the time came for boarding the dinghy for the trip over the reef to the waiting boat, the incoming waves were so high it was impossible for the men to hold the dinghy down to board it. Finally the brothers were told that it was too dangerous; but because the brothers were so persistent, the crew agreed to wait until daylight and see if the waves would subside and the sea calm. Fortunately with the dawn came calmer water, and the brother and his wife were able to board the boat for the two-day voyage to Nassau. Of course, the return trip to their island home meant the same inconveniences, but both agree that the spiritual food received was worth much more than the effort required. This sister was among those symbolizing their dedication.
Our circuit assembly baptism was held in the beautiful blue waters of one of our island beaches, and many onlookers were impressed with the baptism. One was observed to take moving pictures of the baptism and then later was heard to say: “Is this being done by Jehovah’s witnesses?” When assured that it was, he commented: “I knew it must be; no other organization would ever be seen where a white man would be baptizing a colored man. It must be Jehovah’s witnesses.”
BELGIUM Population: 9,026,778
Peak Publishers: 6,856 Ratio: 1 to 1,316
As in other countries, so in Belgium the overseers are being trained in the Kingdom Ministry School. Those speaking French are sent to Paris and those who speak the Flemish language go to Amsterdam. While this takes them out of the country, it does give them association with brothers in other lands, and those who have finished the Kingdom Ministry School training have returned with great zeal. It is important to “safeguard practical wisdom and thinking ability, and they will prove to be life to your soul.” (Prov. 3:21, 22) Jehovah’s witnesses know that the training of one’s mind is very important, and so, along with the overseers, all of Jehovah’s witnesses in Belgium are trying to help the people get a better understanding of Jehovah’s purposes. Some very interesting experiences have come in through the branch servant. There are also some reports from the Republic of the Congo.
The following experience illustrates well how a copy of the special issue of Awake! helped a family take their stand for the truth. A pioneer brother was calling at the home of a language teacher. After a few calls a study was started in “This Good News of the Kingdom.” However, the man emphasized that this study was only for information, and that he would not change his religion. For three months the study did not progress much, and the teacher’s wife showed little interest. Then came the special issue of Awake! “The Catholic Church in the 20th Century.” The man read the magazine and suddenly everything seemed to clear up in his mind. He now saw the point clearly: For many years he had been misled by the Catholic Church. From that time on the study was taken seriously by both the man and his wife. They have become active publishers and have recently symbolized their dedication by water baptism.
Doing everything as for Jehovah includes necessarily the teaching and training of young children in the ministry. These children ministers can also accomplish much in the field of God. A sister reports how she had tried several times to give the witness to her neighbor, but without results. The neighbor would always answer that her husband did not like these things, but the sister’s son and her neighbor’s children were sometimes playmates. These children would then ask many questions about Jehovah’s witnesses, and the young minister would answer them. These children would then go to their mother and tell her these things. This eventually led the mother to come and ask for a Bible. A Bible study was arranged, and the mother, her husband, and her mother-in-law joined in. She is now taking a regular share in the preaching work with her husband and they have symbolized their dedication to do Jehovah’s will.
Oftentimes, when one works in his territory, one finds many people not home. It is vital to try to reach all these people who were not home. However, how many times should one call back? The answer is, until the people are found! This is well illustrated by the following experience as told by a special pioneer sister: “I was calling back in my territory, trying to reach the not-at-homes. A person who was not at home at my first call was still not at home. I called on another day, and there was still nobody home. I thought it would be good to try at a different hour, but still nobody was there. After several tries, I decided to go later in the evening, around 9 p.m. Maybe these were working people who were coming home late in the evening. When I called that evening, a young lady opened the door. I was invited in. After having given my sermon, I placed with her ‘Let God Be True’ and the ‘Good News’ booklet. A study was started with her in the booklet. Later, I had the opportunity to explain the truth to her husband, and he showed interest too. They showed so much interest that they asked me to come twice a week for the study so that they could advance more rapidly. I was happy to see them make rapid progress. Both of them got started in the field service, and I was happy to see them being baptized at the international convention in Amsterdam. This experience has really encouraged me more than ever to write down all the not-at-homes and try to find these people.”
A convention is always a source of true happiness and affords splendid opportunities to give a witness to the people of the city where the convention is being held. Not to be neglected is the witness to be given to the householder where one stays during the convention. Wonderful fruitage can be reaped, as is shown in the following case: Two sisters related how, during the last district assembly, they preached to the lady of the house in which they stayed during the convention. A subscription was obtained from the lady. The two sisters turned in the lady’s address to the local congregation to follow up. Ten months later they received an encouraging letter from that lady: “Dear Sisters: I am writing you this letter to let you know that I am now, by Jehovah’s undeserved kindness, a new sister. I am now baptized and I am sharing regularly in the field ministry. My husband is also getting interested.” Such a heart-warming letter can really encourage all of Jehovah’s people to show kindness to their householder, preaching to them, when visiting a convention.
The work in the Congo has moved forward during this service year. Although the political situation is not yet settled, the brothers in the Congo have displayed a wonderful zeal in preaching “this good news of the kingdom” as the best hope for the Congolese people.
The big event of the year was the arrival in Leopoldville of a family of missionaries from Belgium, in order to supervise the work there. This is the first time that missionaries have been admitted to the country, after a ban of more than ten years, and a refusal to accept missionaries for more than thirty-three years. A literature depot has now been opened in Leopoldville.
It was possible to start showing the Society’s film “The Happiness of the New World Society.” One of the film showings was at the home of the premier mayor of Leopoldville. The mayor and some of his friends saw the film and enjoyed it very much. He said: “This is a thing to encourage as much as possible,” and he gave his approval for the projection in the various Kingdom Halls. For the first four showings the total attendance was 1,294.
Several brothers have applied for pioneer service, and the work is now reaching isolated places in the Equator province. In a small village in that province a handful of publishers began preaching. At the first home a brother visited, eighteen persons listened to the message. At the second house there were fifty! It was not possible to go farther, as all the inhabitants came to listen. In another village a brother organized a public meeting and there was a record attendance of 127. This shows that many people like to hear the pure message of God’s Word in the Congo.
The enthusiasm of the brothers is also helping some people to take their stand. It is reported that, while one of the units in Leopoldville was building its own Kingdom Hall, all the brothers were happy to work at that assignment. A stranger was observing what was being done and he was so impressed with the joy and the kindness of the brothers that he decided to help them. So, without being invited, he joined the workers. When it was noticed that he was not a brother, one of the Witnesses gave him a witness, and arrangements were made for a Bible study in his home.
BOLIVIA Population: 3,500,000
Peak Publishers: 478 Ratio: 1 to 7,322
The truth has a tremendous power on individuals if they open their hearts and minds to listen to it and let it affect their way of life. The truth can certainly bring joy and contentment to people. Jehovah’s witnesses around the world allow God’s Word to guide them and direct them. Jehovah has entrusted his people with the good news, and they see to it that it is spread far and wide. The Scriptures say this: “For the exhortation we give does not arise from error or from uncleanness or with deceit, but, just as we have been proved by God as fit to be entrusted with the good news, so we speak, as pleasing, not men, but God, who makes proof of our hearts.” (1 Thess. 2: 3, 4) How true this proves to be when we read some of the experiences from the country of Bolivia!
The Communist doctrine finds fertile fields among people living in economic and spiritual poverty. In such a condition one young man with a family searching for a hope of life and security was contacted by that organization. The idea was attractive, so he joined and within a short time, because of his zeal and hard work, he became a leader in the “Bolivian Communist Youth” group in his town. As part of his work he solicited regularly from house to house with copies of a paper to which he also contributed articles. He won converts to the Communist cause. But after some months of activity and study this young man began to realize that the real ends of communism cannot bring life, happiness and security. No, this was not what he was searching for.
About this time, one Sunday morning, a publisher called at his door with the message of life in a new world under God’s kingdom. He had heard of Jehovah’s witnesses before but had never read any of the literature, so the “Let God Be True” book was placed with him. Later he was pleased to receive the publisher back and a Bible study was started with him. The study was conducted regularly each week and he found it very interesting. Could this be the end of his search, he thought? By the end of the first month of study he began attending the meetings at the Kingdom Hall and was convinced that this was the way to life, happiness and security. Yes, he had found it; his search had ended. How surprised his friends and neighbors were to see him calling from house to house the next month, not with the Communist journal, but with The Watchtower and its companion Awake! What had brought about this change? Gladly he told them. Intensive study and theocratic activity bore fruitage, and in June, when the circuit servant visited the congregation, this man symbolized his dedication to Jehovah, the God of hope. Though he has a family of four children, in July and August he arranged his time and secular work to vacation pioneer.
In a place where Catholicism is very dominant, if one accepts the truth, usually he comes in for a lot of criticism. This intimidates many, so it is encouraging to see some taking a fearless stand for the truth. From such a town one missionary reports: “I had studied with one young girl for some time and she had just started to publish when she moved to another town to continue her studies. I was afraid that she might be weakened by lack of association or be intimidated by her new friends, so I was thrilled when she returned and told me the following experience: She had been making use of every opportunity to do incidental witnessing, even to a girl who was president of a Catholic Action group, and this girl said she would like Gloria to talk to a ‘brother.’ She readily agreed, so arrangements were made to pick her up and, when they arrived at their destination, where did she find herself but in a school for priests. Soon she was surrounded by priests, one of whom led the discussion—certainly not the easiest circumstance under which to witness. But, though she is by nature a timid person, she found strength to defend the truth very tactfully and fearlessly on doctrines such as the trinity, and the girl who brought her was disappointed to see that instead of Gloria’s being converted back to the Catholic Church, the priest was being put in a bad light in front of so many student priests and she was also disgusted by the priest’s insolent attitude. Gloria is now teaching school in a small village and continues to take a fearless stand for the truth. The hour when the nuns come to teach religion she takes her Bible and Bible-study aids and calls on the neighboring homes. She symbolized her dedication at our recent circuit assembly and now looks forward to the time when she can be a pioneer.”
BRAZIL Population: 70,000,000
Peak Publishers: 24,451 Ratio: 1 to 2,863
The work in Brazil moves ahead by leaps and bounds! It is a big country, great distances have to be covered, but Jehovah’s witnesses move out into isolated places and have great success. God’s Word tells us: “We are bringing every thought into captivity to make it obedient to the Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5) But how can we bring every thought into captivity and get them properly lined up if we are not able to read God’s Word? The Word of God is our guide and it is necessary to help everyone who comes into the truth to learn to read and write, and to that end the Society has organized schools among those who have been handicapped for many years in not knowing how to read but who want to learn to read the Word of God so as to bring every thought into captivity and to make it obedient to the Christ. The branch servant gives us some interesting reports.
There are 436 congregations, which reported a total of 3,579 enrolled in the Reading and Writing School in Brazil at the end of the service year; 772 of these are over forty years old. One eighty-two-year-old sister attends class regularly and is progressing well. Another sister seventy-two years old attended the school four years and learned to read well. One mother of seven children persisted four years and learned to read, overcoming many handicaps at home to find time to study. A brother who always signed “X” to draw his salary one day wrote out his real name, to the surprise of his boss and fellow employees. Where did he learn to write? In the Reading and Writing School at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s witnesses. Then a good testimony followed. Many others who read poorly improved their abilities by enrolling in the school. Space does not permit mentioning dozens of others who overcame obstacles to learn to read and write and who now give good sermons in the witness work, conduct home Bible studies, take part in service meetings and give talks in the theocratic ministry school.
One brother who accepted the truth in 1950 endured persecution from his opposed wife and children. His persistence wore out their opposition, and they gradually softened up and became Witnesses. He visited his relatives and preached to them, at first without any apparent results. His continued persistence caused many of them to listen, and some accepted the truth. Then he formed a congregation of sixty-five publishers. In 1955 he became a vacation pioneer and worked an isolated city and formed another congregation of sixteen publishers. At this date he has helped over a hundred persons enter the truth, forty-five of whom are members of his own family and relatives.
Another publisher writes the office, saying: “I offered the books to a man who would not take them as he could not contribute for them. Then I said, ‘I would like to give you this little tract, and I will come back and see how you like it.’ I went back as I had promised, and I was surprised at his interest. So I started a Bible study in the tract. Later other literature was used as the study continued, and today this man is a regular publisher.”
Where roads and railroads are nonexistent, the waterways become the highways. So it was that over a hundred delegates traveled down the Amazon River to Itacoatiara to attend a circuit assembly. A sixty h.p. motorboat towed a caravan of canoes of Witnesses and good-will persons eighteen hours down the treacherous Amazon, stopping at predetermined places to pick up other waiting delegates, whose canoes lengthened the already long theocratic “river train.” Even a cafeteria operated to serve meals while they traveled. Three hundred and ninety attended the public talk, including the mayor of the town and other prominent people. The twenty-eight-hour return trip upstream, braving the hidden dangers of the swift river, was well rewarded in theocratic joys and blessings.
BRITISH GUIANA Population: 560,620
Peak Publishers: 755 Ratio: 1 to 743
The truth was first heard in British Guiana in 1908, and since then it has frequently been carried into the interior parts of the country. Although sparsely inhabited, these parts of British Guiana are not neglected, and the Society arranges for periodic visits to be made to keep the interested ones awake. Jehovah’s witnesses fully appreciate that “we love, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) To show that love the good news of the Kingdom is carried into every nook and corner of the country. The branch servant gives us these interesting experiences:
A circuit servant writes following his visit to the interior: “I am happy to inform you of the splendid trip we made. Of course, the bitter goes with the sweet. It is not a sweet thing to spend twenty-three hours on board a crowded, dirty launch. That is what happened to us. In going we spent twenty-two hours, and in returning, twenty-three hours on the river. Nevertheless, the sweetness of the sweet—the interested ones met—compensates for the bitter. There are about 500 persons living in the compound and the majority are of inquiring mood. Some among them are genuinely interested in the truth and would, if proper assistance is rendered, take their stand for the truth.” After describing some of his experiences, the circuit servant concluded, “Between my wife and me we placed eighty-seven bound books and Bibles and obtained forty-eight subscriptions.”
Another circuit servant who spent a week or two in the interior was accommodated for a short while by an interested person who has a store there. The people’s homes are very scattered and, then too, entrance to the church mission compounds is denied Jehovah’s witnesses. But since the people came to the store to purchase their supplies, the circuit servant was able to spend many hours giving out the good news to the customers. In his report the circuit servant writes of the headman of one mission: “He could speak English but could not read. He was shown the Paradise book and told of God’s purpose for the earth by my using the pictures in the book. He could, in turn, tell back what was told to him, and he was so amazed by the number of things he had learned in such a short period of time that he would have liked me to come and tell those of his people in the mission. He told me later that what was said was simple and understandable and not like the things said in the church in the mission. The things he said that were told them there were not understandable and then there was too much singing of hymns.”
During the service year sixty-two persons were baptized.. yet the average increase in publishers reporting field service each month was just twenty-eight. How appropriate for British Guiana was the counsel in Kingdom Ministry to revive inactive ones! One special pioneer writes about this: “I had the pleasure of calling on a sister who was inactive for three years. No one ever visited her during that time. She had much to relate about her sickness, her husband’s death, the children’s ill health. But all the while she was promising herself to start out in service again, but never got around to doing so. I gave her a talk showing her how much she lost during those years and explaining to her the wisdom of sticking to Jehovah’s organization in this time of the end. She took some magazines and a book and promised to attend the Watchtower study. Would she attend? That was the question I kept asking myself. Well, she did attend, and not only that, she is now publishing regularly and attending meetings as well. This shows the wisdom of following the suggestions outlined in Kingdom Ministry. If this was not done, probably our sister would still be counted among the inactive ones.”
BRITISH HONDURAS Population: 90,343
Peak Publishers: 236 Ratio: 1 to 383
The good news of the Kingdom has been preached in British Honduras for some years now, but the brothers there have always depended upon missionaries to take the lead. It appears, though, that after years of training and education the brothers there are ready to go on in this great work of representing the Kingdom without the help of missionary workers. So during the absence of the missionaries they were able to handle even the United Worshipers District Assembly. How true the words of the psalmist are: “For you are great and are doing wondrous things; you are God, you alone. Instruct me, O Jehovah, about your way. I shall walk in your truth. Unify my heart to fear your name”! (Ps. 86:10, 11) Not only do God’s people get such strength, but individuals even reading The Watchtower must speak out the truth when they learn it. Let us consider some of the experiences from the branch servant.
A single copy of the magazine is often enough to stir the interest of sincere persons to look into the Word of Life. One man who had previously opposed when others in the family started associating with Jehovah’s witnesses was so aroused by a single article in The Watchtower that he went to a special pioneer in the territory to ask for a study, saying, however, that he wanted it private so no one would know. After a short time he came hurrying to the special pioneer just as he was leaving for the service one day to say that he had gotten into a discussion and needed help. As the pioneer went along to help him out he said: “You know, I cannot keep it quiet any longer, I just have to talk this.” He is now advancing rapidly and was conducting four studies of his own before his dedication was symbolized at the United Worshipers District Assembly.
The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures was enthusiastically accepted in British Honduras and its value to all persons was immediately seen. For this reason, right after it was released in August it was offered from door to door. A sister who placed three copies on the first morning it was offered told the following experience: "At the first door the lady readily accepted it, saying she did not have a Bible and if she was going to get one she might as well have one she could understand. Another lady was met who said she read her Bible every day, so the sermon from the Sermon Outlines booklet on how the New World Translation improves the understanding of the Bible was given and the texts were compared in her own translation and the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. She was glad to obtain a copy and said she would use it to refer to when she wanted a clearer understanding of a point, and, no doubt, she would soon be using this modern translation to read from each day.” In this way God’s Word will not only reach many more persons, but the light of truth it contains will get ever brighter.
BRITISH ISLES Population: 52,872,133
Peak Publishers: 49,670 Ratio: 1 to 1,064
Jehovah’s witnesses in the British Isles have accomplished much during the year. While it does not show up in the way of a great increase in the number of publishers, the branch office says that much was done to help others who have ceased their association in the past but who have been aided to come into company with their brothers again. The ministers of the Kingdom rejoice in the complete New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures that they received at the Twickenham assembly. The year 1962 promises to be a very busy year in the distribution of this Bible. The branch servant reports many interesting experiences, one bearing on the point, “Do not let yourself be conquered by the evil, but keep conquering the evil with the good.” (Rom. 12:21) Brief experiences are also related on the work being done in Aden, Malta and Gibraltar.
A sister started a study with a woman who lived with her aged Irish mother. Both were Catholics. The mother was very hostile and ordered the sister not to come to the house. So the daughter went to the sister’s house. The old lady liked this less, so she said the study could be held at their house where she could keep an eye on it. When the sister returned to the house the first time she took a few flowers because she felt that old people often are forgotten and feel unwanted. Gradually the old lady took an interest in the truth. Asked what changed her mind, she said: “Well, I was an old cat to you, but you just gave me kindness in return. I used to think all that was left for me was to grow old and blind and die, but there’s a new life opened up before me now.”
A lady who was attracted to the truth by a sister’s sermon at the door wanted the whole family to become interested. So she left the Paradise book lying about the house in the hope that her growing sons would read it of their own free will and not because she wanted them to. Soon they were asking her many questions. A separate study was arranged for them. At the second study the father sat in, and soon he was participating. Later, when he had to go on a long trip, he expressed the wish that the study continue in his absence, because never had his family been so happy and contented; and now, at last, they had hope for the future.
A new publisher called at the home of a man well versed in the beliefs of the Plymouth Brethren and met with a scornful reception. Undeterred, the publisher noted the points he made and went back with answers he had sought from more experienced publishers. One day he invited this man to the Kingdom Hall, and he came, his object being, as he later revealed, to show up the brothers by asking difficult questions. However, after the meeting he was silent, even when the brothers asked if he had any questions. His only comment was that, contrary to what he expected, he had never heard the name Jesus mentioned so many times in one meeting in his life. He made good progress in the truth and later, at a circuit assembly, recounted how he had really hated the Witnesses, believing them to be worse than atheists—until he attended that meeting.
A year ago the Kingdom Ministry School began at the branch here. Since then ten classes of twenty-five or so have taken the four-week course. All have been full of gratitude and appreciation for this fine education in theocratic matters. Several schoolteachers who have been students at the school have remarked on the excellence of the course both in content and method of teaching. From all over the country come reports of improved meetings, and we look now for the effect of this on meeting attendance and the Lord’s work generally.
The brothers could scarcely believe that the New World Translation complete in one volume was only 7/6. Ever since the convention it has been in everyone’s hand, in the meetings and at the doors, for it certainly is a delight to use.
ADEN Population: 138,441
Peak Publishers: 3 Ratio: 1 to 46,147
As everywhere, the preaching of the good news finds the sheeplike ones. A Catholic lady made good headway with her studies because she yearned to know the Bible. Even though the priest tried to shame her into returning to his flock and former friends called her “that wicked woman who reads the Bible,” she clings to the truth of God’s Word, realizing all the more how precious it is.
The sister caring for the work in Aden ends her report with the plea: "At the moment of writing there are three of us, but by the time the Yearbook is released there will be only one still here. We are in great need!” Perhaps someone who works with a firm having a branch in Aden could get a transfer there for a while. If so, he could do good work for Jehovah alongside his isolated brothers. Write the London branch office for information.
MALTA Population: 328,785
Peak Publishers: 12 Ratio: 1 to 27,399
One of the publishers in Malta tells of meeting at the door a young British army wife who said she was a confirmed evolutionist since her school days, but that her husband believed the Bible and liked to talk about it. She said they had almost daily arguments and discussions about it. When the sister called later to meet the husband she took an Evolution booklet for the wife, who read it and admitted that she had no answer. So husband and wife began to study with the sister and soon they were both at the meetings. The young wife became a regular publisher and was baptized when a visiting brother came to serve the little congregation. The husband has taken steps to put his affairs in order and then he wants to dedicate his life to Jehovah too.
GIBRALTAR Population: 25,721
Peak Publishers: 19 Ratio: 1 to 1,354
One Catholic church put the covers of The Watchtower and Awake! on the notice board, with a strong notice warning against them. A man saw them there and did not read the notice, so he thought the magazines must be good to read and went to a brother to get some copies.
As in all Catholic lands there is much fear among the people, but many are listening and some are heeding. One family came right into the truth and the sixteen-year-old son began talking with his friends. One came along fine until the priest gave him some money to keep away. Another met great hostility at home, ending one night in blows. He stood firm and kept advancing in the truth. Eventually the family opposition died down, turned into curiosity and finally into interest.
BURMA Population: 20,054,000
Peak Publishers: 195 Ratio: 1 to 102,841
It takes courage to continue on preaching the good news in Burma, where not too many people believe the Bible. The populace has its own religion, and that religion is not based on Christianity and the Holy Bible. However, with diligence the small band of Jehovah’s witnesses keep on preaching because this is a command from God. A very interesting experience is reported by the branch servant and it brings to mind the words of the psalmist: “Jehovah is opening the eyes of the blind ones; Jehovah is raising up the ones bowed down; Jehovah is loving the righteous ones.” (Ps. 146:8) Here is one of their experiences as sent in by the branch servant.
The physically blind are “seeing” in Burma. A missionary had this experience: “Five years ago when I was a general pioneer, I met Jerome. He had been blind from the age of two. He showed good interest in the truth, but I lost touch with him. After returning from Gilead I was overjoyed to meet him again, and a regular study was started in the ‘Good News’ booklet. He was an Anglican by religion and living in the compound of the mission operated for the blind. He earned his living doing cane work for the mission. However, as all his Bible questions, which no one had ever been able to answer satisfactorily before, were cleared up one by one, he left the compound and began working independently. He was baptized at the next circuit assembly. He lives about five miles from the Kingdom Hall, but comes as often as he finds someone to lead him. In the same area I have started studies with ten other blind people who are all making good progress. Three more are now inquiring about baptism. Recently the Society sent the ‘Good News’ booklet in Braille on loan to them, and they were absolutely thrilled with it. It is their sincere hope that in due time Braille literature will be available so that they can effectively carry on the Bible study work with others.”
We have found that by making it easier for the brothers to attend circuit assemblies we have increased the attendance and helped the brothers gain maturity. Although there are only eleven groups of publishers in the country, four different circuit assemblies were held at widely scattered places. We found that 25-percent more persons attended. Also, it helped the new publishers to appreciate that we were really interested in their advancement.
The importance of calling back on persons who take magazines is illustrated in the following experience: A copy of The Watchtower was placed with a young man, formerly a Buddhist, who had recently been baptized as a member of the Baptist Church. However, his knowledge of Christianity was very limited. On the return call he subscribed for the magazine and the alert publisher made arrangements for a study. He progressed rapidly, and after a few weeks began attending meetings. Shortly thereafter the congregation was to work an isolated territory about thirty miles away, and, on his own, he asked if he could join the group. Ever since he has been sharing regularly in the field service, not forgetting to witness to his immediate family. His youngest brother is now a very good publisher, his mother has started studying and another brother has just begun to show interest. Even his relatives who live upcountry and visit them from time to time are now showing keen interest because of his efforts. He was baptized at the last circuit assembly and joined the
vacation pioneer ranks immediately. His desire is to remain a pioneer. All this is the result of making a back-call on a person who took The Watchtower.
CANADA Population: 17,617,000
Peak Publishers: 40,230 Ratio: 1 to 438
The work has moved ahead steadily in Canada during the past year but not with too much of an increase. Canada had about the same percentage of increase as last year. However, many things have happened. There were two very excellent conventions. The largest convention that Canada ever had was held in Vancouver in connection with the United Worshipers District Assembly. And they had another very interesting convention, a French assembly in Quebec. A marvelous witness was given at that time. The blood-transfusion question has arisen in Canada quite often during the past few years. But our brothers keep in mind the good words of the psalmist: “For your statutes I shall show a fondness. I shall not forget your word.” (Ps. 119:16) Having this in mind, they can take their stand definitely on the blood-transfusion issue. Here are some experiences that the branch servant gives us concerning the activity in Canada.
In the field ministry one is confronted with objections to our stand on blood transfusions perhaps more than on any other subject at the moment. Brothers are learning how to draw out the householder on the subject and see first how much he knows about the matter. Several things have been a help to us in this regard. An article appeared in the Canadian Bar Journal and was reprinted in the Canadian Doctor that ably discussed the medical, legal and religious issues involved. This reached the two professional groups most involved in the matter and has had a most desirable calming effect on them. Many comments of appreciation have been heard. People’s minds begin to open when they see that there is more to this than meets the eye. Then they are willing to listen and learn from the Bible. Then a fine article written by two doctors in Winnipeg appeared in the Canadian Medical Association Journal urging that doctors and the hospitals render the same fair and unprejudiced treatment to the Witnesses as to other religions that reject certain forms of medical therapy. They offered from their own experience with Witness cases sensible suggestions for treating persons who did not desire blood. Next came Maclean’s, a popular national magazine, which carried an article stressing that three out of four transfusions were unnecessary and dangerous. This has opened up marvelous opportunities to witness on the matter. The new booklet, Blood, Medicine and the Law of God, came out at just the opportune time and has been put to good use by the brothers. There have been several cases where parents have been threatened with court action to have babies taken away from them and forcibly transfused. In some cases doctors finally consented to operations without blood and the babies survived. In others, the doctors were changed, the new doctor decided upon other treatment that was successful, and the babies have lived.
The breath of fresh air of freedom of worship continues to blow through some sections of Quebec. Fanatics who would try to restrict the worship of others and who are jealous of the missionary zeal and success of Jehovah's witnesses are learning that they cannot take the law into their own hands. The police and the courts of Quebec have set some Catholic Action members straight several times in recent months. Some possible difficulties have been headed off simply by writing to those who would interfere. Police chiefs are reminded that there are Supreme Court decisions protecting our rights to preach. In one small town in the northern part of the province the police chief picked up two special pioneers recently assigned and tried to frighten them away from their assignment. When another special pioneer, who had been in the territory longer, went to the jail to help the others, the chief put this brother in a cell for a short time, until he saw he would not be bluffed. When a report was made by the brother, the Society had a letter sent to the chief. Later on it was necessary for this brother to go into the chief’s office to obtain a map to be used in handling the territory. The chief was most friendly and helpful. His attitude had changed completely. He said, “Anytime, anything I can do to help, let me know.” The brothers have been recognized as an established part of the community now. The building of seven Kingdom Halls during the year, with improvements on some existing ones, has no doubt made some contribution to the view about Jehovah’s witnesses as being there to stay.
In one portion of unassigned territory the brothers had the fine help of the police. After stopping one of the sisters to find out what she was doing and receiving a good witness, the policeman explained they were getting complaints. He thought it would be best if one went along to assure the people that everything was all right and keep them from phoning. With his aid 120 magazines were placed, he often explaining to the people that it was all right for them to take them. Since it took several days to work the town, the policeman would be waiting in the hotel lobby each morning to go out with the publishers.
The vacation pioneer service has its rewards. Some sisters were encouraged by the wife of the circuit servant to vacation pioneer. Five did this, although two of them were nearly seventy years old. One in her two weeks placed twelve Paradise books and was thrilled about her experience. She exclaimed: “Just think, I had to wait until I was an old grandmother before I tasted this rare privilege. I have had a backache for many years, but since my second day of pioneering I have had no trouble at all with it. Now I am afraid to stop pioneering for fear my ache will come back.”
CEYLON Population: 9,230,000
Peak Publishers: 224 Ratio: 1 to 41,205
Gradual theocratic progress has been enjoyed once more in the beautiful island of Ceylon. Here, too, the Kingdom Ministry School was in operation, assisting the overseers of the congregation, the missionaries and special pioneers. It is felt that this training will stimulate all the congregations and brothers throughout the island. Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere feel the responsibility to “make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them.” (Matt. 28:19) In Ceylon there are a number of religions and a number of languages—-different kinds of people who must be helped with the truth. The branch servant gives us some interesting experiences.
In a land of many religions, one often finds nominal Christians married to Hindus or Buddhists. Such persons are usually excommunicated by their church or looked on as moral outcasts. Many of these persons, however, are truth hungry and appreciate the efforts made by Jehovah’s people to instruct them in Bible truth. One such person was contacted in the house-to-house witness work, and, although nearly blind, he obtained the Paradise book and had his daughters read to him three times right through the book. He committed the information to memory so completely that he was able to answer almost every question in the book with ease! It was not long before his two daughters began to join in the study, while his Hindu wife shows much kindness to the missionaries. There is every reason to believe that these sheeplike ones will continue on toward maturity, in spite of their being cast off by the false shepherds of Christendom.
One of the congregation overseers called to the Kingdom Ministry School is a driver for the Ceylon Government Railway. On the particular sector he covers, it is difficult to obtain leave for anything more than one week at a stretch. He approached the district superintendent and explained the reason why he wanted a month’s leave, to attend the special training school for ministers in Colombo. The superintendent was deeply impressed and expressed his pride that a driver in the railway should lead a life of this type, because, as he said, most of the ones in the department are gamblers and drunkards. The leave was granted on full pay and the congregation overseer, who has a family of six children, was thus able to enjoy the full benefits of the course.
Benefits of the intensified training are already in evidence. One special pioneer reports that he usually has difficulty meeting his magazine quota, but on returning to his assignment after school he determined to be as magazine-conscious as possible during the month of August. “On the first Saturday morning while working from house to house I met a man who said: ‘Of all the magazines I read, nothing can compare with The Watchtower and Awake!’ That kind of stimulation helped me a lot. That morning I placed more than twenty magazines. August 24 was a public holiday and the congregation made an effort to go to one of the suburbs for magazine work. My training partner and I placed over forty-five magazines in just about two hours. Our stock was exhausted, so we returned to the car for more, but found it locked and the brother with the key not there. A crowd gathered round and, with the usual curiosity of the East, wanted to know what we were doing. With my Singhalese and my partner’s fluency in Tamil, we gave them a fifteen-minute sermon on the blessings of the new world. When the brother with the car key arrived many came to us for magazines. The last Saturday of the month we had more good results in the store-to-store work, placing over twenty-five in just an hour. At the end of the month I was happy to total up my placements and found, for the first time this year, not only had I attained the quota, but exceeded it, reaching the total of 205!"
In order to put the Society’s films to better use, the circuit servant arranged for showings during his last trip around the island. In one congregation of nine publishers it was arranged to engage the YWCA hall, as the Kingdom Hall had no electricity. A woman of good will who was on the committee of the YWCA was quite shocked when the hall was refused owing to clergy influence. She promptly offered her own home for the screening, and the little congregation rejoiced to have fifty persons packed into this small home. This experience has helped the person of good will in her search for the truth, for she has since been a regular attender at the Kingdom Hall.
CHILE Population: 7,721,000
Peak Publishers: 2,553 Ratio: 1 to 3,024
The apostle Paul wrote to the congregation in Philippi: “Let us, then, as many of us as are mature, be of this mental attitude ... At any rate, to what extent we have made progress, let us go on walking orderly in this same routine.” (Phil. 3:15, 16) Jehovah’s witnesses in Chile have certainly done that very thing during the past year, and in this way they have shown that they are at unity in the pen with all the united worshipers of Jehovah throughout the world. The ministers of God in Chile had a splendid report this year, and here are a few of their experiences.
Children too are learning to 'walk orderly’ as they gain an accurate knowledge of the truth. A young brother twelve years of age was discussing the Bible with his playmates and was invited to the home of one of them to talk with a Catholic lady who was visiting there. The brother, with the help of his father, prepared some texts dealing with the happenings at the time of Jesus’ birth and also about the New World. When he made the call he took the Paradise book with him and with its help was able to answer all the lady’s questions. She took the book and asked him to return to help her study it. So impressed was she with his sincerity and ability to answer her questions that she refused the offer that his parents come to study with her and insisted that he come. Needless to say, he was eager to do so, and he is now aiding her to walk in the way to life.
“Let us, then, as many of us as are mature, be of this same mental attitude” of Christ, Paul admonished, and to follow this counsel today parents must be prepared to teach their children right principles and at the same time be ready to defend their course of action before prejudiced, nationalistic persons. One parent was called before the director of a school to explain why his children would not participate in the patriotic ceremonies with the other children. Before hearing the father’s defense, the director made it clear that he believed in these ceremonies because they are based on laws of the country and that it was the duty of each citizen to comply with such. The Witness explained the matter, showing how the attitude of his children was based on the laws of the Supreme Ruler of the universe and that actually Jehovah’s witnesses are among the best citizens in any country because they never bring reproach on the flag or the country by bad conduct or language. Rather, they respect and live by the good principles behind the constitution of the country. At the same time they pay back to “Caesar” what belongs to “Caesar” and to God what belongs to Him. The director was acquainted with a number of Witnesses and their children and knew of their good conduct, and for this reason he had to agree with what was said. He gave the necessary authorization to exempt the children from future ceremonies, stating that he had never yet ‘seen another religion that stuck so rigidly to its beliefs and principles.’ He readily accepted a copy of the Awake! magazine dealing with the flag-salute case in the Philippines.
What a joy it is to see persons of good will grasp the truth and little by little begin walking in the “same routine” with the New World society! At times it requires patience on the part of the minister to show these persons the necessity of taking time to study God’s Word, but certainly the fruits are well worth the effort. A missionary writes to tell of a call that was given to her to visit. The man had been loaned one of the books of the Society to read while he was in the hospital, and immediately he became interested. Upon receiving his name, the missionary called many times
but without results. Finally she was able to start a study, and after the first month—what a change! As the householder himself stated, “Our lives are completely changed by just these few Bible studies. Before I was utterly bored and could find nothing to make me content. Now I just cannot wait for the time to get home from work to study the Bible with my wife. We are so grateful for this knowledge, we must express our thanks to Jehovah, to the Society and to you.” Both he and his wife dedicated every possible minute to studying the Bible, and their progress has been amazing. At first he felt it impossible to attend the meetings on Sunday because he had regular assignments to play in the orchestra that day, but soon he realized the importance of these meetings and made arrangements to attend. Soon after, he began to appreciate that he too could participate in the ministry. The first day he went out with the missionary he had a sermon prepared and was elated to place a subscription for the Watchtower magazine, and on Magazine Day of that first week he placed thirty-two magazines. With that wonderful start he continued as a regular publisher and recently symbolized his dedication by baptism. How grateful he is that someone exercised patience and called back several times at his home to encourage him to take time for the more important things!
CHINA
Population: 669,000,000
The last report that we had directly from China concerning the activity of Jehovah’s witnesses was in 1959. Since then it is believed that all persons professing to be Jehovah’s witnesses have been put into prison. We know definitely that two missionaries are still in the communistic prisons. Food parcels are sent to them regularly through the Red Cross. We understand that they are not allowed to have Bibles, and so in their moments of meditation they must think of Psalm 27:14: “Hope in Jehovah; be courageous and let your heart be strong. Yes, hope in Jehovah.” Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere have the privilege of praying on behalf of these brothers of ours in China, to the end that they will always be strong in faith.
COLOMBIA Population: 13,500,000
Peak Publishers: 2,013 Ratio: 1 to 6,706
Paul, talking to the Corinthians, said: “Become steadfast, unmovable, always having plenty to do in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in connection with the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:58) Jehovah’s witnesses in Colombia believe that. Their labors have not been in vain, for they enjoyed a 22-percent increase in number of publishers. This is the fifth year that the brothers in this land have enjoyed more that a 20-percent increase in the average number of pro-claimers of the Kingdom good news. Here are a few of the experiences that the branch servant sends in:
A circuit servant relates: “Working from door to door in Cali, I met a young Catholic teacher who said she could not accept even a magazine. However, when I showed her the ‘approved’ Catholic Bible, she sat down and listened with an apparent thirst for the water of truth. She refused literature, but invited me back to read her more scriptures. A week later she again carefully listened to Bible reading but refused literature. On the third back-call, after much Biblical reasoning, she accepted the special Awake! about ‘The Catholic Church in the 20th Century.’ As I had to go on to another congregation, I left the call with another publisher, who was well received on following visits and finally succeeded in getting the teacher’s brother out to a public talk. The next day another call was made and a study was started in the ‘Good News’ booklet. This experience shows the value of calling back on interested persons even though literature is not placed on the initial visit.”
During a circuit assembly the district servant’s wife took note when a lady told her: “My husband is a photographer and buys La Atalaya often and likes it very much. Be sure to come back and see him.” Since this was the last day of the assembly, the sister left the address with a local publisher. The call was made. Result? A happy surprise when, at a district assembly four months later, the publisher introduced the photographer and his wife with big smiles, saying they have been studying regularly and attending meetings and are preparing to be baptized before too long. It pays to call back on every interested person one finds or arrange to have someone else do so.
A missionary was happily surprised when a lady came up to her on the street to say how much she liked the Watchtower magazine and to ask about the trinity, as it gave her nine-year-old daughter a headache to think about it. Questions were answered, the Paradise book was placed and a study begun. After two visits the priest sent word that the lady would either have to stop studying the Bible or move, as the whole neighborhood was being influenced. When the lady passed this message on to her Catholic husband, he sent word that the priest could give orders only in the church and not in their home. The husband now eagerly reads and studies with the rest of his family.
CONGO REPUBLIC Population: 784,023
Peak Publishers: 716 Ratio: 1 to 1,095
Those who acquaint themselves with the will of God and are determined to carry out that will Jehovah can use as his ministers. Every individual who comes to Jehovah in dedication must be willing to suffer for the sake of righteousness and he must “consider closely the one who has endured such contrary talk by sinners against their own interests, that you may not get tired and give out in your souls.” (Heb. 12:3) Christ Jesus did not give out. He conquered the world. Regardless of the situation, individuals who are going to gain everlasting life must keep going. There have been some definite setbacks in the work in the Congo Republic and the territory under the jurisdiction of the branch office in Brazzaville, but still there are publishers who are striving to get the work done, and here are a few experiences from the different republics as outlined by the branch servant.
This year has been marked by the official recognition of the Association “The Witnesses of Jehovah” in the Congo Republic and Central Africa. Unfortunately, the publications are still under prohibition and it is not possible for us to have literature other than the booklets printed in France.
A publisher relates the following experience: “I met a young man during his school vacation. Since he asked me so many questions, I returned to see him during the week. The vacation finished, he returned to college. A few months later I learned through his parents that he had become the object of much mockery in college because he refused to eat blood. His parents claimed that I was responsible for what happened to their son. They said: ‘You are the one who instructed him in all these foolish things, and now the whole school makes fun of him.’ Though his parents were much grieved about it, I was filled with joy. I made arrangements to get in contact with him again, and we started a regular study. It was a real joy to study with him, because he wanted to know everything so as to be able to defend himself when confronted with the mocking questions of his comrades and his professors. One day the students asked the director to answer the question, ‘Who is Jehovah?’ This one said that Jehovah does not exist at all and that Jehovah’s witnesses are false prophets who fight against the Catholic Church. Strengthened by this answer, the students increased their mockeries, but they were not able to discourage their comrade.
“One day he arrived for the study very happy. He told me that he had started two studies with some classmates. He explained that they had a history course about the Jewish people and that in their handbook it was stated that the Jews worshiped the only true God, whose name is Jehovah and who, according to the history of the Bible, had given the Ten Commandments to Moses. All the students were so surprised to find this explanation in their manual that they asked their professor about what the director told them. As the professor was unable to answer and due to the noise of the students, he changed the course and studied another matter. However, after the hour course was over, the students unanimously recognized that their professors had deceived them, and they formed a circle around the witness of Jehovah to ask him some intelligent questions. As for the young interested one, he is a candidate for immersion at our next circuit assembly.”
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Peak Publishers: 929 Population: 1,171,252
Ratio: 1 to 1,261
One brother relates the following experience: “I conducted a Bible study with a person of good will who was living only a few meters from the place where the Catholic catechism was studied. We had started our study in the shadow of a big tree, when a priest came with his students to have their catechizing on the other side of the tree. The catechism lesson started and I continued my study. But the students of the catechism were distracted by my presence, and this visibly irritated the priest. He could not hold back any more and called to me, saying, ‘Can you not go somewhere else to teach your lies?’ Then I asked him in what way I embarrassed him since I was not on the grounds of the catechetical school and had no reason to go away. Then he started to talk very loud, with the intention of starting a mob in the village. Soon the greater part of the inhabitants were gathered around us, and he said to them: ‘Why didn’t you chase these witnesses of Jehovah away? Don’t you know that they teach that the churches are not the houses of God?’ But the crowd did not show the reaction he expected, and they all stayed there waiting to see what would happen next. I understood immediately that on the outcome would depend the preaching in this village and also the neighboring villages, so I let him talk. When he had finished I said to him, passing him my Bible: ‘Show us where it is mentioned in the Bible that the churches are the house of God.’ He took the Bible and angrily turned the pages without seeking anything, and then he asked: ‘Why, then, did David build a temple in Jerusalem?’ Then I asked him to show us in the Bible where it says that David built a temple in Jerusalem, but he got enraged and ordered the inhabitants to chase me out of the village. However, nobody made a move. I took the Bible and let somebody read very loud the text in Acts 7:47-50, where it says: ‘Solomon built a house for him. Nevertheless, the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands.’ As everybody had their eyes fixed upon him, he rode away on his motor scooter and disappeared, calling the inhabitants of the village weaklings. But after he departed I remained for about two hours with the people of the village and discussed with them about the true church and all the blessings of God’s kingdom. Every week I come regularly to the village to conduct a Watchtower study on the public grounds of the village, but on the side opposite the catechism class. I hope that with time some persons of this village will get hold of the truth and will take a stand for it.”
REPUBLIC OF GABON Population: 416,142
Peak Publishers: 65 Ratio: 1 to 6,402
One day a friend said to me, “I discussed with our pastor the contents of your paper, and he would also like to get a copy of it regularly.” I said, “This is very easy.
You can give me the address and I will bring it to him each month.”
The pastor was very interested in our Bible explanations and listened without saying a word to all the exhortation I gave him. His friend, who had accompanied me, listened very attentively. When we left and were on our way home I proposed to my interested friend to study the Bible each week. He accepted and I started studying with him. Now he comes regularly to our meetings and we go together visiting his pastor friend. I am happy to see how he encourages the pastor to study the Bible regularly, and on our study on the theme “What God requires of his servants" I was happy to hear him say: “I see that all I have done in Protestantism is of no value before Jehovah.”
REPUBLIC OF TCHAD Population: 2,574,600
Peak Publishers: 20 Ratio: 1 to 128,730
There is only one congregation in Tchad, and that is in the capital city of Fort-Lamy.
This year the brothers and sisters had the joy of a visit of the district servant and the opportunity to see the three films of the Society.
These projections had to take place in a small room that was equipped with electricity, but in spite of the smallness of the room, the average attendance at the three showings was thirty persons. These showings made the brothers and sisters very happy and encouraged the people of good will by giving them a better understanding and appreciation of the work of Jehovah.
COSTA RICA Population: 1,199,116
Peak Publishers: 2,507 Ratio: 1 to 478
People of good will continue to listen to Jehovah’s witnesses, and as time goes on they learn the truth. So the brothers in Costa Rica are happy that they have passed the 2,500 mark of ministers due to declaring the good news of the Kingdom. These ordained ministers are trying to do the same thing for the people of good will that Jesus did for his disciples, It is recorded concerning the work of Jesus: “Then he opened up their minds fully to grasp the meaning of the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:45) By Jehovah’s undeserved kindness Jehovah’s witnesses today are opening up the minds of many people. Here are some of the experiences that the branch servant sends in.
Within a period of a few weeks three publishers from different sections of the country had to enter the tuberculosis hospital, located on a mountainside. They immediately began a Bible study, and other patients started asking questions on the Bible. Although it is a government hospital, it is run by priests and nuns. The priest in charge did not want the other patients to hear the Scriptural teachings of the Witnesses, so he took their Bibles and Bible aids from them and told them not to talk to other patients. He finally let them have a copy of the Catholic Bible. Before others they had a talk with him on the resurrection, but he was unable to find anything in his Bible on it, so the Witnesses showed him the scriptures on the subject. He then decided to move them to a separate ward so the others would not be “contaminated.” To the Witnesses he admitted that he did not want the Catholic patients to know that the Bible supported the teachings of Jehovah’s witnesses. But others had had a taste of the truth and wanted more, so they visited the Witnesses to study with them. When the priest learned of this he moved these over with the publishers and this ward came to be called the “Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” To date five have been moved to this ward.
A special pioneer was asked to visit the sister of one of the families studying the Bible with him. He found the home full of images, pictures of “saints” and a clandestine distillery. Every two or three weeks these people would celebrate the day of one of the “saints,” and people would come in from miles around for the fiesta. Since most of the religious celebrants ended up drunk, these celebrations were good for the liquor business. The pioneer doubted that these people would ever change enough to become part of the clean New World society, but he talked to them about God’s kingdom and placed some Bible helps with them. They requested a study, so he agreed to return the following week, but without much hope of a study. When he arrived the following week the distillery and the “saints” had all been removed. Right from the first they showed their desire to conform to God’s standards. Now two of the family have symbolized their dedication to do the will of Jehovah, and others expect to do so soon.
A circuit servant relates that he was working distant territory with a group of twelve publishers. They were visiting the homes in a river valley and had to wade the river thirty-seven times in their day’s work. At the last house in the territory they found a group of Evangelists holding a meeting. When these people learned that their visitors were Christian ministers, they invited them to talk to them on the Bible. Since there was not room for everyone in the house, the benches were moved outside for an open-air meeting. The circuit servant gave a ninety-minute talk on basic Bible doctrines, such as trinity, immortality, hell and how to identify Jehovah’s true ministers today. At the end of the talk he presented La Atalaya (The Watchtower), and each one present obtained a copy. Then a one-hour Bible study was conducted in La Atalaya. The “pastor,” the “deacon” and another member of the group took subscriptions and seven obtained copies of the book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained. Arrangements were made for a weekly Watchtower study, with two of the publishers assigned to return and help the group.
The majority of the schools of Costa Rica continue to exclude the faithful children of Jehovah’s witnesses. At the start of the new school year most schools required the student or his parents to sign a form stating the student would salute the flag and sing the national anthem. Since Jehovah’s witnesses do not give worship to any man or man-made object, they were not allowed to enter the schools. However, a few schools recognized their right to worship the Creator, Jehovah God, and allowed them to enroll. In other places the Witnesses themselves conducted classes and taught their children.
CUBA Population: 6,466,000
Peak Publishers: 14,011 Ratio: 1 to 461
The Kingdom publishers were greatly blessed because of sticking to their God-given assignment of preaching the good news in Cuba during the past year. Real faith in Jehovah God and courage were required, and a scripture like this one is very comforting in times of stress: “It is necessary for us to pay more that the usual attention to the things heard by us, that we may never drift away.” (Heb. 2:1) It appears that the brothers in Cuba are paying attention, and they were certainly anxious to gather together at a grand assembly in Havana, Cuba. The branch servant there gives us a report and some experiences.
As Brother Henschel’s visit neared in February to serve the branch and be present at our national convention, it seemed impossible to secure immigration permission for his entry. Nevertheless, the “impossible” happened and a special courtesy visa was granted him, resulting in much added strength to Jehovah’s people here and much good counsel. And what a convention! We were granted a 50-percent reduction on round-trip bus, train and boat fares to the convention site in Havana. Up until then our convention attendance peaks were around 5,500 on Sunday. ‘Would we have so many?’ we wondered. Also, in an open-air stadium, would it rain or be too hot or too cold at night? Any of these conditions could happen. About an hour before the public lecture a cloudy sky formed—a natural shade for the entire stadium, but no rain. AU bleacher seats were filled, all rented chairs were filled before the flowerdecked platform and still more attenders pressed forward. As the public talk neared its end on the subject of love, the chairman was handed a note showing the count to be 16,600 present! More than three times anything Cuba had ever witnessed in a theocratic sense! What praise to Jehovah!
Soon, following this joyous occasion, which emphasized the vast ingathering going on in this country, came the Memorial. Last year, that is, in the 1960 service year, we had more than 24,000 present at the Memorial. Now, what about 1961? Would the uneasiness of being out after night lower this year’s attendance at this feast of vindication? What a most joyful surprise when the total count showed more than 33,000 in Cuba had been present at the Memorial!
Yes, this year has been marked by rapid-fire action. In a Matanzas congregation, the congregation servant, a special pioneer, was considering a letter from the Society on pioneering one service meeting night. A young man with whom he was studying in the book Paradise was listening. After the service meeting the young man approached the congregation servant and asked: “Can I be a pioneer?” The servant thought that he had misunderstood what pioneering meant, so he explained about baptism, study and preaching long hours. The young man then asked: “Can I be baptized? I want to be a pioneer like Jesus. Jesus was a pioneer.” The next day the young man went along in the magazine work. At the third house he asked the congregation servant if he could try placing the magazines. Success! He set a goal of 120 for that month. He is soon to be a pioneer.
Home Bible studies result in good medicine in more ways than one. A special pioneer started a study with a man suffering from heart trouble. He could walk very little and always was taking pills. After a few months of study he wanted to go along with the special pioneer preaching. During a walk of about two miles he had to sit down to rest several times and take quite a few pills. The pioneer felt that it was too much for him, but he insisted on going, and even farther each time. Soon he was walking without resting so much and taking very few pills, going out in the morning and returning in the afternoon. His family, anxious for his life, insisted he see his regular doctor who was supplying him the medicine. The doctor was amazed at his vigor and improvement and strongly insisted he keep taking the “same medicine.” Later, on examining his patient and learning about his preaching activity, the doctor told him: “You are completely well. Continue preaching. This has cured you.”
CYPRUS Population: 582,942
Peak Publishers: 530 Ratio: 1 to 1,100
“What fellowship does light have with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14) That is a very important question. The answer to the question appears in the lives of Jehovah’s witnesses every day. Those devoted to Jehovah God and his kingdom and who are trying to preach it must let their light shine. They can have nothing to do with the dark deeds of this devilish old world and the men in it. While Cyprus is a small island in the Mediterranean, many things happen there to Jehovah’s witnesses; the branch servant reports on a few of these happenings in Cyprus and also in Israel, a territory under the jurisdiction of the branch in Cyprus.
With the exception of certain villages, the work has been going on without any serious troubles. In some villages, however, things were not so easy. On two occasions at least, brothers, particularly two congregation servants, were beaten severely, to the extent that one of them had to stay in bed for several weeks. His daughter, who tried to protect him, also received many beatings with a thick stick. On both occasions the main instigators were the priests, who used almost insane and delinquent men to do the fiendish work. This shows that sane men no longer obey or respect this class of people. On another occasion a mature brother, who moved with his wife and three young children to a village to help the small congregation there, working at the same time as a tailor, became the target of much opposition. Expressions like the following were often heard: “We must burn him alive”; “We must go at night with masks and kill him”; and so forth. The brother, however, remained fearless and Jehovah blessed him very much. The small congregation, which had only ten publishers when the brother moved in over a year ago, jumped up to twenty publishers last April. One night after midnight a number of masked fanatical persons surrounded the brother’s house and began firing their pistols, shouting at the brother that if he would not leave the next day he would be killed. The matter was reported to the police, and the chief constable showed some interest in the matter personally, but the brother was finally urged to leave the village, as the police could not guarantee his life indefinitely. Owing to unstable conditions still prevailing in the island and the fact that the landlord would not permit the brother to stay in the house any longer, he decided to move to a neighboring village, from which he continues to help the congregation as much as he can. On still another occasion, while brothers of a small congregation were having their Watchtower study fanatical persons put fire to the fence of a brother’s orange grove and to his car.
A missionary was calling on a priest’s wife, who was showing some interest. While the missionary was conducting a Bible study in another house together with her husband, the priest stepped in. He inquired who they were and, after telling their names, he seemed to be friendly to them, but when he was told that they were Jehovah’s witnesses his friendliness ended. He told them that they would be welcome to his house if they would speak only on social questions but never on religion. The brother replied that, since they were followers of Jesus and his apostles, they could not but speak about God, his will and purposes. Then he answered: “Then do not visit my house any more.” Later this priest was asked by a member of his congregation what to do when called upon by one of Jehovah’s witnesses. The reply was: “Well, I told them that they can visit my house only for social discussions but never religious ones.” Naturally this aroused some talking among the members of his congregation as to why a minister would not discuss religious matters with others. After this many questions were put to him about the trinity, intolerance, and so forth, but no satisfactory answers were given to any of them, with the result that more persons of his congregation are now studying with our missionaries and learning which is the true congregation.
ISRAEL Population: 2,154,800
Peak Publishers: 67 Ratio: 1 to 32,161
A person of good will realized, after studying with one of our special pioneers for over a year, that this is the truth and, as a result, she started attending the meetings regularly and going in the service from door to door once a week, in spite of very strong opposition from her husband. He was even threatening that he would go one day to the Kingdom Hall and create trouble, using violence. This he did with five of his friends. The special pioneer was notified by the person of good will about such an undesirable visit, and immediately when she heard some unusual noise outside she went out of the room, took the man by the hand and prevented him from entering. The brothers, in the meantime, locked the door. The man became furious and began smashing the windows. The police were called by the landlady and, although they did not show a good attitude toward the brothers and the landlady, they took the man to the police station, together with the landlady’s son, who had taken our side. Meanwhile the meeting was over and three of the brothers also went to the police. The husband slapped his wife in the presence of the police, but they did not intervene. Then the special pioneer told the police what they should have done in a civilized, democratic land. This served the purpose well. After a complete investigation by the police and a good witness given by the brothers, the man was told that he had no right whatsoever to do what he did. Finally the man apologized for all the trouble and damages he caused, he kissed his wife and asked her to go back home with him. She answered, in the presence of the police, that she would go only on condition that he would stop using strong alcoholic drinks and would permit her to go to the meetings regularly and to the service at least once every week. The husband promised to do this and said that he would, in the future, accompany her to the meetings. This he is now doing regularly. He also asked the landlady and the brothers to forgive him for his bad behavior, and he paid for all the damage he caused. Jehovah really blesses those blessing him and protects those who endure.
DENMARK
Peak Publishers: 9,835
Population: 4,563,400
Ratio: 1 to 464
The report from Denmark is that 90 percent of the population are members of the State Church. However, less than 3 percent attend church and these are not regular. When preaching from house to house one must continually contend with complete indifference when the householder learns that the visitor is going to talk about the Bible. However, the command of Jesus is still strong: “Feed my little sheep.” (John 21:17) So Jehovah’s witnesses keep traveling throughout the land, preaching wherever there is an ear to hear. The branch servant in Copenhagen gives an interesting report on Denmark, Faroe Islands and Greenland.
One of our larger congregations had a town of 3,000 inhabitants on the outskirts of their rural territory and no Witnesses were living there. About one year ago the Society sent two special pioneers to this territory, and a little later a family of publishers moved into this town to serve where the need was great. As the work got under way, the Inter Mission group of the church had a prayer week specially arranged to counteract the activity of the Witnesses, and the townspeople were prophesying that no one in this strong Inter Mission town would ever become one of Jehovah’s witnesses. Soon, though, as a result of Bible study work, there were four of the local townspeople who began preaching, but these were persons who, though they had lived there many years, were not born there. Immediately the church groups put forth extra effort to distribute the tract “Answer to Jehovah’s Witnesses” to every household. They comforted themselves by saying, “Well, no one born and raised in this town will ever become one of Jehovah’s witnesses.” But this comfort was not to last very long. Soon a woman who had lived there from her birth and who had been a very active church worker began publishing along with another sister. The reaction was amazing. Many persons they met at the doors exclaimed, “Is it right that you, Mrs. P---are also one of Jehovah’s witnesses?”
They were invited in and placed literature in almost every house. Now that “one of their own” has become a Witness there are many others beginning to show more interest.
A publisher was in the magazine work one day and met a very friendly woman who, though not particularly interested, had replied, “Well, surely nothing can happen to us simply for taking two magazines.” As the sister came back several times only to find no one at home, it began to look as though nothing would happen. Then one day the husband came to the door—the sister had interrupted his noontime nap. Though she was a bit apologetic over this, the man invited her in and explained that his wife had obtained the magazines because he had been sick in bed and she thought he needed something to read; why not those? The man became interested and asked the sister how one could be sure there is a God. After they heard some of the proofs a study was started, and this young couple have made very good progress. They attend meetings and are regular in the service, so something can happen for simply taking two magazines.
Another interesting result from magazines came where a brother called at a home in an outlying section of territory. A young woman was quite interested but could not contribute for the literature, as her husband was opposed. The brother gave her an older copy and promised to come again. It was several weeks before the brother was able to get out there, and as they approached the house he said to his partner, “Now, if only her husband is not at home, since he is opposed.” But it was the husband who came to the door. Surprisingly enough, he welcomed them in, so the brother thought, ‘He does not know who we are.’ But the man said, “How nice that you have come. We have been waiting here at the window every Sunday to see if one of you folks would come.” Now, how had he become interested? One day when he was home alone he picked up the Awake! and casually glanced at an article about attaining a successful family life. He became so occupied with this article he forgot everything else, and after his wife came home they spent most of the night talking about this article and what the brother had said on his first call. This article had directly hit all his faults and he was honest enough to admit it. He neglected his family, using the home only to eat and sleep, as the article had said, “like a service station.” Now this young couple have made good progress; they attend meetings and take part in the service. And their family life is very much better now that they apply the principles mentioned in the article in this older copy of Awake!’
FAROE ISLANDS Population: 35,000
Peak Publishers: 24 Ratio: 1 to 1,460
One of the special pioneers has had very good results by going down to the harbor for a half hour each day and witnessing on the ships. On one ship he noticed a very well-worn Paradise book and learned that in the four months since he had placed the book all the thirty-man crew had read it through and some were quite interested.
The international assembly in Copenhagen resulted in a good witness also up here. Several hundred persons from the Faroe Islands were in Copenhagen at the time and observed the Witnesses throughout the city; others saw views of the assembly on television, and some even went out to the assembly grounds. Additionally, many residents of the islands have relatives living in Copenhagen who had delegates living with them, and these relatives have written to them about their experiences. All this has resulted in the convention being talked about all over the islands.
GREENLAND Population: 29,200
Peak Publishers: 12 Ratio: 1 to 2,433
The work in Greenland is getting better established. People have become more receptive. Two new publishers have started this year, one Danish worker and one Greenlander; and additional pioneers and a family of publishers as well as another young brother have moved to Greenland to help where the need is great. So the good news is spreading and the publishers are doing good work against the obstacles of poor, timewasting and costly transportation, inclement weather and a difficult housing problem, to say nothing of the very difficult language.
The showing of the Society’s films has had good results. In one village one of the films was shown at an old people’s home and practically all attended the showing, including some who were opposed to the truth. All in attendance, including the opposers, are much more friendly to the truth now. In some villages nearly all the villagers have turned out to see the film, and these showings are much talked about.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Population: 4,070,108
Peak Publishers: 681 Ratio: 1 to 5,977
Looking back in the Dominican Republic over the first complete year of having freedom to preach in the past ten years, the facts show that the brothers certainly appreciate how Jehovah has shown his loving-kindness in many ways. It has been a year of gathering together the many scattered publishers and strengthening them and building up their courage through faith. They see their responsibilities and have gone forward, knowing that they must be ‘always ready to make a defense before everyone that demands a reason for their hope, but doing so together with a mild temper and deep respect.’ (1 Pet. 3:15) This they are doing, as the experiences sent in by the branch servant show.
As a special pioneer was working from house to house he came to one house where a man was reading an Awake! that his sister had obtained the day before on the street. He took two more magazines. When the pioneer made a back-call on him he had some questions for him to answer about hell, trinity and other doctrines. When the pioneer told him that these doctrines were not from the Bible, it shocked him, but when an explanation was offered he accepted it and also took a book. A study was started with him and he progressed rapidly. Four months later he said he had learned more in these four months studying with Jehovah’s witnesses than in the fourteen years studying with the Evangelicals. The Evangelical preacher came to visit him, and the man of good will could see that the preacher was dead spiritually. When the subject of hell came up, the preacher was dumb, and the man was able to show from the Bible that hell was nothing more than the grave. The preacher got so angry that he stood up and said, “Look! man, God is not a God of love!” and left and has not been back since. Now the student says that he and his house are for Jehovah.
Another Witness got into a discussion with an Adventist, and after talking about different subjects for quite awhile the Adventist ended up by saying to the Witness: “If you had the spirit of God you could have converted us.” The Witness asked if Jesus had God’s spirit. “Oh, of course he had it,” was the reply.
“Then why didn’t Jesus convert the Sadducees and Pharisees?” asked the Witness. The man of the house got the point and began studying with the Witness. Later he left the Adventists, and at our assembly he told his experience and said he was going to be baptized.
In January, 1961, Brother Henschel came to visit us and we had our first assembly. We obtained permission from the government to use the High School Stadium for our assembly, and we began making the necessary arrangements for holding a three-day assembly. Nine hundred and fifty-seven attended the public meeting and twenty-seven were baptized. This assembly was reported on in an Awake! article. The assembly was one of the things that gave the work a big forward push.
A brother and his wife came to the branch office one day saying they would like to go in the special pioneer work as others were doing. He had been a special for a few months in 1957 when the work was open. Their problem was that the sister had three children by another man before she married this brother. Now she and the brother had two more children, making five to feed beside themselves, but still they wanted to go into the special pioneer work. It was suggested that they wait on the Lord and be patient. About three weeks later the brother came into the branch saying that the father of the three children had come by their house one afternoon and had “stolen” them. It was a little embarrassing for him to be glad about it, but he could not conceal his joy when he said, “I think we can go in the special pioneer work now.” They were assigned to a small city in the interior and are happy to be special pioneers. At our recent assembly they gave their experience and explained how the work was progressing in their assignment. They had formed two service centers and two of the new ones were attending the assembly and were to be baptized.
ECUADOR Population: 4,349,494
Peak Publishers: 731 Ratio: 1 to 5,792
The apostle Paul told the Galatians: “Let anyone who is being orally taught the word share in all good things with the one who gives such oral teaching.” (Gal. 6:6) Following this practice, the ordained ministers in Ecuador have had excellent success in the preaching activity, and the work is growing rapidly. This same method of “being orally taught” the good news is still in effect and always will be used by Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere. Here are a few actual experiences of what is going on in Ecuador as reported by the branch servant:
The brothers had purchased a new Kingdom Hall. The building that they bought had just side walls of bamboo cane and they did not at that time have enough funds to plaster these walls. Since the homes of the neighbors on each side were only a few inches away from the Kingdom Hall walls, there was little or no privacy. Every time the meetings would begin the neighbors tried to make as much noise as they could with radios, loud talking, laughing and even throwing stones on the iron roof of the hall. This continued for over two months, but the brothers suffered these adverse circumstances in patience without protest. Then suddenly the noise ceased and the brothers began to note that as soon as the opening song was sung at each meeting, even normal conversation among the neighbors would die down and they found out that the people on the other side were sitting close by the walls and listening to all that was said in the studies and talks. Soon some of them mustered up enough courage to come and sit around the front door of the hall and listen from there, and finally they started coming in and taking their seats with the others. A Bible study was started with one of the families, and from that family there are now two Kingdom publishers. The brothers in that congregation are happy that Jehovah’s spirit helped them exercise patience during those first two months, and they are also happy that funds were low at that time.
In last year’s report for the Yearbook we told of how the truth is spreading throughout some rural areas even though there are no publishers there. One experience mentioned a subscriber who, by the time his renewal was due, had taken twenty-six other subscriptions from those to whom he had lent his magazines. During this year it was possible for this person to attend one meeting while visiting the closest city to his home away out in the wilds. Observing the study arrangement and asking questions about other activities, he implored the brothers to try to visit him and his friends regularly to help them study in the same way. Sometime later the circuit servant and a special pioneer were able to make a brief visit and were surprised to find out that in the meantime this person of good will had built himself a new home. But he was occupying only a part of his house downstairs, having designed the second floor so as to house pioneers and to provide a large room for a Kingdom Hall. These rooms are being reserved until regular studies can be started. As yet it is just not possible to take care of this interest, as the nature of the territory requires the help of some brothers who can travel many miles on horseback and take care of the persons scattered throughout the area. But there is no doubt that the interest is there. On the visit made by the circuit servant plans were made to show the Society’s film, and, although there are only about twenty homes in the central area, a group of eighty persons was soon gathered for the occasion. The interested person had supplied a power plant, but the output was insufficient to run the projector. So the whole audience got up in one group and all of them walked together by flashlight to the next home where a plant was available, confident that the owner there would welcome them with the film, which he did, to everyone’s satisfaction. So here we have a large group of subscribers, a Kingdom Hall and a home for pioneers. The harvest is ripe. Who will the laborers be? What an opportunity for a cowboy who wants to serve where the need is great!
EIRE Population: 2,814,703
Peak Publishers: 209 Ratio: 1 to 13,467
It is a joy to see the stamina of the special pioneers in Eire. They believe the words of Jehovah God as written in 2 Peter 3:9: “He does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance.” If Jehovah still wants the warning message to be sent throughout all of Eire and to have the Kingdom preached, then these special pioneers along with the pioneers and congregation publishers are going to do it. It takes real courage to stand firm and proclaim the good news of the Kingdom with so much opposition from the clergy and the people, the majority of whom do not want to hear the word of God preached. Then from time to time someone listens, and those who love righteousness will be saved. Here are a few interesting experiences from the branch servant in Eire.
Threats and intimidation are the stock in trade of the Catholic Church as is well illustrated in the following experience: An Irish pioneer sister first placed the Watchtower and Awake! magazines with a woman three years ago. The lady finally confessed to her priest that she had taken the magazines and had listened to Jehovah’s witnesses. He replied that he would not grant her absolution if she continued to take the literature or to listen. Her interest cooled off a little. The sister continued to call and the woman took a Douay Bible. Eventually a Bible study was started in the “Good News” booklet. Up to this point her husband showed no opposition but, when she attended a meeting taking her five children, he terminated the study and told the sister not to come near the house again. Shortly afterward she moved to a new house and parish and was visited by the local priest. He asked her how long it was since she had been to confession, to which she replied, “Not for over a year.” This caused him nearly to explode, and he shouted at her, “You are the most wicked woman in my parish. All your children will be hated and you would be better dead.” Nevertheless, she continued the study, which was now being conducted in a field. She then attended an assembly, leaving her children in the care of a baby sitter. While she was there her husband came home earlier than was expected from his work and, finding her absent, became quite incensed, ejecting the baby sitter from the home. On her return there was a violent scene. In spite of all this she kept on studying, soon sharing in the witness work. Recently she symbolized her dedication by water immersion during the visit of the circuit servant.
Our work is undoubtedly having a telling effect on the religious bigots who resist the publishing of the good news by every means at their disposal. During the past year a special Awake! entitled “The Catholic Church in the 20th Century” was distributed throughout the whole country. A number of letters appeared in various papers, among them the People’s Press of Donegal, complaining that “Donegal has been invaded once again by a plague of pests far more cunning than foxes or badgers. An army of men and women, some of them touring around on motor scooters, making a house-to-house call in town and country, leaving their free magazines . . . which criticize the doctrine of our holy religion in a ridiculous manner.” Furthermore, it said: “Religion is a personal choice and it is about time that free magazine callers should learn not to pester people when they know quite well that in Catholic Ireland they stand a very poor chance of making converts,” In the next breath they contradict themselves by saying that these magazines are “unfortunately read in many Catholic homes, while Irish Catholic books and papers are absent.”
If the literature they refer to is being read in many Catholic homes, while Catholic books are absent, surely the people are not satisfied with what they receive from their church. Moreover, if religion is a free choice, should that not apply to Jehovah’s witnesses also, since the Irish constitution guarantees freedom of religion to all? Incidentally, the army of men and women consists of two pioneer sisters on a motor scooter.
EL SALVADOR Population: 2,519,797
Peak Publishers: 638 Ratio: 1 to 3,950
In the last year the country of El Salvador has been filled with political and economic unrest. The people wonder what is in store for them. Most people want a peaceful atmosphere in which to live, and this is the great desire of Jehovah’s witnesses, only they know that this peaceful condition will come through God’s kingdom. Knowing the truth, they follow the words of Jesus: “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your fine works and give glory to your Father.” (Matt. 5:16) Because this is being done many are turning a listening ear to the message of the Kingdom, and there has been a nice increase in El Salvador and a goodly number of people are now associating with the New World society. Here are a few experiences showing this as related by the branch servant for El Salvador.
An example of such a person realizing the importance of this Kingdom preaching and teaching work is a young special pioneer who works alone in a small pueblo called Juayua. Not so long ago she was using her abilities in a rural school teaching young children how to read and write. Before long she recognized the need for greater education, education in the Word of God that means everlasting life. So she changed her course in life from being a schoolteacher to a teacher of the Bible. Her experience as a schoolteacher has been of great help to her, as evidenced by the following experience:
On calling from door to door she met a married couple who seemed to be searching for the truth and in the process had associated with the Pentecostals, Baptists, and finally the Mormons. They immediately took the literature of the Society, including the Paradise book, and arrangements were made to start a home Bible study. As the study continued with the couple and their children, this sister turned much of her attention to their children, who had no knowledge of the Bible whatsoever. At one of the studies the children expressed a desire to play instead of study this time, so the sister told them that if they would wait until after the study she would play with them. They studied, and after the study the sister kept her promise. She taught them the magazine presentation; she would pretend to be the householder and they would take turns presenting the magazines to her. The result was that the next day one of the children went with the sister from door to door and took part in presenting the magazines. Now this child is a publisher of the message of life to others in this small community.
The blessings that result after one has brought himself into conformity with the will of Jehovah God can be illustrated in the following experience of a married couple doing seasonal work on a coffee plantation who used whatever time was possible to witness to their fellow workers: Each day in the shade of the coffee trees they would have discussions about the New World. As time went on these discussions turned into Bible studies. As a result of this preaching a man and a woman became very interested in the truth. These two were living together but were not legally married. When the coffee picking was over, the brother and sister returned to their local congregation and the interested couple returned to their home in unassigned territory. Sensing that these two had genuine interest in the truth and desiring to help them progress further, the brother and sister made arrangements to go vacation pioneering. They chose for their territory the area around the home of this interested couple. On returning to visit them they found them as eager as ever to continue the study. Their assignment as vacation pioneers came to a close, and again the brother and sister had to return to their own congregation, but this time the unmarried couple went with them so that they could associate with the congregation and learn more of the truth. Their progress in knowledge brought to them an understanding of the step that they would have to take to be in harmony with the will of God. They began to take steps toward this end and were just recently married legally. They have now begun to publish from house to house with the sermons and are attending the congregation meetings regularly. Their next step, toward which they are looking in eagerness, is to symbolize by water immersion their dedication to do the will of Jehovah God.
FIJI Population: 387,646
Peak Publishers: 229 Ratio: 1 to 1,693
The brothers in Fiji and throughout the islands of the South Pacific under the jurisdiction of the Fiji branch have made rapid strides to maturity and efficiency in the ministry. Their zeal is a joy to behold and their optimism and spirit are excellent. They have in mind the admonition of Paul: “Do your utmost to present yourself approved to God, a workman with nothing to be ashamed of, handling the word of the truth aright.” (2 Tim. 2:15) Jehovah’s witnesses in the islands want to handle the word of truth aright and help their fellow man to learn of God’s kingdom. Some very interesting experiences come from Fiji, American Samoa, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, Niue Island, Tahiti and Western Samoa.
The release of The Watchtower in Fijian was the most outstanding event of the year. Did the brothers appreciate it? Yes! One congregation of fifty publishers immediately placed its distributors’ order for 1,150 copies in addition to the regular English supply. Now the brothers can study the truths explained in The Watchtower in their own Fijian tongue.
A person was contacted in house-to-house work and subscribed for The Watchtower. That afternoon he attended the public talk and Watchtower study, which was on the subject of marriage. The return call was made and a study started in the Fijian “This Good News of the Kingdom” booklet. On the next study he made the heart of the publisher glad. He said that, due to the information gained in The Watchtower that first Sunday he came to the meetings, he asked the woman he was living with in common-law marriage to leave the house. She did. Why? He explained: “I want to be clean so as to come along with you people.” He asked the publisher that day when he left the study if he could also come along in service. First, the brother invited him to come to the meetings again. He did. On the Sunday of the special public talk he was at last invited into the service. He went. He spent the day in field service and meeting attendance. What was it that had first impressed this person? It was the heart-warming welcome the brothers gave him that first time he came to the public meeting and Watchtower study.
AMERICAN SAMOA Population: 20,000
Peak Publishers: 21 Ratio: 1 to 952
While there was a decrease in the number of publishers during the year, there was an increase in pioneers. Three persons started in special pioneer work and a total of six special pioneers moved to other territories to serve. Interestingly, more than half the publishers are pioneers.
Almost three years ago a missionary began a study with an interested woman. At first she began to make good progress, but due to family troubles she stopped studying. Later the missionary called and the study commenced again. Good progress was made and it was not long before she was out in the service, accompanying the missionary sister. However, the problem was that she and her family, while making progress in knowledge at the study and also going in service, would not attend the meetings. What could be done? A novel way was used to overcome the problem. It was using the Theocratic Ministry School Review sheet. The sheet was shown to the family with an explanation of how the review is held in the congregation ministry school. Interest was shown and an invitation given for them to try to answer the questions. They tried, two or more working on each sheet, but when the allotted time was up they found they knew few of the answers. Undaunted, they requested some more sheets the next time the review was held. They again tried to answer, with the same results. Now the value of the meetings was explained, including how the answers are studied at the meetings during the four weeks prior to the review. They tried a few more sheets, but soon realization dawned that they needed the meetings to assist them to find the answers. Soon they were in regular attendance. Now written reviews are a source of joy and achievement for them. Advancement is much more rapid. The parents were baptized at the recent circuit assembly.
NEW CALEDONIA
Peak Publishers: 21
Population: 70,750
Ratio: 1 to 3,369
A study was conducted with a young Catholic woman, mother of many children. After some months she expressed a desire to share in field service. However, the husband opposed the truth so much, making it difficult for her, that the sister conducting the study decided to help him see the truth more clearly, rather than helping the wife into the field. Little by little her tactfulness was rewarded as the husband’s attitude improved. Then the couple’s baby girl became sick and died. Now it could be seen how much truth the husband had taken in. Under bitter pressure from both his and his wife’s Catholic families, he refused to allow a priest to conduct any rites over the child. He arranged for the brothers to conduct the funeral. One of the local Protestant ministers tried to take a hand in the matter, calling four times in two days trying to baptize the dead baby. The father even refused to allow a crucifix to be placed on the coffin in the hospital chapel. At the funeral were ten brothers amid fifty stern-faced Catholics. They formed an attentive audience at the graveside at this the first funeral service Jehovah’s witnesses had ever conducted in the land. Their eyes did not seem to leave the face of the speaker as Scriptural proof was offered about the condition and hope of the dead. Immediately afterward the mother's began in weekly house-to-house ministry, with the encouragement of her husband, while he began placing literature in incidental witnessing among his friends as well as studying now himself.
Further good results came from this funeral service. Among the Catholics at the funeral was a man whose stepmother studies with the brothers. He came home to comment, “Now I find that Jehovah’s witnesses are the only ones who can make the Bible plain. At last I understand what life and death mean.” A week later he began studying the Bible with one of the brothers, and at the same time his sister began studying along with the stepmother. Within a week three new studies were started as a direct result of the witness given at the funeral. An older man in attendance said, “Now, this is a religion that has meaning,” and arranged to have a study also.
NEW HEBRIDES Population: 53,700
Peak Publishers: 3 Ratio: 1 to 17,900
The need for brothers to serve where the need is great is more acute here than in any other section of the branch territory. The two brothers already doing this service have continued faithfully during the year in this extremely isolated area. A Canadian couple were able to stay here, serving where the need is great, for five months, until the immigration department forced them to leave. They were able to encourage the two remaining brothers, so their activity has shown marked improvement, as they now engage regularly in all features of service. With two home Bible studies established and a person of good will doing some incidental preaching, the prospects seem brighter than for some time.
How wonderful it would be if a number of French-speaking brothers went to build on the small foundation now forming!
NIUE ISLAND Population: 4,678
Peak Publishers: 9 Ratio: 1 to 520
Niue Islanders jumped into the news this year as the people who ate food a hundred times more radioactive than normal and whose bodies are many times more radioactive than other humans. It is also making theocratic news, for this is the first time its report appears separately in the Yearbook.
The work really began on this small Pacific island territory in early 1960 when two missionaries returning from a convention in Fiji stopped over for a month. In that one month they placed more literature than they did for the whole of the year in their own territory.
In the first month of the service year, the Niue Assembly held a meeting at which they said Jehovah’s witnesses will not be allowed in Niue. Additionally, if any Niueans continued studying with Jehovah’s witnesses or preached with them they would get no help from the government with water, medicine, and so forth, and would even be jailed. The constitution, however, provides for religious freedom. Undaunted by all these threats, the brothers pressed on, faithfully reporting regularly to the branch office.
One wrote: “We will never tremble or stumble. We will keep on looking to Jehovah and do what he wishes. Even if they put us in prison or whatever else they may do, we will never let Jehovah’s name down.” Another said: “Do not worry at all these things that are happening. The harder they push us back, the harder we go forward.”
How do they carry on the work, seeing they have had only one month of training by the missionaries? The most regular publisher wrote: “We usually stick to the
Qualified book and have back-calls and Bible studies with those who are interested.
What a ripe field this New Zealand dependency is for any who are willing to go there to serve where the need is great to train these brothers for the ministry!
TAHITI
Peak Publishers: 36
Population: 73,200
Ratio: 1 to 2,033
At the end of the last service year the “Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses” was legally established. In the last few months of this year a special pioneer arrived from France to begin working as a minister for the Association. After one month he has fifteen home Bible studies started, and in some areas studies could be started at each door. The people have the literature and want to study. He also combines two or three families in the one study, but still he cannot cope with the interest found.
He called on a woman who practiced for tune telling by cards. She was busy but would give him “five minutes.” This stretched into one hour due to her interest. When a client arrived she dismissed her, saying, “Come back another time. I already have a client and we have not started yet.” Finally, she took two books. A back-call was arranged for the next Thursday, but she was not home. Friday he called—not home. Saturday she was there. A sermon was given and an appointment made for a study the next Wednesday. This time she was waiting, and immediately the study was started in “Let God Be True.” Eventually they came to the scripture at Isaiah 8:19, 20, and the woman hesitated; she read it and reread it. “What about cards?” she inquired. “What do you think?” the brother replied. She read and thought again. “Then what shall I do with the cards?” she asked. She was directed to Acts 19:18, 19. “That does it,” she said. “I’ll burn the cards.” And she has done more; she witnesses to her former clients, pointing out how these practices are of the Devil, and she continues to study diligently.
WESTERN SAMOA
Peak Publishers: 64
Population: 105,000
Ratio: 1 to 1,641
The government of Western Samoa prevented the entry of the circuit servant during the year and also the missionaries from neighboring American Samoa. This was, in one way, for the good of the brothers. At previous assemblies the local publishers relied on European missionaries, circuit and district servants to take the lead in organizing assemblies. What would happen at the circuit assembly now that the circuit servant, district servant and missionaries could not attend? The local brothers went right ahead with full faith in Jehovah’s backing. The assembly proved their grandest yet, with the highest number by far attending the public talk. The spirit of the assembly was outstanding. Due to government restrictions the local brothers organized and presented the assembly themselves. Their success in doing so bolstered their faith in Jehovah’s backing and their own abilities.
Six local brothers were appointed to special pioneer service, and they have done much, not only in assisting the good-will people, but also in encouraging and training publishers. By supporting the midweek group, the pioneers have assisted publishers in one group to increase their hours from ten to fourteen during the year. Also, they have assisted six irregular publishers to become regular again. Fine co-operation by pioneers means much to a congregation.
FINLAND Population: 4,484,655
Peak Publishers: 8,706 Ratio: 1 to 515
It was heart-warming to see the 4,000 brothers from Finland attending the United Worshipers Assembly in Copenhagen. These Finnish brothers, who did not have a knowledge of the Danish language, had many interesting experiences at the assembly with Danish people. The branch servant says that the Finnish brothers were enchanted at being with their brothers from other countries. Another outstanding event for Finland this year is the building of the new Bethel home, which was necessary because of the great increase in the work. The brothers hope to use the building shortly for their Kingdom Ministry School. The same thing is true in Finland that is true in every country of the earth, namely: “When you received God’s word, which you heard from us, you accepted it ... as the word of God, which is also at work in you believers.” (IThess. 2:13) The experiences that the branch servant sends in concerning the work in Finland prove this point. Here are some of them.
Many of the special pioneers have done good work in the unassigned territory, and we have observed their activity with interest. One special pioneer couple started working in 1956 in sparsely settled, isolated territory. No special results seemed to be forthcoming the first year, but by April in 1957 two new publishers reported service, and the next year the number of publishers had gone up to six, and at the same time a congregation was organized in the locality. By the end of 1959 nine publishers were in the congregation, and the next year it grew to twelve. The service year 1960-1961, however, brought the greatest joy, as the publishers had increased during that service year from twelve to twenty-one.
One sister tells: “I had started a home Bible study in unassigned territory and I cared for it every Monday. Because I went there by bus it was always the same time and same place that I got off. I also had to stay in the locality for a longer time than the study and I used the remainder of my time in door-to-door work. One lady had observed my work and had decided that certainly I was one of Jehovah’s witnesses. The house where this lady lived was within sight of the place where I got off the bus. The house was surrounded with a tall, thick spruce fence and the gate was locked so that the stranger would not know how to open it and in addition to that there was a sign, ‘Beware of ferocious dog.’ This was the reason for my not going there, and finally the lady noticed it. She decided to get these obstacles out of the way. One Monday she went to her neighbor and explained, ‘If that lady who surely must be one of Jehovah’s witnesses should come to you, then request that she come to see me also and explain to her how the gate can be opened.’ On that particular day there was with me another sister, and when we started working from door to door she said: ‘It is useless to go to that house [meaning the neighbor of the lady in question] because I have been there before.’ We finally decided, however, that we would not pass it up, and our joy was great, because they not only took the magazines but informed us that the lady who lived in the house surrounded by the spruce fence was interested in what we had and awaited our visit. With expectancy we went to the waiting lady and found that the gate had been left open. The lady happily welcomed us from the porch and said, ‘Truly I have waited for you.’ I asked her what it was about Jehovah’s witnesses that interested her, and the lady answered: ‘I know that you are the only group that can teach people about the way of life and I hope that you will start teaching me too.’ Upon my asking her if she had any of the literature of Jehovah’s witnesses, she brought out the Watchtower magazine and booklet ‘This Good News of the Kingdom.’‘I have read these carefully as well as the Bible, but I do not understand them by myself.’ We showed her the book ‘Let God Be True,’ which she eagerly took. After this I suggested to her a study with the aid of the book and said that I would be glad to start it next Monday, because just at that moment another lady awaited us at her home. She became very sad and asked if we could not study with her even just for a moment. We were delayed a little from getting to the other place, but we were happy at being able to start a new home Bible study. The study was continued regularly and was always begun with and concluded with prayer. Soon she began attending the congregation meetings, although it was a long distance, as well as going in the service work. Upon her hearing of the Denmark convention she immediately started making arrangements so that she could be present there. In many ways the trip was a surprise to her and at the same time unforgettable, as she symbolized her dedication by water immersion. All of this happened within about four months’ time.”
Another publisher writes: “I have worked in territory where arousing interest in the organization has been difficult due to strong prejudice. We had related experiences from the Yearbook about the world-wide activity, but with little results. Later on we got the film, which we showed, and this aroused great attention. Interest in the organization and its necessity grew. At the beginning we arranged a home Bible study in the community with one family, and others who had shown interest were notified. Later we added the ministry school and service meeting program. There have been nine regular attenders, and many of these have started in the preaching work already although they do not report yet. This same group of interested ones arrange public meetings regularly and advertise them, and at these there have been thirty to forty persons. One farmer was heard to say, when he had been for the first time to one of the meetings arranged on Wednesday, ‘After this I am coming every Wednesday, because there is much to learn.’ Another, in a group seeing the film, said: ‘I, too, want to be in that New World society.’ ”
FRANCE Population: 46,000,000
Peak Publishers: 17,108 Ratio: 1 to 2,689
A wonderful year of progress has come to an end for Jehovah’s witnesses in France. It was a year filled with joy and numerous blessings. The closing month of the service year witnessed the fine national assembly in Paris, and all who attended can say with the psalmist: “You have crowned the year with your goodness, and your very tracks drip with fatness.” (Ps. 65:11) Throughout all the territory directed by the branch office in Paris reports have come to the office showing the gratitude and appreciation Jehovah’s witnesses have for their privilege of being workmen in behalf of God’s kingdom, and their experiences prove this. The branch office in France sends in reports on France, Algeria, Cameroun, Reunion, Madagascar, Malagasy Republic, Republic of Senegal and Republic of Tunisia.
The Paris office often receives letters like the following: “Could you kindly arrange as soon as possible for us to have two studies of the Holy Bible in our home, one in German for my wife and one in French for myself?”
However, the “sheep” do not always come into the truth as easily as that. Often, a long and difficult struggle is necessary, putting to the test the publisher’s patience and perseverance. For example, in the town of B---- a sister placed two books with a Catholic
woman. On the first return call the reception was cold and the conversation strained, the lady stating: “I have read your books and they are quite different from the Catholic religion.” During the next two months several animated discussions took place. The woman wanted to know all about our work, not because it interested her, but because she wanted to convert the sister to Catholicism. But the publisher patiently overcame the objections with the help of the Bible, and soon the lady began to have doubts about her own religion. Yet she remained cold and distant and kept saying: “I shall remain a Catholic. I shall never become one of you.” One day the subject of image worship came up. The appropriate chapter in “Let God Be True” was studied, to the great disappointment of the woman, who considered Mary to be her mother, whom she worshiped. But when the sister returned the next week, the person had broken her statue of the “Virgin” and had burned her images. Shortly afterward she began preaching, and now she is a baptized Witness!
One of the ways in which Jehovah’s witnesses show neighbor love is by noting the not-at-homes and calling back to see these people. In the town of A----, which
is particularly religious territory, a special pioneer called back five times on different days before he found someone at home at a certain door. The person thus contacted was so interested in the truth that two months later she began preaching herself.
Difficulties soon began to arise for this new publisher, putting her newly found faith to the test. She was soon called upon to show that a Christian does not allow material considerations to break one’s integrity and stop one from seeking first God’s kingdom. Her neighbors began making nasty remarks, the local business people no longer greeted her and a Protestant lady she had known for a long time tried to turn her away from the truth. In spite of all the many lies she was told about Jehovah’s witnesses, the new publisher stood firm. In exasperation the Protestant woman said to her: “I would have preferred to see you remain a Catholic rather than become one of Jehovah’s witnesses. If I had known, I would have spoken to you earlier.”
Shortly after this, the new publisher’s employer, a Catholic, called her into his office and stated: “You will have to choose between your job and Jehovah’s witnesses! I cannot have you going from door to door. Besides, that is what the priests are for.” She replied that she would give him her answer in a week’s time. The special pioneer helped her prepare a sermon explaining the work of Jehovah’s witnesses, and the following Saturday she spoke to her employer and told him that she had decided to continue being a Witness whatever it might cost her. Without looking up, the employer replied: “Fair enough! All right! You may stay with us. Go back to your desk.”
ALGERIA Population: 10,143,000
Peak Publishers: 185 Ratio: 1 to 54,827
A young man nineteen years old died. His sister was already a Witness and the rest of the family were of good will. The local Catholic priest insisted on burying the lad, but the mother and sister held firm and asked a brother in the truth to conduct the funeral. The local “Catholic League” then moved into action and during the funeral service they stood by and recited aloud numerous “Hail Marys.” At the entrance to the cemetery they molested a brother who was giving out the tract Hope for the Dead. But none of this opposition prevented a good witness from being given to the 230 persons present. The young man’s uncle, brother and fiancee came and personally thanked the speaker. The mother declared openly that from now on she was a Witness and not ashamed of it. The brother’s fiancee asked to have a home Bible study. A young man called on a sister that same afternoon, after hearing the funeral talk, and asked for a Bible and the book “Let God Be True.” A man who had attended expressed his disgust at the conduct of the Catholics, and two young people said they had lost all desire to be married in a Catholic church. Only eight of Jehovah’s witnesses were present at this funeral, but they were able to give a mighty witness.
REPUBLIC OF CAMEROUN Population: 3,120,000 Peak Publishers: 4,871 Ratio: 1 to 641
Many interesting and varied experiences are to be had in Cameroun. A pioneer tells of meeting a Catholic man while going from house to house one Sunday morning. After having followed the pioneer’s sermon carefully, the man went and fetched the book “This Means Everlasting Life” and asked if the pioneer knew this book. He had obtained it in 1957 and had waited ever since for someone to call and help him understand it. The pioneer was very surprised to hear this, for he had personally covered this territory several times, but upon checking his notes he found that he had never found anyone at home at that door. A study was arranged, and the man requested that it be held twice a week instead of once, to make up for lost time! He is now a publisher of the good news and comes to the meetings regularly. That goes to show how important it is to note down all placements and all not-at-homes and to persevere in calling back until everyone in a territory has been contacted.
The following shows what joy pioneering can bring. A brother was immersed in 1956, but up until 1960 he had never had the pleasure of finding and feeding a lost “sheep.” Then he decided to become a pioneer. Just a few days after starting in this full-time service he found “his” first “sheep”! Incidentally, it was a man who had a bad reputation as being very violent, but today he is a peaceful member of the New World society. This pioneer now conducts several very good studies. He writes: “I have experienced that Jehovah grants us twice what we ask if we are sincere and work to do his will. I am sure he will enable me to catch up on all I failed to produce during the preceding years before becoming a pioneer.”
The false religions of this world are so opposed to the truth that they do things that produce exactly the contrary of what they sought, and thus they heap ridicule upon themselves. A special pioneer working in northwest Cameroun found so much interest that after only six months’ work there were already several new publishers. This area is divided up religiously between the Moslem, the Catholic and the Protestant religions, and the clergy of these three groups joined forces in an effort to get the assistant prefect of police to send the pioneer away. This failed, so their next step was to send from house to house groups of three persons (a Moslem, a Catholic and a Protestant), not to preach the good news, but violently to denounce Jehovah’s witnesses as “false prophets.” They gave sermons in their churches on the same theme and published in their religious magazines an article carrying the headline “Beware of False Prophets, Jehovah’s Witnesses.” But the Kingdom publishers did not let this discourage them from going from house to house, and their courage enabled many people to have their eyes opened by the truth. The pioneer writes that one of these religions “has been shaken to its very roots by the irresistible force of Jehovah of armies.” A prominent imam (Moslem ecclesiastic) has taken his stand for the truth, after having announced publicly that “the religion of Jehovah’s witnesses is entirely from God” since it is based on the book that does not contradict itself, the Bible.
MALAGASY REPUBLIC Population: 4,976,000 Peak Publishers: 76 Ratio: 1 to 65,474
The Malagasy people are intelligent, sincere and humble. They appreciate the truth and join in the preaching work with enthusiasm.
A sister was calling on an old man who was sick. A Protestant clergyman was also visiting him, and the old man told him about being visited by Jehovah’s witnesses. He spoke about the accurate knowledge they possess of the truth of God’s Word, whereas the other religions teach many false doctrines. One day the old man persuaded the clergyman to meet the Witness. The first meeting went off cordially, and the pastor subscribed for the French Awake! magazine. During the second meeting he admitted: “I am thirsty for knowledge of the Bible, knowledge of the truth. . . . I can see that you teach only what is in the Bible.” A study was started with him on the third visit, at which time he admitted that the trinity doctrine was un-Biblical.
REUNION Population: 250,000
Peak Publishers: 6 Ratio: 1 to 41,667
The publishers who have gone to this island, which was virgin territory, have experienced all the joys that come with going to serve where the need is great. The four of them arrived on the island in January. Now, eight months later, there are six publishers conducting forty-seven studies. A Kingdom Hall has been fixed up, and fifty people meet there regularly to study the Bible. When the hall was inaugurated, 110 persons were present, not counting the children.
The brother responsible for this group of publishers writes as follows: “Although they were still only interested persons, many of them took an active part in fixing up our hall. Thus, the seats, the speaker’s stand and the flowers were supplied by these people of good will. When I asked them what they thought of the hall, they replied: ‘It’s very nice, Monsieur P----, but it’s
too small. You must look for something bigger.’ They are really optimistic! When explaining the organization to them, I mentioned that midweek meetings were organized by the Society. ‘When are you going to organize midweek meetings here?’ was their reply. Some of them wanted two home Bible studies a week! So far, things are going fine. We are joyful, very joyful, but a little overwhelmed.
“I will take the opportunity in this letter to encourage the brothers to go and serve where the need is great. There are many modern-day Macedonians entreating: ‘Step over . . . and help us.’ Surely their appeal will be heard by brothers possessing the same zeal and love for the ‘sheep’ as Paul.”
REPUBLIC OF SENEGAL Population: 2,220,000 Peak Publishers: 29 Ratio: 1 to 70,552
About two years ago a sister went to visit a town in the interior of the country. While there, she witnessed to a family who accepted some books and booklets. She recently had to go back to this place and so decided to call on the family to see if they were interested. Imagine her joy when she found out that the books had been read and reread, both by the family and by others! A veterinary surgeon was so interested by the booklet Basis for Belief in a New World that he had gathered other inhabitants together (mostly Moslems) and given them a talk on the new world. This young man is now a subscriber and possesses a Bible and several books. Arrangements have been made for him to be fed regularly.
A young Protestant had been witnessed to regularly by his brother-in-law, a Witness, but he had always refused to study with him because he could not agree on the new-world hope. At the beginning of the year he decided to ask his pastor about the new world, but he got no satisfactory reply. So he finally agreed to have a study with a Witness. Now he is a baptized minister and conducts three home Bible studies of his own!
One Magazine Day a woman took a magazine reluctantly. Subsequently called upon, she took other magazines, including the special issue of Awake! on “The Catholic Church in the 20th Century.” Being a Catholic herself, this issue at first displeased her, but one day she asked her priest to explain to her the tree of life. He replied that this tree had never existed, that it was not even mentioned in the Bible and that she should show those Jehovah’s witnesses the door! This reception had the effect of encouraging her to study God’s purposes with the Witnesses. She now has a regular study with a sister and is attending meetings.
REPUBLIC OF TUNISIA Population: 3,782,000
Peak Publishers: 74 Ratio: 1 to 51,108
The following experience shows what Christian kindness and patience can accomplish in the face of opposition: Some while ago the zone servant visited an interested woman with another publisher in the town of S——. The lady was very happy to be visited, but her husband was opposed to the truth and as he met them on the stairway he insulted them. But they replied politely and kindly. A little later the Society sent two special pioneers to that town. They also visited this lady and a study was started, but the husband continued in his opposition and blasphemed continually. However, the pioneers and the wife always replied patiently and with kindness. One day the pioneer brother had the opportunity of speaking seriously with the husband. He listened intently and accepted the invitation to sit in on the study held with his wife. The first time he attended he read the newspaper during the study. The next few times he had the paper in front of him, but did not read it, seeming to sleep instead. To test him out one time, the pioneer put a simple question to him. He was amazed to hear the man give a complete reply that showed he had absorbed a good knowledge of the truth. At the next circuit assembly he began publishing, and later both he and his wife were immersed, as well as his daughter. The next time the zone servant visited this town the new brother made a point of going to see him to apologize for having been so rude to him and to thank him for having replied with such patience and kindness.
GERMANY Population: 58,963,200
Peak Publishers: 70,712 Ratio: 1 to 763
The economic prosperity that is now flooding Germany has done much to blind the populace to the existing dangers just ahead at Armageddon. Even those who are in the New World society must be careful not to be caught in this materialistic wake. Peter’s admonition is very timely: “ ‘You should declare abroad the excellencies’ of the one that called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Pet. 2:9) That is just what our brothers in Germany are trying to do, declare abroad the excellencies of the great God Jehovah. At the United Worshipers Assembly in Hamburg the people of the city observed the work of Jehovah’s witnesses in living Christian lives. Here are some experiences from the branch servant on the activities in Germany.
Hamburg’s city officials, as well as its other citizens, still stress the brothers’ orderliness, their cleanliness and their truly Christian conduct, shown, not only at the convention grounds, but also while driving through the heavy city traffic, and at the schools and private homes where they had their accommodations. A caretaker at one of the schools where brothers were put up in dormitory-style commented how much he enjoyed having the 500 who were accommodated in his school: “These eight days were the nicest of my whole life, and I was very sad when the brothers took their departure and left the school so empty.” The fine impression made by the brothers also had a good effect upon the followup work. One of the two circuit servants now working in Hamburg reports that during his visits to six congregations since the convention it has been possible to start 165 new home Bible studies.
One of the high lights of the last service year was the distribution of the special Awake! issue entitled “The Catholic Church in the 20th Century.” The congregations ordered so well that it was necessary to print almost five times as many magazines as we normally do. During the campaign additional letters, telegrams and phone calls received in our office indicated that our expectations had been far surpassed, and the brothers have confirmed over and over again that a special issue never went over as well as this one did.
A sister followed the suggestion to work in her neighborhood. As regards the results the circuit servant reports the following: “There are ten families living in the apartment house where this sister lives. She conducts a Bible study with four of these families. Besides that, she conducts a Bible study with all the children living in the house one afternoon a week. Her husband also has a home Bible study in the same house and it was possible to start still another one during the week of the circuit servant’s visit. Six persons regularly attend the congregation book study held in their apartment, and three of these six persons have already started out in the service.”
An elderly sister recently had a very thrilling experience that has caused her a great deal of joy. She is wholly devoted to Jehovah, but the fact that she is almost completely paralyzed and cannot go out in the field service like the others has sometimes caused her to be somewhat despondent. She lives in a village located more or less off the beaten track and was the very first person to dedicate herself to Jehovah in this territory. She is dependent upon the financial support of her community, receiving a monthly pension. It was always heart-warming to see how she courageously stayed at her job working for Jehovah and his kingdom. Since she could not go from house to house, other publishers gave her addresses that they had obtained while witnessing in outlying territories rarely worked. For years she has been writing letters, giving a witness in this way, writing back-call sermons and distributing magazines. At times it appeared as though her work was all in vain, for she scarcely ever received an answer to any of her letters. None of them was ever returned unopened, however, so she kept writing them.
Several weeks after the Hamburg convention, the brothers picked her up for a service meeting. While there a stranger (at least to her) approached and asked
if she were Sister----. She replied she was, to which
the “stranger” explained, “I’m the man you’ve been writing to for these past years, I’ve read all your letters carefully and still have them all at home. I attended the Hamburg convention and symbolized my dedication there by being baptized. Now I’m your brother!”
GHANA Population: 6,690,730
Peak Publishers: 8,662 Ratio: 1 to 772
Jehovah’s witnesses again have been joyfully pushing forward with the work of bearing testimony to the kingdom of our God Jehovah. Spiritual strength must continually be given to God’s people in Ghana as in other parts of the world. Otherwise, some who neglect feeding on spiritual food may grow faint. Paul knew of such conditions and he advised: “Keep on exhorting one another each day, as long as it may be called ‘Today,’ for fear any one of you should become hardened by the deceptive power of sin.” (Heb. 3:13) When individuals neglect study with God’s people they are hurting themselves and are not giving themselves the proper spiritual food. Sometimes it is necessary to go out to these people and spoon-feed them like a baby. Here are some very interesting experiences from Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togoland, as sent in by the branch servant from Accra.
A publisher had disassociated himself for over six months. As a result of the Kingdom Ministry suggestions on reviving inactive ones, the congregation overseer and his assistant made a call and had an hour’s study with him and gave him encouragement to attend the meetings. A nearby person had been listening in and at the conclusion was invited to take a book, which he readily did. On the other side of the house some people were sewing cloth and they too had been listening. Magazines were offered and all were invited to a public talk at the Kingdom Hall. As the servants were leaving the house one of their number gave the following comment on the purpose of the call: “These people are really good Christians; their brother has not been going with them these days, so they came to strengthen him, and now look how happy he has become. If our priest had been doing the same thing we might not have gotten lost from the church. I am going to look into this religion more fully.”
Many zealous Witnesses have taken up the call to serve in territory where the need for ministers is very great, some outside the country, and others, especially with family obligations, inside the country in isolated places. The joy these brothers are experiencing more than offsets the problems they face from day to day.
A year ago one brother and his family moved to a town where the need was very great for Kingdom proclaimers. In a short time he was able to revive eight publishers who were farming in that area, and meetings were begun. Diligent witnessing has resulted in a congregation of thirty-four publishers in the town in just this one year’s time. The brother remarks, “I have tried my best to spread the good news of the Kingdom, and now by the help of Jehovah there are thirty-four publishers excluding myself because I am now serving as a pioneer.”
The reading and writing classes throughout the country are continuing to have fine results. During the year a total of 324 new ones were taught how to read and write to the point where they are now well on the way to becoming mature and capable ministers of God’s Word.
In prestudy magazine work in the same congregation, the circuit servant presented magazines to two men in a room. One of them began to mock, but the other quickly rebuked him, saying: “Don’t be silly! Do you think these are meant for play? In England, America, Australia and everywhere people buy them. I saw it on the ‘cine.’ Huge printing machines and hundreds of men attending them—you must respect these magazines.” Magazines were easily placed with this man and a further call was arranged, with excellent hopes of progress being made.
IVORY COAST Population: 2,481,000
Peak Publishers: 121 Ratio: 1 to 20,504
The people of Ivory Coast have gained for themselves a greater measure of self-government during the year by becoming a republic. This has made it somewhat easier for Jehovah’s witnesses to go forward with the Kingdom work. The brothers have taken advantage of the opportunity and have shown zeal in performing the ministry. The number of congregations increased from two to four, and there are now four isolated groups in the country.
A number of special pioneers were brought to the Society’s branch office in Ghana from different parts throughout the country. These brothers were given one month’s training in the French language and three were given assignments to Ivory Coast. Splendid work is being done by these brothers, and they have had a good share in strengthening and arranging for the expansion of the work in Ivory Coast. A brother now serves full time as a circuit servant, visiting groups and congregations every four months. His extra time during the year is spent in towns where no witnessing has been done, to begin the work in these places.
TOGOLAND REPUBLIC Population: 1,088,000 Peak Publishers: 343 Ratio: 1 to 3,172
A good-will person fell sick while he was still dwelling among his worldly relatives in his village near one of the congregations in Togoland. Everyone told him that the reason for his sickness was that he had destroyed his juju when he began to study with Jehovah’s witnesses.
The servants in the congregation eventually got to learn of this new one’s problems and went to see how he was getting along. When they reached the village they were told why the villagers said he had fallen ill and that the good-will person’s faith had weakened as a result of their talk. He told the brothers that he would like to worship Atigali a little and also worship Jehovah a little so that he would not displease either one. A Scriptural discussion showed the foolishness of this course; the brothers arranged for him to go to a hospital for proper treatment, and in about two days’ time the new one was fully recovered. He has now left this worldly association and moved to the town where the congregation is located and was baptized at a recent circuit assembly. The power of juju has been broken by the care shown through Jehovah’s organization for his “sheep.”
GREECE Population: 8,100,000
Peak Publishers: 8,831 Ratio: 1 to 917
Despite the malicious opposition raised in the intolerant religious circles and the preaching against Jehovah’s witnesses from the pulpits and over the radio, the ministry of the good news continues to be preached throughout all of Greece. Jehovah has blessed the efforts of his people even though they are not allowed to meet in Kingdom Halls and virtually have to confine themselves to underground arrangements. Our brothers in Greece appreciate the words of Jesus: “But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved.” (Matt. 24:13) So they have put up with very strenuous opposition and have fought a good fight, and with Jehovah’s help they will continue to be courageous and keep on preaching the good news. The branch servant’s report contains some very interesting experiences.
In May this year we had the hearing of our appeal to the Council of the State on our petition for a permit to have a Kingdom Hall in Athens. But our appeal was disapproved with four votes to three. During the discussion of our appeal, a vigorous legal defense was made of our righteous case, and, furthermore, the branch servant, attending the discussion, was called by the president of the Council to provide information about Jehovah’s witnesses and their work. This was quite an unusual action on the part of the president. Thus an excellent opportunity was given for a witness before all the members of the Council. Yet, as an eminent lawyer significantly said, “The intransigents prevailed.” Strange as it may seem, the political and religious authorities gave to the Council, with their signature, altogether untrue particulars about Jehovah’s witnesses. The religious authorities in particular came to assure the Council in writing that “the existing prayer homes of the Millennialists are not insufficient for them” and therefore “delivery of a permit to them is superfluous,” while they very well know that Jehovah’s witnesses have not a single Kingdom Hall in any town of Greece. So our appeal was turned down, and we continue holding our meetings in small groups gathered at private homes. But we trust in Jehovah and prepare for a new step at the first opportunity available.
A further experience with the Paradise book is of interest: One sister just fourteen years of age, suffering from appendicitis, entered a clinic for the operation. The surgeon director of the clinic called on the young sister after the operation and saw her holding in her hands the Paradise book in English and reading it. The doctor asked her what the book was she was reading, and she replied that it was a Bible study book published by Jehovah’s witnesses. She even asked him to help her on a point where she could not understand the English words. The doctor was pleased to explain to her those English words, but he further was delighted with the contents of the book, so every evening for eight days he studied with the little sister while she was receiving treatment. On her exit from the clinic the young sister was watchful and offered him the Watchtower and Awake! magazines. One article on the function of the human brain, which appeared in the Awake! magazine, aroused the doctor’s interest, and he subscribed for both magazines. He even expressed himself willing to have a Bible study twice a week. Necessary arrangements were made, and he was visited by a congregation servant twice a week. The study was held at the doctor’s office. During the hour of study the doctor kept his office door and telephone handset locked up. He is now attending congregation meetings and is about to symbolize his dedication by water baptism. Thus a young sister’s alertness helped a doctor of medicine to know the way to life.
Here is another experience showing that when parents bring up their children “in the discipline and authoritative advice of Jehovah” good results may follow. A letter was received at the branch office in Athens from a young Christian witness, aged nine years, who wrote the following: “My parents told me that if I succeed in the annual school examinations by obtaining a perfect mark they would give me as a present 500 drachmas. In fact, I succeeded in the examinations, and my parents gave me this promised gift money, telling me to use it at my own discretion. After having reflected, I came to the decision to use this money for expanding the publication of the good news, and I remit it to you through our congregation servant.”
GUADELOUPE Population: 229,120
Peak Publishers: 280 Ratio: 1 to 790
Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere rejoice to see increase in the gathering together of the “other sheep,” and so it has occurred in the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique as well as in French Guiana in South America. The branch office in Guadeloupe takes care of these assigned territories, and the brothers in that part of the world appreciate the words of Peter when he said: “Christ suffered for you, leaving you a model for you to follow his steps closely.” (1 Pet. 2:21) So Jehovah’s witnesses following the steps of Christ do what he did, namely, preach the good news everywhere. Here are a few experiences as reported by the branch servant.
We had some very interesting experiences; for instance, this one showing that incidental witnessing is something that we must never neglect. As the apostle Paul says, “Preach the word, be at it urgently in favorable season.” (2 Tim. 4:2) Some time ago we had a visit at the missionary home by a “gendarme” who was making an investigation to find a thief who stole money from the neighbor living next to our home. My wife and I took the opportunity to witness to him about the "good news of the kingdom” and the new world of righteousness, where, of course, there will be no more thieves. He showed some interest, and we saw that he was not in a hurry to leave, so we invited him in and had a good discussion for at least two hours, giving proofs from the Bible of our wonderful hope. He became so impressed that he said: “I would like to know where I could get a Bible; do you have an address where I can write? The things you are talking about are very serious and make me think deeply, because I can see, as you said, that the world conditions are worse than ever before.” When we told him he could get a Bible right away, he took it, along with a subscription for the Awake! magazine, and with pleasantness he said, “If I understood rightly, in the New World there will be no more ‘gendarmes,’ so I will have to change my profession before the end that you were talking about, and take my stand to be saved.” A little more than a week later we received a long letter from him with many questions, asking to meet us as soon as possible! When he came again he spent several hours asking interesting questions, for instance, how we can prove that 1914 marks the end of the Gentile times and the establishing of God’s kingdom. He took a subscription for the Awake! magazine for his parents in France and nine books to distribute to his friends. He is making very good progress now, as we are studying twice a week with him. He is very happy to have discerned the truth. So we can see that incidental witnessing is very important, and now we say, even though he did not find the thief, we feel that by Jehovah’s undeserved kindness we have found a “sheep.”
MARTINIQUE Population: 239,130
Peak Publishers: 78 Ratio: 1 to 3,066
Two years ago a missionary sister in Martinique went to a home to renew an Awake! subscription for a girl. She met the girl’s cousin, and after she had presented the current sermon, the cousin took a subscription for Awake! The sister made several back-calls to try to start a home Bible study, but one day the girl said to the sister, “Will you do me a service? Please don’t call back on me any more, because in the last issue of Awake! there was an article telling us that the soul is not immortal, and as I am a Catholic I do not agree and I do not want to be disturbed in my beliefs.” The sister told her, “It is regrettable that you do not have a Catholic edition of the Bible, otherwise you would be able to see for yourself that what Awake! says is exactly in conformity with the Holy Scriptures.” Before leaving, the sister kindly recommended that the girl get the Word of God.
Last May the sister felt a strong desire to meet this girl again to see what had happened since that time. She remembered the girl’s words, “Don’t call back any more,” but she decided, ‘Nothing must prevent me from seeing this girl.’ The girl’s sister came to the door and invited the missionary in. What a pleasant surprise for the missionary to see the girl coming with a broad smile, saying, “Do you know, madam, that now I have a Bible? Even one of my friends comes from time to time to help me understand it.” A very interesting study was established, and now they are diligently studying the Word of God and enjoying the good things they are learning. So here we may notice two things: the first one is that Awake! does not miss its goal in awakening those who are in a deep spiritual sleep; and the second point is: “Let us not give up in doing what is fine, for in due season we shall reap if we do not tire out.”—Gal. 6:9.
FRENCH GUIANA Population: 50,000
Peak Publishers: 16 Ratio: 1 to 3,125
In French Guiana this year we had the first theocratic circuit assembly for the country. Their joy was full when they saw the Society’s films for the first time. During the circuit assembly 250 people attended the showing of “The Happiness of the New World Society.”
During his stay in French Guiana the branch servant went with a special pioneer to a town. The first day of their arrival they started preaching and invited people to see "The New World Society in Action.” Among those in attendance was the deputy mayor. It impressed him so much he exclaimed, “It is the first time that I have seen such a thing in my life! Everybody should see this film!” Warmly shaking our hands, he asked, “Did you ask the mayor to obtain the Town Hall to show your films? Let me ask for you tomorrow.” He did so, and during the week we had the biggest hall in the Town Hall to show the various films, and we were allowed to give a public talk on the Bible every evening. We heard some comments by the people, saying, “Well, the priest tells us to read the Bible now, but we see that Jehovah’s witnesses are ready to explain it to us.” In this town 511 persons saw the Society’s films, and many asked when we would come back. The deputy mayor said, “We need the kind of people you are, you Jehovah’s witnesses, in our world, which is so wicked now.”
GUATEMALA Population: 3,822,233
Peak Publishers: 1,040 Ratio: 1 to 3,675
Jehovah blessed his witnesses in Guatemala with peace and unity and increase during the past year. Truly they can say: “Happy are the mild-tempered ones, since they will inherit the earth.” (Matt. 5:5) Many interesting things happened during the past year, but they are looking ahead to the new year, the building of a Kingdom Hall in Guatemala City, the Kingdom Ministry School, which started October, 1961, and now, with more than one thousand publishers for the first time, they expect to do greater witnessing than ever before. But here are a few experiences from Guatemala regarding what happened during the last service year.
In rural Guatemala, Jehovah’s people are overcoming great obstacles to preach the good news. One newly appointed special pioneer writes of his journey to his assignment where there was isolated interest: “I had to travel sixty miles by bus and then walk twenty-five miles on foot. The path was rocky and the people traveled by horseback, but as I had no horse, I set out on foot. I felt very sad and in despair, as there was no one to carry my seventy-pound pack. I asked Jehovah to give me strength, faith and love, that I might not become weary. Finally I reached the highest peak. The next day I arrived at my assignment at 3:30 p.m., to find the village in the midst of celebrating ‘an idolatrous fiesta.’ Locating the interested persons, I found them hospitable and glad that I had come to help them by means of a much-needed home Bible study.”
Another special pioneer tells of arriving at a new assignment where many had no money to obtain the literature. In spite of this, in a few months he placed over a hundred books and obtained forty new subscriptions and placed many magazines. How? Listen! “I presented books together with the subscription and offered to trade. I traded for practical things like eggs or a few ears of corn for a magazine; two magazines for a mousetrap, a bottle of hot tomato sauce, or ten boxes of matches, and five books for wood from which I made benches and a table for the meetings. A subscription was traded for a pair of pants for my child; one book each I traded for a hoe, wooden ladder, a machete, a chicken, four flower pots and a small blackboard to use in the Kingdom Hall. Larger combinations I traded for a wrist-watch strap, a ‘huipil’ (as the women’s native blouses are called) and many other items. From all these placements I have a good many home Bible studies with those who gave up material things to acquire spiritual things.”
In Puerto Barrios a brother served as vacation pioneer for two months, and every afternoon he would leave home on his bicycle with his brief case. After a good many days a young woman clerk in the store asked the brother: “Where do you go every afternoon with your case? I am curious to know, because I have seen you leave every afternoon, even in the rain.” The brother gave a brief explanation, with a promise to continue the explanation later. Several days later he left her two magazines and she asked him to speak to her mother, which he did, placing two books and a subscription. From then on the young lady changed from reading novels to reading the Society’s books and magazines. She had many questions, and a Bible study was started. After one month of having a study she expressed a desire to symbolize her dedication and began putting one hour a week in the service. Her questions showed good understanding and the answers were well remembered. She was baptized at the circuit assembly and now is seeking another job so as to dedicate more time to the service.
HAITI
Peak Publishers: 895
Population: 3,384,000
Ratio: 1 to 3,781
The overseers who have gone through the Kingdom Ministry School in Haiti say that they feel much closer to Jehovah now and they have a better appreciation of how Jehovah directs his visible organization by his holy spirit. They, like other overseers throughout the world, heed the wise counsel of God’s Word wherein it says: “Listen, O sons, . . . and pay attention, so as to know understanding.” (Prov. 4:1) Not only do the overseers enjoy taking in knowledge and instruction, but all of God’s dedicated people want information, and some of the experiences that the branch servant writes show this to be true.
One of the outstanding blessings of the year was the visit of Brother Henschel, during which our Peacepursuing District Assembly was held in Port-au-Prince. The brothers greatly appreciated his wise counsel and the encouragement he gave to all. At the conclusion of the assembly Brother Henschel thrilled the assembled crowd with the announcement that in just a few months the Kingdom Ministry School would begin in Haiti. Our hearts rejoiced to learn that the overseers here would be receiving the same advanced training as the brothers in other parts of the world.
And so it was that during the service year two classes of twenty students each were put through the course. Within a month after leaving school, one overseer commenced six new studies, one of which went out in the service during the month. Another overseer, while attending school, received word that a thief had broken into his home and had stolen much of his property. A week later he received word that the thief had returned and had carried off what had remained from his first theft. Also, someone had stolen his cow. We were wondering if the brother would drop from class to return to his home, but he said, “All my property and all the cows in the world are not equal to what I am receiving at the Kingdom Ministry School.”
Another blessing during the year was a free gift of 4,591 pounds of clothing from our American brothers. We are greatly thankful for this expression of kindness from our brothers in the United States.
An example of faithfulness in the face of opposition was the case of a woman of good will who realized she must share in the ministry. Her husband at first tried to discourage her by belittling her and then openly opposed her, forbidding her to go in the service. She was a faithful wife in all respects, but knew she must give God’s things to God. While on business in another city she attended a circuit assembly. On the first day of the assembly she received word from her husband saying that if she should attend the assembly she would get a terrible beating from him on her return home. She said to the brother who was conducting the study with her: “It is not today that I have begun to suffer for the truth. Jehovah has given me strength to endure till now. I know he is with me. Tomorrow I shall be baptized.” She was. When she went home, instead of flogging her, her husband embraced her and asked about the assembly. Now he is studying the truth, and his wife is one of the most happy and zealous publishers in the congregation.
The preaching work performed by children in the New World society is often more effective than that of adults. In a city where public meetings were always poorly attended, everyone was surprised one evening to see the hall filled to capacity. What had happened? Nearly every one of the strangers attending the meeting had come on the invitation of an eight-year-old girl who had systematically visited all her neighbors to invite them to the talk.
This report would not be complete without mentioning the Kingdom Halls that are springing up all over the capital. One hall is already completed, another is almost finished and two others are in course of construction. These are the first Kingdom Halls built and owned by Jehovah’s witnesses in Port-au-Prince.
HAWAII Population: 620,000
Peak Publishers: 1,708 Ratio: 1 to 363
The fearful outlook and agitation of the people amid the crisis this world faces have not disturbed the peace and unity of Jehovah’s “sheep” who are dwelling securely in his “pen.” Jehovah’s witnesses know these troublesome times were long ago prophesied as a sign of the time of the end and they therefore preach the Kingdom message in the islands of Hawaii. The happiness of Jehovah’s people, who become light bearers, is great, and they keep in mind these helpful words: “Exert yourselves vigorously to get in through the narrow door.” (Luke 13:24) And as they exert themselves vigorously those in spiritual darkness can be brought to light, as is well illustrated in the following experience from Hawaii.
A body severely bent from many years has not caused an eighty-four-year-old brother to use this as an excuse to droop his hands as far as the ministry is concerned. While his native tongue is Korean and he is not able to converse with many people in the door-to-door work, he has become a mark of integrity to many people as he stands daily on the street. What is accomplished by this elderly brother? His monthly average of magazines is 336, his peak placement being 570 in one month. It is very rewarding, in view of his 1,825 hours spent in service this past year, to know so many persons are being served by his effort.
Incidental preaching and exercising kindness high above the Pacific in an airliner has produced peaceable fruit. A lady passenger sat reading the Japanese Awake! magazine when one of the crew members, one of Jehovah’s witnesses, approached her to inquire if she was also one. Upon receiving a negative answer and that she was only reading, he continued his conversation about the truth. The brother’s concern and special attention given to this lady until they reached their destination deeply impressed her.
Shortly after her return to the islands she was contacted by another Witness. A Bible study was started immediately and she attended the congregation book study that very night. Since she is well along in years and has to study in the Japanese language, progress is somewhat slow, but appreciation is shown by this meek individual. This is proved by her attendance at meetings conducted in English and by recently traveling to another island to attend the United Worshipers District Assembly.
One sister, while working with the circuit servant in a predominantly Catholic section, was having little success in getting through the sermon. To her surprise, at one house the lady immediately told them she wanted to study the Bible and invited them in to tell them the reason why.
The householder said, “I have just come home from the hospital. During my stay there I was in a room with, a woman who was on her deathbed. While I resented being with a woman who was about to die, I could not help being puzzled to see her so happy and cheerful. She was constantly speaking of a paradise condition that she would be in. She loaned me an English Bible and from her Korean Bible she would point out many things that I have never heard of. My sister-in-law is a mother superior of Catholic nuns, and yet I have never heard of these wonderful things. I told her that I wanted to study the Bible but could not afford to pay the price for private lessons. She told me that the Word of God was free, and on the day I left the hospital she asked me to please inquire of the Witnesses and arrange for a Bible study, as you people teach without charge. Two days ago I read in the paper that this woman died, and now I keep thinking how happy and unafraid she was. Truly she must have loved and trusted God. So I want to study the Bible.”
Under any and all circumstances a witness can be given, and this faithful sister before she died was able to point another person to the way to life.
How joyous the brothers were at the recent United Worshipers District Assemblies to receive the new releases! With much enthusiasm the brothers in Hawaii look forward to the prospect of being host to many brothers from around the world in the 1963 world assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses in Honolulu.
HONDURAS Population: 1,949,858
Peak Publishers: 617 Ratio: 1 to 3,160
Due to the good work of the special pioneers in Honduras two congregations were formed in isolated territory during the past year. Even getting into vacation pioneer service makes it possible for publishers to have many more experiences. One brother, the branch servant in Honduras reports, had to be very tactful. He followed the advice of the wise man: “An answer, when mild, turns away rage.” (Prov. 15:1) Showing the proper spirit when going from door to door is always beneficial, as this experience shows.
A new brother in isolated territory where a congregation has since been started applied for vacation pioneer service. The first Sunday he went out to a small town to work. At the first door the Evangelist householder said, “Step right in.” When the brother started to enter he saw that the man had a big club in his hand and the woman a pot of hot water. The brother had one foot inside, but kept the other outside ready to run. The man objected, “We don’t like Jehovah’s witnesses because they deny Christ. They don’t believe that Jesus is Jehovah and that Jehovah is Jesus.” The brother asked, “What was Jehovah’s first creation?” They replied, “Christ.” He then had them read Revelation 3:14. They invited him in, listened with interest to the whole sermon and agreed to having the brother call back. Kindness and tact with directness helped the brother illustrate Proverbs 15:1. He was so thrilled by his experiences that he asked to have his vacation pioneer appointment extended another month.
While our city territory is frequently and well covered, 70 percent of the people live out in the mountains, where it is hard to reach them. But the truth has a way of finding the “sheep,” and Jehovah’s spirit guides the thirsty to fountains of water of life. A young girl lived with her aged parents far back in the mountains away from civilization. Finally the girl left their mountain home for the first time in her life and arrived in San Pedro Sula looking for work. It just happened that she was hired as a housekeeper by persons interested in the truth, and they took her to the meetings. She was so impressed by the manners of the brothers, their wonderful friendliness and eager readiness to answer all her questions from the Bible that she began studying regularly and attending all the meetings. Finally she became so worried about her parents, who had no hope other than to die soon, that she left her good job in spite of a promised raise in pay and made the many-days’ journey by bus, truck and burro back to her parents’ home. The parents and many friends were overjoyed with their first taste of the truth. She visited many small huts on the mountains. But she realized she was not mature enough to give her parents and others all the help they needed. So the aged parents and daughter set out on burros to find Jehovah’s witnesses. They arrived at a town where some special pioneers had been working, but they had been moved to another town. So, finding shelter for the burros, they took a bus to the next town, where they found the special pioneers and received some rich spiritual meals in Bible study. The special pioneers later on, after overcoming many difficulties, made the long trip back into the mountains to feed this family more spiritual food. Twenty-five persons gathered for the meetings. The family now represent Jehovah as best they can in their mountain territory, where formerly no one had ever heard the message of Jehovah’s kingdom.
The congregations try hard to reach the isolated places by making trips regularly to the places that are reachable. In one such place near Tela a pioneer sister and another publisher make weekly visits to conduct a number of Bible studies. Because of the interest a series of public lectures was arranged. Three of the good-will persons were so delighted that they wanted to begin going in service. Two of them qualified, and one of them began making her own magazine presentations the first time out. The third woman asked the congregation servant to talk to her companion about marriage. On hearing the Bible requirements for wives, he was overjoyed and agreed to marriage. To their surprise, the legal arrangements cost only the equivalent of $2.50. After the legal ceremony in the city hall, the congregation servant gave a talk on marriage for them at the Kingdom Hall. The man was so impressed with the Scriptural arrangements for marriage that he began studying and promised to attend the meetings. His happy wife was now able to symbolize the dedication she had already made in her heart and was baptized with three others in the beautiful blue waters of the Caribbean Sea.
HONG KONG Population: 3,128,044
Peak Publishers: 237 Ratio: 1 to 13,198
Jehovah’s witnesses in Hong Kong had a full and happy year of activity. They had a fine circuit and district assembly, a new peak of 381 attended the Memorial, and thirty-two individuals have already been through their Kingdom Ministry School. They live amid a vast population whose big concern is the struggle for bread that perishes. If only more people would listen to the words of Jesus: “Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every utterance coming forth through Jehovah’s mouth.” (Matt. 4:4) Courageously moving forward, Jehovah’s witnesses in Hong Kong are inviting the Chinese people to learn about the bread of life, and they are given the opportunity to hear every utterance coming forth out of Jehovah’s mouth. Here are some experiences that the branch servant in Hong Kong gives us.
Many persons have debated with themselves as to their ability to take on pioneer service and often they underestimate their power. As previously mentioned in the Yearbook, a brother upon retirement left his home in America and came to Hong Kong with his family to serve where the need is great. He had the idea that he could not do much in the field but might help out in the branch. As time went on he got deeper and deeper in the house-to-house ministry, and as his hours of service mounted, he realized he could meet pioneer requirements. He has now completed nine months of pioneering, averages one hundred hours in the field, places over 180 magazines a month and conducts eleven Bible studies. His white hair is an asset in the service.
The Scriptures record that if we sow in faith, even if the circumstances do not seem promising, we will assuredly rejoice in the harvest. A brother reports that back at the time of distributing the Resolution (Chinese edition) he followed up the request for a booklet and started a study with a Chinese youth who was a regular churchgoer. The study progressed, but as the youth was noncommittal it was very hard to gauge the degree of interest. The study even lapsed due to pressure of work at exam time, but contact was maintained and eventually he started to attend the midweek study, then the Sunday meetings. When arrangements for field service were made on a holiday he was invited out in the magazine work and came along but said little, leaving the impression that he had little interest. Then suddenly it came out that he had faced up to his pastor and plainly informed him that he would not be coming to church as he wished to devote that time to preaching the good news of God’s kingdom with Jehovah’s witnesses. The church sent representatives to the young man’s father, who already had antipathy to Christianity, and so stirred him that he forbade his son to associate with the Witnesses, but the young man stood his ground and continued in the work. It is heartening to see a Chinese resist tradition and make a firm stand for the truth.
Recently we had a fine example of good resulting from the action of a husband quietly exercising his authority as head of the house. When a baby was born into this theocratic household, the Chinese mother-inlaw came along to help. She was a kindly person. All her life she had routinely observed the joss-burning religion of Chinese tradition, but had never opposed her daughters when they studied the Bible and became Witnesses and even joined the pioneer ranks. Seeing she would be with the family for some time while his wife regained strength, the husband suggested to his wife to go ahead and conduct a Bible study with her mother. There was no objection, the study went along and the Bible truth as presented in the “Good News” booklet gradually made its impression. The brother then said that, since all the family attended the meetings, the mother-in-law should come along too. She came, though at first she could not follow much of what was said; but being mild-tempered, she enjoyed the fellowship of the New World society.
When the brothers in the congregation encouraged her to prepare to comment at the Watchtower study, she replied, “I don’t think I am mature enough.” Obviously she was progressing, so the brother arranged for her to be taught to underline her lesson. Imagine the joy when her voice piped up the following week in answer to a question in The Watchtower. Jehovah’s Word began to exercise its power in a responding heart; she grew to appreciate reading it. The brother took the initiative of inviting her out in the field service, and so she became a publisher in the one big happy theocratic family. It could easily have been a case of “Let mother alone,” but insistence on a good course won out.
INDIA Population: 438,000,000
Peak Publishers: 1,715 Ratio: 1 to 255,394
India is a large country with a fast-growing population. The 1961 census revealed a total population of 438,000,000 people. It is interesting to note that this year there is one Witness to every 255,394; however, last year there was one Witness of Jehovah for every 250,784 people. But Jehovah’s witnesses in India are not discouraged. They know they are part of the New World society of Jehovah’s witnesses that has come out of every nation, kindred and tongue, and they say with David: “Look! How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!” (Ps. 133:1) Our brothers in India, although of many tongues, rejoice to be able to contribute in some small way to the ever-increasing “great crowd” associating with spiritual Israel. Here are some experiences from the branch servant.
The year under review has been blessed in many ways, foremost of which has been the provision of a fine new Bethel home and branch office out in the clean, fresh air of suburban Bombay. After many delays and difficulties we finally moved into our new premises in October last year, and some expression of our gratitude for this wonderful gift from Jehovah has already been published in The Watchtower. The old branch office and home at Love Lane continues to be used as a missionary home and Kingdom Hall for one of the nine units in the Bombay city congregation.
It was very fine to run the material from the book “Your Will Be Done on Earth” in serial form in the vernacular editions of The Watchtower. Not only have the brothers had the advantage of this up-to-date understanding of Daniel’s prophecy, but many of the brothers have cut out these serial articles and bound them together into one book, so they have the complete book in one cover, for reference.
A special pioneer sister contacted a person of good will and started a home Bible study. When the circuit servant was due to visit the congregation, she discussed the program with the good-will person and invited her to attend the public talk. She agreed. But when the time came for the sister to call for the lady she found her busy in the kitchen. Did she let that go for an excuse? No. The sister got right down to helping the woman with her kitchen work, and between them they finished in time to get to the public meeting, and what a reward! The person was so delighted and impressed by the loving help given and the warm welcome shown toward her at the Kingdom Hall that she now takes a really keen interest in her studies.
Another experience tells of a young boy of eleven who happened to drop in at a Kingdom Hall while a Watchtower study was in progress. He got little out of it, but an alert pioneer talked to him afterward and suggested a Bible study. It so happened that the lad was of a very religious family and a regular attendee at Sunday school. He soon stopped going to Sunday school, and his teacher came to find out why. She was greatly annoyed when she found he was studying with Jehovah’s witnesses and tried to dissuade him. He asked her what God’s name was. She could not answer. This only served to impress the lad still more and show him the difference between the true and the false religion.
Now he attends the congregational meetings, is enrolled in the Theocratic Ministry School, shares in the ministry and recently attended a circuit assembly along with his elder sister.
INDONESIA Population: 86,000,000
Peak Publishers: 517 Ratio: 1 to 166,344
Many difficulties arose in Indonesia that interfered to some extent with the work of Jehovah’s witnesses. At the beginning of November there were new government regulations covering publications of periodicals, and these made it impossible for the present to continue the printing of the Watchtower and the Awake! magazines. However, this did not stop the brothers from going ahead with the preaching of the good news. There has been a very healthy increase in the gathering together of the “other sheep” and bringing them on to maturity. It is the keen interest of all overseers and special pioneers to help in this regard and so it was their joy to be called to the Kingdom Ministry School. The record in Acts 17:11 must have come to their minds while there where it says: “They received the word . . . carefully examining the Scriptures daily.” But here is what the branch servant writes concerning the school and other interesting experiences in Indonesia.
Greater maturity is seen in the work as a result of the Kingdom Ministry School course. The course was translated into Indonesian and the first class was held in March. Two classes were held in Djakarta, with a total of forty-one attending. Then two more classes were held in other islands, one in Sulawesi and at Kupang in Timor. By the end of the service year fifty-six congregation servants and special pioneers had received this special training. All have expressed their great appreciation for this provision of Jehovah.
Many fine experiences have been enjoyed during the year. After a little more than one year’s work a congregation of fourteen publishers has been formed by special pioneers in Kupang, Timor, with upward of thirty attending the meetings. The clergy in this area have tried with might and main to stop Jehovah’s witnesses. Because of their faith the new brothers have been put under terrific pressure and persecution by family and the community, but through Jehovah’s help they have come off victorious. A baptism was held in Kupang during the Kingdom Ministry School and seven presented themselves for immersion. All these new brothers had been publishers for several months and had overcome much opposition to their faith. It was with accurate knowledge and full understanding and joy that they were baptized. Five immediately applied for vacation pioneer privileges. These five have the goal of eventually becoming special pioneers and carrying the message farther inland and to other nearby islands.
Typical of the opposition manifested in this area is this experience of a good-will person: The clergyman and the elders came to his home one evening and told him that if he did not stop studying with Jehovah’s witnesses and telling others what he had learned from the study, blood would be shed. The old man was not to be intimidated. He replied: “I am not yet one of Jehovah’s witnesses. I am just investigating. But what you have just said no Christian would say. That is enough for me. Please go.” This man has now cut off all connections with the church and, along with his children, is a zealous publisher.
At the beginning of December the local Office of Religious Affairs, under pressure from the clergy, forbade the special pioneers to work from house to house. The Office of Religious Affairs obtained the concurrence of the local military authorities for their ban. Instead of going from house to house, the special pioneers waited at the village wells and witnessed to people coming to draw water. They went to the seashore and spoke to the fishermen coming in with their boats and gave a witness to the people in the market places. In December the people of Timor always clean up the graves of their relatives before Christmas. So the brothers went to the cemeteries and witnessed to those they found there. All the special pioneers got their quota of hours for the month. Much interest was located and many studies arranged. At the end of a month the military authorities announced over the radio that there was freedom of religion for all religions in the island of Timor. The Office of Religion insisted to the brothers that they still might not work from house to house. The brothers requested that this be put in writing. When the Office of Religion refused to give them anything in writing to that effect, they
resumed their house-to-house work and have not been obstructed by the authorities since.
A brother employed in a printery used his two weeks’ vacation to pioneer. During two weeks he placed nineteen bound books. Calling back on all of these, he started nineteen studies. Many proved to be of real interest. On returning to work. He combined these into several neighborhood studies. At the last circuit assembly three of these persons were baptized and others have engaged in field service. The brother’s opinion: “The best vacation I have ever had.” His main object now: “How can I arrange my affairs to be a pioneer all the time?”
ITALY Population: 50,848,000
Peak Publishers: 6,304 Ratio: 1 to 8,066
The light of God’s Word is breaking through the darkness that false religion has held over the people for centuries. The preaching of the Kingdom message has been done in only a small part of Italy, and there is much territory yet to be covered by the publishers of the good news. Those who have dedicated their lives to Jehovah God in Italy know that the overseer should ‘shepherd the flock of God in his care.’ (1 Pet. 5:2) But it is not only the responsibility of the overseers to gather the “sheep” together. Rather, everyone in the congregation must go out seeking the “other sheep” and then aid in bringing them to maturity so that they might come into the congregation of God, there to receive fine shepherding. Because there is much virgin territory in the country, a call continues to go forth for more workers. Those who are there are courageous and are moving out into new fields as fast as they can. Here is the report of the branch servant on Italy, Libya and Somalia.
One special pioneer, assigned in the coastal city of Rimini, visits regularly the tiny Republic of San Marino, which is completely surrounded by Italian territory. The brother writes: “The first time I went to San Marino to preach the good news I read at the entrance into the Republic a sign with these words: ‘Welcome to the Ancient Land of Freedom? This will certainly make my work much easier, I felt. On my second visit, however, I was stopped by the captain of the guard and warned not to return to San Marino. The officer boasted that, while Christ might be governing the heavenly kingdom, he himself was the commander of San Marino. At that time the Social-Communists ruled that country, but later the Democratic Christians took over the government and under this ruling power I was expelled five times from the Republic. But I continued to get back into San Marino by explaining that I had come to visit personal friends. The result? The Bible is now available in a land where previously not even the bookstores carried it. Much Bible literature has been distributed and many subscriptions taken. A Bible study that was begun with two interested persons is now being held with a group of four, two of whom have just started preaching.”
From Sicily, the island off the boot, the overseer of one of the more than thirty congregations reports that one day while he was witnessing to an interested person the parish priest of the village passed by. The person of good will called him over and invited him to hear the Bible message. The priest listened attentively and later asked the brother to pay him a personal visit at home. Here the overseer found that the clergyman already possessed many of the Society’s magazines and had been reading them. The priest exclaimed: “For years you have been coming into this territory with your literature, and my parishioners have been providing me with magazines, but instead of burning them, I read them.” He admitted many errors and much corruption in his church, and he also gave the overseer the names of three personal friends whom he wanted the brother to call on. These individuals are also of good will toward the message of Jehovah’s witnesses, and one of them has progressed to the point of even wanting to take part in the field service. As for the priest, he says in speaking of himself: “When the fruit is ripe, it falls to the ground by itself.” So we see that even a Catholic priest can help us find the scattered “sheep” of Jehovah.
An elderly sister of F---- had witnessed many times
to one of her neighbors, but without any real results. In fact, for a number of years the neighbor continued to poke fun at Jehovah’s witnesses. But one day she asked a few questions on the Bible, and the answers so interested her that she took the new Paradise book. A Bible study was started later, and one day the lady accepted the invitation to attend a meeting at the Kingdom Hall. Thereafter, she expressed a desire to do something for the Kingdom work and stated that she wanted to contribute something toward expenses. She had saved a thousand liras ($1.60) from her meager earnings with intentions of making an offering of 500 liras to St. Anthony and 500 liras to St. Rita, particular “saints” to whom she had been previously devoted. Now she decided to put the money in the contribution box at the Kingdom Hall, because this was much more practical than to give the money to “saints” who were supposed to be in heaven anyway and therefore had no need for such money.
LIBYA Population: 1,091,830
Peak Publishers: 53 Ratio: 1 to 20,600
It is very encouraging to see that some progress is taking place during recent months in spite of the many problems and difficulties the brothers are constantly encountering in their service. The brothers appreciate the visits and assistance they receive regularly, and a good representation was present at the international assembly in Turin. One of the servants of the Tripoli congregation remained in Italy for an additional month after the assembly in order to attend the Italian Kingdom Ministry School for overseers. It is hoped that other servants will be able to attend future classes of the school for the benefit of the work in Libya.
SOMALIA Population: 1,255,000
Peak Publishers: 4 Ratio: 1 to 313,750
In working a town that is the center of the banana plantation region the special pioneers found a great number of Europeans in the area truly friendly and interested in the Kingdom message. In five days’ preaching the report was twenty-nine subscriptions, seventeen books and many booklets and magazines. Incidentally, just one family they met had the Bible, and no one seemed to know just who Jehovah is, although many had heard of Jehovah’s witnesses through the newspapers. The false shepherds have truly kept these persons in total darkness and ignorance concerning God and his Word. As one man contacted by Sister F--- who showed favorable interest in the message
said: “Why doesn’t the local priest tell us these good things instead of spending his evenings playing cards with the boys at the clubhouse?” It was not unusual to remain for one hour or more with each family.
JAMAICA Population: 1,606,546
Peak Publishers: 4,812 Ratio: 1 to 334
Jesus said: “But as these things start to occur, raise yourselves erect and lift your heads up, because your deliverance is getting near.” (Luke 21:28) So Jehovah’s witnesses continue to preach the Kingdom message joyfully in the face of mounting indifference on the part of many people. Jamaicans are concerned with the political and economic issues and their own nationalism. Of course, all this agitation disturbs the people and beclouds their thinking about the kingdom of God. There has been no increase in the number of publishers in Jamaica during the past year. But, despite this, a good witness has been given. Here are some of the experiences that the branch servant reports concerning Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands.
One special pioneer brother had the privilege of assisting a congregation to grow from six publishers to a peak of twenty-seven within just one year. This brother had left a large congregation to serve where the need was great. Unfortunately, he suffers from a severe back injury. How, then, is he able to do the work of a special pioneer? He expresses it this way: “If I don’t do anything I am sick just the same, so I might as well do something beneficial while I am sick.” The faithful stand of this brother is an encouragement for many more to take up the pioneer ministry in spite of handicaps.
Magazine distribution continues to expand slowly in Jamaica, and we hope that this very important work will receive even more attention. It is absolutely amazing to hear the number of people now studying or already publishing who first became aware of the work of Jehovah’s witnesses through The Watchtower and Awake! Over and over again expressions are heard of how interest was aroused through a certain article in one of the magazines, and this was the opening to give a publisher opportunity to give a further witness on a return call. One publisher tells of doing incidental witnessing during his lunch hour and leaving a magazine with one of his fellow workers. The man enjoyed the magazine very much and it was possible to start a study in “This Good News of the Kingdom.” As a result of this incidental witnessing and the placement of a single Watchtower this person studied regularly and was immersed three months later. He is now contemplating pursuing his purpose in life as a pioneer.
When Brother Henschel served our convention here in February, he encouraged all the brothers to offer to trade literature for produce or other things when people did not have enough money. The brothers appreciated this good counsel and have enthusiastically followed it up. One circuit servant reports that, during a week when he and his wife had to find their own accommodations in a small isolated group, almost all their needs were supplied by the bartering activity they carried on in the territory. Some pioneers have had such good success that there has arisen the difficulty of transporting the produce. As more and more publishers take advantage of this excellent way of getting the literature into the hands of the people, we hope to see further increase in our literature and magazine placements.
Continued representation is being made to the Jamaican government for the appointment of more marriage officers for us. The matter is moving painfully slow, but we hope soon to receive a favorable response. The one marriage officer we have performed thirty-three marriages during the past year. Of these, nineteen couples had been living together without benefit of marriage when the truth found them, and now they have cleaned up their lives in order to make a dedication to do Jehovah’s will. It is difficult to understand why a government would not want to encourage such good work. We pray that Jehovah’s spirit will move the minds of honest men in official positions so that this work can be expanded. There is a special need now in view of the fact that our present marriage officer will be attending the next class at Gilead.
CAYMAN ISLANDS Population: 7,616
Peak Publishers: 26 Ratio: 1 to 293
In Grand Cayman a woman saw the film “Divine Will International Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses” shown by the visiting circuit servant. Her immediate response to what she saw was: “I would love to go visiting people’s homes, but I do not know how.” So a home Bible study was started with the woman and soon she also will be able to visit people at their homes like the Witnesses on the screen were doing.
In Cayman Brae the two special pioneers met with much prejudice against the truth when they started to work. They were able to cover the whole island in just two weeks after they got there. Many, many people would not answer the doors because of prejudice. However, the special pioneers went back over the territory. This time it took them two months, and a third time it took them three months to cover the same territory. So little by little prejudice is being broken down by the polite, tactful work of the pioneers. Now several people are studying. One lady obtained the booklet "This Good News of the Kingdom” and was so impressed by her reading of it that she called to one of the pioneers as he was passing and requested that he start a study. Now she passes on to her husband the good things that she learns and says that this sounds like the truth.
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
Peak Publishers: 4 Population: 5,716
Ratio: 1 to 1,429
At least one of the scattered islands in this group has been receiving a witness during the 1961 service year. We were able to keep one special pioneer reporting there during the year, and now he has been joined by another. With two pioneers in the islands we look forward to much greater work in the coming year.
The people of these islands are very friendly and hospitable. The clergy have branded our brothers as “deceivers,” but in spite of this the truth-hungry people always thank our ministers for calling and discussing the Bible with them.
When the second pioneer went to the islands he was surprised that the people all called him by name when he went from house to house. How did they know his name? Apparently it had been announced over their radio station that a Watch Tower missionary, Mr. W---, was coming to the island.
JAPAN
Peak Publishers: 2,082
Population: 93,400,000
Ratio: 1 to 44,861
The publishers of the Kingdom have worked hard in Japan during the past year. Now they view the fruits of their labors and they can exclaim as did the apostle Paul: “My brothers beloved and longed for, my joy and crown.” (Phil. 4:1) These diligent workers, ministers preaching the good news, are surrounded by a multitude of new brothers who are standing firm with them in the faith. It is a wonderful harvest indeed and the blessing is brought to them by Jehovah. It is evident that the sectarian religions have failed to impress the people of Japan with the Bible and its truths, but now truly ordained ministers of God presenting the truth to the people of the land are attracting many to the truth of God’s Word. These humble people are finding the way to life and are looking forward to the joy of the new world. Here are some very interesting experiences from the branch servant that took place in Japan and in Okinawa.
There are so many of these new Kingdom publishers in Japan! In fact 20 percent of our publishers started service only during this past year. However, even the new ones can gain thrilling results in the field by doing everything Jehovah’s way. A congregation servant arranged to work from house to house with a new sister so that he could train her in using the Bible sermon for the first time. She prepared very thoroughly. At the first house the servant made the presentation, using the subscription offer, but was firmly refused. By way of encouragement, he explained to the new publisher that not every householder takes the subscription. At the next house the sister gave an excellent Bible sermon all on her own and aroused such interest that the householder readily subscribed. Then, it was the servant’s turn again. He tried hard, but could not place even a magazine. This time he made no comment. At the fourth house the sister again gave an enthusiastic sermon, and again she obtained the Watchtower subscription. The congregation servant really felt that he was receiving some training too. Then the new publisher prepared in the same thorough way to make the back-calls at these homes. At both houses she was able to start new Bible studies, and now both husband and wife from each of these families are attending meetings. Many other zealous new publishers are also bringing forth fruit.
Our children publishers have long excelled in magazine placements, and now they are extending their activity. A young schoolboy took the district servant along with him to some of his back-calls. In one of the houses the young lady invited them in, setting out the cushions for them to sit on, and a fine study was started in the “Look!” booklet. In another city, a fourteen-year-old brother placed literature, made the first back-call, and started the booklet study, conducting it all on his own. The lady with whom he studied was soon attending meetings, and now she is a Kingdom publisher herself.
Thoroughness in back-calling is necessary in order to locate the “sheep.” A special pioneer had this forcefully brought to her attention. She met an old gentleman who refused the main offer, saying he gets sleepy when he reads books. However, he accepted a copy of the “Look!” booklet. The publisher promptly forgot all about him. But the gentleman himself went to the trouble of locating the pioneer through the Society’s branch office. He made the back-call on her! When he found her, he told her that when he started reading the booklet he was very much impressed with its contents. Unlike other books, this booklet kept him awake. He said he had read it through thirty or forty times, and that, whereas he had given her only ten yen for the booklet, he had found it worth ten thousand yen. A fine witness was given, and he readily accepted The Watchtower and Awake!
A sister witnessed to a young man who delivers rice to her home. She explained that just as rice is necessary to maintain physical health, so spiritual food is necessary to maintain mental health. She introduced him to a brother of the same age, and a study was arranged. He attended the circuit assembly and was greatly impressed. He has attended the meetings ever since. On hearing the announcements of service, he arranged to go preaching, and at a later assembly he was baptized. He has now found a part-time job, so as to devote more time to the service. A happy result from an incidental witness!
The year 1961 has been marked by joyful progress, a string of nine publisher peaks, extending from October to June, bringing the total of publishers all the way from 1,658 to 2,082. At the year’s end, nine from Japan attended district assemblies in America, and fifteen others, mostly native Japanese, flew over the North Pole to attend the assemblies in Europe. One of our new publishers, who knew nothing of the Bible a year ago, was baptized at Hamburg. This sister is already conducting three Bible studies on her own and has assisted her two younger brothers to become Kingdom publishers. All who attended these international assemblies were greatly impressed by the unity, love and hospitality of their brothers in many lands.
OKINAWA Population: 823,000
Peak Publishers: 124 Ratio: 1 to 6,637
At the year’s end two young brothers used their school vacation to travel by ship to another island, five hours’ journey away. They stayed one month as vacation pioneers, giving the small island a thorough witness—its first one. The people here knew little of the wars and troubles that afflict the outside world, and at first they were unresponsive. However, the brothers witnessed zealously, exchanging the Japanese magazines for lunches, eggs, rice and sugar cane, where the people had no money. After the first week some home Bible studies were started with sheeplike people, and these were continued, even though they had to travel two hours to reach some of these studies. Two public meetings were held, with attendances of fifteen and twenty-six. A happy month of vacation pioneering passed very quickly.
A special pioneer, doing house-to-house work on Okinawa, met a family that had been baptized in the Methodist Church six years previously. The man, now an official in the church, listened very attentively to the Bible sermon. He said that on a recent Sunday the church officers had decided that no one should receive Jehovah’s witnesses in their homes or accept literature, since we were disturbers of the church members. However, the man continued: “We have never heard this kind of sermon at our church. We cannot comprehend why the minister speaks evil of this good message. We would like very much to join in your study as early as possible. Where is the meeting place of Jehovah’s witnesses?” Since this interested person is a high school teacher and Sunday is his only day off work, the pioneer and a person of good will arranged to call on the family on Sunday evenings. The first Sunday ten members of the family were waiting for them, and a study was started in the “Look!” booklet. They have also been studying almost every day on their own. At the third call for the regular study the father said, “We shall no longer go to the Methodist Church. We must now associate with Jehovah’s witnesses.” They said that their one hour’s study with Jehovah’s witnesses each week had taught them far more than they had learned in the Methodist Church in six years. They were determined to exert themselves even more in their studies.
KOREA Population: 22,906,000
Peak Publishers: 4,201 Ratio: 1 to 5,447
It was not surprising to see many signs of the anguish of the nations materialize in the Korean field during the past service year. A severe economic depression precipitated the May revolution, but these disturbances could not interfere with the preaching of the good news by the Korean brothers. They knew that, “with the heart one exercises faith for righteousness, but with the mouth one makes public declaration for salvation.” (Rom. 10:10) Their faith was strong and their mouths had a message for the people who needed comfort. The branch servant in Korea gives us some very interesting experiences.
We were gratified to receive permission from the authorities to hold our United Worshipers Assembly in Seoul the last of July. The brothers seemed to sense the timeliness of the program and paid more than usual attention to the talks. Under the circumstances we wondered how many of the brothers from the provinces would be able to arrange to attend. While many could not come, we were pleased with the number who did. A new peak in attendance was reached at the public meeting when 4,677 attended. Of these, 2,100 were newly interested and 245 were immersed, making our joy complete.
Two brothers showed real determination to attend. They did not have the money for transportation so they left early and decided to reach their pioneer quota of magazines by walking and placing magazines at the villages as they went along. They would work a few villages, walking toward Seoul all the time. When they had enough money they would ride a bus or train for a distance and then get off and witness more. They walked more than one third of the 250 miles and took eleven days in getting to Seoul.
The subscription campaign yielded some good experiences also. One brother, usually considered rather timid, thought about how he could share in the subscription campaign. He decided to write a brief witness on a sheet of paper and pass it among his fellow employees. After the brief witness he suggested that any who were interested in obtaining the subscriptions write their name on the back side and he would come to them two days later and take their subscriptions. When he received the sheet back he found that he had placed forty-five subscriptions in this manner.
Keeping up the magazine placements proved difficult this year, but some brothers reported more than usual success by trading magazines for pencils, notebooks, rice, barley, eggs and other items. One circuit servant increased his placements to 240 in a month in this way. One group of three pioneers reported that in a small village of only forty homes they received thirty-two eggs and two measures of grain for the magazines they placed there.
Helping the irregular and even inactive ones through the service center organization is most important. A mature sister was assigned to a weak group far away from her home. Conducting twenty Bible studies of her own, she still arranged time to start new studies with weak ones in her service center whether she could count time with them or not. Her efforts have paid off handsomely. Several of the weak publishers became regular and many of them have studies of their own. When the circuit servant visited recently they rounded up forty-four publishers and persons of good will to attend.
This year many congregations and pioneers responded to the unassigned territory work. A magazine left in the previous year’s work bore wonderful results, for the person receiving it is an isolated publisher this year. He was a minister of a village Methodist church. Returning from giving his sermon one day, he found that one of his flock had taken a copy of The Watchtower and had laid it on his desk. He picked it up and took it home. He was so fascinated he read the whole magazine through. He heard that Jehovah’s witnesses had a congregation in Choonchun, so the next time he went there he tried to locate it. It took him three days, but when he found the hall it was locked up. He finally found a brother and talked with him and received literature. He subscribed for the magazines. When he came to town he would study “Let God Be True.” One day he was preaching to his flock about the new earth when a soldier who was also a seminary student heard him. He had the minister put on probation for teaching Jehovah’s witnesses’ doctrine. The minister left the church then and studied regularly with Jehovah’s witnesses, and he is now preaching the truth from house to house.
LEBANON Population: 1,250,000
Peak Publishers: 678 Ratio: 1 to 1,844
Jehovah’s people in Lebanon had a very thrilling year, a challenging one and at the same time a very prosperous twelve months of service. The clergy in Lebanon have been very irate, evidently due to the fact that a number of parishioners have left their company to associate with Jehovah’s witnesses. These people have followed the advice of the Bible, which says: “Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins, and if you do not want to receive part of her plagues.” (Rev. 18:4) Not that Jehovah’s witnesses are so great in numbers in Lebanon, but those who have gotten together to proclaim the Kingdom good news are zealous and earnest in their beliefs. Even these few withdrawing from the churches of Christendom have caused a furor. Here is a report by the branch servant on Lebanon, Bahrein Islands, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and Syria.
Because for many years the Lebanese government has labeled The Watchtower as Zionistic, and more recently banned the Awake!, and in other ways restricted our freedom of worship, a seven-page statement of facts was prepared and delivered by committees of mature brothers to every member of parliament, as well as to the prime minister, his cabinet and others, urging that steps be taken to restore freedom of worship to its proper place.
This forceful action plus a legal victory in the lower courts so upset the clergy that they settled upon a plan to do away with Jehovah’s witnesses in this country once and for all.
In a sudden sweeping campaign the clergy, from patriarch to priest, threw their weight behind this concerted effort. Prominent clergymen were publicly reported upon in the press as having sent a long letter to the Ministry of Interior insisting that the activity of Jehovah’s witnesses must be stopped. A demand was also made later again publicly insisting that action be taken and this time recommending that not only should our work be dissolved but that also the money and property of Jehovah's witnesses should be confiscated. A highly publicized press conference was held by the “Pauline Fathers” of the Maronite Church and representation was made to the Moslem religious authorities to co-operate in stopping our preaching; they labeled it as a “Moslem and Christian affair against Jehovah’s witnesses.”
We felt like Daniel in the lions’ den and were not sure just what Jehovah would permit to happen to us. But it was soon evident that we were to turn this into our greatest witness to the rulers, the courts, the press and the general public.
At once the brothers made return calls upon all the members of parliament they had visited earlier, and a number of these now showed interest in our case and signed letters asking the government to release The Watchtower and Awake!, and indicating that Jehovah’s witnesses were not Zionists.
Further, in the appeal courts, to the utter frustration of our religious opponents, the court not only ruled in our favor but dismissed the charges of Zionism and recognized us as a religious group deserving protection by the law.
Throughout the year circuit servants and congregation overseers stressed over and over the matter of personal study and preparation for the meetings. With increased knowledge and spiritual strength, many took up the vacation pioneer service. One congregation servant put it this way to his congregation, while holding a piece of sugar in his hand: “Is this sweet or sour?” Then he said, “Obviously you must taste it to determine, and so it is with pioneer service—if you will try it, you will identify it as something very sweet and you will want more.” Many in his congregation accepted the challenge and found the pioneer service to be as sweet as a lump of sugar. We hope others will also “taste and see that Jehovah is good.”—Ps. 34:8.
Living Christian lives and being ever ready to give a reason for the hope they have have also caused some to be drawn to the truth. The owner of a metal shop located under the Kingdom Hall of the Armenian congregation was invited to a meeting, and when he experienced the sincerity and love shown by the brothers he was so impressed that he continued coming, accepted a study and is now a dedicated and zealous publisher. In the same way a study was started with a family
across the way from the Kingdom Hall entrance. Now the first member of the family, a college graduate, has also started publishing. These “sheep” were only a few feet away from the center of pure worship in that area and were assisted to recognize the truth by the fruits of the spirit shown by the congregation.
BAHREIN ISLANDS
Peak Publishers: 1
Population: 143,213
Ratio: 1 to 143,213
Recently the sister in Bahrein contacted a lady whose mother in Yugoslavia is a Witness. This good-will person was full of questions and had been trying to get them answered by corresponding with her mother and her aunt, who is also a Witness, but letter writing is a slow means of communication, and this person was very happy to be able to get her Bible questions answered firsthand. Keen interest was shown in the Paradise book, and a copy was ordered and an appointment was made to start a study in it as soon as it arrived.
The sister writes in conclusion to one of her letters: “I am so very much alone and long for the company and advice of someone mature in the truth. Maybe if you could suggest it to the Kuwait congregation, someone might decide to come to Bahrein.” However, we can do more than that; we can suggest to the brothers of the New World society living in 180 other territories that perhaps there are some of them that could come to Bahrein and serve where the need is great.
IRAN Population: 18,944,821
Peak Publishers: 24 Ratio: 1 to 789,368
Several setbacks occurred during the year. As the service period opened, two missionaries were obliged to return to England, and then later the two Canadian special pioneers that had been serving with the congregation were forced to leave the country when they were unable to get their residence permits renewed. The loss of these four mature brothers worked a hardship on the congregation, but in spite of this the group of almost twenty-five has carried on, at times even in the absence of the congregation servant.
In April and May the Kingdom Ministry School course was held, and we believe that this will assist the local overseers to improve the quality of their service to the brothers and the public.
IRAQ Population: 6,538,109
Peak Publishers: 2 Ratio: 1 to 3,269,055
In the spring of the year a small group of good-will persons was able to come together with the assistance of the circuit servant to celebrate the Memorial of their Lord, under circumstances of quiet joy and happiness.
Representation has been made to the government to release the ban on the book “Let God Be True,” but so far the authorities have shown no willingness to permit this valuable and harmless study aid to be put into the hands of those who sigh and cry.
The one lone publisher who continues to represent Jehovah’s kingdom in this country remains steadfast in her worship of the true God. Her husband, although not a Witness, has shown great kindness to the visiting representatives of the Society, and this has been appreciated.
JORDAN Population: 1,636,000
Peak Publishers: 64 Ratio: 1 to 25,563
The past service year has seen the brothers in the Jordan taking a firmer hold of their religious freedom. With much effort they have succeeded in getting official recognition to use public buildings for the circuit assemblies, they have acquired the right to perform marriages, and after many months the work was crowned with success when two missionaries were finally granted entrance into the country. These were the first missionaries to be able to enter since a cabinet decree years ago ordered the deporting of graduates of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead.
The door seems to be opened wider now than at any time for many years. The government granted permission for the entry of the book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained as the year closed, and this will mean much to the brothers in their home Bible studies. One pioneer wrote: “You can’t imagine our happiness; we were able to fight harder this month, and several new ‘sheep’ are beginning to come along to the meetings now.”
KUWAIT Population: 206,177
Peak Publishers: 15 Ratio: 1 to 13,745
In a theocratic way the Kuwait congregation was blessed during the year by the arrival of an ambassador of peace, a special pioneer courageous enough to face the hot climate and with deep love for the scattered “sheep.”
Meetings were organized properly, and for the first time regular house-to-house witnessing was instituted in some areas.
The special pioneer reports: “When I started to go from house to house, I met a woman, and she was so surprised to learn that Jehovah’s witnesses were here also. In Lebanon she had never permitted the brothers to speak to her, and she told me: ‘I ran away from Lebanon to get away from you people. Are you still coming behind us even to here, as far as Kuwait?’ Anyway she invited me in, we discussed the truth and in the end she took a book and some booklets.”
QATAR Population: 45,000
Peak Publishers: 2 Ratio: 1 to 22,500
Although no outstanding progress has been made in the way of actually gathering new “sheep” into the one flock of God, we are glad to report that one faithful brother continues to report quite regularly and that he is doing very well in the service, in spite of the opposition that he finds to his ministry.
The zone servant was very pleased to see that the local brother had invited a number of persons to hear his talk, and as he wrote later: “You can imagine my joy and my surprise when I entered his place and faced a real orderly Kingdom Hall arrangement, exactly as we have anywhere else, and there were eighteen people assembled together and eager to hear the truth.” After the talk he reports: “Many questions were answered to the satisfaction of all about our activity and the way of the New World society in worshiping God in spirit and in truth. I hope that some of these good-will people will continue their effort with the help of the local brother to get more knowledge about the divine will for our day.”
SYRIA Population: 4,420,587
Peak Publishers: 95 Ratio: 1 to 46,532
The history of Jehovah’s witnesses in Syria for a number of years has been one of persecution and brutality. Although the brothers have won in almost every one of the court cases they have been forced to take, the authorities do not show respect for their position as servants of the Most High God, and they continue to infringe upon their freedom of movement, their freedom of worship and their right to read the Bible along with the aid of Bible-study helps.
Hence the local circuit servant reported with joy that the brothers in Syria had held their first all-Syrian circuit assembly and that the program was greatly appreciated by the brothers although it had to be held in seclusion and away from the eyes of those who oppose Jehovah’s kingdom.
With more spiritual food reaching the friends now, the brothers have responded to the call for vacation pioneers, and six accepted the privilege this year—the highest figure to date.
There seems to be a big field among the Armenian population now opening up for the first time. An Armenian family visited relatives in Syria and, while there, took advantage of the opportunity to speak about the truth, and they found many hearing ears. As time was limited, they left a stack of booklets and promised to return again when they could.
How happy they were to receive a letter at the close of the service year saying: “We are distributing the booklets you left and talking to our friends to correct their wrong ideas about Jehovah’s witnesses. Come back and start a congregation.” That plea is being given serious consideration, and it is hoped that during the new service year some assistance can be given to this large community of Armenians, some of whom are hungry and thirsty for the truth.
LEEWARD ISLANDS (Antigua)
Peak Publishers: 109 Population: 61,459
Ratio: 1 to 564
On eight of the Leeward Islands Jehovah’s witnesses are declaring the good news of the Kingdom. Though miles of water separate the publishers on the different islands, the reports show their love, unity and service and that they are at one with their brothers throughout the territory of this branch. All the Witnesses on these islands have worked hard to help good-will people to “call upon the name of Jehovah, in order to serve him shoulder to shoulder.” (Zeph. 3:9) Here are a few short experiences from each of the islands.
One of the outstanding events of the year was the inter-island convention held in Antigua when Brother Henschel visited. Thousands of handbills and hundreds of colorful placards advertising the public talk were distributed all over the island. Many of the good-will people are still commenting on the importance of “Paying Attention to Prophecy,” which was the public talk. All appreciated Brother Henschel’s counsel and encouragement.
When Jehovah’s witnesses stay in the homes of people during an assembly, it affords a very good opportunity to recommend the truth by their behavior and deportment, as was the case with two brothers from Dominica who stayed in a home in Antigua. The host accepted an invitation to attend the assembly and said he was amazed at the good instruction presented for Christian people at this assembly. On returning to Dominica, the two brothers wrote a letter of appreciation to this man for the hospitality shown. The result is that a local publisher started a study with this man and now he is attending meetings and has expressed a desire to become a dedicated brother soon.
Witnesses disembarking from the ship for our district assembly were pleased to hear the immigration officer say, “We will take all of Jehovah’s witnesses first in a group. I know they can be relied on to return when their convention is over. These people never give us any trouble.”
ANGUILLA Population: 4,840
Peak Publishers: 9 Ratio: 1 to 388
Good work continues to be done in Anguilla. A 17-percent increase in publishers during the year confirms this.
As to assembling together, a special effort has always been put forth by the brothers on this island to attend the assemblies, even though they have long distances to travel. On one occasion seven from here attended a circuit assembly in St. Martin, including two newly interested persons, both of whom enjoyed the upbuilding talks and experiences along with the unity, love and warmth of the brothers and saw their privilege of dedicating their lives to Jehovah God. It is good to see the maturity now displayed by the brothers on this island.
DOMINICA Population: 65,305
Peak Publishers: 121 Ratio: 1 to 540
It is observed by many that Jehovah’s witnesses keep their word when they make promises. This was noted when a man was expecting a Witness to call and give him assistance in studying the Paradise book, which he had recently obtained. His wife, wishing to go about her household chores, assured her husband she did not think he would show up. Then the husband reminded her that when Jehovah’s witnesses promise to come back they are bound to come back. It happened that just then the brother appeared at their gate, and immediately the husband exclaimed to his wife: “The man said he was coming, and there he is standing at the gate!” An interesting study was held and an order was taken for a large-print Bible. Keeping promises to call back can result in many new Bible studies.
It is very encouraging to note that, though the brothers on this island are now without missionary help, their zeal and appreciation of the freedom the truth has brought them make up for that.
MONTSERRAT Population: 13,500
Peak Publishers: 16 Ratio: 1 to 844
For centuries the clergy of Christendom have had their way with the lives and dealings of the people in this small island. But gradually of late these false shepherds have been sorely disturbed and alarmed at the steady penetration of truth in the hearts and minds of a number of their flock. A case in point is the following experience: On learning that two special pioneers had been given notice to quit their house at the end of the month, two persons of good will went immediately to call on the landlady to tell her that she had made a great error in treating the Witnesses that way and that she was very foolish to allow her clergyman to influence her to act the way she did. The outcome? Said one of these good-will persons to the special pioneers, “It has been settled in your favor.” Not the customary obedience to the clergy now that the truth is around!
NEVIS Population: 16,133
Peak Publishers: 32 Ratio: 1 to 504
Although there has been no increase numerically in Nevis, the publishers in the two congregations are still standing firm for the truth. Some of the younger publishers have shown that they are determined to ‘remember, now, their grand Creator in the days of their young manhood’ by taking up the vacation pioneer service. One brother wrote: “The time of my vacation pioneering was so nice that I am sorry I could not continue longer.” There is a need for mature assistance in the field service and this need is being met by two special pioneers who arrived on this island the last month of the service year.
ST. EUSTATIUS Population: 1,016
Peak Publishers: 4 Ratio: 1 to 254
The truth is getting established in this tiny Dutch island. The visit by the circuit servant has been very encouraging, and at the close of the service year the Society was able to send a special pioneer brother to give assistance in getting the Kingdom message to all the inhabitants. Since his arrival he is having experiences betokening that the field is “white for harvesting.” —John 4:35.
While making a back-call on a woman who had read the “Good News” booklet the special pioneer was pleased to hear her say that the booklet could teach her more than her Catholic religion, for her religion teaches her one thing, her foreign Catholic books another, and the native members yet another. After discussing the “Good News” booklet together, a study was arranged for the following week. But before the study day she called to the pioneer, who was working in her neighborhood, and asked for the book “Let God Be True.” At the arranged study her sister was present and both are continuing the study and are asking where the Kingdom Hall is because they want to meet with the Witnesses soon. The special pioneer is greatly encouraged by this and similar experiences, for of a truth the harvest is under way.
ST. KITTS Population: 37,058
Peak Publishers: 71 Ratio: 1 to 522
Experiences during the past year indicate that more will soon join the ranks of the Witnesses in this land. The attendances at assemblies seem to indicate this. At the most recent circuit assembly one lady who listened to the public talk commented: “I can see why the parson does not want us to listen to Jehovah’s witnesses, but I think I am going to leave my church and become a Witness.”
Those who played host to the delegates were favorably impressed by their Christian conduct. Said one: “You sent me the right one. I enjoyed her stay immensely and have invited her to come back sometime for a vacation with us.” Another said: “She was not a stranger to us at all, and now she is gone we miss her as we would miss a member of the family.” It was encouraging to know that every householder accommodating delegates came to at least one of the assembly sessions. Jehovah’s witnesses in this island rejoice in the prospects for Kingdom fruitage ahead, for they are determined to continue devoting themselves to association together.
ST. MARTIN Peak Publishers: 87
Population: 4,303
Ratio: 1 to 133
That the Kingdom truths are reaching many people was demonstrated one day in the Catholic school. The students were being told that ALL good people go to heaven. One of the school girls politely objected: “No! Jehovah’s witnesses say only 144,000 will go to heaven and the other good people will live on the earth.”
The understanding of Kingdom truths on the part of younger publishers was demonstrated by a young sister at school on the day of the queen’s birthday celebrations. Her whole class was expected to go out in the streets to sing for the queen, but this little sister refused to take any part in this despite the coaxing of all the teachers, explaining that she gives all her praises to her King, Christ Jesus.
People on this island are getting more acquainted with the Bible teachings and beliefs of Jehovah’s witnesses and it is certain that more persons of good will will yet say, “We will go with you people, for we have heard that God is with you people.”—Zech. 8:23.
LIBERIA Population: 2,750,000
Peak Publishers: 620 Ratio: 1 to 4,435
The brothers in Liberia are putting much time in the field service preaching the good news. Even the congregation publishers averaged 21.5 hours a month throughout the whole year. This amount of time devoted to the field service work helps them in making back-calls and conducting Bible studies. It is better to keep busy in the Lord’s service than to be in mischief. Sometimes individuals take note that our brothers in Africa abide by God’s commandments, such as, “You must not steal.” (Ex. 20:15) Honesty and truthfulness are principles that all of Jehovah’s witnesses must follow. Otherwise they do not qualify to live in God’s new world. The branch servant gives us a very interesting experience along this line as well as many others.
At a construction camp a brother was asked by his employer, “Who are you and what are you doing with that bag of yours every afternoon?” Hearing that the brother was one of Jehovah’s witnesses, the boss put him in charge of all the warehouses in an attempt to cut down on pilfering. The brother readily proved his trustworthiness, and losses were cut down by hundreds of dollars monthly. When the payroll clerk was fired for dishonesty, the brother was given his job as well, with a substantial raise. Nonetheless, he continues to spend many evening hours in the ministry. Doing all things to God’s glory pays.
Despite local official opposition, a group of brothers determined to build a Kingdom Hall. For one year a brother cut trees and sawed planks while the rest of the group planted, cared for, and harvested his rice farm. The planks were then carried long distances to the motor road to be sold. With the money, cement and corrugated zinc sheets were purchased and carried away on heads for hours to the building site. Volunteers laid the foundation, and then the whole group of about fifty went to building with real zeal. In about four days the structure was completed. In amazement onlookers exclaimed, “The word of Jehovah’s witnesses is strong!” Soon afterward 300 packed out the new Kingdom Hall to attend the area’s first circuit assembly.
One man who used to scoff at the message was actually moved to investigate the truth seriously as a result of hearing a nine-year-old sister deliver sermons. Although not attending an elementary school, this sister had learned to read at the congregation’s reading class, and this too very much impressed the man. With determination he at length declared that he too must learn the Bible as well as this small girl. To the surprise of many brothers, he kept his word and has now developed into a Kingdom publisher.
A group of brothers lost their homes and possessions in a fire that swept through a village destroying 90 percent of the dwellings. Aid was sent quickly to these distressed brothers by various congregations, making it possible for them to build two fine new houses, whereas no one else in the town had started building. This demonstration of the love and unity of Jehovah’s people made a profound impression on the villagers. One man told a pioneer, “Our town is coming out of darkness because of you Jehovah’s witnesses. Maybe we will all be Jehovah’s witnesses.”
LUXEMBOURG Population: 314,000
Peak Publishers: 303 Ratio: 1 to 1,036
One needs courage, faith and patience to spread the truth fearlessly, and these qualities have been displayed by Jehovah’s witnesses in Luxembourg during the past service year. Even the priest-controlled Catholic newspaper admitted this fact in these words: “We can do no less than admire their courage. They have something many Christians do not have: conviction.” Too many people, so-called Christians, become sluggish with regard to their religion. Paul gave very wise counsel on how to avoid becoming sluggish when he said we should “be imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Heb. 6:12) That is the reason why Jehovah’s witnesses are having success in Luxembourg: they have faith and patience and they express it by courageously going out preaching the good news of the Kingdom in this Catholic country. Here are some of the experiences that the branch servant writes about.
In 1956 a circuit assembly was held in a city in the southern part of the country. The couple that rented us the hall were so much impressed by the conduct of Jehovah’s witnesses that the woman immediately bought a Bible. So deep was the impression Jehovah’s witnesses made on her that she spoke about them to her customers every day in her restaurant, and within five weeks she had distributed five copies of the Bible. Although the brothers patiently and persistently tried again and again to start a Bible study with this lady, they met with no success for several years. She was too busy. Then one day they heard that this couple no longer had their restaurant. Would she now find more time? An attempt was again made to begin a Bible study; this time with success. The man also joined in. This family soon began to attend the congregation meetings. Once, when at the conclusion of the Watchtower study the necessity of purchasing ten new chairs was discussed, this couple made the congregation a present of ten good chairs left over from their business. Now progress was rapid. The husband, wife and the oldest daughter took up the preaching activity, and an interesting home Bible study continues with them. The lesson to be learned? Patience and persistence pay off, even if it takes years.
A woman who had had many unpleasant experiences in life began to study the Bible with Jehovah’s witnesses. In three years the two books “Let God Be True” and “This Means Everlasting Life” were studied. She knew God’s purposes and requirements, but still she made no further progress. Often little unimportant things stand in the way of persons, blocking their view of the way of life; in this case a dog. This woman did not want to come to the meetings without her dog. She could not go in the service because she did not want to leave the dog home alone. Her dog seemed more important to her than her own life and that of others. The missionary saw no other way out than to stop the study in August of 1959, although she did not lose track of the woman entirely. The matter rested for a year. In November, 1960, as the missionary met with another pioneer sister to go from house to house, who should come along but this woman with her dog. “I’d like to go from house to house too,” she said. The pioneer sister made her an offer: “If you want to go from house to house now, I’ll stay here and watch your dog for you for an hour.” She accepted, and enjoyed the house-to-house service so much that she has gone along every week since. The study was started again. Now she trained the dog to stay home alone, and was thus able to attend all the meetings and even make the trip to Hamburg. She is now waiting for the first opportunity to symbolize her dedication to God by water immersion. It often requires years of patient endurance to help some persons remove barriers in their way, but Jehovah blesses such love of neighbor.
One woman came in contact with Jehovah’s witnesses at the beginning of 1954. She progressed well, and in December, 1955, she was baptized. Her husband, however, was terribly opposed. This sister was convinced that her husband would never become one of Jehovah’s witnesses, but she was to be proved wrong. For years he watched her good example of Christian conduct. Not he, but only the mother was able to answer the two daughters’ questions on religion. He began reading the publications of the Society so that he too would know something. Slowly he became a more understanding person, since he recognized that his wife’s religion was far better than his Catholicism. In October, 1959, he even expressed his desire to study the Bible with a missionary. He started to attend meetings. His preaching activity began among the men with whom he works, but soon he was joining in the house-to-house work. Imagine the happiness of his wife when he was among the 2,301 baptized in Hamburg. The oldest daughter had already been baptized at an earlier assembly. And so the whole family is united today in Jehovah’s service. How true the words of the apostle Paul: “For, wife, how do you know but that you will save your husband?” Christian conduct, endurance and patience produced good fruit here.
MAURITIUS Population: 631,963
Peak Publishers: 55 Ratio: 1 to 11,854
The branch servant in Mauritius reports that the most outstanding event of the year was the Kingdom Ministry School. On this little island there were eight brothers who attended the course for one month and they fully appreciated that “a pupil is not above his teacher, but everyone that is perfectly instructed will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:40) So these overseers, like Jehovah’s witnesses throughout the whole world, want to walk in the footsteps of Christ Jesus and be better acquainted with his methods of teaching. It will be interesting to see now what effect this course has had upon the overseers and how it will bring blessings to the brothers they serve in Mauritius. Here are a few experiences that were sent in by the branch servant.
During December, eight publishers took up the vacation pioneer work. This represented 19 percent of the publishers. Of the eight, three were housewives, four were teachers using their vacation to pioneer, and one was a schoolboy. One brother arranged for part-time work and continued as a general pioneer. One of the sisters arranged her affairs so as to vacation pioneer for six consecutive months, even though she had two young children. All are hoping to enjoy the privilege again during this service year.
During the year stress was laid on developing magazine routes. The pioneers have found this successful in finding persons of good will as well as placing magazines. One pioneer who places an average of seventy magazines each month on his round had the following experience: “After placing two magazines with a man who informed me that he had studied with Jehovah’s witnesses some years before, I called back with the next two issues. Not finding him home, I left the copies with his wife. This happened several times, so I concluded that he was interested just in the magazines. Some time later while working the territory with the regular offer, a sister was able to give the sermon to the wife, who told her that the whole family would like me to return to study with them. As a result a fine study was established with a family of seven due to their receiving the magazines regularly.” Another pioneer who averages forty magazines on her route met a woman who was against all religion, but with tact it was shown that the Bible offered a solid hope for the future. The special issue of Awake! was left and the publisher returned within a week. Many questions were asked and a study was demonstrated, a book was placed and arrangements made for the next visit. This was from calling back on magazine placements.
Another publisher writes: “During my lunch time at secular work I took the opportunity to talk to my friends about God’s Word. As it was the Watchtower campaign, I introduced the magazines to them and pointed out the most interesting features. I was happy to find that three of them, two of whom were Hindus, were very interested and they subscribed for the magazine, one taking a double subscription. A few days later I placed the book ‘Let God Be True’ with another of them, and so, by taking all opportunities, we receive a rich blessing from Jehovah.”
MEXICO Population: 34,625,903
Peak Publishers: 25,171 Ratio: 1 to 1,376
Jehovah’s rich blessing has been upon the publishers in Mexico because they ‘keep on seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness.’ There are many people of good will scattered throughout this vast land who, along with Jehovah’s witnesses, are seeking first the Kingdom and want to do the will of God so that they may gain everlasting life. The clergy certainly have not helped these people, as some of the experiences sent in by the branch servant show.
Great effort was spent to carry the message into isolated territory, of which we have much in this country. More special pioneers serving has made this possible, and while many problems have been encountered, yet many blessings have been received by these valiant, front-line fighters for the good news. One of two special pioneer sisters working an isolated town reports that she had a study with a family of eight, using the Paradise book. After a few weeks the priest visited them and told them ‘not to believe us, that we know nothing.’ He said, “If I who have studied so much do not understand the Bible, they who have not studied know even less.” With help from this young sister this householder wrote down several scriptures, so when the priest returned she began to show him these scriptures, to which the priest replied, “Yes, lady, I know images should not be worshiped, but what can I do? People are used to it and I cannot tell them not to do it. If I do not preach from house to house as the girls do, it is because I have lots to do in the parish, but if I would have time I would also do it.” The householder stated, “Then Jesus had much time off and that is why he preached?” He was silent. He made one more try to turn this family of "sheep” away from the "water of life” by stating on another visit that the Paradise book contained good things but many were twisted. The householder told him, ‘I am a native in this town and never before have you had interest in my spiritual welfare, and now that I know the truth, why are you worried?’ Later this worshiper of Jehovah was in the house-to-house work, and this priest asked her: “How are you doing with your propaganda?” “Very well,” was the enthusiastic and firm answer of this new publisher.
The Catholic Church has not changed its attitude of hating Bible knowledge and trying with force to stop anyone preaching it. In Ejutla, Oaxaca, a priest-inspired mob ransacked the house of the congregation servant, which house was also used as the Kingdom Hall, took the Bibles and burned them in the public square. The local paper said they did it “as if they were committing an ‘act of faith.’ ” The family of brothers escaped with their lives, but once again the Catholic Church has shown its colors as haters of the Bible.
A circuit servant tells that in C---- a wealthy man,
a relative of one of Jehovah’s witnesses but opposed to the work, went to Mazatlan to make arrangements with the archbishop to send a priest and some nuns to “serve the Catholic needs” of the people in C----.
He would pay all their expenses. They came and for two weeks a priest and six nuns worked at smearing Jehovah’s witnesses. With what effect on the people? At his Sunday discourse the circuit servant had 113 in attendance in this town with only twenty of Jehovah’s witnesses! Among these was a doctor who showed much interest and many other prominent people of the town. The opposed man’s wife also became interested. The following week the circuit minister gave a talk in a nearby town and 215 people attended. By this time the wife was studying. At his next nearby congregation 300 attended his talk! So it is evident that the work of the priest and six nuns only reacted against them, and the honest Catholic people know that Jehovah’s witnesses have the truth. The formerly opposed husband and his wife are themselves now associating with the organization and attended the district assembly.
The truth has power to help people “put on the new personality.” (Eph. 4:24) Illustrating this point was the experience of two persons in A--- who were looking
for an opportunity to kill each other. A pioneer minister interested both in the truth, not knowing the circumstances, and invited them both to a public Bible lecture. The one tells the story this way: “When I went to the hall the people were very kind to me and I felt happy. In my bag on my shoulder I had my .45 revolver and my Watchtower magazine. Suddenly I turned to see in the hall the man I was determined to kill. Our faces grew pale. Our hatred was very great for each other. Then the talk began. The two of us sat there with our hands on our revolvers ready for immediate use. As the talk progressed my hand gradually left the revolver, and when the talk ended I was not afraid but happy. I turned to see in the hands of the other man a Watchtower and I realized he too was happy. Then he came to me smiling, and we decided to put an end to our hate and unite to work together on the side of Jehovah and Christ Jesus." Today this man is a brother and congregation servant and the other became a brother and special pioneer. Their love for each other became stronger than their hate. The truth has power to change and unite people.
In December Jehovah blessed us with an 11.3-percent increase in publishers, making 23,013. The January 8 issue of Awake! was a very timely one and was placed readily. Your visit, Brother Knorr, in March was much appreciated and certainly the local brothers appreciated it, because 7,287 attended your special discourse. The release of “Make Sure of All Things” in Spanish was much appreciated. Your announcing the Society’s plan to build a five-story addition to the Bethel home was received with much joy, because it shows Jehovah’s work is growing in this land.
MOROCCO Population: 11,598,070
Peak Publishers: 233 Ratio: 1 to 49,777
About fifty of the brothers in Morocco were able to attend the Paris convention. Here they were able to see the wonderful unity and love of Jehovah’s people. The majority of the brothers in Morocco are new in the truth and they had never had an opportunity to assemble with their brothers from other parts of the world, so this was a wonderful experience; they saw the warmth and kindness of their brothers. Since their return the branch servant tells us that they are constantly talking about the wonderful organization and the good things that they have learned, and certainly they have followed the fine advice of Paul when he said: “Stand firm, therefore, with your loins girded about with truth.” (Eph. 6:14) It is the truth that will keep them strong, and their association with their brothers will continue to build them up and bring them on to maturity. Here are a few experiences from the branch servant.
A couple who have come from America to serve where the need is great are now having wonderful experiences in the pioneer service. The brother decided that when he would start receiving his social security payments there simply could be no better place to be than in the foreign field. Here is an excerpt from a letter they have written us lately: “It is indeed not only a great privilege, but also a pleasure to have the opportunity of devoting all of our time to bringing the good news to others and helping the spiritually hungry ones be fed. Here is an experience we had the other day. We were making house-to-house calls in the afternoon and, as we were presenting the sermon to a man who declared himself to be an unbeliever, up rushed a taxi, the door swung open and a woman rushed out. Greeting us, she explained she had had to work the previous day at the time we had had an appointment to call on her. She had read the booklet and was very interested and wanted us to come back the next day to study with her. As she had been walking home from the grocery store and had seen us at a distance she had called a taxi, so she could tell us to come to see her. As you would guess, the man we were speaking with was quite impressed with this amount of interest and allowed us to explain our work to him. Oh, yes, we have a good study going with this woman now, who, although very poor, a widow with eight children to feed, still felt spiritually hungry enough to spend money for the taxi so as not to miss contact with us. Many, indeed, are our joyous experiences as we continue following pioneering as our career in this foreign land.”
When you are conducting a home Bible study, do you invite all members of the family to share in the study? If you do, oftentimes the whole family may come into the truth. This is what happened to a sister who started a study with two teen-aged girls and their younger brother. At the first study the sister noticed there were other members of the family in the house. The Society says we should try to include all the members of the family in the study. So before starting the study she invited all to sit in and follow the discussion. This they did. The following week the whole family was present, all with their lessons prepared; however, this time the sister noticed some friends of the family present. Why not invite them also? Fine! The sister writes: “Four months after the study started there were as many as fifteen regularly attending the study. Now we need two or three tables pushed together for us all to be able to sit around. Eight of these persons are now publishers and two have dedicated their lives to Jehovah.” These wonderful results would certainly not be had in the ministry were we hesitant about inviting others to join in our Bible study.
NETHERLANDS Population: 11,417,254
Peak Publishers: 12,743 Ratio: 1 to 896
As this old world is coming to its end it is vital for all in the New World society to continue in their worship of the true God and to devote themselves to “the teaching of the apostles and to the sharing with one another, to taking of meals and to prayers.” (Acts 2:42) Those attending the Kingdom Ministry School in the Netherlands feel that way about their school association, and that is how all of Jehovah’s witnesses felt too when they gathered together at the United Worshipers District Assembly. Together they shared in the teaching of the apostles, they took their meals together and they joined together in prayer. How happy the brothers were in the Netherlands when 90 percent of all of those who came to the assembly were there on the first day to enjoy feasting together for six days! At the time of this world’s end it is especially necessary to worship together in unity. Here are some experiences from the branch servant.
New-world association and the joy of it are quickly felt by those who are in line for everlasting life. For a good many years there has been a religious sect in Amsterdam that claims to be led by God himself in the flesh. Of course this “god” is a mere man of dust. The members of this sect one night had a rally where seventy of them were congregated. This same night the international convention of Jehovah’s witnesses was in progress. The seventy were sent out to the stadium for the purpose of breaking up the meeting or forming debating groups on the streets outside the stadium. They wanted to mess up the meeting. The leader called it, “to set an ax in the meeting of Jehovah’s witnesses.”
Of course, they were not successful and the ax broke completely. One man within their ranks, one of the oldest associates, did not want to go to the stadium and tried to escape by streetcar. Members of his sect literally dragged him to the stadium. There he stood in between debating groups. He was watching, and what he saw was happiness radiating from the faces of Jehovah’s witnesses. That night as he went home he got on a streetcar full of Witnesses. More happiness and radiation of new-world joy! Then a few weeks later this man went to Bethel to meet the brothers, and now he is happy because he has a Bible study with Jehovah’s witnesses. So there is more fruit of new-world association, and we hope to see it come to full bloom to Jehovah’s honor.
The Watchtower and Awake! magazines are doing their part to bring the teaching of the apostles to those who want to listen. One honest man took his religion, Dutch Reformed, very seriously. In fact he became a Sunday-school teacher. The Witnesses contacted him and during the international convention a few pioneers from Belgium stayed with him. This contact, added to the magazines he already read, convinced him of the wrongness of his church. He wrote a letter to the branch office in which he said that he had hung his profession as a Sunday-school teacher on the “willows.” —Ps. 137:2, AV.
The church board did not agree with his resigning and called him to account. He procured the book “Make Sure of All Things” and apparently gave a fine testimony, because the board began to pity him and told him how wrong he was, but all to no avail. A few days later he wrote the branch and asked for association. He finished his letter like this: “I do not agree with everything, but that is why I want to associate with you in a small study group. Anyhow, I have not found anything at disagreement with the Bible in The Watchtower or in Awake!”
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES (Curacao)
Peak Publishers: 174 Population: 126,170
Ratio: 1 to 725
The association of brothers and sisters in the New World society throughout the world is based on love, not on fear. When one gets to know Jehovah God and dedicates his life to God’s service he comes to appreciate the scripture that says: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love throws fear outside, because fear exercises a restraint.” (1 John 4:18) There are no restraining factors in Jehovah’s organization. God’s people are willing to talk to any kind of individual in all places of the earth. They appreciate that they must have a unified heart, one loyal to Jehovah God, and when one is devoted to Jehovah he preaches the good news. Here are some experiences of our brothers in the Netherlands Antilles in the islands of Curasao, Aruba and Bonaire.
Our greatest progress is coming from among the Papiamento-speaking people. Many of our native publishers really have zeal and are progressing to maturity, as this experience shows: A young brother was calling from house to house. When he began his sermon at one house, the householder stopped him and said that he wanted that information recorded. He got the brother to start over and let him record the sermon on his tape recorder. The brother enlarged on the sermon and made it about fifteen minutes. When he finished, the sermon was played back for the brother to hear. All were pleased. A back-call was arranged for at once. We never know what we will be called on to do next, so it is well to be prepared for any eventuality.
One of our best magazine publishers is a brother that cannot read. For the last twelve months he has averaged ninety-six magazines a month. Many of these are placed with regular customers. This brother puts
in an average of thirty-nine hours a month in the field service.
One thing that amazes many worldly people here is the fact that the price of our magazines has never gone up. They ask how we can do it when the price of everything else is going up. Of course, we tell them the truth, that our brothers who write and publish our magazines do it for the love of Jehovah and their fellow man and not for profit.
ARUBA Population: 58,087
Peak Publishers: 121 Ratio: 1 to 480
While a young publisher was working from house to house with magazines she met a man full of arguments. He brought up every argument he could think of, but since the young sister was on her toes he could not win any points. Finally, thinking to get rid of her, he said, “Well, I believe in God and that’s enough.” But the young sister was ready for that too. She said, “That’s fine, but the Devil believes too, and he trembles.” The man was so struck with her answer that he said, “Give me the magazines.” He paid for them and was still pondering when she left.
At a recent assembly in Aruba one sister from the assembly town was immersed. She was asked if she had to go directly home after the immersion, as her husband is not in the truth and might have been expecting her. She said, ‘No, let me go in the service first.’ She did, and her daughter went along in the service for the first time. There are few things like a good example to inspire others to become active.
One thing we enjoy in the Netherlands Antilles is freedom of worship. The children of a brother who attend a government school were required to attend religious services conducted by an Evangelist at the school. The children refused. The principal took up the matter with their parents. He was impressed by the Scriptural discussion and invited the Witnesses to begin a Bible class at the school. The class was started, using the Paradise book along with the Bible. At the beginning there were five good-will children enrolled; after nine months there are fourteen children besides the children of the brothers. Recently the principal expressed the view that it would be good to have classes conducted by the Witnesses in ail schools.
BONAIRE Population: 5,849
Peak Publishers: 23 Ratio: 1 to 254
For different reasons, mostly fear and finances on the part of the population, it is very hard to place magazines in Bonaire, so this makes the more enterprising publishers take the initiative in finding ways and means to make their quota of magazines. One brother gets out on the highway near his home and stops cars and buses in order to make his quota. He is very successful at placing magazines in this manner.
A missionary sister who lives near the water front goes aboard the various ships and boats that call in at Bonaire and places not only many magazines but lots of other literature as well. This sister has built up a magazine route on the boats that call regularly. When this sister was away from Bonaire some weeks to attend the Kingdom Ministry School, many sailors were asking where the lady was with the magazines.
NEWFOUNDLAND Population: 415,074
Peak Publishers: 542 Ratio: 1 to 766
It is very necessary for the minister of the good news to be keenly interested in those to whom he preaches. While it is necessary to spend time in the service, the chief concern of Jehovah’s witnesses is to help people in this lifesaving work. In order to do this we must show love, and Paul emphasized this when he said: “This is what I continue praying, that your love may abound yet more and more with accurate knowledge and full discernment.” (Phil. 1:9) Keeping people alive to the truths that are continually coming out in The Watchtower and studying with them is essential. Jehovah’s witnesses in Newfoundland endeavor to do this, and the branch servant gives us a few experiences of the work being done there.
The service centers play a big part in helping people of good will to associate and work with the New World society. A congregation servant explains what can happen: “One of our most thriving service centers was nothing more than a Bible study with a man and his wife just two years ago. They soon came to the Kingdom Hall meetings and, next, out in the service. These new proclaimers of the good news got busy and soon had the man who worked with them also coming along to the meetings with his wife, then his nephew and his wife. One day he said, ‘Now I have my eye on someone else that I am going to encourage to the Kingdom Hall.’ Sure enough, a few weeks later he had another new person with him. This new one proved to be a real worker. Soon he had his family with him, then his mother and father. His mother’s brother was next. Then his brother’s wife started attending. His mother takes advantage of all opportunities to talk to everyone, and she now has the meat man and his wife attending the meetings. That service center that started out two years ago with a home Bible study now has upward of twenty persons associated. Two of these were baptized at the United Worshipers Assembly in New York and two more were baptized at the United Worshipers Assembly in Corner Brook. To be among these new brothers and see their zeal, enthusiasm and love for the truth is inspiring, to say the least. As we look to the future, we feel confident that if we do the planting and watering, Jehovah will give the increase.”
Sometimes fear to approach the doors has caused some to lose the joy of the service. A publisher tells what he did to overcome this problem: “One Sunday I used my car to take a group in the house-to-house sermon work and after putting everyone off in the territory I was the last to start. For a while I just sat in the car with my young daughter wondering what the people would be like, as I had heard they were very opposed to the message of the Kingdom. The longer I stayed the harder it was to get started. I approached Jehovah in silent prayer asking for his help and then left the car for the first call. A smiling lady answered the door and listened to the sermon, but when I showed her the Paradise book she said, ‘Some other time.’ I quickly dropped to two magazines, The Watchtower and Awake! She gladly accepted them but told me to go over to the next home for the money as that was where she lived. I walked over to her home and there met her husband, who had many questions to ask. He kept me busy for two hours answering questions, and I climaxed my visit by leaving with him the book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained and making arrangements for a home Bible study. I really enjoyed this experience, and it has helped me to get the joy of the work and overcome the fear I had of going from house to house with the good news.”
NEW ZEALAND Population: 2,414,034
Peak Publishers: 4,068 Ratio: 1 to 593
In August, the last month of the service year, the Kingdom Ministry School began in New Zealand, and the country also enjoyed a new peak in publishers in that same month. So at the close of the year New Zealand was moving rapidly in gathering together the “other sheep,” but the average for the year was only 5 percent more publishers than the year before. However, experiences in the field are just as good in New Zealand as in other parts of the earth, and one that they send in shows how ‘out of the heart’s abundance the mouth speaks.’ (Luke 6:45) It certainly is necessary to train children in the ways of the truth and take them to the meetings regularly, because their knowledge reflects itself everywhere. Here is a very fine experience that shows this to be true.
A ten-year-old youth was the only one in his class at school who could answer questions about Alexander the Great. When asked where he learned such detailed information, the young brother replied: “I learned about the march of world powers when we were studying the book ‘Your Will Be Done on Earth.’ ” The teacher asked if he could borrow the book. The young publisher brought it the next day, and the teacher was so impressed that he read it to the class for forty-five minutes. Due to the prominence given the Witnesses in this experience, the young brother and six other Witnesses attending the school are now treated with greater respect by their fellow students, the teacher and the headmaster.
A young woman having three small children and a very opposed husband began studying the Bible with Jehovah’s witnesses. On one occasion, with abusive speech, he marched a pioneer off the property. Still the wife remained steadfast and progressed to the point of witnessing to all her friends that came to the house. Talking the truth at all opportunities had a wholesome effect on her opposed mate, who started talking truth to his friends. Gradually his antagonism disappeared. He even helped his wife to attend meetings. Later she encouraged him to attend the public talk at a nearby circuit assembly, with the result that they remained for the entire final session. He was impressed! Just before leaving home two weeks later to travel sixteen miles for the purpose of arranging a home Bible study with this former opposer, a brother received a telephone call from him asking for help in understanding the Bible. That night they began in “Let God Be True.” Rapid progress was made. His wife was baptized at the last district assembly, and he took the same step at the next circuit assembly after five months of study. They attend all meetings and share regularly in the service. The truth has transformed their lives.
It is not wise to judge people by their houses. After walking up to a fine home thinking "I won’t be long here,” a publisher placed the Paradise book and magazines with two women. After the first back-call they went to the sister’s house requesting more literature. They came away with several more books and Bibles, and the publisher was astounded at their eagerness for knowledge. Only a few weeks later the teen-aged daughter of one of the women, who had also become interested, accepted an invitation to advertise and attend a public Bible lecture in a small town. Since then she has not missed a month in preaching the good news. Incidentally, the daughter was to have been confirmed about a year ago, but two weeks before the time she abandoned her plans because of disagreement with the trinity doctrine. When her mother informed the minister, he exclaimed: “I suppose the Jehovah’s witnesses have been getting at you!” However, the daughter’s decision was made well ahead of the foregoing events. All three are regular publishers of the Kingdom message, and they came from a house that was judged unfavorably.
NICARAGUA Population: 1,539,218
Peak Publishers: 470 Ratio: 1 to 3,275
Jehovah’s witnesses in Nicaragua maintained their unity during the past year, and Jehovah has greatly blessed their efforts. It was encouraging to see many of the older publishers making real progress toward maturity, and they, in turn, are aiding the new ones. Every effort was made to train those dedicated to Jehovah’s service to be regular house-to-house ministers, giving sermons and using the magazines. All of this had a very telling effect on the work accomplished in Nicaragua. It is a joy to use the Bible and to learn how to speak “the sacred pronouncements of God” and to bring comfort to those who are seeking truth and righteousness.—1 Pet. 4:11.
The brothers affected by the heavy rains and floods last year certainly appreciated the Society’s efforts and the contributions of used clothing made by the brothers in the United States. Five large wooden cases of clothing were sent, and this was distributed from eleven different Kingdom Halls and homes of brothers to over 535 publishers and persons of good will.
One householder, called on by a Witness Tuesday evening before the congregation book study, was able to take only one magazine. On Saturday the publisher called back and placed another magazine and invited the lady to the public meeting for Sunday afternoon. She attended. As the publisher had just recently started a study with her neighbors in the book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained, he invited her to the study for the following Wednesday. After that she attended every week and also attended all the congregation meetings. In about three months’ time she began going along in the house-to-house ministry and soon learned to give the sermon by herself. Now she is even helping newer ones to learn and give the sermons.
The beautiful book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained attracts the attention of many, causing them to investigate the truth further. A publisher had been studying with a man for some time, but his wife would not study. She said she was Catholic, could not read, and always burned a candle before an image that she considered had once performed a miracle for her. However, when she was offered a Paradise book she saw how nice it was and took one. By the next week’s Bible study she had read half of it and liked it very much. She also asked the publisher to get her a large-print Bible. From that time on she began to take part in the Bible study with her husband. Some weeks later when the subject “The Use of Images in Worship” was studied she decided to get rid of her image. Now both have begun to attend the congregation meetings. They have just gotten married after having lived together for eight years, and they are desirous of serving Jehovah.
NIGERIA Population: 35,000,000
Peak Publishers: 35,729 Ratio: 1 to 980
There is still a great work to be done in Nigeria and in territory under the jurisdiction of the branch office in Lagos. In a country where there has been considerable illiteracy there is much work to be done in connection with the training of those loving truth and righteousness and who want to take a stand for God’s kingdom. Those who are taking a stand for this wonderful kingdom of Almighty God are cognizant of the words of Jesus: “A pupil is not above his teacher, but everyone that is perfectly instructed will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:40) A real responsibility falls upon not only the congregation overseers but also the circuit servants and district servants as they go from congregation to congregation so that the right example may be set for the brothers. The people need to know how to study, and they need to know how to place Bible literature in the hands of those who desire to learn the truth of God’s Word. There are a number of good experiences that have been sent in by the branch office concerning Nigeria, Dahomey and Fernando Po.
Circuit servants have continued to demonstrate to the brothers in the villages that magazine work is possible by exchanging for produce, in one case taking a subscription in exchange for a large rooster, and in others placing current issues of the magazines for anything from bananas to crawfish. In another small village the brothers just could not believe it when the African district servant suggested that one magazine an hour could be placed. The district servant found they were making the mistake of giving three- to eightminute sermons in magazine work and spending far too long at each door, getting involved in arguments, a common failing in Nigeria. When he demonstrated 30- to 60-second presentations to them and showed them how to present just one point from the magazine, several placed seven magazines in two hours, something they had never dreamed was possible.
In the larger towns the markets are very fruitful for magazine publishers. In one large town where the brothers had not been aware of this possibility, the district servant set the example by taking them into the market in the morning, where they placed all the magazines on hand. In the afternoon they returned with booklets, and the district servant placed sixty-one during the afternoon. There is no doubt that there is a field in Nigeria for much greater magazine distribution.
Although hard living conditions make it difficult for some to continue pioneering, one brother found the solution to lie in family co-operation. He says: “Two of us in my family first received the truth, my younger brother and I. We decided that he would continue his secular work and help me to return to our home town as a regular pioneer. After working for one and a half years, the result was seventeen publishers, and from twenty to thirty-five attending meetings. Not only that but I had the joy of seeing my mother, sister and daughter, and my uncle and his family dedicate their lives to Jehovah. Had we surrendered to financial hardship surely this good result respecting our own family would not have come about.”
Many more young ones could take up pioneer service if their parents would set the goal of pioneering before them when they are young, as this experience from a circuit servant shows: “As soon as two boys left school they wanted to be pioneers because of the good training and encouragement given them by their parents. Being so young, they decided to spend three months in vacation pioneer work, and they did so, in company with a special pioneer on an isolated assignment. At the end of the three months they had become so strong and experienced that they were ready to start as regular pioneers. Since then they have become so useful that they are often used on the programs at circuit and district assemblies, and their zeal has attracted two other young ones to become regular pioneers and several school children to take up vacation pioneer service. Although they are only nineteen years old, they have now been appointed as special pioneers and sent to an isolated assignment.” What a joy that must be to their theocratic parents!
For a long time a sister endured much opposition and persecution from her husband for forsaking their former religion and becoming a witness for Jehovah. Seeing her steadfastness, the husband asked the clergyman to come and convince her of the error of her ways. The “man of God” came to the house and asked the sister to bring out all the Watch Tower publications to be burned, saying they are full of false doctrines. Calmly the sister produced one of the books and asked him to show her some of the false teachings. Unable to do so, and taken aback at her coolness, he began to bluster and shout, and eventually left the house. In a final effort to “reclaim” his wife the husband told her to follow him as he was taking her to one of the elders of the church, who would soon talk her around, not knowing that his wife was conducting a Bible study with the man. As the householder saw them approach-
ing he concluded they had come for the weekly study and ran out joyfully to meet them. Addressing the husband, he said: “Mr.----, I was looking for a chance
to see you about your wife. What a wonderful gift from God she is. If I could marry such a woman, how happy I would be. I greatly admire her Christian conduct and Bible knowledge. And if a woman has such knowledge of the Scriptures, what about you as her husband? Yours, no doubt, is double! Sit down, sit down, let us start the study.” Great was the husband’s embarrassment as he had to sit through the study, ashamed to confess his mission. After the study he went away without telling the man why he came, and later he apologized to his wife, promising never to ill-treat her any more and asking her to study with him. Now he is sharing in the field ministry with her. The sister’s steadfast faith has been wonderfully rewarded.
DAHOMEY Population: 2,000,000
Peak Publishers: 1,101 Ratio: 1 to 1,817
In the small towns and villages the brothers often have to stand firm against the ignorance and superstition of the people. In the Catholic town of Ouassougon there is a local custom that only certain appointed ones can bury the dead, and then full pagan ritual has to be observed, for which the mourners must pay. When a sister died the brothers quietly conducted a Christian funeral service and buried the sister themselves. On hearing of it the townspeople were enraged and came in a body with guns and sticks to fight the brothers. They dug up the sister’s body, took it into the town for their pagan ceremonies and reburied it elsewhere. Due to the disturbance involved the matter came into court and the brothers were vindicated, being granted the right to bury their dead.
The congregation servant of Cotonou became very sick and was taken to a hospital. There he was told that he must have an immediate operation with blood transfusions. The doctors and nurses all ridiculed his objections but were unable to change his mind. So he was discharged from the hospital with the assurance that he would die within a month. Almost a year later he was still alive but still sick. Finally he was taken to the hospital at Lome in Togo. There it was the same story—an immediate operation needed with plenty of blood. The French doctor, however, was quite reasonable and after discussing the case with a higher official he agreed to do the operation without blood transfusion on receiving the brother’s signed statement exonerating him from responsibility. The nurses were still ridiculing the brother, assuring him he would never wake up from the operation. An operation of five hours’ duration was performed, and next morning the brother woke up and proceeded to make a good recovery. The whole hospital was talking about him and he had wonderful opportunities to give a witness, resulting in several Bible studies being started. He is now back home and carrying on well as congregation servant.
FERNANDO PO Population: 212,000
Peak Publishers: 94 Ratio: 1 to 2,255
Fernando Po has enjoyed a wonderful increase in Kingdom publishers during this year.
A reason for the increase was the good work done by a Nigerian special pioneer who was sent to Fernando Po. Although he was unable to obtain a residence permit for the island, he made two trips there during the year, staying about two months each time. He was able to visit the various groups of brothers on widely scattered plantations and give them much encouragement and assistance, putting them in touch with one another and helping them to organize their meetings and field service.
NORTHERN RHODESIA Population: 2,430,000 Peak Publishers: 29,882 Ratio: 1 to 81
While the “wind of change” in Africa has produced political storms and unsettled conditions for the old world, Jehovah’s spirit on his people within the New World society has maintained peace and has caused his people to produce good fruitage, with many happy experiences. Jehovah’s witnesses know that their allegiance is to Jehovah and his kingdom under Christ, and so they faithfully endeavor to preserve their neutrality amid the political and racial upheavals surrounding them. They know that “this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.” (Matt. 24:14) They are delighted to share in this preaching work. Here is a report from the branch servant in Northern Rhodesia, and he sends in items of interest for Kenya, Tanganyika, Uganda and Zanzibar.
There are not many areas still “isolated” in Northern Rhodesia, but such remaining places provide fine experiences for those who go to serve where the need is great. One pioneer was forbidden by the chief to preach in his isolated assignment. The Society wrote to the chief and then the district servant made a personal call on him, and finally permission for the pioneer to stay was granted. At the end of the first month the pioneer went to the post office to buy a stamp to mail in his report, and the clerk asked him what he was posting. The brother briefly explained. The man was pleased to hear this, because he had obtained two books while living in another area but had found no Witnesses where he was now staying. Arrangements were made to call at his home and conduct a Bible study. At the first study the man had gathered six others of good will, and now all seven are studying regularly and making good progress.
The loyalty of one African sister was tested when her husband, a circuit servant, was disfellowshiped, but her faithfulness to the truth was blessed. On one occasion in house-to-house work a man refused to hear her sermon, saying that Jehovah’s witnesses were liars. The sister tactfully asked him how he knew she was a liar when he had not yet heard her speak. So he agreed to listen, enjoyed her sermon and took a booklet. Soon a study was started and now he is convinced that Jehovah’s witnesses really speak the truth, and he intends to get baptized at the next assembly.
When the time came for our United Worshipers Assemblies, which began at the close of the service year, part of the country was having disturbances and a state of emergency was in force. Would we have our assemblies, especially one due to be held right in the troubled area? When the district servant in charge of the preparations for that assembly traveled from the nearest trading center, some eighty miles from the assembly site, to telephone the Society about the situation, he found himself cut off for twenty-four hours from the assembly place (and his wife) by roadblocks laid down by agitators. This was just four days before assembly time. How happy the brothers were when the assembly got under way on schedule and two members of the branch office staff were able to make their way there safely to serve on the program! Despite the hazards of travel through isolated bush country, more than 4,000 attended what proved to be a most thrilling assembly, and all voiced their thankfulness to Jehovah for his wonderful provision in bringing them together in united worship.
This report would not be complete without mentioning the great joy of the brothers in seeing the beautiful new Bethel in course of construction in Kitwe. It has already proved to be a cause of much interested comment, and when completed around January, 1962, it is certain to be a fine witness to Jehovah and the grand work he is having done at this time by his people.
KENYA Population: 6,350,900
Peak Publishers: 115 Ratio: 1 to 55,225
Determination on the part of the publisher is often necessary to produce fruitage. Two magazines were placed, a back-call was made the following week, and a study started, with good interest being shown. Another call was arranged for the following week, but no one was at home. At least twelve calls were made by the publisher before finding the householder at home again. The study was continued, and soon the young couple of the home were attending meetings and started in service. Twelve months after the first study they were baptized. Soon after this they had to meet a test. This new brother’s employment took him to a small isolated island where there were no Witnesses. How would they carry on without association? Already they have two studies going and are letting their light shine.
The zeal of our brothers in Kenya was well illustrated by the fact that thirty-five of them, or 30 percent of the total publishers, attended one or more of the United Worshipers Assemblies in Europe and North America. As the service year ends three of the congregation servants from Kenya are enjoying the blessings of attending the Kingdom Ministry School.
TANGANYIKA Population: 8,905,600
Peak Publishers: 654 Ratio: 1 to 13,617
During magazine work a call was made upon a young man and magazines were placed. On the back-call so many questions were asked that it was only after three hours that the publishers were able to break off the discussion. On the next back-call the young man explained that he had already witnessed to his foreman at work on the subject of evolution. A few weeks later he said, “I am going back home to the Seychelles Islands in six weeks’ time, and before I leave you will have to teach me the Bible so that I will be able to teach others on the islands about Jehovah.” He attended public talks and the Watchtower studies and did much reading of the Society’s literature. In due course he sailed for the Seychelles, calling on brothers at other ports en route and attending studies with them.
Immediately on his arrival at the Seychelles he began to talk about the wonderful things he had learned from the Bible and promptly sent in two subscriptions he had obtained. Another letter followed later with five subscriptions and remittances for supplies of literature. The publisher who sends in this report writes that this young man’s letters are full of experiences in incidental witnessing, such as at the barbershop and with his friends. The publisher writes: “It truly warms our hearts when we see these sheeplike ones coming into the one flock under the Fine Shepherd.”
Yes, people of “all kinds” are coming into the truth in Tanganyika. At one congregation a wizard began to associate with the brothers and attend the meetings. After completing a personal study of “This Good News of the Kingdom” in Swahili he took all his charms, heaped them together and publicly burned them. His worldly friends asked him to let them have the charms instead of burning them, but his reply was, “That would still be a great sin for me.” Now this former wizard is a zealous Kingdom publisher and is looking forward to being baptized at the next assembly.
UGANDA Population: 5,778,058
Peak Publishers: 19 Ratio: 1 to 304,108
A publisher contacted a young man who had just commenced a religious course. The publisher tactfully offered to help him with his Bible study if he, in turn, could help the publisher by translating for him in the local language at one of his back-calls. This was agreed, and as a result the young man became more and more interested in true worship. Now, after seven months, he is a regular publisher, reporting an average of twenty hours a month in the field and planning to be baptized soon.
Sometimes the “sheep” are so hungry for the truth that they will go searching for it themselves. One night after the congregation servant and his wife had gone to bed they heard a voice calling outside the house. When the congregation servant went outside he found two men there. They apologized for calling at such a late hour but said they were very anxious to learn about the Bible and had got his address from a friend. An arrangement was made for the next evening when a two-hour discussion ensued. Now one of the two men is a regular attender at the meetings.
Those who have gone to serve where the need is great in Uganda have been greatly blessed. They write to us, “We daily thank Jehovah that through his organization we were able to know of the need in this land and have been able to come and help our brothers here.”
ZANZIBAR Peak Publishers: 2
Population: 299,400
Ratio: 1 to 149,700
In the year 1932 two pioneers made a brief call at the island of Zanzibar to do some preaching. Now, twenty-nine years later, the “good news of the kingdom” is again being preached on this tropical island. A young married couple, newly acquainted with the truth, arrived on the island just after symbolizing their dedication to Jehovah. Appreciating their new relationship with Jehovah, they began searching for other sheeplike ones. By the end of the service year they were conducting two Bible studies. They look forward to others’ taking up the truth and joining with them in united worship of Jehovah so that the good news may be thoroughly preached on Zanzibar and other nearby islands.
NORWAY Population: 3,620,000
Peak Publishers: 3,626 Ratio: 1 to 998
For the Kingdom publishers in Norway it has been a year of many activities, and all for the purpose of advancing the Kingdom truths from one end of the land to the other. To the joy of the overseers in the congregations, the Kingdom Ministry School started and more than a hundred of the overseers have gone through the school. One never knows where some seed will fall or how it will reach the people, but this much is known: “The eyes of Jehovah are upon the righteous ones, and his ears are toward their supplication.” (1 Pet. 3:12) So if someone is seeking for truth he will be found. All of Jehovah’s witnesses want to be on the alert to help find those seeking, and when they are found they want to welcome them to God’s flock. Here are some experiences from Norway.
All features of our service play their part in preaching this good news of the Kingdom, and so do all the different instruments Jehovah supplies us with, as, for example, the handbill. A circuit servant serving a congregation was given a territory considered as having very little interest in it for our message. At one door the young man said he was home alone, had no money and was busy. He was given a handbill inviting him to that Sunday’s public talk. He came and showed so much interest in the talk he stayed for the Watchtower study. He was invited to the book study the following Tuesday. He had read both sides of the handbill and found there enough to make him want to hear the talk. He was happy that he came.
Magazine work also plays its part in our service. A special pioneer delivering magazines on her magazine route was invited in by the man of the house where she regularly delivered magazines to his wife. The man said he wished to talk with her if she had the time. Picking up the February 22, 1961, Awake!, he turned to page 11 and read from the last paragraph, “The next time one of Jehovah’s witnesses calls at your door, take a little time to listen to what he has to say. If you heed the Word of Jehovah that they bring to you, you may be one of the survivors of a much greater war than that of Vientiane . . .” “That is why I ask if you have the time to tell me more as it is suggested here.” The sister was more than willing to do this, and a study in “Let God Be True” was started then and there with this humble man.
A congregation publisher has for the past twenty years visited an isolated community and has each time called at every home regardless of their interest or disinterest. Each time some literature would be placed, but no real interest was ever shown. About a year ago he found it the same. Among these people was a young boy who had listened to various religions but was never satisfied with what he heard. Somehow he got the booklet “This Good News of the Kingdom,” where he found a very clear and fine explanation of the ransom. He reasoned that, since this little publication was so clear on this subject, other publications of the same source should be equally as helpful on other subjects. He borrowed several older books written by J. F. Rutherford and started to study them carefully. He was now convinced that Jehovah’s witnesses had the truth. He decided to visit our brother, who lived quite some distance away, to obtain more literature. He obtained all he could, and a study was started. He later attended the circuit assembly and was baptized—a wonderful reward for our brother’s many years of faithful service.
NYASALAND Population: 2,860,000
Peak Publishers: 14,708 Ratio: 1 to 194
Jehovah’s witnesses in Nyasaland have seen the importance of improving the quality of their ministry and performing the duties of a teacher. While carrying on in their privileged work some have been persecuted by political groups, but Jehovah’s witnesses in Africa are seeking at all times to serve “God as ruler rather than men.” (Acts 5:29) Instead of involving themselves with the affairs of men, they have been keeping busy in their ministry. This takes courage, as some of the experiences from Nyasaland and Mozambique show.
In spite of political disturbances and intimidation, the brothers have stood firm and maintained their integrity. Often they go to court in defending the good news. For example, one brother, a congregation overseer, was awakened at night and on going to the door found that a group of young hooligans aged between fifteen and twenty had come to force him to join a political party and stop preaching. For weeks they had tried to intimidate him. Now they wanted to use force, for they carried sticks and iron bars in their hands. The brother refused to compromise with them. He defended himself as they came to attack him. Then his family and friends came to his rescue, and the attackers ran off. The matter was taken to the police, and the ensuing court case resulted in a witness being given for the truth and a warning to people not to take the law into their own hands. Five of those attackers received prison sentences. Now the ministry continues peacefully, and the people know that Jehovah’s witnesses stand for the truth at all times, refusing to compromise Christian principles.
Are we making sure that all the rural territory as well as unassigned territory is covered with the Kingdom message? The brothers in Nyasaland are striving to help all hear the message and to do productive work. One group of brothers including two pioneers went to work in unassigned territory. As it was some distance from their homes, they took their food with them so that they could spend three days there. They had not been preaching long when they contacted first a brother and then, in another part, a sister, both of whom had become spiritually weak through lack of association. What did these brothers do? Why, they not only gave encouraging words but took these two with them. In fact, they wanted to go and were happy to be sharing in the ministry again. Those three days were wisely spent. Literature was placed and good-will persons were found and two were helped to become strong again. Now they are being kept busy caring for the interest that was found.
Children too have been busy in witnessing. This has been because of right training from their parents, as the following example illustrates. One African brother has two daughters, twelve and seven years old. At home he has been teaching them from the Bible, and one of the things that was discussed was Sunday schools and why the Bible does not support them. One day at the local mission school the teacher told these two girls that they must attend the Sunday school. They explained that they were Jehovah’s witnesses and that they had come to school not to go to Sunday school but to learn to read and do arithmetic. The teacher became angry. He went to see the father, who explained what the Bible taught, and also referred the teacher to the 1957 Awake! on Sunday schools. The teacher now began to understand and even showed some interest in the truth. Now at school whenever the children witness to him he listens to the Kingdom good news. The eldest girl has already placed with him seven different copies of The Watchtower and Awake! and one bound book. When the school inspector visited the school, he upheld the stand the children had made on Sunday school, and said that there was no need for them to attend. The teacher is now a regular visitor to the children’s home, as he wants to learn how he too can serve Jehovah.
MOZAMBIQUE Population: 6,170,000
Peak Publishers: 784 Ratio: 1 to 7,870
As the service year closed the brothers were happy that with Jehovah’s blessing more had been accomplished to establish true worship than in any previous year. During the year the first two Europeans in Mozambique to want to symbolize their dedication were baptized in the sea. This took place when the circuit servant visited. He also helped in the organizing of a group of eighteen European brothers and persons of good will. They are regularly associating for Watchtower studies and other meetings. How much do they value the visit of the circuit servant? This group eagerly looks forward to the circuit servant’s visits and appreciates their need to grow to maturity, for, as one brother wrote, “I have been realizing my need of a thorough training in order to make me fit for the work and to advance to maturity.”
Many new areas have been receiving the witness for the first time. This often creates suspicion on the part of the officials, and those opposed to the truth many times try to stir up mischief. However, many more officials are coming to know Jehovah’s witnesses and have reacted favorably. This can be seen by the result of a case held at a chief’s court. Some African brothers were before the court because of preaching. After listening to the brothers, the chief dismissed the case and said, “You were once not a recognized Christian organization in my area, but now there is nobody who will obstruct you with your work of teaching people God’s Word.”
PAKISTAN Population: 93,000,000
Peak Publishers: 129 Ratio: 1 to 720,930
A number of new ones associated with Jehovah’s witnesses in Pakistan during the past year, and this has brought joy to the hearts of the Kingdom publishers there. In this Moslem country it is hard to convince people that the truth is found in God’s Word, the Holy Bible, and the ministers of the good news in that land must certainly exercise patience, just as James said: “Exercise patience, therefore, brothers, until the presence of the Lord.” (Jas. 5:7) Those who have been in the ministry there for a number of years certainly have shown patience, for they have remained and have kept on preaching. Four years ago some Witnesses went into Afghanistan and worked where the need is great, and their patience in sticking with the work has brought good results too. Here are some experiences from the branch servant on Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Faithfully caring for “sheep” we have never met will often aid such ones in drawing near to Jehovah. While living in West Pakistan, an elderly lady had a Bible study with one of the Witnesses. After a time she left for East Pakistan, which is more than a thousand miles away and where there are no Witnesses. Her only contact has been through The Watchtower and regular letters from one of the missionaries. Despite failing eyesight, she has regularly answered and asked questions and has endeavored to share knowledge with others. As yet, no one has been able to take her from house to house, but she tries to report some time in field service each month, even though it is incidental witnessing. She is awaiting an opportunity to visit the brothers in India, where she can be immersed. Then she will be the only dedicated Witness among some forty-eight million people.
On working from house to house one morning a publisher placed a set of five booklets with a young man who said his family was interested in the Bible. A back-call was arranged for two days later and a study started with the family. At first the family allowed other things to interfere with the study. Either they were not at home or were too busy. Then many objections were raised when such doctrines as immortality of the human soul were discussed. Answers were never really listened to. In fact, we began to think the family, except for one girl who showed keen interest, would never progress. We decided to continue the study with her and discontinue with the rest of the family. When this was suggested to the family they began to realize what they would miss, and a marked change came over them. Since then the whole family has never missed one study. Now they ask questions and really listen to the answers. The oldest girl is now regularly attending all meetings and publishing. The rest of the family, five members, have expressed the desire to come along now, too.
AFGHANISTAN Population: 12,000,000
Peak Publishers: 10 Ratio: 1 to 1,200,000
During the year three more publishers joined the group, and there are now ten publishers serving where the need is great. More publishers would be warmly welcomed by the brothers. During the year there was some relaxation in restrictions, permitting greater freeness and thus increased activity in the field service. Progress remains slow, but as conditions improve more may be accomplished. During the year studies were started with local people, and now all studies are held with such persons, who are thus regularly being built up in Jehovah’s Word.
It is profitable to follow up the interest shown by persons who hear of the New World society for the first time when invited to the Memorial and who respond to this invitation. This happened when a special call was made on a person of good will to deliver the printed invitation. He was not at home, but someone else was also looking for him. We struck up a conversation with this person, witnessed to him, and extended an invitation to the Memorial. He came and enjoyed it. He was vague about the location of his home, but after a long search he was found. Frequent calls were made and finally a study was started. This person was a teacher and he gradually invited his students to his study, until now there are up to five persons in attendance every week. All the students, and the teacher, are making good progress in knowledge and appreciation.
PANAMA Population: 1,067,766
Peak Publishers: 1,414 Ratio: 1 to 755
The preaching of the good news of the Kingdom has been carried on with good success in Panama and in the Canal Zone, which is handled by the branch office in Panama. Jehovah’s witnesses are having the same experiences there that they are having in other parts of the world, only under different conditions. Using the Bible in their ministry, Jehovah’s servants know that “the word of God is alive and exerts power.” (Heb. 4:12) Those individuals who will give an ear to hear the truth and who will allow God’s Word to guide them certainly find that his Word will cause them to make big changes in their lives, and that such changes are for their betterment. It is the Word of God, too, that keeps Jehovah’s witnesses going. It is their spiritual food, and a good Christian will go out of his way in order to help someone else learn this good news of the Kingdom. The branch servant sends in these reports.
A missionary wrote in from a town near the Costa Rican border about a person of good will she had met while engaged in the house-to-house work. He had come into town from a very remote village and upon learning that she was a Witness begged her to go to help the small group in his village that had heard about the truth from the other side of the frontier. The circuit servant was notified and after much difficulty secured transportation on a pickup truck for part of the journey. After passing through two heavy downpours and getting soaked to the skin, he finally got within an hour’s walking distance of the place and spent the rest of the night with the border police. The next day, upon his arrival, the small group was overjoyed to receive his aid and counsel, and arrangements were made for regular meetings and for the field ministry. At the end of the first month after his visit a report came in from the group for four publishers, which, by the end of the year, had increased to seven, and the circuit servant is anxious to get back to help them more.
The booklet Sermon Outlines was received here with gratefulness and will be especially helpful to us in the ministry due to the fact that in this “crossroads of the world” many different religions are present and the Kingdom publisher must be ready to refute many different kinds of objections. One publisher met a man who had been reading The Watchtower for many years but who said he was no longer interested since he was now studying Christian Science and did not have time for both. She writes: “I began comparing a few of their doctrines with the Bible and his attitude changed altogether, since he knew enough about the Bible to know that the Devil and evil do exist. He accepted some literature and was so thrilled with the Paradise book that at the next visit he wanted two for his children. I suggested a Bible study and he immediately accepted, enjoying it from the very first. This man had been a very regular movie-goer and was reluctant when I invited him to the Kingdom Hall until I told him that the meeting was on a Sunday night. This suited him fine; as he put it, ‘They show the same picture on Sunday and Monday night so I will be able to go to your meeting on Sunday and to the movie on Monday.’ After a few weeks his movie-going was getting less and less as he began to attend the other meetings of the congregation. It has taken just seven months after starting this study for him to make his mind over to New World living, straighten out his marital affairs and quit gambling, and now I had the pleasure of seeing him symbolize his dedication to Jehovah by getting baptized at our district assembly.”
PAPUA Population: 487,050
Peak Publishers: 377 Ratio: 1 to 1,292
Many interesting things have occurred in the islands in the South Pacific. Jehovah’s witnesses have a big problem there as they work with the inhabitants of the islands; they try to teach them to read and write, at the same time showing them that Jehovah’s new world of righteousness is a place where they can enjoy everlasting life. Through the study of the Bible and their association with the New World society these people are learning that “Jehovah himself has become king! Let the earth be joyful. Let the many islands rejoice.” (Ps. 97:1) Even though the world is full of troubles and these troubles affect these islands, still the inhabitants of the islands have good cause to rejoice in the Kingdom good news. Here are some experiences from Papua, New Britain, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
The visits of theocratic representatives are generally most helpful. Such proved to be true when the zone servant, Brother Barry, visited the newly formed Papuan branch. Although only a one-day visit, much counsel and assistance was given the brothers. To complete the day’s visit it was most encouraging to all to have 240 happy publishers and good-will persons gather to hear the zone servant relate experiences from other parts of the field.
A special pioneer wrote from his native territory: “Recently a European pastor came through here. He went to one of his native ex-pastors who has recently become one of Jehovah’s witnesses. The pastor asked him why he listened to Jehovah’s witnesses. He replied that to his mind they were more like Jesus and the apostles for they mixed with the native people, whereas those in his previous mission preferred to remain aloof. The European pastor walked away with nothing further to say, for what had been said was the truth.”
Writes a circuit servant from his assignment: “In this month I have had a thrilling time filled with many wonderful events . . . After saying good-by to all the villagers we commenced our several hours’ walk home. At 7 p.m. we entered a native village and, looking up the councilor, were invited into his house to eat our food. A large group of curious natives gathered inside and outside the house. While sitting and waiting for the kettle to boil I spoke to them about the Kingdom. Suddenly I heard loud shoutings on the steps: ‘Why have you come to this house? Leave at once!’ To this infuriated local pastor I quietly gave answers to his questions. Then he shouted again, ‘Get out from here!’ At this point the councilor-owner came in. The pastor started shouting at him to order me out. The councilor interrupted him, saying: ‘You call yourself a Christian, yes, you who get up on Sunday with a Bible in your hand telling us to love one another. Now you get out of my house; please leave at once!’ With the tables turned, the humiliated pastor walked out and down the steps. The councilor, in turn, asked that Jehovah’s witnesses come and study with him.”
Early in the year the blood issue came to the fore in this territory, with much adverse publicity being given over radio and through papers. Legislation was then enacted to give the authorities power to give blood transfusions to children without their parents’ consent. A result of this publicity and also a special pamphlet sent out by the Society was the following letter received from a Catholic bishop: “Though I differ from you in your interpretation of the texts from the Sacred Scriptures, I agree fully with your claim to the right to follow the dictates of your own conscience... I believe in your sincerity and I admire and respect your devotedness to your cause.”
NEW BRITAIN Population: 102,192
Peak Publishers: 79 Ratio: 1 to 1,294
The eight native brothers who learned of the truth in Rabaul and symbolized their dedication during the last service year have all continued to make excellent progress to maturity and, of these, one is now a special pioneer and four are regular pioneers. Many others have continued to associate and grow in knowledge and understanding and, even though not as yet baptized, they are doing much to spread the good news. Several of these have returned to their distant villages on the mainland equipped with literature, their “sermon books” with stick-men and other illustrations and drawings in them and two to three years of intensive training to back them up. A letter just at hand from one of these publishers tells of intense interest being shown by all in his village, with even the chief proving to be a real “sheep.” All the villagers have expressed the desire to be taught by Jehovah’s witnesses rather than continue under the “guidance” of the Catholic mission.
The three native pioneers associated with the Rabaul congregation do good work in caring for the isolated interest on the Gazelle Peninsula. It is pleasing to see that the good-will persons being found among the natives of this island are able to assemble peacefully with the native people from the mainland for meetings and service. During the recent riots in Rabaul the effect of the truth was very evident in the actions of all these good-will natives. While mainland and local natives from other missions fought and killed one another with no apparent restraining influence from their religious leaders, those being taught Jehovah’s way kept clear of the strife and even hid those of another tribe who were in danger of death at the hands of the rival factions.
One of these native pioneers and two other publishers decided to use a long holiday weekend to good advantage by visiting a remote area where the Kingdom truth had never as yet been preached. Making the most of the time and using every opportunity, they witnessed to and placed literature with everyone they met—along the bush track, on the beaches and from house to house. Three weary but joyful Witnesses returned to Rabaul to report a wealth of interest manifested and placements of over a hundred copies of the Melanesian-pidgin Watchtower. They sustained themselves by bartering literature for food and left hundreds of tracts with those unable to contribute for literature in cash or kind.
It is good to see that brothers from other lands are still moving into these areas where the need is as great as ever. All newcomers to this island have readily obtained employment and are making rapid progress in learning the Melanesian-pidgin language.
NEW GUINEA Population: 1,224,003
Peak Publishers: 120 Ratio: 1 to 10,200
Undoubtedly one of the greatest events of the year for Jehovah’s “sheep” here was the releasing of The Watchtower in the Melanesian-pidgin language. The native brothers assemble weekly for their study of this publication, and they take pride in being able to make their own comments. Many unable to do so at present are eagerly attending the Pidgin classes so that they can learn to read and write themselves.
The power of the truth and God’s spirit in transforming these natives from their old heathen practices can be appreciated from the following experience: A European dairy farmer here sometime ago banished the native congregation servant from witnessing in his compound because he said our work was no good. However, he did not fire the native with whom he had been studying. After awhile he found out that the native was continuing to study and he tried to frighten him to stop the study but was unable to do so. He was such a good worker, the European did not want to fire him. The rest of the native boys he had were lazy, chewed betel nut and smoked while working, but he noticed that this particular one had quit. Then unknowingly he employed another native who also was studying with Jehovah’s witnesses. These two were so different from the rest of his employees that it was a silent witness to him. After awhile another good-will person got a job there. Eventually the farmer asked for more Witnesses to come to work for him, and now the entire staff are Witnesses. He says how clean and what good workers they are in contrast with the natives from other missions.
Concerning the scope and opportunities for brothers to come to serve where the need is great the congregation servant at Madang writes: “Madang congregation, on the coast, is on the edge of a vast ripe field ready for harvesting. For years false religion has held sway, effecting little change among the natives from their old spiritistic way of life. Many now hearing and seeing the Bible for the first time are quickly abandoning false religion and are clamoring to be taught the truth. The brothers here are hard put to it to cope with the interest crying for attention. Only closer villages can be looked after. Many from farther villages walk miles to hear the precious promises of God being taught. Every night in many of the surrounding villages the more advanced ones teach their neighbors who gather at a central house. Perhaps a lantern is hung on a peg and a blackboard is hung on the wall. On the blackboard might be simple pictures. Corresponding scriptures will be near the pictures. This is a substitute for literature! It is proving a means to reach the native mind in the absence of reading ability.”
SOLOMON ISLANDS Population: 108,200
Peak Publishers: 163 Ratio: 1 to 664
All the brothers who have moved into the Solomons to serve where the need is great have voiced the opinion that they are receiving ‘honor due a prophet that they would not receive in their native land.’ Writes a brother from New Zealand who is now serving here: “My wife, son and daughter arrived here with me thirteen months ago for a two-year period. We are unanimous in declaring it to be the best move we have ever made. Joys and thrills are experienced daily as we teach these humble native folk. The prospects for expansion are great, as only a very small part of this territory has been reached. Recently we learned that a man who for many years has been the head pastor of a district untouched by Jehovah’s witnesses now wants a missionary to come to teach him and the two thousand native folk under his care. The reason? He had just read From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained, which his son had sent to him and in which he recognized the truth.
Not all persons who spend time in prison because of unrighteous works become antisocial and revengeful. Three years ago a European brother was put into prison because of the truth. He spoke the Kingdom message to many of the natives. One of these natives appreciated very much what he heard, but since his term expired before the brother’s, he left the prison and the brother lost track of him. Imagine what a surprise this brother had at an assembly when a native publisher on the platform told of getting the truth while in prison! Sure enough, it was his partner from the jail. This year the seed became even more fruitful when this one-time evildoer was appointed a congregation servant and later made a special pioneer. To crown their joy the brother and he were able to attend the Kingdom Ministry School together at Honiara.
PARAGUAY Population: 1,650,000
Peak Publishers: 411 Ratio: 1 to 4,015
After years of preaching in the country of Paraguay by Jehovah’s witnesses the question is not asked so often, “Who is Jehovah?” God’s representatives in the earth are letting people know who the Creator of heaven and earth is and what work he is having done at this time and what blessings he will bestow upon those who love righteousness. Good progress has been made in this regard during the year, with another fine increase in publishers and hours spent in the field witnessing to the people who love righteousness. There are some people who are ‘conscious of their spiritual need’ and these can be made happy now’ by seeking the truth of God. (Matt. 5:3) Here are some experiences from the branch servant on the work in Paraguay.
A woman of German descent began to feel the need for Bible knowledge. She came into town in search of someone to teach her the Bible. Her sister, worried because of her restlessness, told her of a neighbor who knew about the Bible; she was one of Jehovah’s witnesses.
Impressed with what she heard, she began attending meetings. Not only did she want to study the Bible systematically but she was ready to walk the mile and a half into town to the publisher’s home to do it. Noting how those at the Kingdom Hall called one another “brother,” she wanted to know how she could become part of the family. Field service was explained to her, and within ten days of hearing of Jehovah’s witnesses she accompanied a publisher in the house-to-house work. She had stopped her smoking habit and began thinking of others to preach to. So well did she receive Bible instruction that in the first three months of field service she placed 180 magazines and 18 subscriptions in a total of 97 hours! In just six months she has become a regular publisher of the good news. In spite of her material poverty she budgeted what little funds she had: first she got a Bible, then the subscription for The Watchtower. After that came shoes. Fulfilling one's spiritual need should come first.
PERU Population: 10,213,000
Peak Publishers: 1,372 Ratio: 1 to 7,444
With thanksgiving in their hearts Jehovah’s witnesses in Peru have had another blessed year of service. They have reached out into new territories, and a number of persons have joined them from other lands, working where the need is great. These have met the problems of learning a new language, finding secular work and going out into new fields. The special pioneers working off in isolated places have enjoyed themselves tremendously, and a very interesting experience has been turned in showing how true Jesus’ words are: “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) Here are some experiences on being set free.
The Society has encouraged the brothers to work isolated territory. One special pioneer couple used their vacation period to witness in a small village some distance away from their isolated assignment. Just as the apostle Paul did, they found interest while working the public market place. One man in particular began questioning the pioneer brother, asking, “What religion do you represent?” “A nonsectarian Christian religion,” was the reply. More truth was unfolded and the man was intrigued with the thought of a really new earth. Once again he thoughtfully inquired, “You people are new. What religion do you have?” The brother answered directly, “We are Jehovah’s witnesses.” The man was immediately taken aback. Looking indignantly at the brother, he said, “But you can’t be! Jehovah’s witnesses don’t believe in the holy spirit. They believe Christ Jesus was just a man and not God. They don’t believe in hell.” On and on he went, hitting just about all the points the booklets put out by the evangelist sects against Jehovah’s witnesses mention. After an hour of Bible searching the man was shocked at the difference between Bible truths and religious lies. Finally he said, “Will you come Sunday to talk to the people in our church?” The brother replied, “Well, do you think your so-called pastor would permit it, believing all that false propaganda you yourself believed just a few minutes ago?” “Oh, he doesn’t believe that any more. You see, I am the pastor.” A meeting was arranged and a talk was given to the group of Pentecostals. After the talk, which explained the difference between the earthly and heavenly hope, the pastor passed the plate around, telling the group, “This is for the man who just gave the talk.” Once again the contrast between true and false religion was clarified. The brother explained that Jehovah’s witnesses do not ask for money. Rather, they give of the water of life freely, and he proceeded to give all a booklet free. Then he introduced the bound books and placed them at the usual cost with those attending. The pastor led the group correctly, probably for the first time, by taking several books for himself. It will be interesting to hear what results come from this when the next Witness calls at this isolated place.
PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC Population: 27,473,000 Peak Publishers: 35,713 Ratio: 1 to 769
A tremendous educational work is being done in the Philippine Republic and every means is being employed by Jehovah’s witnesses to press forward in this educational work. The hospitable people of the islands make the work of Jehovah’s witnesses comparatively easy. While there is some opposition and persecution, still, generally, it is most enjoyable to present the message of the Kingdom. Many persons say: “You people are different. Your church is different, your preaching is different, your hopes and destiny are different.” And how true that is! Jehovah’s witnesses must be different, because they have the truth, which is the light of the world. So daily many people are expressing themselves like the psalmist who said: “O let people give thanks to Jehovah for his loving-kindness and for his wonderful works to the sons of men.” Here are some interesting experiences that the branch servant sends in.
The construction of a new and larger office and dormitory, the beginning of printing operations and the opening of the Kingdom Ministry School are outstanding markers in the theocratic history of the Philippines. There is a growing appreciation for the Lord’s openhanded dealings with his people. One of the many examples of this spirit is typified by the brothers who wrote: “Individually we are poor and therefore cannot lend money to the Society for the construction of the new building. However, we have decided that as a congregation we can do something. So, instead of a loan, please find enclosed our donation.”
The value of perseverance is reflected in the following: “After I learned the truth my husband became furious. He told me to be anything but a Witness. One night he entered our room with his revolver to destroy me and the children. I prayed to Jehovah and he answered my supplication. My husband did no harm. I now made it a habit to pray morning, noon and night. When possible and without antagonizing him, I would speak of the peaceful new world and its promised blessings. Slowly my prayerful course softened his heart. After a time of bitter persecution his hatred vanished. He became reasonable, started to study and finally symbolized his dedication by water baptism. Today our home bubbles with joy, and we both rejoice to be united closer than ever by Jehovah.”
Another form of perseverance brought a different blessing. A sister from the north went to distant Bohol to serve where the need is great. She soon became homesick. When her parents heard of this they urged her to return. She prayerfully determined to stick to her assignment. Within six months Jehovah blessed her steadiness by producing seventeen publishers, including the chief of police along with his wife and daughter.
Radio broadcasts featuring the free public service series presented by the brothers, “Things People Are Thinking About,” have produced some favorable reactions. In one city these weekly programs have become so popular that the program was moved from class “D” to class “A” time, and a large soda-bottling company asked to have the privilege of sponsoring the broadcasts.
Tracts are playing a part in the grand testimony being given throughout the islands. A special pioneer writes: “At the home of a couple who are schoolteachers, their penniless servant girl was given some tracts and asked to share them with her masters, who were not home at the time. On the next day we happened to be walking past this house when the servant girl called out and said that her masters wanted to see us. To our great surprise we were welcomed with open arms and told, ‘We found the truth the moment we read those tracts!’ What unspeakable joy upon hearing these words! At this writing they are regularly studying and making good progress.”
PORTUGAL Population: 9,470,000
Peak Publishers: 1,174 Ratio: 1 to 8,066
The past year has been wonderful in many ways for the witnesses of Jehovah in Portugal. A goodly number had the grand privilege of attending the assembly in Paris, and this was the first time that many of them were able to get the benefit of an entire assembly program as presented at a convention of Jehovah’s witnesses. There are internal disturbances in Portugal because of the situation in Angola, and there is much propaganda being distributed even in Portugal concerning Jehovah’s witnesses, accusing them of being responsible for the acts of terrorism in Angola. When the publishers of the Kingdom go from door to door they often meet with a hostile reception, but if the people will listen their ears are soon turned to the truth. Jehovah’s Kingdom ministers have in mind the words of the psalmist: “God himself will show us favor and bless us; he will make his face shine upon us.” (Ps. 67:1) So courageously they press on, and here are some of the experiences from the branch servant concerning the countries of Portugal, Angola, the Azores Islands, Madeira Islands, Sao Tome and Macao.
A new brother, visiting his native village for the first time after receiving the truth, encountered a group of men in the local cafe discussing questions of morals and related matters. On being invited to speak, the brother took the opportunity to present the Kingdom message, and this aroused the interest of several there, including his own cousin. As the brother was not able to stay in his village, it was arranged for two brothers from Lisbon, one a pioneer who had moved to serve where the need is great, to go and visit the group, and a meeting was arranged in the local barbershop, at which around fifty persons attended. A further visit was made some time later by the same pioneer, accompanied by the circuit servant, and around the same number of persons attended the meeting. Several subscribed for The Watchtower, and they were shown how to study among themselves. Later some came to Lisbon to be immersed, and they began preaching in the nearby villages. Now an isolated group has been formed, regular reports are received of their preaching activity and the group is ready to be formed into a congregation.
A publisher encountered a lady one day while working from house to house, and the lady said she was a practicing apostolic Roman Catholic and that she had her Catholic Bible that the priest had provided for her. She also stated that she was a schoolteacher and that she would not be taught by anyone. The publisher tactfully asked for the lady’s Bible, and when the lady realized that her Bible was the same as the one the publisher had she became a little calmer, and the publisher was able to converse with her for about one hour. The lady did not wish to take any literature, so the publisher tactfully suggested that, as she had a number of texts to mark, it would be better to mark them with some slips of paper, and offered her some tracts to do this. After marking various places with the tracts the publisher then gave the lady her Bible, promising to call back again after a few days. When the return visit was made, a study was started, and after some time the lady stopped going to her church but continued to make progress in the truth. Now she has accepted the truth and goes herself from house to house preaching the Kingdom message.
ANGOLA Population: 4,200,000
Peak Publishers: 23 Ratio: 1 to 182,609
The rise of terrorism in Angola during the past year has made conditions extremely difficult for the publishers, although until a few months ago regular reports were being received. The preaching work continues in Luanda, the capital, but from the terrorist areas, where there are a few isolated publishers and people of good will, very little news has filtered through.
The local press began blaming the circulation of The Watchtower and Awake! for the acts of terrorism and tried to intimidate the local brothers, but the publishers continued their activities in a quiet way without too much difficulty.
AZORES Population: 348,000
Peak Publishers: 62 Ratio: 1 to 5,613
A publisher, working one day with a more mature publisher, called at a small workshop of a man whose work consisted of repairing watches, radios, and so forth. The man showed more than normal intelligence, accepted the message, and a study was started in the Paradise book right on the spot. While the study was in progress, the man switched on a tape recorder that he had in for repair and recorded the conversation to play over later to other people who would come to see him. This happens now at every study, and the man has interested a number of people who return every week to hear the recording of the study. The man in this way is giving a wonderful witness to his neighbors.
About two years ago a pioneer witnessed to a man of seventy-two years of age, and the man took a Watchtower magazine although he was unable to read and write. Both the man and his wife were Catholics. When the back-call was made the man said he would like to hear more, but that he would understand slowly owing to not being able to read and write. He said that his one desire was that one day he would be able to read the Bible. When the pioneer offered to help the man read he was very contented. After six months the man was able to read some things from the Bible, and was overjoyed when he attended a small assembly where the Paradise book was released. He realized that this book would be a great help to him. This was true, because the man is now reading the book correctly and giving comments in his own words at the studies. He quickly put to one side his former Catholic activities and, understanding what the divine will is, he soon showed a desire to go
from house to house with the Kingdom message. Both he and his wife, who has also shown good progress, put their orchard and plot of ground at the disposal of the Society to hold assemblies. Age is no barrier to understanding the truth, because Jehovah extends the invitation to young and old to praise His name.
MACAO Population: 196,000
Peak Publishers: 1 Ratio: 1 to 196,000
We are very happy to report the opening up of the work on the Portuguese island of Macao, off the coast of China. A dedicated sister moved out there a few months ago when her husband, who is in the armed forces, was transferred there. The sister found very few people speaking her own language, which made witnessing very difficult, but she did manage quickly to establish a home Bible study with an interested person. The sister made a few friends there, but soon lost them again when they realized who she was. The study continues with the person of good will in spite of language difficulty, as this person does not speak Portuguese, but she continues to make progress in understanding of the truth.
We hope that it may be possible for her to be visited later by the brothers in Hong Kong.
MADEIRA Population: 300,000
Peak Publishers: 27 Ratio: 1 to 11,111
Reports from Madeira indicate much interest among sincere people on the island, and the publishers are making good progress in helping these persons. There has been a lot of propaganda in the Catholic-controlled newspaper against Jehovah’s witnesses, which has made the preaching work harder during the last year. The Society’s films were shown on the island during the year and were appreciated by a large number of people.
Considerable pressure is being brought by the priests on the daughter of a pioneer couple while she is still at school. Threats of expulsion failed to disturb the girl, who, much to the amazement of her fellow pupils, is always ready and able to refute any attack made on her in school by the priest.
SAO TOME Population: 66,000
Peak Publishers: 13 Ratio: 1 to 5,077
Our brothers continue with their limited activities here, happy with the privileges they have of preaching the good news to others.
Regular reports continue to be received, indicating that the brothers are using every opportunity they have to comfort others on the island. Occasionally they are able to meet together for study—a very happy occasion for these brothers who normally are isolated from, one another while continuing to work on the coffee plantations. Literature and magazines continue to get to these brothers, who are happy to feed on the spiritual food they receive.
PUERTO RICO Population: 2,349,544
Peak Publishers: 2,082 Ratio: 1 to 1,129
It is a joy to see “sheep” continually being added to the sheepfold as the New World society grows, and this certainly has been true in Puerto Rico during the past twelve months. Not only have people of good will been coming into the organization, but they have been helped on to maturity. They have increased their teaching and preaching ability. They have tried to apply the information and instructions learned through the Kingdom Ministry School, through the congregation and through their private study. How true the text for the year has been: “In unity I shall set them, like a flock in the pen.” (Mic. 2:12) Here are some interesting experiences sent in by the branch servant, outlining some of the things that occurred in Puerto Rico, Tortola and the Virgin Islands of the United States.
The one event that perhaps stands out most clearly in the minds of the publishers was the visit of Brother Henschel and the convention that was held. A huge airy airplane hangar was obtained for the occasion. The discourses and demonstrations were all very edifying, and everyone was overjoyed to hear that 3,042 had been present at the public lecture. Many persons of good will attending their first truly Christian assembly were very favorably impressed by what they saw and heard, and this opened the way for more back-calls and studies and more persons coming into the symbolic “pen.”
The people must hear and the time is growing short. So much more could be done if more dedicated servants saw their privilege to join in the pioneer service. Listen to this experience of a young sister who was already a regular pioneer but wanted to enjoy the pioneer service to the fullest by being a special pioneer. “Some publishers hesitate to take the step of special pioneering because they have the wrong opinion. They do not trust that Jehovah will fulfill his promise to care for them. I was by myself in my assignment for about three weeks and during that time I got a disease in my foot. My foot swelled a little, but as long as it did not hurt I could manage to take care of the studies. As I got to the homes of my studies they inquired about my foot. To my surprise, the following week when I went to conduct the studies, three different ladies had bought three different kinds of medicine for my feet. One of them even got me some vitamin pills so that I would not be too tired when I reached her house.”
One prosperous businessman observed two sisters always standing on the street offering the magazines to the public every Tuesday morning. Moved by curiosity, he obtained some copies of the magazines. He liked what he read. Soon he invited them to have a cup of coffee and asked questions. He was a Catholic but could not accept the teachings of the church. He had been in and out of several different religions without finding what he was looking for. Soon a study was started. Now he feels that he has found the truth and very seldom misses a study in spite of his very busy schedule. Another “sheep” is being gathered into the “pen” through the presenting of the message of the Kingdom by the use of the magazines on the streets.
TORTOLA (V.I.) Population: 7,760
Peak Publishers: 10 Ratio: 1 to 776
The field service the first part of the year was very weak, but during the latter part there was a marvelous improvement, and the prospects for advancement are much better. It does one’s heart good to hear how one elderly brother, almost totally blind, is able to witness to the people and place literature. The Kingdom Hall is alongside a road that is frequently traversed by persons afoot. He sits on the Kingdom Hall steps and when he hears persons approaching he calls out to them. In this way he has been able to place as high as forty-three magazines a month, which is more than half the congregation’s average placements. He has even been able to conduct one study on the steps, which he calls his territory.
Jehovah’s witnesses encounter many strange experiences in their ministerial activity but try to convert them into opportunities to give a witness concerning God and his established kingdom and the hope for the living and the dead.
VIRGIN ISLANDS (U.S.) Population: 31,904
Peak Publishers: 99 Ratio: 1 to 322
Looking over the field service report for the islands of St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John, one can observe that the over-all picture is one of progress.
On the island of St. Croix a brother dedicated all his time to the Spanish-speaking population, and there is now an organized congregation of fifteen publishers. The brother’s knowledge of Spanish was very limited to start with and he had to spend many hours preparing for the meetings. Many times he did not know whether the answers given were the right ones or not. But with faith in Jehovah and diligent effort on his part he was richly rewarded. Now another small group is being taught the truth of God’s Word by another brother and sister in the eastern end of the island, with the prospects that there will be another small Spanish congregation.
On these small islands the blood issue becomes a very serious problem. Doctors have become so accustomed to leaning on the “blood crutch” that many of them do not even dare to perform a serious operation without a transfusion. Some are not even acquainted with blood substitutes. With this in mind we tell of an experience of a sister who came to St. Croix from Antigua to have an operation for a tumor. She was admitted to the hospital, as she had already lost much blood. When she informed the doctors that she could not accept a blood transfusion for Scriptural reasons but would accept substitutes, well, it threw the place into a state of confusion. Doctors that were capable of performing the operation without blood would not, and the one that would have done so was not licensed to. The local brothers did all they could to convince the doctors and to help the sister. A sister made a trip from New York, talked to the assistant to the governor and the health commissioner, resulting in statements being issued by them that no Jehovah’s witness should be given a blood transfusion against his or her will. The doctors remained firm in their determination not to operate without blood. Finally the sister was released from the hospital and told to come back when she had her blood built up. Through the loving care of the brothers she was sent on a plane to Puerto Rico, where she was operated upon without any difficulties. When she returned to St. Croix, well and strong, those who were familiar with the case could only exclaim, “It was her faith.” Her sister and brother-in-law were so impressed by the strong bond of love and unity among Jehovah’s witnesses that they expressed their desire to attend the coming district assembly in Puerto Rico.
SIERRA LEONE Population: 2,500,000
Peak Publishers: 344 Ratio: 1 to 7,267
The branch office in Freetown, Sierra Leone, looks after the work of Jehovah’s witnesses in that country as well as in Gambia and the Republic of Guinea. There has been a nice increase in publishers in this African territory, and one thing that the brothers have been doing in addition to gathering the “other sheep” is trying to bring those in association with God’s people to greater maturity. Personal studies are being conducted with all unbaptized publishers, and they are putting forth every effort to have them get through the books “Let God Be True” and “This Means Everlasting Life.” While this may slow down the increase in publishers to some extent, it certainly makes the organization much stronger. Everyone dedicating himself to Jehovah must appreciate that “everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.” (Acts 2:21) They know that this does not mean only getting acquainted with the name of Jehovah but representing Jehovah God by preaching the good news of the Kingdom. They appreciate that their course of action will be liferewarding if they seek the Kingdom now and help others to call upon the name of Jehovah. Here are some of the experiences from the three countries.
Outstanding during the year has been the number who have taken up the pioneer service. Last year we had an average of forty-four pioneers; this year we are happy to report an average of sixty-two. What is even more outstanding is the fact that some of the new pioneers, even though they cannot read or write, have excellent results in placing literature and conducting studies. Certainly Jehovah is performing a strange work with the “poor” of the earth. In one congregation that is only two years old there has been an increase from one pioneer to twenty-five. Five of these have been made special pioneers and sent out into other territories.
Bible study activity is a very important part of our ministry. It is from this activity that we bear much fruit to Jehovah’s praise. The book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained has played an important part in producing Kingdom publishers, as shown by the following experience: “I received a letter from a man asking for the Paradise book. Instead of mailing it, I took the opportunity to deliver it personally. A study was started the following week, with all the family sitting in. Rapid progress was made within a few months and it was not long until the man was attending meetings at the Kingdom Hall with one of the children. The wife was quite reluctant at first, even hiding when I would call. Many times she would pretend to be ill. However, through patience and consistent calling back each week, her indifference and lack of interest gave way to genuine interest. Within a few months she was accompanying her husband and children to the Kingdom Hall. Rain or shine they would be there with all four well-behaved children. One evening the husband said, ‘We have something to confess; we are not properly married and our conscience is bothering us. What can we do?’ They were married in the Kingdom Hall a few months later. They are now conducting fourteen Bible studies of their own and preparing for baptism at the next circuit assembly. What a joy to see these new ones desirous of doing the divine will! It is a joy that cannot be properly expressed with words; it must be experienced.”
GAMBIA Population: 311,000
Peak Publishers: 15 Ratio: 1 to 20,733
Splendid progress was made in Gambia during the 1961 service year. Now that the country has been put under the Sierra Leone branch we have been able to give the publishers more personal attention.
The experiences in Gambia prove that patience and kindness must be exercised. The following are some encouraging experiences from the special pioneers: “Mr.----, a Catholic over fifty years of age, had been
separated from his wife for about six years. None of the ‘Fathers,’ not even the bishop himself, could bring them together. So they were left to an immoral life. However, their loose, immoral life did not debar them from being prominent members of the Catholic Church. As a result of finding the truth, Mr.----became recon
ciled with his wife, stepped into the field service with us and was soon enrolled in the Theocratic Ministry School.
He has been fearless and powerful in denouncing the false teachings of the Catholic Church. He left in June for New York, where he hoped to be baptized at the United Worshipers District Assembly. He will be returning to Gambia.”
REPUBLIC OF GUINEA Population: 2,500,000 Peak Publishers: 31 Ratio: 1 to 80,645
For the Republic of Guinea the 1961 service year has closed on a very happy note. At the beginning of the service year there were eight publishers active. Through the hard work of the Liberian and Sierra Leone publishers who live near the Guinea border, a very fine group of publishers was built up among the Kissispeaking tribe. At the close of the service year we are happy to report a total of thirty-one publishers, and from this number there are eight regular pioneers and one special pioneer.
A congregation was formed in Conakry, the capital, and the brothers there are doing good work. Regular visits are made by the circuit servant from Sierra Leone, and this has strengthened the publishers and brought them into closer contact with the branch office.
SINGAPORE Population: 1,650,000
Peak Publishers: 134 Ratio: 1 to 12,313
Jehovah’s witnesses in Singapore and in the territory under the jurisdiction of the branch —Malaya and North Borneo and Sarawak—have a big problem on their hands and that is to reach the people with the message of the Kingdom and then to convince these people that their gods are no gods at all. It is difficult to tell persons who know nothing about the Bible that what Paul the apostle said is true, namely, that “an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one. For even though there are those who are called ‘gods,’ whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords,’ there is actually to us one God the Father, out of whom all things are, and we for him; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are, and we through him.” (1 Cor. 8:4-6) But to convince the people in this part of the world of such a thing is often a difficult task and the Witnesses have many experiences in this regard, as the branch servant shows.
To study the Bible with people in Buddhist homes may well mean a battle with the gods. A study was started with a subscriber for The Watchtower and his twin brother. The mother, being a Buddhist, objected. She had heard that the Christian God is more powerful than the Chinese gods. Hence, if a minister came to their house to study the Bible, this would displease the family gods and could even drive them away.
Arrangements were made to move the study to a nearby home where two members in the family were Jehovah's witnesses. Meanwhile a traveling Chinese Opera had moved to the neighborhood. Collections were taken from house to house and each Buddhist who contributed became a member of the Hai Chwoo Temple, sponsors of the opera. Lots were then taken to see who among all the members would become the leader and also custodian of the temple’s trinity of gods. The lot fell upon the man in whose house the Bible study was to be held, but he refused to accept responsibility. A second draw was held, and again the lot fell upon the same man, but once again he declined to become the guardian of the temple gods. For the third time lots were cast, and for the third time it fell upon the same person. Now, according to Chinese superstition, for a lot to fall upon one three times means being extremely lucky. To refuse to heed this sure indication of chance would undoubtedly draw the displeasure of the gods and bring misfortune upon one’s family.
Thus with the odds fallen on him for the third time the man consented to accept the custody of the temple gods. Once these were placed in the house the mother here too laid down the rule—no Bible studies while the gods are in the house! The two young men were then taken to the home of a brother about a mile away, where the study has continued. They have shown genuine interest in the truth, bringing a number of their friends along with them to the study. It seems that the battle has been won, and no more trouble is anticipated from the gods, since the study is now held at the service center—a home dedicated to Jehovah.
MALAYA Population: 6,900,000
Peak Publishers: 104 Ratio: 1 to 66,346
One Kingdom minister writes: “The following words in The Watchtower made a deep impression on me: ‘We see what it is that Jesus shows to be the evidence of the success of teaching . . . The fact of the successful teaching is established by what the pupil says and does in being like the teacher.’ In studying with a young Chinese man I endeavored to apply this teaching method. Soon he began to attend meetings regularly and here further teaching and training were given, especially through the Theocratic Ministry School. Next I took him with me in the field service and trained him in the house-to-house and back-call work. After a time he went on his own and I was interested to observe that he handled the Bible at the doors just as I do. He presented the sermon just as he had heard me speak and even turned the same pages up in the book as he had observed me doing. Then he had an experience that proves that a pupil perfectly instructed will become like his teacher. While distributing handbills from store to store he met an interested young man who came to the public talk. He welcomed this interested person to the Kingdom Hall just as he had been shown hospitality and arranged a home Bible study with the newly interested person. After having conducted his study for some time he started his student in the field ministry. At the last circuit assembly my joy was complete when my pupil took the final step in becoming like his teacher—by being baptized in water in symbol of his dedication to Jehovah.”
NORTH BORNEO Population: 450,000
Peak Publishers: 20 Ratio: 1 to 22,500
To visit the brothers in this sparsely settled colony the circuit servant has to travel by plane, road, boat and even paddle a canoe. In one village near a timber camp a Chinese who recently became a “Christian” welcomed the circuit servant to stay in his home, since he was ‘the first minister of religion ever to visit there.’ He showed keen interest in the Bible and asked many questions. He was especially interested in knowing how he could spread the teachings of Christianity in that area. Following the visit he began to study the Bible diligently with the help of the publications. Having found the teachings of true Christianity, he sent in an order to the Society for ten Paradise books and also a standing order for the magazines so that he could share the good news with others. At the end of the year he increased his magazine order to 100 of each issue. Now he is eagerly awaiting the annual visit of the circuit servant so as to get training in organizational methods for use in the ministry.
An elderly lady had been reading the magazines a number of years ago but lost contact with the Witnesses. The Anglican priest tried to make her stop reading the literature by borrowing the magazines and not bringing them back. Then he threatened that, if she did not stop, the church would refuse to bury her when she died. The lady quit going to church, confident that one day Jehovah would send his witnesses to visit her again. Now she has re-established contact and, after studying, has become active in the field service. During the circuit servant’s visit she was baptized and has become a dedicated witness of Jehovah—twenty-six years after reading her first copy of The Watchtower!
SARAWAK Population: 744,391
Peak Publishers: 3 Ratio: 1 to 248,130
The first tract was published in Iban, the Dyak language, and this is being very well received by the meek and humble people of Sarawak who are thirsting for the truth. However, the clergy are doing their utmost to prevent the people from hearing the truth. A special pioneer from Singapore did some house-to-house preaching while visiting friends in Kuching. The Anglican priests followed after him in the territory. Telling the people the good news about God’s kingdom? Oh, no! Threatening them if they listened to Jehovah’s witnesses! Pressure was put upon the authorities, who warned the brother that his visitor’s pass would be canceled if he did not stop preaching. On orders from the chief secretary, Bibles, magazines and other literature sent by the Society to the brothers were seized.
Being scattered, the brothers have to overcome many obstacles to associate with the New World society. One person had to travel forty-four miles each week to attend the meeting, while it took another four hours by launch to come for the studies. They appreciate the importance of the admonition found at Hebrews 10:24. 25: “Let us consider one another to incite to love and fine works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, . . . but encouraging one another.”
SOUTH AFRICA Population: 15,841,000
Peak Publishers: 18,631 Ratio: 1 to 850
During the past year the brothers in South Africa have worked diligently, and they have enjoyed the unity common to the sheeplike ones who have been brought together in Jehovah’s theocratic organization. The branch office in South Africa also looks after the territory in Basutoland, Bechu-analand, St. Helena, South-West Africa and Swaziland. The work in many parts of this territory has really been hard and progress has been slow. But Jehovah’s witnesses keep in mind the admonition of the apostle Paul when he wrote to the Galatians, at Galatians 6:9: “Let us not give up in doing what is fine, for in due season we shall reap if we do not tire out.” After many years of diligent work progress is beginning to show itself in a number of the territories in the southern part of the great continent of Africa. Here are some items of interest.
Early in the year we had our Peace-pursuing District Assemblies, eight in all. This proved to be the most successful series to date, with 22,488 attending the public meetings and 479 symbolising their dedication by water immersion. The rich spiritual food provided by Jehovah through his organisation was greatly appreciated and most satisfying.
Many thrilling experiences were enjoyed during the year in all features of the work. A three-year-old boy who had shared in the magazine work with success was used in a demonstration at a circuit assembly. This made a real impression on the minds of other young people present. A boy of nine asked his father’s permission to speak at every other door. He has exceeded his quota each month since then. Another lad of ten now shares in magazine activity each Saturday morning on the street and from car to car and regularly places up to fifteen magazines.
One of those who came into the “pen” during the year was a former atheist. Although an unbeliever himself, he wanted his two daughters to be baptised in one of the religious organisations. The ministers approached refused because he was an atheist. He was then contacted by one of the Witnesses and agreed to a study. A few months later the man was baptised. He is now a regular publisher. He now says: “I never thought at the time the study commenced that I would get baptised in place of my children.”
Our oldest special pioneer is eighty-seven years of age and she is one of the most productive. Last year alone she helped eight people to take a firm stand for the truth, six of whom are now baptised. At present she is conducting thirteen home Bible studies and gets her time in regularly.
BASUTOLAND Population: 641,000
Peak Publishers: 130 Ratio: 1 to 4,931
In the face of difficulties the Kingdom publishers have pushed on with the work and have made a diligent search for sheeplike ones desirous of coming into the Kingdom “pen.” A pioneer, while engaged in the house-to-house work, gave a sermon to a woman householder. While she was still talking to the wife the husband came in, and he became very cross when he noticed that it was one of the Witnesses, but the wife tried to appease him, requesting him to sit on the chair and listen. He replied, “These people are just salesmen.” The wife replied, “Please sit down and listen, because this woman has told the good news regularly and for a long time now.” After some time the husband sat down and gradually became interested and took the book offered. Then he asked the sister: “Have you a husband?” She replied, “Yes.” “Could you please ask him to come and teach me these truths,” he pleaded, “because if you come to teach me, the people who hear about it will laugh at me?” Now the whole family is attending the study and enthusiastically support it. Their interest is growing rapidly.
BECHUANALAND Population: 296,851
Peak Publishers: 198 Ratio: 1 to 1,499
It has taken some time for the news of the lifting of the prohibition on the literature to get into all corners of Bechuanaland. Up in the far north and off the beaten track, magazines on their way to a pioneer were seized by the police. Representations were made by the branch office to both European and African authorities, and the literature was released. Brothers and persons of good will in that area were somewhat discouraged when the literature was seized, but when it was restored to them they were greatly heartened and were soon busy in the field again.
The work was not progressing at one congregation. It was even falling off. The circuit servant was perplexed, but on making inquiry he discovered that a few in association still believed that “dead bones are good fortunetellers.” Others had a kind of a “skin” on the right arm and still others a tail or a horn on the doors of their houses. He pointed out in his talk on Saturday evening that these were a carry-over from paganism and should be discarded. The following morning he was informed that the tails and horns had been burned the previous evening.
ST. HELENA Population: 4,600
Peak Publishers: 40 Ratio: 1 to 115
Arrangements were made for a circuit servant and his wife from South Africa to spend July and August on the island assisting the two small congregations. On their arrival a circuit assembly was held. There were thirty-four brothers in attendance, with sixty-three at the public meeting. Two were immersed. This got the visit off to a good start. Thereafter the visitors divided their time between the two congregations and did everything possible to assist in the training of both the servants and publishers.
The “Divine Will” film was shown eight times in different parts of the island, with a combined attendance of 808 or about one sixth of the entire population.
SOUTH-WEST AFRICA Population: 550,000
Peak Publishers: 141 Ratio: 1 to 8,901
Right in the north, in one of the towns nearest to the Angolan border, South-West Africa’s sixth congregation was recently formed and is leading the territory in that it is the first congregation to rent property for its exclusive use as a Kingdom Hall.
In one of the larger towns in the south, a company-owned town and the chief producer of gem diamonds in the world, a travelling minister and his wife spent two weeks. There were no publishers there, so if a nucleus of good-will persons was to be left, the whole teaching process had to be speeded up. Consequently, if a placement was made one day, a back-call was made and a study started in “This Good News of the Kingdom” the following day, and thereafter a study was held every second day until the end of the visit, by which time several families could demonstrate by their answers during a review of the entire booklet that they had a clear grasp of basic truths. Some, with tears in their eyes, expressed appreciation for the visit. With the next visit only four months later it was found that most of these good-will persons eagerly renewed their studies. Because of generous co-operation on the part of the company it was possible on this second visit to show the film “Happiness of the New World Society” to most of the interested ones previously contacted. Among the expressions of appreciation at the end of the showing was one from a young couple who said, “After twenty-two years we are convinced we have found the truth at last.”
The non-European work was given a boost by the arrival of whole families of publishers from Cape Town to serve where the need is great. They have done good work at Walvis Bay, and many with whom they have conducted studies are now publishers. The arrival of another four publishers from Germany elsewhere in the territory was most welcome, and it is hoped others may follow their example.
SWAZILAND Peak Publishers: 435
Population: 237,000
Ratio: 1 to 544
At Mbabane, the chief town or government centre, some vacation pioneers did good work. A printer who had previously read The Watchtower when he had a subscription asked if he could reprint some of the secondary articles in the local newspaper. There is a very flourishing African congregation there with their own Kingdom Hall. In the month of April a very successful circuit assembly was held at Mbabane, using the new location hall, which is one of the finest halls for use of Africans that one could find anywhere. The attendance for Saturday evening was 383, which is easily the best so far.
The paramount chief of Swaziland continues in his friendly attitude toward the preaching work of the Witnesses. Again this year, with the kind co-operation of his secretary, a film showing was arranged at the Royal Kraal at Lozitehlezi. This took place early in May, which is the beginning of winter in these parts, and a chilly wind was blowing over the Swazi Mountains. The paramount chief himself did not attend, but a goodly number of the local people and many of his queens enjoyed the scenes of the Divine Will International Assembly of 1958.
SOUTHERN RHODESIA Population: 3,111,700
Peak Publishers: 12,695 Ratio: 1 to 245
The ratio of Kingdom ministers to the population in Southern Rhodesia is very good, but there is much educational work that has to be carried on, and those who have dedicated their lives to the service of Jehovah God must grow on to maturity. To that end the Kingdom Ministry School was started in Southern Rhodesia, and a number of the overseers have received this training. It is hoped that this training will prove to be beneficial to these brothers as they work with the publishers in the congregations. While there has been a drop in the number of publishers, there are still many “sheep” that must be found and be given the opportunity to hear the truth. It is recorded in John 10:27: “My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Regardless of the difficulties, politically or otherwise, Jehovah’s witnesses must continue preaching so that the good news of the Kingdom is declared everywhere. Here are some experiences that the branch servant sends in.
Opening up new fields is not always easy. One brother going to his first special-pioneer assignment went as far as he could by bus and then walked another hundred miles through wild country, taking five days to do so. His problem when he first got there was accommodation, but he busied himself with the witness work and in doing so met a dedicated brother who had been inactive ever since moving to that area. This brother offered the special pioneer accommodation for himself and his family. What were the pioneer’s comments about his assignment? “Please send some more specials. There is much work to be done here.”
Every avenue of service was used by the publishers in an effort to locate the “other sheep.” The following experience came from a congregation: “An interested couple had studied about two thirds of the book ‘Let God Be True,’ when the husband’s work took him to live in isolated territory in a community of about thirty persons, a distance of over a hundred miles from the nearest congregation. During the first few months their interest was kept alive by a sister living in that district, but later she moved back into town. It was then that the good-will persons began to feel that they needed help. The idea of a correspondence study was suggested to them, and they gladly accepted. A few weeks later some neighbours who had shown interest learned about the correspondence study and asked if they, too, could learn about the Bible in this way. Now-three correspondence studies are being held to keep alive and care for the ‘sheep’ in that isolated territory, two different publications being used.”
The book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained is playing a very important part in finding the “other sheep,” It is an excellent help in giving the fundamental truths of the Bible in a simple way to those without much education. It is also used extensively in the Reading and Writing School. Reports one congregation servant on the usefulness of this aid, “We have had good results from using the Paradise book in our congregation. We now have twenty-seven studies that are being conducted from this book. Some are now regularly attending the meetings and some have already started in the field service as Jehovah’s witnesses.”
SPAIN Population: 29,210,000
Peak Publishers: 2,144 Ratio: 1 to 13,624
There has been a wonderful increase in activity again in Spain, and many people who have been oppressed for years are now seeking the truth. The lovers of Jehovah’s kingdom have gone through bitter opposition and persecution from those who are opposed to God’s kingdom. But has this bitter persecution struck fear into the hearts of Jehovah’s witnesses in Spain? The answer comes from all the dedicated publishers with great emphasis—No! They have in mind the words of the psalmist wherein he said: “Unify my heart to fear your name.” (Ps. 86:11) Here in Spain under great oppression they have proved themselves to be united worshipers of the one true God and are fearlessly pressing on, fulfilling their divine commission to teach and preach the good news of the Kingdom. Day by day the brothers and sisters in Spain are becoming more mature, and they have an interest in our prayers to the end that they may ever be faithful in their service. Here are some experiences that have been sent in.
One publisher neglected the opportunity to start a study, while another publisher was alert to satisfy the desire of a person of good will for spiritual food. While working from house to house a sister called on a lady who immediately showed interest. It seems that a short time before another publisher had placed the booklet “This Good News of the Kingdom” with her but had never called back. In the meantime she read the booklet and was so interested that she went out and bought a Bible. She was waiting for the publisher to call back, but as yet she had not returned. The second publisher was able to start a study on the spot. The husband also started to study, and within six months they both attended the United Worshipers Assembly.
The following experience is remarkable testimony as to how the Great Shepherd Jehovah seeks out and richly feeds his “sheep” and sustains them: The person in question is a young man of twenty-seven years. He has been ill since 1943 and bedridden since 1951. In April of 1959 this young man received from Uruguay one of the Society’s tracts, which was put in together with other items that were sent to him. That tract was sufficient for him to see the truth immediately, so he left the Catholic Church. The priest of the village preached a violent sermon against him, saying that he was half crazy and a Protestant and that his literature was from the Masons. Providentially, a Catholic woman heard the sermon, visited the young man and lent him her copy of “Let God Be True” and various booklets and magazines that she had received from a friend. A short time later a publisher living in another village in the same province found out about him and sent some French brothers, who were visiting in Spain, to see him. They gave him four more books. Within a short time he had read all four of them two times. At first his parents opposed him, but later they gave him money to buy a Catholic Bible. He concluded his first letter by saying: “I have confidence in Jehovah God and Jesus Christ in everything. My ambition is to be able to participate in the vindication of the holy name of the Almighty God, Jehovah, by means of following the footsteps left by his only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. ... I trust that until I can walk again, I will receive spiritual help from you who are his witnesses and his servants, so that later I can be just like you and help you with all my strength.”
Since coming in contact with the truth he has progressed rapidly and witnesses to all who come to visit him at his bedside. He regularly takes the written review in the Theocratic Ministry School and sends it by mail to be corrected. He does exceptionally well in the reviews, which shows that he studies diligently. This demonstrates what just one piece of literature can do in bringing the message of life to a righteous-hearted person.
The climax of the year was the United Worshipers Assembly, which almost half of the brothers attended, having to travel to another country. Arrangements were made to have a full program in the Spanish language so that the brothers from Spain could get the full spiritual benefit from such a fine program. For the majority it was the first assembly that they had ever attended, since it is not possible to hold them in Spain.
We are deeply grateful to Jehovah and to our brothers in the assembly city who made it possible to have a Spanish assembly. It came just at the right time to provide encouragement and solid spiritual food so as to carry on the work under increasingly difficult conditions.
CANARY ISLANDS Population: 918,000
Peak Publishers: 60 Ratio: 1 to 15,800
The clergy here are active in house-to-house work, but not in preaching and teaching the good news of God’s kingdom. The overseer of one of the congregations wrote: “The priests are having a campaign against us. They present themselves at the homes where we have Bible studies and threaten them, approaching others where they work. They are trying to hurt us. Until now Jehovah has not permitted that they bite us, but the wolves each time are howling closer.” Three and a half months later the wolves arrived, making their attack on Christendom’s “Christmas Eve” in the form of a group of policemen. They broke in on a peaceful gathering of true Christians who had assembled together to study the Bible. The result was that all the adults present had to spend the night in a filthy jail.
However, this unpleasant episode did not dampen the spirits of the brothers, as can be seen by their zealous activity during the rest of the service year. The seed of truth is now well established in these islands off the northwest coast of Africa. By Jehovah’s undeserved kindness the gluttonous birds of Satan’s organization will not be able to snatch it away.
SURINAM Population: 275,000
Peak Publishers: 418 Ratio: 1 to 658
In the days of Paul there must have been times when travel was difficult, especially in getting into isolated places where there were but a few people. But all the time it was in the mind of Paul that there was the preaching of the good news to be done. He appreciated that he was an apostle to the Gentiles, for in writing to Timothy he said: “For the purpose of this witness I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—a teacher of nations in the matter of faith and truth.” Paul started the work of going out into many parts of the then-known world and did his preaching to those other than Jews. That same work is going on today, and Surinam is an example of how this teaching and preaching work reaches out into new lands. Here are some of the experiences sent in by the branch servant.
At the assembly the Paradise book in Dutch was released. The brothers have worked hard with it, and our stock of 3,800 copies was used within eight months. It has been a wonderful aid in the field. One lone isolated publisher on the Commewijne River reported how this book has made a big change in his life. His wife, who was formerly opposed and who engaged in demon worship, began to show interest in the truth when the circuit servant brought the Paradise book along. Her husband is conducting a regular study with her, and she has made known her desire to get baptized. Now both the brother and his wife engage actively in the preaching work, and between the two of them they conduct nine home Bible studies.
Sickness and being tied down to one’s house do not have to prevent one from serving Jehovah. One of our sisters in Surinam who has the feared tropical disease known as filariasis conducts a home Bible study in the Paradise book by mail with a Bush Negro on the Saramacca River. The study is conducted in the Surinam language, and they make use of mimeographed copies of chapters translated from the Paradise book. She writes the questions, and he sends the answers back. The goal of conducting one home Bible study per publisher is not hard to reach.
The government has helped us in opening up new territory, which is now regularly covered by two pioneers. How did this happen? A regular-pioneer sister, who as her secular job is teaching at school, was transferred to H---, 150 miles away from Paramaribo. No
preaching had ever been done in this district. Another pioneer sister, also a schoolteacher, asked to be transferred to this isolated place too, so both could work together in the pioneer service. During the morning they teach at school, and in the afternoons they work from house to house. Their first “sheep” came one morning to the schoolhouse and asked for literature. Since then he comes every morning before breakfast to attend the daily text discussion. After just three months he was baptized and is now a vacation pioneer.
In this same isolated place regular meetings are held. One person of good will has to overcome many obstacles in order to attend the meetings. He has to walk for more than an hour through heavy forest where many poisonous snakes are living. During the rainy season he literally has to swim his way through the swamp. He simply leaves a set of dry clothes at the house of a friend, and before and after meeting time he changes his clothes. Do you have the same appreciation for meetings?
SWEDEN Population: 7,498,770
Peak Publishers: 9,026 Ratio: 1 to 831
There were three outstanding things that brought rich blessings to the brothers in Sweden during the past year: the Kingdom Ministry School, the United Worshipers Assembly in Copenhagen and the Paradise book in Swedish. These three things, along with all the privileges of service that one who is dedicated to Jehovah enjoys, enriched their blessings for the year. It brings to mind the scripture: “Send out your light and your truth. May these themselves lead me.” (Ps. 43:3) And how the Kingdom Ministry School and the convention brought forth the light and truth of God’s Word! Then by means of the Paradise book another instrument was provided to help others be led by the light and truth in a simple way. Here are some of the interesting experiences sent in by the branch servant.
About thirty-five years ago a sister contacted a woman who took some magazines and, later on, occasionally a book. Her husband said: “You may call with your literature, but there must be nothing more of it here.” In the course of the years our sister never let the woman out of thought and occasionally got a subscription or placed a book. Last winter she heard that conditions in the woman’s home had changed, so she called again, and now started a study. A little later the lady attended a circuit assembly and thereafter said: “I must learn to be like you and talk about the truth to people. And it must be done quickly.” She was baptized in Copenhagen.
The blessings of pioneer service have been shared by quite a few vacation pioneers, one of whom wrote us: “Our experience is that the more time one devotes to the ministry, the more intensive becomes one’s appreciation of Jehovah God and what he does through his faithful and discreet slave. One gets a deeper view of one’s own position as a Christian, and this affects all one’s conditions and circumstances, not the least being one’s family life. We were a happy theocratic family before, but this month as vacation pioneers made us see possibilites of still greater happiness coupled with our daily ministry. To go out together every day in the service aiding the ‘other sheep’ is indeed satisfying.”
We are, of course, also making special use of the graveyards for witnessing on “All Saints’ Day,” which in Sweden falls in the beginning of November. The following is one of many testimonies of the blessings connected with that service: “A man with a very sorrowful face turned out to mourn his two-year-old son who had fallen into a well just two weeks earlier. After I had given a brief witness he looked at me for a long while without a word and then stated in a voice of despair: ‘I want to know why things must be this way. If there is anyone who can give a reasonable answer, I want to hear it.’ We talked for about half an hour about the resurrection and the new world. He took the magazines and agreed that we should meet again at his own home. I called there after one week; he took ‘Let God Be True’ and a study was started, wherein his wife also took part. He has now subscribed for both the magazines. ‘They contain so many good things,’ he said.”
SWITZERLAND Population: 5,210,000
Peak Publishers: 3,125 Ratio: 1 to 1,017
The brothers in Switzerland have done good work during the past service year. It has been a steady, persistent work, the kind that is necessary in order to get this good news of the Kingdom preached in all the world for a witness. Not only do the overseers and the dedicated congregation publishers bring this good news to others, but even children are helping to make individuals think. As the Scriptures say, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings you have furnished praise.” (Matt. 21: 16) The experience that follows, which was sent in by the branch servant for Switzerland and Liechtenstein, shows that it is very good to teach a child the Bible at a tender age.
A married couple from Switzerland were on vacation in France with their five-and-a-half-year-old boy. One day the boy went for a walk with a little girl. On the way they stopped to watch a goat peacefully grazing in a meadow. At this moment a lady and gentleman came walking along and they stopped too to watch this scene. Addressing the little boy, they made one or two pleasing remarks about the goat. The boy answered: “The goat is one of Jehovah’s creatures too, but she can’t speak or pray to Jehovah. But I say my prayer each day to Jehovah!” As it was around Christmas time, the man replied to the boy, wishing to commend him: “Because you are a good boy, the child Jesus will bring you a nice toy for Christmas.” The boy answered: “Oh, we don’t believe that the little child Jesus brings us presents and we don’t celebrate Christmas; we are Jehovah’s witnesses.”
Astonished at receiving such an answer from a little boy, the gentleman asked where his parents lived, because he would like to see them and meet Jehovah’s witnesses. The boy showed him the house where they were staying. And, true enough, a few days later the lady and gentleman came to visit the parents of this little boy. They described how they had met and expressed their admiration for the attitude of this child. They asked for information about the work and beliefs of Jehovah’s witnesses. They were deeply interested in what they heard and started to attend the congregation book study straight away. Here they were impressed with the thoroughness with which Jehovah’s witnesses study the Bible and with the intelligent answers they heard. They realized that this must be the truth.
As a rule the clergy do not like to see Jehovah’s witnesses working in their communities. Articles against us in their church magazines are usually full of distorted statements and untruths. One clergyman made an exception when he recently published the following article in his church paper, admitting the poor spiritual condition of his flock and the awakening effect the activity of Jehovah’s witnesses may have on some.
“My dear Jehovah’s witnesses:
“I am really grateful to you, very grateful in fact, that you go so courageously from house to house in our community. Although you are not received everywhere, nevertheless you cause our people to remember once again perhaps—only perhaps—that:
“Besides bread and entertainment, besides joy and mourning, success and failure, besides the battle for existence and business, work and recreation, there are also such things as religion, faith, belief in Jesus Christ. The fact of your coming is a powerful sermon in itself! You will have noticed that our people look embarrassed or sour in response to your propaganda for Jesus Christ, or at the most, curious or slightly interested. Perhaps our people have even thought: How can a man in these modern times sacrifice his whole time for a belief? How can a man, in these days when minutes are money, work for such antiquities—enlist for things so long out-dated? Or perhaps you have received the answer: ‘Thank you, we don’t need anything, we have our church!’ But may I ask you, when the people give you this answer about having their church, then please ask them further: ‘But what do you really believe?’
“You see, that is why I am so grateful to you. Perhaps here and there you will succeed in waking our people up. But there, I will not be unjust, and I admit that I need this call to awaken myself just as much as they do. I admire your courage . . . All respect for such devoted activity; my compliments for your good will! I believe that we all have much to learn from it.”
LIECHTENSTEIN Population: 14,757
Peak Publishers: 6 Ratio: 1 to 2,460
Liechtenstein is a small country between Switzerland and Austria. It is strongly Catholic, which naturally affects freedom of worship, which, as far as Jehovah’s witnesses there are concerned, is very limited. Nevertheless, the Kingdom message is reaching the people, and perseverance in training leads to success. A lady from Liechtenstein who has been having a study for some time now decided to attend the convention in Hamburg, and there she was baptized. This sister has to contend with great opposition from her husband and from the whole village, but she endures it with fortitude. Several Bible studies are being held with people in Liechtenstein, and the seed of truth will surely bear fruit in due time.
TAIWAN Population: 10,500,000
Peak Publishers: 2,459 Ratio: 1 to 4,270
Despite the continuing unsettled conditions surrounding Taiwan, Jehovah’s witnesses in this land have had a very blessed, year of service. There have been unity and progress. The ministers here have especially made advances in their ability to teach. The Chinese population has shown itself to be rather slow in receiving the truth, this due mainly to the fear of relatives and the opinion of others. However, there is a penetrating of the truth into the minds of the Chinese population, much better than formerly. There are a number of experiences related by the branch servant, but there is one that recalls to mind how Saul came to a knowledge of the truth and began to preach about Jesus. The record on this in the Bible reads like this: “But all those hearing him gave way to astonishment and would say: ‘Is this not the man that ravaged those in Jerusalem who call upon this name, and that had come here for this very purpose, that he might lead them bound to the chief priests?’ But Saul kept on acquiring power all the more and was confounding the Jews that dwelt in Damascus as he proved logically that this is the Christ.” (Acts 9:21, 22) And here we have a similar experience 1,900 years later.
The patience and forbearance shown by Jehovah’s witnesses under persecution is in itself a very powerful witness. This is shown in the case of a man who, like Paul, was a persecutor of Christians, but who was converted to the true religion. During the Japanese occupation of Taiwan during World War II he served as a member of the Japanese secret police. While serving in this position, he severely persecuted the brothers. He arrested and imprisoned seventy-two of them at one time and stripped several of them naked and beat them with clubs to try to force them to renounce their faith in Jehovah. After continuously persecuting the brothers all during the war, he began to wonder just what it was that made them stand so steadfast for their beliefs. He became interested in their work and beliefs and as a result realized how terribly he had treated them. He wrote a letter to the circuit servant begging to be forgiven and asking what he must do to become one of Jehovah’s witnesses. After being taught the truth, he symbolized his dedication by baptism. However, because of his former conduct, many of the brothers were slow to accept him as a real brother. Eventually he moved to a part of the island where the work of Jehovah’s witnesses was unknown. There he preached to the local population, and in due course a small congregation was begun. Because of his happiness in receiving Jehovah’s mercy, this brother proved to be very zealous and eventually was able to get into the fulltime preaching service despite financial hardships. Now in the small community where he lives there are two congregations with a total of 150 publishers. He joyfully relates that when he conducts home Bible studies, persons from the entire neighborhood usually gather to listen. He says, “When I finish one study and go on to the next one, oftentimes the entire group will accompany me, because they want to hear more. Our Bible studies are more like public talks because of the large attendance.”
Here in the Orient, where persons are influenced to such a great extent by friends and relatives, it has been found to be especially effective to study with family groups. One publisher in calling from house to house contacted a lady leaving for work. Though busy, she expressed her desire to learn about the Bible. The publisher arranged to call the following Sunday morning to talk to both the lady and her husband, neither of whom claimed to be Christian. When the publisher returned, he met the husband, a college professor who did not believe in God. He had been in contact with many religions, but none of them had been able to erase the doubt in his mind. He dismissed the idea of studying the Bible with the words, “Please pay no attention to me; I do not want to interfere with your purpose. It will be better for you just to study with my wife alone.” However, the publisher encouraged him to sit in on the study anyway, promising to try to answer his questions. The study was begun in the Chinese Paradise book, and, to his amazement, the professor was able to find the answers to his most difficult questions regarding creation and the Creator in the very first chapter. His doubts began to disappear. Especially noticeable was the fact that he no longer used the phrase “if there is a God.” Amazed at the harmony of the Bible and true science on the creation account, he exclaimed, “God certainly showed great love for man in making such extensive preparations to provide him with such a wonderful paradise home.” He is now making splendid progress in learning about Jehovah’s purpose to restore paradise to obedient mankind.
THAILAND Population: 25,000,000
Peak Publishers: 369 Ratio: 1 to 67,751
In the Asiatic countries of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam a small group of Jehovah’s witnesses are pressing on, preaching the good news of God’s kingdom. Jehovah through his Word has pointed out how we will know who true Christians are, for he had these words recorded: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” (John 13:35) In these lands where there are so much difficulty and turmoil and many nationalities, Jehovah’s witnesses get along well together. They are at unity. They love one another. And because of this love for one another, which reaches across national boundaries, and because they are preaching, they certainly have proved that they are real disciples of Christ Jesus. Here are some very interesting experiences that the branch servant in Bangkok sent in.
What can result from extending personal help to all those that associate with the organization is shown by the following story. A young girl whose relatives were Jehovah’s witnesses had been interested in the Christian religion ever since childhood. She attended meetings of the local congregation, got baptized and went out to preach. But since no one helped her personally, she never gave a comment at the meetings and did not get good results in the field service. Then the book study conductor arranged a study with her in “This Good News of the Kingdom” and helped her prepare for the Watchtower study and the service. Soon she started to raise her hand at meetings, and before she finished studying the booklet she had applied for vacation pioneer service. She started to study with her older sister, who soon started to preach, changing her place of work in order to be able to attend the congregation meetings, and who six months later got baptized and vacation pioneered right after. The younger sister did not stop pioneering, and after some months as a regular pioneer she was invited to join the ranks of the special pioneers.
The outstanding event of the service year was the Kingdom Ministry School. There were two classes, one during June in Chiengmai for the congregation servants and special pioneers in the northern part of Thailand, and one in Bangkok for the rest of the country. Having in the Thai language only two bound books, some booklets and a monthly Watchtower, which, due to the peculiarity of the Thai writing, has only room for half the material that is found in a copy of the English Watchtower, there were many things our brothers did not know. The students of the first class wrote to the branch office: “When we think back to the time before we received this training, we all feel the same: it was like we were groping our way, often not sure how to act. But now we see clearly the way that Jehovah has prepared. We realize our responsibilities and privileges in guiding, shepherding and protecting the ‘sheep’ that have been entrusted to us and in using the knowledge and the practical counsel that we received at the Kingdom Ministry School to build up the abilities of our brothers in serving Jehovah.”
CAMBODIA Population: 5,000,000
Peak Publishers: 11 Ratio: 1 to 454,545
While there has not been a large increase in Cambodia during the past service year, nevertheless, our hearts have rejoiced to see our native brothers grow to maturity and hear two of them give their first public discourses.
Some of the “sheep” are being delivered here in Cambodia, where Buddha controls the hearts and minds of the Asiatics, as the following experience reflects. Doing magazine work among the business establishments one Saturday morning brought an unexpected occurrence. The two magazines were offered to a Vietnamese man in charge of a typing school. He immediately asked if he could have the subscription; he had read them before and realized their value. A Bible study was started and he truly seemed to be a searcher for the truth. Soon he began attending the Watchtower study regularly. He progressed to attending the other meetings and also to having a share in the Theocratic Ministry School. But learning was not enough, so the preaching work came next, and from the time he started he has been one of the most faithful ones at the Sunday morning meeting for field service. Previous to his interest in the Bible he had been called by some of his friends "The Living Buddha,” as each week he had gone to offer up prayers at the pagoda. This is an unusual practice for most Buddhists. After some time of study and after he had made a change in his life in harmony with the truth, he was given a new name by his friends, a better one —“The Faithful Witness”—and this because of his speaking about the true God, Jehovah. Truly, our routine work brings many unexpected joys.
LAOS Population: 3,000,000
Peak Publishers: 8 Ratio: 1 to 375,000
The war in December forced many persons of good will to leave the country. When the battle of Vientiane was over no publishers were left, and the work had to begin again from nothing. Even so, with Jehovah’s blessing in Laos three new ones have accepted their responsibility in serving Jehovah.
Although the work in Savannakhet in southern Laos was only started six months ago, there has been a very good response to the Kingdom message, and already several people are taking a serious interest in Jehovah’s Word, as the following experiences will show.
A Buddhist man had for some time wanted to meet some Christians, as he felt that they might possibly have a better hope to offer him than his own Buddhist religion. Like Cornelius of old, he had prayed to God to help him in his quest. Although he had never previously heard of Jehovah’s witnesses, it was not long until he met some of them, since they are the ones who go from house to house. He listened with great interest to their message, and it was arranged that he should call later at the missionary home for further discussions and a Bible study. From the first he wished to have a Bible, and after one was quickly obtained for him he felt that this must really be an answer to his prayers. After only a few Bible studies he realized the responsibility each person has to bear witness to Jehovah. He made rapid progress and quickly grasped the basic truths of Jehovah’s Word, and it was not long before he was witnessing to all his Buddhist friends.
VIETNAM Population: 14,000,000
Peak Publishers: 17 Ratio: 1 to 823,529
A missionary sister reports that a recent experience of hers showed her the importance of not getting discouraged and giving up when results do not seem to be forthcoming in the door-to-door work. The lady concerned was contacted under these circumstances. She showed interest and after a few return calls a study was started. The woman’s interest in the truth kept growing. Her husband began to show some opposition, however, and even though he did not practice any religion, he did not want his wife to get involved in any Bible discussions or study. About this time his father died, and the husband decided to go in for ancestor worship ritual in the hope of stopping his wife’s progress in her new-found study of the Bible; so an altar with the customary offerings went up in the home.
This, of course, imposed a religious test, but the woman not only refused to bow down and chant prayers, but also refused to eat the food offered on the altar, as she had already learned that the true God, Jehovah, demands exclusive devotion. After a period of a hundred days of mourning, all the family is supposed to go to worship at the local pagoda, and her husband insisted that this woman should go, otherwise she would be disowned by the family. She met this test by agreeing to go, but only as far as the pagoda door, not inside. Coming through these trials of faith successfully, this lady continues to attend most of the meetings, demonstrating a very lively interest, as well as talking to her acquaintances and distributing literature.
TRINIDAD Population: 794,824
Peak Publishers: 1,621 Ratio: 1 to 490
For those who fulfill their dedication vows it always means a busy year in Jehovah’s service. It means, too, rich blessings from Jehovah God and his protection and care. On the other hand, there are always some who get involved with “the anxiety of this system of things and the deceptive power of riches choke the word, and [they become] unfruitful.” (Matt. 13:22) When this happens it crowds out the joy of serving Jehovah God whole-souled, and it does not take long for one who has dedicated his life to Jehovah God to slip back into a state of irregularity and often away from the organization. This is the danger that everyone has to watch, because it eventually can lead to permanent inactivity in death unless the person awakens to the grand privilege of service that is his and seeks Jehovah. Here are a number of experiences from the territory in the Caribbean under the direction of the branch office in Trinidad. The reports are from Trinidad, Barbados, Bequia, Carriacou, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Tobago.
One high light of the year was the completion of two new Kingdom Halls in pursuance of the building program mentioned in the 1961 Yearbook. The larger of the two accommodated the Kingdom Ministry School during July and August and proved to be ideal for the purpose. This communal effort to build suitable meeting places has been splendidly supported by the brothers, as shown by the WI$14,052.19 contributed since the start two years ago. In addition, sites for future building have been acquired in two more places, and a third existing hall is being renovated and enlarged. This effort has inspired brothers in Bridgetown to plan to rebuild their hall, and sites have been acquired in Castries, St. Lucia; Kingstown, St. Vincent, and St. George’s, Grenada, for use as soon as sufficient funds become available.
Getting to Kingdom Halls regularly for meetings requires determined effort and appreciation for their spiritual value. What would be your attitude to meetings if you had to travel more than half a mile on foot through bush and mud after dark and alone? A sister found herself in this circumstance, and as she preached people asked her, “Are you not afraid to go to meetings alone?” Seizing the opportunity, she would invite them to accompany her for protection and companionship. After several years she recently expressed her greatest joy when eighteen persons on whom she makes back-calls and with whom she has Bible studies accompanied her to Memorial service. Of these, eight are now preaching with her, five are enrolled in the Theocratic Ministry School, one has been dedicated and baptized and one more contemplates a similar course.
BARBADOS Population: 232,085
Peak Publishers: 605 Ratio: 1 to 384
“This is the best yet!” “How encouraging, upbuilding and stimulating!” So expressed persons attending the United Worshipers District Assembly at the Garrison Drill Hall in Barbados. Observing the easy integration of all in attendance, the major in charge of the Drill Hall told the assembly servant that “the Witnesses were very friendly and that even those who were outsiders had caught the same spirit, as they also were friendly and smiling.” This was in marked contrast to the politicians. He continued, “The modulation that was used was a vast contrast. How the politicians shout!”
A parental responsibility often neglected is the training of the children to be effective ministers. Setting a proper example, one father assigned his nine-year-old boy to study with his seven-year-old brother. The father was happy to note the progress of both boys. Another boy fourteen years old placed two magazines with a middle-aged couple and after a few additional calls was able to start a study. Then the circuit servant went along to this study, which had grown to four by now, as the son of the couple and his young friend also sat in on the study. It was a fine study, and the couple expressed gratitude to the circuit servant for the wholesome influence on their son. Now the boys are attending meetings. During the visit of the circuit servant this young publisher was out in the field every day.
BEQUIA Population: 3,000
Peak Publishers: 11 Ratio: 1 to 273
Toward the close of the year a special-pioneer man-and-wife team were sent to this small island, and he reports: “We were told that literature placements here were always poor. For the first week conditions seemed to be just that, with many saying the priest does not allow us to entertain any preacher of another religion. This type of objection was soon overcome, and many who previously refused are now listening to us. One lady took as many as five books in one day; others are asking for studies. A young, common-law couple, after studying our literature for some time, are ready to legalize their marriage. Three good-will persons who studied the Society’s publications about nine years are publishing the good news now and have decided to get baptized at the next circuit assembly. The few publishers here formerly turned in one report a month, but I explained that a field service report should be turned in at every Watchtower study, which helped them to appreciate they should preach every day and to engage in all features of service.”
CARRIACOU Population: 6,766
Peak Publishers: 19 Ratio: 1 to 356
A sample invitation to attend Memorial was sent to each congregation and isolated group. Not having the funds to order these, the brothers sat down and copied it thirty-five times by hand. These were distributed to all persons of good will in the territory. The result? Thirty-five persons attended Memorial and many expressed appreciation for what they saw and heard.
As elsewhere, people are quick to blame God for bad weather. In late July a high wind did much damage to property in Carriacou as well as blowing down the staple corn crop of the inhabitants. As he passed along to his territory the pioneer overheard a woman telling a man: “It is God’s work! He caused the wind to blow it down that we might remember him.” Introducing himself, the pioneer pointed out, “If God caused the corn to be blown down and you go along putting it up again, would not that mean you are resisting him and fighting against him?” Such tactful reasoning opened the way for a further discussion, which has resulted in a home Bible study with the lady.
GRENADA Population: 82,034
Peak Publishers: 159 Ratio: 1 to 516
In April after many weeks of waiting and several letters and interviews the use of a school for a circuit assembly was denied. A Benefit Society was approached and permission to use its Lodge Hall was immediately given. In return, the brothers color-washed the interior to make it ready for the Christian gathering. Officers of the Lodge visited the assembly and were visibly impressed by the “new look” that their hall had taken on. The reaction of the public came after the assembly was over. “Your meetings are too short! Instead of coming for three days you should stay a week. You must hurry and come back again.” Such comments serve to encourage the brothers and prove that their labors of love are not in vain.
ST. LUCIA Population: 86,145
Peak Publishers: 79 Ratio: 1 to 1,090
Giving the work a much-needed fillip in St. Lucia has been the radio program “Things People Are Thinking About.” A new radio station granted the brothers’ application for free time as a public service feature, and once every three weeks they put on the taped program produced by the local brothers. Many expressions of appreciation have been received from the public. A nurse voiced enjoyment of the subject “The Bible Looks at Death.” An ex-policeman heard the first talk and told a brother, “That was a fine talk.” His interest was reawakened, as he was a former subscriber for Awake! Another man who was a scoffer admitted to a brother
that the talk “Parents and Children at the World’s End” was one of the best discussions he had ever heard. Finally, a Seventh-day Adventist who subscribes for Awake! told a missionary, “I would not miss one of those programs.” He went on to say he liked the two-way-conversation format of the program and wished more discussions like ours could be heard on the air.
ST. VINCENT Population: 77,005
Peak Publishers: 79 Ratio: 1 to 975
It is encouraging to observe the faith and determination of one sister in her seventy-fifth year who was baptized in 1918. In spite of objections from her family who feel she is too frail of health and strength, she is determined to serve until they fail. In the last three years she has served as a vacation pioneer on and off for twenty months! Invariably she has reached the quota of hours. This past year she spent from April to August inclusive serving as a vacation pioneer where the need is great in Kingstown. This fine example of devoted old age is an incentive to youth to serve their Creator while they still have their strength.
TOBAGO Population: 33,333
Peak Publishers: 52 Ratio: 1 to 641
This island depends upon agriculture and tourism as the basis of its economy. There is no middle class, as most of the inhabitants are very poor. Special pioneers have been assigned here for many years now and have been the mainstay of the work. They managed to stop the decrease of publishers during 1961, and the island is one of the two that showed any increase during the year.
It takes patience to train and bring on to maturity capable brothers to act as overseers. The special pioneers have been very patient in this, and now at least one or two brothers can take on the responsibility for the work. There is still a need for special pioneers to push out into isolated sections of the island. General pioneers would find this island an excellent place to develop their latent abilities, as the need is great here also.
TURKEY Population: 28,000,000
Peak Publishers: 440 Ratio: 1 to 63,636
The ordained ministers of God in Turkey have had good results during the past year. There has been a good ingathering of the “other sheep” despite the opposition and pressure that have been brought against them because of their preaching the good news of God’s kingdom. They have been preaching together in unity, teaching Jehovah’s Word under great difficulties and much persecution. But as this small group of ministers looks back over the past year of service they see that they have been greatly blessed by Jehovah, directing many people into the organization. So they recall to their minds: “He that sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and he that sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” (2 Cor. 9:6) It certainly appears that the few publishers have been sowing bountifully, and because of this they have had some very fine experiences in the field. Here is what the branch servant reports.
June 20, 1961, two brothers got arrested and were held in confinement for twenty-four hours. Two Moslems hypocritically claimed to be interested in the truth and after six months handed the brother who studied God’s Word with them over to the police. This brother and another one now face trial on the charge of possessing literature that is banned in Turkey, including the Holy Bible, the New World Translation.
One of the two spies, Vural Sozer, published a fourteen-article series under the heading “The Religious Fight in the 20th Century—6 Months Among Jehovah’s Witnesses” in the Yeni Sabah newspaper. He accuses Jehovah’s witnesses of aiming to destroy the Islam religion. He tried to incite the chauvinistic and fanatic religious feelings of the Moslems against Jehovah’s witnesses and called for governmental measures against them. As a result of this none of the brothers drew back or got shocked into fear, but Jehovah’s witnesses became better known in Turkey.
It is Important to be alert to all opportunities of witnessing. A special-pioneer sister went to the neighbor to make a phone call. The sister spoke in Armenian and the lady of the house thought it resembled German and said she and her husband, who is a professor at the university, had visited Germany recently. The sister told her that she also visited Germany, to attend a religious assembly. The lady remarked they had visited some religious meeting too and asked if she would be from the same people. When the sister explained that she is a witness of Jehovah, the lady invited her to speak to her husband too. When the sister visited this family one night they discussed the name Jehovah. The husband understood that this was quite different from what he had heard before. Said he: “Let us meet often to speak about these points. I understand there are many things I will learn.” Being a Moslem, he knows the Koran well, but at the fourth call he said: “Why does the Koran not make known that God is a God of love? I understand that more important knowledge is contained in the Bible.” Then he added: “If I had died without knowing and hearing the truth, it would have been very bitter for me. Thank God that he gave us you as our neighbor. We will take advantage of it. Now let us start the lesson twice a week and later we will increase it.”
EGYPT, U.A.R. Population: 26,080,000
Peak Publishers: 458 Ratio: 1 to 56,943
Despite the ban on the work in Egypt and the brothers’ meeting underground, the New World society in Egypt is in very good spiritual health. It has been a most faith-testing year for all of Jehovah’s witnesses there, but the brothers have taken to heart Paul’s words: “For all things I have the strength by virtue of him who imparts power to me.” (Phil. 4:13) So in spite of the fact that the Ministry of Social Affairs rejected Jehovah’s witnesses’ application for the registry of the Society early this service year, the brothers are continuing in unity just like a flock in the pen and courageously talk the good news of the Kingdom to every person they possibly can. They have shown the way of salvation to many. Even though some brothers were arrested and threatened with imprisonment, they continued to press on, preaching and not forsaking the assembling of themselves together. Seventeen brothers and sisters from Egypt were able to attend the United Worshipers Assemblies in Europe, and they have carried back with them the spirit of these assemblies. Here are some experiences from the brothers in Egypt.
A Gilead graduate had another joyful experience while attending the London assembly this summer. Having the address of an Egyptian now residing in London for the past eight years and with whom he had very little communication, he decided to pay him a visit during convention time. By the way, this Egyptian was helped to learn the truth, and got baptized, ten years ago by the same Gilead graduate. Meanwhile this Egyptian got married to a British girl, and they now have some children. Our brother found that he had been inactive for some years and, although he had informed his wife about his being one of Jehovah’s witnesses, he did not speak much to her about the truth, as she explained to our brother, who preached to her very thoroughly. As a result, this good-will woman attended the public talk as well as the final talk of the assembly. She was very glad and accepted eagerly all the new publications and many magazines offered her. To the astonishment of her husband, she agreed to study with the congregation servant and his wife. After a couple of days she said to her husband with strong feeling: “I think I am converted; I feel this is the truth.” On hearing this her husband became enthusiastic, and they discussed the truth together for more than three hours. Both of them promised the Gilead graduate before he left that they would study regularly and go to the meetings.
Perseverance and tactfulness in our home Bible studies help sincere persons to take a stand for the theocracy. A young special-pioneer sister started a study with an interested married man. His wife, although present in these sessions, was only contradicting the sister and was reporting the discussion to her brother, who happened to be an instructor of religion in the Coptic Orthodox Sunday schools. She invited him to have a discussion with the sister. These discussions were repeated four times and always had the same subject, namely, the trinity. When the instructor became angry and insulted the special pioneer, his sister started to get uncomfortable because of the attitude of her brother, as he never used any Scriptural evidence to uphold his sayings. Finally, she told him to stop his discussions because she understood who has the truth. She started studying with the sister in “This Good News of the Kingdom” and then in another publication of the Society. Not long after that she started preaching to all her neighbors and relatives. Due to the fact that she is living in a small town near Cairo and all the inhabitants know one another, her neighbors got angry with her because she became one of Jehovah’s witnesses. Their hatred, though, did not make her afraid but rather helped her zeal to increase. Not only did she try to help her neighbors to learn the truth but she started encouraging her lukewarm husband to progress in the truth.
URUGUAY Population: 2,500,000
Peak Publishers: 1,570 Ratio: 1 to 1,592
The spiritual prosperity of the New World society in Uruguay is a source of joy to all of Jehovah’s people there. The preaching work in this country has been going at full speed during the 1961 service year, and, in addition to the ministry, the brothers there have completed the new branch office building and missionary home, which also has as part of its structure a very fine Kingdom Hall. Along with God’s people everywhere the brothers say, “Instruct me, O Jehovah, about your way. I shall walk in your truth. Unify my heart to fear your name.” (Ps. 86:11) Here are some of the experiences of the brothers.
It used to be that in Uruguay many more women than men accepted the truth, mostly because of the indifference caused by atheism in the masculine mind and the love for sports that consumed any free time that a man might otherwise have to read God’s Word. This does not continue to hold true today. Jehovah is now taking many men out of the nation of Uruguay, as he has promised to do in all nations. Many of these used to be devoted to sports, but now they seem to be more zealous than the women. One motorcycle racer’s wife studied the truth for some years without giving it much importance, until one day when her husband accepted an invitation to a public talk and continued attending other meetings afterward. This enthusiasm affected his three daughters who had been studying in Catholic schools so that they also dedicated themselves, and two of them were baptized shortly after their parents. The whole family are now very active publishers. This man, who used to win motorcycle races in Uruguay, has now entered in the Christian race, seeking the prize of eternal life.
Cold, antarctic winds in the Southern Hemisphere during the winter months of July and August make out-of-door preaching uncomfortable at times, but two missionaries in Montevideo overcame this possible hindrance and increased their magazine placements. On the days that the icy winds blew on the outside they preached on the inside, visiting the business offices with the latest copies of The Watchtower and Awake! Many of the doctors, lawyers, brokers, architects, and so forth, had not been contacted by the local congregation, most of whom worked on Sundays when the offices were closed, so it resulted that together the two placed over three hundred magazines and were able to have some very fine conversations with men who had few contacts with the Witnesses before.
One prudent sister is making it easier for her husband to come to an accurate knowledge of God’s Word by using a method that she had tried with success on her sister-in-law who had not shown much interest in God’s new world. She called her over from next door to have her aid the small daughter in learning to read, and she saw to it that the textbooks used were Watch Tower publications. As the sister-in-law listened to the girl pronounce Bible truths in the reading exercise, she became aware of the truth and began to attend Kingdom Hall meetings on her own, to the pleasant surprise of the sister and daughter, and now she is a dedicated publisher. Her husband is now coming to appreciate the Word of God through the same system of listening and helping the daughter to read.
FALKLAND ISLANDS Population: 2,100
Peak Publishers: 4 Ratio: 1 to 525
Jehovah’s spirit is not limited by any means, and neither is it sent partially. It matters not if one lives in a country of many Witnesses or on an island of few Witnesses; all those who love him, serve and obey him receive a portion of it. One such place is the Falkland Islands.
During the national assembly in Uruguay last December four of the native Falkland Islanders had an opportunity to attend a special program arranged in English in this Spanish-speaking country so that the brothers could receive all the beneficial information in their native tongue. For one sister who first learned of the truth in 1930 in the Falkland Islands it was the first assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses that she had ever attended. What an experience to be at an assembly of more than 2,000! Although she could not converse, she certainly enjoyed the spirit, love and power of the assembly, returning to the Falkland Islands with a greater appreciation of the truth and Jehovah’s organization.
VENEZUELA Population: 7,000,000
Peak Publishers: 2,569 Ratio: 1 to 2,725
Paul recommended to his fellow worker Timothy: “Keep your senses in all things, suffer evil, do the work of an evangelizer, fully accomplish your ministry.” (2 Tim. 4:5) To accomplish their ministry in a thorough manner the brothers in Venezuela had to continue to spread the message of the good news to the people of good will throughout all the land. Because of doing this they had a very excellent increase, and 318 individuals dedicated their lives to the service of Jehovah God and symbolized that dedication by water baptism. Here are a few experiences of the brothers sharing in the work in Venezuela.
An experience comes from the congregation of L——. “Having studies with a young mother of three children for almost four years, I finally decided to stop the study as it seemed there was no progress on her part. The last week I called she was not home, and as I understood she had obtained employment in Caracas, I felt I had good reason for stopping the study. Almost a year went by; then one day I received her Watchtower expiration slip. My first thought was, ‘Oh, there is no interest there.’ Nevertheless, I arranged to go see her. To my surprise she welcomed me, readily subscribed for the magazine and asked me to bring her all the latest books and, with real interest, expressed her desire to study again. She admitted that she had allowed her unbelieving husband and other things to retard her progress, but now she really wanted to study and attend meetings, participate in the service and progress. The study was started again. She is now attending meetings with her three children and has participated twice in the service. Sometimes one must show great patience to accomplish the ministry.”
In C--- there was an excellent attendance for the
Memorial as a result of diligent work. Special emphasis was given to the necessity of visiting the people of good will twice: first, a few days before, to encourage them to attend and to make definite arrangements; second, two hours before the meeting to bring them to the hall. An hour before the talk there were more than a hundred people present. Several publishers made two or more trips to help bring the people of good will. The result was an attendance of 331 persons in a congregation of sixty publishers.
In C----this interesting experience took place: “One
morning in magazine work a young pioneer sister and I went to the last door of an apartment building together. I finished my presentation and the lady said she would like to read the magazines, but first she asked us to come in because she had some very important questions to ask. She told us she had been blessed with a special power to communicate with the dead and foretell many things in the lives of her family and friends, even having the ‘voices’ of dead relatives speak through her. There was, however, some doubt in her mind about the voices, as sometimes it seemed that two or three would try to talk at the same time and contradict one another. At times they would ask for cigarettes and rum, which would always disappear. Her husband and child were very nervous, and her happy marriage was being broken up. Her husband disliked the sessions and, in fact, when he was present, she had no power of communication. This made the spirits very angry and they told her to divorce him. This especially was what had made her want to know by what power she did those things.
“I silently asked Jehovah’s help and for his spirit to be with us as we went to his Word for information that would open those blind eyes to see the truth concerning spiritism. We did not hesitate to tell her the truth frankly and clearly about the origin of her power and how it was condemned in the Bible. She marveled at each text. At the second visit the booklet What Do the Scriptures Say About ‘Survival After Death’? was placed, and on the third visit she was thrilled with what she had learned and a study was arranged. After only a few weeks she was a changed person and had no further contact with the demons. They told her sister that she was ‘lost.’ Gradually the freedom she has gained has brought blessings to the entire family. Her brother, who was practicing the same belief, is now baptized. She and her mother will be soon. Her young boy receives his study from another his age and in his innocence asked when his father was going to study the Bible. To their amazement he agreed he should and now he does study twice weekly. The truth has brought happiness and harmony to this family.”
PLACES WHERE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES WORK UNDER GREAT DIFFICULTIES TEN OTHER COUNTRIES
Peak Publishers: 120,039 Population: 337,872,000
Ratio: 1 to 2,815
There are a number of countries today where the governments are very much opposed to Jehovah’s witnesses because they are preaching the good news of God’s kingdom. This is especially true of the communistic countries behind the Iron Curtain. These governments want to break up the organization of Jehovah’s witnesses and destroy it so that no more preaching work will be done by these ministers of God. Persecution also comes upon Jehovah’s witnesses in other places, such as Spain, where the government appears to be making an all-out effort to stop them.
Wherever there is totalitarian rule the harassment is great, and it is an easy matter for government officials to arrest Jehovah’s witnesses and throw them into prisons or put them in concentration camps. There is very little justice shown to anyone in these countries; when they do not worship the state and herald the state as their savior, then those people suffer. They are ridiculed publicly. Their work is banned. Their homes and assembly places are invaded and their literature is seized and even their Bibles are burned. Such governments have no respect for God’s Word.
Of course, Jehovah’s witnesses have only one hope and that is God’s kingdom. They believe with all their hearts the prayer that they have prayed, namely: “Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.” (Matt. 6:10) Uncompromisingly they declare God’s universal sovereignty and proclaim the kingdom of his reigning Son, Jesus Christ, even within the domain of the “king of the north,” the communistic ruling power, and because of this Jehovah’s witnesses suffer.
During the past year the terrific pressures that have been brought to bear against Jehovah’s witnesses in these lands under totalitarian rule have had a telling effect. There have been definite losses sustained. A number of the Witnesses have been killed, some have been led astray due to severe attacks by the police authorities and still others have been thrown into prisons. It takes real courage to stand against the totalitarian rulers and their police forces, but the majority of Jehovah’s witnesses show this courage, and many people of good will have joined with them in declaring man’s only hope, God’s kingdom. As the report shows, in the year 1960 there were 123,566 of Jehovah’s witnesses in countries where they worked under great difficulties, but in 1961 their number has fallen to 114,161, a loss of 9,405 publishers preaching the good news of the Kingdom. Even some congregations have been wiped out; so today in these ten countries there are 138 fewer congregations than there were a year ago. Because of being forced farther underground and because of greater harassment during the 1961 service year Jehovah’s witnesses in totalitarian lands have put in 1,035,318 fewer hours of preaching the good news of the Kingdom. However, in spite of this a wonderful witness was given, because in all of this territory 7,401,148 hours were spent preaching the good news and many of the people were comforted. When one realizes that these brothers cannot go from house to house as in other lands and that anyone you talk to may be a spy for the state one realizes how careful a person must be in his movements. Opportunities to speak about God’s kingdom do not often arise. Maybe once or twice a month a person is found who will really listen, one that the Witness may feel fairly confident is genuinely interested in the Kingdom message and not a spy. It takes courage to search out such individuals and more courage to speak the truth from God’s Word to these strangers.
Because of the intense pressure brought against Jehovah’s witnesses in these ten countries the dedicated servants of God could not make as many back-calls or carry on as many Bible studies as they did during the previous year. Back-calls on interested people decreased by 231,748. This may be due in part to the fact that pressure is brought to bear against those who are studying the Bible, and they were forced to quit studying the Bible for fear of their own lives. Of course, when one stops making back-calls, then the Bible studies that are conducted each week are affected. The Bible studies decreased by 4,869.
This does not mean that the work is closing down; not by any means, because there are still 53,314 Bible studies being conducted in all of these ten countries by Jehovah’s witnesses. And to show that grand progress was made, there were 4,715 individuals who made a dedication to do God’s will and were baptized. What courage!
There is another thing to take into consideration: The reports from these ten countries behind the Iron Curtain and elsewhere are incomplete, and it may be that the loss appearing on paper is not really a loss, but the opposite may be true. If all the reports of work done could be gathered and totaled, then what would the witness reported have been? These witnesses of God in totalitarian lands are not going to be discouraged by this report, neither will their fellow workers in different parts of the world be discouraged, but it will make them more courageous than ever, pressing ahead and fighting against the Devil’s organization, which is trying to snuff out every bit of light that shines in the world in these last days. Jehovah has decreed that the light will shine right up to and through the battle of Armageddon into his new world of righteousness.
ALBANIA
The brothers in Albania have carried on during the year with their Christian worship. A number of people have been helped in their study of the Bible, but they have met up with many obstacles and difficulties. It is very evident that Jehovah’s witnesses in Albania have not forgotten their Scriptural obligation to meet together, especially in these difficult days. They are studying the Scriptures and the literature they have, keeping themselves spiritually strong. Our brothers representing Jehovah in that part of the world are letting their light shine. They are maintaining their Christian worship in unity with their brothers all over the world, and we pray that Jehovah will bless them richly and give them courage to continue with their difficult task, that they may continue to walk in integrity.
BULGARIA
There has been no real freedom in Bulgaria since that country came under communistic rule in 1944. At least there is no freedom for the preaching of the good news of God’s kingdom. The Witnesses who are in Bulgaria are not silent, but they are careful. To help another individual to know the truth of God’s Word takes much time and patience, but with patience the truth has been spread, and it is growing in the land.
Bibles in Bulgaria are very scarce and tremendously expensive. On the other hand, the income of the workers is so low that it means a real sacrifice on the part of an individual to get a Bible and so be able to study the Word of God. Whole families may have only one Bible, or not even that, and often they have to borrow one in order to see what is in it. Sometimes Bibles are taken apart, and each person gets a portion of the Scriptures so that he may read it and then in this way circulate the good news that is in the Bible itself. So one can very easily see the difficulties in Bulgaria for one who just wants to read or study the Bible and find out what God’s Word says concerning the present conditions in the world. If the Greek Orthodox Church had done its work properly years ago, before the coming of the Communists and their take-over, the country would be supplied with Bibles. But the Word of God today has become very precious to those who want it. It takes courage to be a Christian in Bulgaria.
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
Jehovah’s witnesses in Czechoslovakia were able to carry out their God-given commission to preach and teach the good news of the Kingdom without too much molestation this year. Of course, the brothers appreciated this. They very calmly and peacefully instructed many persons of good will, and the result was that quite a few people got baptized. Weekly the brothers gathered together and studied and took into their minds and hearts the spiritual food from God’s Word and discussed service matters. All of this they did in small groups. In addition to keeping themselves united in their worship they seized every opportunity to preach the good news of the Kingdom by incidental witnessing, by making back-calls on those showing interest and by studying the Bible with those desiring to know the truth.
A woman received a witness from her friend and started to participate in a home Bible study with her. The book studied was “Let God Be True.” This woman, being a Catholic, started to notice more and more the big difference between the Bible and the teachings of the Catholic Church, and this fact worried her, so she decided to see the Catholic priest to get an answer from him. And she received the answer! When she asked the priest to clarify certain Biblical questions, he replied, to the big surprise of this woman: “Dear lady, I am not in a position to give you a thorough answer to these Biblical questions. In fact, we, the church, are really responsible that the people know so little about the Bible, and I know that we shall have to suffer God’s punishment for this. But if you want to know more about the truth of the Bible, there are people living in our town who will be able to tell you a lot about your questions and these [Jehovah’s witnesses] you should go to see.”
From this answer of the priest this lady learned that she was on the right way when being taught by Jehovah’s witnesses. She now participates freely in the home Bible study and rejoices to learn so many good things from the Bible.
The next experience shows that Jehovah’s witnesses really engage in a teaching work and that also deaf-mutes are not overlooked.
A woman, being herself the child of deaf-mute parents, heard about the truth, got interested, made quick progress and was baptized. She was normal although being the child of deaf-mutes, but she mastered their sign language, and so decided to preach especially to deaf-mutes. She started to “speak” to two deaf-mute families in her town. These two families, in turn, did not keep the truth to themselves, but visited acquaintances in remote places who are also deaf-mutes, and as time went by a study group of about twenty persons was formed, all of them deaf-mutes. A sister did the teaching, and the sister who knows this sign language translated for them. Later on a brother took the study-over and he also had someone translate.
ERITREA
The former Italian colony of Eritrea in northeast Africa, now federated with Ethiopia, is another territory where the good news is being preached in “troublesome season.”
Again some of the Witnesses have been jailed for the sake of the good news, and the authorities have tried to disrupt the meetings for Bible study and stop the preaching of the good news, but this they have not been able to do. In addition to this some have had a problem of breaking completely free from their old-world ties and keeping a neutral position with regard to political and military affairs in order to be found working whole-souled in Kingdom interests with Jehovah’s approval.
For a while the wave of persecution that broke over the little group of faithful ministers was so strong that meetings had to be discontinued, but now the brothers again find it possible to get together to enjoy the strengthening spiritual food that is so much needed in times of trouble.
ETHIOPIA
While the work in Ethiopia has decreased somewhat during the year, there is basis for encouragement for the future. The Witnesses are putting up a hard fight for their faith despite constant surveillance and governmental opposition. Efforts have been made through special visits and by careful instruction of those in positions of servantship to bring the brothers on to maturity as they keep on taking in accurate knowledge of God’s Word. In fact, the brothers have even been able to enjoy to a limited extent the benefits of the Kingdom Ministry School through special periods of instruction.
The continued activity of the Witnesses in Ethiopia despite much hardship and opposition verifies the words of Proverbs 21:30: “There is no wisdom, nor any discernment, nor any counsel in opposition to Jehovah.” It is our hope that the ruling element of the country may yet lift their restrictions on this little band of Christians and let them enjoy freedom of worship in reality, thus showing true wisdom.
EAST GERMANY
Under most trying circumstances Jehovah’s witnesses have continued to move forward, preaching the news of Jehovah’s established kingdom through Christ Jesus as the only hope for peace. They are confident that neither things present nor things to come will be able to separate them from their service of love to God and to neighbor.
An employee of a large business concern in East Germany, a young lady, took a walk one evening after work and sat down on a bench upon which a publisher and her child were already seated. Admiring the works of nature, she commented to them, “Ah! it is lovely here.” “But how much lovelier it will be when the entire earth has become a paradise,” was the reply. A thorough testimony concerning God’s new world followed. At work the next day the lady related her experience to a woman who held a responsible position there. It so happened that this person was the daughter of a sister in the truth, who had recently followed the Society’s counsel to start home Bible studies with relatives and who had begun one with her. The young lady exclaimed, “I could hardly sleep last night. Those things are difficult to believe.” “Why?” was the answer. “If God makes such statements in his Word, then he will fulfill them.” “Do you believe that, too?” came the query. The daughter was overjoyed at now being able to talk about her newly found hope for the first time. She invited the young lady to visit her and learn more about it.
Not only the words that Jehovah’s servants speak but also their personal acts of conduct are instrumental in directing the interest of the people to the way of life. In one new business firm an employee was approached by the head of the supply department with the remark, “You certainly are a peculiar person. You are completely different than the rest.” “How do you mean that?” the brother asked. “Well, when you borrow something, you return it. And if something gets broken, you tell me about it and do not throw it into some box, as all the others do.” That was a good opening for the brother, and he proceeded to give a short but effective witness. The same evening the man told his wife about what he had heard. They invited the brother to visit them, which he did. The result: a new Bible study!
The clergy of Christendom continue to play their role well as modern scribes and Pharisees trying to restrain the people from learning the truth. A sister from one of the units in West Berlin had an interesting experience in this regard while presenting the special issue of Awake! on the Catholic Church at a back-call. The young lady told her that her priest and a nun had visited her and had sighted two copies of The Watchtower lying on a table in her living room. The priest explained that it was one of the worst conceivable sins to read literature of Jehovah’s witnesses. He told her to come to confessional as soon as possible. The next week she actually went and was immediately greeted with a tirade of accusations against Jehovah’s witnesses and forbidden to read their literature again. She replied that she did not see why. The lady had told her about a wonderful paradisaic earth. The priest retorted that such a thing was just a Utopia, pure fantasy. Her answer was, “But I read it myself in the Bible.” The priest then argued that it was not meant so literally. She asked him what hope he had to offer. He did some general philosophizing and concluded, “Well, then we lie in the grave. Our soul goes to heaven, but we do not get anything out of that, for we are dead then.” With that the young lady had heard enough. She told the publisher that she was not going to go to church again, but in case the priest should drop in on her she would have her special issue of Awake! ready to give to him. Immediately a home Bible study was started.
At the end of the service year there were still 265 publishers who had been put in East German prisons on account of their faithful stand for the truth; 46 were arrested during the past twelve months. They are serving terms averaging more than five years a person. Reports received show that even there they do not let up in doing right works but help their fellow prisoners to gain spiritual freedom during their physical incarceration.
May Jehovah continue to give his servants the strength necessary to keep their grip on His love. May their love to him and to their fellow Christians conquer all savage attacks of Satan, of this world and of the sinful flesh, to Jehovah’s everlasting praise and to their deliverance into the blessed new world of righteousness.—Rom. 8:38, 39.
HUNGARY
“We must enter into the kingdom of God through many tribulations.” (Acts 14:22) Such tribulations were also experienced by our Hungarian brothers during the past service year. The opposition, the persecution, is not always the same. It rather comes at intervals, like the waves of the sea. Such a wave of persecution swept over the work in Hungary during the past months.
Many houses and apartments were searched. A number of brothers were summoned by the police in order to be questioned. Others were arrested for several days and then released again. Still others were arrested for several weeks or months. The charge against them was that of being engaged in antistate activity. The authorities wanted to know who are serving as circuit servants in the country, who are bringing the Watch Tower publications into the country, who did the reproducing of these publications and many other things. The police used every possible means to bring out the answers. They menaced the brothers, resorted to persuasion and also to flattery, in other words, to the methods of brainwashing. It may be added, however, that no questionings took place during the night and that no brothers were beaten, as has been the case in former years.
The following experience shows how even children can take a part in this grand witness work, doing it in their childlike way. A married couple who are interested in the truth have two children. One of them, a girl of five years, goes to the kindergarten. One day the girl frankly stated in the kindergarten: “My parents also go to the meetings and study the Bible and sing.” Somewhat surprised, the mistress asked the child: “Are you going there too? And if so, did you learn something?” The girl replied: “Yes, I am going there too and I learned a song.” The mistress: “Would you be so kind and sing that song to us?” “Oh, yes,” replied the girl, and in her clear childish treble she started to sing song No. 53: “Oh, seek the Lord, all you meek ones and lowly . . . Flee to the Kingdom, God’s way of escape ...” The mistress took paper and pencil as the girl started to sing and wrote down the words. In the evening, when the mother came to fetch her child, the mistress spoke to the mother, showing her the words she had taken down and said: “See what your daughter sings; you had better teach her patriotic poems than such songs.” This gave the mother an opening to speak about the Bible and the Kingdom. The next time the mother brought the child, the mistress showed interest in the truth. The report says that in this village the congregation is growing and that especially young people are leaving the church and await an opportunity to be baptized.
POLAND
The opposers of God’s kingdom in Poland manifest a big appetite and want to swallow up all those who do not submit to their rule. This communistic government is very much interested in the liquidation of Jehovah’s witnesses in Poland. There is a continual attack against God’s people in this land, and it appears that the aim of the government is to annihilate the work and silence the voice of the true worshipers of Jehovah. Despite this effort, those who are wholly dedicated to Jehovah God are pressing on in preaching the good news and have many very interesting experiences.
The call to work the assigned and the unassigned territories was energetically responded to by the publishers. As to unassigned territory, buses and trucks were rented in order to cover as much territory as possible. The authorities generally learned of these excursions only after the territory had been covered. Many sincere householders in these territories heartily welcomed the publishers and invited them in to their meals. Bible studies were started in many places.
Some publishers rented several tents for a month and had a group of publishers live in them vacationing and at the same time work in the field service. Mature brothers took the oversight. When a territory was covered, they moved on to the next one. Thanks to this well-contrived idea, even “Never, Never” territories could be worked by the publishers. They had many interesting experiences with people of good will who did not even know that there were other religions besides the Catholic religion.
Two elderly brothers were out in an unassigned territory for the first time, in order to work in it for eight days. They got their meals, and every night they found a place to sleep, in schools, with the village magistrate, yes, even with opposers to the truth, and they had the opportunity to talk about the Kingdom until late at night. They covered eleven villages and did not leave out a single house. They worked for eight hours every day, walking about twenty miles on foot. When they returned they were filled with much joy and enthusiasm. Many back-call addresses were obtained.
A publisher was out in the field accompanied by an interested person, an elderly Catholic lady. By mistake they happened to enter the Catholic parish. The priest recognized her as a Witness, locked the door at once and called two more priests into the room. While the sister gave her witness, referring to the Bible in its course, one of the priests approached her and with his foot kicked the Bible out of her hand so that it landed in a corner of the office. The sister then quietly turned to the interested lady, saying: “Here you can see for yourself how the priests treat God’s Word.” The woman was thoroughly disgusted with their conduct and did not want to have any further connections with them. When the priests realized their defeat, they phoned the police telling them to arrest the publisher whom they had locked up in their parish. But the police officer refused to come, telling the priests either to listen to the publisher if they wanted to or else let her go. This experience, of course, was most encouraging to the interested lady.
More than 150 persons were on trial for their faithfulness and integrity toward their Creator during the first ten months of the year. Over a hundred publishers are still awaiting their trial, more than half of them under arrest. Generally, their “crime” has been that they possessed some Bible literature or attended Christian meetings.
In the course of a trial the prosecuting attorney made this statement: “Jehovah’s witnesses undermine the present social order. They do not go to the polls, refuse to salute the flag and do not serve in the army. Jehovah’s witnesses upset the present order just as much as the first Christians did. The Roman emperor could not suffer it and so Jehovah’s witnesses today cannot be tolerated either.”
How true are the words of the psalmist: “The angel of Jehovah is camping all around those fearing him, and he rescues them.” We stand in awe before our eternal God, because he has taught, fed, protected and defended us, so that we can co-operate in unity with his tested instrument, the “faithful and discreet slave,” whose counsel and instructions have been a lamp for us and a weapon against any sidetracking from the divine principles.
ROMANIA
Romania is one of the countries behind the Iron Curtain, and this means that there is no freedom of religion for the unpopular minority of Jehovah’s witnesses. They are denied the right to assemble, the right to preach and the right to publish literature. But does this mean that Jehovah’s witnesses in Romania are sitting back in their armchairs, awaiting better days to come? Not at all. They follow the example of the early Christians who were forbidden to preach. Their bold answer is: “We must obey God as ruler rather than men.” (Acts 5:29) That is the answer Jehovah’s witnesses give to the authorities behind the Iron Curtain also.
In the past service year the work in Romania made progress. A good number of people of good will were baptized; this had to be done at night. In one instance a family of five persons was baptized at the same time. All the preaching has to be done secretly and with great caution, because the agents of the secret police are on the lookout for Jehovah’s witnesses. Due to persecution the difficulties have increased. More than two hundred of the most qualified brothers are in prison. Some equipment to reproduce the publications was seized by the police. These blows do not remain without effect on the work at the moment. But it is evident that they could not hold up the onward march of our brothers in Romania. They stick together, they come together for the purpose of study, and spread the message of the new world to come by word of mouth. Although they have very little in the way of publications as compared with the brothers in Western countries, the work goes on. They still have the most important helps: the Bible, a knowledge of the truth and Jehovah’s powerful spirit.
UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS
A number of communications have reached the Society giving evidence of the fact that our brothers in Russia are faithful and that they have kept up the good work of fearlessly preaching the kingdom of God.
Though scattered from one end of Russia to the other, Jehovah’s witnesses have been teaching the “sheep” in this vast territory the truth of God’s Word. It has been a year of hot persecution for many because the communistic government in the Union of Soviet Socialistic Republics has set its mind on crushing those who worship Jehovah God. But Jehovah is mightier, and by the marvelous power of his holy spirit he has upheld his servants despite the overwhelming pressure of the enemy.
Testifying to the fearless activity of the publishers, the Estonian weekly, Free Estonian World, of June 29, 1961, carried an item mentioning that Jehovah’s witnesses are a banned religious organization in the Soviet Union and also Estonia, which is occupied by the Soviet Union, but that it has not been possible to stop their work. They are reported to have had nationwide assemblies, which the Communist security police learned of only afterward. One of those assemblies, which was attended by over a hundred of them, was held in an old farmhouse five miles from the P---train station
in Estonia.
The great zeal of the publishers has unintentionally been admitted by their opposers. The Russian newspaper Novoye Russkoye Slovo, published in New York city, December 12, 1960, gave a report on the November session of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Republic (RSFSR), in which a top-ranking party functionary of the Communist youth organization had much to say about the danger of the “religious underground.” Among other things, he stated: “Of late it was clearly seen that religion and its servants take an active lead in spreading the bourgeois ideology. In this matter it is necessary to separate the various kinds of sects; first of all of them, the Jehovists, who consider themselves a people without a country.”
Fiendish means have been employed to break the integrity of Jehovah’s servants. Publishers are brought before so-called fellow-workers courts, made up of factory or farm workers, managers and party functionaries. They are threatened with the loss of their jobs, allotments, homes, pensions, and so forth, if they do not publicly denounce the organization and withdraw. A brother who courageously defended his stand was recently sent to a forced-labor camp.
There are such camps in which whole groups of publishers are kept imprisoned because of their faithful stand for God’s kingdom. They are treated harshly by the authorities, even worse than if they were criminals.
They are made to work hard and are given poor food. They are not permitted to write nor to receive mail or parcels. Some of them already served a long time in Hitler’s concentration camps because of the truth, several years in prison under Stalin, and now they have again been incarcerated in filthy prisons.
A sister was brought before a community court in order to make her break with the organization. A crowd of women attended. As soon as the presiding functionary finished his threats against her, all the women started to shout out: “Those enemies of the people should be driven into the sea!” The sister firmly but quietly replied, “I am dedicated to serve the God who rules the universe, and I will never desert him under any conditions. If you want to, you can starve me to death, but I will not abandon my faith, nor will I make any compromise in the matter of faith.” She was permitted to leave and no further action was taken against her.
Again a mighty witness has been given by the faithful endurance and perseverance of our brothers in Russia in good works during the past year. Even the Communists have contributed in their way in making known the name of Jehovah in their own domain by means of their furious propaganda campaign against God’s servants.
YUGOSLAVIA
The preaching of the good news of God’s kingdom has advanced wonderfully during the past twelve months in Yugoslavia. Those who are dedicated to Jehovah God make it their business to talk as often as they can to others, and this faith of theirs is rewarded. While Yugoslavia grants full religious freedom, there are obstacles in the way of preaching the good news. This is especially true in making back-calls and carrying on Bible studies. Many efforts are put forth to stop such activity. A number of publishers have been prosecuted and condemned on account of their back-call work. They are charged with having what are called “unreported meetings,” although these are just visits of one or two people and are certainly not meetings in the sense that everyone is invited. But the Witnesses call on their friends and discuss the Bible with them. In spite of these difficulties there are people who take their stand for the Kingdom and come to the regular meeting places, the Kingdom Halls of Jehovah’s witnesses.
Literal blindness is no obstacle to seeing the light of truth, and the following case shows how such handicapped persons can become very useful members of the New World society: A young man, a disabled soldier who had lost his sight, came to a knowledge of the truth and was baptized. Since he could not read, he could only take in knowledge by hearing, and so he was present at all meetings. But he was eager to learn more, and so a tape recorder was provided. Many discourses and Bible discussions were recorded on tape, so this blind brother would spend most mornings in the Kingdom Hall and listen to these discourses. In a short time he reached a maturity that not all the brothers have, although being in the truth for a long time. He was so diligent in learning that after a year he was appointed as an overseer in a congregation and also to conduct Watchtower studies. He gets the material to prepare himself and he is always so well prepared that the brothers are surprised. Of course, he has to store it all in his mind, since he cannot read. His young wife helps him by reading the material aloud. In this way she also came into the truth. He started to give well-prepared and fine public discourses. The congregation over which he presides grows very well, and he has much joy. Former comrades of war, partisans, come to the meetings when he gives a talk. This experience shows that our personal zeal is an important factor in our Christian ministry and in gaining maturity.
The apostle Peter counsels us to ‘be ready always to make a defense before everyone that demands a reason for the hope in us.’ (1 Pet. 3:15) This also applies to brothers who are in prison and even toward clergymen. A circuit servant who had refuted the evolution theory in a public talk was condemned to three months in prison. While he was in prison he came in contact with a Catholic priest who was also imprisoned. The clergyman showed some interest in the movement of Jehovah’s witnesses and their aim and activity. The brother replied tactfully and mainly with the Bible, which he had with him, whereas the priest had his breviary. They met every day for about an hour, and other prisoners stood around and listened to these discussions. The priest seemed to be pleased with the way these conversations were carried on. The conversations included subjects like the trinity, the worship of Mary, immortality of the soul, and so forth. The brother did not try to show how much the priest was wrong, but used the question-and-answer method, in order to be edifying, especially in view of the large crowd of prisoners standing around. Although the priest tried hard to maintain his view, one day he admitted before all that he liked the manner in which this Witness scored over him. He said: “You witnesses are spiritually up to date, and in spite of my age I have much to learn, because I do not know the Bible as well as you do.” The priest then refused to have further Bible discussions, saying that he did not know enough of the Bible. Shortly after this the priest was released. Due to these conversations the brother had many opportunities to answer questions from the inmates and to witness to them, but the actual benefit from these discussions with the priest came a little later.
In the region where the priest exercises his ministry there is also a small congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses. The region is very Catholic and the population has always been hostile and scoffed at the truth. The brothers were considered as a plague there. When now the priest returned from prison he gave a sermon in his church and stated from the pulpit that he had had the chance to meet one of Jehovah’s witnesses in prison and that he could see for himself that Jehovah’s witnesses represent true Christianity. He said that these witnesses are good and decent men who try to live as Christians and followers of Christ and they must be considered as true Christians.
This statement did not remain without effect. It was as if a miracle had happened in the village. Everywhere the villagers stopped our brothers and told them what the priest had said in the church and they asked for more information. So all of a sudden the publishers had many opportunities to witness, and there are quite a few interested persons now as a result. The hostility of the population had turned into friendliness. It all illustrates how a tactful and mild defense of our faith can bring about blessings.
BE COURAGEOUS AND HAVE STRONG HEARTS
It is our prayer that our fellow workers behind the Iron Curtain and in territories where much opposition has been brought to bear against God’s people will always hope in Jehovah with Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere. The day is not too far distant when Jehovah’s witnesses, because of their faithfulness, will go on into God’s new world of righteousness and there receive the gift of everlasting life. When we think of the hardships that many of our brothers suffer and know that every one of Jehovah’s witnesses will have to stand just as firm in his own assignment sometime, it makes us think of the day when Joshua was about ready to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land. He received wonderful counsel from Jehovah God, who said to him: “Be courageous and very strong.” (Josh. 1:7) Those words should be just as stirring to every one of Jehovah’s witnesses today as they were to Joshua and the people who followed him in his day. We, too, must now be courageous and very strong. Our hope must be in Jehovah, and our confidence must be just as strong as Paul’s. He said: “The Lord will deliver me from every wicked work and will save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” —2 Tim. 4:18.
The remnant still on earth must have this same kind of faith and can be sure that they will be saved for the heavenly kingdom. And as for the “other sheep,” their sureness in Jehovah’s promises should be just as strong so that they can say the Lord will save them for his new world of righteousness.
However, in order to say these words with full confidence each individual who is dedicated to the service of Jehovah must take on the responsibility that Jehovah places upon him of being a witness for the Kingdom today. Everyone claiming to be one of Jehovah’s witnesses must prove it by his works. Let us face the responsibility we have to preach this good news everywhere, in all the world for a witness, and let us show by good works that each one of us really means to be one of Jehovah’s witnesses, an ordained minister of God, representing him in the earth at this time, be it behind an Iron Curtain, be it in lands where persecution is heavy, be it in countries where the clergy are fighting with all their power to stop the preaching of the good news, be it in lands where there is great prosperity and a lot of employment, good wages and materialism, yes, anywhere and everywhere let us stand firm for righteousness. Jehovah’s witnesses cannot allow themselves to be swept along with the crowd. They are no longer with the crowd in this old world. They have come out of it and they are determined by Jehovah’s undeserved kindness to press on, preaching and teaching. What a joy it is to be associated with Jehovah’s witnesses who are courageous and have strong hearts!
In every letter that came from branch servants dealing with their year’s report all of them have asked me to convey their love and greetings to their fellow workers everywhere on earth, and the best way to do this is through the Yearbook. What a grand feeling one has to be in Jehovah’s New World society, where he knows that he has the love of his brothers and the love of his God, Jehovah! In the words of Paul we are all able to say to one another: “The Lord be with the spirit you show. His undeserved kindness be with you people.”—2 Tim. 4:22.
Be assured of my warm love for you as together we hope in Jehovah.
Your brother,
, President
Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society of Pennsylvania
Annual Meeting
Pursuant to law and to the charter and bylaws, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania held its annual meeting of members in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, at 10 a.m. Sunday, October 1, 1961. Usually the annual meeting is held at 4100 Bigelow Blvd., Pittsburgh, but the auditorium would be inadequate to accommodate the great crowd expected to attend this annual meeting on Sunday morning. Therefore by a unanimous vote it was agreed by the 403 members of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania who were present either in person or by proxy that the meeting should be held in Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh, instead of at the usual meeting place. This fine hall is just a few blocks away from 4100 Bigelow Boulevard. However, the Kingdom Hall at the headquarters of the Watch Tower Society in Pittsburgh was connected by direct wire for any overflow crowd.
Following a song and prayer the annual meeting was formally opened by N. H. Knorr, the president of the Society, at 10 a.m. and Lyman A. Swingle, a director of the Society, was called upon to talk on the theme of the month, “Work Whole-souled for New World Interests.” This was very timely. The business meeting proceeded and the chair announced that there were two vacancies in the board of directors caused by the expiration of the terms of T. J. Sullivan and Grant Suiter. They were unanimously re-elected to serve on the board of directors for a period of three more years.
The secretary-treasurer then gave some very interesting reports from different lands, reading excerpts from letters that members of the Society living at distant places wrote when sending in their proxies. These experiences were most interesting.
After this, Pryce Hughes, a member of the Society who was visiting the United States from England, was introduced and he gave a very encouraging report on the work that Jehovah’s witnesses are doing in Britain. He pointed out that all were delighted with their new Bethel home in London. He told about the increase in the work generally and of the Kingdom Ministry School that is situated in the Bethel home in London. Then George Couch, a member of the Society, and the Bethel servant, spoke concerning the activities in the Bethel home at Brooklyn. He invited Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere, when visiting in New York city, to call in and see the home and the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead located there. Next on the program came M. H. Larson, who is the overseer of the Society’s printing plant in Brooklyn, and he told of the thirty presses in operation at the factory at 117 Adams Street and 77 Sands Street, fifteen of which are large, high-speed rotary presses. He pointed out that during every month of the year fifty-one different magazines had to be prepared and put through the factory, along with the printing of Bibles, books and booklets. Then A. D. Schroeder from Kingdom Farm, the registrar of the Kingdom Ministry School, spoke. He told of the fine work being accomplished by bringing the overseers from the congregations to the Kingdom Ministry School for special training and education. All of these brothers were enthusiastically received and everyone was encouraged by their remarks.
Then the president of the Society, N. H. Knorr, spoke on the subject “Courageous in the Face of the World’s Armageddon.” His remarks were based on the 27th Psalm, and he pointed out how necessary it is for Jehovah’s witnesses today to have hope in Jehovah and to be courageous.
The whole meeting lasted three hours and nineteen minutes and the attendance was unusual. At the Carnegie Music Hall there was a crowd of 2,093 and in an adjoining lecture hall there were 640 and at the Kingdom Hall at 4100 Bigelow Boulevard there were 1,169. The grand total of those attending the annual meeting was 3,902. It was a very happy, enthusiastic occasion.
On Monday morning, October 9, 1961, at eight o’clock, the full board of directors of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania met in the president’s office at 124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn 1, New York, and they unanimously re-elected N. H. Knorr as president, F. W. Franz as vice-president, Grant Suiter as secretary-treasurer and H. H. Riemer as assistant secretary-treasurer for the ensuing term of one year. The other three directors of the Society are T. J. Sullivan, M. G. Henschel and L. A. Swingle. All the directors of the Society very much appreciate their glorious treasure of service, and in prayer to Jehovah thanks was expressed for the guidance and direction Jehovah has given to the faithful and discreet slave class, the remnant of God’s anointed in the earth, and their joy was expressed, too, because of the association that the remnant have with the great crowd that is now being brought together in all parts of the earth.
All of God’s people want to be guided by Jehovah’s Word and by holy spirit and His organization, and it is the prayer of all dedicated servants that Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere will press on courageously, doing the will of Jehovah God forever.
“Be courageous and let your heart be strong. Yes, hope in Jehovah.”—Ps.
Be courageous! Those are words that are easily said to someone else, but how about applying these to yourself? A Christian is courageous because he hopes in Jehovah. This hope is gained through one’s knowledge of the only true God and his beloved Son, Christ Jesus. This takes study, meditation and going to meetings. As your faith grows your hope in Jehovah will grow.
Everyone should take a good look at himself, examine himself, really see himself. James said: “For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, this one is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, and off he goes and immediately forgets what sort of man he is.” (Jas. 1:23, 24) What sort of person are you? Just a hearer, or are you a doer? What do you see in the mirror, or do you forget fast? A conscientious man is a doer of the word. He shows his courage by works and is pleasing to Jehovah God and he hopes in Jehovah.
Let us take a look at our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. What kind of a man do we see? We see a humble individual, kind but tremendously busy. He was filled with holy spirit because he knew his need and prayed for it This gave him power to preach that the kingdom of the heavens was at hand! Peacefully he sat down with his followers and taught them. He had such faith and hope in Jehovah and in the message of God that he was willing to die for it. Look where he lived, in a country under imperial rule with the Roman army to force people into subjection, and a kowtowing hypocritical Jewish clergy who wanted no king but Caesar to advise the people. He being born into a world like that, it took courage for this young man to preach the good news of a new government, yes, Jehovah’s kingdom. He declared it to rich and poor. He comforted those who were oppressed and who mourned.
At the very outset of his great work the chief invisible ruler of this present evil world, the Devil, tried to tempt him. He offered him much. It took courage to refuse. One of the great temptations to turn Jesus against God was when Satan “showed him all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth in an instant of time; and the Devil said to him: ‘I will give you all this authority and the glory of them, because it has been delivered to me, and to whomever I wish I give it. You, therefore, if you do an act of worship before me, it will all be yours.’ ” Jesus knew the tactics of this old wicked serpent, the Devil, who had already tried to kill him when he was but a baby and who had been trying all along to get him. Jesus courageously said: “It is written, ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’ ”—Luke 4:5-8.
After he had put three temptations before Jesus and seeing that he could not break down Jesus’ integrity, the Devil “retired from him until another convenient time.” (Luke 4:13) The courage that Jesus displayed here and on many other occasions, especially in the Garden of Gethsemane and before the religious priests and the Roman rulers, he instilled in his faithful followers. Do you have such conviction and show such courage because of your hope in Jehovah?
Other imperfect men had such courage. Look at Stephen. “Now Stephen, full of graciousness and power, was performing great portents and signs among the people. But certain men rose up of those from the so-called Synagogue of the Freedmen ... to dispute with Stephen . . . Then they secretly induced men to say: ‘We have heard him speaking blasphemous sayings against Moses and God.’ . . . ‘For instance, we have heard him say that this Jesus the Nazarene will throw down this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.’” (Acts 6:8-14) With such talk against Stephen ‘they stirred up the people and the older men and the scribes’ and by force they took him to the Sanhedrin, and there he was heard. Stephen did not show any fear. His heart was strong and unified. His hope was in Jehovah. He was courageous! He spoke authoritatively concerning the history of the Jews. He talked about the God of glory appearing to Abraham, then concerning Isaac and Jacob and the twelve family heads, Moses, Joshua, David and how Solomon built a house to Jehovah. After showing how God faithfully dealt with those men of devotion to Jehovah he spoke in no uncertain words to the chief priest and all of those of the Sanhedrin and said courageously: "Obstinate men and uncircumcised in hearts and ears, you are always resisting the holy spirit; as your forefathers did, so you do. Which one of the prophets did your forefathers not persecute? Yes, they killed those who made announcement in advance concerning the coming of the righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become, you who received the Law as transmitted by angels but have not kept it.”—Acts 7:51-53.
Now they began to gnash their teeth, but Stephen went on courageously and said: “Look! I behold the heavens opened up and the Son of man standing at God’s right hand.” At this the religiously shocked Jews “cried out at the top of the voice and put their hands over their ears and rushed upon him with one accord.’’ (Acts 7:56-59) Stephen was wonderful! He gave a full witness to those Jews. He saw his opportunity. He spoke plain words, even as Jesus had already spoken to the scribes and Pharisees. Stephen had hope in Jehovah. He was courageous and his heart was strong! He was not going to retract, compromise or run away. He stood his ground. For his faithfulness he became the first recorded martyr who walked in the footsteps of Christ Jesus. They stoned him to death because he was a faithful witness. What would you have done if in Stephen’s place? You say: “The same as he did!” Fine. God will expect you to show like courage today.
Back there things happened fast. “On that day great persecution arose against the congregation that was in Jerusalem; all except the apostles were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.” (Acts 8:1) Space would not permit to tell of the courage of thousands of other footstep followers of Christ Jesus even in recent history. Many of our brothers have stood firm before rulers, and because of doing so they have been thrown into prisons and concentration camps. Because of their courage and their strong hearts many have died in gas chambers or have been shot to death. True Christians will not compromise with this old world, because they can be no part of the world. They must be wholly for Jehovah’s kingdom. The persecution that the Devil’s organization will bring upon God’s faithful people is not over. It will become worse as we get closer to the battle of Armageddon. What will you do then under the circumstances? “Hope in Jehovah; be courageous and let your heart be strong. Yes, hope in Jehovah.” (Ps. 27:14) He will reward your courage with deliverance.
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