Yearbook—1983

Title Page/​Publishers’ Page

1983 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Containing Report for the Service Year of 1982

Also Daily Text and Comments

Jehovah’s Witnesses rejoice in being “steadfast, unmovable, always having plenty to do in the work of the Lord”; they know that their labor is not in vain.​—1 Cor. 15:58.

Index of Countries

Page

24 1982 Service Year Report, 205 Countries

Acts of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Modern Times in:

66 Australia

130 Portugal

260 Yeartext for 1983

261 Daily Text and Comments

1983 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses

THE GREATEST MAN ever to walk this earth, the most outstanding figure of all human history, was without question Jesus Christ. It was not his physical stature, his brawn and brute strength, his genius as a military leader, nor his astute political or financial acumen that earned him this reputation. Rather, his great accomplishments as a preacher and teacher distinguished him from all other men.

And what made this man Jesus so great a teacher? Several things. He always spoke the truth. He upheld his heavenly Father’s Word as truth and he urged others to do the same. (John 17:17; 18:37) To those who became his disciples, Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” yes, free from ignorance, superstition and fear.​—John 8:32.

Another reason that Jesus stood head and shoulders above all other teachers was his kind and gentle way of dealing with the lowly and downtrodden people among whom he freely moved. Even opposers admitted that “never has another man spoken like this.” (John 7:46) He was forceful and direct, to be sure, yet never rude, arrogant or inconsiderate. “The crowds were astounded at his way of teaching; for he was teaching them as a person having authority, and not as their scribes.”​—Matt. 7:28, 29.

How did this man Jesus acquire such admirable qualities that characterized him as the Great Teacher? To be sure, he was the only-begotten Son of God, who had left his heavenly abode and had become flesh, a perfect human. But this in itself did not automatically equip him with the wonderful teaching characteristics that he displayed. Rather, at all times Jesus sought to learn what his heavenly Father wanted him to say and to do.

This attitude was apparent from the very beginning of his ministry. The apostle Paul describes Jesus as saying: “Look! I am come (in the roll of the book it is written about me) to do your will, O God.” “Look! I am come to do your will.”​—Heb. 10:7-9; compare Psalm 40:8.

With Jesus the conclusion of the matter was not his presenting himself to his heavenly Father at the Jordan River and being baptized. Six months after his baptism Jesus was saying: “My food is for me to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work.” A year later he was saying: “The Son cannot do a single thing of his own initiative, . . . because I seek, not my own will, but the will of him that sent me.” Then a year after that he was saying: “I have come down from heaven to do, not my will, but the will of him that sent me.” (John 4:34; 5:19, 30; 6:38) Yes, “the Christ did not please himself” but always sought to do his Father’s will.​—Rom. 15:3.

The principal theme of Jesus’ preaching and teaching concerned “the kingdom of the heavens,” “the kingdom of God.” (Matt. 4:17; Mark 1:15) Many of his illustrations centered on this Kingdom theme. (Matt. 13:10-53; Mark 4:10-34; Luke 13:18-30) When teaching his disciples how to pray, he linked the sanctifying of Jehovah’s name to the coming Kingdom and the doing of God’s will.​—Matt. 6:9, 10.

One is impressed by the way Jesus was constantly seeking to know his Father’s will and good pleasure, right down to the final hours in Gethsemane. There we find him in earnest prayer repeatedly saying to his Father, “Not as I will, but as you will . . . let your will take place.” “Not what I want, but what you want.”​—Matt. 26:39, 42; Mark 14:36.

OTHERS URGED TO FOLLOW JESUS’ EXAMPLE

In all aspects of his ministry Jesus left his disciples the perfect model for them “to follow his steps closely.” (1 Pet. 2:21) The apostle Paul wrote: “You received the instruction from us on how you ought to walk and please God, just as you are in fact walking, that you would keep on doing it more fully.”​—1 Thess. 4:1.

As those first-century Christians followed through on their Kingdom-preaching assignment, they made a spectacular record. In a few years’ time it was said that the good news “was preached in all creation that is under heaven.” (Col. 1:23) What they accomplished amid great adversity and open opposition was due to their relying on Jehovah’s holy spirit as the guiding force in their ministry.

Now what about modern times? Do we find people today who are truly following in the footsteps of Christ Jesus? Yes, indeed! It is no secret that Jehovah’s Witnesses faithfully follow in the footsteps of their King and Exemplar, Christ Jesus, wherever he leads them. They are dedicated to the doing of Jehovah’s will and not their own. They are no part of this Satan-ruled world and have nothing to do with its politics or territorial wars. They are morally clean and worthy of representing the pure and holy God Jehovah as ambassadors and envoys of his righteous Kingdom. The world report of Jehovah’s Witnesses for the past service year gives abundant evidence of these facts.

THE WORLD IS THE FIELD

Concerning this time of the harvest Jesus said, “The field is the world.” (Matt. 13:38) It is therefore most gratifying to review the worldwide field report for the past year, for it shows that a tremendous harvest has been reaped.​—See pages 24-31.

A quick rundown of the figures indicates that the vast majority of the countries have seen increases in many features of the work. For the 205 countries listed, there has been an increase of 4.2 percent in the average number of publishers compared with the previous year. Too, the average number of pioneers increased by 14.3 percent. There were also increases of 7.3 percent in hours and 7.5 percent in Bible studies. The number baptized was way up, 15.6 percent! The Memorial attendance was also up by 4.4 percent in spite of the fact that in 1981 the Memorial was observed on a Sunday.

From country after country come reports of great increases in the number of brothers who have engaged in the auxiliary pioneer work this past year. For example, Sweden said that in April every sixth publisher served in some type of pioneer work. Thailand says that 21 percent of the publishers in that country were in various kinds of full-time service. Portugal reports a 48-percent increase in auxiliary pioneers over their previous peak. In Korea auxiliary pioneers increased 30 percent. “With more ‘front-line warriors,’” they say, “we hope to reap a greater increase in the new service year.” South Africa writes: “In four months’ time a Zulu traveling overseer helped 71 publishers to enroll as auxiliary pioneers and a further 22 to enter regular pioneer service. In each of his past few circuits this brother has helped over 50 persons to become regular pioneers.”

Mexico reports an all-time peak of 113,823 publishers in August. Also their home Bible studies surpassed 111,000. “At regular meetings,” they say, “the attendance is double the number of publishers. In one congregation of 32 publishers the attendance is 255.” Japan passed the 70,000 mark of publishers this past year (72,015 in August, a 19-percent increase). Also their Bible studies greatly increased over the previous year. Japan adds: “We cannot go without commenting on the pioneer spirit. In June we had 25,140 pioneers and that was about 36 percent of all our publishers! . . . We do feel that there will be another big gathering of sheeplike ones before the great tribulation, as Jehovah surely speeds up his work.” In the United States the 613,007 reporting in August was an all-time peak. Particularly exciting was the fact that 75,538 enrolled in the auxiliary pioneer work in April in the United States. This was 24,530 more than the previous peak, in April 1979.

It is not only in the large countries where high percentages were reported but also in small faraway places like the Faroe Islands where they say that in the first 10 months of the service year there was a 23-percent increase in the number of Bible studies and a 24-percent increase in magazine distribution.

But more interesting than the mere figures are the branch reports that relate some of the thrilling experiences the Kingdom publishers have had in their various preaching activities. We are happy to relate some of these as space allows.

FIELD EXPERIENCES

Among those baptized in Thailand this past year was a famous fortune-teller. She is a descendant of a former city chieftain and had inherited priceless amulet charms and many books on spiritism and magic. People would come from far and wide to consult her. A special pioneer placed a booklet with her and on the return visit began a Bible study using chapter 3 in the Truth book. The woman applied what she was learning, and soon she destroyed about $500 worth of spiritistic paraphernalia and amulets that she had inherited. In a short time she was baptized.

Ivory Coast tells about two brothers working from house to house. They met a man who explained in a trembling voice, “I was expecting you! I hope you will excuse me for not having paid the rent for these past three months. Both my wife and mother are ill.” The brothers, realizing that they had been mistaken for the agents of the housing company, suggested that he go to the housing manager and explain his problems. Then they added, “However, we did come to talk about housing, a house you will be able to build and live in yourself without fear of anyone disturbing you for rent money.” They reasoned with him on the basis of the prophecy of Isaiah 65:21, 22. The booklet A Secure Future was placed, and a Bible study was started.

A special pioneer in Chad, returning home, was singing Kingdom songs despite the eerie silence throughout the city. The people were whispering that war was about to explode right in their midst. His singing was overheard by an older, very fervent Catholic man who had earlier chased the pioneer from his door with the words “I have become bald-headed as a Catholic” (meaning that he could not change now). But this particular day, amazed that the pioneer should be singing, he asked, “What makes you so happy when the entire country is in cold fear?” With the man’s own Catholic Bible the Witness explained why the world is in such a frightful mess and pointed to the wonderful hope of an earthly Paradise. A study was started on the spot, and within one week this formerly avid Catholic was attending meetings at the Kingdom Hall. Within three weeks he started divorce proceedings, as he was also a polygamist. After several months the man was baptized and he continues zealously serving Jehovah, bald head and all.

From Ecuador comes this experience. A 10-year-old boy along with his grandmother visiting from Germany called on a woman who had taken the magazines. She requested that they explain the Trinity, and she was very much impressed to see this young boy give her a reasonable explanation as to what the Bible teaches. A local sister then started a Bible study with the lady. When shown that none of the fundamental doctrines of the Catholic Church were based on the Bible, she arranged for one of the most qualified priests available to come to her home. Asked to defend the Church’s teaching on the Trinity, the cross, and so forth, the priest became very confused. He had no knowledge of the Bible. The woman was then convinced that she had found the truth, but her husband remained skeptical, not believing in God or the Bible. However, when he was given the book Is the Bible Really the Word of God? he made rapid progress and, together with his wife, was baptized. Their three children now are also baptized Witnesses. This experience illustrates the three steps necessary for growth​—the boy and his grandmother planted, another sister watered, while Jehovah’s spirit produced the growth to maturity.

The Puerto Rico branch tells about an interested person who was studying with a special pioneer but whose husband showed no desire to do so. One day his five-year-old daughter said, “Daddy, I want to grow up so I can be baptized.” Later she said, “Daddy, please study the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses so that you will not be destroyed and then you can be with us in Paradise.” These words of the young child and the great change in his wife’s conduct made him think. He asked for a Bible study and is making good progress.

Similarly, the Korean branch tells how a mother’s training her boy from infancy had amazing results. The father was an official in the military affairs section of his district office and had deep prejudices against the Witnesses. One day in the absence of the mother, the father forced the boy to go to the store to buy him cigarettes, saying: “Your mother isn’t home and won’t see you.” The boy reluctantly obeyed but came back with two bottles of a cola drink and asked his father to sip on those instead. He told his father that, though his mother couldn’t see him, God could. So because of the steadfast conduct of the boy and his mother and brother, the father eventually became interested and studied to the point of making a dedication.

FAITHFUL AND LOYAL DESPITE OPPOSITION

In Haiti a married woman began studying the Bible, made good progress and attended meetings at the Kingdom Hall. When her husband started to oppose her she continued her study elsewhere. Meanwhile she became pregnant, and her husband wanted her to have an abortion. When she tried to explain to him why her conscience kept her from having the abortion, her husband beat her almost every day in order to induce an abortion. He then chased her and the children out of the house. Finally he divorced her. Nevertheless, she continued making good progress, was finally baptized and now is an active publisher.

Finland reports how one sister experienced a lot of opposition from her husband, yet remained firm for the truth and was rewarded. “On many occasions he beat me black and blue. Once he hit me so hard that I lost consciousness. On another occasion he held a pistol at my temple, threatening to shoot me. But some time later my husband had a change of heart. Not only did he accompany me to the 1982 district convention where I was baptized, but later, when visiting some of his relatives in Sweden, he showed them copies of The Watchtower and Awake!, saying, ‘These are good magazines. We hope you would like to read them, too.’ Now I am hoping that my husband will take the final step for the truth.”

UNDERGROUND ACTIVITIES

In harmony with the yeartext of 1982, Jehovah’s Witnesses have had “plenty to do in the work of the Lord” in more than 200 countries. (1 Cor. 15:58) In 28 of these countries the work is restricted, and yet here too there have been increases. Many thrilling reports filter out of those countries. These indicate angelic direction of the work that is accomplished underground in spite of the obstacles. Some unusual incidental circumstances are seized to interest people in the Kingdom message.

For example, a 55-year-old lady was attempting to cross the street. Just as a car was about to hit her, a sister grabbed her arm and pulled her to safety, saying, “Please take care. We are living in perilous times.” She then explained why the times are so dangerous. The lady said, “Are you one of Jehovah’s Witnesses?” As it turned out she had obtained a Paradise book from among the possessions of her sister who had not been a Witness and had recently died. After reading the book with her Bible, the lady had been wanting to meet one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and, no doubt by angelic direction, this dangerous incident made it all possible.

From another country where the work is banned comes this experience: “As I was walking past some benches in a park I felt drawn toward a young man who started a conversation about the beauty of nature and the unpleasant world conditions. Soon we began talking about the Bible, and this in turn led to a discussion of 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and Matthew 24:3-42. His interest was aroused, leading to a home Bible study with him and his wife.”

Another writes: “We were walking past a house and noticed watercress growing in the garden. We asked the owners if they knew that the leaves were edible. They answered, ‘No.’ We told them about the antibiotic qualities of this plant and talked about the many terrible diseases in the world. The question was raised whether all the sicknesses will ever be eliminated. Soon we were invited into the home and a Bible discussion followed.”

Here is another example of informal witnessing: “In a secondhand book store a man said, ‘I am interested in ancient history.’ I asked him if he knew which was the oldest and most reliable history book. He did not. So I took a Bible from a shelf and turned to Genesis chapter 10, showing him that here was a chart of the races. In speaking about the Flood and about Noah and his sons, I said they were listed in dictionaries and encyclopedias as historical personages. The man was so impressed, he gave me his address and he is now being visited.”

Where preaching openly is prohibited, funerals and weddings often afford good opportunities to give a witness, since many acquaintances are often present. One brother reported: “At the departure from the graveyard, not a few persons joined us and expressed their thanks for ‘excellent thoughts and hope.’ Two Bible studies were started and return visits were made on other families.”

In Southeast Asia the Civil Intelligence Department rounded up 39 of our brothers and sisters at one of their meetings. The report says, “As if by a miracle the article scheduled to be studied the week after the police action was ‘Happy Are You When People Persecute You.’ All the brothers and sisters continue maintaining their integrity regardless of whatever persecution the Devil brings upon them.”

From an island where the work is banned a brother, after serving his eight-month jail sentence, went about encouraging the brothers to keep busy in the witness work. He feels much stronger spiritually and more dependent upon Jehovah as a result of his court and prison experiences.

One African land reports that in some areas there is sporadic persecution, sometimes very violent, but in other districts the brothers are enjoying relative freedom in their preaching work. In one instance a former member of parliament and a regional minister started to study, and in another area four party men likewise started studying. It is also reported that the pioneer spirit is growing in this country.

Many countries are experiencing various types of civil war​—Ireland, El Salvador, Lebanon and others. But only in very few instances have our brothers suffered physical injury. Their neutrality has proved to be their protection. Reports from these areas also show that Jehovah has prospered the Kingdom-preaching work in spite of the hardships and difficulties.

For example, all the missionaries were expelled from Nicaragua, and the Kingdom Halls have been seized by the leftist government. But this has not stopped the work by any means.

Argentina reports: “Although we are still not recognized as a legal, religious organization, we are moving ahead with our activity.” There has been an 8-percent increase in the number of publishers. The reports from Paraguay are also very encouraging despite the ban on the work.

SPECIAL RELIEF MEASURES

Heavy rains, flooding and violent storms have plagued a number of areas around the world. Whenever the Witnesses are affected, our brothers have come to their aid with special relief.

An example was when the Chichonal volcano in southern Mexico blew up. The branch reports: “Immediate relief measures were instituted for over 200 families of Witnesses affected by the eruption. A group of soldiers in Ostuacán expressed orally what many other persons could easily observe: ‘No other organization has shown such interest in their associates as you have. No one else has penetrated so close to the volcano to render aid.’”

BLOOD ISSUE

The issue of blood transfusions has been faced up to by many brothers around the world. Oftentimes opposition from the doctors, nurses and judges, as well as unfavorable publicity in the public press, has put much pressure upon our brothers, but the result has been a tremendous witness.

The most notorious case this year was the one in Italy involving the Onedas. Brother and Sister Oneda were sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment, have already been in jail more than 2 years and are still awaiting the outcome of their appeal. (For details see Awake!, October 22, 1982.) In the meantime they have received thousands of letters of encouragement from their brothers around the world. This flood of mail has resulted in a mighty witness in behalf of Jehovah and his faithful Witnesses.

DISTRICT CONVENTIONS

Among the highlights of our activities during the past service year has been the series of district conventions. In the southern hemisphere the 1981 “Kingdom Loyalty” conventions were held, whereas in the northern hemisphere the brothers enjoyed the 1982 “Kingdom Truth” conventions.

Concerning the latter series, many expressions of appreciation for the program, as well as for the releases, have been received. Here are a few examples: “Where in Christendom would you find the kind of love that you see here?” “This convention got to the ‘nitty-gritty.’ It didn’t beat around the bush.” “It is one of the most upbuilding, encouraging, positive and spiritual conventions I have ever attended.” “It put us back on the main track; it helped us to reset our compasses.”

After hearing the talk “Beware of Music That Debases,” one sister commented: “This talk showed the importance of paying attention not only to the music we hear but also to the lyrics. As a professional singer I know that music can rape the mind.” Canada writes, “Thank you for taking a clear position on matters such as permissiveness and debasing music​—most timely!” Friday’s talks on pioneering were also a stimulus to many in attendance. One sister explained, “What I appreciated about the part is what it emphasized as the key to success, be it auxiliary or regular pioneering, and that was relying on Jehovah.”

The releases, too, were enjoyed very much. Writes one appreciative mother, “Enjoy Life on Earth Forever! is fantastic for children. My three-year-old daughter is already telling me about the pictures and is eager to learn more.” Sweden writes: “After looking through the new book You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, a brother spontaneously expressed what many felt: ‘This makes me yearn for the field service. It has put a new fire in my bones.’”

In other ways the district conventions sometimes have far-reaching effects. Puerto Rico writes: “The director of sports for the southwest area was so impressed with the order, peace, cleanliness and fine spirit at the assembly that he made us an offer. We could have the use of any of the government recreation facilities free of charge so that we could organize different sports events among the Witnesses. Then it could be announced so that others could come and learn how to organize and act in public. In this way, according to this director, the fine conduct of Jehovah’s Witnesses would rub off on the others. We thanked him very much but also explained that we found it necessary to change the people first through Bible study and the applying of Bible principles. Then they become good associates.”

EXPANSION OF BRANCH FACILITIES

Another evidence of Jehovah’s rich blessing on the Kingdom-preaching and disciple-making work is seen in the expansion of Bethel homes and factories in many parts of the earth. During this past year quite a number of these new facilities were completed and were dedicated, including those in Canada, Ivory Coast, Japan and Korea. In Brooklyn, New York, the 25 Columbia Heights office structure was also completed and dedicated to Jehovah God’s service.

With the completion of the beautiful new branch building in Sweden many businessmen and political figures were greatly impressed by what had been accomplished. The branch reports: “We always try to direct the visitor’s attention to the One behind the achievement. In this way a fine testimony to Jehovah’s glory has been given.”

A few large Assembly Halls and many Kingdom Halls have also been constructed this past year​—all evidence of Jehovah’s blessing on his expanding organization.

Construction of new branch facilities is at present under way in Australia, Britain, Denmark, Germany, India, Martinique, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, South Africa and Tahiti, as well as at Watchtower Farms in the United States. Other branches that are looking for new property or planning to build new facilities include Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, Ecuador, France, Ghana, Haiti, Lebanon, Liberia, New Zealand, Peru, Taiwan, Uruguay, Venezuela and Zaïre.

MAGAZINES APPRECIATED

Magazine production and distribution climbed up more than 8 percent this past year. Total printing worldwide was more than 455,000,000 copies! This is evidence in itself of how much these publications are appreciated by the reading public.

From Chile’s report we read: “A special pioneer making a return visit asked the lady what book teaches us the will of God. ‘The Watchtower, of course,’ she said. Our sister proceeded to explain that it was, rather, the Bible. ‘Yes, but what would I do with my recently obtained Bible if I did not use The Watchtower to understand it?’​—Acts 8:31.”

The Awake! magazine is now published quarterly in some 17 different languages and has been received with great enthusiasm in many countries. Reporting on the reception of one of these new quarterlies, Lebanon writes: “The Awake! magazine began to be published for the first time in Arabic and it is certainly much appreciated by the Arabic-speaking brothers. . . . a real source of encouragement.” This nicely expresses the sentiments of many other language groups that now enjoy the quarterly editions of Awake!

NEW PRESSES AND BINDERY EQUIPMENT

There has been a great demand from the field for more literature, and this in turn has put a heavy load on production facilities. Here in the United States alone we have printed 212,427,410 magazines; 20,798,332 books; 11,980,532 booklets; 54,879,418 tracts. With the phasing out of old, outdated lead plates with raised printing surfaces, most of this printing has been done on offset presses. In Brooklyn we have five rotary offset presses with three more on order. At Watchtower Farms three such presses are now running and two more are being installed. In addition there are high-speed rotary offset presses in Canada, Britain, Germany, Japan and South Africa.

By taking parts from two of our M.A.N. presses, a company was able to build for us an offset press that has been installed and is running in Switzerland. So successful was this venture that we now have on order 17 more of these converted presses that will be used in our printing branches around the world.

In addition to the bookbinding equipment in the United States, Germany and Japan, we also have similar equipment in Brazil, Finland and Italy, thus giving these branches the ability to print and bind their own books in addition to printing magazines. Korea, too, will soon get binding equipment. Japan is printing and binding the complete New World Translation in Japanese, for which the branch has orders for more than 1,000,000 copies.

COMPUTER DEVELOPMENTS

The obsolescence of letterpress printing has made it necessary for the Society to move rapidly into computerized phototypesetting. This has been no small undertaking, but with Jehovah’s spirit and blessing, tremendous advancements have been made by our brothers in the United States, Japan, Germany and South Africa. We are now building some 40 MEPS (Multilanguage electronic phototypesetting systems), developed entirely by our brothers, that will be set up in branches that do translating. This powerful MEPS computer equipment will be able to handle up to 250 different languages​—a must if we are to get this good news of the Kingdom published in printed form for all inhabitants of the earth before the end.​—Matt. 24:14.

CASSETTE RECORDINGS

A few years ago we started to record the Bible and other material on cassettes for the enjoyment and instruction of the brothers. These cassettes have been very much appreciated. During the past year Brooklyn produced 3,686,468 tapes of various recordings in addition to those produced by other branches.

PIONEERS

In the last few years the economic pressure on the brothers has greatly increased. It would have seemed, then, that fewer would have the means to support themselves in the pioneer service. However, the figures for the last three years indicate otherwise. The average number of pioneers has gone from 137,861 (1980), to 151,180 (1981), to a new all-time peak of 172,859 (1982). This is an increase of 14.3 percent in just the last year!

A number of branches say that many more brothers have also entered the auxiliary pioneer service this past year. Japan writes: “Most of the territories have been covered every two weeks, three weeks or one month and in general the people’s reactions are rough, but that does not keep the brothers from pioneering.” Pakistan, with only 193 publishers, writes: “A number of sisters saw the possibility of arranging their affairs in such a way that they could enter the regular pioneer service. One sister with a family of five children is up at 5:00 a.m. to begin her day’s domestic duties so that she is free to go in pioneer service after the children are off to school.” Even from a land where the work is banned comes this word: “A good number of the members are serving as auxiliary pioneers.” That certainly is encouraging to hear.

The continued high cost of living is reflected in the great expenditures the Society makes to support the tens of thousands of full-time ministers (special pioneers, missionaries and traveling overseers) in their assignments. In 1982 this field service expense amounted to $20,843,248.53. Were it not for the generous contributions made by Jehovah’s people in all parts of the earth, such support would not be possible. All thanks, then, go to Jehovah for putting it into the hearts of his people to support these full-time ministers in his service.​—Compare 1 Chronicles 29:3-9, 14-17.

Reflecting on what has been accomplished this past year in expanding the Kingdom proclamation, we freely confess that it was only possible because Jehovah gave his people guidance and direction, and an abundance of his dynamic energy. For this we render him our praise and thanksgiving. Our prayer will continue to be: ‘Make us to do your will, O Jehovah, for you are our God.’​—Ps. 143:10.

[Chart on page 24-31]

1982 SERVICE YEAR REPORT OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES WORLDWIDE

(See publication)

Acts of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Modern Times

The Bible book of Acts presents the thrilling story of the expansion of Christianity in the first century C.E. Is the history of the Kingdom-preaching work in modern times any less thrilling? No, indeed, for we are living in the “last days,” with the Devil and his demons waging war against those who proclaim God’s Kingdom. (2 Tim. 3:1; Rev. 12:17) To read about the development of Kingdom preaching in various lands today is thus equally upbuilding. We believe that you will greatly benefit by reading about many of the persons who spearheaded the Kingdom-preaching activity in the following two countries:

AUSTRALIA: In this vast land how would the Kingdom preachers reach people in remote areas of the country? Courageous pioneers have gone forward to work the outback areas of Australia, and in this account you will read about some of the most remarkable pioneers of all time. You will find it engrossing, too, to learn how the brothers carried on during the years of the ban in World War II, even holding conventions and printing books.

PORTUGAL: The Catholic Church and the Salazar regime worked together to suppress the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The secret police, patterned after the Gestapo, constantly hounded the Witnesses, but despite all of this the preaching work prospered. The truly remarkable story of the growth of Jehovah’s organization in Portugal will hold your attention all the way and be a source of encouragement.

So, as you read these inspiring reports of modern preachers of the good news, you will be further strengthened to endure in Jehovah’s blessed ministry right down to the end, to the awarding of the prize of everlasting life.​—Matt. 24:13.

Australia

Situated below the equator, between the 9th and the 42nd parallels, lies the sprawling island continent of Australia. Sprawling it is indeed, stretching some twenty-five hundred miles (4,000 km) from east to west and another two thousand miles (3,200 km) from north to south! Its land area surpasses that of the entire continent of Europe.

In this vast land, every possible variety in climate can be experienced​—from the lush tropics of the far north, with an annual rainfall of up to forty inches (1,000 mm), to the arid inland deserts, where sometimes rain may not fall for ten years. The southern highlands provide snowfields larger than does Switzerland.

As far as tourists were concerned, this “land down under,” though claimed by Britain in the 18th century, was virtually unknown for 150 years because of slow travel and communications. In recent decades the explosion of the multimillion-dollar tourist industry has enabled more and more people from other lands to come and learn that the unique marsupial, the kangaroo, does not really hop along the main streets of Sydney and Melbourne; nor does the cuddly koala bear appear in gum (eucalyptus) trees lining the streets, as travel brochures might lead the tourist to expect.

Though English is spoken throughout this country of fifteen million inhabitants, the Australian accent is unique. To some it resembles the dialect of the London cockney, with the distinctive characteristic of swallowing the last syllable of most words. Another feature is the flat pronunciation of the vowel “a,” which, to most foreign ears, sounds more like “i.” A speech habit that adds to the difficulty of the new settler struggling to learn the language is the ‘concertina-ing’ of entire phrases, not just a word or two. This habit has become known as “Strine,” which is how some visitors may think Australians pronounce “Australian.” An example could be the phrase used to commend someone for a job well done: “Good on you, mate!” This becomes: “Gudonyermite!”

With discovery and exploration by Britain less than two hundred years ago, Australia seems but an infant compared with countries in other parts of the world. The early colonists were mainly of British parentage, many being transported to the colony as convicts, for trivial offenses. They brought the religions of their former land with them, so the majority of Australians belong to one or another of the sects of Christendom. Isolation and the vastness of the land have contributed to the development of a characteristic independent attitude. Australians are lovers of sports, the sunshine and the great outdoors. Casual, unhurried and easygoing, they are nevertheless tenacious for what they believe.

SEEDS OF TRUTH FALL

Some early writers refer to Australia as the “farthest of faraway places,” due to its remote geographical location. But, according to the words of Jesus Christ as found at Acts 1:8, even to this land as a “most distant part of the earth” the “good news” must go.

In 1901 the States of Australia were formed into a Commonwealth, and about this time Charles T. Russell, president of the Watch Tower Society, was arranging to dispatch a band of four Bible Students there. But seeds of Bible truth had fallen on receptive soil before this.

In 1896 Arthur Williams, Sr., a miner in the goldfields of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, obtained a copy of the book The Divine Plan of the Ages. Williams became fascinated with the great truths expounded in this publication. He joined a group of about twelve in Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. In 1902 he moved to the southwest region of the state, finally settling in Donnybrook, where today a third generation of his family worships Jehovah. Williams distributed sets of Studies in the Scriptures throughout the countryside, but much of his witnessing was accomplished in his store, talking with customers.

Recalling his father’s activities in those days, his son, Arthur Williams, Jr., remembers that after the customer received his goods, his father would tell each one about the coming year of 1914, when the Gentile Times would end and anarchy would begin. He would invite people to his home, and they would sit around the table, discussing points from The Divine Plan of the Ages.

BRANCH OFFICE OPENED

By 1904 upward of a hundred people were receiving Zion’s Watch Tower in Australia. It now seemed appropriate to organize a branch office of the Society in Melbourne, allowing for the distribution of People’s Pulpit and other tracts, bearing an Australian address.

The first branch organizer, E. C. Henninges, announced that the list of subscribers for Zion’s Watch Tower in the state of Victoria had increased eighteenfold during the first eight and a half months of the branch’s operations. One subscriber donated ten pounds (which was then equal to $40, U.S.) to the tract fund, requesting it be used to pay postage on packets of tracts being mailed out. For this sum the brothers were able to mail 4,800 packets! How were names obtained? The brothers took them from electoral rolls and thus mailed out thousands of copies of the People’s Pulpit to the extremities of the country for the cost of one shilling (10 cents, [U.S.]) per 100.

Workers and lone cottagers along the railway tracks received the message of the coming Kingdom as friends threw bundles of tracts from train windows. Seeds of truth found good soil in the hearts of some lonely folk in this way. Tons of paper in tract form carried the message into mailboxes. On Saturday afternoons groups of enthusiastic Bible Students would each frequently distribute up to five hundred copies of The Bible Students Monthly, which also advertised meetings. Ships were visited when they tied up at city wharves, and newspapers and periodicals published column-length sermons weekly.

In 1907, property, consisting of two identical houses side by side, but with separate deeds, was purchased on George Street, East Melbourne. This housed the Bethel family of that time. The office was eventually situated in a building on Collins Street, Melbourne.

At the rear of the house, numbered 20-A George Street, was a small building (actually the old stable) that became known to the brothers as The Tabernacle. In 1925 a vertical Miehle printing press was received from the United States. William Schneider, and later Bert Shearmur, operated this printing press at The Tabernacle, where tracts and other literature were printed and sent out to the whole of Australia and New Zealand. Prior to this, all printing was done by outside firms. From earliest times the Melbourne ecclesia, or congregation, used the Masonic Hall on Collins Street for meetings.

LOYALTIES TESTED

In 1908 there was an upheaval in the organization in Australia. As indicated in a report appearing in The Watch Tower in 1910, the volunteer work slowed down. Branch organizer Henninges defected, “carrying the bulk of the Melbourne class with him,” The Watch Tower reported. Out of 100 associates, only 20 stood firm.

Describing the defectors, Edward Nelson, who endured the test, wrote to Brother Russell: “Many of them are not readers to any extent and have been drawn to his [Henninges’] meetings rather by his eloquence than by the truth. Some of them do not even acknowledge the ‘parousia,’ and one who happened to come in yesterday still had the thought that man has an immortal soul.” While Jehovah prospered his organization, Henninges’ group soon died out. Brother Russell appointed R. E. B. Nicholson as branch secretary in Henninges’ place.

PENETRATING THE AUSTRALIAN FIELD

With a carton of books loaded on his bicycle, American colporteur Arthur Davey set out to bring the Bible’s truth to people in the south of West Australia in 1910. Arthur Williams greatly appreciated his arrival in Donnybrook. He said: “Davey was a little fellow over sixty years of age, stooped, frail and he had consumption. His zeal and loyalty for Jehovah were marvelous.” By this time Williams himself had been tagged “Old Mad 1914!” due to his zealous proclamation of the approaching end of the Gentile Times.

Encouragement for the brothers came from many directions, even from the sea. Master Mariner John Smith, a captain of the White Star Line in 1912, would berth his ship and attend to company business as quickly as possible, devoting the remainder of his time to encouraging the brothers and delivering Bible lectures. Ecclesiae from Brisbane on the eastern seaboard to Perth in the west were united with their brothers throughout the country, as Smith carried news of the brothers’ activities from one to another.

By 1914 the Australian field had been penetrated far and wide, the work spearheaded by 21 colporteurs. About thirty-five newspapers throughout the country were publishing sermons, and 908 persons had subscribed for The Watch Tower in Australia and New Zealand. The field had been well seeded, as indicated in Zion’s Watch Tower of 1906: “The best day’s work done by a colporteur in this portion of the field has been in securing orders for 105 volumes of Studies in the Scriptures in one day; 103 of these were afterward delivered in a half-day. The same colporteur maintained an average of 50 volumes per day for two consecutive months.”

SIFTING THE “WHEAT”

The climactic year of 1914 arrived, and as the world exploded into war, Jehovah’s people began a most spectacular phase of their work. The Photo-Drama of Creation, illustrated with Biblical color slides and motion pictures, added greatly to spiritual provisions already fed to the children of the Kingdom, and many learned the truth this way.

Seeds sown in receptive hearts by Photo-Drama showings and literature placements had to be watered. Pastoral work began, with brothers calling to organize study groups among those manifesting interest. When selected sisters had gathered the interested ones together, brothers addressed the parlor meetings, answering questions and giving talks on such subjects as “The Three Worlds.” Pastoral work continued for a long time after the Photo-Drama had served its purpose in drawing the initial interest. Two hundred and fifty attended a locally arranged convention in Melbourne in 1915 and 14 were baptized.

A description of the final session of one of these early conventions makes interesting reading. The brothers and sisters would all stand around in a circle, clasp hands and then sing: “God Be With You Till We Meet Again.” Tears would flow. Then a plate of fresh grapes would be passed around. This was called a love feast. It allowed the brothers and sisters to enjoy final fellowship before departing for home.

ENDURANCE AND FAITH DESPITE HEARTBREAKING TESTS

In 1916 the growing prosperity of Kingdom activity in Australia again drew hostile fire. Signs of crisis began to manifest themselves within the organization. When news of Brother Russell’s death reached Australia, branch secretary Nicholson expressed sentiments felt by all: “For over a quarter of a century I have loved him, not only for his work’s sake, but also for his beautiful character.” The death of Brother Russell delivered Nicholson a blow he was not prepared to take. The later appointment of Brother Rutherford as president of the Society did not coincide with his personal views, so he abandoned the organization.

When he defected, Nicholson took with him most of the ecclesia, as he was himself greatly admired by many. He also took the deed for half the Society’s property. This left the loyal brothers to manage as best they could with just one of the adjacent houses making up the Bethel home.

Sister Jane Nicholson did not join her husband in his defection. What would this frail, Christian woman now do​—having experienced the double tragedy of her husband’s leaving her and also his abandoning the truth? No doubt many a woman would have capitulated under such a strain, or at least weakened in faith. But not Jane Nicholson! She continued as a devoted full-time worker right up to the time of her death in the 1950’s. She and her pioneer partner, Enid Duff, affectionately became known as “Nicky and Duff” throughout the entire state of Victoria and in many other parts of Australia.

A brother, who was part of a pioneer group in the mid-1930’s with Sisters Nicholson and Duff, tells about their early pioneer days: “They started pioneering on foot, and for many years had been working the towns along the railway tracks. They would take the train to a town, find accommodations by preaching from house to house and then use this home as a base.a They walked as far as they could into the country around the town, not missing a house. On they would go to the next town and the next, until the towns along that stretch of line had been completed. Then they came back to look after the interest they had located. They witnessed in some towns two and three times. One man, who watched their faithfulness for years and was impressed with their untiring zeal and Christian fortitude, made them a present of the Model A Ford car that they were now using in our group.”

There is no doubt that these sisters are wonderful examples of faith and endurance, especially to any today who face similar tests and trials of Christian faith and integrity. Those who knew these sisters feel confident that they are counted among those ‘whose works went right with them’ when finally they died.​—Rev. 14:13.

TIMELY ADJUSTMENTS

Meantime, Nicholson was misusing the Society’s funds. Pilgrim Ebenezer Brewster cabled Brother Rutherford, saying: “Nicholson opposing Society. Send help!” Back came the reply: “Nicholson removed. Brewster appointed, pending Johnston from South Africa.”

Mild-tempered “Uncle Eb” Brewster cared for the Society’s affairs in the branch for almost a year, from 1917 to 1918, until the arrival of Brother Johnston from South Africa. The storm was now subsiding, and the majority of the rebellious ones had separated themselves. The new branch supervisor, William Johnston, with his broad smile, happy outlook and humble spirit, was as refreshing to the brothers as a summer shower.

On one of his trips to New Zealand, Brother Johnston met Maude Murray, and in 1923 they were married. Sister Murray had arrived in New Zealand in 1912, after having been profoundly impressed by a lecture given by Brother Russell in Belfast, Ireland, in 1910. After her marriage to Brother Johnston, she joined the Bethel family in Australia. White-haired “Auntie Maude” is still serving there with vigor, at the age of 87.

The continuing war fever had resulted in the government’s banning The Finished Mystery in 1917. When the brothers learned that only a few pages of the book were considered objectionable, they cut them out, continuing to place the publication without these pages. The pages were not destroyed, however, and curiosity caused many to want to read them. An army captain told a publisher that he did not want the book, but would gladly contribute five shillings for the three pages that had been removed!

A PERIOD OF STRENGTHENING

From the Cedar Point, Ohio, convention in 1919, Brother Rutherford dispatched pilgrim representative J. P. MacPherson to Australia. He brought with him the text of the speech: “The World Has Ended​—Millions Now Living Will Never Die!” This was taken up by six speakers who addressed large audiences throughout the country. In the cities, newspapers frequently printed half-page announcements of such lectures. Attendances at times reached 1,500 and seldom dropped below 500. Afterward large quantities of literature were eagerly taken by those whose interest had been aroused.

In 1919 a family from Scotland arrived in Brisbane, Queensland. The mother was a Bible Student, and her son Richard Kinninmonth, of ready wit and fearless determination, would become identified throughout the length and breadth of Australia as a fighter for Jehovah. He finished his earthly course in 1969.

Tom Kitto, who later, along with his wife Rowena, became a well-loved figure in Jehovah’s service in Papua New Guinea, learned the truth in an unusual way. His sister Marjorie had come to a knowledge of the truth in Tasmania in 1920, but Tom was against it. When he got hold of his mother’s booklet on the subject of hell, he wrote sarcastically inside the cover: “Missus, there is no hell!” Marjorie jokingly says that ‘when mother had finished with him after his writing this in one of her precious booklets, he wasn’t so sure!’

In any event, it was this very same booklet that helped him to learn the truth. While his sister was making his bed one morning, she was surprised to find the booklet and his Bible under Tom’s pillow. Next thing, Tom was instructing his Sunday-school class in the Methodist church that the Bible does not teach a fiery hell. It was not long before he resigned and took up the truth.

At about this time Anne Beck, who learned the truth from a sister boarding in her home in 1913, would take the train at Yass, a small country town in the state of New South Wales, at two o’clock in the morning. She waited at her destination until daylight, then witnessed all day to all the homes she could reach, returning home at eleven o’clock at night.

The number of Kingdom publishers grew steadily. By the year 1921, when a national assembly was held in the Newtown Town Hall, Sydney, there was an attendance of 300. In 1922 came the welcome visit of Brother M. A. Howlett from the United States. With his arrival a convention was held in the Collingwood Town Hall in Melbourne. As happened at other conventions throughout the world at this time, the banner unfolded at the convention carried the exciting slogan: “ADVERTISE, ADVERTISE, ADVERTISE THE KING AND THE KINGDOM!” The work received new impetus.

PIONEERING THE USE OF RADIO

Using all available means to magnify Jehovah’s name in this “most distant part of the earth,” the brothers pioneered the use of radio in 1924 with a small experimental station in Launceston, Tasmania. The Society supplied scripts for the sessions and a brother and his wife narrated them over the air each Sunday.

Negotiations commenced late in the 1920’s for the first of the radio stations operated by the branch. This was station 2HD in Newcastle, New South Wales. Three others followed in South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland.

At one time, 20 radio stations were broadcasting the Kingdom message to the Australian public, and at convention times hookups from the United States brought much edification to Jehovah’s people. Locally, Bible plays, sometimes with as many as 20 different characters, were broadcast for the benefit of radio audiences.

BRANCH OFFICE CHANGES LOCATION

Branch overseer Johnston returned from a convention in the United States in 1928 and announced Brother Rutherford’s decision to transfer the headquarters from Melbourne to Sydney, which was more conveniently situated in many ways. So in 1929 the branch headquarters moved to a new home.

At that time the Bethel family consisted of 11 brothers and sisters. How pleasant were the surroundings in their new home at Beresford Road, Strathfield! Soon afterward a new brick structure was added, which accommodated the office and shipping department.

A change in branch administration came in 1930 with the arrival of another Scot, Alexander MacGillivray. He was a man of vision and zeal who had spent 10 years in New York in close collaboration with the Society’s officers at headquarters. Not only did he bring a freshness to the work in Australia and New Zealand, but he also helped to open up the work in Fiji, Tahiti and what are now Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, and even Vietnam, Hong Kong and China. Thirteen branches now care for this vast area. Before World War II it was served by the Australian branch office, which used the Society’s sloop, Lightbearer, and real “pioneers” to penetrate these territories.

DEPRESSION YEARS

By the 1930’s the good news was being proclaimed in Australia by 66 pioneers and some 400 publishers, and the seeds sown from the early 1900’s were sprouting into congregations. Along with the spiritual prosperity enjoyed by Jehovah’s people came a fading of financial prosperity for the Australian nation, as it was caught up in the worldwide depression of the 1930’s.

David Ward, an elder in the Denmark Congregation, Western Australia, relates a heartwarming experience of how Jehovah took care of his family during these depression years. He writes:

“We went short of everything except food. Our farm products brought very low prices, and much produce we could not sell at all. This meant we had plenty of plain food but could not afford to buy sugar or clothing. How were we going to look presentable and decent for the door-to-door preaching work? Jehovah admonishes charitable kindness in his Word, and just how responsive the brothers and sisters in Perth were can be seen in that, without our ever having to ask for their help, on occasion a large sack of good, used clothing would arrive at the local railway station addressed to us. There was another large family in the truth living nearby, and we were pleased that they were able to share the clothing with us.”

PIONEERS ADD THEIR VOICES

In spite of the many financial difficulties of the depression years, the pioneer work thrived. Joining forces, many pioneers formed group homes, using them as bases from which to preach in the cities. This made living easier, and brothers frequently contributed food parcels. As Ted Sewell relates, a bag of wheat and a grinder were the pioneers’ mainstay as far as food was concerned.

Pioneers assigned to large cities used real ingenuity to help ‘people of all sorts’ to hear the good news. One pioneer group in Sydney made special efforts to contact everyone at the city fruit and vegetable markets, which were open around the clock. Periods of 24-hour witnessing (nonstop) were organized each Friday for several weeks. A car group was assigned for about three or four hours; then these returned home, and another group took over for the next four hours or so. The pioneers equipped themselves with Italian booklets, for the gardeners and growers were mainly Italian speaking. Some of the Italian families in the truth today learned it in the middle of the night as a result of that pioneer work.

Faithful and tenacious though they were, some of the Australian country-pioneer groups looked rough and ready! Some groups had a large old car or trailer with sound equipment mounted on top, and usually a tent. Each member rode a bicycle loaded with books. Some would spend two or three days away from the camp, calling at homes in one direction while other members would do the same in other directions. All would return to the camp at a given time so as to move on to another site.

Literature was left at a low rate or traded for produce. On many occasions the pioneers returned to their central camp at night to find that one would have some potatoes, another a pumpkin, another eggs, meat, and so forth. This was regarded as even better than money, as it could be eaten. With sufficient clothing, food and shelter the pioneers were content and could continue the witness work.

‘REMEMBERING THEIR CREATOR’

A 17-year-old girl, Marjorie Fry, first heard the truth in the early 1930’s. She lived on a farm about six miles (10 km) from Bathurst, New South Wales, and was the only one of her large family who showed any interest. She tells of the special effort she made to attend a midweek meeting in Bathurst despite strong opposition from her mother and seven brothers. One of her brothers had promised to take her on his motorcycle, thinking she was going to the movie theater, but somehow he learned she planned to go to the home where the meeting was to be held. When she was about ready to leave, her brother decided he would not go after all. Now, how to get to the meeting?

Marjorie immediately went down to the paddock and saddled her small pony. On arrival, however, she was completely taken aback when a brother said: “Sister, we cannot let you in to the meeting in man’s apparel!” She explained that they were riding breeches​—a lady’s pair—​and told of the effort she had made just to be there. She was allowed in, of course, and the joy of attending the meeting made it all worth while.

Sister Fry progressed rapidly in the truth, and, in 1932, while still in her late teens, she became a pioneer. She has continued in this service until now and since her marriage to William Moss has enjoyed serving also in Western Samoa.

At the age of 19 Arthur Willis began pioneering around Perth, and in 1932 he made trips to the southwest of Western Australia on a motorcycle. Two partners, Charles Harris and George Rollston, joined him the following year. They began a trip through the northwest of the state to Darwin, capital city of the Northern Territory, and thence across Queensland. At this time there were no congregations in all this area, a distance of more than two thousand miles (3,200 km). This trip took the brothers four months to complete, and it was the first time some of these areas had heard the good news. Brother Willis later settled in Pingelly, Western Australia, where the congregation he helped to form was made up mainly of aboriginal Australians.

WITNESSING IN VAST TERRITORIES

A hardy pioneer, Aubrey Baxter, explains how he preached in territory that covered thousands of square miles in central and northern Queensland in the days when phonographs were used:

“We packed our phonographs in sponge rubber and strapped the pickup arm down so it wouldn’t be broken on the rough, jarring roads. We witnessed in some interesting places. I spent one night with a kangaroo hunter, sleeping on the dirt floor of his little hut surrounded by hundreds of odorous kangaroo hides. Trying to sleep with packs of howling dingoes [native wild dogs] outside was not easy either.”

While visiting the congregations in this area, Brother Baxter, on one trip, found the roads cut off by heavy flooding. A local man to whom he spoke expressed concern for a van that had gone through some days before, as the creeks were flooded and the water was as high as the treetops in some places. Realizing that this was the van belonging to a group of pioneers, Brother Baxter was worried. He followed them and, when stopped by flooded creeks, swam across and walked on. Eventually he found the stranded group, who had nothing left for food but some white flour. He and the other brothers swam back across the creeks, found some food and then ferried this across to the sisters in a tub.

This pioneer group was made up of Percy and Ilma Iszlaub, who later became missionaries in Japan and are now in the Watch Tower branch there, and Norman Bellotti, who is now a missionary in Papua New Guinea along with his wife, Gladys. Also in the group was Beatrice Bellotti, who later married Aubrey Baxter. As in other areas where hardworking, intrepid pioneers had been, this early pioneer work bore much fruit, and congregations of Jehovah’s people grew up in many of the towns and cities in Queensland.

IN REMOTE AREAS

As early as 1929, Clem Deschamp and his partner, Viv Pusey, preached to the whole of the state of South Australia within a radius of 60 miles (100 km) of Adelaide. This seeding work paved the way for congregations and isolated groups in later years.

In 1932 Len Linke stepped into the pioneer service as a result of a fiery talk on the subject of pioneering by regional service director Bert Horton. With Ronald Payne, William Torrington and Stuart Keltie, he pioneered throughout South Australia during 1933. Later that year Brothers Torrington and Keltie made a trip to Alice Springs in the heart of Australia. On the way they met a hotelkeeper at William Creek, some six hundred miles (1,000 km) north of Adelaide. It was from this initial contact that he learned the truth. This man, Charles Bernhardt, still remembers the sound of Brother Keltie’s wooden leg thumping on the floor of the hotel as he was busy in the cellar below.

At the age of 72, Brother Bernhardt bought a rugged vehicle for use in the outback and then for 15 years pioneered some of the most remote areas of the country on his own. Before selling his store and hotel at William Creek, he set a fine example of putting Kingdom interests first, no matter what the circumstances.

Donald MacLean, serving as circuit overseer, tells of his first visit with Brother Bernhardt:

“Arriving at William Creek, I found that the train stopped for a considerable time while the men rushed to get to Bernhardt’s Bar for a supply of cold beer. On entering the bar I was delighted to find it theocratically decorated. A large sign on one wall invited the men to ‘read The Watchtower, announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom, the hope of the world.’ A second sign invited them to read Awake! and keep awake to world events. Piles of magazines, booklets and bound volumes covered the bar counter itself.

“When everyone had finally been served and satisfied, Brother Bernhardt called for their attention. ‘Gentlemen, may I have your attention, please? I invite you to have copies of the finest magazines on earth today.’ Following his respectful, bold witness, each of the thirsty men contributed for copies of the magazines, threw a sack of beer over his shoulder and returned to the train. It was outstanding that out of respect for Brother Bernhardt’s Christian reputation there was no profanity or foul speech in the bar.”

Now almost ninety years of age, Brother Bernhardt is not able to make his trips into the remote outback areas anymore, but he still preaches the good news from his house in Adelaide.

PIONEERING IN THE OUTBACK

Outback pioneer Joe Bell learned the truth from a pioneer who was working country areas on a cycle. Within days of that first contact, he was witnessing himself. He visited homesteads 300 miles (480 km) northwest of Brisbane, Queensland, and tells of some of the hazards of travel in those days:

“I had to carry my cycle in many places because I ran into continuous banks of sand where there was practically no roadway. Some of these journeys were very perilous. Traveling through open country, the only living creatures to be seen were roving mobs [herds] of bullocks, and they could be dangerous as they are very curious. So it was necessary at times to take refuge in a tree and wait until the bullocks grazed away, allowing me to continue my journey.”

In one particularly isolated area, an owner of a cattle station (ranch) lent Brother Bell a horse to ride the 25 miles (40 km) to the next property, for, as he said, “You’ll never get there on a bicycle!” On Bell’s arrival at this next property, the owner, Jack Carey, was out mustering cattle. His wife said she would pass on to her husband the book and catalog that Brother Bell left with her. Many years later, at a convention in Sydney, this same Jack Carey sought out Joe Bell to say that he had learned the truth from the book left for him. He had written to the branch for more information and was now a dedicated brother!

A PIONEER AMONG PIONEERS

Noted for his determination and persistence to “get the message through” in the outback was Ben Brickell. For decades he plied the remote areas of the country as an isolated pioneer. Brother Brickell had come from New Zealand in 1932 and became another of the faithful band of rugged pioneers of those early days. He continued on in the full-time ministry right up until his death in 1974.

The following is typical of the colorful life and experiences that Brother Brickell enjoyed to the full:

“In early August 1932, I left Townsville, Queensland, on an 800-mile (1,300-km) journey to Normanton on the Gulf of Carpentaria. Loading my bicycle with 60 bound books, some booklets and magazines, a change of clothing, a roll of two blankets, some foodstuffs and a small water bag, I set out on the first stage of my journey over Mount Fox on the Great Dividing Range. The one-mile (1.6-km) climb over Mount Fox, on a track of one-in-three gradient, took me nine hours of arduous toil as I propelled my heavily loaded bicycle with my right hand and my left shoulder behind the load. Then down the steep track on the other side the next day, after witnessing to the small settlement on the mountaintop and receiving a night’s hospitality at one of the homes there.”

Many aboriginal Australians were contacted by Brother Brickell over the years. “After my giving a talk to one gathering,” he related, “the entire audience came forward to thank me warmly for the truths I had told them from the Bible. On another occasion, 50 aborigines came to hear a talk within a few minutes of my arrival, although the camp was in complete darkness.”

LONG DAYS IN SERVICE

Even for those who could afford a motor vehicle in those days, pioneering in the rugged Australian countryside was not an easy task. Alan Holtorf, a member of the Bethel family for a number of years, commented on using his car in Kingdom service:

“The fuel tank was under the front seat, so the seat had to be removed to refuel. Tires were of poor quality and punctures were frequent. Often it was necessary to patch tubes on the roadside, then wait for the patch to dry before putting the tube back in the tire. On steep hills it was sometimes necessary to turn the car around and back up, otherwise the gravity-fed fuel would not flow from the gas tank to the engine. To spend a day preaching, it often involved leaving home at about four o’clock in the morning, arriving at the town about eight o’clock, spending a full day witnessing in the town and then traveling home after dark.”

Life in the rugged outback country is not generally considered suitable for women. But Netta Pusey, for more than fifty years a pioneer servant of Jehovah, endured such demanding conditions, playing the phonograph to farmers and sheepshearers in woolsheds. She often found it necessary to wade a river, carrying her heavy phonograph and book bag, too. Netta’s sister Gladys, devoted wife and mother in the Mouritz family, reared her seven children while keeping active with her one-armed husband, among the hills of Bowral, New South Wales. It was fine to see the entire family out in service, packed into an ancient-vintage open automobile. Today, son Viv Mouritz serves as coordinator in the Australian branch. The other sons are all active in congregations in Australia’s largest city, Sydney, and one of them, Douglas, serves as city overseer.

AMID DROUGHTS​—AND RAINS

A group of pioneers set out from Sydney, loaded with 31 cartons of literature. They headed for a sparsely settled area where landholdings were each about a quarter of a million acres. That summer was very hot and dry, and the group reported they went for six weeks without finding enough water to have a bath! Then, when the rains finally came, the roads were impassable. The group were stranded in one spot for a week. When eventually they got moving, it took eight days to travel 38 miles (61 km)!

Pioneer Robert Bell tells of cycling fifty to sixty miles (80 to 96 km) in a day and making just five or six calls. He says that dogs and snakes were the worst hazards on the bicycle. At seven o’clock one bitterly cold morning he rode to his first call. The mud was still frozen hard, and it took two hours to ride from the mailbox to the homestead. In these regions it is not uncommon for the homestead to be up to twenty miles (32 km) from the mailbox. After a favorable response at the homestead, Brother Bell then ventured back to the road, to find that by this time the sun had softened the mud, making it impossible to ride the bicycle. This made it necessary to carry it and its load of literature on his shoulders and stop every few steps to scrape the mud from his boots, because they became too heavy to lift. He reached the road five hours after he had left it and had made only one call.

THE “NEW NAME,” AND AFTER

The adoption of the new name, “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” by congregations in 1931 was a time of great rejoicing and presented the challenge to live up to it. The number of pioneers continued to grow steadily, and by the year 1932 there were 280 in the field.

Every available opportunity was seized to further Kingdom interests and to contact people with the message of truth. The official opening of the famous Sydney Harbor Bridge in 1932 provided a good occasion to publicize the Kingdom because crowds of people were drawn into the city from all over Australia. Lilly Cattach, who later married Wally Wood, joined the throngs of Witnesses in Sydney that day. She relates that the publishers went into the city early, standing on the streets, offering booklets as people came by. One zealous sister went to a policeman in the middle of the road and gave him a booklet to use in directing the crowds. She told him it would help. He smiled and waved the booklet as he directed the milling people. One big man displaying a prominent gold watch chain alighted from a tram (streetcar), buried his face in his hands and groaned aloud: “I’ve just come from the United States, and to think I have to meet one of your crowd here, too!”

Ernest Clark, who first learned the truth during World War I, relates how interesting it is to look back at the various ways used over the years to present the Kingdom message. “Sometimes,” he says, “we were aggressive, sometimes mild and at other times we used a Testimony Card and did little talking.” He recalls with a smile the period when the brothers were advised not to allow the householder to interrupt because it was usually to say that he or she was not interested. So the publisher was encouraged to keep talking nonstop until the householder had at least been told about the Kingdom. One householder made several attempts to interrupt him but finally gave up. He continued on, as he describes himself, “like a wound-up spring, until I had completely run down.” When he finished, the woman finally was able to get in her comment: “But brother, I’ve been in the truth for 16 years!”

In March 1932 the Society arranged for a national convention to be held in the Sydney suburb of Ashfield. The brothers gathered in the Town Hall and enjoyed an edifying spiritual feast. The advantages of street witnessing were brought to the attention of the 600 brothers in attendance. Ensuing years saw an intensification of street work, and also the use of sound equipment came to the fore. Mob opposition began to be stirred up by priests, as in Wangaratta, Victoria, and Tamworth, New South Wales. Harold Gill, who still serves faithfully in England, led out in fearless campaigns against mobsters.

BROTHER RUTHERFORD VISITS SYDNEY

In 1938 J. F. Rutherford, the Society’s president, visited Sydney for a convention, which was held in the Leichhardt Stadium. Plans were made for him to give the public talk at the Sydney Sports Ground, and contracts were signed for his address to be published in a morning newspaper and broadcast throughout the country by radio. By this time Brother Rutherford was well known for his outspoken remarks about the activities of the Roman Catholic Church in public affairs. As a result, the press and radio authorities wanted to censor his speech before handling it, but this was unacceptable to the brothers. So arrangements were made to include it in a booklet under the title Freedom or Romanism? One million copies of this bright-red “bombshell” were printed for distribution throughout Australia. Meanwhile, Brother Rutherford was the center of intense publicity. As a result, close to ten thousand people came to hear him speak. At that time there were only 1,300 Witnesses in all Australia, so the witness given was great indeed.

One of the reasons for Brother Rutherford’s visit was to examine complaints about certain commercial activities that the Australian branch had developed to give brothers employment. He was satisfied that these things were not harming the preaching of the good news and commended Brother MacGillivray on his initiative. However, later on these enterprises were to bring trouble and difficulty.

SOUND CARS TO THE FORE!

Many sound cars broadcast the good news throughout cities, towns and rural areas. Cars were fitted with a loudspeaker on top and a turntable inside on which were played short musical items, followed by recordings of Brother Rutherford’s Bible lectures. After the lecture the brothers followed up by calling from house to house.

In Hobart, Tasmania, a sound car had been used several times to broadcast the lectures to over three hundred factory workers while they were eating their midday meal in pleasant surroundings at the docks. One day the brothers noticed the police waiting, obviously thinking of preventing the broadcast before it began.

A kindly old fisherman who had previously shown some interest had tied up his boat at the dock. The brothers approached him, and he agreed to allow them to set up their loudspeaker system on his boat, which, of course, was private property and could not be interfered with by the police. So the prepared program went on as planned. The workers continued to hear the lecture, while the police walked back and forth on the dock in sheer frustration.

An easily recognized vehicle in the cities was the “Red Terror,” a bright-red panel van with a large sound horn mounted on top. Bert Horton, in turn a regional service director, zone servant and finally a member of the Bethel family, along with his wife, Vi, operated this outstanding vehicle for many years. In one year almost every street in Melbourne resounded with stirring exposures of false religion.

Such work ideally suited Brother Horton, who was affectionately known in every state of the country as “Armageddon Horton.” This was because of his fiery talks and his encouragement to the brothers everywhere to put Kingdom interests first in view of the imminence of Armageddon. Bert Horton and his wife were fine living examples of doing this very thing, and Bert served faithfully at Bethel in his advancing years until his death in 1972. Sister Horton continues on as a member of the Bethel family and still does her day’s work at the age of 78.

IN AND OUT OF COURT

Pioneer George Powell spent a memorable period with Bert Horton in sound-car activity. After working in Melbourne, they moved out into smaller country towns. In Whittlesea, Brother Powell offered literature to a man who, without saying a word, held out a sixpenny (5-cent) coin on the end of his finger in return for some literature. “Now,” he said, “you are under arrest for selling books without a license!” He was the local policeman in plain clothes. It so happened that court was in session that day, so Brother Powell was taken along, and the judge said he would hear this case first. The courtroom was full. All present received a good witness and did not appear unfriendly toward Brother Powell.

By this time the other brothers began to wonder what had happened to him. While the court was in session, Bert Horton peered around the door and was shocked to see his partner on the witness stand. Brother Powell was fined ten shillings (then the equivalent of $2, U.S.) for “selling books without a license.” He refused to pay the fine, because, as he told the court: “I have ten shillings, but I’m not willing to pay it, because I am preaching the Gospel and we don’t pay fines for that!” He was released, but for years afterward the police were calling at his sister’s home in Melbourne, trying to collect the fine.

THREATS FROM MOBS

Angry Salvation Army members mobbed the brothers in Townsville, Queensland, threatening to turn the sound car over. Opposition to the Kingdom proclamation was growing, religious leaders striving to turn public opinion against Jehovah’s people. Matilda Marsh was pioneering in Tasmania when a priest-inspired mob attempted to roll her trailer over a cliff into the sea. Later an angry crowd hurled large stones at the group of pioneers, badly damaging the trailer, and while they were away witnessing in rural areas the trailer was set afire and destroyed.

As sound cars and zealous publishers broadcast the Kingdom message throughout cities and towns, they often met with opposition from clergy-incited mobs. Lloyd Barry recalls the time when he and Tom Bradburne (Sydney congregation overseer and circuit overseer in those days) were in Catholic Maitland, New South Wales, for an assembly. At the last moment local authorities canceled the use of the Town Hall by Jehovah’s Witnesses, so at the time of the public meeting the brothers parked a sound car outside the hall and, using the loudspeaker, made a strong statement of protest, calling for recognition of freedom of speech and religion.

As the statement ended, a large mob that had gathered swarmed around the car and started to turn it over. But just at this moment a policeman appeared on the scene, and the mob, thinking he was about to arrest the brothers, stood back. However, the officer put his head through the car window and said: “Boys, if you value your lives, get going out of this!” Brother Bradburne revved up the engine, a way seemed miraculously to open in the crowd, and the car accelerated its way down the road with the police officer riding as passenger on the running board! Events like this were not infrequent in the days of sound-car activity.

CONFRONTING MOBS AT ASSEMBLIES

For Brother Barry this was the first of three successive weekends of coping with opposition to the Kingdom. On the following weekend he was chairman at an assembly in Lismore, New South Wales, serving there with a longtime pioneer, Arthur Willis. The public talk “Fascism or Freedom” had been widely advertised, especially by an information march with placards, participated in by some sixty local publishers. Everyone was talking about Jehovah’s Witnesses. There was also talk of a large group of Catholic sugarcane cutters coming in from the rurals to disrupt the scheduled meeting.

Sure enough, by the time the chairman stepped forward to introduce Brother Rutherford’s transcribed talk, a mob of several hundred husky-looking men had gathered at the back of the hall. Seeing the situation, the chairman made an outright statement about the tactics that Catholic Action had been using up to that time to disrupt the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Immediately a spokesman for the group jumped up on a chair and started to call out, “Stop speaking against my ’ligion!” Turning to a lone police sergeant on duty, the chairman said, “Put that man out!” Even though this sergeant had arrested Brother Willis several days earlier during street magazine work, on this occasion he actually did put the man out!

The leaderless mob then listened in silence to the entire one-hour lecture. As it ended, however, they proceeded to create an uproar. They overturned a table displaying Bible literature. One of the mob threw a plastic “stink bomb” onto the platform, but as it landed the chairman caught it with a dropkick and sent it flying over the heads of the audience into the midst of the mobsters, where it burst​—to their discomfort. By this time police reinforcements were on the scene. They separated the mobsters from Jehovah’s Witnesses and their friends, who were able to retreat from the hall to the tune of loud booing.

It was on that same weekend of September 3, 1939, that Britain declared war on Germany; World War II was to bring further problems for Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The following weekend was marked by an assembly in the city of Toowoomba in the south of Queensland. This again was highlighted by a huge information march with the use of placards, the police providing protection against the mob that had gathered. On returning from the information march, Brother Barry and the zone (circuit) overseer, Douglas Begg, were summoned to the office of the city mayor. He informed the brothers that a short time earlier two Protestant clergymen had called at his office protesting against one of the signs in the march​—“Religion Is a Snare and a Racket.” Shortly afterward a young Catholic priest had called on him with a message from the bishop, directing attention to the Church’s support of the war effort and requesting that Jehovah’s Witnesses be denied use of the Town Hall the following day. The mayor had therefore canceled our hall booking.

At the scheduled time our sound car was parked outside the Town Hall, but the police prevented an attempted announcement over the loudspeaker. The assembly had to disperse without hearing the public lecture.

However, the meeting of the local city council was to be held the following evening. This provided the brothers the opportunity to prepare a direct, strongly worded letter to the city council, protesting this denial of freedom of speech. At the meeting that evening, the letter was read and council members debated its contents at length. About half of them were in favor of freedom of speech and the other half supported the mayor. The following morning the entire proceedings, including the full text of the letter itself, were published in the local newspaper. This gave a tremendous witness to Toowoomba and the surrounding rurals, where many expressed themselves favorably about Jehovah’s Witnesses.

KINGDOM PREACHING DURING WORLD WAR II

Jehovah’s rich blessing continued on the preaching work, and each year notable conventions were held in most of the capital cities throughout the country. With the outbreak of World War II, it became increasingly difficult to rent public halls or auditoriums for conventions. The only place available for the convention planned for July 1940, when the book Religion was to be released, was under canvas on the grounds of Bethel in Sydney. Large tents were erected adjacent to the Bethel home and office in the area where now stands a Kingdom Hall and parking lot.

By this time placard marching, or “information parades,” had become quite a feature of Kingdom publicity, and it was decided to use this means of advertising in a pronounced way during this convention. Unknown to the convention administration, police officers had quietly come to the roadside just outside the tents. They listened carefully to the field service announcements, taking down details of all the prearranged meeting places on specified corners of streets in Sydney and suburban shopping centers. Police were then sent to these areas, where they waited to arrest the brothers as soon as they put on their placards.

One brother recalls that he and his partner made a mistake and went to the wrong corner. Thus they were able to wear their placards without any interference. When no other publishers came to join them, however, they realized they had come to the wrong place. When they found their way to the correct corner, the policeman waiting for them there greeted them with a smile and said: “What kept you?” He then took the placards they were wearing and the banners they were carrying and asked them to accompany him and the other brothers, who had arrived earlier, to the police station. It was quite a procession and attracted a lot of attention as ten or twelve brothers followed the two police officers, who were carrying the signs in such a way that they could be clearly read by all the passersby. In fact, this brought more publicity than if the brothers had been permitted to wear their placards without interference!

NEW ARRIVALS

In December 1940 Wallace Baxter and Percy and Madge Dunham arrived at the Strathfield Bethel home. Brother Baxter had been caring for the Branch at Tallinn, Estonia, since 1930, and Brother and Sister Dunham had been at the branch in Latvia. As World War II was raging and as Brother Baxter and the Dunhams were British subjects, the Society’s president advised them to try to gain entry to any English-speaking country available. The mature experience of these brothers was very much appreciated by those serving in Australia during these trialsome war years.

For several years after arriving in Australia, Brother Baxter continued his full-time service at the Society’s depots in Brisbane and Melbourne. In 1948 he returned to Bethel and he continues to serve as a member of the Branch Committee at the age of 85.

Brother and Sister Dunham were welcomed into the Bethel family immediately, and Brother Dunham’s fatherly manner and carefully chosen words of Scriptural wisdom, as well as his own long experience in life, were cherished by many of the young brothers then serving at Bethel. He died in June 1951, but Sister Dunham continues to serve at Bethel and is able to do a full day’s work though she is in her 79th year.

HEARING NEWS OF THE BAN

With the Battle of Britain raging and Australian troops fighting in North Africa, it is not surprising that hysteria mounted. The clergy of Christendom took advantage of growing adverse public opinion against Jehovah’s people and exerted pressure politically and through the newspapers to have the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses banned. Politicians in various state parliaments repeatedly demanded that the federal government act. Attorney General W. M. Hughes at first resisted this pressure, stating that the nation was fighting a war for freedom, and he did not propose to defeat its aim by taking that freedom from some of its citizens.

At this time the Society owned and operated four radio stations in Australia. A newspaper, which gasped its last not long after, threw out veiled insinuations that these radio stations were surreptitiously broadcasting information of value to the Nazis. This charge was never taken up in the courts, for there was not a shred of evidence. It was based on the old premise that if enough mud is thrown, some of it will stick. But, added to the prevailing war hysteria, it seemed to tip the scales.

In January 1941 an order-in-council was gazetted that “any body, corporate or unincorporate, . . . prejudicial to the defence of the Commonwealth or the efficient prosecution of the war, is thereby declared to be unlawful.” National security regulations provided that any such body was to be dissolved and its property forfeited to the Crown. Members would not be allowed to meet for study and worship, nor to print, circulate or have in their possession any books or other matter pertaining to the organization.

Equipped with these powers, the Commonwealth authorities seized the Society’s branch office, factory and warehouse at Strathfield on Saturday, January 18, 1941.

However, due to lack of coordination between Attorney General Hughes and Prime Minister Menzies, notice of the impending ban was actually given the brothers many hours in advance. This space of time allowed the brothers at Bethel to dispose of private material in the office. Commenting on this governmental mix-up, a military authority, quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald on January 18, 1941, said: “The ban could not have been more incredibly bungled. No one could give eighteen hours’ public warning of intention to search a man’s premises, and then expect to find anything of interest when he arrived.”

Responsible brothers at the branch office could not but feel here was evidence of angelic direction and guidance. With this prior notice the brothers in the office were able to remove files and records from the property. Truckload after truckload of Kingdom literature was transported out of Bethel to hideouts throughout the city.

When later, in the early morning, some half dozen black government limousines arrived at the property, “the cupboard was bare.” Practically all the literature that the brothers needed so much had been cleared out of the shipping department and was safe in other areas.

The following week, five members of the Bethel family were imprisoned for six months each on the neutrality issue, the court denying their plea to be recognized as ministers.

SERVING UNDER BAN

All the Society’s departments were locked and barred with the exception of the residence where the Bethel family was permitted to continue living. Armed guards were placed on duty night and day to ensure that none of the Society’s property, now claimed as forfeited to the Crown, was moved away. All bags taken in or out of the premises were searched, and visitors had to state their business before being allowed to enter Bethel.

Office equipment, including typewriters, was put under seal by the security officers. At night, however, members of the Bethel staff could enter the office through the ceiling, remove some of the equipment and substitute blocks of wood, so that it appeared that the machines were still there. Branch operations continued unobserved, in the attic. For quite some time the branch staff continued underground operations above, while guards patrolled the grounds below! A system of buzzers was installed in various parts of the grounds to warn of approaching cars or security officers. At times the sisters, ostensibly washing dishes, would stay at their job by the hour so as to observe the approach of any suspicious visitors.

With the imposition of the ban, all literature, including Bibles and large supplies of paper, was either seized or sealed in the Bethel headquarters. Just prior to the ban, a very large shipment of the book Religion, the booklet Government and Peace and recordings of the latest Bible lecture by Brother Rutherford arrived at the wharf in Sydney. Due to the dark cloud that was hanging over Jehovah’s Witnesses at that time, the customs department refused to permit this literature to come into the country. So it just lay there.

When the ban was imposed, however, officialdom apparently realized that someone had to pay wharfage dues. Rather than do that, they trucked all this literature and the records to Bethel and stored them in the large shipping department. The knowledge about all this literature and valuable printing supplies, such as large stacks of hard-to-obtain printing paper, sparked the ingenuity of the Bethel family.

Four armed guards policed the Bethel property, and the shipping department and printery were under seal. However, the back wall of the shipping department bordered on a little-used railway siding. So at night, using methods reminiscent of Ezekiel 12:5-7, the brothers could enter through this wall by removing some of the brickwork. From the inside they managed to open the doors into the yard without breaking the seal, and so all was set for ‘bringing out the luggage.’

In this situation Bethel service would start after midnight and proceed to about 4 a.m., a period of time when the guards were least attentive. A hidden telephone system reaching out to the various Bethel buildings was monitored by a brother who was in a position to watch all four guards at their posts. While these slept, he kept the all-clear signal in effect. But if any of the guards moved, the warning would immediately be given, and the doors of the building would silently close until all danger had passed.

On one occasion when Brother MacGillivray was returning home by car the usual guard at the front gate was missing. He alighted and walked ahead of the car but was met by two guards running from their office. Two shots were fired at him. One of these pierced his shoulder. He was assisted into the Bethel building, with blood pouring from his wound. Brother MacGillivray made a good recovery, but six months later he died.

OTHER UNDERGROUND ACTIVITY

For two and a half years the brothers continued to operate underground. Not a single issue of The Watchtower was missed during the entire period of the ban. During that time tens of thousands of copies of bound books, magazines, tracts and other material were printed. The quality of printing was fairly comparable to the original product received from the United States. During the ban Jehovah’s people missed none of the new publications, the complete Yearbook also being reproduced each year.

All literature published by the underground printing arrangement bore the imprint: “Printed by George Gibb, whose usual place of abode is . . . .” This met the legal requirement that all publications should bear the usual place of abode of the printer. The police searched everywhere for Brother Gibb but could never locate him​—he lived right at the published address! Brother Gibb’s name thus became well known throughout the entire country. He has served as a well-loved member of the Bethel family since 1928 and still works in the branch printery at 85 years of age.

Since the ban prohibited the literature of the Watch Tower Society, as well as the holding of meetings in halls or large groups, the brothers met regularly in private homes. Door-to-door work continued, using the Bible only. Where genuine interest was located, return visits were made and literature introduced.

A sister in Melbourne, who witnessed regularly from house to house using only the Bible, says that often householders phoned the police. They would keep her talking until they saw the policeman coming. Then they would excuse themselves, and, departing, she would walk straight into the policeman. Then it would be the same old routine: The police would look into her bag, inquire what she was doing and try to find even one piece of the banned literature. But, of course, all they could find was the Bible! Often they would take the names and addresses of publishers but could do no more. Our sister remembers at least two different policemen saying words to the effect: ‘Don’t worry, but it would be better now to move to another area, a few streets away. I would like you to know there are more policemen for you than against you!’

DESPITE THE BAN​—A CONVENTION IN 1941!

A national convention in 1941​—this is what the brothers in Australia desired. But how, with the ban on? We would see whether Jehovah would make possible and bless such a convention under ban conditions. The dates were set for December 25-29, and the convention was to be patterned after the one in Saint Louis, Missouri, earlier that year. Because it was impossible to obtain suitable facilities anywhere, the brothers used vacant land belonging to the Society, at Hargreave Park, about eighteen miles (29 km) from Sydney.

Brothers came from all parts of Australia, mainly by train because of gasoline rationing. The Western Australian government, however, refused to provide rail facilities for our conventioners, creating a seemingly impossible situation for brothers almost three thousand miles (4,800 km) away.

Undaunted, the brothers in the West equipped their cars with gas-producing units operating on charcoal. By departure time on December 11, they had prepared nine cars and trucks for the grueling six-thousand-mile (9,600-km) round-trip journey. A Kingdom Farm in Western Australia supplied charcoal to carry the convoy over the 720 miles (1,160 km) of rough, unpaved desert road from Norseman to Penong in South Australia. From then on there was at least a proper road and some towns.

The entire journey to Sydney took 14 days, one solid week of which was spent experiencing the hardships of the Nullarbor (meaning “No Tree”) Plain. Fine dust clogged hair and clothes, and washing in the limited supply of water, which was brackish and with a high mineral content, only turned the dirt into mud. Cars had to stop and refuel with charcoal every 50 miles (80 km). Slower-moving vehicles operated 24 hours a day, the drivers taking duty in shifts, eating and sleeping as the convoy crawled across the wilderness.

The military, police and fuel board officials demonstrated how mean officialdom can get when they seized the supply of emergency gasoline at the last town before the desert crossing. This meant that the brothers had to push the first car two or three miles each morning until it was started on charcoal gas; then, this car would tow the others until they got started. But, triumphantly, the convoy arrived in time for the opening of the convention. The newspapers, so derogatory in their advance publicity when the trek across the Nullarbor was in progress, were strangely silent when the entire group of delegates arrived in Sydney safe and sound.

A highlight of this convention was the release of the Australian-printed edition of the Children book. This book had been released at Saint Louis, just four months earlier. On obtaining a copy of the book, Brother MacGillivray gave the order: “Print the Children book!” It seemed impossible for the underground factory to carry out such an assignment. Even under ordinary conditions the branch in Australia had never yet produced a bound book! However, under the oversight of master printer Malcolm Vale, a fearless organizer, the underground organization got to work!

The various printeries used were ostensibly doing ordinary secular printing, and when police officers inspected them from time to time that was all they saw. But in the middle of the night the wraps would come off the Society’s printing project. Many were the book signatures that were produced by the time dawn came around.

One of the biggest problems was binding the books. The brothers rented an unused warehouse, and the bindery equipment was carted in there at night. Shifts of brothers and sisters worked there day and night, producing books after the same pattern as those published in Brooklyn. Sometimes, after a few days, the neighbors got curious as to what was going on, and perhaps the local police would take an interest. This was the signal for packing up the entire bindery in the middle of the next night, loading it on trucks and transporting it to another rented warehouse. And so the process of binding and producing the books went on week after week. The bindery had to change locations 16 times. But the brothers were rewarded with seeing a fine supply of the book ready for release at their convention.

Since the Society’s literature was banned, the release of the book also had to be done quietly. For one early-morning session of the assembly, the conventioners were directed to private homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses in various locations. There the book was released to the small group in attendance at each place. The branch overseer’s report in the next Yearbook said: “In the face of overwhelming odds, the printers did a job which could have been completed only by consecrated labor and in the strength of the Lord. Each child received his gift, and 20,000 of the book are now in circulation throughout Australasia.” Six thousand attended the convention under ban!

BRANCH CHANGES

Closely following the convention, an eviction notice was delivered to the Bethel family on May 8, 1942, requiring them to leave within 24 hours. The army was to occupy the premises. Members of the Bethel family took up residence in houses nearby.

Shortly after the death of Brother Rutherford on January 8, 1942, Brother MacGillivray also finished his life course, on July 22, 1942. Philip Rees now carried on as branch overseer. Then 26 years of age, Brother Rees had been in Bethel since he was 15. He knew the workings of the branch thoroughly, having had constant contact with its development. Today he and his wife, Maudie, are members of the London, England, Bethel family.

Before his death, Brother MacGillivray had begun legal proceedings in the High Court of Australia to challenge the validity of the ban. At the same time, letters of protest and petitions were sent to various officials in a steady stream.

Stirred on by this fight for freedom and by nationwide publicity of the work, the publishers’ activity continued to prosper. Due to the disruption of mail services, however, it took time and hard work to get the organization back to its former efficient working basis. But after several months, with Jehovah’s help, this was done.

DIFFICULTIES UNDER BAN

The brothers experienced difficulties and pressures due to the ban conditions. Alex Miller remembers police breaking up a meeting where a number of brothers were being trained for the servant-to-the-brethren (circuit) work. However, by the time the first policeman, who discovered the meeting in progress, went back to tell his colleagues, the brothers had left the building via a railway embankment, and all got away safely.

Later the Society asked Brother Miller to go to Brisbane to take care of one of the congregations there. But how was he to get there? Train travel was restricted to military personnel or those traveling with orders from the government. Brother Miller thought about the problem for a while and then decided to go dressed as a clergyman! He succeeded in getting passage on the train, carrying two large suitcases filled with copies of the Yearbook, which had been printed underground. In this way the brothers in Queensland received their copies of the 1943 Yearbook.

Aubrey Baxter used another ruse to get literature into the hands of the brothers. He collected Children books in Brisbane and traveled by train to the far north of the state. At each place where there was a congregation he left the train with a carton of literature. Each time he tied a circular saw blade to the outside of the carton. Police always met the trains and passengers were scrutinized, but the circular saw blade and our brother were always allowed through!

Brother Baxter relates the type of suspicion that war hysteria had created in the minds of the authorities at that time: “One day at the Kingdom Farm in North Queensland two carloads of police and military men swooped in, wanting to know where the searchlight was that we were supposed to have used for the enemy’s benefit. It so happened that we had worked for several nights with a light shining on a dam that we were building. Another ludicrous charge was that we were supposed to have a field of corn planted in code so that the enemy could read it from the air! This ridiculous charge was, of course, also proved false.”

CONVENTION EXPERIENCES

Brother Lloyd Barry, who later served as a missionary and branch overseer in Japan, and who is now a member of the Governing Body in New York, recalls with delight some of those difficult yet exciting times. He relates that the 1942 convention had to be held in household groups. Serving as chairman at the Melbourne convention that year, he remembers the tremendous effort the brothers made to present the program.

One large convention was out of the question, so the conventioners who had come from all parts of Victoria were distributed among 12 homes of the brothers. There were fifty or sixty in attendance each day at some of these homes. Each speaker would give his talk at all these locations, which meant his giving the same half-hour talk 12 times. Although the brothers did not hear the convention talks in the regular order, they were able to enjoy the entire program due to the fine efforts made by these traveling speakers.

During the convention Brother Barry stayed at the pioneer home in Hawthorne. All went well on the first day, but about five o’clock the next morning there was a cry from the front of the house: “Police!” It was an early-morning police raid!

Brother Barry had in his satchel a detailed outline of the program for the convention and written details on procedures to be followed if police should raid any of the convention meetings. This was really “hot” material, and there he was trapped in the back room of the house with it!

The police were now coming through the home, pulling out drawers and overturning things. First, he tried to stuff the satchel under the mattress of the bed, but it was obvious that it could be seen there. He went to the window, and sure enough, there was a plainclothes policeman standing at each corner of the house.

Looking out the window again a few moments later, Brother Barry saw one of the policemen momentarily leaving his post. Opening the window, Brother Barry threw the satchel as far as he could into the vegetable garden. What a wonderful sight to see it land amid a patch of cabbages and the cabbage leaves close over the top of it! The next moment the police were in the bedroom, pulling everything to pieces, asking probing questions, but they never did obtain that valuable information concerning our convention plans.

FURTHER RESTRICTIONS FOILED

The several Bethel departments had been decentralized and were working in underground offices in various parts of the city of Sydney. The Witnesses were able to work from door to door with the Bible only. This resulted in many home Bible studies being started with those who showed genuine interest on the first few calls. The work of preaching and disciple making continued to increase, in spite of the ban conditions.

When the authorities saw that the Kingdom work continued to prosper, they tried harder to disrupt it. Restriction orders were served on all the prominent brothers that they could find. These orders required each brother concerned to live in an isolated town or village. He was not allowed to move outside a five-mile (8-km) radius of the center of the town, under penalty of imprisonment.

The authorities restricted Australian branch overseer, Philip Rees, to the town of Picton, where he was kept under surveillance. Happily, the town was only 70 miles (110 km) out of Sydney. Though he was not permitted to move out of that town, there was no restriction on other brothers visiting him there. Hence, two nights each week the brothers who were not restricted, and who were keeping things going, stoked up a charcoal-gas car and drove out to Picton to meet with Brother Rees in a secluded ravine.

COURT ACTION TO LIFT BAN

In due course, the Society’s legal action against the Commonwealth came to trial in the High Court of Australia. Litigation was based on Section 116 of the Constitution, which forbade prohibiting the free exercise of religion. As there were no lawyers among the brothers, the Society was obliged to meet the high fees involved in securing the best counsel in the country, and they put up an excellent fight. The chief counsel for the Society told the brothers that, contrary to his expectations, he had so thoroughly enjoyed the proceedings and was so impressed with the sincerity of the brothers that he wished to reduce his fees.

Legal examination revealed that the edict that had brought forth the ban was in violation of the Constitution. The High Court of Australia is equivalent to the Supreme Court of the United States, and the case was heard by the trial judge, Mr. Justice Starke. This judge had no difficulty in seeing the injustice that the ban had perpetrated. Opposition lawyers tried to whip up an emotional case based on what the Society had said about the symbolic beasts of Revelation in volumes such as Light (Books One and Two). After listening to that kind of argument for an entire morning, the judge yawned and, looking at the clock, remarked: “The beasts have a hungry look​—let’s adjourn for lunch.”

In his opinion, Mr. Justice Starke declared that the ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses was “arbitrary, capricious and oppressive.” He recommended the lifting of the ban, but since the case was such an important one he referred it for final decision to the full High Court of five justices. The Court’s findings were in favor of the Society. This decision was handed down on June 15, 1943, one day after the notable decision in behalf of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the flag-salute case in the United States. Hence, the brothers in Australia rejoiced at the same time as their brothers in America over grand theocratic victories! Eventually the government returned all the Society’s property.

Commenting on the banning of the work and the subsequent lifting of the ban two and a half years later, Mr. Justice Brennan, a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland, summed things up with heartwarming perception, when he said:

“A state of hysteria existed in our public life for some time after the outbreak of the present world disaster. When it became evident that our very existence was likely to be immediately threatened by an invasion of a foreign power, the hysteria became a panic. Jehovah’s Witnesses, as an organization, was set upon and was subsequently banned. When matters somewhat cooled down, the High Court of Australia, in its traditional British calmness, gave judgment against the banning of the organization and restored the Jehovah’s Witnesses its constitutional rights to religious freedom.”

Under ban conditions the number of Kingdom publishers had increased notably. From just over 2,500 for the 1940 service year the number rose to 4,328 reporting for the month after the ban was lifted. This was made possible by keeping the theocratic organization intact, even though it had to operate underground.

FLAG-SALUTE AND NEUTRALITY ISSUES

Shortly after the High Court victory, the flag-salute issue was discussed in newspaper articles. By the end of July 1943, there were 50 children who had been expelled from schools in the state of Victoria for refusing to salute the flag. Later an agreement was made with the authorities in Victoria that children of Jehovah’s Witnesses could make a brief declaration each Monday morning of their willingness to obey the laws of the land that were in harmony with the law of God.

In June of 1943, special pioneer Frank Grundy was sentenced to imprisonment for refusing to take the oath of enlistment in the army. His defense that as a minister of religion he was not required to take the oath was not upheld by the magistrate. An appeal was lodged. Eventually a written judgment, holding that Brother Grundy was a “minister of religion” within the meaning of the Defence Act, was handed down by the higher court. This judgment became an accepted precedent of inestimable value in gaining recognition for other representatives of the Society.

These favorable decisions preceded a noticeable change in the attitude of magistrates when hearing the claims of young men of Jehovah’s Witnesses for exemption from military service as ministers of religion.

GLENELG CAMPAIGN

Even as World War II had ended, prejudice whipped up by superpatriots and their religious allies continued to have its effect. From April 27 to 29, 1945, a series of conventions featuring the public talk “The Meek Inherit the Earth” was arranged for 14 cities throughout Australia. In most of these cities the conventions were held without interference. However, the situation was different in Glenelg, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. Here, while Hubert Clift was introducing the speaker, Bill Carnie (later to become branch overseer in Hong Kong), a large group of soldiers entered the hall, creating an uproar and demanding that the program start with the national anthem. One group made a rush at the sound equipment. However, a brother who had previously been a well-known boxer was guarding this equipment. He warned the men that if they tried to do damage to the Society’s property, he would have to protect it. After two of them had failed to heed the warning, the remainder very quickly retired with cries of, “We thought they wouldn’t fight!” But the uproar continued. It was impossible to control the intruders, and the meeting had to be canceled.

It seemed important, however, that this message should be delivered to the people of Adelaide, as it had been to the people in 13 other main cities of Australia. Hence three brothers, Philip Rees, Lloyd Barry and Norman Barnett, flew over from Sydney to Adelaide to organize a further campaign and meeting.

Brother Barnett used to relate that he had been the fourth volunteer accepted for enlistment for overseas service in the Australian army during World War I. Captain Barnett had suffered severe shrapnel wounds during the Anzac landing at Gallipoli in April 1915. However, he later became a valiant fighter for the Kingdom interests. His function in the campaign of Adelaide was to visit various returned soldiers’ meetings, introducing himself as “Anzac No. 4” and then reasoning with these men on the attitude they should show toward Jehovah’s Witnesses. In this way, he was able to give a very effective witness.

At the same time the other brothers wrote up a special issue of Kingdom News. This was then dictated over the telephone to Sydney. As each section was typed out it was handed to the Linotype operator in the Society’s factory. Within a period of hours this Kingdom News was not only typeset, composed and printed but was on its way to Adelaide by air freight. Twenty-five thousand copies were available for distribution by the South Australian publishers on the Saturday prior to the public talk, which was again scheduled, this time for the Adelaide Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

During the distribution of the Kingdom News, in the suburb of Glenelg, three brothers, including two of the visitors from Sydney, were accosted in the street by a large mob of soldiers. These ruffians seized the brothers’ literature bags and strewed their magazines over the street. They demanded that the brothers put up their hands and fight. However, the brothers stalled matters for about an hour by trying to reason with them from the Scriptures. But suddenly the mob dispersed, as into thin air. What had happened? Looking down the street, the beleaguered brothers could see someone coming from the next corner. It was no other than the former boxer who had so ably protected the Society’s sound equipment on the occasion of the first meeting. The mob had no stomach for facing him again.

Shaken by this hard experience, the brothers returned by streetcar to the Adelaide Kingdom Hall. There was Norman Barnett standing on the steps of the Hall, and when he saw them he waved at them with a copy of a newspaper in his hand. Looking at the newspaper, they were thrilled to find that the evening Adelaide News, with a circulation of some seventy-five thousand copies, had reprinted most of the Kingdom News word for word on its front page, without comment. Taking their cue from this, radio stations that had refused paid advertisements up to this time started freely to announce the forthcoming public lecture as part of the news.

Again on Sunday morning the publishers in the field were delighted to be able to distribute the Kingdom News, including an invitation to the talk “The Meek Inherit the Earth” to be given that afternoon. Many fine experiences were enjoyed. Those who at first showed opposition were introduced to the previous evening’s Adelaide News. Many changed their attitude then and there, gladly accepting a copy of Kingdom News. Sunday afternoon, despite threats of violence, the lecture was given as advertised, at the Kingdom Hall, which was packed full to overflowing, with many listening out on the road. There was frequent applause from a most enthusiastic audience. Thus Jehovah provided a far greater witness than would have been given if the opposing superpatriots had refrained from interfering with the initial lecture scheduled at Glenelg.

SERIOUS SPIRITUAL DIFFICULTIES FOR AUSTRALIA

It started to become evident that all was not well with the work in Australia and that Jehovah’s blessing was not flowing as it should be. The first hint was a drop of publishers from an average of 3,898 in 1944 to 3,532 in 1945. At first the decline was attributed to circumstances of the time. But when the decline continued the following year to 3,294 publishers, there was cause for genuine concern. With the war over, most countries were enjoying stimulating increases. The series of legal victories should have fired the brothers with greater zeal and enthusiasm.

Voicing concern, Philip Rees commented in the report sent for the 1946 Yearbook: “During the hard years of opposition, particularly 1943 and 1944, a greater witness was given by more publishers, putting in more hours, than was done during the service year of 1945. Beyond understanding though it is, the vision of some has dimmed and they have lapsed into irregularity or in some cases even into inactivity. In discussion, these brethren usually agree that there is much to be done and that there is a responsibility resting upon them. Because they lack the flow of the holy spirit, however, they are slow to shake off their lethargy.”

The commercial activities of the previous five years now began to take their toll. During the years of war and ban, they had provided a means of supporting many former full-time servants who could not carry on their pioneer service because of the ban. However, the organization had actually gone too far by establishing commercial enterprises, and this had had a disturbing effect on many brothers.

RESTORATION OF JEHOVAH’S BLESSING ON THE BRANCH

As soon as he was in a position to do so, Brother Rees took steps to liquidate these enterprises. But it was a very hard process, involving the lives of many who had accepted this kind of service in support of the organization. The adjustments were made, however, and by the time Brother Rees was called to the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead in 1946, the enterprises had been completely cleared out.

Nevertheless, mistakes had been made over those years, and something was needed to clear the air. Then all the brothers could again press forward wholeheartedly in the all-essential work of Kingdom preaching. The first visit to Australia by the Watch Tower president Nathan Knorr in March 1947 provided the occasion for this.

Brother Knorr dealt forthrightly with the situation. Accompanied by the acting branch overseer, Brother Laurie Wills, he visited all the provincial capitals of the Australian states. He talked plainly to the brothers about the situation that had existed. Then he presented a resolution for their consideration.

Following is the full text of the resolution adopted by the brothers in assembly in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Launceston, Brisbane and Sydney:

“THAT we may enter with clean hands and hearts upon the blessed postwar privileges of service which our brethren in all other lands are enjoying, we do not wish to shield ourselves from any due responsibility for this falling off, both in publishers of God’s Kingdom and in the publication of the Kingdom message.

“THEREFORE, that no secret faults may cling to us, we desire herewith, in the presence of Jehovah God and His King Jesus Christ, to confess that during World War II we put forth our hands in various ways to the iniquity of this world at war; we put various properties of God’s consecrated people to what we now realize was a part of the war effort and propaganda, thereby violating the true neutrality of all footstep followers of Christ Jesus who were in the world but not authorized to be part of it. This, as is very evident to us now, has not had Jehovah’s blessing. It has brought reproach and misunderstanding with respect to his name and cause, and has troubled and weakened the brethren. We do not wish to shift the blame for this course of conduct upon any particular one or ones, but wish humbly to confess to a common responsibility for this matter here in Australia.

“THEREFORE, we, Jehovah’s witnesses in this great Continent, do hereby confess our sins and faults and shortcomings openly and jointly before Him and we do ask his forgiveness and mercy through Christ Jesus, that he may blot out our transgressions. Trusting in his gracious restoration of us to his favor, we declare our purpose to walk more circumspectly through this postwar period, turning away from worldliness and seeking to maintain our integrity henceforth unspotted from the world.”

Tears of joy filled the eyes of men and women as the occasion had at last arrived when, jointly, the Australian brothers could plead for Jehovah’s forgiveness.

During his visit to Australia, Brother Knorr could see that a fresh administration was needed, so he appointed as branch overseer Floyd Garrett, who had been sent to Australia the previous year from the United States. Brother Garrett had received training in the first class of Gilead School and at the Brooklyn headquarters. He soon endeared himself to all the Bethel family, as well as to the Australian brothers.

A fellow graduate from the first class of Gilead, Benjamin Mason, had come with Brother Garrett and was appointed as district overseer. The service of these brothers was most effective, as they had received fine training in the Society’s new arrangements for the postwar period.

POSTWAR REORGANIZING

Semiannual circuit assemblies began in February 1947, with the first being held in Perth. Moreover, from their inception in 1948, district conventions were to stand out as milestones in spiritual progress. A postwar circuit overseer remembered by many was Adrian Thompson, who covered every section of Australia before leaving in 1947 with the first contingent of 17 students for Gilead School; later he was to serve as Japan’s first circuit overseer.

From the beginning of 1948, three more circuit overseers went into the Australian field. These brothers, John Cutforth, Donald MacLean and Robert Smart, had arrived from Canada following training at Gilead School.

Before the three brothers left Brooklyn Bethel for their voyage to Australia by ship, Brother Knorr called them into his office and explained the special reason for their being sent to Australia. Their aim was to work hard to counter the depressed spirit many brothers felt because of the events of the World War II years and the mistakes that had been made. By encouraging and building up the brothers, accompanied by a strong lead in the house-to-house ministry, much good could be achieved. Undoubtedly the faithful service and example of brothers such as these contributed in no small measure to fine spiritual progress in the following years.

CIRCUIT ACTIVITY

When assigned to a circuit that covered hundreds of miles, Brother MacLean served the congregations by means of a motorcycle. This was a difficult means of transportation on some of the Australian country roads of the late 1940’s. We will let him relate some of his first impressions of this new and strange land:

“We newcomers experienced some fascinating moments in traveling through remote, isolated areas. My first encounter with a flock of emus [huge, ostrich-like birds] was interesting, but unnerving. On my way through an outback area on the motorcycle, I met a family of emus blocking my passage. They are extremely curious birds and were apparently fascinated by the flashing of my chrome mirror and handlebars in the sunlight. Not knowing how to treat an emu, I hesitated to rush through the flock and possibly risk my life, so I stopped the vehicle. Having no intention of moving, the big birds stood there for some time, so I decided to make the first move.

“I blew the horn and roared the motor. The emus only moved closer, their curiosity increasing. This was rather frightening, so I backed off a little, blew the horn and roared the motor again. But the emus moved even closer! I decided to take my chances and charge through the flock, which even then only slightly parted to allow me to go through. As soon as I got through, the birds began to give chase alongside the road. It was only when I reached about forty m.p.h. [64 k.p.h.] that I was able to leave those huge birds behind, much to my relief!”

Brother MacLean’s motorcycling days are now, of course, well in the past. In 1951 he married an Australian sister, and since then he and his wife, June, have continued faithfully in the circuit and district work in every part of Australia right up to the present time.

Toward the end of 1948 Benjamin Mason was called to Bethel from the district work, and Brother Cutforth was appointed to care for the work of district overseer. At this time there was just one district for the whole country, consisting of 14 circuits. So the overseer had to cover many thousands of miles as he served circuit assemblies twice each year. For nine years Brother Cutforth continued in this service, becoming known and loved throughout this vast land. Still remembered are his vivid word pictures and illustrations, as well as his kind approachability and willingness to take time to listen to problems of brothers and sisters of all age groups, no matter how pressing his schedule. In 1957 Brother Cutforth left Australia to work in Papua New Guinea, where he still serves despite advancing years and poor health.

Brother Cutforth told about one circuit assembly he served in western Queensland: “A few hundred brothers from Queensland journeyed hundreds of miles westward to Goondiwindi for our first circuit assembly there. Since no hall was available, a very large tent was brought out from Brisbane and erected on a vacant lot. Earlier in the week heavy rains had been falling. On Saturday, torrents of rain fell, and our circuit activity meeting was almost a ‘washout.’ Sunday the rains eased off and the sun shone for the public talk, but the townspeople knew that the effects of these heavy rains were not over. The nearby river would become higher and higher as floodwaters would reach the town in some hours. Sure enough, floodwaters started lapping into our tent. Soon they were swirling around and we were walking knee-deep in water, with slime, snakes and debris all around. The waters ran through the stores in the town, in the front doors and out the back. Our cafeteria was under water. What a job the cafeteria servant had as he fed a few hundred of us until the following Wednesday, when the waters had abated sufficiently to allow all safely to return to their homes!”

The circuit overseers stressed the need for personal study, as well as conducting home Bible studies with interested persons. With increased Bible studies came more publishers and expanded activity throughout the land. A comment in the report for the 1949 service year states: “The large attendances of good-will people at the circuit assemblies and [congregation] public talks show there is no lack of interested persons in this land. Multitudes desire the truth and want to serve the true God, Jehovah. Now that the vision of the brethren is increasing as a result of more private study, they are beginning to perceive that the ‘harvest is truly plenteous.’”

STIMULATING PROGRESS IN THE 1950’S

Excitement mounted in early 1951 as the second visit of Brothers N. H. Knorr and M. G. Henschel drew near. What a different atmosphere greeted the travelers from Brooklyn headquarters for this visit! It was in sharp contrast to four years earlier when it had been necessary to deal with deep-seated problems. Truly Jehovah had blessed the work of his servants as they went to work with renewed zeal and cleansed Christian consciences after adopting the resolution put to them by Brother Knorr.

This 10-day visit was highlighted by a national convention at the Moorefield Park Racecourse in Sydney. Outstanding at this assembly was the Memorial celebration, which was celebrated in the open stands of the convention grounds. As Brother Knorr spoke, and later the emblems of unleavened bread and red wine were passed around, the bright, full moon shone serenely from a cloudless sky over Botany Bay.

By this time Floyd Garrett had returned to the United States, and Roy Moyle had been looking after the responsibilities of branch oversight prior to Brother Knorr’s arrival in March 1951. During this visit, Brother Moyle received an invitation to attend the 18th class of Gilead School. He subsequently returned to Australia, where he continues to serve as an elder in one of the Brisbane congregations.

Soon afterward Theodore Jaracz was sent to Australia as branch overseer. He greatly encouraged the brothers throughout the country by his zeal for theocratic orderliness and a fine lead in the field. He often took the opportunity to serve circuit assemblies reasonably close to the branch office in the role of district overseer. After some five years in the Australian branch, Brother Jaracz returned to the United States, where he and Sister Jaracz now serve at the Society’s headquarters, Brother Jaracz being a member of the Governing Body.

THE CHALLENGE OF REACHING REMOTE AREAS

“Unassigned territory” work began in 1952, and probably few countries in the world would have as great a challenge as does Australia with its great stretches of isolated inland areas. For many years it had been a source of concern as to how these remote parts of the country could be reached more regularly with the Kingdom message. Faithful brothers had worked the isolated regions in the 1930’s and 1940’s, but they had really only scratched the surface as far as preaching and disciple-making work was concerned.

Enthusiastically, the brothers developed this field of activity. Trucks, cars, motorcycles, camping gear and large stocks of literature were all readied for trips extending from a few miles to many hundreds of miles. One congregation asked for an assignment of territory that was 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from their home base. A three-ton truck was prepared for the trip, with a motorcycle and several bicycles in the back, along with supplies. Several cars joined the truck, and some months were spent working that territory assignment.

One small congregation held a permanent territory assignment stretching over six hundred miles (960 km). One brother called at a home where he remembered placing literature back in 1933. After a brief conversation, the householder was able to recollect the previous visit, accepting all the latest publications and subscriptions for both magazines. After the brother witnessed to the aboriginal employees, the host and hostess accompanied him to the gate and, with beaming faces, said they hoped another 19 years would not pass before he was able to revisit them!

In some areas the territory was assigned to groups of regular and special pioneers rather than to congregations. These brothers had to live under primitive conditions in many cases, but the spirit they showed was reminiscent of the pioneer spirit of the early 1930’s.

One such group in the northwest of New South Wales lived in an old abandoned house. The brothers would travel many miles to calls and witness from property to property using bicycles. They sometimes had little to eat and generally, in that area, the people’s response to the truth was slow, but this did not dampen their spirit. When Brother John Wilson, circuit overseer at that time, visited this group, he recommended that they make fresh return calls on all those who had shown any interest, even though the interest may have appeared to have waned.

This unassigned territory campaign and the groups of pioneers working such areas meant that the whole of the Australian field was receiving a fine witness. Congregation after congregation sprouted up in these country towns.

EXPANSION CONTINUES

With the arrival of the film “New World Society in Action” the brothers were introduced for the first time by motion pictures to the international magnitude of Jehovah’s organization. The precision of the operations of the Society’s factories, office procedures and facilities at the world headquarters helped the brothers to feel closer to the “mother” organization. This film was shown throughout the country in towns and cities to packed halls.

The year 1954 saw the average number of publishers in the country rise to 6,874. The number of circuits increased to 21, and there were now 3 districts. Donald MacLean became the second district overseer, with another brother serving part-time in this capacity.

In March of 1956 Brother Knorr made his third visit, at which time we held a national convention in the same Sydney Sports Ground that had been used during the visit of Brother Rutherford in 1938. The 1956 convention drew an attendance of 8,149.

It was in November 1956 that a new branch overseer, Douglas Held, from Canada, took oversight in Australia, supervising the work for seven years. The work continued to expand without letup during the latter part of the 1950’s. The 10,000 mark was exceeded for the first time in 1957 with a new peak of 10,290 publishers. Just 10 years earlier the number of publishers had been 3,516.

Bible students continued to come from the ranks of tens of thousands of migrants pouring into the country from Europe each year. An urgent call was sent out to brothers in Western Australia to consider serving in the eastern states where most of these migrants settled, thus making the need there much greater.

Western Australia had always had a much higher number of publishers in proportion to population than the other states. When Brother Theodore Jaracz was branch overseer, he made an announcement at one of the Perth district assemblies that was to become almost legendary. Speaking directly to the spiritually prosperous and expanding West Australians, he said: “You make ’em, and we’ll take ’em!” This saying really caught on, and brothers and sisters from all parts of Western Australia responded marvelously to this call for assistance. To this day many of those who answered the call to ‘step over and help us’ (Acts 16:9) from the West are filling key positions of responsibility in eastern cities and towns where congregations have developed from “barren soil.”

During the decade from 1950 to 1960 the publisher ranks increased from 4,502 to 12,746, with a peak of 14,090 in the field.

As the years passed, problems caused by lack of transportation over the tremendous distances around the country diminished. More and more centers began to be served by regular air, rail and coach lines, and roads were greatly improved. In 1961 a “first” in Australian history was recorded when brothers from various parts of Australia attended a district assembly in the isolated city of Darwin. Brothers from all over the country were invited to travel to the convention. Chartered coaches set out from Adelaide in the south, Sydney in the southeast and Queensland in the east. This was the first time that coaches had attempted to cross the thousands of miles to the northernmost city of Australia. Prior to this the only links with the other centers had been by rail or air. After the success of the convention and the coach journey, two commercial coach lines opened up regular services over the same routes.

Assemblies stand out as milestones in the lives of all of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Australia, as in other countries of the world. One such was the convention held in Melbourne in the wintry month of August 1963, as one of the series of Around-the-World “Everlasting Good News” Assemblies. Newspaper reports of the assembly said: “Melbourne has seen some marvelous conferences . . . but I don’t think we have ever seen anything like the ‘Everlasting Good News’ Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses. . . . When F. W. Franz, [the then] vice-president of the Watch Tower Society, was to give his address, ‘When God Is King Over All the Earth,’ over 12,000 were jammed into the huge Sheep Pavilion [of the Melbourne Showground].” The actual attendance was 13,142, including 682 who listened to the talk in German, Greek or Italian.

PREACHING EXPEDITION

By the beginning of the 1964 service year, 15,045 Witnesses were serving Jehovah God throughout the land. Three hundred and eighty-five congregations were served by 29 circuits and 3 districts. During this year a journey was undertaken by two young pioneer brothers that was to take in territory never before worked.

The proposed preaching expedition was to cross the Nullarbor Plain, the treeless desert stretch that spans 720 miles (1,160 km) between South Australia and Western Australia. Once across the desert, the pioneers would head due north across the wilderness center of Western Australia until reaching the northwest coast of Australia. From there the coast would be followed to Darwin. Thirty-four years previously, Brothers Bert Horton and Frank Rice had driven their vehicle across this desolate area on their way to Sydney, witnessing to the few settlements found along the dirt-track road. Since then, occasionally pioneers had also crossed this desert plain, witnessing along the way. None of these expeditions, however, followed the railway track instead of the regular highway. The brothers making the 1964 trip intended to reach the men working in gangs on the railway.

Two pioneer brothers in northwest Queensland were asked by the branch office to work their way south to Sydney. From there they would cross the Nullarbor Plain to Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, and go north to Port Hedland, Broome, Derby, Wyndham and then across to Mount Isa in Queensland for the district assembly in October 1964. The two brothers, Frank Lambert and Terry Reynolds, set out in June for the Sydney branch office.

Between Mount Isa and Sydney they traversed the infamous Birdsville Track, a dangerous stretch of barren, unsealed desert road stretching for over five hundred miles (800 km). A few months earlier an entire family had lost their lives on this inhospitable stretch of road. Their car had broken down, and because of not carrying sufficient water, father, mother and children all perished. The pioneer brothers were glad that they safely reached the small town of Bourke in western New South Wales, and from there on to Sydney they witnessed along the way.

At Bethel some work was done on the Land-Rover vehicle, and Brother Lambert, with a new partner, Harold Burkett, set out to cross Australia.

On July 15 they left “civilization” at Port Augusta in South Australia and headed west alongside the railway line toward Kalgoorlie. Sometimes not even a rough track was visible. At one property they were greeted with the words: “There is only one religion that I have any time for​—and that is Jehovah’s Witnesses!” Needless to say, the brothers were thrilled with this announcement. Arrangements were made for a study of the Bible to be resumed by mail with these people, as they had lost touch with the truth since moving to this isolated property. After an evening spent in Bible discussion, the two pioneers left next day with full tanks of fuel and a sheep that had been slaughtered for them the day before.

Sometimes they would have to travel through drifting sand hills for miles at a time, necessitating the continuous use of four-wheel drive. During one particularly heavy section, they were startled by a loud bang from underneath the vehicle. Examination revealed that the crown wheel and pinion in the differential had broken. Brother Lambert set off to walk along the railway track to the nearest small town. When he had covered about five miles (8 km), a railway linesman met him in a small motorized rail trolley and gave him a ride for the rest of the way. After telegraphing for the parts to make repairs on their vehicle, they had to wait eight days, allowing time for a thorough witness to the small town of railway workers.

At last, on August 11, the two pioneers arrived at Kalgoorlie and the congregation there gave them a warm welcome. The trip from Port Augusta to Kalgoorlie, including the time lost because of the breakdown, had taken five weeks. They had covered 1,395 miles (2,245 km), spent a total of 426 hours in field service, and placed in the hands of workers and families 606 magazines, 48 books, 15 booklets, 16 subscriptions and conducted two public meetings.

After leaving Kalgoorlie and heading north into the wilderness region of the center of Western Australia, things went more smoothly. Without any further major mishaps the two brothers finally arrived back at Mount Isa, just in time for the district assembly there in October 1964. They were both very grateful for the experience of this eventful trip involving many miles of desolate stretches of inland Australia.

BRANCH ADJUSTMENT AND STIMULATING ASSEMBLIES

On January 3, 1964, branch overseer Douglas Held left for the United States to attend Gilead School and to serve again in his native Canada. Melbourne-born John Wilson, who had spent eight years in the traveling work, was appointed in his place.

Interestingly, quite a number of brothers who served as circuit overseers and in other capacities in Australia later became branch overseers (or coordinators) in various parts of the world: brothers such as Robert Lazenby, who served in New Zealand; Maxwell Lloyd in Paraguay; Donald Clare in Fiji; Douglas King in Sri Lanka; Harvey Logan in Taiwan; William Carnie and later Kenneth Gannaway in Hong Kong; Ronald Jacka in Indonesia; Norman Bellotti in Singapore; Joseph Jenkins in Cyprus; Keith Young in Pakistan; Alfred Wicke in Malaysia; Lloyd Barry in Japan; James Smith in Papua New Guinea and Glenn Finlay in the Solomon Islands.

The “God’s Sons of Liberty” District Assembly in 1966 resulted in an upsurge in the ranks of the pioneers. From 758 that year, the number climbed until the total of 1,946 was reached in 1970.

With the arrival of 1969, the grand international assembly to be held in Melbourne and another visit by Brother Knorr occupied the thoughts of the brothers. This assembly precipitated the largest movement of brothers ever in Australia. Six special trains came from different parts of the country, in addition to about forty coaches and many chartered aircraft. The opening day of the previous international assembly, held in 1963, saw close to seven thousand in attendance; but in 1969, just six years later, this figure was trebled! The peak attendance of 26,075 showed the fine spirit of the brothers, as many of them came thousands of miles to attend.

ENTERING THE 1970’S

The 1970’s saw great changes in both theocratic and commercial areas of life throughout the country. There were just over twenty thousand publishers of the Kingdom and by the end of the decade more than thirty thousand.

In the northwest of the continent, mining boomtowns sprang up virtually overnight, and the preaching work followed soon thereafter. The administrator of an iron-mining town said of the town’s inhabitants: “Most are of non-Australian birth​—like me, 17 years in this country but born German. We’re a melting pot and that’s good.” The towns of Port Hedland, Dampier, Exmouth, and Nhulunbuy on the Gove Peninsula, dormant for years, started to grow at a staggering rate as mineral discoveries were made. This has caused a shifting in population, and pioneers have been assigned to reach the people there.

High wages and opportunities for quick material gain in these mining towns often make interest in spiritual things hard to stimulate. However, here and there interested persons are found. District overseer Donald MacLean tells of one such thrilling response:

“My companion and I were finding the going difficult in this very unresponsive part of the territory. Finally, in response to another negative reaction to our doorstep approach, I said: ‘All we wish to do is simply find people with a sincere heart who are fed up with this ungodly system and long for God’s Kingdom to take over!’ To our amazement she looked me right in the eye, paused, and then said, almost demandingly: ‘Come in. Sit down. I have something I want to ask you!’

“Somewhat stunned, we entered and were drilled with about five questions, which were basic matters of concern to most thinking people today. The answers took no more than twenty-five minutes. Within that short time this sincere young married woman accepted the truth! She explained that for several days prior to our visit she had ‘put God on the line’ and in prayer had said that unless someone answered her questions, she would give up belief in God, the Bible and religion. We both felt humbled and privileged to have been used by Jehovah in such a dramatic way to answer her prayers almost immediately.

“Her next concern was for her husband to hear the ‘good news.’ He was a Canadian mining engineer. As I had come to Australia from Canada after graduating from Gilead School, what better rapport than for a Canadian to witness to a fellow Canadian! I was soon to find out how wrong this assumption had been. After a rather fruitless discussion of some length, he stomped out of the room in disgust, as he was told that all of us are born in a condemned state due to being sons of imperfect Adam.

“When my wife and I left the following week to attend the next circuit assembly, this call was handed over to a young pioneer couple who had recently begun full-time work. The brother was not well educated and spoke slowly, having come from the cane fields area of north Queensland. He was such a contrast to the Canadian engineer that we really wondered whether he would be able to make any progress with this proud intellectual. But once again the eternal truth that it is ‘God who makes it grow’ proved correct. (1 Cor. 3:7) The very warmth, sincerity and happy spirit of the pioneer brother gradually wore down the hard shell of the crusty Canadian until he agreed to a regular home Bible study and accepted the truth!”

A DECADE OF THEOCRATIC CHANGES

In this 10-year period changes of a far-reaching effect have been experienced also in theocratic matters. The end of 1971 and beginning of 1972 saw the introduction of the elder and ministerial servant arrangement. Looking back over the 10 years since then, one can see the tremendous spiritual advantages that have come to congregations as a whole, as well as to publishers individually.

Later these same benefits flowed when branch administration was moved from the care of just one man to a group of mature and experienced elders. Here in Australia, Brother John Wilson was appointed branch coordinator, and the other four brothers of the Branch Committee were Wallace Baxter, Maxwell Lloyd, David Madzay and Ronald Walters.

ASSEMBLY HALLS APPEAR

It was also in the decade of the 1970’s that Assembly Halls were acquired. In Sydney, a clothing factory that had closed down was purchased in July 1974, and by the end of September that same year, a fine Assembly Hall had been created, capable of holding 1,600 people.

In December 1975 the beautiful Assembly Hall in the picturesque suburb of Ridgehaven in Adelaide was dedicated. The hall is situated on five tastefully landscaped acres. Just two years later, on 10 acres of land less than 10 miles (16 km) from the heart of Perth, the third Assembly Hall was dedicated at Welshpool. This Assembly Hall is also set in attractive surroundings, with a refreshing stream flowing through the landscaped grounds.

In 1982 another Assembly Hall was completed, in Melbourne. It is the largest of the four halls built so far. Capacity crowds of up to 3,000 can be accommodated here, and the 40 acres of ground provide much scope for landscaping and beautification in the years ahead.

IMMIGRATION BRINGS VARIETY AND THEOCRATIC GROWTH

For decades the Australian government has pushed its immigration plan, believing that this sparsely populated island continent urgently needs more people. By the mid-1970’s about 40 percent of Australia’s population had either been born overseas or were descendants of overseas parents. This number included many Witnesses who were not very much at home with the English language. The migration of so many people from other lands to Australia also provided large tracts of non-English-speaking territories.

During 1974 and 1975 there were 14 ethnic congregations formed, and this number has since risen to 52. Now there are congregations speaking Arabic, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish and Serbo-Croatian. Their meetings are conducted entirely in their respective languages. Recently small groups of Chinese, French and Vietnamese have also been formed. A great deal of the increase in recent years has come from these ethnic congregations and groups. Circuits have been formed consisting entirely of congregations in the Greek and Italian languages. Circuit assembly and district convention sessions are held in all the above-listed languages, in addition to the English programs.

BRANCH OFFICE ENLARGEMENT

One of the most tangible evidences of growth in Australia took place during the 1970’s. This was the enlargement, in 1972, of the Bethel home, offices and factory to about four times its previous size. The entire construction was performed by volunteer labor under the oversight of Roy Battle, a brother who is an experienced builder.

The brothers responded magnificently with contributions toward construction costs. A brother handed the branch overseer an old playing-card box, which, when opened, revealed no less than $1,000. An elderly pioneer brother sold a house and made an outright donation of $10,000 to the Society, with an additional $10,000 given as a loan.

The resultant three-story building added 32,000 square feet (3,000 sq m) of floor space to our original 8,000-square-foot (750 sq m) building. Dedication of the new structure took place in January 1973.

GROWTH IN KINGDOM PUBLISHERS

The 1976 service year saw a new peak of 29,101 Kingdom publishers. Perhaps some were disappointed when their expectations of dramatic events failed to take place in that year. This test of our motives for serving Jehovah may have had some bearing on the fact that the publisher figures did not reach this total again for over three years. Then in January 1979, we reached a new peak of 29,247 publishers. Happily, a steady, healthy growth in those publicly praising Jehovah has been seen since then, with over thirty thousand reporting during the year of 1980. By August 1981 a peak of 31,898 had been reached, and five more peaks in the 1982 service year brought the publisher figure up to 33,982 in April.

ANOTHER THRILLING ENLARGEMENT​—A COMPLETE NEW BETHEL COMPLEX

In February 1977 we enjoyed a visit by Brother Milton Henschel of the Governing Body, serving as zone overseer. Over fourteen thousand persons attended the two talks he gave in Brisbane and Sydney. During his visit, the proposal was made to make further enlargement to the branch headquarters.

Situated approximately twenty miles (32 km) southwest of the existing branch headquarters in Strathfield is the Society’s Kingdom Farm. It occupies about a hundred acres of the choice heights of Ingleburn at Denham Court. This is a fine location, elevated and semirural, yet situated just under thirty miles (48 km) from the heart of Sydney with its busy seaport. What better place could there be for a larger new Bethel complex! The proposed new structure was planned to be three times the size of the existing complex in Strathfield.

Just as had been experienced with the enlargement of the Strathfield premises in 1972, response by the brothers and sisters in volunteering their time and skills has been outstanding. For those unable to be present physically, the support in financial and other ways has been marvelous.

There was a regular construction Bethel family of about one hundred and thirty for more than a year on the project. Many brothers, some skilled in construction work, were not able to devote full time to the project. So special arrangements were made to have groups of 50 at a time from all states of the Commonwealth come to spend periods of up to two weeks working and living on the site. Some busloads came the long distance of 2,500 miles (4,000 km) from Perth, and these groups stayed for three to four weeks each time. As portions of the factory and office sections of the complex were completed, these were turned into dormitories to house the brothers making up these groups of 50. Most of them came without their wives and families for the two-week period. One of the brothers on the building committee said: “I think the two-week program was a highlight of our working arrangement, and it has run very smoothly and has been a tremendous help.”

One group of 20 brothers from Perth hired their own minibus, towing a trailer for their luggage. Three of their number did the driving in shifts so that the long trip could be made in three days. Another group of 40 came by means of a larger coach hired from a commercial company. Brothers from various congregations along the way would meet the buses and provide refreshments, meals, accommodations and shower facilities. Christian love and genuine concern for one another were shown.

As so often happens on long trips, the coaches did not always arrive on schedule. This meant that on one occasion brothers had been waiting at the Kingdom Hall with breakfast prepared at five o’clock in the morning. The coach did not arrive until 10:15 a.m. But there were no hurt feelings, just much pleasure and joy at being able to care for the weary travelers who were volunteering a few weeks of their time toward the sacred service of sharing in Bethel construction.

A brother, speaking on behalf of one of the groups with which he made the trip from Western Australia, relates: “Our schedule showed that we were to have lunch with a brother and his family at his farm, which was a few miles off the beaten track at Minnipa in South Australia. This farmhouse is also their Kingdom Hall, and there are only four publishers in the congregation. Distances are great in this area​—the brother’s farm covers 4,000 acres. But here these few brothers spread a fantastic meal for the 40 of us!

“When we arrived at Port Pirie we went to the Kingdom Hall, where we found, across the center of the hall, a row of tables laden with beautiful food ready to eat. There was about twice as much food as we could eat, so we were given food and fruit to eat along the way.

“It was 9:30 p.m. when we arrived at the Adelaide Assembly Hall, where we were to stay that night. We were shown two rows of beds all ready, complete with pillows and towels. What a welcome sight after a night and two days spent in the coach! After a good night’s sleep and a tasty breakfast, we loaded up and said farewell at 7:15 a.m. The local brothers had supplied all our needs. Some of them had come in from a long way out, and a few of them had to rise at 3:30 a.m. to help take care of our needs. Where else would we find such great love but in Jehovah’s organization?”

Outstanding contributions of loving efforts, as well as material assets, have been made by brothers from every corner of the country. In the far north of Queensland brothers cut down trees, milled the timber themselves and others transported it in four semitrailer loads, making a donation of this finished timber to the Society. Some idea of the extent of the brothers’ generosity can be gained when it is realized that each of the four round trips was over four thousand miles (6,400 km) and the estimated value of the timber, if it had been purchased locally, was between $60,000 and $70,000.

In multitudes of small ways, thousands of brothers and sisters had a share in contributing to the overall effort. An example of all being willing to help was when the Society was able to make a good purchase of one ton of fish freshly caught at Batemans Bay, a town on the south coast of New South Wales, situated 180 miles (290 km) from the construction site. The brothers in the local congregation all got together and took on the massive task of cleaning the fish and then delivered it to Ingleburn.

The final section of the complex to be completed was the dining room, kitchen and living quarters for the Bethel family. The family moved out of their previous home during February 1982, in time for the new owners of the Strathfield buildings to take occupancy.

For some of the older members of the family, such as George Gibb and Maude Johnston, who had lived at the Bethel home in Strathfield since it was transferred from Melbourne in 1929, there was, of course, a tinge of sadness at saying “good-bye” to the old home. Others who have been in the family for 40 or more years​—Wallace Baxter, Charles Randall (who subsequently died at the age of 87 on May 18, 1982), Madge Dunham, Vi Horton, Linda Moir and Melva Wieland—​also felt a degree of nostalgia when it came to leaving the home they had grown to love for so many years. But what excitement these older ones showed, along with the rest of the Bethel family, at being settled into their comfortable rooms in the beautiful new Bethel home at Ingleburn! Those who have been part of the Bethel family for so many years are so grateful to have lived to see the thrilling expansion Jehovah has granted, which has made such a new complex necessary!

FURTHER PROGRESS AND CHANGES

With the move to new premises at Denham Court, Ingleburn, came other changes, too. To keep in step with the rest of the worldwide printing facilities of the Society, a Heidelberg offset press was installed at the new factory premises. An IBM Selectronic Composer now does most of the work previously done on the Linotype machines. Photographic, platemaking and other necessary equipment for the graphics section of the prepress work needed for preparation of the offset printing was also installed. This will eventually replace all the older hot-metal type of preparation and platemaking for letterpress printing.

A further change took place in branch administration with the arrival of Brother Harold V. (Viv) Mouritz and his wife, Ann, on September 1, 1981. Brother Mouritz had served in the Australian Bethel as a young man prior to his marriage in the early 1950’s and then shared in circuit work and other full-time activity before attending the 33rd class of Gilead in 1959. Since that year Brother and Sister Mouritz served at the Bethel home in Finland. At the invitation of the Governing Body, they have come to join the Australian Bethel family once again, where Brother Mouritz is a member of the Branch Committee and serves as branch coordinator.

Now, in 1982, the small group of brothers who associated in ecclesiae around the country back in 1904 at the time of the branch’s formation have grown to about thirty-four thousand publishers. The pioneer ranks are also growing month by month. April 1982 saw 67,724 gather for the celebration of the Memorial of Christ Jesus’ death. The work is obviously not yet finished in this part of the world field, and while Jehovah God allows the time for it his people are determined to keep on preaching, by his undeserved kindness and with the strength that he supplies.

Among the men who have been privileged to care for branch oversight, two betrayed their trust, causing many of those associated during the dawn of the work to lose faith. By far the majority of the brothers, however, have remained faithful to Jehovah God and loyal to his organization. The results are to be seen in the strong band of brothers throughout the country in this day.

The pioneers, old and young, the many circuit overseers, various district overseers and Gilead-trained brothers, spanning the years, have also played their part in the advancement of the work in this country.

Whatever have been the contributing factors in the development of the preaching work of Jehovah’s Witnesses under the Australian branch, one eternal truth stands out: “The blessing of Jehovah​—that is what makes rich.” (Prov. 10:22) This has certainly proved true in the vast field of this “land down under,” where Jesus’ words appear to have had fulfillment in a special way: “You will be witnesses of me . . . to the most distant part of the earth.”​—Acts 1:8.

[Footnotes]

[Chart on page 121]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

Increase in publishers

35b

1982

30

1978

25

20

15

10 1958

5

1938

0 1918

[Footnotes]

[Maps on page 39]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

Australia

ASIA

PACIFIC OCEAN

INDIAN OCEAN

[Map]

TIMOR SEA

ARAFURA SEA

GULF OF CARPENTARIA

CORAL SEA

GREAT BARRIER REEF

TASMAN SEA

GREAT AUSTRALIAN BIGHT

INDIAN OCEAN

Normanton

Townsville

Mount Isa

Brisbane

Toowoomba

Lismore

Goondiwindi

Bourke

Tamworth

Maitland

Newcastle

Sydney

Bathurst

Yass

Batesman’s Bay

Melbourne

Adelaide

Port Pirie

Port Augusta

Minnipa

Penong

William Creek

Alice Springs

Norseman

Kalgoorlie

Denmark

Donnybrook

Pingelly

Perth

Exmouth

Dampier

Port Hedland

Broome

Derby

Wyndham

Darwin

Nhulunbuy

TASMANIA

Launceston

Hobart

[Picture on page 47]

William (“Daddy”) Johnston, who served as branch supervisor from 1918 until 1930

[Picture on page 56]

For 15 years Charles Bernhardt pioneered some of the most remote areas of Australia

[Picture on page 57]

The type of vehicle used by pioneer groups for covering outback territory

[Picture on page 58]

Ben Brickell, a most outstanding pioneer in theocratic history

[Pictures on page 65]

J. F. Rutherford, who spoke to these conventioners at Sydney’s Leichhardt Stadium in 1938, and A. MacGillivray, branch supervisor from 1930 until his death in 1942

[Pictures on page 66]

Bert Horton’s redheaded wife, Vi, and red sound car were affectionately known as the two “red terrors”

[Picture on page 73]

A group of Witnesses just prior to going on an information march in Dubbo, N.S.W., about 1940

[Picture on page 82]

Part of the convoy, equipped with charcoal gas-producing units, which made the long trek from Western Australia to Sydney for the 1941 convention

[Picture on page 89]

Philip Rees, who capably carried on as branch overseer after the death of Brother MacGillivray and whose daughter, Maudie, he later married

[Picture on page 103]

Floyd Garrett, who graduated from Gilead School’s first class, was appointed as branch overseer when Brother Knorr visited Australia in 1947

[Picture on page 105]

Theodore Jaracz was appointed branch overseer in 1951 and greatly encouraged the brothers

[Pictures on page 114]

Doug Held, who supervised the Kingdom work in Australia from 1956 until 1963, and his wife, Helen

John Wilson, who served as branch overseer for 17 years, from 1964, and his wife, Beverley

[Pictures on page 119]

A factory was converted into an Assembly Hall for the Sydney area

Large Assembly Hall for the Melbourne area, completed in 1982

[Pictures on page 127]

Recent photo of original Bethel at Strathfield, Sydney,

its enlargement in 1972

and the present Bethel at Denham Court, Ingleburn

[Picture on page 128]

Old-timers in the new Bethel lobby (from left to right): Wallace Baxter, Vi Horton, Maude Johnston and George Gibb

[Picture on page 129]

Harold V. (Viv) Mouritz, who has served as branch coordinator since 1981, and his wife, Ann

Portugal

“Where the land ends and the sea begins”​—this is Portugal, continental Europe’s most westward country. It derives its name from the city of Oporto, which began as a Roman trading community near the mouth of the Douro River; it was a portucalle or port of call for ships.

This western corner of the Iberian peninsula has a population of nine and a half million people speaking Portuguese, a Romance language similar to Spanish in structure and vocabulary but quite distinct in phonetics and pronunciation. Portugal is less than a fifth the size of Spain, its neighbor to the east and north. But what a widely diversified landscape is found here!

The southern countryside has fine orchards, almond, fig and also carob groves. Heading north, we pass through wheat plains and the lush pastures of the Ribatejo cattle country, then vineyards and olive trees along with umbrella pines and eucalyptus trees. In the middle of the country snow can be found on the mountain range of Beira province, adding a touch of splendor. The north is distinguished by the beautifully terraced vineyards of the deep Douro River valley, birthplace of the world famous port wine.

THE GOOD NEWS REACHES PORTUGAL

Portugal became world renowned as a seafaring nation. The 15th century marked her golden era when her navigators and explorers discovered Brazil, the islands of Madeira, Azores, Cape Verde, São Tomé, much of Africa, as well as a sea route to India. But it was not until 1925 that Portugal began discovering the meaning of Matthew 24:14. It was then that George Young, a Canadian serving in Brazil, came to explore Portugal to advance Kingdom interests. He made arrangements for the Watch Tower Society’s president, J. F. Rutherford, to deliver the public lecture “How to Live on the Earth Forever” in Lisbon on May 13, 1925.

Despite opposition from the Catholic priests the occasion was a grand success with more than two thousand filling a high school gymnasium and another two thousand being turned away for lack of space. Francisco Ullan, an eyewitness, recalled the event: “The Catholic clergy made an unsuccessful attempt to break up this meeting. Yelling broke out and chairs were smashed. Happily, Brother Rutherford managed to control the situation.”

At the conclusion of the talk an invitation was given to those interested to leave their name and address with the ushers. Several, including Francisco Ullan and Angel de Castro, did just that. Yes, they accepted the truth and were among the first faithful servants of Jehovah in this land. That notable event sparked the beginning of the Kingdom work in Portugal.

The events that followed in quick succession make it plain that Jehovah’s spirit was giving a strong lead. During this first year the Portuguese edition of The Watch Tower was published in Lisbon. The first issue was released in September 1925 with its front page bearing the name of George Young as editor. At the close of 1925 an office to handle subscriptions and correspondence was opened at Rua Santa Justa, 95, in Lisbon. The Watch Tower became so well known within the year that subscriptions were received from places as far away as the Azores.

PERIOD OF THE REPUBLIC

How were such things possible in a traditionally ultraconservative Catholic country? Political circumstances permitted a climate of great liberty. The monarchy had suffered a severe blow with the assassination of King Dom Carlos I and heir Prince Dom Luís Filipe on February 1, 1908. Then on October 5, 1910, a republican revolution ended the rule of Dom Manuel II, terminating the Portuguese monarchy as a ruling power. There was now freedom of speech and press.

The power of the Catholic Church began to wane, as people manifested opposition to the clergy. They held demonstrations on the streets of Lisbon to influence the government to suspend the Portuguese representative at Vatican City. Newspapers printed speeches of republican leaders manifesting anticlerical attitudes. The army was forbidden to participate in religious observances, and “saints’ “ days were no longer kept as holidays. Religious oaths ceased to have legal force. The government abolished religious instruction in schools and the teaching of theology in the universities. In April 1911 the Law of Separation outlined the lowered position of the Roman Catholic Church. Fathers of the republic regarded the Throne and Church as institutions of little worth.

During this time a small group of people in Lisbon manifested interest in the truth, but it was not until 1926 that regular Bible study classes were held. With the April 1926 issue of The Watch Tower the editor was listed as Virgílio Ferguson. George Young had remained only a short while to organize the work. Brother Ferguson, accompanied by his wife, was now assigned to take care of Kingdom interests in this country.

The special public talk delivered by J. F. Rutherford in the Alexandra Palace in London, in May of 1926, received wide publicity in Lisbon. The lecture presented a resolution entitled “A Testimony to the Rulers of the World.” This resolution was translated into Portuguese and printed as a large tract for free distribution.

UNDER A DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT

Then on May 28, 1926, encouraged by conservative factions with the backing of the Catholic hierarchy, a military coup d’etat was staged without a shot being fired. From this resulted the establishment of a military dictatorship. It became known as O Estado Novo (The New State). The dominant personality of this new political regime was the minister of finance, Dr. António de Oliveira Salazar. In 1932 he became the president of the council (prime minister).

Due to the establishment of the New State dictatorship in 1926, there was now much less freedom of speech. Beginning with the November 1926 Watch Tower, every issue was subject to government censorship, and the following notice appeared on the cover, “Approved by the Censorship Committee.”

The first Yearbook report, published in 1927, relates the following: “The work in Portugal is conducted from the Society’s local branch at Lisbon. There are now 450 subscribers to the Portuguese WATCH TOWER. Books and booklets put out during the year total 764. There have been many inquiries by letter about the Truth, and these have received attention. The following is a quotation from the report of Brother Ferguson, the local manager:

“‘I think there is a great witness yet to be given to the people here, and it seems that the time has come when the people will heed the message of the Truth and more will manifest an interest in it.’” How right he was!

These very words were finding their fulfillment on Flores Island in the Azores. At this time a man passed away who had been interested in The Watch Tower. When his daughter and son were cleaning their father’s office they found some old copies of the magazine. The son, Abílio Carlos Flores, especially took an interest in the magazines. He relates: “The Watch Tower gave such a clear explanation of the Bible that I immediately wrote to Virgílio Ferguson requesting a subscription.” The seeds of truth bore fruit. Until his death in 1974 Brother Flores was an active servant of Jehovah.

By May of 1927 the Portuguese Watch Tower was being printed in Bern, Switzerland, and being distributed under heavy government censorship. The political New State was more and more controlling the press and restricting the liberty of the people, but this did not stop expansion. In 1927 the brothers distributed a total of 3,920 books and booklets and 61,000 copies of The Watch Tower.

THE FIRST BAPTISM

The summer of 1927 saw a truly happy event, the first baptism. Two of the 14 newly baptized brothers were Spaniards, Francisco Ullan and Angel de Castro. Fired with zeal for their newfound faith, they visited their native land to spread the Kingdom message. On August 15, 1927, they traveled to their respective villages. In his hometown Francisco Ullan quickly roused the opposition of the Spanish clergy, and within fifteen days he was ordered to leave the country. Angel de Castro received similar treatment in his hometown. His distribution of Bible tracts started an uproar. Brother Castro sent a tract to the local priest, who replied through his envoy: “Just tell this man I’m sorry the Spanish Inquisition is over, otherwise I would liquidate him.”

HELP FROM ABROAD

On January 4, 1929, João Feliciano returned to Portugal from the United States with the intention of spreading the good news that he had learned. He got in touch with Brother Ferguson, and Bible study classes were started in another section of Lisbon. He went from house to house distributing Bible literature with great zeal. He helped many and became known as “the man with the basket,” since he used a large fruit basket to carry the publications. Until his death in 1961 he was a faithful servant of Jehovah.

November 1931 saw the adoption of the new name “Jehovah’s witnesses.” There was a phenomenal distribution of 260,000 copies of Luz e Verdade (Light and Truth), containing Brother Rutherford’s complete lecture “The Kingdom of God​—The Only Hope for the World.”

THE FIRST COLPORTEUR

By this time Manuel da Silva Jordão was working as a colporteur, traveling from one end of the country to the other, visiting all subscribers and preaching the good news. Since a number of subscribers in the north of the country had shown interest, he went to Braga. One day on the street a man came running up to him, saying: “Good day, Sir. I’m certainly happy to meet you. I have come to learn something about the Bible from you.” Brother Jordão asked him if he knew anything about the Bible. “Yes,” he replied, “I am a subscriber for The Watch Tower, and I correspond with a man named Virgílio Ferguson in Lisbon. Ever since you arrived in this city I have been looking for you.”

At the home of this interested man in Braga a small group of about seven persons began to study the Bible. Since this city is known as the “Vatican of Portugal,” it did not take long for the opposition of the Catholic Church to manifest itself. The clergy reported Brother Jordão to the police, who awakened him at midnight and threw him into jail.

After his release the next day, a local priest arranged for the principal court recorder to plan an encounter with him at the city’s main square. They planned to expose Jordão as a false Christian, without higher learning. About fifty persons showed up for this “casual meeting.” The priest appeared and a lively discussion about who Christians are and their work followed. Finally, the court recorder said to the priest in a loud voice: “I thought you came to defend the Catholic Church, but you have not been able to show even one text from the Holy Bible!” Eyewitnesses relate that the embarrassed priest quickly left.

BRANCH OFFICE CLOSED

Toward the end of 1933 Brother and Sister Ferguson left Portugal, and the publication Luz e Verdade was suspended. For all practical purposes direct contact with the branch office was severed. It was closed, and there was henceforth no supply of spiritual food from within the country. It is significant that this took place during the same year that a new political constitution was adopted in Portugal. The new constitution broadened the powers of the State, giving it absolute authority and complete control of the press.

Later, in May 1940, Portugal signed a concordat with the Vatican, giving the Roman Catholic Church a highly favored position. Religious instruction was restored in State schools, and the property it had possessed before 1910 was returned.

DIFFICULT TIMES BEGIN

The work now had to be cared for by colporteur Manuel da Silva Jordão. During the difficult time that followed he managed to communicate with some brothers in Spain. On several occasions Herbert F. Gabler visited the brothers in Portugal. Around 1938 Brother O. E. Roselli, a United States citizen, visited Portugal, encouraging the brothers to go from house to house, using what was called a testimony card. In time all organized preaching gradually ceased, and a period of inactivity set in.

A FRESH START

In 1940 Angel de Castro visited a friend in Lisbon with whom he often discussed the Bible. This friend’s son, Eliseu Garrido, about fourteen years of age, began to take an interest in the conversations. Castro gave him several old Watchtower magazines to read. Later he showed him a handwritten book he had compiled with Bible texts on various doctrines. The young boy appreciated this 300-page reference book and began making a copy for himself. In the meantime he read the book containing the photographs of the Photo-Drama of Creation. This had a strong impact on his mind. As soon as he finished copying Castro’s reference book he asked: “Are there no other people in Lisbon who believe these things?”

Within a few days Manuel da Silva Jordão came to his home to help him further. Brother Jordão put Eliseu in contact with Joaquim Carvalho, a shoemaker whose home now was the general meeting place for the Bible Students.

Joaquim Carvalho had learned the truth in the beginning of the 1930’s. All the literature that was on hand when the branch was closed in 1933 was stored in his Lisbon shoe shop.

These studies began to be held with greater frequency. But a tendency arose to deviate from the published material and to give private interpretations. Finally, young Garrido spoke up: “Why don’t we hold to the material published in the magazines instead of introducing other information? After all, is not everything we need published by the Society? We have already confirmed the fact that we can put full trust in Jehovah’s organization. I suggest we limit our study to asking the questions, looking up the scriptures and then reading all the paragraphs in the magazine and not just the ones we like.”

During this reawakening period the brothers started using the Photo-Drama of Creation. Joaquim Carvalho had many connections with small Protestant groups, principally of the Adventist sect. They learned of the existence of the Photo-Drama and requested that the brothers show it at their meeting place. Some also wanted our literature for use in their Bible study. One Adventist group went so far as to remove from the Society’s books the front page showing the name of the publisher. Then they would stamp in the time and address of their own meetings!

It became obvious that Joaquim Carvalho liked to maintain contact with the leaders of these Protestant groups. Their frequent encounters revealed a persistent desire on the part of the Protestants to form a union with the Bible Students. When this became known the Bible Students realized there had to be a clearer separation if they were to have Jehovah’s blessings. They therefore severed all such connections.

PREACHING BECOMES IMPORTANT

Up until this time public witnessing consisted mainly of the distribution of tracts. But by 1944 the group manifested an earnest desire to do more in the ministry. They sensed a need for adhering closely to organization publications. Through correspondence with brothers in Brazil they were now regularly receiving copies of the Informant, which quickened their interest in field service.

So the brothers decided it was time to go from house to house and present the householder with the printed testimony card. After the card was read they would offer the householder literature.

It became the custom for two brothers to go on Sundays, preaching the good news from house to house, using these testimony cards. Reporting this ministerial activity, however, was something yet for the future.

At this same time the small group was very happy to learn of the existence of sound equipment and the phonograph. Brothers in Brazil sent the group 10 records in Portuguese and one phonograph. The brothers were thrilled with this new provision for giving a witness. The records explained the truth about subjects such as purgatory, the soul, the keys of the Kingdom, and so forth.

Courageously the group decided to inaugurate the use of this equipment. Eliseu Garrido recalls one of the first occasions. “We went to a small patio that had a cluster of homes in the Campolide area of Lisbon,” he related. “Here we set up the phonograph and invited the householders to come to the patio and hear an interesting Bible message. About thirty persons came and listened attentively. At the conclusion we were happy to offer them Bible literature.”

PREACHING STIMULATES ASSOCIATION

From this time on the brothers became more and more conscious of their need for closer association. The group of interested persons regularly attending the Bible study on Sunday grew to about fifteen. Because attendance was increasing, they decided to rent a small room to serve exclusively as a meeting place. The main publication used at these meetings was The Watchtower. Gradually the brothers began to appreciate the need to draw closer to the worldwide organization of Jehovah’s people.

A truly historic decision was made in October 1946, when Joaquim Carvalho and Eliseu Garrido decided it was time to communicate with the Society’s headquarters in Brooklyn. In their letter they requested that the Society send a missionary to Portugal.

OTHER SEEDS OF TRUTH BEGIN TO SPROUT

Unknown to the Bible Students in Lisbon, interesting developments were taking place in other parts of the country. Just across the Tagus River, in Almada, Delmira Mariana dos Santos Figueiredo had been greatly shocked by the death of her 16-year-old son. She recalls: “I spent every day in the cemetery thinking about my son, where he was and why God had permitted his death. I began remembering things my father had told me from the Bible. He had known Virgílio Ferguson back in 1927 and had attended meetings.”

On returning home from the cemetery one day, Delmira began looking for the old books that her father had kept. In a short time she knew she had found the truth of God’s Word, and in 1945 she wrote to Brooklyn. When a reply came, tears of joy ran down her cheeks. Finally, she had established contact with God’s people.

The letter was written by a brother born in the Azores, John Perry, a member of the Brooklyn Bethel family. He suggested that if she did not possess a Bible she should buy one and read the references he cited, dealing with the resurrection hope and God’s promise of a righteous New Order. Through John Perry, the Society began mailing small packages of books and booklets to Delmira, encouraging her to distribute them free of charge. She began doing so right away. Her main territory was the cemetery, since that was where she herself began thinking about God. Her friends and neighbors thought that she had lost her mind because of the death of her son. All alone, several times a week, she would go to the cemetery endeavoring to talk to bereaved ones about the hope of the resurrection. Her newly acquired reputation as “the crazy woman” did not dampen her zeal for preaching the good news, and the more she preached the stronger her faith grew.

“One day at the cemetery,” recalls Delmira, “I noticed a lady who had been kneeling at a grave for several days in succession. I started to speak with her and learned she was mourning the death of her 22-year-old daughter. Upon hearing about the resurrection and God’s purpose for a Paradise, this woman, Deolinda Pinto Costa, was so eager to learn more that she invited me to her home for a weekly Bible study. In a short time we were both going to the cemetery, not to mourn, but to share our wonderful hope.”

Love for the truth motivated these zealous women to organize a Bible study for the several interested persons. Every Wednesday afternoon, at the home of Deolinda Pinto Costa, a group of six or more women gathered to study the Bible with the aid of the Society’s publications. Through correspondence with John Perry in Brooklyn, this group of interested women learned there was a nucleus of brothers in Lisbon.

At the same time the brothers in Lisbon had been advised there were interested persons in Almada. They made arrangements to meet. When they did, the brothers were amazed to find a group of eight persons, all women, holding a weekly Bible study. Right away regular meetings were organized at Deolinda’s home with the Lisbon brothers present. What a joy to observe the first sisters of this Almada group still maintaining their integrity and active in Kingdom service down to this day!

THE TRUTH SPREADS FARTHER NORTH

An interesting development took place at this time in the most distant province of Portugal called Trás-os-Montes. In November 1945 Purificação de Jesus Barbosa, who learned the truth in the United States, returned to her native country to preach the good news to her relatives. Her hometown, Lousa, is more than two hundred and fifty miles (400 km) from Lisbon. Although most of her relatives rejected the truth and showed contempt toward her, two young cousins showed interest. Purificação gave 22-year-old Maria Cordeiro a Bible and several booklets as a gift. Her younger cousin, 13-year-old António Manuel Cordeiro, was thrilled to have a Bible in his hands for the first time. He recalls the first conversation his cousin had with him about the Bible:

“She read me the first chapter of Genesis and then showed me the name of this God who had created the beautiful earth and all things in it. For the first time in my life I heard God’s name, Jehovah, and from that very day onward I began to develop a deep love and appreciation for my Grand Creator.”

For more than a year the brother and sister waited anxiously every day to return from their work in the fields, so that after the father went out to gamble and drink they could slip away to their cousin’s home to learn more about the Bible. They came to learn many of the basic truths of God’s Word in addition to reading the books Jehovah, Salvation and Children. A little more than a year later the visiting cousin returned to the United States. Her efforts, however, had been richly blessed, for she left behind two cousins and a woman, who were now interested in the truth.

TAKING A STAND

Tests of integrity came early to Maria and António Cordeiro, who were entirely isolated. They cut off their association with the Catholic Church. When the priest visited their parents’ home he ridiculed António and Maria for refusing to kiss the cross. On religious holy days, to avoid trouble, they would leave home early and go to the woods, spending the entire day reading the Bible and the Society’s publications.

About two years later the boy, then 15, became sick and was interned in a Catholic hospital. Before an operation he refused confession and a “blessing,” thus enraging the priest and nuns. When his father came to take him home a report on his conduct was given. At home the father ordered António to go to confession, demanding that he seek forgiveness for all his “wicked deeds.” Thus compelled, António went. Alone with the priest, he explained why he had refused, since the Bible shows only God, through Christ Jesus, can forgive sins. It was much different from a confession, and the youth gave the priest a thorough witness regarding his Bible-based faith.

Young António realized he would have to stay at home until he became of legal age. So, according to his parents’ wishes, he obediently worked daily in the fields, but at night he studied the Bible with his sister, taking advantage of every opportunity to tell others the good things he was learning. Yes, how thrilling to say ‘endurance had its work complete,’ for years later, both these young persons were among the first regular pioneers in the country. António later married, served as a circuit overseer for many years and is still pioneering.​—Jas. 1:4.

LEARNING TO ORGANIZE

Without a doubt, the time had come to organize the Kingdom work further. In reply to the letter of Carvalho and Garrido, the Society sent two representatives to Portugal in May 1947. Brothers F. W. Franz and H. C. Covington were met at the Lisbon airport on May 5 by a group of eight happy brothers. For these few dedicated servants of Jehovah who had remained faithful over the years, this was an outstanding moment. The brothers were overjoyed at hearing Brother Franz give a talk in Portuguese on the subject “Organization Instructions.” At this time four servants were temporarily assigned to handle the first congregation in Lisbon.

During this visit Brothers Covington, Franz, Carvalho and Garrido investigated the possibility of legalizing the work and obtaining permission to send in missionaries. Their request was flatly denied.

That same year saw also the first visit of Brothers Knorr and Henschel to Portugal, on December 13​—another milestone. Also with them was John Cooke, assigned from the eighth class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead to serve in Spain and Portugal. Because of bad weather the plane was delayed considerably, so the two-day visit was reduced to a few hours. They arrived at midnight and left at eight-fifteen the next morning, spending all night answering questions and discussing the progress of the Kingdom work.

It became quite clear that this little group was not completely at unity. Some of those present showed themselves to be stubborn individuals who criticized the organization and the truth itself. Because of this poor spirit there was little progress. The one bright hope was the group of sisters in Almada.

However, the brothers received needed discipline, and the work advanced. Increased numbers of the Informant from Brazil, as well as the booklet Organization Instructions, were of great help. Before the arrival of Brother Cooke the Lisbon group sent their first service report of four publishers to Brooklyn. Instructions had been left to start the door-to-door work systematically. On the very first street where they began witnessing, they placed 400 booklets, resulting in many Bible studies!

MISSIONARY ACTIVITY BEGINS

On arriving in Lisbon from Spain for the second time, in August 1948, Brother Cooke was greeted by a group desirous of learning theocratic methods of preaching. One or two old-timers, however, showed reluctance to line up with organization instructions. The first meeting for the missionary was quite an occasion. Relates Brother Cooke: “I gave my first talk to the Almada group in Spanish, and it was translated into Portuguese by Eliseu Garrido. At the end of the meeting, which was closed by Brother Carvalho, who acted as chairman, he stood up before the group and, in sanctimonious fashion, stretched out his arms before the audience and blessed the congregation. Over the years Carvalho retained many of the customs and ideas of Babylon the Great and so was quite difficult to handle.”

On September 27, 1948, the first baptism was held after the arrival of Brother Cooke, with a total of eight baptized, including Eliseu Garrido. Six of this number were sisters, all from Almada. The group in Lisbon, however, was characterized by “men only.” Sisters were not given a warm welcome. Now with the introduction of organizational methods some of the older brothers in Lisbon did not enthusiastically support the new missionary. Meeting attendance dropped. The sisters in Almada, however, were eager and willing to go in the house-to-house ministry. Brother Cooke reports:

“I shall never forget one of my very first outings in the ministry with the sisters in Almada. Yes, six of them went to the same house together. You can just imagine a group of six women standing around a door while one of them gave a sermon! But bit by bit things began to take shape and started to move.”

The arrival of a missionary was a real blessing. The brothers were helped to put aside their personal opinions and line up with organization instructions. The Theocratic Ministry School and Service Meeting were organized. Delmira Mariana dos Santos Figueiredo reports: “After Brother Cooke arrived we began to study The Watchtower by questions and answers. Until that time one brother read and we listened.”

The time had come to put aside the printed testimony cards and prepare short sermons for use in the door-to-door work. Brother Cooke prepared the brothers to present The Watchtower as well as tracts at the doors.

FIRST KINGDOM HALL

With the arrival of the missionary, a small room had been rented at Praça Ilha do Faial for holding meetings. As the work prospered it became apparent that a larger place would be necessary.

The Memorial for 1949 was held in a private home in Almada. The brothers were thrilled to see 116 in attendance! Since this number could not all squeeze into the living room normally used, the overflow crowd huddled into an adjoining room. The speaker stood in the doorway and addressed two audiences at the same time. It was not long after this that the Lisbon group found a fine apartment for meetings on Rua Passos Manuel 20, first floor, which became known as the first unofficial Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Portugal. For many years it served as the center of pure worship.

So as not to attract the attention of other tenants, the brothers did not sing in the Lisbon hall. However, when they went across the river to visit the group in Almada, in a private home, they were happy to sing loud and long.

GETTING IN TOUCH

About this time the isolated persons in Lousa, Trás-os-Montes, had obtained from their cousin in the United States the address of the brothers in Lisbon. Maria Cordeiro, who on several occasions had been beaten by her violently opposed family, wrote: “Could you please send someone to help us and encourage us?” John Cooke set out on a two-hundred-and-fifty-mile (400-km) journey. It turned out to be quite an exciting experience, as he relates:

“From the nearest railway station I had a three-hour climb into the mountains to reach the village of Lousa. This area is called Trás-os-Montes, which means ‘beyond the mountains.’ I found out that it lived up to its name. It had no roads leading to it, only rough tracks, no buses, no cars, no doctor or drugstore, no police and not a single telephone. The houses were made of stone and covered with rough tiled roofs having no chimneys. The people would light a fire on the floor to cook and the smoke just found its way out through cracks in the roof or the door. They were very superstitious, completely dominated by the Catholic Church.

“Due to opposition from the family it was very difficult to visit Maria Cordeiro or her brother António. I managed to arrange lodging with the mother of the Witness who had brought the truth to this area from the United States. On a few occasions, though, we were able to get together for an encouraging discussion. Meanwhile, I started doing house-to-house work. The priest lost no time in warning the people about me. I was making a return visit when neighbors warned that there was talk of attacking and burning down the house where I was lodging. The family I was visiting confirmed the rumors and convinced me to stay overnight in their home, since it was too dangerous to go home in the dark. The following morning the town was alive with rumors and tension.

“While still at the home of the interested person, the local regedor (town administrator) came to visit me and check for himself what I was doing. After hearing a brief explanation he went away satisfied. Then the priest came. Since he did not come into the house, we stood in the street outside and talked. Before I knew it a large crowd had gathered to hear the conversation. Although the priest was young, he was not fanatical, so I managed to keep the discussion on a calm, friendly basis. To get out of awkward situations regarding doctrines he quoted frequently in Latin, to impress the townsfolk with his ‘superior knowledge.’ He admitted that he did not possess a Bible and wondered if I could arrange for him to get one; then he left. This incident broke the tension. I gave an impromptu talk and handed out many tracts, thus ending my visit on a peaceful note.”

PROGRESS DESPITE SPIRITISM

A Bible study was started with a widow who wrote poetry in French under demonic influence, believing she was directed by the spirit of the famous French author Victor Hugo. A detailed discussion of the resurrection helped her to understand the truth; she abandoned spiritism and was baptized. Another study was conducted with a spiritist who was a well-known medium in Lisbon. This woman had a great mental battle to throw off demon influence, but eventually she also was baptized.

No doubt due to these events, several leading spiritists came to the Kingdom Hall, seeking a debate. The missionary pointed out that Jehovah’s Witnesses are not interested in public debates. The directors of these groups insisted that the discussion would be private, since their main objective was to hear our view about religious subjects. They agreed to meet at the Kingdom Hall and to base their discussion on the Bible.

On the meeting night about fifty members of the spiritistic group appeared. On the platform there were two representatives to serve as spokesmen for each side. The first question propounded by the spiritistic leader was based on Matthew 10:28, and he asked: “How can Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the soul dies when the Bible says that it does not die?” Brother Cooke, in a matter-of-fact manner, said that was easy. If he would just read the last part of the same text, it says to “rather be in fear of him that can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” This demolished the argument of the group of intellectuals. Seeing that a discussion based solely on the Bible was too difficult for them, they asked Brother Cooke to give a Bible talk outlining our beliefs. A fine witness resulted.

WORK BEGINS IN THE AZORES

Meanwhile, interesting developments were taking place in the Azores. With the exception of Santa Maria Island, the nine islands that comprise the Azores archipelago are volcanic. Due to hot springs, much rain and sunny summers, vegetation flourishes. Fruit trees, such as orange, apricot, lemon, banana and fig, abound. A wealth of fish feeds the islands’ population.

In the Azores the Catholic Church has controlled people’s lives for centuries. Also, everyone knows everybody else. It was in such a setting that several righteously inclined men manifested genuine love for the Bible. Yes, many years before the good news reached these islands, a remarkable incident took place in 1902 on Pico Island.

Six God-fearing Azoreans conducted the funeral for a five-year-old boy. They held the service without the presence of a Catholic priest, and the men sang an evangelical hymn. Such audacity drew the fire of the local priest, who had the men taken to court and accused of offending not only the country’s religion but also God himself! The case was taken before the Azores Court of Appeal in 1903 and eventually reached the Supreme Court in Lisbon, where it was dismissed for lack of evidence.

Before the case came to trial one of these six men, João Alves Pereira (John Perry), emigrated to the United States. He came in contact with Jehovah’s people and, as already mentioned, became a member of the Brooklyn Bethel family, serving as such until his death in 1965. Among the first publications he mailed back to his family and friends on Pico Island were the books The Harp of God and Millions Now Living Will Never Die.

Later, the sons of two other men who attended that funeral in 1902 also emigrated to the United States, both learning the truth. One of these, Isaac Ávila Fontes, sent literature to his father, José Silveira Fontes, who studied by himself and then started telling others about the good news. Then in 1940 Aníbal Nunes, the son of a third man who attended that funeral, was contacted by the Witnesses.

Aníbal and his wife, filled with zeal and determination to help their fellow countrymen, left the United States in 1947 to return to their native Pico Island. One of the first persons they spoke to was a young married neighbor, Maria Ávila Leal. As Aníbal was witnessing to her the bells of the church rang three times, and being a devout Catholic, she began to explain how important it was to recite the Ave Maria (Hail Mary).

Brother Nunes asked her if she knew who the Creator of this earth was. She answered, “Yes, of course, God.” “Are you sure?” he queried. After confirming her answer, he asked, “Where was his mother when he made the earth?” She quickly answered, “God does not have a mother.” Now he questioned, “What do you mean when you say, ‘Holy Mary, mother of God’? Are you referring to God or to Jesus who is God’s Son?” The full force of the Trinity falsehood struck her instantly. Right then and there, she understood that Jesus was not God, but that Mary was the fleshly mother of Jesus, who is God’s Son.

Within ten days of his arrival Brother Nunes had persuaded many to listen to the truth. He arranged for a public meeting in his brother’s home, where 82 attended, many standing outside by the door and windows to hear. The talk was given at night by candlelight. This talk, together with the fact that Maria Ávila Leal stopped going to church, caused a tremendous upheaval in the small community of several hundred homes. Only wagon trails led from one group of homes and villages to the next on the 178-square-mile (461-sq-km) island, but the news that the church had lost one of its most zealous members traveled like wildfire.

The embittered priest unleashed a desperate attempt to instill fear into the heart of young Maria. He made all kinds of untrue statements about her. Her neighbors singled her out as the object of scorn and abuse. All of this was to no avail. The truth of God’s Word fell on good soil, and Maria became a most zealous, fearless publisher, serving for some years as a special pioneer.

In 1949 Maria’s 23-year-old brother attempted to persuade her not to follow this new religion. One day she gave him the booklet Religion Reaps the Whirlwind. Although filled with prejudice to the point of not wanting even to touch the booklet, he somehow accepted it. Fearful he might be found with Witness literature, he took it to a cave in the hills and there read it carefully from cover to cover. The booklet’s message had immediate influence on Manuel Ávila Leal. He severed his association with the Catholic Church and began to meet with the Witnesses. He still vividly remembers the full force with which the message of this one booklet struck home. He says:

“It was the strong Bible truths put so clearly and boldly against false religion in this unforgettable booklet that convinced me as to the truth of God’s Word.”

Around the same time José Silveira Fontes, another one of the six men who had been brought to trial back in 1902 for conducting a funeral service without a priest, moved to São Miguel Island. It is the largest of the nine islands, having been formerly two volcanoes that ejected so much lava and ash that they eventually united. On this island of orchids and tea bushes he told others what he was learning from The Watchtower. His informal preaching in the chief city, Ponta Delgada, resulted in the first four native Witnesses. The two sisters, Maria Rosa and Maria Leite, are still zealously declaring Jehovah’s name.

On another island, Graciosa, a dockworker noticed a pamphlet fall from the pocket of a fellow worker. He picked it up and asked if he could read it. His co-worker gladly agreed, saying a passenger on one of the boats had given it to him, but he did not know how to read. The dockworker, Manuel Moniz Bettencourt, read the tract, which was entitled “The New World.” He wrote the Society for more and started distributing them throughout the island. The seeds of truth were being scattered on Graciosa Island. Thus began the ministry of another Witness.

MORE MISSIONARIES ARRIVE

The year 1950 ushered in a new period for the work in the Azores with the arrival of two Gilead graduates, Paul Baker and Kenneth Williams, on Pico Island. In this ultraconservative, Catholic-dominated island the work began to make progress. But the government, under pressure from the clergy, expelled the missionaries. Good work, however, had been done, resulting in a new peak of 21 publishers. Paul Baker reapplied for a visa, which was approved. It was not long, though, until the police were at his boardinghouse to arrest him on charges of engaging in Communist activities. He was escorted to the first ship leaving for Lisbon, where he spent a week in jail. There the trumped-up charges were withdrawn, and he was ordered to leave the country.

During this time the work in Portugal had been moving ahead steadily. After three years in the Iberian peninsula on his own, John Cooke was happy to have two missionaries, Mervyn Passlow and Bernard Backhouse, join him in 1951.

VISIT BY F. W. FRANZ IN 1951

Excitement was running high in Lisbon in expectation of Brother F. W. Franz’ return visit. The climax of a busy week was a one-day assembly under large umbrellalike trees. Ninety were present and 11 were baptized. In those early days of the work in Portugal, the frequent visits from members of the Governing Body helped our brothers feel close to the hub of the work.

On the last night of his visit Brother Franz gave a farewell talk at the missionary home. The absorbing subject was “Baptism of Fire.” Afterward a larger crowd than usual milled around. Some neighbor must have complained, for the next morning, bright and early, a secret police agent showed up to check on matters. He gave the impression he was satisfied. But this was not the last the missionaries were to see of the secret police. They had learned a valuable lesson however: Henceforth they could not carry on their activities so openly.

Brother Cooke left Lisbon to accompany Brother Franz on a visit to the congregations in Spain and then to attend the international convention in England. Brother Backhouse’ visa expired, and the authorities refused to renew it. So, shortly afterward he had to leave for Spain. Brother Cooke became ill and could not return. The only missionary remaining to care for the work was Brother Passlow, and he was also seriously ill. Later, while still comparatively young, he died after a full life of devoted service, in Australia and Portugal.

ORGANIZATIONAL CLEANING

There were serious problems ahead. Certain individuals began to indulge in criticism and backbiting. Two brothers particularly were upset at the way the work was being directed. One of these, a watchmaker named Santos, began selling pictures of John Cooke, engraved with the words O Nosso Pastor (Our Pastor). This strong-willed man succeeded in swaying some of the older brothers to follow him.

Santos could not understand why he had not been appointed as a servant, so he wrote lengthy letters to Brooklyn. His state of mind can be seen from this statement in one letter to Brooklyn: “Why, I actually gave a clock to the missionaries to put in the Kingdom Hall and even then they did not make me a servant.”

He began to share his grievances more and more with Joaquim Carvalho, who had not attended any meetings for several months. They intimated to others that the missionaries were not Portuguese, did not do justice to the language and really did not understand the local situation as well as they did. In this way they sowed seeds of discontent. How did this affect the majority of the publishers? Meeting attendance dropped. Some even broke away from the organization and began holding separate meetings. The faithful missionary persevered, however, trusting in Jehovah to direct matters.

The answer to his prayers was a visit by Brothers Knorr and Henschel and the return of a healthy Brother Cooke in February 1952. A meeting of complainers, servants and missionaries took place. It was quite an occasion. The complainers and the servants had prepared long typewritten statements. But with one simple gesture Brother Knorr put all the papers aside and said: “No, I don’t want papers. Here are your brothers. Now, if you have anything against them, just say it.” This direct, simple, Biblical approach to the problem completely bewildered the troublemakers. For quite a while they floundered, not knowing exactly what to say.

Brother Knorr then said: “Well, I have sat here for an hour and all you have actually complained about is that this sister (who was interpreting) smiled at something one of you said in a meeting.” Then several mentioned specific points where they felt they had been slighted. The two principal complainers, Brothers Santos and Carvalho, clearly manifested a bad spirit and were reprimanded. Of course, all present received good straightforward counsel about putting aside personal differences and getting on with the really important work of preaching the good news.

That afternoon at a meeting in Almada, Brother Knorr gave strong counsel to the 122 brothers who attended. He explained the right attitude all should take toward Jehovah’s organization. Brother Cooke was then appointed as overseer for the one congregation, consisting of two groups.

Reactions were swift. Brother Santos refused to acknowledge the appointment and announced that the study group was his, being held in his own home; and if any wanted to follow the organization they were free to do so. He also asked to have his clock back. When Brother Cooke attempted to attend the book study conducted by Brother Carvalho he was refused entry. In a short time these independent groups ceased to function, and eventually Santos and Carvalho were disfellowshipped.

It was obvious that Satan was trying to torpedo the theocratic organization in Portugal. But this was without success. After Brother Knorr’s visit the whole situation rapidly improved. The service year ended with 62 publishers reporting, a new peak of 207 at the Memorial and new interest springing up.

The situation was summed up by a 1954 Yearbook report, which said: “A drastic cleanup took place in 1952 as far as Jehovah’s witnesses are concerned. This year’s report on the country shows the importance of keeping the new-world organization clean, for a splendid increase has come forth. . . . Congregations should never be fearful of losing publishers when it comes to those who do not line up with the Word of God and follow the fine principles that he constantly teaches us. We must remember that Jehovah is taking care of his organization.”

BROTHER COOKE FORCED TO LEAVE

The two congregations in Portugal were now growing in size and maturity. In January Eliseu Garrido moved to Oporto, opening the door to Kingdom service in Portugal’s second-largest city. An unexpected event, however, was in store. The authorities refused to renew Brother Cooke’s visa. His missionary service in Portugal was over. Good-bye Portugal​—Off to Angola! He now serves faithfully in the South Africa branch.

MADEIRA ISLAND

The Kingdom work was now opening up on Madeira Island. The Portuguese word madeira means “wood.” When this mountainous island was discovered about 1420 it was uninhabited and covered with dense forests, hence the name. The population of about 257,000 lives nestled in towns and villages at the mouth of ravines or on the lower slopes. A pioneer from New York, Brother Freitas, spent some months on this island and apparently initiated the preaching of the good news. His efforts were richly blessed with four publishers soon reporting. The first Memorial celebrated in 1954 had a fine attendance of 21.

CORDEIRO SPREADS THE GOOD NEWS

Meantime, in Portugal, António Manuel Cordeiro, the young boy from Trás-os-Montes, became one of the country’s first auxiliary pioneers. He had come to Lisbon, where he used his time in association with the brothers and in field service. His cousin arrived for a second time from the United States, this time bringing her son. He recalls:

“In the summer of 1954 my cousin’s son and I decided to spread the good news in isolated territory for six months. We witnessed in dozens of villages in the remote districts of Bragança and Guarda, being arrested in Sandim village due to a complaint made by a priest. We were taken to the city of Guarda and thrown into a dungeon where we spent the night. After a lengthy interrogation they took our fingerprints and released us. Our only means of transportation was walking and an occasional ride on an ox-drawn wagon. We carried foodstuffs in a bundle and purchased bread and cheese along the way. Now and then we ate a good hot meal at a pensão [boardinghouse].”

Arriving at Seixo de Carrazeda de Ansiães, they found that there was no such thing as a pensão, but, happily, one of the first families António witnessed to offered them meals and lodging while they witnessed to every family in the village. Arriving late at another village, they found that the only available place to sleep was a bed of hay next to the burro. Recalling those days, António says: “We were not discouraged nor discontented with these conditions. Rather, we were filled with happiness at the privilege of taking the good news to these people.”

STORM CLOUDS ON THE HORIZON

In November 1954 Gilead missionary Eric Britten, along with his wife, Christine, arrived from Brazil to look after the branch. It became the custom to hold regular “picnics” in a wooded area near the beach. Later, these wooded areas became known as O Salão do Reino Verde (The Green Kingdom Hall). These occasions proved to be times of great spiritual refreshment. In May 1955 a special one-day “picnic” was arranged for the Cova de Vapor area. The brothers rented a ferryboat to take them across the Tagus River to the beach area. They soon discovered they had uninvited visitors. Two plainclothes policemen accompanied them all day long. A record 230 attended this “picnic.”

The following morning secret police agents visited the homes of some of the brothers. They were asked questions like these: What kind of organization do you belong to? Who are the speakers? Are not some of them foreigners? Is it true that you had a meeting yesterday at the beach? How often do you have these picnics? This was one of the first incidents that showed that the police were closely observing the Witnesses.

In 1956 the secret police, known as P.I.D.E. (Polícia Internacional e Defesa do Estado), appeared with greater frequency at the meetings. In July a friendly neighbor told missionary Mervyn Passlow that the police had him and his wife under surveillance. Shortly after this the couple were expelled from Portugal, even though the wife was a native-born citizen. Police interference also resulted in closing down two meeting places in Lisbon.

PROGRESS IN OPORTO

In Oporto the work was now making excellent progress. In 1955 the first congregation was formed. In 1956 the first Kingdom Hall was rented, and in 1957 Brother F. W. Franz gave a talk there to a happy audience of some thirty persons. Among those who shortly thereafter began to study were Armando and Luiza Monteiro, a zealous couple who were to further Kingdom interests in this historic city. Oporto now received a new blessing​—two missionaries, Domenick A. Piccone and his wife, Elsa, who had been expelled from Spain. In 1959 more missionary help came to Portugal from the 33rd Gilead class with the arrival of the Roberts and Beveridge couples.

INFORMAL WITNESSING

Whether in Oporto or elsewhere in Portugal, the brothers found that informal witnessing was an excellent way to help others learn the truth. For example, one of Portugal’s first publishers, Alpina Mendes, was taking a treatment at a health spa in Caldelas. While there she witnessed to José Maria Lança, a journalist. For the next 15 days they talked daily about God’s purposes. Lança read “Let God Be True” twice during this time. When he returned to Lisbon a Bible study was started with him, and he soon attended meetings. Four months later he was baptized and is presently a traveling overseer.

Lisbon’s parks and gardens serve as a fine natural setting in which to speak of the restored Paradise. Armando Lourenço, now an elder, tells how he learned the truth in 1956: “I was sitting in the Lisbon Campo Grande Park reading my Bible one sunny afternoon when Josué Guilhermino sat down and asked the question Philip had put to the Ethiopian, ‘Do you really understand what you are reading?’ I answered with the same question the Ethiopian presented to Philip, ‘Really, how can I, unless someone helps me?’ “ (Acts 8:30, 31) Brother Lourenço was baptized four months later and eventually went to Gilead School, returned to Portugal and served as a circuit overseer for many years in different parts of the country.

CAPE VERDE RECEIVES THE TRUTH

The first seeds of Kingdom truth were brought to the Cape Verde Islands in 1958. This group of 10 islands is situated in the Atlantic Ocean some two hundred and seventy-five miles (440 km) from the African west coast. A native who had emigrated to the United States returned for a visit in 1958, leaving a considerable amount of literature and subscriptions for The Watchtower.

Toward the end of 1958, on São Tiago Island, some of the Society’s literature found its way into eager hands. While visiting a photographer friend, Luis Alves Andrade noticed two booklets, “This Good News of the Kingdom” and “Look! I Am Making All Things New,” and asked to read them. The man carefully studied each booklet and checked every reference in an old Bible. A week later he returned to his friend and was thrilled to find a book, “Let God Be True.” He gladly accepted it and, by himself, studied it from cover to cover. Now he had no doubt that the truth of God’s Word was being taught by Jehovah’s Witnesses. He subscribed for the two magazines, which, for a good number of years, were his only means of receiving spiritual food.

A TIME OF EXPANSION

Interest was increasing, and the Kingdom Halls were overflowing. It was a time for expansion in Portugal. So Brother Piccone was assigned as the first full-time circuit overseer, visiting isolated groups and interested persons in all parts of the country. On his arrival at the home of an interested lady in Monção, in the northernmost Minho province, word swiftly spread that a foreigner was in town. No sooner had he begun witnessing to her than the neighbors began arriving. It was not necessary to leave the house to visit others, since it constantly was full of people eager to hear the good news.

In the fall of 1959 Brother Piccone visited the Azores. He relates: “Visiting the Azores is quite an experience since only two of the nine islands have docks. Being situated in mid-Atlantic, these islands are often surrounded by stormy seas, as was the case when we arrived. It was quite a challenge to get off the steamer’s ladder into the waiting rowboat. We had to wait until a wave brought the rowboat to the exact level of the ladder and then jump, hopefully, at the right moment! It was quite a job to get the Society’s film equipment, luggage and literature off the ship in safe condition. From there, skilled oarsmen rode the waves, timing their arrival to shore to avoid capsizing the boat.

“Showing the film on Pico Island presented more obstacles. Since the brothers lived in a village where there was no electricity, we had to walk about five miles to the next town to see what could be arranged. On our way into town a man picking grapes noticed I was a stranger, so he invited us to visit his wine cellar and hospitably offered a drink. The conversation turned to the subject of the film projection, and to our amazement, his brother, who was treading grapes in the winepress, owned the local movie house! Arrangements were made to show the Society’s film there the following night. The next day, as we approached the hall, we had a pleasant surprise. Rockets were being fired to inform everyone in the neighborhood that a movie was to be shown. An attendance of some one hundred and fifty came to see the film.”

The truth continued to spread throughout the Azores. In 1960 Santa Maria, an island well known to transatlantic plane travelers, received the truth. Delayed at the airport while repairs were being made on the plane, a brother took advantage of the time and witnessed to a man, who subscribed for The Watchtower and was encouraged to speak to others. He was told that if he could arrange for enough to subscribe for the magazine, he could receive a visit from one of the Society’s representatives to get help to understand the Bible. The man went around to his friends and obtained several subscriptions. He then wrote the Society, requesting that someone visit them. The traveling overseer was surprised to find that 19 turned up to see the Society’s film.

What excitement came in the year 1961! For a number of years the publishers in Portugal had keenly anticipated reaching the 1,000 mark in Kingdom preachers. This eventful occasion came in January with a 30-percent increase over the previous year’s average!

BIBLE DISTRIBUTION

In the 1940’s, when Bibles were not easy to obtain, Eliseu Garrido went to secondhand-book shops and purchased many used Bibles. On one occasion he bought as many as twenty-five for as little as five escudos (17c U.S.) a copy.

Brother Manuel Almeida had an interesting experience in 1960 with a prominent Bible society. He explains: “I was purchasing an ever-increasing number of Bibles for all the Lisbon Witnesses, being given a 20-percent discount. One day the director told me to place a regular standing order so the Bible society would know how many to import. When I mentioned that the Witnesses could use at least 125 monthly he was amazed, since the total monthly order of the Bible society was only 250.”

How encouraging to learn that Jehovah’s Witnesses were distributing half the total number of Bibles received by this Bible society! Evidently religious bigotry seized the minds of these “Bible lovers,” for in the latter part of 1960 Brother Almeida was advised that they would no longer supply the Witnesses with large quantities of Bibles.

MACAO RECEIVES THE GOOD NEWS

In 1961 the Kingdom work was introduced into the Portuguese city-province of Macao, located on the South China coast at the delta of the Canton and Pearl rivers. Macao has the distinction of being the oldest European outpost trading with mainland China, dating back to 1557 C.E. A sister moved there with her husband, who was in the armed forces. Although she found few people who could speak her language, she planted seeds of Kingdom truth. The following year she returned to Portugal, and the few interested people and subscribers henceforth came under the care of the Hong Kong branch.

DIFFICULT TIMES IN ANGOLA

In 1960, to maintain better communication, oversight of the work in Angola was transferred from South Africa to Portugal. Police in Angola increased their surveillance of the Witnesses. In February 1959 the P.I.D.E. refused to allow the zone overseer, Brother Arnott, to enter the country. Then the police gave strict orders forbidding meetings and all association between European Witnesses and our African brothers. So from this time onward both groups held separate underground meetings.

In March 1961 a wave of terror, violence and destruction swept over Angola, coming from the Congo border. Entire villages were burned to the ground, and bodies of both blacks and whites were found mutilated beyond recognition. Men were strung up and killed like pigs; women had their stomachs ripped open and children were butchered. Shortly after this outbreak of wanton slaughter, Jehovah’s Witnesses began to be accused of acts of terrorism. The Roman Catholic Church took a lead in this gross misrepresentation. A Catholic journal, A Provincia de Angola, denounced the publications of the Witnesses as being subversive.

As the war against terrorism developed into a full-scale confrontation official government publications endeavored to blame the Witnesses for fomenting terrorism in Angola. One such publication, Ultramar, stated: “Prof. Silva Cunha admits that before terrorism broke out, this sect influenced the Angolan population, especially in the regions of Luanda and Moxico. We also believe his suppositions are well founded. . . . The Watch Tower is an American movement of great proportions and capital. If the U.S.A. would not receive any other results, at least they would benefit immediately from great prestige. . . . It would not be beyond imagination that the White House gave this movement some protection in Africa.”​—Vol. 5, 1964, number 17, p. 54.

It is not hard to imagine that this kind of twisted thinking unleashed a fierce nationalistic spirit accompanied by close surveillance of our brothers. Strict measures limiting any association of Africans to no more than three in number were introduced. Henceforth our brothers in Luanda reorganized their meetings, holding them in smaller groups. In spite of great tension they were thrilled to have 130 present for the Memorial in March 1961.

NEUTRALITY A BLESSING

When terrorism broke out many were confused as to whether the Witnesses could really be responsible for such action. Carlos Agostinho Cadi was working on a plantation in northern Angola, near the Congo border. The danger of losing one’s life became so great that the plantation owner fled to the Congo, leaving Brother Cadi in charge. No sooner had the owner left than the advancing Portuguese army arrived and rounded up all the African workers. Suspecting them of being terrorists, the Portuguese gave the order to shoot all of them.

Pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears. Then Carlos Cadi showed the soldiers papers in his possession proving that he was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and in no way involved in terrorism. This succeeded in staying the execution. When the commanding officer arrived and examined the letters, he handed Cadi over to the P.I.D.E. for investigation. Thus his life was spared.

A MAN OF FAITH

At this time João Mancoca, an African who had contact with the Society’s publications back in 1943, was in Luanda. On June 25, 1961, while he was conducting a Watchtower Study in Luanda, military police with fixed bayonets suddenly appeared. The police sent the sisters and children home; then the brothers were subjected to terrible treatment. Mancoca himself states:

“I do not have words to describe the manner in which we were treated. The corporal in charge of the soldiers openly declared we would be beaten to death. After being brutally beaten into little more than a pile of flesh, it seemed that he was right. While I lay on the floor, handcuffed, I received such blows with a wooden club that later I vomited blood for 90 days. But what concerned me now were the lives of my fellow companions who were being barbarously struck with wooden clubs. In prayer I asked Jehovah to care for the lives of these, his sheep. Convinced that some of us would die, the soldiers returned about every half hour during the night, inquiring if anyone was dead. They seemed most puzzled that we outlived the inhuman torture, and some were heard to remark that our God must be the true one since we had survived.”

For five months the brothers remained in the São Paulo prison in Luanda. When transferred to a large dormitory of some six hundred men they took advantage of opportunities to witness, and on three occasions Brother Mancoca was able to give a talk to more than three hundred fellow prisoners. Many of these who later were freed from prison accepted the truth. Some of them are today serving as elders in Luanda. The prison authorities’ plan to silence and intimidate Jehovah’s servants backfired.

The brothers were then transferred to southern Angola and held another five months in the Security Police prisons at Mossâmedes. Although strictly watched, they were able to take advantage of informal witnessing and even held a regular book study. Here another splendid witness was given. In a short time some prisoners who had been guilty of unlawful political activities saw that God’s Kingdom was man’s only hope. Then the brothers were transferred to Baía dos Tigres, a penal island, and sentenced to “fixed residence” or restricted movement at government work camps.

Literature sent to the brothers at one work camp was intercepted. The angered camp administrator punished our brothers by sending them to a recently constructed work camp far in the interior near Serpa Pinto. Three months later Sala Ramos Filemon along with João Mancoca and three other brothers, together with 130 other prisoners, were transported in cattle cars to this camp. Their reception provided a grim preview of what lay ahead.

Herded out of the cars like animals, our brothers were cruelly beaten and knocked about. Once again the blows were so savage that they thought death was imminent. The camp was completely enclosed with barbed wire. Oppressive conditions consisting of heavy work, little food and no clothing became the daily routine. Our brothers subsisted on dried fish, poor quality cornmeal and stalwart faith. No longer able to endure the inhuman treatment, four political prisoners tried to escape, but they were caught and, as a warning, tortured to death in the presence of all.

OPPOSITION BEGINS IN PORTUGAL

The outbreak of terrorism in Angola in 1961 had immediate effects on the work in Portugal. With a flood of false propaganda flowing into the country accusing the Witnesses of inciting the masses to rebellion, Portuguese police began to interfere with their preaching activities. In the town of Évora, some eighty miles (130 km) east of Lisbon, a pioneer, Horácio Arnaldo Duarte, was summoned to the local P.I.D.E. headquarters for questioning. There the police showed him pictures of dismembered Portuguese soldiers and accused the Witnesses of being responsible.

In the summer of 1961 a special pioneer, Artur Canaveira, was followed by P.I.D.E. agents for many weeks. Then in September they arrested him. He relates what happened: “I was accused of subversive activities and of having some connection with Communism. For three months I was subjected to interrogations and vicious beatings in an effort to force me to admit that I was a Communist. Four or five agents at a time would shoot questions at me trying to create confusion. The interrogations always took place at night when my resistance was the lowest, with a radio playing to drown out any screams.”

All this time he was held incommunicado until transferred to the P.I.D.E. prison at Fort Caxias, a Lisbon suburb. Then on January 22, 1962, he was released.

Just four days later, on January 26, 1962, Brothers Eric Britten, the then branch overseer, Domenick Piccone and Eric Beveridge and their wives, all missionaries, were called to P.I.D.E. headquarters and ordered to leave the country within 30 days. They were told that the reason for their expulsion was their talking to others about their religion and teaching neutrality. In an interview with Brother and Sister Beveridge the director of the P.I.D.E. referred to a recent incident where a young Portuguese man had refused military service and asserted that the Witnesses were responsible for his actions. Conscientious objection would not be tolerated in Portugal, he added.

It was a hard blow to see the missionaries depart, and many tears were shed. They had truly given of themselves whole-souled and were warmly loved for their zeal and fine example. The Brittens eventually returned to Brazil where they are still serving full time in the circuit work. For the Piccones, it was their second expulsion from a missionary assignment. They went to Morocco but are now in El Salvador. The Beveridges were assigned to Spain, where they served for 19 years before being transferred to the Brooklyn Bethel family.

KINGDOM MINISTRY SCHOOLS

How opportune that just before the expulsion of the missionaries they were able to hold the first Kingdom Ministry School! This was a most timely provision for the 20 congregation servants in the country, preparing them for difficult times ahead. We rejoice that the majority of these brothers are still serving faithfully. Over the years successive courses have provided valuable instruction, resulting in the unification of the work, as well as keeping alive the evangelizing spirit.

PIONEERS SPEARHEAD THE WORK

Since the missionaries were gone, local brothers responded to the challenge to carry on the preaching work. Reminiscing about those times, circuit overseer Gilberto Sequeira says:

“When the Society sent missionaries to Portugal in 1958, I realized then that we also should give our very best to Jehovah and, if at all possible, join the pioneer ranks. Although having a young daughter, I became a special pioneer in 1959 and would never trade all the blessings received for any other life. My first assignment was Moscavide Congregation on the outskirts of Lisbon. I started studies in a number of localities. Many times I traded the literature for eggs, oranges, lemons, cakes, and so forth, as people had little money. What a blessing to see some I studied with now serving as elders in the congregations I am privileged to visit! Nothing is comparable to full-time service and the precious relationship one develops with Jehovah.”

Brother Henrique Arques was another publisher whose heart motivated him at this time to enter the pioneer ranks. After more than twenty years in full-time service, along with his wife, he makes this comment: “The word was out for more pioneers and I gladly volunteered. I have learned never to despise the day of small beginnings. It has been my privilege to go into every part of the country, including service on Madeira, the Azores and Cape Verde Islands. The offers I had of lucrative jobs could never stand up to what Jehovah offers.”

BRANCH OFFICE GOES UNDERGROUND

Due to the increased police surveillance the branch now had to be reorganized for underground activity. It was moved to an inconspicuous shed in the backyard of António Matias, a tailor in Lisbon. Gilead missionary Paul Hundertmark and his wife, Evelyn, had been expelled from Spain in 1960 and were now in Portugal, learning Portuguese. Suddenly, Paul found himself with an underground branch to look after. And what a challenge that was going to be!

PERSECUTION INTENSIFIES

Following the expulsion of the missionaries in 1962, the authorities hardened the campaign of persecution against Jehovah’s Witnesses. They issued a communication to all post offices prohibiting the circulation of our Bible literature, classifying it as “pernicious.” They seized large quantities of Bibles and literature published by the Watch Tower Society, and this literature they cut up and burned. Thousands of subscribers for The Watchtower and Awake! were denied the right to receive their magazines.

In quick succession, police searched the homes of scores of brothers, confiscating literature. The police threatened them with imprisonment if they continued to attend meetings. One of the first brothers to be visited by the police was Manuel Almeida, who presently serves on the Branch Committee. Though having no warrant to enter or search, the police confiscated all publications put out by the Society. Before the wave of persecution ended, this brother not only had his home searched seven times but was summoned an equal number of times for lengthy interrogations by the P.I.D.E. The police then began to raid Kingdom Halls in Lisbon, and early in 1962 the first one was closed down by police order.

FIRST COURT CASE

In 1962 a group of 12 brothers was reported to the police for holding a meeting. The brothers were called to police headquarters for questioning and were threatened with imprisonment if they continued to meet for Bible study. In January 1963 some of the brothers received the following order from the commander of the Public Security Police of Caldas da Rainha:

“I order any authorized agent . . . to notify with all legal formalities [name of brother], residing at [address] Town of Caldas da Rainha, Borough of Caldas da Rainha, that: He cannot continue to exercise his activities of Bible reading or that of Jehovah’s Witnesses or of any other religious character, and in addition to this promote, establish, organize or direct associations of an international character such as the one he has been said to belong to.”

The Public Ministry accused the brothers of holding religious meetings without obtaining authorization. At the opening of the trial on March 21, 1963, the judge was amazed to see the courtroom full of spectators. Generally, court cases of this kind, when the State was the accuser, took only a few minutes. But the fair-minded judge was so interested in seeing that justice was done that the trial lasted nearly three hours. He allowed three witnesses for the accused to speak and asked several questions concerning Bible subjects. The verdict proved to be a favorable decision for true worship, the accused being acquitted.

A CIRCUIT ASSEMBLY CANCELED

In July 1963 a circuit assembly was planned at Faro, on Portugal’s southern coast. The brothers rented a large warehouse to show one of the Society’s films, but someone registered a complaint with the police. At the last minute the brothers canceled the arrangement. It was a wise decision. The police had been advised that there was a “political meeting,” so about midnight a detachment of the riot squad surrounded the warehouse. They drew machine guns for action and prepared for what they thought would be armed resistance. What a surprise when they found the warehouse empty! The circuit overseer, Césario Gomes, was later interrogated at great length. He related what followed:

“All items confiscated in my car were brought in and placed on the police chief’s desk. What really worried me was a list of names and addresses of overseers in the entire circuit. I was certain this list would be seen. Immediately I prayed to Jehovah, asking for his help to protect my brothers, in harmony with the thoughts of Psalm 118:6-8. Then, as the chief of police was examining each item and writing down its description, I was able to place my elbow on the corner of the desk. When he was distracted I managed to remove the piece of paper containing the names. I then asked permission to go to the washroom and speedily flushed the list down the toilet.”

MISSIONARY TO CAPE VERDE ISLANDS

An outstanding year in the history of the work for Cape Verde Islands was 1962, with the arrival of George Amado, a Gilead graduate. Shortly thereafter a special pioneer, Jack Pina, arrived to work along with the missionary on Brava Island. Within two months the missionary was reporting 14 home Bible studies, and soon 20 persons were assembling for the weekly Bible study. The celebration of the Memorial in 1963 had a fine attendance of 45. Then came a turn in events. The two pioneers were ordered to leave the islands. Seeds of truth, however, had been sown and had taken root.

TRAVEL ADVENTURES

The “Everlasting Good News” Assembly in Milan, Italy, in 1963 is especially remembered for different reasons. It was the first international convention attended by Portuguese delegates, with the entire program being presented by Portuguese brothers in their own language. The twenty-five-hundred-mile (4,000-km) round trip was also unforgettable. For the majority of brothers it was their first trip abroad. To make the trip, some purchased their first car after taking a course in learning how to drive. One brother had trouble with the clutch and gearbox, each gear successively breaking down. It was quite a sight to see him finally driving into town in reverse, with only that one gear functioning.

Brother Américo Campos from Almada relates what happened to their three-car caravan: “In Barcelona, Spain, two brothers were robbed of all their money as well as passports. On the return trip we learned the French thieves were more experienced than their Spanish colleagues. While we slept soundly, they broke into our cars and took everything. They even entered our tents, taking our money and souvenirs. We were wiped out materially but had received so much spiritually at the convention that, in a positive way, we commented on the truth of Jesus’ words at Matthew 6:19: “Stop storing up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break in and steal.”

CHURCH-INSPIRED PERSECUTION CONTINUES

Adverse publicity about the Witnesses began to appear more frequently in the newspapers. During the summer of 1963 a series of five television programs about the Witnesses was broadcast from Lisbon. A Roman Catholic priest conducted the discussions, and he delighted in grossly misrepresenting Jehovah’s people.

On the evening of August 22, 1963, five P.S.P. (Public Security Police) agents with guns in hand broke into a private home in the northern coastal city of Aveiro, interrupting the local meeting. Everyone was arrested and taken to the police station. At four o’clock in the morning the children were released. The others had to wait until seven-thirty the next evening. They were formally charged with holding an illegal meeting. Thus the stage was set for the Witnesses’ second court case in Portugal. The evidence showed that the privacy of a home had been invaded. The judge delayed for nearly a month before declaring all 10 Witnesses guilty. Brother António Beirão and his wife were considered responsible for the meeting, and although having two small children, they were sentenced to one month in prison.

PRISONERS WITNESS IN ANGOLA

Meanwhile, in Angola, the penal work camp was affected by the Catholic Ecumenical Council in 1963. Representatives of Christendom’s sects requested the camp administrator’s permission to hold special interfaith prayer days. Prisoners most qualified to represent each religion were invited to share in these prayer sessions. Brother Mancoca, invited to represent Jehovah’s Witnesses, declined. He used the opportunity, however, to make clear the Witness position of noninvolvement in interfaith meetings.

The so-called friendly leaders of Christendom viewed Brother Mancoca as being most audacious and sought revenge. Using the camp administrator, they launched an attempt to silence him. Camp authorities expressly forbade him to hold religious conversations with fellow prisoners or engage in any religious activity whatsoever, under the penalty of death. They told him his ‘followers would be banished to penal colonies on Cape Verde Islands if he disobeyed orders.’ Brother Mancoca wrote a letter to the camp administrator, politely stating that he could not obey such orders and that in reality they were contrary to the Portuguese Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion.

Reaction to his letter was swift. They separated Mancoca from all other prisoners and kept him at a distance of some two hundred feet (60 m) so he could talk to no one. Camp guards intensified their vigilance to make sure he was not practicing his religion or reading the Bible. In spite of these difficulties, Mancoca was able to translate the booklet “This Good News of the Kingdom” into the Umbundu dialect.

It became evident that the isolated groups in Luanda needed assistance, so in March of 1963 Manuel da Silva, his wife and two children moved to Angola at the Society’s invitation. Since they were both special pioneers, the work was quickly organized and produced fine results. Then on October 14, 1963, in Luanda, Manuel da Silva and Manuel Acácio Santos were arrested and imprisoned. The following month the P.I.D.E. arrested the brother who had been caring for the work in Luanda, Manuel Gonçalves Vieira. The police chief told him: “The work of Jehovah’s Witnesses has been banned throughout all Angola.”

The police now presented Vieira with an ultimatum: Sign a declaration promising to renounce all activities connected with Jehovah’s Witnesses or go to prison. Upon refusing to be intimidated, he was put in solitary confinement for two months, in spite of the fact that his wife was expecting her third child in a few weeks. By this time Manuel da Silva had also been placed in solitary confinement for having preached the good news to fellow prisoners.

Finally, on January 23, 1964, the three brothers were informed that they would be deported to Portugal.

POLICE ACTIVITIES

Meanwhile, in Lisbon, Brother Joaquim Martins, who had been a faithful Witness since 1939, was now a successful businessman, operating several dry-cleaning stores. In February 1964 he had unexpected visitors! P.I.D.E. agents rummaged through everything at his home and shops in an effort to find publications put out by the Society. They confiscated his literature, including a precious library dating back to 1925.

At one of the stores he kept a large tank for use in secret baptisms, and over the years scores of brothers were baptized there. Later Brother Martins sold his business and became a pioneer, dying faithful in 1979.

During 1964 several issues of the Awake! magazine, as well as letters from all over the world, helped Portugal’s leading citizens know exactly what was happening in their own country.

In the Azores Brother Manuel Leal decided it would be good to place copies of the Awake! in the hands of the local authorities. He gave copies to the district governor, police officials, and so forth. Several days later the P.S.P. summoned him to appear for questioning. After severely interrogating him, the police ordered him to disclose the names and addresses of where he had left the magazines. Leal refused, saying that he would not give information that would result in innocent people becoming objects of persecution. The subchief began writing a report on the interrogation but became embarrassed when he had to state that the reason why Leal would not give the names and addresses was that the police would then persecute these people. Frustrated, he ripped up the sheet of paper and left the room.

The job was finally turned over to a secretary with the subchief helping. They both became confused. Finally, when the statement was completed, Brother Leal would not sign it because it misrepresented the facts. Leal reports: “When I attempted to explain our beliefs and used the name Jehovah, the subchief shouted: ‘Do not use that name! If you say it again I will order you imprisoned!’ I responded that I had to use the name if I was to defend myself, and at any rate, this very name was in the Catholic Mass book, which I promptly showed them, to their chagrin. An excellent witness was given.”

GOVERNMENT OPPOSITION INTENSIFIES

The authorities were hardening their hearts. During October 1964 an extremely prejudiced bulletin was distributed by the minister of the interior, saying:

“It must be rigorously understood that the sect ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’ is not a religious sect, because their purposes are purely material: extinction of the governments, of authorities and of the churches and existing cults in order to prepare the way for the installation of Universal Theocracy. The use of the Bible is nothing more than mere technique of propaganda and defense before the authorities, of a movement with ambitious political objectives [italics theirs].”

Armed with the backing of this government bulletin, police began to organize daily raids on the homes of the brothers throughout the country.

In an effort to clarify our position and with the aid of the U.S. State Department, it was arranged for a foreign delegation of three Witnesses to speak with Dr. Franco Nogueira, then Minister of Foreign Affairs. The foreign delegation, composed of Brothers Philip Rees, Richard Abrahamson and Domenick Piccone, traveled to Lisbon and on February 25, 1965, explained our position of strict neutrality. Dr. Nogueira promised to look into the situation, as he stated there was no apparent reason for denying Jehovah’s Witnesses religious freedom. The only answer received, however, was a steady increase of police interference.

Despite the difficult times, the organization was growing. A new peak of 2,839 publishers was reached in April 1965, with four circuits organized to care for the many new congregations springing up.

POLICE METHODS

Why many considered Portugal to be a police state can be readily seen in the diversified structure of its law-enforcement agencies. There were Public Security Police (P.S.P.); Republican National Guard (G.N.R.); Military Police (P.M.); Highway Patrol Police (P.V.T.); Judicial Police (P.J.); and the International Police and Defense of the State (P.I.D.E.), which was commonly known as the secret police. Our brothers received harsh treatment from G.N.R. and P.I.D.E. The general public especially feared the P.I.D.E., which relied heavily on a paid informer system. Reportedly, it was modeled after the Nazi Gestapo with the assistance of Gestapo agents during the second world war.

Due to the neutrality of the Witnesses, a number of young brothers received brutal treatment from the hands of the P.I.D.E. Luís António de Silva Canilhas, of Larajeiro, Almada, tells what happened to him after two hours of questioning on July 9, 1965:

“Having shut all the windows and doors, they began striking me on every part of my body. A blow in the stomach knocked me to the floor. Another left me with a black eye. As I was limping on one leg, I couldn’t stand up, so they picked me up by my ears and once again began beating me. These men did not have the appearance of humans as they treated me like a dog.”

Disgraceful treatment was meted out to older people as well. In July a Lisbon overseer, Manuel Vaz, 72 years of age, was summoned to P.I.D.E. headquarters for questioning. For five hours he was rudely insulted and interrogated. “The true religion is the Catholic religion,” said one P.I.D.E. agent to Brother Vaz. “She has preserved the Bible and is following Jesus Christ and the apostles. It is not for you, an ignorant man, to teach the Bible. It is only for those who are authorized. But you would like your religion to be free, wouldn’t you? This will never be! No, never!”

As summer of 1965 approached, some four hundred brothers prepared for the long journey to attend the “Word of Truth” Assembly in Basel, Switzerland. At the last minute the P.I.D.E. decided to interfere with convention plans. Just one day before departure date the police told 50 brothers who had received permission to travel that the authorization was canceled. Much to the chagrin of the police, one busload of brothers had already left. An urgent telephone call to the border was unsuccessful. The bus was well into Spain!

In November 1965, in Rossio ao Sul do Tejo, three police agents converged on a group of 17 brothers assembled for the Watchtower Study, breaking up the meeting and seizing all Bibles and literature. They searched the brothers and took them to the police station amid outbursts of ridicule and defamatory language from a crowd of curious onlookers that now assumed mob characteristics.

That evening the brothers were informed that they would be freed on bail of 2,000 escudos each ($70 U.S.). Only seven could raise this sum. Then police authorities released all except António Manuel Cordeiro and Tiago Jesus da Silva, who were considered the organizers of the meeting. Bail for them was set at 20,000 escudos each ($700 U.S.), an exorbitant sum for the average citizen, whose monthly salary was only 1,700 escudos ($60). They were held incommunicado for several days and then kept in prison three months until the charges were finally dropped.

The same day that the police broke up the meeting at Rossio ao Sul do Tejo, P.I.D.E. agents in the university city of Coimbra visited the local Kingdom Hall. After listening for about twenty minutes, they suspended the meeting; then they confiscated all Bibles and literature put out by the Society. When the overseer requested they be allowed to keep their personal copies of the Bible, the police answered: “No, we cannot allow that. We must take them because your Bibles are underlined, which means those particular references have been given a different interpretation”!

OUTMANEUVERING THE OPPOSERS

If the intensity of police activity was increasing, so was the ingenuity of the brothers in handling these delicate situations. This is illustrated by the experience of a 17-year-old publisher, who relates:

“Because of unavoidable problems I arrived at the Hall 15 minutes late. Immediately I noticed something strange: A man was walking back and forth in front of the Hall. I thought right away that he must be a P.I.D.E. agent. I too began walking back and forth, but in the opposite direction. We passed several times. Finally, after 15 minutes the man approached me and whispered: ‘I had the impression you were one of them, but I see you’re not. You wouldn’t be doing the same thing that I am doing, would you?’ Confidently I answered: ‘Obviously, just excuse me for arriving late.’ He replied: ‘No problem, if you don’t mind, keep an eye on this place while I go and have supper. I’ll be back shortly!’ I answered: ‘Don’t worry, I’ll take care of things.’ After waiting a few minutes I entered the Hall. When I explained to the brothers what had happened, we all left in a hurry!”

GROWTH ON MADEIRA ISLAND

Brothers were also experiencing opposition on Madeira Island, but the work was progressing well. During 1966 a brother on Madeira enjoyed the unique experience of having a policeman accompany him from door to door. He had been arrested while engaging in the house-to-house ministry, and at police headquarters doubts arose as to whether his mission at the homes was purely Biblical. The police decided the best way to settle the question was to return to the homes he had visited and find out. So off went the brother, accompanied by the policeman. At each door it was verified what had been said and an additional witness was given. Many householders who had not listened the first time were amazed to see a policeman with the brother, and this time they paid close attention! Although the policeman wanted to stop after a short while, the brother insisted they continue to check out all the homes he had visited. In the end the policeman was quite tired and said he would certainly give a favorable report on our brother’s persistence and ability to explain the Bible’s message!

KINGDOM HALLS CLOSED

Kingdom Halls all over Portugal were more and more the target of police raids. Valuable equipment was being lost. All efforts to legalize the organization had produced no tangible results. So in 1966 the time came for a realistic appraisal of our circumstances. Various factors indicated that the Kingdom work could be better accomplished by meeting in small groups in private homes. Despite government refusal to give us legal recognition our existence could not be denied. In ever-growing numbers Jehovah’s Witnesses were present, successfully preaching the good news.

Although fully trusting in the guidance of the “faithful and discreet slave,” this was a hard time for many brothers. Some wondered how the organization would move ahead. Several questioned how a congregation could effectively function in small book study groups of about twenty publishers. Without doubt, this was much more work, since each group was required to put on the entire program of five weekly meetings. Many brothers and sisters had assignments in either the Service Meeting or the Theocratic Ministry School, or both, every week! Their apprehension, however, proved to be unfounded, as more work produced more spirituality and growth.

A SIGNIFICANT COURT TRIAL

In June 1966 a court trial was held in Lisbon’s Plenary Court. The trial, involving 49 members of the Feijó Congregation, captured the attention of all Portugal. The case began a year earlier when police broke up a meeting of some seventy persons in the home of Afonso Mendes and arrested the overseers, Arriaga Cardoso and José Fernandes Lourenço.

After 4 months and 20 days in prison, the two brothers were released on bail. During the time they spent in prison they were denied all reading material, including the Bible, and they were subjected to hours of questioning. The State prepared a court case against the two overseers and 47 other members of the congregation. Bail was set at 2,000 escudos ($70 U.S.) each. The government prepared a 416-page brief. The Witnesses were accused of “a crime against the security of the State.” The accusation added: “They constitute a political movement, coming from various countries with aims of disobedience, agitation and subversion of the popular masses and especially the youths of military age.”

When the day for the trial arrived, brothers from all over the country were on hand to give moral support. A bus was even chartered from Oporto in the north. Police officials had never seen such a sight, with hundreds of Witnesses converging on the courthouse.

Reporting on the incident, Lisbon’s O Século stated: “Whoever arrived yesterday at Largo da Boa Hora [the courthouse square] would have seen a surprising spectacle. . . . The windows around the second and third floors as well as the corridors, of which there are many, were full of people. In the patio people were packed tight. . . . There was no disturbance. It was calculated there were more than two thousand persons present inside and outside the building. It was the first time that so many people had been seen there. They were, in the majority, sympathizers with the accused and their religion.”

Judge António de Almeida Moura lost no time in telling the first defendant, Arriaga Cardoso, that constitutional guarantees of freedom of worship do not apply to such a religion as Jehovah’s Witnesses. Lisbon’s Diário Popular, June 24, 1966, reported his remarks: “There is no liberty for anyone who invents a religion and does what he wants in the name of God or whatever it might be. He has to be subordinate to men who rule things on earth. . . . You are accused of disobedience of a general kind to the laws of the Nation.”

When Brother Cardoso started to pick up his Bible, having in mind reading Romans 13:1 pointing out our need to be in subjection to earthly “superior authorities” when their laws do not conflict with God’s laws (Acts 5:29), the judge quickly interrupted, stating, as the newspaper reported:

“Don’t use the Bible! To you the Bible is what counts; to the court it is the law that counts. The Bible does not govern civil activity. Do not invoke it; each one interprets it his own way and according to his interests. The Bible is not the constitution of the State. The court does not have to accept the Bible as the political constitution of the Portuguese Republic as it is interpreted by some American man.”

On the second day of the trial the defense presented considerable evidence to prove that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not advise or encourage anyone to break a law of any government. At the final session, on July 7, 1966, the defense lawyer, Dr. Vasco de Almeida e Silva, fearlessly exposed the government brief as being void of facts. Forcefully he pointed out that not a shred of evidence had been submitted showing that the Witnesses “constitute a political movement” and encourage “agitation and subversion of the popular masses.”

He concluded his bold defense with a masterful appeal that the court respectfully consider the advice of first-century law teacher, Gamaliel. Quoting him, he looked at the judges and kindly entreated: “Do not meddle with these men, but let them alone, (because, if this scheme or this work is from men, it will be overthrown; but if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them;) otherwise you may perhaps be found fighters actually against God.”​—Acts 5:38, 39.

The public prosecutor did not produce one witness during the entire three days of the trial, nor did he attempt to cross-examine any defendant or witness for the defense. In fact, he had only spoken once during the trial, and now, at the conclusion, his only words were: “I ask for justice.”

Two days later the Plenary Court sentenced all 49 Witnesses to prison terms ranging from 45 days to five and a half months. Portuguese lawyers called the trial “a mockery,” “a sham,” a “miscarriage of justice.” Although the decision was immediately appealed to the Supreme Court, it seemed clearer than ever that the battle for true worship lay ahead.

A NEED FOR CAUTION

No sooner had the trial ended than it was time to leave for France to attend the “God’s Sons of Liberty” District Assembly. The animosity of the authorities against the Witnesses once more came to the surface. This time some one hundred and fifty brothers had their request for collective passports denied just as they were preparing to make the journey.

An interesting experience in relation to the 1966 convention in France shows how protection sometimes comes in remarkable ways. The branch overseer, Paul Hundertmark, had written by memo to the Paris branch, explaining his travel arrangements by plane. He intended to take some important documents out of the country with him. Since the branch address was secret he used Manuel Almeida’s address as the sender. Shortly afterward the P.I.D.E. raided Manuel’s home and searched it for literature, without success. The police inspector threatened Manuel with the loss of his job unless he revealed where the literature was hidden. To back it up he asked him for his employer’s address and wrote it down on a piece of paper he had in his hand. In the course of the search the inspector left the paper on the table. Later, when he left the house, he forgot his note. Manuel quickly retrieved it and saw, on the reverse side, a strange message that simply said: “Correspondence. L. Pontes, Paris.” It meant nothing to him.

A few days later Brother Hundertmark visited him and Manuel showed him the paper. He immediately knew what it meant! The P.I.D.E. had intercepted his anonymous memo to the Paris branch overseer, L. Jontes (they had misspelled it), and they obviously knew all his travel plans to get to Paris. Needless to say, he canceled his trip to the convention, and both the branch overseer and confidential documents were safe once again.

The Lisbon newspaper Diário da Manha, of July 14, 1966, published a front-page story that truly alerted the brothers and taught them a valuable lesson. Somehow a confidential letter giving instructions on traveling to the district convention in France fell into the hands of the authorities, its entire contents being published in the newspaper. Now the brothers would have to give closer attention to Jesus’ counsel to “prove yourselves cautious as serpents and yet innocent as doves.” (Matt. 10:16) About four hundred and thirty brothers, however, succeeded in attending the district convention and still remember the first Bible dramas, such as the one about Joseph in Egypt and his firm rejection of seduction by Potiphar’s wife.

The value of these timely dramas is demonstrated by the experience of a brother in Angola. Working as a truck driver on a large plantation, he was often ridiculed because of refusing to eat meals prepared with blood and not enjoying the company of prostitutes. One day after a special dinner, with the workers present, he gave a fine witness exposing magical arts as being against God’s will. This greatly irritated a spiritist, who, along with other workers, decided to test the brother’s resistance to sexual opportunities. After he had left for night work, a prostitute was hired to seduce him. Returning to his quarters, he was astonished to find a woman in his bed. When he ordered her out of his room, there was an uproar of laughter in the adjoining room. But their trick had failed.

THE TRUTH SPREADS UNDER PERSECUTION

In Angola, however, the main test continued to be fierce persecution. At the penal colony near Serpa Pinto, Brother Mancoca faced repeated offers to sign papers renouncing his faith. The small amount of literature he was able to obtain was again confiscated, but the camp administrator presented him with two gifts to read​—books written by opposers of the Witnesses. Recalls Mancoca: “After giving me these books, they encouraged me time and again to follow the course of these persons who wrote against the Witnesses. I was promised complete freedom if I would cooperate with the authorities. Although I was to be released after serving a sentence of five years, they refused to release me since I did not cooperate in the manner they wished.”

As a consequence Mancoca was transferred in 1966 to the isolated São Nicolau work camp in the Mossâmedes province. He shuddered when he saw the face of his new camp administrator; it was none other than the corporal who had almost beaten him to death in Luanda in 1961, when he was first arrested. Mancoca was told he would learn very shortly who was right, the Witnesses or the State. Remembering those days, Mancoca says: “Here also, in spite of constant interrogations to coerce me to change my mind, I just didn’t cross my arms and wait for freedom. I knew that inactivity is synonymous with death. I was not yet dead, so I would continue to use my breath of life to praise Jehovah.”

Mancoca sought opportunities to give an informal witness to prisoners, using great caution. The ministry of this faithful brother was richly blessed, since a group of 12 interested persons developed. At times some of these, the more trustworthy prisoners, were sent on missions to Mossâmedes and thus succeeded in bringing into the camp precious magazines, hidden inside their shoes.

The brothers carried on the work in Angola under the greatest of difficulties, with relentless police surveillance. In 1967, in Mossâmedes, Brothers João Pedro Ginga and António Sequeira were walking down the street, caring for routine matters of life, when the police suddenly appeared and arrested them. They were turned over to an administrative board and, without trial, condemned to two years of forced labor. Both these brothers had previously served three-year prison terms.

As a result of the brothers’ zealous efforts to spread the Kingdom message, groups of prisoners in every penal work camp learned the truth. Prisoners would write to Lisbon for help. We quote part of one such letter received from Mossâmedes: “We have asked Jehovah to send a qualified brother to help us. A good number of us are ready to symbolize our dedication. Although the opposition is great, we have been more than protected. Some literature was received at the port here with the help of a friendly policeman. Truly God’s power to sustain us is great.”

A DIFFERENT APPROACH

The enemies of pure worship never tire in their attempts to slander or entrap Jehovah’s servants. Portuguese authorities devised a bold plan, during October 1966, to provoke Jehovah’s Witnesses to hold a mass demonstration against the government. Early in the month several overseers in Lisbon received the following note, signed with the name of a local overseer:

“Brother Jehovah:

“Due to the decision of the Congregations of the United States to support Our Great Campaign of protest toward the government, it is asked that all possible publicity be given to a concentration of all Jehovah’s witnesses to appear in a SILENT MANIFESTATION of protest at the Ministry of the Interior, Praça do Comercio [a Lisbon square], on the 15th of the current month, at one o’clock in the afternoon [Saturday].

For Our God Jehovah,

Silvério Silva”

The branch immediately sent out a note, dated October 12, 1966, to the Lisbon congregations, informing them of this trap that was set.

Needless to say, these wolves in sheep’s clothing had their plan completely thwarted. Not a soul turned up for the demonstration. Two brothers were sent to check the situation and saw police and military riot squads with water cannons and blue dye ready and waiting to pounce on any prospective protesters!

PRESSURE INCREASES IN THE AZORES

Meanwhile, in the Azores, pioneer Manuel Leal was speaking with his neighbor on October 12, 1966, when a P.I.D.E. agent arrested him. During the automobile ride to police headquarters the agent asked Manuel several times to give the names and addresses of individuals to whom he had witnessed. To the utter dismay of the secret policeman, the pioneer answered, “Your father!” Leal had indeed spoken to the agent’s father several times. Leal reports: “Well, when I said the name of his father he became so upset he told me, ‘Never mention my father’s name again!’ For the remainder of the trip he asked no more questions.”

At police headquarters the P.I.D.E. agents spoke to Leal, using the most abusive language. They ordered him to leave Terceira Island. His reaction? “I explained that I had lived on this island for more than sixteen years, that my children were born here and that I was not interested in moving. They threatened me with 80 days in prison if I was found preaching again. They told me that to remain on the island I would have to find a local citizen in good standing to post bond for me and assume responsibility for my residence. With this they ordered me to return home. Since they had taken away all my belongings, including my money, I asked them for at least the money needed to make the 12-mile (19-km) trip home. The chief of police refused, ordering me to walk the distance.”

Brother Leal managed to find an influential citizen who offered to post bond and assume responsibility for his residence despite threats from the police. Now with the tacit approval of the police, the clergy began to incite youths of the Catholic Action Group to harass the Witnesses. Several times in 1966 mobs stoned the brothers. Vicious dogs were released on them. Some Witnesses were pushed and shoved around, while pursuers chased others with hoes raised as weapons! During these difficult times our brothers did not feel sad and pessimistic. What was their attitude? Leal reports: “Our spirit was that of 2 Corinthians 6:10, ‘as sorrowing but ever rejoicing, as poor but making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things.’”

SUPREME COURT RENDERS ITS DECISION

On February 22, 1967, the Supreme Court rendered its decision on the appeal we had lodged in the Feijó case. It upheld the Plenary Court’s decision to sentence 49 members of the congregation to prison terms. All 49 had their political rights suspended for a period of four years. Ten interested persons, not baptized Witnesses, received suspended sentences. Prison terms ranged from a minimum of one and a half months to five and a half months. The court also fined each Witness a sum varying from 1,350 escudos ($47 U.S.) to 5,000 escudos ($175 U.S.) and requiring court costs of 1,000 escudos ($35 U.S.) each.

Since a number of husbands were not in the truth and desired to put up the necessary funds to keep their wives out of prison, a total of 24 Witnesses were finally imprisoned. The youngest was 20 years of age and the oldest, 70. In some cases both husband and wife were imprisoned, thus creating a problem for their children. Twenty children, ranging from 15 months to 16 years of age, were separated from their Christian parents. Other brothers and sisters, however, manifested love by offering to care for these youngsters. Why, more homes were offered than necessary! Generous contributions were also received to take care of these children. From the United States alone came the equivalent of 130,000 escudos ($4,600 U.S.). What marvelous evidence of care and loving concern!

On May 18, 1967, the convicted Witnesses presented themselves at the Plenary Court for imprisonment. The sisters were assigned to Mónicas Prison and the brothers to Limoeiro Prison, both some twenty minutes on foot from the courthouse. A truly unprecedented spectacle followed. The brothers were told to walk over to prison unescorted and to turn themselves in. Imagine! Here were these “dangerous citizens,” husbands and wives​—condemned to prison for being a risk to “the security of the State”—​with complete liberty to walk to prison! The lawyer who defended our brothers, Dr. Vasco de Almeida e Silva, personally bade farewell to each one. He made the following observation: “There was no shouting or screaming. No emotional outbursts on the part of the sisters. They were admirably calm and dignified and conducted themselves as I would think real Witnesses of the Most High God should. One thing you can be sure of: There will be a lot of witnessing done in those prisons.” No words could have been truer.

CONDUCT GIVES WITNESS

The prison matron singled out special pioneer Alda Vidal Antunes, 55 years of age, for special treatment. When the matron ordered her to embroider a tablecloth for the altar of the Catholic church, Sister Antunes politely made known her reason for refusing but mentioned that she would gladly accept other work. For this she was locked in a chapel for several hours; finally, she was transferred to Tires Prison, supervised by Catholic nuns.

When the Witness arrived, the mother superior tried to force her to attend Mass, but she adamantly refused. The nuns then put her in solitary confinement in a cold cement cell for over a month. The Christian conduct of our sister gradually influenced other prisoners to behave better, with much less shouting and banging on cell doors. Regarding Jehovah’s Witnesses, the mother superior finally admitted: “You know, these people really believe the Bible. Their whole personality seems to be different. When I look at people of my own religion, I see such a contrast.”

While Afonso Costa Mendes, a brother with four children, was in prison, his foreman, who greatly disliked the Witnesses, saw an opportunity to have him fired by submitting an unfavorable report on his work. Brother Mendes had nearly thirty years’ seniority with retirement benefits at stake, but he knew the matter had to be left in Jehovah’s hands. Prison authorities assigned him to work with the social director who observed the brother’s fine conduct. Then, one day near the end of his term, the social director called him into his office. What a surprise to face his factory’s personnel manager who was then told that our brother was an excellent worker, one who merited the finest confidence of any employer! The social director recommended that he be reinstated, with full benefits, to his previous job. This was done.

HARASSMENTS CONTINUE

While the brothers were serving their prison sentences, arrests continued throughout Portugal and Angola. On February 28, 1967, in Luanda, Angola, a group of seven brothers, while meeting in a private home, was surrounded by seven P.S.P. agents with rifles and machine guns. They confiscated all literature, including Bibles, and marched the group off to police headquarters for questioning that lasted until two o’clock in the morning. The chief of police concluded the incident by saying he had some good advice to offer the group: “My warning is to stop this business of studying the Bible and use your time more wisely, like dedicating yourselves to seducing young girls. If you really want to know something about the Bible, then go to the priest, who knows what he is talking about.”

During this time William Roberts and his wife, Dorothy, had been doing missionary work since 1959 in northern Portugal. The police finally spotted him in the country’s most Catholic city, Braga, during a circuit visit in April 1967. The authorities confiscated their residence papers and shortly afterward this zealous evangelizing couple left Portugal to serve in Ireland.

BORDER RECEPTIONS

The “Disciple-Making” District Assembly for Portugal was held in the summer of 1967 in Marseilles, France. On their return to Portugal in nine chartered buses the brothers were met by an unexpected special reception committee. P.I.D.E. agents, along with customs officials, confiscated some forty cartons of literature on the first six buses that arrived at the frontier near Elvas. When tourists asked what was being confiscated in the dozens of cartons piled high, they could hardly believe their ears when told: “Bibles and Bible literature.”

One alert brother, speaking with a tourist leaving for Spain, remarked: “And this is not all! There are three more buses coming this way with more of the same.” This complete stranger then suggested: “Let me get out of here as quick as I can. Maybe I can stop the other buses and tell them what’s happening.” True to his word, he did so. The precious literature was stored temporarily in a rented room in Badajoz, Spain. Evidence exists showing someone tipped off the authorities about the literature the brothers were bringing back from France.

Isabel Vargas, a good-natured, heavyset sister from Lisbon, tells us how, on another occasion, she managed to keep some of her literature: “The police entered our bus and told us to give them all the Bible literature or they would take it anyway. They stacked it on the seat directly in front of me. My personal Bible, containing notes made over the years, was on top. I just couldn’t resist: When they turned their heads, I took a deep breath and quickly dropped it down the front of my dress. Several other books followed. It went unnoticed that I suddenly became heftier!”

Harsh action was taken against sister Emília Afonso Gonçalves of Lisbon. Although she was born in Spain and married to a Spaniard, her father was Portuguese. She had lived in Lisbon for 40 years. Now this humble widow, 52 years old, received only 48 hours’ notice to leave the country. The Spanish consul in Lisbon was unable to extend this short period and showed her the official notice from the P.I.D.E., which explicitly stated she was being deported for belonging to the “sect of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” On September 16, 1967, she left for Spain.

COURAGEOUS ATTITUDE

Jehovah’s people have nothing to fear when called before the authorities. Rather than cringe and tremble, they display the attitude mentioned at Hebrews 13:6: “So that we may be of good courage and say: ‘Jehovah is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’ “ This is illustrated by the experience of Brother Joaquim Freitas. He had been a Catholic and had a business employing many persons. When he received a summons to appear at P.I.D.E. headquarters, it became obvious the authorities did not know how to begin. What happened is best related by Brother Freitas:

“They were extremely polite and told me it was too bad they had to call me in, since my time was valuable. As they seemed embarrassed to say why they wanted to speak to me, I said, ‘Yes, my time is valuable and so is yours. You gentlemen must certainly want to know something. Perhaps you want to know if I am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Well, I am! Now is there anything else you would like to know?’

“This straightforward approach broke the ice, so to speak, and they told me how bad the organization was and why I should leave it and become a good Catholic again. I was then granted permission to speak. I told them I had been raised a Catholic and even had a friend who was a priest whom I had seen drunk. I had been immoral, like so many others, but since studying the Bible with the Witnesses, I cleaned up my life and now live as a Christian husband should​—with one wife. So, ‘Gentlemen, I have a question to ask you: Shall I return to being a Catholic or remain one of Jehovah’s Witnesses?’ “ Needless to say, he was quickly dismissed.

PROGRESS IN CAPE VERDE

Since the expulsion of the missionary in 1963, things had moved slowly in Cape Verde. But the year 1966 brought a special visitor: A brother living in the United States returned to his native islands, placing much literature and giving a Kingdom witness on the islands of São Vicente and Santo Antão.

On São Tiago Island the isolated interested man who had learned the truth by himself in 1958 by reading the book “Let God Be True,” which he had found at the home of a photographer friend, continued corresponding with the Lisbon branch. By 1965 he assembled eight persons to celebrate the Memorial. In writing to the branch about this happy occasion, he stated:

“I regret to inform you that only six of the eight present partook of the emblems. This is no doubt because the other two are still immature.” It was evident that they needed help. What joy they had on receiving their first visit from a traveling overseer in 1968! At Memorial time three publishers reported and a total of 31 gathered together. This time no one partook of the emblems.

CLOSE CALLS

During the summer of 1968 there was to be a district assembly in France. This required several months of preparation, since the entire program, including dramas, had to be translated, rehearsed and taped. The Ruas family had an experience in this regard. Celeste tells what happened:

“We finally finished making the tape of the drama on Jephthah’s daughter, and it was left at our home for the next rehearsal. In the morning, at seven o’clock, the doorbell rang. When we asked ‘Who’s there?’ the callers identified themselves as P.I.D.E. agents. I told them to wait a minute until I got dressed. Having already been visited several times by the police, we had little literature in the home, but I immediately remembered the tape. I hurriedly took it to the kitchen, lifted the top part of the gas stove and slipped the tape underneath, putting the top back into place.

“The police entered and began searching the house from top to bottom, finally coming to the kitchen. They were just finishing their search when our daughter Dina walked in, saying: ‘Mother, I’m going to make some coffee,’ and went off to light the stove. What could I do? If I said anything, the tape would be discovered and confiscated. I had visions of seeing hours and hours of preparation go up in smoke. Happily, our daughter lit the burner on the opposite side! The coffee was made and the police never did find the tape.”

Several days later the P.I.D.E. agents came close to seizing travel documents for 100 convention delegates. Brother Diamantino Fernandes tells what happened:

“Along with my wife and the district overseer, we went to Brother Almeida’s home to deliver complete documentation and funds for two chartered buses. We had just entered the building where he was janitor and placed the envelopes on the entrance table when three P.I.D.E. agents suddenly appeared to search Brother Almeida’s apartment. Two agents went downstairs with Brother Almeida while the third one started to examine the envelopes on the table. We held our breath and prayed to Jehovah to blind his eyes. Without a word, he put the envelopes back on the table and went downstairs to join his fellow agents. As soon as he was out of sight we picked up the precious documents and left. Once again Jehovah’s protection was so manifest.”

Jesus’ instructions to his disciples at Matthew 10:17, “Be on your guard against men; for they will deliver you up,” proves to be wise counsel, as seen from the following experience:

“We planned a ‘picnic’ for the congregation on a holiday, Mother’s Day, since this would be a fine occasion to justify a gathering in the Monsanto woods. We posted guards at strategic points and the brothers brought along their lunch baskets, wine, soccer ball and record player. It was nearing the noon hour. The public talk had been given, and we were on the last paragraphs of the Watchtower Study when our guards gave the danger signal. Everyone went into action, and within a few minutes the lunch baskets were open, wine was being served, the record player was playing and the boys were kicking the soccer ball around. A policeman then appeared. After sizing up the situation, he asked: ‘What’s going on here? Is this a religious meeting of some sort?’ The brother appointed to be spokesman on these occasions replied: ‘You can see for yourself what’s going on here. We’re having a picnic.’ Without a word the policeman left.

“As a precautionary measure an announcement was made to gather up all the literature and Bibles and put them in one of the cars well down the road. No sooner was this done than the policeman returned, accompanied by 15 G.N.R. soldiers, rifles in hand. They carefully searched through the lunch baskets but couldn’t find one piece of literature or even a Bible. With a sour smile the sergeant and his men departed empty-handed, saying: ‘OK, you fooled us this time, but we know what you were doing!’”

CHANGING TIMES

Early in September 1968 Prime Minister Salazar had a stroke. A new government was formed with Professor Marcello Caetano appointed as the president of the council. Salazar remained unaware of the change up until his death in 1970. The transition of power was considerably more peaceful than many had expected.

By early 1969 we observed a definite letup in police interference. When police arrested brothers, they treated them with a marked improvement in politeness and courtesy. One brother had this fact drawn to his attention by a P.I.D.E. agent who said: “Don’t you observe how kindly you are being treated? Are you being abused in any way? Are you not sitting on a comfortable chair?” It was indeed encouraging to see more humane treatment. Reports were even being received indicating police protection, rather than abuse.

One such report tells what happened at a Lisbon meeting when two policemen rang the doorbell about ten o’clock in the evening. When the sister answered the door, they identified themselves, saying they had come to check on a complaint that a meeting was being held. Discreetly the sister replied, “Well, I fully appreciate you are doing your duty, but my husband has given me strict orders never to let in strange men when he is not at home. So I trust you understand my situation. If you would like, I could come to the police station first thing in the morning to answer any questions.” The police accepted her proposal. Next morning she was pleasantly greeted by the policemen. The following conversation developed:

“Good morning. How did your meeting go last night?”

“Very well, thank you,” replied the sister.

“How many were present?”

“Oh, I really don’t know, about twenty-five.”

“No, there were more​—32 to be exact, because we counted them as they came out of the building,” the officer said. He added: “You know, you have some pretty bad neighbors in that building. They are always getting into trouble and complaining about something. Our visit last night was just a routine call because of a complaint. But we have known for some time that meetings are held there. We suggest you tell your people to be as quiet as possible when entering the building, so no one will have reason to complain. It might also be good to use some other homes once in a while.”

Another unprecedented turn of events took place in Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river from Oporto. Two sisters were making one of their last calls before lunch when a housewife accepted the Truth book. Telling the sisters to wait until she got the money, she quickly phoned the police. When the police arrived, it came as unexpected news that she, too, would have to go to the police station. Although she protested, since she was preparing a meal for her husband who would soon be arriving, the police insisted.

At the police station a full report was made about the incident with the householder becoming more and more anxious. The police advised her that this was just the beginning, because if the matter went to court, she could expect to lose a lot more of her time. Distraught, the lady replied: “Oh, my! The only reason I phoned was because our priest said the best way to handle Jehovah’s Witnesses was immediately to call the police. If I had known what I was getting into, I never would have done so!” At the suggestion of the police she most gladly dropped the charges.

PARIS​—1969 CONVENTION

The big event for 1969 was the “Peace on Earth” International Assembly at Paris, France, from August 5-10, at Colombes Stadium. Everyone was thrilled to see a total of 2,731 on hand at the Portuguese session, which was more than triple the attendance at Toulouse just a year earlier. We were especially happy to have representatives present from Madeira, the Azores, Cape Verde Islands and far-distant Angola. For many it was their first convention.

The branch overseer had an interesting experience at this convention. For security reasons the Portuguese sessions were isolated. Only those with a special pass could enter. When he arrived with Brother Knorr, who was to give a talk, the guard, not recognizing them, would not let them in. Well, at least security was functioning!

CHURCH MEDDLES IN POLITICS

Evidently certain factions of the Catholic Church were not content. On September 27, 1970, Prime Minister Marcello Caetano gave a strong public rebuke to restless clergy on a nationwide radio and TV broadcast. As reported in Lisbon’s newspaper O Século, September 28, 1970, he stated:

“Certain sections of the Catholic Church manifest tendencies that cannot but perturb the civil authorities. . . . Those who govern cannot remain indifferent to the fact that certain members of the clergy, under pretense, take advantage of their priestly character and the traditional respect they inspire, as well as the freedom of worship and indoctrination they enjoy, to engage in a political action that is antisocial and antipatriotic.”

PROPOSED “RELIGIOUS LIBERTY” LAW

Especially interesting to Jehovah’s Witnesses was the government’s intention to submit to the Corporative Chamber, on October 6, 1970, a proposed law entitled “Religious Liberty.” The law would broaden the scope of religious liberty. What was the reaction to this proposed law? The Catholic Church was notably critical. Concerned about losing their favored position, the Catholic bishops spoke out against it.

Particularly disconcerting to the Catholic Church was Article IV of the proposed law, which says: “(1) The State has no particular religion and its relations with the corresponding organizations representing different religious groups are based on the principle of separation. (2) Religious confessions have the right to equal treatment.”

TOTALITARIAN WAYS DIE HARD

Police-state mentality, however, continued, as can be seen from the following dispatch marked “Confidential” concerning Jehovah’s Witnesses and signed by the Minister of the Interior:

“(1) By means of Circular No. S.I.​—981/70, Prec. 21088 of 1st Sec/​2nd Division of G. Command, dated October 21, 1970, there have been compiled instructions as to the illegality of the sect under consideration and especially about its propaganda.

“(2) The press recently published the terms of a proposed law on ‘Religious Liberty,’ which by its very nature could lead to a different interpretation as to its objective, especially by some young men who pretend to exempt themselves from military service.

“(3) In view of what is stated in Clause 2, these facts were presented to His Excellency the Minister of the Interior who deemed it well to formulate the following dispatch:

“‘The proposed law of Religious Liberty in no way alters the conditions imposed upon Jehovah’s Witnesses for reasons of the highest national interest, and their activities should continue to be prevented.’”

PERSECUTION CONTINUES IN ANGOLA

Meanwhile, in Angola, a new wave of persecution took form. On March 16, 1970, in Nova Lisboa, seven interested persons were arrested for studying the Bible, along with publications of the Society. All seven received sentences from two to five years. A letter from one of the seven describes how they were treated: “On June 10 we were transferred to the District of Huíla, Sá da Bandeira. Here we stayed for four days, sleeping on boards, without blankets and kept in a cell without light. The only food received was a spoonful of soup at four o’clock each afternoon.”

There was good reason to believe that Angolan colonial authorities thought it was time to “stop and destroy” the Witness work. Brother João Mancoca had finally been granted freedom in August 1970, after serving more than nine years in penal work camps; but as of April 1971, he was back in prison, together with more than thirty other faithful Witnesses.

PERSECUTION STIMULATES PROGRESS

Despite a new offensive against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Angola, the message of God’s Kingdom continued to reach the hearts of those rightly disposed for everlasting life. Among the more than five million inhabitants of this vast land​—larger than France, Germany and Italy combined—​hundreds of people were coming to learn the truth. In 1971 there was a peak of 487 publishers, an 88-percent increase over the previous year’s average, and 1,311 attended the Memorial.

In 1961, at the very outbreak of difficulties, there were some one thousand publishers in Portugal; 10 years later the all-time peak was 9,086 publishers! The Memorial celebration the same year was attended by a record 20,824 persons!

WINDS OF CHANGE

On June 15, 1971, the National Assembly, comprised of 120 deputies, assembled to discuss the proposed law on religious liberty. Newspapers and magazines were now publishing editorials that many never dreamed could pass government censorship. For example, the following appeared in the country’s leading weekly newsmagazine, Vida Mundial, March 26, 1971, under the heading “Catholicism and Nationality”:

“A number of assertions have recently been made with the intention of gaining privileges under disguise [for the Catholic Church] that in no way harmonize with the real situation of the Portuguese Nation as to its religious life. We are not a Catholic Nation. We are a nation in which the majority say they are Catholic, and we are, above all, multiracial and multireligious. We cannot deny this. . . . However enticing it may seem, it is not proper for the civil authorities to lean in favor of a certain religion . . . If one religion is recognized then all religions should be recognized in the name of the soundest principles of liberty.”

DEPUTIES RECEIVE A WITNESS

The time had come to inform the nation’s legislators about Jehovah’s Witnesses. Interviews were arranged with 14 members of the National Assembly known to be in favor of religious liberty. For the first time, Jehovah’s Witnesses succeeded in speaking with members of the country’s highest legislative body. In some cases they were invited into the homes of these deputies, having friendly conversations that lasted for hours. A 12-page statement regarding our beliefs along with several publications were given to each deputy.

Brother Armando Monteiro in Oporto had the opportunity to speak with a deputy who had been a fellow high school student, Dr. Sá Carneiro. He now had the reputation of being the country’s spokesman on civil liberties. He told Brother Monteiro: “You will have a hard battle to gain recognition, especially due to the war in Angola and your noninvolvement in such conflicts. However, I am in favor of religious liberty for all and will do everything in my power to have a law passed guaranteeing religious liberty.” Interestingly, this man later became the country’s prime minister and remained such until his death in 1980.

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY LAW

Portugal reached a milestone in the chapter of civil liberties on August 21, 1971, when law 4/71, granting religious liberty, was adopted. This law required that a religion seeking recognition must file a formal petition signed by 500 members, to be submitted along with much detailed information as to beliefs, meetings, publications, and so forth.

The following year, much to everyone’s surprise, another law appeared, requiring that every signature in the petition be notarized. In November 1972 a two-inch thick document was presented to the Ministry of Justice. Jehovah’s Witnesses thus became the first religious group to seek legal recognition under the new law. From remarks by officials it became evident that no early reply should be expected.

1971 DISTRICT ASSEMBLY CANCELED

Since conventions continued to be forbidden in Portugal, the annual trip to France was the big event of the year. The thirty-five hundred brothers eagerly anticipating the “Divine Name” District Assembly in Toulouse were shocked to learn, just one week before departure time, that it was canceled due to the threat of a cholera epidemic. What could be done? The brothers in Lisbon discovered that a convention in London, England, would be held on the same dates. Whirlwind arrangements were made to renegotiate contracts with bus companies. The final hurdle was passed when the government, in record time, issued travel permits for 10 chartered buses!

After the long journey the brothers were awed at the size of London and at what seemed to be endless wandering around to find the Twickenham convention grounds. Some, hopelessly lost, could only plead in broken English: “Me Jehovah’s Witness. Where Twickenham?” The British police were most helpful, and some of our brothers were escorted to the convention grounds. Several buses finally turned up at Mill Hill Bethel in the wee hours of the morning. The brothers will never forget the warm welcome they received as the London Bethel Kingdom Hall was hastily transformed into a dormitory.

DEAF BROTHERS ARRESTED

In October 1971 a zealous group of deaf brothers was regularly holding meetings in Lisbon. The police suddenly appeared at their Congregation Book Study, but no one answered the door, as they could not hear the knocking. Perplexed, the police waited until the meeting was over and, as the brothers left the home, arrested them. It seemed strange to the policemen that no one answered their questions or even said a single word!

As the brothers calmly made motions and gestures showing they could not speak or hear, the police became increasingly suspicious. It was rather comical to see the policemen in confusion as some thought it was a trick. The owner of the home was found nearby and taken along with the 17 deaf brothers to police headquarters. The police made tests to prove that those arrested were in fact deaf-mutes. When the authorities were convinced they dropped the charges.

UNDERCURRENTS

Strange as it may seem, in view of the trend toward religious liberty, the spring of 1972 brought rumors of a revival of repressive measures. A Republican National Guard (G.N.R.) Bulletin came into our hands through a policeman who showed interest in the truth. It was “Bulletin No. 1441/3a. Republican General Headquarters,” dated March 9, 1972, and entitled “ACTIVITIES OF THE JEHOVAH’S WITNESS SECT.” It said in part:

“With regard to the above subject, the General and Commanding Officer has charged me to give notice that efforts should be intensified to uncover their activities and act accordingly. It is clear this sect is of a subversive nature and the present laws in force permit the restraint of its activity.”

Thus it came as no surprise on Memorial night, March 29, 1972, that police broke into three meeting places in Lisbon and took everyone to the police station. They demanded no funds for bail, however, and soon released all the brothers. No other incidents were reported, thus indicating that the rank and file of this special police force were not inclined to launch a nationwide campaign against Jehovah’s Witnesses.

HELPFUL POLICE CHIEFS

Indeed, many policemen manifested a tolerant attitude toward the Witnesses. Two sisters relate this experience: “In the house-to-house ministry, an angry man came to the door dressed in pajamas. We politely left and continued witnessing. As we were leaving the building the man in pajamas was waiting for us. He was a policeman and insisted that we accompany him. We suggested that he put on a coat and assured him we would not run away. In the few minutes he went to get his coat, we hid our literature in a nearby garbage can.

“Upon entering the police station, our captor arrogantly boasted: ‘Here are two Witnesses I caught preaching. Arrest them!’ What a shock he got when the chief of police reprimanded him, saying: ‘You should be ashamed of yourself, a policeman out in the streets in his pajamas. Go home and get properly dressed!’ With that he dismissed us and we returned to pick up our literature.”

On another occasion when two brothers who were arrested in the field ministry arrived at the police station, the proud officer stated: “Here are two more Witnesses. Throw them in jail!” The chief of police replied: “What’s the matter with you? I don’t want any more Witnesses brought in here. The next thing I know you’ll be bringing in my own mother!” The chief of police released the brothers without further ado.

BACK TO THE COURTS

Since the March 1972 bulletin issued by the Republican National Guard (G.N.R.) failed to curb the activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses, in November 1972 a law was passed that became a tool of the Public Security Police (P.S.P.) to stop our meetings. A wave of arrests broke out against our brothers in places such as Gondomar, Torres Vedras, Parede, Lisbon, and Funchal on Madeira. A series of court cases resulted in which courageous judges rendered decisions acquitting the Witnesses and boldly speaking out in favor of religious liberty.

The court trial at Peso da Régua, in a northern province, a traditional stronghold of Catholicism, was viewed with great expectation. This isolated territory had only recently been opened up, and here was a group of 18 newly interested persons on trial for studying the Bible in a private home. Brother Agostinho Valente, the special pioneer caring for the group, tells what happened:

“As it turned out, the finest testimony was given by two interested ladies of very humble origin. The normally frightening atmosphere of austere courtrooms had no effect on them. They explained in such a natural, clear and forceful manner their joy at learning so many wonderful things from the Bible that the judge himself became visibly impressed.” He rendered a favorable decision.

FAITH OF CHRISTIAN NEUTRALS TESTED

Brother Fernando Silva from Oporto vividly recalls the ordeal he faced to maintain integrity for refusing to do military service for reasons of Christian conscience: “I was arrested in December 1972 and put in prison for 15 months. Repeated efforts, including physical ‘persuasion,’ failed to make me compromise. I was transferred to the Trafaria Prison near Lisbon and my ‘treatment’ began to include whippings. Finally, I was put on a plane and taken to Angola.

“I quickly realized an ominous future was ahead of me. I ended up at Nova Lisboa under a military captain who was famous for cruelty. Beatings now became a regular part of my life, increasing in number and severity. I was getting weaker day by day as they often deprived me of food. Constantly I prayed to Jehovah and I can say that he did not abandon me. The more they beat me, the less I felt it. Friendly soldiers brought me bread and fruit.

“One night the captain came to my cell with some paper and a pen. He told me to write a farewell letter to my parents, since I was to be shot. Pleading to Jehovah for strength to bear up, I wrote the letter, believing I would surely die. Then I learned it was a trick! I was finally tried in a military court and sentenced to two years and four months imprisonment.”

A doctor from a prominent family took his stand on the neutrality issue even before his baptism. His brother had been decorated for bravery in the colonial war, and it was fully expected that he too would reflect the same patriotic spirit. However, having made his decision not to share in the colonial conflict in Africa, he chose an appropriate moment to explain his Bible-based position at a family reunion. Unable to resign herself to her son’s decision, his mother arranged an interview at military headquarters. What happened at this encounter is best related by José Manuel Paiva himself:

“From the outset it was obvious that my mother was emotionally disturbed because of my being ‘the black sheep’ of the family, so I asked if I could explain the reason for my decision. While the officer listened attentively, my mother interrupted the conversation, saying: ‘It’s those Jehovah’s Witnesses. They’ve brainwashed my son. They are fanatics!’ Surprisingly, the official replied: ‘No, I don’t think they are fanatics. I have listened to your son explain his beliefs. He knows what he is doing and why he is doing it. Of course, I cannot agree with him as I am a career soldier. But I respect these people. I have heard other Witnesses explain their reasons for not participating in the war, and I have found that they can all intelligently explain their faith. The fanatics are those who go to Fátima [a Catholic shrine in Portugal], without knowing why and what they believe.’

“Then he said to me: ‘You are a doctor, so why not arrange an affidavit signed by two of your colleagues, saying you have some sickness. We will file this with your papers, and you will be exempted from military service.’ I thanked him for his consideration but told him I could not do such a thing, as this would be false. To my surprise he looked at my mother and said: ‘Did you hear that? I did that on purpose because I knew Jehovah’s Witnesses do not even lie. That is the caliber of your son. You should be proud to have a son like this!’ “ This brother is now serving as an elder.

RAPID GROWTH

The close of the 1972 service year saw the theocratic organization moving ahead vigorously. There were six consecutive publisher peaks with over a thousand baptized for the third consecutive year. More than ten thousand Bible studies were being conducted, and a grand total of 23,092 attended the Memorial. With Lisbon now having a ratio of one Witness to 226 inhabitants, the branch encouraged the brothers to move out and serve where the need was greater.

Even large cities needed help. A case in point is Setúbal, with a population of sixty thousand and situated only 25 miles (40 km) south of Lisbon. In 1968 the congregation had only 27 publishers. The branch assigned five special pioneers there, and by 1972 the congregation had grown to a peak of 140 publishers with 375 attending the Memorial. Today Setúbal has three congregations.

1973 INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION

As growth continued, a record crowd of 8,150 attended the Portuguese sessions of the “Divine Victory” Assembly held at the Brussels World’s Fair Grounds. There were thousands more of the Spanish and Belgian brothers, bringing total peak attendance to over fifty thousand. It is amazing that so many Portuguese delegates attended, as the majority of them had no passport nor would the government issue one. A special “collective passport” was issued to Witnesses who guaranteed that their group of 25 travelers would return to Portugal. Transportation arrangements included four special trains with 1,000 conventioners on each, six chartered airplanes and scores of buses. It was a faith-strengthening occasion for these Portuguese brothers to be united again from such faraway places as Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Madeira and the Azores.

Love speaks and is heard in all languages. This was once again demonstrated by the rooming arrangements made for the Brussels convention. Imagine, one congregation in Brussels with 50 publishers arranged accommodations for 350 visiting brothers! Many brothers gladly offered their own beds to their visitors. Some had as many as 25 persons in their homes. One brother who had 15 delegates assigned to his home wanted to do more. So he rented all the rooms in a small hotel near the convention location for the entire assembly period and told the brother caring for the rooming department: “You can assign these rooms to those who are in real need.”

The farewell scene at the train station was a never-to-be-forgotten sight. The memorable send-off was full of hugs and kisses, as well as the giving of flowers and souvenirs. A policeman was so moved at this display of Christian love that he decided to offer a gift himself!

What an impact this convention had on our brothers! The police escort leading a convoy of delegates through the city caused one brother to remark: “What a difference! Here the police are out in front, guiding us. In Portugal they are always behind us, chasing us.”

Brother Knorr’s concluding words to the Portuguese assembly were: “Keep on faithfully serving Jehovah. You never know what Jehovah will allow. Who knows, you may be attending your next international convention in Portugal!”

A COUP D’ETAT

Within the ranks of the military establishment, a swift revolution was planned and executed on April 25, 1974. Discontentment had been developing due to the long colonial war in Africa. No military victory could be envisioned in Angola, Mozambique or Guinea-Bissau. In view of the unbending political policy of the government toward the colonies, the soldiers themselves decided it was time to end the war.

The population in general fully supported the almost bloodless revolution. It was a source of amazement to see powerful institutions that held the country in a viselike grip collapse overnight. Hundreds of P.I.D.E. agents were arrested. It was quite a turn of events to see soldiers taking away P.I.D.E. agents at gunpoint!

PERIOD OF TRANSITION

The new regime quickly declared freedom of speech and the restoration of civil liberties. Shortly afterward, the Ministry of Justice informed our lawyer that all court cases pending against Jehovah’s Witnesses had been dropped.

We also learned that the previous government had shelved our request for legal recognition. Now we were having weekly contacts with the authorities, who were in favor of seeing our work legally established.

LAST CONVENTION HELD ABROAD

During the summer of 1974 a total of 12,102 Portuguese attended the “Divine Purpose” District Assembly in Toulouse, France. Never in the history of this country had such mass transportation been utilized for a convention abroad. One railway inspector observed the brothers cleaning a coach and remarked: “In all my 25 years of work with the railway I have never seen such a sight. This is most unusual. You are different from any other people that travel these trains.”

This was the grand climax to what had become an annual sojourn abroad. The brothers made every sacrifice to attend the district assembly and gave rapt attention from the opening words of welcome to the last word of prayer. The efforts of all those who served as our hosts over the years will always be deeply treasured.

A HISTORIC OCCASION

On December 18, 1974, Jehovah’s Witnesses gained legal recognition. Just three days later, two unforgettable meetings were held with Brothers N. H. Knorr and F. W. Franz present, one in Oporto with 7,586 and the other in Lisbon with 39,284.

The significance of the occasion was summed up by Lisbon’s newspaper Diário Popular of December 26, 1974: “To be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses up until April 25th was dangerous and even subversive. But times have changed. Now it is possible not only to be a Witness in Portugal but also to assemble publicly. This happened in Lisbon, at the Tapadinha Stadium where thousands gathered freely. . . . The theme of peace under the unique ‘government by God’ echoed through the loudspeakers. And all of this took place in a soccer stadium where we have attended gatherings much less edifying.”

SPIRITUAL FOOD PROVIDED

During the years of the ban, Jehovah, through his organization, kept us supplied with spiritual food. Many branches regularly mailed us small packages of literature, but as the years went by more and more of these were being confiscated. Brothers coming to spend their vacation in Portugal brought in valuable quantities of publications over the years. We gratefully acknowledge the courageous spirit shown by these brothers and thank everyone who so willingly shared in this activity.​—2 Tim. 1:7.

DEPOTS UNDER THE BAN

As the organization grew we needed places to work from, and in several cities we found convenient locations. One such spot was dubbed “the hole.” As it had no access to natural light, a hole had to be made in a wall for fresh air. One brother faithfully worked in this place for eight years. He recalls: “I have always had a special aversion to rats and mosquitoes. Unfortunately, ‘the hole’ had an abundance of both. At first I had to jump over the rats as I entered ‘the hole’ and they ran for cover. After they became accustomed to my presence they would slowly pass by me as I worked. It was strange, but under these special circumstances I was able to put up with them.”

By using our brothers working with commercial firms, we were able to import a special edition of The Watchtower, and customs officials obviously were “blinded” to what they were authorizing. This was successful for a number of years, until our needs became too great. Even during the paper crisis of the early 1970’s Jehovah maneuvered matters so that tons of newsprint came into our hands.

Over the years a number of faithful elders worked hard and long hours, after a full day’s secular work, to make sure the essential publications were available on time. The records show that more than one million four hundred thousand books were produced through commercial printers, in addition to millions of booklets, magazines and tracts. Jehovah’s protection and blessing were so evident.

However, since the work was now legally recognized, we could import literature from headquarters. What a thrill it was to receive our first 14-ton container shipment in 1975, bringing the new 416-page release, God’s Kingdom of a Thousand Years Has Approached!

GEARING FOR EXPANSION

Having freedom of worship, we took steps to streamline the organization on every level. We found facilities that could serve as a branch at Estoril, a Lisbon suburb. The owner of a modern, three-floor building was hesitant about renting to the Witnesses. All doubts were removed after he consulted his lawyer, who said: “You couldn’t have finer tenants. Jehovah’s Witnesses will take care of the place as though it belonged to them.” We purchased this building in 1976 and built an extension in 1977, allowing for literature storage, as well as a small offset printery.

A new privilege the brothers joyfully seized was organizing their own circuit assemblies and district conventions. This was no small challenge as the circuits possessed no equipment whatsoever​—not even a pot or a pan. The branch organized a series of meetings to guarantee standardization in the construction of all equipment for the 12 circuits. Compatible cafeteria and sound equipment was then pooled for smooth operation at district conventions. All this equipment was ready and put to fine use during the summer of 1975 when the first three district conventions were held in Portugal with a combined attendance of 34,529 attending the public talk.

REOPENING KINGDOM HALLS

In January 1975 the branch informed the congregations that they could open Kingdom Halls. With great joy they seized the opportunity, and before the year ended more than a hundred halls had been opened. Since real estate is expensive, the only solution was to rent halls. Many a Kingdom Hall is one of the finest auditoriums in the local community. How commendable to see Kingdom Halls, in many cases, having carpeting, drapes or other items that the brothers could not even afford for their own homes! Rents were becoming exorbitant, in some cases being over $600 (U.S.) monthly. To overcome this, in most cities four or five congregations use the same hall.

TIMOR

Timor is an island of the East Indies, north of Australia. The eastern half of the island became a territory of Portugal in the early 16th century. In 1975 the Timorese people demanded independence from Portugal. About this time the Society’s headquarters asked the branch in Portugal to look for an experienced special pioneer couple who could go to the capital of Timor, Dili, and develop some interest that had been found by a visiting Australian brother.

Brother and Sister Gabriel Santos gladly accepted the missionary assignment. They arrived in Dili in April 1975, but their ministry there proved to be a short one. Early in August of that year a civil war broke out between the two rival political parties. Brother Santos describes what happened:

“Just two days before the shooting began, I had purchased two weeks’ supply of food, little realizing we would soon be virtual prisoners in our apartment. When bullets began hitting our building, we realized that worrying would not help matters and so prayed to Jehovah, placing our life in his hands. After close to two weeks, with food supplies nearly exhausted, we were all alone in the building, since the other seven families had fled to the refugee camp. Just when we were wondering what to do, the captain of a boat knocked at our door. We had been studying the Bible with his wife, and now he had come under heavy fire to get us out. For some reason, as we left for the refugee camp, the shooting stopped for the first time in two weeks. Strange as it may sound, as soon as we entered the camp it began again. After we spent three days in the camp, this captain took us out to a Norwegian ship that transported us, along with 1,157 other refugees, to Darwin, Australia. Having felt Jehovah’s hand of protection, we are more desirous than ever to continue serving him faithfully.”

These pioneers placed 567 books in just three months, and some of those who started attending meetings in Dili were finally baptized after returning to Portugal. Indonesia is now administering this territory, and it remains to be seen what future developments will bring.

A SIGN OF GREATER THINGS TO COME

At the close of the 1975 service year it was interesting to look back and see how many outstanding events took place in just one year of religious liberty. There had been publisher peaks for nine consecutive months, resulting in a peak of 16,183 publishers. This was a 23-percent increase over the previous year’s average. A total of 3,925 were baptized, and Memorial attendance rose to 41,416! Everything was pointing to yet greater expansion.

LIBERTY BRINGS NEW TESTS

The 1974 revolution brought great changes to Portuguese society. A period of unrest followed with radical forces agitating the population. “Neighborhood cell” groups were organized along with “factory committees” that frequently dismissed personnel in kangaroo-court proceedings. On the streets, posters and large paintings on walls appeared of Stalin, Lenin, Marx and Mao. The hammer and sickle became a common sight with Communist newspapers on sale.

Ironically, the highly condemned oppression practiced by the ousted right-wing regime now became the tool of the left-wing powers. This can be seen from an experience related by Olegário Virginio: “The government invited everyone to work on a given Sunday as a volunteer demonstration of mass support. All citizens were called upon to go forth into the fields, the factories, the offices in a ‘festive day of work celebrating the armed forces’ victory.’ Since I decided not to volunteer, I received a phone call that very Sunday, trying to intimidate me to appear or else face serious difficulties. Going to work the following day, I saw an effigy hung on a large tree at the factory entrance with the words ‘hang the Jehovahs.’

“Then a plenary session of all workers was convened. About 400 were present when I was summoned before this audience, and a full board of 17 committee members sat as judges. As I started to defend my neutrality in relation to the revolutionary cause Communist members interrupted, attacking my religious beliefs. They accused Jehovah’s Witnesses of being murderers for refusing blood transfusions and charged that we were nonpatriotic; they demanded my dismissal. Other members did not share this viewpoint. One spoke up, saying the meeting was not called to judge a person’s religious convictions, but to consider the worthiness of an employee. A favorable report was presented regarding my work record, and the session concluded with my being retained as an employee due to exemplary conduct. Interestingly, the man responsible for putting up the effigy later committed suicide.”

ANOTHER KIND OF TEST

During this time it became common for people to show reverence for dead revolutionary leaders, such as Salvador Allende, by observing a five-minute silence. During one such occasion, involving the death of a Portuguese soldier, this is what happened to Mário Neto:

“Since I did not participate in this ceremony, Communist fellow workers seized the occasion to accuse me. On the day of the plenary session 250 employees assembled in the auditorium. At the long table sat nine judges, representing different sections of the office staff. I set out the following conditions for my defense, which were accepted: (1) I would not be interrupted while speaking; (2) Anyone could ask questions at the conclusion of my defense; (3) I would be allowed to use the Bible.

“Since the accusation concerned reverence for the dead, I was able to explain what the Bible shows to be the condition of the dead. I outlined the Kingdom hope as the only solution to the problems of restless, exploited mankind. This meeting lasted three hours, and I consider it to be the most important public talk I have been privileged to give. After the session fellow office workers approached me and made favorable comments. For example, a Communist said: ‘I’ve always been afraid of death and especially what those who are dead can do to me. What you explained makes sense, and I want to thank you very much.’ A Catholic woman said: ‘Congratulations! I felt I was in the presence of a real Christian, like a modern Saint Paul. You stood your ground brilliantly. It was a privilege to hear you speak.’ The unanimous decision, announced a week later, was to retain my services on the staff.”

A LARGE DOOR OPENS

The work was now growing by leaps and bounds. The three-year period from 1975 to 1977 saw an average of one new congregation being formed each week! Consider these figures: In the two-year period of 1976-1977 over one hundred and ten thousand Bibles were distributed, making Jehovah’s Witnesses the largest Bible distributor in Portugal! During this same period the branch shipped out to congregations more than one million books! Peak publishers in 1977 were 20,335 and Memorial attendance reached an all-time high of 47,787.

During this period we organized a large-scale campaign to bring the good news to all unassigned territory. Scores of temporary special pioneers headed out in car groups. The branch received phone calls asking for express shipments of 1,000 additional books! Yes, it was common for a car group of four pioneers to place over two thousand books a month. A mighty witness was being given!

PIONEERS TO GUINEA-BISSAU

Guinea-Bissau is located on Africa’s west coast, between Senegal and Guinea, and has a population of five hundred and thirty thousand. It is one of Africa’s new republics, declaring independence unilaterally in 1973 and gaining it in the complete sense after Portugal’s revolution in 1974. Much of the population is of the Muslim faith.

Over the years several publishers visited this land and did what they could to sow the seeds of Kingdom truth. However, April 1976 saw the beginning of organized activity by two special pioneers sent from Portugal. They accomplished a truly amazing work in the next 14 months, as reported by Manuel Silvestre: “The people manifest a receptive attitude toward the truth, and between my partner and me a total of 67 Bible studies are now being conducted.”

They made plans to preach in outlying cities during the circuit overseer’s visit in May 1977. Brother Rodrigo Guerreiro’s report shows the results: “A car could be rented for only a short time, so we loaded it down with all the literature we could. Along with the two special pioneers and my wife, we set out for Mansôa, Bafatá and Nova Lamego. We found it a common experience to place five or six books with one householder. In just two and a half days we distributed a total of 774 books and Bibles.”

Plans were being made to send in more preachers of the good news, but the Catholic Church was not happy with the presence of the pioneers. One day a priest told Brother Manuel Silvestre in a sneering tone: “We made it difficult for you in Portugal because you would not fight in Africa, so you had better get ready for opposition to your work here!”

Shortly afterward the two special pioneers were given a 48-hour notice to leave the country under the pretext that their “activities affected the internal security of the State.” In September 1977 we had an interview with the ambassador in Lisbon in an effort to determine what the expelled pioneers had done to affect the internal security of the State, but he gave no explanation.

Time will tell what Jehovah has in store for this country, but while the special pioneers served there, they personally gave a witness to many government ministers, including the president.

PROGRESS IN CAPE VERDE

In 1968 Cape Verde had three publishers. By 1974, the year Portugal’s colonies won independence, there was a peak of 14 publishers. The archipelago was in the grip of its seventh consecutive year of drought. In contrast great spiritual blessings were on the horizon.

Four special pioneers from Portugal were assigned to two different islands. They did splendid work, and at the close of the 1976 service year there was a peak of 60 publishers, or a 130-percent increase over the previous year. More than three thousand Bibles and books were placed that year by a zealous group, which now included 10 pioneers. Memorial was attended by a record 130 persons.

A truly outstanding event was the first full-scale district convention held at the capital city, Praia, in 1977. The brothers rented the principal cinema for the four-day convention and presented three complete Bible dramas. A total of 284 attended the public talk.

An unexpected event took place in January 1978 when the four Portuguese special pioneers were expelled as personae non gratae. This action only spurred the brothers on to greater activity. By 1982 we had a total of 21 pioneers in the Cape Verde field and a peak of 147 publishers. Memorial attendance in 1982 reached 470. Kingdom preaching is now being carried on in five islands. Indeed, a greater harvest can yet be expected from this territory.

GOOD NEWS SPREADS IN AZORES ARCHIPELAGO

A steady flow of emigration has marked the recent history of these islanders. At the same time, a steady influx of sheeplike persons has been gathered in unity, ‘like a flock in a pen,’ into congregations of Jehovah’s people. The voice of these Kingdom praisers has now reached every island.​—Mic. 2:12.

Consider this example: The congregation in Santa Cruz das Flores was formed in 1975. Brother José Lima returned to his native island from the United States with the purpose of bringing the good news to his relatives and fellow countrymen. When the circuit overseer visited them, a stylish banquet hall was offered for the public talk and 33 persons attended. After the meeting the owner remarked: “By the way, this hall is yours once a month, free of charge, for any special meeting.”

December 1981 saw a peak of 12 publishers on this small island, and that year 50 attended the Memorial. They have recently finished construction of a fine Kingdom Hall.

The earthquake of January 1, 1980, brought destruction to much of Terceira Island, killing 56 persons and making some 15,000 homeless. Happily, no brothers lost their lives, although many of their homes were damaged. The Kingdom Hall in the main city, Angra do Heroísmo, was the only religious building not damaged, and it was used to offer temporary accommodations for our brothers. The branch in Portugal sent over a thousand pounds of food, along with other emergency items with the first government shipments. A district overseer sent to investigate the situation reported: “The complaining and downhearted spirit that seized so many earthquake victims was not present among our brothers. The genuine concern shown by brothers who were sent immediately from other islands to appraise each one’s situation was a source of great encouragement.”

The crescendo of praise to Jehovah on these mid-Atlantic islands increases year by year, presently sung by a peak of 303 loyal publishers.

MADEIRA MOVES AHEAD

The 100 mark in Kingdom publishers on this island was reached in the early 1970’s after nearly twenty years of preaching. No one could have imagined that within a few years the peak would be in excess of 300 preachers of the good news. The peak publisher figure is now 396, and in 1981, for the first time, the Memorial was attended by over a thousand persons.

In 1973 a bandleader performed in the luxury hotels of Funchal, Madeira’s capital city. He relates his experience: “I was worldly to the extreme, frequently getting drunk and leading an immoral life. After my wife left me, an ex-player of my band started talking to me about his newfound Bible-based hope. While reading the first publications he gave me, I saw that the Kingdom hope was my hope too. After the second Bible study I went to the Kingdom Hall but felt out of place with my straggly hair and unkempt beard. Even as I cleaned up my appearance I knew I would have to make further changes if I was to please God.

“I had a burning desire to tell others what I was learning but was under contract to play in the Azores. Before leaving, I picked up about seventy back issues of the magazines to study. After reading all of them, I wanted to pass them on to others. So after playing until 3 a.m., I went from door to door, putting a magazine under each door with a personal note to accompany each magazine. At the end of my second month of Bible study I dedicated my life to Jehovah.

“My mother, who was a staunch Catholic, was amazed to see my new way of life. One day she said to me: ‘I had often prayed to God to free you from that wayward life. How happy I am to see Jehovah is that God and he has answered my prayers.’ After studying six months, my 73-year-old mother was baptized.” Today Brother John Vieira is serving as an elder.

Many brothers could hardly believe their ears when it was announced that the Estádio dos Barreiros (Barreiros Stadium) was engaged for the 1981 “Kingdom Loyalty” District Convention. Funchal city hall made a generous gift of lumber valued at $2,000 (U.S.) for convention use. The press, radio and television gave excellent publicity. Attendance for the public talk was a record 832.

THRILLING EVENTS IN ANGOLA

January 1974 brought exciting news to Angola. The Overseas Ministry announced that the religious liberty laws adopted in Portugal would apply in the colonies. Then a sequence of events unfolded, having a tremendous impact on the Kingdom work. By March 1975 the brothers submitted all necessary papers for legal recognition with the names and addresses of 500 publishers. Since the right to assemble freely had been restored, they lost no time in seizing the opportunity to hold their first public circuit assembly. Where? In Luanda’s finest sports pavilion, Cidadela Desportiva, on the weekends of March 16 and 23.

What happened is fondly remembered by Octacílio Figueiredo: “The first assembly was restricted to publishers and those regularly attending meetings. We were thrilled to see 2,888 in attendance for the public talk. Since everything went smoothly we went ahead with the second assembly. This time we invited all interested persons. It is hard to convey the utter amazement at seeing 7,713 for the second public talk! Some of those present had spent more than fifteen years in colonial prisons and work camps. Tears of joy rolled down their faces as they sang the last song.” What a poignant moment in the lives of these faithful brothers!

Brother Luis Sabino tells an experience that took place at this circuit assembly: “Since much strife was now surfacing among the three political movements that had fought the Portuguese, policemen were dispatched to protect the assembly. The previous week a riot had broken out at this same pavilion during a political rally. One policeman made it a point to get inside the pavilion to listen to what was being said, as he had heard so many controversial things about the Witnesses. He was so impressed that he hurried home and brought back his wife and children. As a result a Bible study was started with him and his family.”

On September 5, 1975, the Official Government Bulletin declared Jehovah’s Witnesses to be an “authorized religion.” Correspondence revealed the presence of hundreds of interested persons in every province. When a circuit overseer made a visit to a remote isolated group, how surprised he was to have 583 persons show up for the public talk!

WORK BANNED IN ANGOLA

Civil war broke out in this land so desperately seeking independence. Although November 11, 1975, officially marked the end of colonial rule and the founding of the new republic, a difficult period followed, with many internal problems. Suddenly, on March 14, 1978, Jehovah’s Witnesses were banned. They continue, however, to lead an exemplary life and pray that those who are in high governmental station will examine the facts. These speak for themselves and fully vindicate Jehovah’s Witnesses as being a peace-loving people. The Witnesses in Angola are determined to “go on leading a calm and quiet life with full godly devotion and seriousness.”​—1 Tim. 2:1, 2.

PORTUGAL’S FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION

Meanwhile, back in Portugal, it was announced that Lisbon would be the site of a 1978 “Victorious Faith” International Convention. This caused immense expectation. Instead of being guests in another country the Portuguese brothers would, for the first time, be privileged to be the hosts.

The ideal location for this convention proved to be Restelo Stadium, overlooking the Tagus River and Europe’s longest suspension bridge. Delegates came from more than a dozen countries, and peak attendance was 37,567, with a total of 1,130 being baptized. Some six thousand conventioners shared in field service, many doing street witnessing for the first time. They converged on railway and bus stations, public parks and marketplaces, distributing 250,000 handbills and 25,000 magazines.

About this time a Filipino brother was on an oil tanker approaching Portugal. He had desperately wanted to attend an international convention but here he was at sea. Nevertheless, he persisted in praying about the matter. When his tanker moved up the Tagus River, he focused his binoculars on the coastline. Lo and behold, a huge billboard announcing the public talk of the international convention in Lisbon! The tanker was scheduled to be in port for just a few hours, but, surprisingly, the captain announced that a minor repair would force them to stay for several days. Our brother gave thanks to Jehovah to be among the happy convention delegates.

This convention resulted in a happy reunion. Years earlier Maria and Elisa were close friends. Maria, however, emigrated to the Netherlands. In the meantime Elisa became a Witness. In July 1974 she was prepared to attend a district convention in France when her doorbell rang. It was Maria, who came from the Netherlands to spend a few days’ vacation in Portugal with her. Noticing the suitcases, Maria inquired, “Where are you going?”

“We are off to Toulouse to attend an assembly.”

“Why, you never used to travel anywhere​—what kind of assembly is it anyway?”

“It’s an assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

“Oh, no​—how could you associate with such a terrible group?”

An annoyed Maria left hastily. But now where would she spend her vacation? One thing was sure: not in the home of a Witness! She visited another friend, and on being invited in, she again noticed suitcases all over the place. Hesitantly she inquired, “Where are you going with all these suitcases?”

The answer: “I’m leaving for France tomorrow!”

“Not Toulouse, I hope!”

“Exactly! I’m going to attend a convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but how did you know?”

“Never mind about that​—it’s frightening—​I’m leaving immediately.”

Years passed, and neither of our two sisters heard another word from Maria. Then, just before the international convention, Elisa received a letter from Maria, asking for forgiveness for her harsh words and impolite manners. Her one request was: “Could you spare your sister a bed in your home during the international assembly in Lisbon?” Imagine the joy of these once-close friends​—now united as sisters by their victorious faith!

Reporting on the convention, the newsmagazine Opção of August 10-16, 1978, stated: “For anyone who has been at Fátima during pilgrimage time, this in reality is very different. . . . The religious atmosphere is different. Here the mysticism disappears giving way to the holding of a meeting where believers in common accord discuss their problems, their faith and their spiritual outlook. Their conduct toward one another gives the distinctive mark of a caring relationship.”

ADDITIONAL BLESSINGS

In September 1981 the branch sent out word that the brothers could once again have personal subscriptions for the Watchtower and Awake! magazines. These had been suspended since the outbreak of persecution in 1961.

In February 1982 the newly constructed Lisbon Assembly Hall was dedicated by Brother F. W. Franz. The occasion was like a family reunion, as he was the first member of the Governing Body to visit Portugal after the second world war back in 1947. This fine facility, seating 1,315, was built by the brothers and serves nine circuits in the greater Lisbon area.

RESULTS THROUGH GOD’S POWER

Back in 1947, when the first field service report was sent to Brooklyn, no one conceived the vastness of the present theocratic organization in Portugal. Zealous brothers and sisters, too numerous to mention by name in this report, ventured forth in His power to preach the good news in every corner of the land. Pioneers have gone to Madeira, the Azores, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Timor and Macao. As the apostle Paul said, “according to his power which is operating in us,” God has done “more than superabundantly beyond all the things we ask or conceive,” and a magnificent witness has been given.​—Eph. 3:20.

Some of the first pioneers are still active in their assignments. The ranks of the special pioneers have increased to 202. How do they feel? Sister Maria José Henriques, who has served as a special pioneer for more than 20 years, says: “I am 60 years old, but still have the same joy in the service and the same desire to help others. It has been my privilege to assist 89 persons to baptism and to leave many others well on their way to dedication when I changed to new assignments. I thank Jehovah for all of his care and undeserved kindness.”

Another sister, Graciete Andrade, who has served for 18 years as a special pioneer, comments: “It has been thrilling to help 106 persons to learn the truth, as well as to lay the groundwork for three congregations. To see mature men take the lead in congregations as elders and know that I had the privilege to help them brings me deep satisfaction.”

The work continues to grow, and the 1982 service year peak has swelled to 22,515 Kingdom publishers in 393 congregations and isolated groups. Although the overall ratio is one Witness to 413 inhabitants, there is still much work to be done, as 10 percent of the population live in unassigned territory. The latest Memorial attendance was 58,003, which reveals a splendid potential for future growth.

Jehovah’s organization has guided and directed the work in Portugal during times of difficulty and rapid expansion. Jehovah himself, the Great Shepherd of his flock, is truly fulfilling his grand promise as recorded at Jeremiah 23:3: “And I myself shall collect together the remnant of my sheep out of all the lands to which I had dispersed them, and I will bring them back to their pasture ground, and they will certainly be fruitful and become many.” Our Portuguese brothers happily move forward to the final completion of the Kingdom-preaching work, helping many more sheeplike persons to take advantage of this day of salvation.

[Chart on page 234]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

Increase in Publishers

22a

1982

20

1978

18

16

14

12

10

8

6

1968

4

2

1958

1948

1938

0

[Footnotes]

[Maps on page 135]

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Portugal

Moncão

Braganca

Braga

Oporto

Gondomar

Peso da Régua

Vila Nova de Gaia

Aveiro

Guarda

Coimbra

Lousa

Caldas da Rainha

Torres Vedras

Estoril

Parede

Lisbon

Almada

Setúbal

Faro

SPAIN

ATLANTIC OCEAN

Azores

FLORES

Santa Cruz

GRACIOSA

PICO

TERCEIRA

Angra do Heroísmo

SÃO MIGUEL

Ponta Delgada

SANTA MARIA

Madeira Is.

PORTO SANTO

MADEIRA

Funchal

ATLANTIC OCEAN

AZORES

MADEIRA IS.

EUROPE

AFRICA

[Maps on page 175]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

Macao

ASIA

MACAO

AUSTRALIA

INDIAN OCEAN

CHINA

MACAO

MACAO SEA

TAIPA

COLOANE

[Maps on page 177]

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ATLANTIC OCEAN

AFRICA

CAPE VERDE IS.

GUINEA-BISSAU

ANGOLA

INDIAN OCEAN

ASIA

Angola

Luanda

Nova Lisboa

Mossâmedes

ZAIRE

ZAMBIA

NAMIBIA

ATLANTIC OCEAN

Cape Verde Is.

SANTO ANTÂO

SÂO VINCENTE

SANTA LUZIA

SÂO NICOLAU

SAL

BOA VISTA

MAIO

SÂO TIAGO

Praia

FOGO

BRAVA

Guinea-Bissau

Nova Lamego

Bafatá

ATLANTIC OCEAN

SENEGAL

GUINEA

[Maps on page 239]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

Timor

TIMOR

Dili

TIMOR SEA

INDONESIA

AUSTRALIA

INDIAN OCEAN

ASIA

AFRICA

INDIAN OCEAN

PACIFIC OCEAN

TIMOR

AUSTRALIA

[Picture on page 138]

Virgílio Ferguson, assigned in 1926 to care for Kingdom interests in Portugal, and João Feliciano, who returned to his homeland in 1929 to spread the good news

[Picture on page 143]

As a youth Eliseu Garrido took an interest in the truth and helped spearhead the work in Portugal

[Picture on page 146]

Delmira M. S. Figueiredo and Deolinda P. Costa, zealous sisters who organized the Almada Bible study group

[Picture on page 151]

John Cooke was the first Witness missionary in Portugal and he played a key role in organizing the work. He is here seen with his wife, Kathleen

[Picture on page 153]

The ground-floor apartment of this Lisbon building served as Portugal’s first Kingdom Hall

[Picture on page 159]

The house where the first public talks in the Azores were delivered when A. Nunes returned to his native Pico Island

[Picture on page 167]

António Manuel Cordeiro, who became one of Portugal’s first auxiliary pioneers, and his wife, Odete, both still pioneering

[Picture on page 169]

One of the “picnics” held for the purpose of spiritual refreshment

[Picture on page 191]

D. Piccone, Portugal’s first full-time circuit overseer, and his wife, Elsa, (couple at the left) and Joaquim Martins, a zealous preacher of the good news, and his family

[Picture on page 240]

Branch office at Estoril

[Picture on page 255]

Lisbon Assembly Hall

Jehovah’s Progressive Organization

In the outworking of Jehovah’s marvelous purposes, it is quite obvious that God’s dedicated people have been brought into an organization. Of necessity this means that they must conform to definite boundaries and limitations. For example, the headship of the Great Organizer, Jehovah, must be recognized. Under him all those with delegated authority, including the Lord Jesus Christ, must be submissive. (1 Cor. 11:3) Specific requirements must be met by those privileged to be part of the organization. Also, there are aims and purposes that govern the activity of and give identity to this organized body of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

In these several respects, Jehovah’s earthly organization stands out as separate and distinct from all other organizations. It is also appreciated that without such a theocratic organization the Christian congregation could not accomplish its many assignments “decently and by arrangement.”​—1 Cor. 14:33, 40.

As evidence that such an orderly arrangement now governs our activity, one only has to review the report for the past service year. (See pages 24-31.) It shows how Jehovah, the Head of the organization, has so marvelously used his dedicated and loyal people to give a mighty witness among the nations concerning Christ Jesus, the King, and His Kingdom​—something that could never have been accomplished by Christendom’s nearly one billion disorganized members, each doing what is right in his own eyes.​—Compare Proverbs 26:12.

The progressive theocratic organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses is a publishing and teaching body. Jehovah, the Head, is our “Grand Instructor,” and his beloved Son, Christ Jesus, is our Great Teacher. (Isa. 30:20; Matt. 7:28, 29) Jehovah’s Witnesses, in turn, are ‘sent forth’ ones, obligated to be preachers and teachers of the good news. Their Scriptural message is twofold. First, they show meek and teachable people how they can live forever in Paradise on earth. Second, they warn the wicked that “the day of vengeance on the part of our God” is fast approaching.​—Isa. 61:1, 2; Zeph. 3:8.

To assist his dedicated people to accomplish this twofold publishing work, Jehovah has provided his forward-moving organization with many high-speed offset printing presses as well as modern bookbinding equipment. He has also equipped his people with the latest technology in the field of computer phototypesetting. And in many parts of the world he has provided expanded housing facilities in the way of Bethel homes for the personnel, and printing factories for the machinery in order to get this message into printed form in more than 160 languages.

But more important than the inanimate material facilities, Jehovah has equipped his organized people with the ‘tongue of the wise’ and sent them out from house to house to preach verbally to the people, “whether they will hear or will refrain.” (Prov. 15:2; Ezek. 2:5) We greatly rejoice to see how Jehovah in these “last days” has expanded this teaching body to number more than two million strong. He has put upon them his name, empowered them with his spirit and endorsed them as his witnesses.

And what a joy it is to see that during the past year an all-time peak has been reached in the number of Kingdom publishers! An increasing number were able to engage in some form of “full-time” service​—as auxiliary, regular or special pioneers, others as missionaries, traveling overseers and members of Bethel families. During the past year all of these in special service, along with the faithful congregation publishers, have kept close in mind the yeartext: “Become steadfast, unmovable, always having plenty to do in the work of the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:58) Were it not for Jehovah’s dynamic holy spirit they would not have been able to carry out his will and purpose. Hence all praise and thanksgiving go to Jehovah for what has been accomplished.

Now we are looking forward with eager anticipation to 1983 and what it will bring forth in the way of special opportunities to expand the Kingdom-preaching and disciple-making work. During this coming year we will continue to beseech Jehovah to give us guidance and direction. We will “go on perceiving what the will of Jehovah is,” in order that we may do it with enthusiasm.​—Eph. 5:17.

To be sure, the economic, social and moral pressures of these “last days” will continue to build. The efforts of Satan and his crowd to disrupt the Kingdom work are certain to multiply, for the Devil knows that even his “short period of time” has been greatly reduced. (Rev. 12:12) It is therefore imperative that each one of us should loyally move ahead with Jehovah’s triumphant organization, doing so in love and unity. The 1983 yeartext, made prominent on the new calendar, will encourage us to do so. It reads: “Clothe yourselves with love . . . a perfect bond of union.”​—Col. 3:14.

Our prayer to Jehovah will continue to be: ‘Teach us to do your will, for you are our God.’ (Ps. 143:10) Or as the apostle Paul expresses it: “Now may the God of peace . . . equip you with every good thing to do his will, performing in us through Jesus Christ that which is well-pleasing in his sight; to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”​—Heb. 13:20, 21.

We take this opportunity to send to all our brotherhood throughout the earth our deep love, and appreciation for your faithful service and loyal devotion to Jehovah and his Kingdom interests.

Your brothers,

GOVERNING BODY OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

Yeartext for 1983

“Clothe yourselves with love . . . a perfect bond of union.”​—Col. 3:14.

Jesus told his followers: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” (John 13:35) Today, however, the world is full of those who are “lovers of themselves.” (2 Tim. 3:1, 2) And Jesus foretold an ‘increase of lawlessness,’ causing the ‘love of the greater number to cool off.’ (Matt. 24:12) What a challenge this loveless spirit of the world presents to the followers of Jesus Christ!

The issue today facing all those who would be disciples of Jesus is: Will you continue to demonstrate unselfish love toward fellow Christians, resisting the loveless tendencies of this world, and so work together in unity to finish the work of preaching and disciple making as commanded by Jesus?​—Matt. 24:14; 28:19, 20.

The only way to meet this pressing challenge is to follow Paul’s advice in his letter to the Colossians to ‘strip off the old personality with its practices, and clothe ourselves with the new personality.’ How do we start doing this? Paul explains that we must get an accurate knowledge of the truth of God’s Word. Therein we learn of such Christlike qualities as compassion, kindness, lowliness of mind, mildness and long-suffering. We learn the need for putting up with our brothers and freely forgiving them for their imperfections and weaknesses of the flesh. Practicing all these things will help us to acquire new personality traits. Ah, but above all these things, we must ‘clothe ourselves with love, for it is a perfect bond of union.’​—Col. 3:9, 10, 12-14.

We should ask ourselves: How well is this spiritual clothing fitting me? How far have I gone in putting on this new personality? These are questions that the yeartext for 1983 should make us think about as we enter another year with its many privileges of sacred service to our loving God Jehovah.

Let us all keep the above words of Paul in mind as we make daily use of this 1983 Yearbook. We should allow its uplifting daily texts and appropriate comments help us in our daily life to fit into the Bible’s “pattern of healthful words.” (2 Tim. 1:13) Doing this, we shall be brought into a closer, more loving unity with our brothers earth wide, proving we are Christ’s disciples and that ‘love is a perfect bond of union.’