Yearbook—1989
Title Page/Publishers’ Page
pp. 1–2
Title Page/Publishers’ Page
1989 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Containing Report for the Service Year of 1988
The stentorian command of Jehovah’s angel flying in midheaven, “Fear God and give him glory,” is our theme text for the 1989 service year.—Rev. 14:7.
Index
p. 2
1989 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses
pp. 3–33
1989 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses
THEY are coming! You can see them! The invitation has been going out worldwide, and a multitude of people thirsting for righteousness are on the move. What is the attraction? A free supply of extraordinary water. Anyone who wishes can drink this water and live forever! Who is the supplier? Jehovah God himself has opened the door of opportunity for mankind to imbibe life’s water free.
Centuries ago, Jehovah inspired the apostle John to write down this prophetic vision concerning our day: “The spirit and the bride keep on saying: ‘Come!’ And let anyone hearing say: ‘Come!’ And let anyone thirsting come; let anyone that wishes take life’s water free.”—Rev. 22:17.
How many will accept the invitation? John’s vision recorded in Revelation 7:9 had to become a reality. He saw “a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands.” With confidence in the vision’s complete fulfillment, during the decades of this 20th century the anointed remnant of the bride class have never let up in saying “Come!” Every effort has been made to broadcast the message to all nations. The result has been a wonderful blessing from Jehovah God upon this great work of inviting people to gain everlasting life.
The “Great Crowd” Answers
While there are fewer than 9,000 members of the Lord’s bride class residing on earth today, their joy has risen to great heights as they have been joined by more than 3,500,000 of the great crowd who have also come to take life’s water free. (Rev. 21:9) Still more people are enthusiastically responding to the invitation. Those of the great crowd have joined in saying “Come!” As their numbers grow, the worldwide invitation, “Come!” is amplified. More people are hearing. In turn, more hearers respond and say, “Come!”
How many more will listen and come? No human can say. Regardless of the eventual number, excitement reigns among those proclaiming the invitation, “Come!” because news pours in from all corners of the earth to indicate that increasing multitudes are fleeing Babylon the Great and flocking to Jehovah’s organization. Eagerly, all those serving Jehovah in these last days await the world reports each year in order to learn about the increase of international praise to God. Annual reports strengthen the hearts and hands of those working in the field ministry as these give thanks and praise to Jehovah, who is making his earthly organization grow.—1 Cor. 3:6.
Much effort has been put forth by those extending the invitation during this past service year. A peak of 3,592,654 Kingdom publishers shared in the preaching work, and a total of 785,521,697 hours are on record as having been spent in that noble activity.
The faithful inviters conducted 3,237,160 home Bible studies on a weekly basis in order to help those listening to appreciate Jehovah’s marvelous provision through Jesus Christ for their everlasting blessing. Besides spending these many hours evangelizing, our brothers generously used their time to associate with the interested ones. Faithfully, Jehovah’s Witnesses would take them to Christian meetings, such as the Memorial of the Lord’s death, which 9,201,071 attended last April. Here and at other meetings, interested ones could become acquainted with the organizational arrangements of the congregations. They could see firsthand how the spirit of Jehovah affects those serving him and causes them to produce the excellent fruitage of that spirit. Friendly association in the congregations means so much to those responding to the invitation.
In the 1988 service year, 239,268 were baptized, symbolizing their dedication to Jehovah God. The previous year, 230,843 were baptized. The invitation “Come!” keeps going out and is reaching the hearts and minds of more hundreds of thousands than ever before. Momentum is building up. What a thrill to watch the great crowd grow! True to his word, Jehovah is ‘speeding it up in its own time.’—Isa. 60:22.
A Worldwide Response
How exciting are some of the experiences enjoyed in this great invitation work! For example, in Austria, a Witness lent the book You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth to a busy restaurant owner. That was early in 1983. The woman read the book, not to satisfy her curiosity, but rather to be able to give it back again. What impression did the information leave? The restaurant owner relates: “After reading the first few pages, I was enthralled by what I was reading. I said to myself, ‘If all of this is true, I should know more about it.’”
A study was started with this woman, and she began to tell what she learned to her children. Soon they too began to share the good things with their friends and relatives. After she and the youngest son left the church, her husband began to oppose her. Did her faith survive? “With Jehovah’s help, my son and I successfully endured the pressure exerted on us by my husband,” she says. “In addition, I still had to conquer my unclean habit of smoking, which I did, and in July 1985 I symbolized my dedication to Jehovah by water baptism. After giving up the restaurant business, I started auxiliary pioneering in February 1986, and since June of the same year I have been one of the happy regular pioneers.”
One of this sister’s daughters was baptized in May 1985 and joined her in the pioneer ranks. The mother’s firm stand for the truth has also resulted in Bible studies with 36 persons, of whom 14 are already baptized and 17 have started sharing the good news with others. What a fine reward for faithfully sowing in a spiritual way!—Compare Ecclesiastes 11:6.
In Guam, the wife of the proprietor of a food market received the invitation to “come” and “take life’s water free.” Despite her strong Catholic family and community, she began studying the Bible. Right away she started to witness informally. She did not fail to speak about the truth to her husband and to encourage her own family and the store employees to study the Bible with the Witnesses. About a year ago, this woman was baptized, to the amazement of her longtime acquaintances.
When the woman’s husband asked her to keep managing one of their stores, her time for the door-to-door ministry was curtailed. Undeterred, she continued to witness boldly to her relatives as well as to customers and employees at the store. What were the results? Four of her fleshly sisters and three of her sisters-in-law started to study. Her husband is now investigating the Bible, and she is studying with her three children. A foreign-speaking youngster, a friend of her husband, is also having a Bible study. As for the store employees, five have started studying. What a delight to see some of her relatives and employees, and their children—a total of 50 persons—present at the Memorial of Christ’s death! Yes, the invitation to take life’s water can effectively be extended by informal witnessing.
Throughout Nigeria, there are thousands of native herbalists, and nearly all of these practice some form of demonism in connection with their healing. One even used to threaten to kill the Witnesses. When a brother called at his house, the herbalist grabbed some prepared medicine, uttered incantations, and blew it in the face of the Witness. “In seven days you will be dead!” he screamed, and he locked himself in the house.
The Witness returned home and contacted one of the elders. Seven days later and very much alive, he and the elder decided to visit the herbalist. As the brothers approached, he ran out the door shouting that he was seeing a ghost. Hearing the commotion, people gathered, and eventually he calmed down. Arrangements were made to see him in three days. Thus, a Bible study was started, and this herbalist came into the truth.
Young people also join in giving the invitation, “Come!” In France, in 1983 eight-year-old David attended the Bible study that Jehovah’s Witnesses conducted with his mother. The boy told his grandparents all about the things he was learning, especially the Paradise hope. He even said to them: “I want you to become Jehovah’s Witnesses and be with me in Paradise.” Although they were practicing Catholics, his grandparents were touched by their grandson’s insistence, accepted a Bible study, and were baptized in 1986. Meanwhile, David’s mother stopped studying, but he continued. Every weekend he cycled 20 miles [30 km] to his grandparents’ home to participate in the preaching work and attend meetings with them. He also witnessed to two of his uncles, who are now also studying. Through this young boy’s witnessing activity, four of his relatives have come to a knowledge of the truth.
Good Conduct Bears Good Fruitage
One brother in Brazil explains how his conduct at work produced good results. “Where I used to work, at lunchtime there was always a line waiting to be served. Some would wriggle or even bully their way in front of others, resulting in arguments and fights. One worker who carried a knife and a revolver with him was often in the center of these fights. He noticed that I did not get in line but would stand nearby until the line ended. So he asked me: ‘Why don’t you get in line?’ I explained and gave him a brief witness. He was intrigued by our name, Jehovah’s Witnesses. Instead of lunging into line the next day, he tried to provoke me. The conversation went like this:
“‘You say you’re a Jehovah’s Witness. Well, show me in the Bible where God says we should be his witnesses.’
“‘Do you have a Bible at home?’ I asked.
“‘No, but my neighbor does and I can borrow it. If you can show me in the Bible that God says we should be his witnesses, I’ll be one.’
“‘Be careful what you say!’ I warned.
“‘I’m a man of my word,’ he boasted.
“I wrote down for him the text Isaiah 43:9-12. Upon arriving home, he went to his neighbor, who helped him find the text. ‘That’s enough!’ he told his neighbor. He went home and announced to his wife: ‘I’m going to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.’
“‘You’re crazy,’ she answered. ‘How can you decide in one minute that you are going to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses?’
“The next day at work, the man came to me and said: ‘You’re right. I want to be baptized soon.’ I explained to him that it does not happen just like that but that he would have to study the Bible first. A study was started, and in due time not only the man but also his wife and nine children were all baptized. He is now an elder. Three sons are ministerial servants. One daughter is a special pioneer. And from the number of people he has helped into the truth, you could form a congregation.”
Construction Projects Give Witness
In Australia more than 100 new Kingdom Halls have been built in the last three years, with 85 of these being erected and completed in two or three days using the “quickly built” method. Outstanding among these was an air-conditioned hall erected in one weekend at Port Hedland in Western Australia. This remote mining town is situated on the northwest coast about 1,000 miles [1,600 km] from the state capital, Perth. Since the town is surrounded by miles and miles of desert, practically all the building materials and most of the labor force had to be brought in from Perth and places even farther away. The travel expenses of brothers who volunteered to help build the hall came out of their own pockets. How the small congregation of 97 publishers in Port Hedland appreciated the love shown by their brothers!
And what a witness it was in the town! Seeing brothers from more than 63 congregations working in the blazing 102° F. heat [39° C.] made an impression on the townspeople. Two local cosmetics firms donated $800 worth of sun cream to help the workers cope with the intense rays of the sun. Many citizens were amazed that so many volunteer workers would travel so far at their own expense, and the enthusiasm and cooperative spirit of the workers impressed local officials. One official said: “It is a credit to you. I have never seen anything like it done in such an isolated region.”
In February 1988 Japan’s new six-story factory was completed, and it has been in use since March. Based on the brothers’ previous dealings with them, the Ebina City Fire Department trusts their work. Fire officials told the brothers at the branch: “When it comes to observing fire regulations, you are the model for Ebina City.” On completion of the new factory, the branch applied to the fire department for the routine inspection of a new building. They expected the usual two or three representatives from the department to come. Instead, the branch was surprised on March 1 to have almost half the entire city fire department visit, bringing with them a fire engine and a rescue troop. The firemen came not just to inspect but to learn how to use the branch’s own fire-fighting facilities. The chief inspector was so impressed with the branch’s compliance with the fire regulations that he said: “Everyone involved in fire fighting in Ebina should see this.”
Joyful News for Despondent Ones
A sister in Argentina relates how she came to know the truth and how she extended the invitation to others. “It depressed me greatly to see people get old without being able to do anything to avoid it. My doctor suggested travel to distract my mind, but that did not solve my problem. I got married, but that inner anguish continued. Some years later a woman came to my door, asking the whereabouts of a neighbor who had studied the Bible but had moved away. I invited the Witness into my house, and for two hours she explained interesting things from the Bible. What impressed me was the fact that God promises a new system where death will be no more, nor will there be old age, sickness, or suffering. That very day, I began to study the Bible. Sad to say, my family began to oppose me, poking fun at the study or showing complete indifference. Nonetheless, with my little daughter I began to attend the meetings. As soon as I could, I traveled some 1,200 miles [1,900 km] to tell the rest of my family the marvelous truths that I was learning. How happy I was when some responded favorably and began to study the Bible too!
“With time, little by little, the opposition decreased as different members of the family began to listen and take an interest in the truth. My parents, my husband, five brothers, and several nephews took their stand for the truth. Today, there are over 80 adult Witnesses and more than 40 children spreading the wonderful news of God’s Kingdom, some as elders and others as ministerial servants. I thank Jehovah that he sent someone to help me overcome my depression and give me and my family the hope of living forever in his new world.”
Gennaro, a brother in Italy, reports how compassion moved him to invite a stranger to “come.” “While I was giving a public talk in a Kingdom Hall, I noticed a man in the audience who was paying more than the usual attention. At the close of the meeting, I greeted him, and he confessed to me that his family life was extremely unhappy. His wife was strongly opposed to the truth and had even chased the brother who studied with him away from the house with a stick.
“Somehow I lost contact with the man. Later, I heard from the brother who had studied with him that he was at a hospital in a nearby town for treatment of a lung disorder. I went to the hospital, and since I did not know his surname, I began searching for him in each room. Finally, I found him. He was thin, disheartened, and depressed. When he saw me, though, joy spread over his face. He told me that he had had no visits from his relatives for months, and his wife could not come to see him very often either. I began a Bible study with him that day. After seven months, he was discharged and went home. His wife began to study, and a few months later both were baptized.
“Later this brother told me: ‘Remember the day you visited me in the hospital? Well you arrived just in the nick of time. A few minutes later, I would have put an end to it all by jumping off the balcony. But your words encouraged me, particularly when you assured me that I could become part of the largest family in the world, that of Jehovah’s organization.’”
In a country in Africa where our work is under ban, a man with some health problems also accepted the invitation to “come” and is now inviting others. Before learning the truth, many years ago he was stricken with tuberculosis and became paralyzed. Feeling hopeless because of being confined in a hospital, he contemplated suicide. Then he met some Witnesses who were also hospitalized there. A Bible study was started, stirring hope in this man’s heart. When he was transferred to another hospital, a special pioneer continued the study with him, and the local brothers would help him attend the meetings. Eventually he was baptized. After his physical condition started to improve, he became an auxiliary pioneer. Gaining strength from Jehovah, he later became a regular pioneer, and for the past ten years, he has served as a special pioneer.
How does this brother accomplish his preaching work? By moving about on crutches or in his wheelchair. He follows narrow jungle trails to get to his territory, which extends 18 miles [30 km] out of town. During the past two years of the ban, he has never missed his goal of 140 hours in field service, and most of the time he reports 160 to 180 hours a month! When brothers are arrested, he is the one who fearlessly goes before the officials in their behalf and gives a witness. What a source of encouragement he is to all who suffer in a physical way!
Are you having a full share in proclaiming the Kingdom message? May Jehovah bless you richly as you extend to others the grand invitation, “Come!” and “take life’s water free.”
Jehovah Satisfies Our Needs
Our heavenly Father knows just what we need and when we need it. The “Divine Justice” District Conventions, beginning in June 1988 and continuing into 1989, serve as an example of how Jehovah lovingly satisfies the needs of his people.
Concerning the convention program, the February 15, 1988, issue of The Watchtower said, “Be assured that Jehovah has in store for us ‘a banquet’ of good things that will strengthen and stimulate us for the work ahead.” The realization of that assurance greatly exceeded what was anticipated. Telephone transmissions of portions of the program at conventions held in the United States, Canada, Asia, and Europe had a significant unifying effect. As one report said, “It was electrifying to hear a mighty ‘Aye!’ when the resolution with its powerful exposé of Babylon the Great was adopted. The telephone tie-in with the key city was certainly outstanding.”
At many conventions missionaries expressed appreciation for the provision enabling them to be present. A pioneer at Vancouver, Canada, after hearing experiences by missionaries said: “I can’t describe how hearing all the missionaries strengthened my faith.”
More than 1,440,000 attended the conventions in Canada and the United States. In Europe over 1,100,000 benefited from the program. Vienna, Austria, was the key city for conventions in that country as well as for certain cities in West Germany, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. Over 80,000 heard the talks transmitted by telephone. More than 2,000 were in attendance at the Hungarian session. A brother representing the 3,600 that enjoyed the Yugoslav program exclaimed, “This was the convention of conventions.”
At conventions in Spain and Italy, the number baptized was exceptional. For example, it was 3.5 percent of the peak attendance in Valencia, 4 percent in Seville, and 4.2 percent in Oviedo. In Italy it was a similar story.
In Greece a new stadium in Piraeus was to be used, but the contract was canceled because of opposition from the Orthodox clergy. Within two days, the brothers arranged for the convention at Malakasa. There they have a fine Assembly Hall and a large open area, which accommodated upwards of 18,000. If the clergy thought that cancellation of the stadium in Piraeus would stop the convention, how wrong they were! Their opposition only resulted in wider publicity and strengthened the determination of the brothers.—Phil. 2:12.
During August, conventions in Venezuela and Brazil drew nearly half a million people. Typical of the fine publicity was a Brazilian radio report stating that “Jehovah’s Witnesses are giving a show of faith. They are giving an example of civility and faith very different from the soccer fans who give a show of litter.”
In the Far East, 88,120 were in attendance at conventions in Korea, and 2,130 were baptized. The Korean conventions were completed just before the Olympic Games started in that country. The manager of the Seoul Chamshil Gymnasium commented: “We are in the midst of preparing this facility for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul and they are only 50 days away. However, because of your reputation in the past, we let you use it.” Japan reported that 240,355 were at 33 of their conventions, with 3,828 being baptized. After the release of the Revelation Climax book, there was seen a steady stream of thousands of pioneers waiting in line to get their free copies of the book.
In the Caribbean, Kingston, Jamaica, was the key city for conventions in Antigua, Barbados, Guyana, and Trinidad. The peak attendance was reached Sunday afternoon, when 36,867 turned out to hear the public lecture.
With more than 4,000,000 having already attended these conventions by September, further reports on the “Divine Justice” District Conventions are awaited from countries in the Southern Hemisphere.
A new feature for circuits to enjoy spiritual fellowship and instruction started in the last service year. This involved one-day gatherings called special assembly days. A circuit overseer from the United States offered this observation: “The emphasis on personal study of the Bible and the publications and then making a greater effort to apply personally what we learn was very beneficial.”
During the 1988 service year, Kingdom Ministry Schools were also held for the benefit of elders and ministerial servants. The Zambia branch office writes: “The school, using the Watch Tower Publications Index 1930-1985, was right on time. So much of the information covered was just what our field needed.”
In addition, last year the Ministerial Training School began. What was it, and how will it help us?
Ministerial Training School Inaugurated
The Ministerial Training School was inaugurated on October 1, 1987, at the Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, Assembly Hall in the United States. Three members of the Governing Body, Brothers Jaracz, Klein, and Schroeder, participated in the program attended by over 1,600 brothers from the Pittsburgh area.
What is the school’s purpose? With the harvest ingathering numbering well over three million, the time is here for qualified men not only to take the lead in the evangelizing work but also to shepherd the flock and teach in the congregation. So the purpose of the Ministerial Training School is to equip men with spiritual qualifications to take on further organizational responsibilities.
What is the school’s curriculum? The eight-week course includes an intense study of the Bible. Administrative, judicial, and organizational matters, along with the responsibilities of overseers and ministerial servants, are considered, and specialized training is given in public speaking. The instructors give much personal attention to each student’s spiritual development.
Sunday, November 29, 1987, was graduation day for the 24 elders and ministerial servants of the first class. They received assignments to serve in ten countries. The second class of 26 elders and ministerial servants was held in Los Angeles, California. They graduated on Sunday, May 22, 1988, and will take up assignments in 11 lands. In Pittsburgh as well as in Los Angeles, the city overseer, Assembly Hall overseer, the two instructors, and a Governing Body member addressed those in attendance.
Altogether, congregations and territories in 15 lands will be benefiting from the services of brothers who went through the first two classes. This reminds us of the words found at Micah 4:1, 2: “And it must occur in the final part of the days that the mountain of the house of Jehovah will become firmly established above the top of the mountains, and it will certainly be lifted up above the hills; and to it peoples must stream. And many nations will certainly go and say: ‘Come, you people, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will instruct us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths.’ For out of Zion law will go forth, and the word of Jehovah out of Jerusalem.”
Did the students benefit from the school? Yes! A letter of appreciation from the first class expressed how they felt about the school course: “Without question, we have become more capable ministers. Truly, we as a class unanimously agree that this school has been the highlight of our spiritual lives.” A letter from the second class stated in part: “The course has exceeded all our expectations. None of us could have anticipated how thorough and intensive this would be . . . As we go to our respective assignments, we will endeavor to apply the fine counsel we received during the eight weeks.”
As to future prospects for expanding the school’s operation, four additional traveling overseers were trained as instructors during the first year. In a number of foreign countries, unmarried elders and ministerial servants who are interested in attending this school were interviewed. Arrangements have also been made for some English-speaking brothers in certain lands to meet with the district overseer when they attend their circuit assembly. These steps will make it possible for many more to benefit from the school and to be used wherever there is a need in the worldwide field.
Branch Dedications Bring Joy
“The congregations continued to be made firm in the faith and to increase in number from day to day,” wrote Luke as he described the speedy growth of Christianity in the first century. (Acts 16:5) Likewise in our 20th century, the steady yield in the number of Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide is solid proof that the call of the Lamb’s bride, “Come!” is being answered. (Rev. 22:17) What a cause for rejoicing! Along with that jubilation, too, comes the expansion of existing branch offices and the building of entirely new ones, with factories and Bethel Homes. For that reason, eight branch dedication programs were conducted during the past service year. Let us take a quick look at these exciting developments.
Ecuador
October 11, 1987, was a day of good cheer for our brothers in Ecuador as the new branch office complex was dedicated by Brother Daniel Sydlik of the Governing Body. During his stirring dedication discourse to an audience of 5,500 persons, he said: “For a sacrifice to be meaningful to Jehovah, it must first mean something to us.” How true those words were, since over a three-year period, more than 200 Ecuadoreans and 270 other Witnesses from 14 countries had come to work at the branch site at their own personal expense! Even a 12-year-old boy wanted to contribute to the construction project and made, perhaps, the most heart-touching contribution of all. While dying of leukemia, he asked his mother to send his contribution of S/118 sucres (59 cents) to the brothers at the branch.
In 1977 a brother out of his kindheartedness had donated an 84-acre [34 ha] strip of land, just about 11 miles [18 km] from the city limits of Guayaquil. Here the branch complex and Assembly Hall were built. Now that these beautiful buildings are completed, they will have a share in spreading the name of God by their very location. Each year hundreds of thousands of people motoring their way to the beaches will pass by this new branch complex.
Papua New Guinea
The date: December 12, 1987. The occasion? The dedication of a new branch office in a land of 700 languages—Papua New Guinea. And, the speaker? Brother Robert W. Wallen from Brooklyn headquarters, who, serving as zone overseer, gave the dedication talk to a happy audience of 564.
More than 35 years ago, in December 1951, two zealous Witnesses, Tom and Rowena Kitto, first brought the truth to the capital of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby. By 1955, 61 publishers were busily preaching the good news. Today, the branch counts a peak of 2,023 publishers.
A branch was established there in September 1960, and the living room in the house of a publisher served as the first branch office. Later, the branch moved to a larger building. But the growth of the Kingdom work called for further expansion. So in May 1982, planning for a new branch office and home began. Based on plans drawn up at Brooklyn headquarters, a four-story building that includes residence, office, and factory space was constructed by volunteers from Australia, New Zealand, and, of course, Papua New Guinea. A total of 200 full-time workers (averaging 54 at any given time) donated their time and labor over a four-year period. In accord with the strict migration and labor laws in this country, the Government Labour Department requested that we train one Papua New Guinean with each volunteer worker on the project. Thus, 30 local brothers and sisters learned trades on the site.
The branch office has a unique appearance. For the first time in Papua New Guinea, colored concrete block was used on a building. There were times when workers felt exhausted and inadequate to cope with various problems, but Jehovah infused them with “power” to overcome their weaknesses. (Isa. 40:29) The new branch stands not as a monument to a builder but as testimony to the fact that Jehovah’s spirit has been operative on his imperfect servants. What happiness filled the hearts of our brothers when the final touches completed the project!
Guyana
Aquila and Prisca used their house for theocratic purposes back in the first century. (1 Cor. 16:19) Likewise, a loving, humble brother in Guyana let his home be used for a branch office from 1914 until 1946, the year the first branch office and missionary home building was acquired. In 1946, the peak of publishers was 91. However, the 1987 service year saw a peak of 1,353 publishers. Plans to build a new branch office resulted from this fine increase.
A noble feat was accomplished by the hardworking sisters on the building project. They operated a makeshift cement-block factory. About 120 of them in teams of 10 to 12 at a time and using 16 molds were able to produce some 12,080 cement blocks in 55 days. The building itself could tell quite a story!
On weekends the building site was alive with volunteer workers from the local congregations. The country’s prime minister and his entourage even visited the work site and made complimentary remarks. One local carpenter commented: “You people are getting first-class work done on your building.”
On the evening of January 14, 1988, Brother Don A. Adams from Brooklyn headquarters, visiting as zone overseer, delivered the dedication discourse to 1,935 people gathered in the spacious auditorium of the National Cultural Center in Georgetown.
Ghana
The truth has been preached in Ghana since 1924, but Saturday, January 30, 1988, will go down in the history of this land’s branch as a day to remember—new branch facilities were dedicated. The dedication discourse was given by Brother Theodore Jaracz of the Governing Body to an audience of 3,812 persons. The buildings have provided a powerful witness to Jehovah’s name. For example, a sister from the midwestern United States, whose unbelieving husband attended the Investment Conference for Ghana at the Kwame Nkrumah Conference Center in Accra, writes:
“While my husband was attending the conference, the Center was frequently referred to as the second nicest building in Ghana. This caused him to ask his guide, a Ghanaian building contractor, ‘What’s the nicest building?’ The guide answered: ‘Some church those Jehovah’s Witnesses built!’”
Among their many visitors during the year were 40 students and lecturers from the architecture faculty of the University of Science and Technology at Kumasi, some 200 miles [300 km] north of Accra. The group was so impressed by the new branch that the university’s lecturers proposed making the tour a periodic arrangement.
Ghana’s first branch opened its doors in Accra on January 1, 1948. Toward the close of the 1960’s, the 7,000 publishers had outgrown the “one-room” branch office. So a two-story, eight-bedroom Bethel Home was built. It was dedicated on March 19, 1963. Expansion took place again in 1973, and then in 1978 the present 18-acre [7 ha] property was acquired to accommodate printing operations.
Hawaii
Rain was falling early in the morning on April 3, 1988, in Honolulu, but the spirit was not dampened for the 5,870 who gathered in an arena to hear the refreshing dedication discourse given by Brother Milton G. Henschel of the Governing Body. Another 2,838 brothers, assembled on Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island of Hawaii, were tied in by telephone line for the day-long program originating in Honolulu. This dedication program concluded a whirlwind of theocratic activity that had begun in late March when several members of the Governing Body shared in the celebration of the Memorial as well as special assembly days on the islands of Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii. What a grand spiritual occasion that proved to be in the 70-year history of Jehovah’s people in Hawaii.
How was property found on an island where building lots are at a premium? In 1985 a former supermarket building was put up for sale. Since the location was ideal, it was purchased in November of that year. After completing extensive planning and remodeling, in August 1987, office operations were transferred to the new location, which also accommodates two Kingdom Halls. The Bethel family settled into spacious new quarters located on the second floor.
When Charles T. Russell, the first president of the Watch Tower Society, visited Honolulu in 1912, there were no Bible Students in the islands. Today, Hawaii has 72 congregations and a peak of 5,729 publishers.
Hong Kong
Throughout the years of Kingdom activity in Hong Kong, Jehovah has never failed to provide what is needed at the right time. All were reminded of this fact on May 7, 1988, when a new building was dedicated to Him by Brother Lyman A. Swingle of the Governing Body. But why the need for this new building?
Let us take a brief look at what has happened in Hong Kong since September 1, 1950, when a branch office was first established on Tai Po Road to care for all of nine publishers. Several years later, the branch was moved to 312 Prince Edward Road. By 1979 a search began for another location, which seemed an almost impossible task in this crowded city. Then one day a sister noted in a newspaper that a property was for sale at 4 Kent Road, Kowloon Tong. This was purchased, and the branch moved to a clean, quiet suburb ideally located in relation to the congregations throughout the colony.
The number of publishers reached the 1,000 mark in June 1983. Just four years later, the 1,600 mark was attained. To take on more work, the Bethel family would have to increase.
All efforts to purchase property on either side of the branch complex were in vain. Then one day a letter arrived in the mail advertising property for sale on the same street just four doors from the branch. When the brothers went to see it, they could hardly believe their eyes! Here was a modern building that had never been used. Yes, this became the new addition to Bethel. It is the building that Brother Swingle dedicated.
Portugal
In Portugal, where, as a famous poet said, “the land ends and the sea begins,” fishing is one of the main activities. But in recent decades in this small European country on the Atlantic Coast, a different type of fishing has taken place, affecting the lives of multitudes of its almost ten million inhabitants.
On May 13, 1925, a spiritual fishing work began when Brother Rutherford visited Lisbon and gave a talk to a gathering of more than 2,000 persons. However, difficult years lay ahead for Jehovah’s people. The work was banned, our brothers were harassed and imprisoned, and the branch office operated underground from different homes.
As if struck by lightning, an old dictatorship was suddenly brought to an end by a political revolution on April 25, 1974. And by December, religious liberty for Jehovah’s people officially arrived. A large 20-room home was rented in February 1975 in Estoril to serve as the branch office and to care for the work not only in Portugal but also in Madeira, the Azores, Angola, and São Tomé. Ten years later this proved to be inadequate, for the number of publishers had swelled to 28,984. Thus, land for new facilities was sought and found, and an outside firm was contracted to put up the reinforced concrete shell. The rest of the construction project was completed by volunteer workers, all Witnesses.
How could such a large complex be financed? Although Portugal is not a wealthy country, the brothers contributed “beyond their actual ability” and were richly blessed for it. (2 Cor. 8:2-4) One family with five children consulted together to see what they could do to help. The daughters contributed their jewelry, and a son the money he saved for a bicycle. In a letter to the branch, the father wrote: “This contribution is the result of the sale of three bracelets, five rings, and a pair of earrings, besides the money from the children’s piggy banks.”
The dedication program was held on Saturday morning, April 23, 1988, in the new Kingdom Hall and was transmitted by closed-circuit television to the factory and by telephone hookup to the Restelo Soccer Stadium in Lisbon. The morning program concluded with the faith-stirring dedication talk by Brother Milton G. Henschel.
In the afternoon, Brother Henschel traveled to the stadium and spoke to an all-time record attendance of 45,522 persons on the theme “Will the Stones Have to Cry Out?” The facts prove that the stones will not have to cry out in Portugal, as the new August peak of 33,739 publishers testifies. Now in Portugal there is 1 Witness preaching the good news for every 291 inhabitants.
Cyprus
Cyprus, the third-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, has been the scene of Christian activity ever since Paul and Barnabas set foot there in 47-48 C.E. (Acts 13:12) With a population of some 620,000, the island is made up of Greek, Turkish, Armenian, and Maronite communities.
In modern times, the truth was introduced into Cyprus in 1924. From 3 publishers of the good news in 1925, the number increased to 59 in 1948 at which time the first branch office of the Society was established. By the time a new branch office and Bethel Home were built in 1969, the number of publishers had risen to 485.
But things changed dramatically in 1974. The use of the branch office came to an abrupt end. A coup to overthrow the president took place, followed a few days later by the invasion of the northern part of Cyprus by troops. During the fighting, the branch was evacuated as bullets penetrated the shuttered windows. So from 1974 the work was directed from a building that originally served as a missionary home in Limassol, the second-largest town in the island.
A building in Nissou, a small village more than 12 miles [19 km] from the capital, Nicosia, was bought and renovated. Brother Carey Barber of the Governing Body dedicated the new branch premises on August 2, 1988.
Africa
Those thirsting for righteousness are invited to “come” and receive Jehovah’s bounty. The continent of Africa is hearing that call and is responding enthusiastically. For example, in countries of East Africa under the oversight of the Kenya branch, runaway inflation and the pall of famine hovering over the brothers have not prevented them from enjoying a wonderful year of theocratic activity.
Physical handicaps have not hobbled the determination of whole-souled servants of Jehovah in Kenya. A brother with unbelieving parents was stricken with polio when a child and as a result needs crutches to walk. In order to attend meetings, he would walk nine miles [15 km] on Saturday, stay at the place of meeting overnight, and on Sunday walk the nine miles [15 km] back home. The joy, encouragement, and fellowship received from the meetings kept him going. Finally, after months of watching him walk back and forth to the meetings, his parents were convinced that he could not be deterred. Hence, they offered to assist him with money for transportation.
In a country cared for by the Kenya branch, there lived a high official of a political party. When our brothers were hauled before him and falsely charged with wrongdoing, he was always impressed with their fine behavior. Thus, he sometimes used his position, in absence of his superior, to release our accused brothers. In the meantime, he had political troubles with a powerful rebel leader operating in the area. The government assigned the official to hunt down and kill this rebel. To counter the government’s move, the rebel faction vowed to execute the government official. Subsequently he was transferred to the capital city, wrongly accused, and imprisoned. Before his release from prison, he met Jehovah’s Witnesses and accepted a copy of the book The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life. When he arrived home, a Bible study was started with him and his wife.
Meanwhile, the former rebel, who by now had settled down and was employed as a schoolteacher, also started to study with the same brother who was studying with this government official. By coincidence, these former enemies met at the brother’s home. What a shock! But gradually their hatred and distrust melted away. Both progressed in the truth along with their wives, and both were baptized on the same day.
At our place of work, how important is a good example of morality? One answer can be found in Senegal. A young man studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses read an issue of The Watchtower featuring the topic of honesty and saw the need to apply the advice on his job. So he installed locks on gas tanks to prevent fellow employees from stealing gas from the company’s cars. The employer noticed that much less gas was being consumed than usual and inquired why. When he learned of the young man’s actions, he rewarded him for his honesty by appointing him supervisor over the whole shop.
On the island of Madagascar, two pioneer sisters called at the house of an elderly man, who startled them with the question: “The soul is dead, isn’t it?” The man, thinking the pioneers were part of Christendom, expected them to answer: “The soul is immortal.” Instead, they countered: “What do you think?”
“The soul is dead,” the elderly man said firmly. “We agree with you on that, Sir,” the pioneers responded. Astonished, he asked them how he could explain this subject to others. A Bible study was started at once. The man confessed: “I’ve been praying to God for a long time to show me the truth. I have found it now, and I thank him so much.”
Our stand on neutrality often becomes a protection to us, especially when rival political groups take the law into their own hands and ruthlessly kill anyone who does not agree with them. Patrick, a brother living in South Africa, looked forward to his cozy bed after spending a pleasant evening with his family. Sudden loud banging on the door of his house shattered his peaceful sleep.
“Open up!” shouted members of a political youth gang, “otherwise we will break down your door and windows.” Courageously, our brother opened the door and faced the mob.
“Didn’t you hear that tonight we must all go and attack the house of the induna [military leader]?” they asked. Our brother explained that the reason he had not heard about it was that most people from his area know that he does not take part in fighting. “Get your weapons and prove yourself a man,” the youths demanded.
The brother reached for his sword of the spirit, the Bible, along with the Society’s publications and told them: “These are the only weapons I have.” Just the same, they forced him to go to their camp in order to explain his neutral stand to their leaders. Upon the brother’s arrival, a local youth who knew the brother exclaimed: “Why did you bring this man here? He is a Bible student. Let him go, and if there are any complaints about it, I will bear all the consequences.” Thus, neutrality became our brother’s key to freedom.
Asia
Jehovah’s people in the lands of Asia perform the Kingdom work diligently. Like a good farmer who “sows bountifully,” they have ‘reaped bountifully.’ (2 Cor. 9:6) In Burma a schoolteacher noticed a student who had a magazine hidden among her books. The teacher snatched it away. It was a Watchtower. On the spot, the teacher read it from cover to cover with keen interest.
After class, she asked the student where she had obtained the magazine. “From those people who go from house to house” was the reply. The teacher was anxious to meet those people. Her wish came true. A short time later, a pioneer called at her home. A home Bible study ensued. Now this teacher, a mother of six children, also teaches Bible truth by going from house to house as an auxiliary pioneer.
The influence of tradition and conformity runs strong in Israel. Often it is easier for Israelis in some other land to consider the Kingdom message objectively. For example, Keren set out to see the world after completing her military service in Israel. While living in the United States, she met Jehovah’s Witnesses. Enthusiastic about learning true Bible teachings, she had several Bible studies each week and regularly attended the meetings. She rapidly progressed to the point of dedicating her life to Jehovah. Was she apprehensive about returning to Israel because of opposition to her newfound faith by some of her family? No, she eagerly returned and serves regularly each month as an auxiliary pioneer.
An Israeli named Rami, after moving from country to country with his wife and their children, spoke with Jehovah’s Witnesses in New Zealand and liked what he heard. In the meantime, his parents, who lived in an area of Israel not preached to by the Witnesses, visited Rami. He had often witnessed to them by letter, but when they heard the good news of the Kingdom from the lips of their son, the father asked: “Why haven’t we been told this by our rabbi?” The parents began attending all the meetings and sat in on the Bible study the Witnesses conducted with Rami. Their stay of four months was long enough to convince them that they had found the truth. On returning home to Israel, the parents were ready to witness to their many relatives and friends and to face the resistance that many would show toward their new outlook on life. Immediately upon arrival, they contacted the nearest congregation, and since then the brothers have been conducting a Bible study with them.
To attend all the meetings, Rami’s parents travel a round trip of close to 80 miles [130 km]. Since their family is well known, news of their association with Jehovah’s Witnesses has spread like wildfire throughout their hometown. In order to attract attention to the good news, the father lays out a display of the Society’s publications in his business office. Thus, as a result of Kingdom seed sown far away in New Zealand, a good witness is now being given in that part of Israel. What happened to Rami and his wife? They were baptized last June.
A sister in Pakistan, new to the house-to-house activity, had her trust in Jehovah strengthened. When engaged in the field ministry, she and her companion were detained in a house by young men who objected to their preaching Christianity. One of them phoned his father, a police official, telling him to come and arrest the publishers. When the father arrived and saw the Watchtower magazine, he told his son not to interfere and said, “This is their faith, and they must preach this.” The young men demanded that the police stop them from preaching. The father, in a stern voice, told his son and the other young men: “If you wish to stop them, then you preach to them and convince them.” So the two publishers quietly left, fortified by the experience.
Ponchaleo, a young woman from a village north of Chiang Mai, Thailand, faced great pressure from her parents because of desiring the truth. Her parents were among the founders of the local church. Ponchaleo, however, was not deterred from studying the Bible, and she continued her Bible lessons at the home of brothers or at the Kingdom Hall.
Although she lives more than 12 miles [20 km] from the Kingdom Hall, she attends regularly. This is remarkable when you consider her physical condition. Several years ago, a severe attack of rheumatoid arthritis left her handicapped. Her physical condition has not affected her meeting attendance, but it has forced her to be largely dependent on her parents for financial support. However, sisters in the congregation taught her how to make sweets that she could sell at the market in her village. At first this small business venture brought ridicule from her parents and friends who thought that Ponchaleo would never earn enough money to help support herself in any appreciable way. Much to the surprise of her family, she is able to earn enough to pay for expenses incurred in attending meetings and even assemblies and conventions. With determination and faith, she resigned from the church and in February 1987 started in the field ministry. She has been a zealous publisher ever since. In July 1987 she was baptized at the circuit assembly at Phitsanulok.
Europe
Jehovah’s holy spirit empowers his organization to accomplish a great spiritual educational work. Thus, the words recorded at Isaiah 11:9 are finding fulfillment today: “The earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea.” This divine education has had a good effect, too, in secular educational circles.
For example, the brochure School and Jehovah’s Witnesses has helped our young brothers and sisters gain the respect of school authorities in Belgium. An educational officer for the city of Oupeye-Liège wrote the following letter of January 29, 1988, to all the headmasters:
“You are no doubt aware of the fact that during recent years the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses has greatly developed . . . This fact is nothing more than one of mankind’s phenomena that we have no right to ignore . . . In order to inform you, . . . I have chosen to forward to you photocopies of School and Jehovah’s Witnesses, a booklet edited by the Witnesses themselves. I would be grateful if you would see to it that, as far as possible, the totality of the wishes expressed in this booklet be respected by your teaching staff.”
Children of Jehovah’s Witnesses should earn high marks for their decorum in school. In Belgium, Nadia’s fourth-grade teacher disliked Jehovah’s Witnesses intensely. Just the thought of having a Witness in her class made the teacher so irascible that she would not only belittle Nadia constantly but also scream at the other children and strike them. One day, because of all the swearing in the class by the students, the teacher ordered each child to go to the blackboard and write a swearword as well as its meaning. She warned: “Anyone refusing will have points taken off the report card!”
“Madame, you can pass me up,” Nadia politely said. “I prefer to have fewer points than to write these words!” The teacher, though, did not back down. So Nadia marched to the blackboard, and next to each vulgar word spelled out by the students, she wrote, “IMPURITY.” Nadia thought that she had received ten points less, but what a relief to hear the teacher announce: “Nadia has a mark of 100 percent and all the others zero, as she is the only one knowing that these are words one should never use!”
Not-at-homes in the field ministry is a recurring problem experienced by our brothers in Britain. Pioneers have made intense efforts to tackle this problem. When Carol and Catherine decided to work the not-at-homes between six and eight in the evening, they had excellent success. “People are much more relaxed at the end of their working day,” they relate. “Many that listened had not been called on regularly, some even acknowledging they had never met us—and this in houses we have called on for years.” Another pioneer, who decided to find people before they left home to go to their jobs, started field service before eight o’clock in the morning. Over a period of time, she cleared up all her not-at-homes, placing 12 books and 108 magazines and starting two magazine routes and two prospective Bible studies. Are you also trying to be adaptable by changing your schedule to suit your territory?
The Greece branch reports that on an island near the coast of Turkey, an archbishop tried to hinder the Witnesses in their preaching activity. By means of a tract entitled The Great Problem: JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES, he broadcast throughout the island that a renowned theologian would be visiting to deliver a lecture on that subject. The Witnesses were regularly studying with one family among the 1,500 inhabitants of a certain village on the island. So the theologian was asked to visit this family to bring them back to the bosom of the church. A deacon was sent to inform the family of the theologian’s forthcoming visit. The interested man and his family explained to the deacon that they welcomed this visit. However, the theologian did not come alone. With him was the village priest, as well as the deacon and another church official. The interested man responded to all their questions by using the Bible. His answers to questions concerning the Trinity, God’s name, and other topics silenced them. Finally, the theologian turned to the three accompanying him and asked: “Why did you bring me to this leader of Jehovah’s Witnesses?” The interested person interjected: “Oh, I’m just new. I’m not even baptized!” The theologian, taken by surprise, clamored: “Let’s leave this place right now!”
Three hungry children, an unemployed husband, and substantial debts swayed Nati in Spain to accept an offer for quick money. She agreed to transport illegal drugs between North Africa and Spain. Because she was a novice to criminal activities, her nerves gave way, raising the suspicions of the border police. In desperation, Nati hid the bundle of contraband in a toilet. Her ploy was uncovered, and she was jailed on the serious charge of drug trafficking. Nati vehemently denied that the parcel belonged to her, and after a few days, she was released from jail.
Three years later, Nati started to study the Bible. She then learned that the court case against her was still pending and that, in fact, she had been sentenced in absentia to a five-year prison term and a fine of 300,000 pesetas ($2,419). Nati’s husband insisted that out of love for their four children—the youngest being only two years old—she should either not show up in court or, if she did, at least stick to her original claim of innocence. But Nati’s conscience had been touched by Bible principles, and she was now determined to tell the truth. With her Bible in hand, Nati explained to the judges her poor financial circumstances that led to the original error. She told the court of her newfound beliefs that not only obligated her to tell the truth but would impede her from ever doing anything unlawful again. “Jehovah knows that I have repented,” she concluded.
The verdict? Just two months’ probation! Nati is more convinced than ever that honesty pays, and thanks Jehovah and his Word for helping her.
Spain has Europe’s highest unemployment rate, so Faustino was overjoyed when his job application was accepted on a two-week trial basis, even though he had explained that he would have to leave work early two nights each week in order to attend his religious meetings. However, on the very first day of the trial period, he was surprisingly offered a permanent work contract. Why such an action for a worker unknown to the firm? One of the company’s directors mentioned to a client that they had hired one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. “If he is really a Witness, don’t let him go,” replied the client. “You can’t find workers like him anymore. They are truly reliable.”
Latin America
How our heavenly Father must be pleased when he observes the activity of his people worldwide. At Psalm 149:4 we read: “Jehovah is taking pleasure in his people. He beautifies the meek ones with salvation.” Our brothers in Latin America have surely been exerting themselves to receive God’s good pleasure.
One day, a sister in Bolivia went to visit a lady who was interested in subscribing for The Watchtower and Awake! As she and the accompanying sister were standing at the door, she suddenly realized that they were calling at the wrong house. Before the householder came to the door, the other sister said, “Let’s leave!” However, they calmed down and reasoned that since they had already knocked, they had better wait and talk with anyone who answered.
Cheerfully, the housewife greeted our sisters as if they were long-lost friends. With a warm smile, she said, “You always come on a morning when I don’t have time to listen.” The householder invited our sisters into the house, and an exciting Scriptural conversation followed, with the householder accepting literature. When our sisters returned the following week, a Bible study was started with the householder, and in spite of her husband’s opposition, she made good progress. At the past district convention, she was baptized.
A missionary sister assigned to Bolivia started a Bible study with Josefa, who had been an unbaptized Kingdom publisher 15 years ago. She stopped associating with Jehovah’s Witnesses because she had been offended. On the very first study, the perceptive sister kindly considered with Josefa what the Bible says about accepting counsel and discipline. She quickly saw the practical value of the Bible’s counsel and accepted the information appreciatively. Josefa decided that no longer would she allow her past wrong attitude to prevent her from progressing in the truth. She is planning to be baptized and is already making arrangements to auxiliary pioneer.
The Pioneer Service School continues to have a positive effect in Chile, stimulating newer pioneers to stick with the full-time ministry and helping them to be more effective evangelizers by emphasizing personal interest in other people. One morning a pioneer sister, who had attended the school, was busy in the door-to-door ministry. At one home a maid answered and said that she was too busy to speak with our sister, because the woman of the house was sick in bed. The sister asked the maid to take the Awake! magazine to the sick woman and recommended that the maid show the woman the article on good health.
The sister relates: “I asked the maid to convey to the woman of the house my wish that she would recover from her sickness quickly and to tell her that, at another time, I would be happy to talk to her about the Bible’s promise of a paradise earth. When the maid returned, she invited me into the house. I entered the lady’s bedroom and saw that she was advanced in age and very sick. She had a sad look on her face. I explained my reason for calling, and she was surprised. She said she had decided to talk to me because even though I didn’t know her, I had expressed my wish for her recovery, and that made her happy.” A Bible study was started. Today that woman attends congregation meetings and has made needed changes in her life, hoping one day to become one of Jehovah’s dedicated people. How important it is to show personal interest in others!
Not all opposers really hate the truth, as is shown in the following experience from Paraguay. One day a man was contacted by a Witness and showed some interest in the truth. However, his father, a church minister, quickly forbade any communication with the Witnesses. The father threatened to break off all ties with his son if the son continued to receive the Witnesses into his home. For this reason, the son canceled all visits with the publisher. When his wife began to study the Bible, the son, like his father, began to oppose to the point of becoming violent. He would not allow the publisher to visit his wife in the home or even to pass in front of the house. The wife still wanted to learn more about the Bible, so the publisher continued the study by mail.
When this man discovered that his wife not only was still studying the Bible but was getting serious about the truth, his opposition increased. Even his children became fearful of him. He began to drink heavily and gamble. His wife endured all of this throughout the following seven years. But deep down inside, he felt remorse over his bad conduct.
Finally, the husband agreed to have one of the Witnesses visit him again. What a happy surprise for the wife and children when he agreed to have a home Bible study. When problems with the demons began to interfere with the family’s progress in the truth, the elders helped the family rely on Jehovah to gain the victory. With time the attacks passed. Together, the man and his wife have dedicated their lives to Jehovah and have taken steps toward baptism. This onetime strong opposer of the truth is now serving Jehovah happily along with all his family.
A man in Uruguay, whose sister is studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, was sitting on a bench in the town square, when a scared five-year-old boy, the son of a Witness, came running toward him at breakneck speed. He was looking for protection from another boy who was chasing him and throwing stones at him. Pointing to the naughty boy, the young Witness said: “Bad boys like this one are going to die at Armageddon.” The man was surprised to hear the word “Armageddon” come out of the mouth of such a little child. He recalled having heard that word before, from his sister. So he asked the boy just what Armageddon was. On that very morning the boy had studied this subject with his mother, and so he was able to give the man a good explanation. Impressed by the child’s knowledge, the young man’s interest in the truth was whetted, and he asked for a Bible study. As the psalmist says: “Out of the mouth of children and sucklings you have founded strength.”—Ps. 8:2.
North America and Caribbean Islands
Malcolm, a young married man living in Canada, had been only casually acquainted with the truth when he became involved immorally with a woman whom he later murdered in a fit of jealous rage. His problem had always been an extremely volatile temper and an inability to control himself. When being sentenced to prison, he was described by a psychiatrist as “a homicidal killer.” On June 2, 1982, Malcolm received a lengthy prison sentence.
While in prison, he entered into discussions with various members of the clergy, sometimes sitting in on their religious services, but received no satisfying answers to his questions. Finally, through a prison worker who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, arrangements for a regular Bible study were made in April 1985. Malcolm has made major changes in his life since that time. His transformed outlook on life and his improved conduct have impressed prison officials, psychiatrists, and fellow inmates. His appreciation for the truth prompts him to share what he has learned with fellow prisoners, averaging 60 to 70 hours every month talking to them about the Bible.
As a result of Malcolm’s witnessing activity, one man recently released from prison is now attending meetings in another part of the country. Malcolm was given a day pass on January 23, 1988, that permitted him to attend a circuit assembly, accompanied by an unarmed guard from the prison. The next month, February, Malcolm, having been baptized, was approved as an auxiliary pioneer, and he plans to continue auxiliary pioneering on a regular basis. He hopes to become eligible for day parole in 1993 and a full parole in 1996. Thus, people from all backgrounds are responding to the good news.
Magazine witnessing is increasing in the Cayman Islands, with many people taking special interest in the articles. A brother who is a pioneer placed the Awake! magazine featuring “Women in the Workplace” with a businessman. After reading it, this man was so impressed that he decided it should be read by all his female employees. To make sure they would read the article, he made a photocopy for each one, attached a piece of paper to each copy, and asked that after reading the article, they sign on the paper to indicate that they had read it.
In Jamaica a sister was admitted to a hospital for surgery. She notified the hospital that she would not permit any blood transfusions. When one of the doctors asked her if she preferred to die without blood, she replied, “It is not that I want to die, but for Scriptural reasons, I will remain faithful to my God even if it means death.”
The next day the doctor returned and challenged the sister to show him where the Bible prohibited blood. She invited him to read Acts 15:28, 29. After reading the scripture, he responded, “But this does not say not to take blood transfusions.” The sister asked him: “Suppose you told your patient to abstain from alcohol, does that mean he must not drink it but can find other means to get it into his body?” Before the doctor could reply, a nurse who was listening to the conversation interrupted and said that she knew of a doctor who told one of his patients not to drink alcohol. The patient stopped drinking alcohol, the nurse continued, but poured it on bread and then ate the bread. The point was made, and the sister’s doctor said no more. He accepted an issue of the Awake! magazine containing an article with the experience of a Witness who was critically ill, yet refused a blood transfusion and survived. The doctor later read the magazine and encouraged other doctors and patients to read that magazine, too. The sister had her operation without blood and is recovering satisfactorily.
The brothers in the Leeward Islands spared no effort to attend the series of circuit assemblies and special assembly days during the past service year. They traveled by boat and car and, in some instances, on foot. On the mountainous island of Dominica, Penny, a sister with two sons, James and Thomas, was denied use of either of the family’s two automobiles for travel to the circuit assembly at the capital, Roseau, some 35 miles [55 km] from their home in the mountains. Undaunted, the trio set out on foot, ready to trek uphill and downhill. By the time they reached the outskirts of their village, they met their first obstacle—an overflowing river. Penny removed her shoes and was ready to cross, but James, age 11, was not as tall as his mother, and Thomas, age 5, was even shorter. The boys were afraid to attempt this scary venture. Observing their plight, a young man standing nearby carried the two boys safely across the river.
Off the trio hiked again, this time another mile or so before a driver in a car recognized them and offered them a ride, but only for a short distance. When he learned of their predicament, he felt pity and drove them another ten miles [16 km] to a coastal town, Portsmouth. Now they were still some 25 miles [40 km] from the assembly site. However, they were determined to get there, and between walking and getting more car rides, they finally arrived at their destination just in time for the start of the program.
In Trinidad and Tobago the brothers are having good success in using the new tracts. One Witness, named Anderson, has been very conscious of displaying them in his shirt pocket when traveling to and from work. Of the four tracts, the one with which he has the best success in spreading the good news is What Hope for Dead Loved Ones? With this tract, only the little girl’s head can be seen just above his pocket. Usually, that is enough to provoke the question: ‘What is that picture?’ or, ‘What tract do you have there?’ It gives him excellent opportunities to explain what the Bible says about the condition of the dead and the hope for their future.
Anderson relates: “In my office, one of the women asked about the tract. During our conversation, I not only shared with her the Scriptural message in the tract but explained all about our printing facilities, the many books and magazines that we publish, and the topics that they cover. She was impressed with my answer and then inquired if we had a Bible book for children.”
The next day, Anderson brought her the publication My Book of Bible Stories. She was simply overwhelmed at seeing the positive, bright, and simple presentation, with the related Bible verses at the end of each story. Because of her enthusiasm over the book, other women in the office requested literature for themselves too. Anderson concludes: “I placed ten Bible Stories books and three other publications, and every day I still make sure that I have my tracts sticking out of my shirt pocket.”
Islands of the Pacific
A song composed for the worship of Jehovah expressed well the Israelites’ contentment and happiness with their God. They jubilantly sang out: “Jehovah himself has become king! Let the earth be joyful. Let the many islands rejoice.” (Ps. 97:1) Yes, the islands of the sea have reason to be happy for their part in extending the invitation to come and drink of the waters of everlasting life.
The importance of setting personal goals is highlighted by an experience from one sister in Australia. During a recent two-month subscription campaign, she set a personal goal of 50 subscriptions. She felt she could obtain one subscription a day for the first month and then place 20 during the second month.
She relates: “I prayed regularly to Jehovah about my goal and then worked hard to make sure I reached it. Sometimes I had to go back three or four times before the householder had enough money to pay for the subscription. Return visits were made in the evenings and some early in the morning. One lady even offered to bring the money to my home, which she did.” Imagine the sister’s joy when she reached her goal—31 subscriptions during the first month! Did she get the 20 subscriptions the next month? Yes, indeed!
During the next few months, by following up on the interest, this sister started several Bible studies. Although not all the studies have continued, many individuals renewed their subscriptions. One interested woman is having a regular study in the book You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth and is making good progress. The sister relates: “I feel that all that I was able to accomplish was a result of setting a goal and being positive. One really needs to rely on Jehovah and work hard. Proverbs 10:22 is certainly true in my case: ‘The blessing of Jehovah—that is what makes rich, and he adds no pain with it.’”
The printed page of The Watchtower is powerful. It can change the attitude of its readers. In the Solomon Islands, people in some villages are still afraid to receive the Witnesses openly, since their religious leaders vehemently object. On one of the reef islands, when entering one of these villages to go from house to house, the publishers were attacked and told never to enter the village again to preach. The publishers live only one mile upstream and have to pass through this village every time they go to other places. Nevertheless, the people made them feel unwelcome. However, their attitude has now changed. They even greet the Witnesses. What happened?
Witness children who usually play at the river with homemade toy canoes started to use pages of old, discarded Watchtower issues as sails. They would let the water carry their little canoes downstream. Unknown to the Witnesses, the children in that other village would pick up the canoes. But who would collect the sails? The adults who are able to read would do so. As a result, the villagers changed their attitude toward the Witnesses. Even though they are still afraid to receive them openly, they are now friendly to them.
In Tuvalu, cared for by the Western Samoa branch, the year started with the Pioneer Service School, which has given added impetus to the preaching work. As a result, two pioneer sisters spent two months as temporary special pioneers in the island of Nanumanga, where 200 persons had attended the Memorial. Between them, the pioneers conducted a total of 21 Bible studies. At a recent church conference in Funafuti, the Protestant pastor from Nanumanga gave a sermon expressing his concern that most of the people on his island are attracted to the Witnesses and only a few “wise ones” have rejected them. He said that each morning he sees women waking up early and preparing their homes to receive the sisters who will be coming to conduct their Bible studies. The women are so interested in their Bible studies, he claimed, that when a child cries, they take the infant in one hand and keep on looking up scriptures in the Bible with the other hand. While he may have exaggerated matters, it does bear testimony to the effectiveness of the preaching of the truth on that island.—Phil. 1:15, 18.
At times, those who come from affluent backgrounds receive much family opposition because of their interest in the truth. One brother’s father is part owner of a large supermarket chain in Hawaii. The family expected him eventually to fill a management position. However, on becoming a Witness, the brother was happy to remain a store clerk. There was much turmoil for some time as family members tried to pressure the brother and his wife to change their mind. Because of the fine example set by the couple, the opposition has diminished. Our brother is now a ministerial servant and is still content to be a stock clerk, much to the amazement of his family and other employees.
Countries Under Ban
Fearlessly, the brothers stay loyal to Jehovah in countries where the Kingdom work is banned. Like David, they say: “In God I have put my trust. I shall not be afraid. What can earthling man do to me?”—Ps. 56:11.
Our brothers were living peacefully in the southern part of one African country when in 1975, because of their neutral stand, they were seized and hauled off to prison camps in the northern part of the country. They lost all their possessions. In the camps, at first they held their meetings in secret but later could meet openly. While living in the camps, they diligently worked in the fields—growing crops and raising chickens, pigs, and other livestock. Soon the resistance movement heated up the persecution and shattered the brothers’ normal living routine by harassing them, looting their possessions, and even murdering some of them.
Our brothers had to flee, and again they lost everything they owned. However, with cooperation from representatives of two relief organizations, the government arranged to fly our brothers back to the capital city, where the majority had resided originally. Many arrived destitute. Some were so poorly clothed that they felt too embarrassed to leave the airport. They asked themselves: “What are we to eat? . . . What are we to put on?” (Matt. 6:31) But Jehovah God provided. News about their plight was reported to the brothers in South Africa, who quickly arranged for relief supplies—83 tons of food and clothing. With the help of the Red Cross, the supplies were promptly delivered to our brothers. Congregations were soon reorganized. Their spiritual state today? Jehovah is richly blessing them. They have actually passed the peak number of publishers they had in 1975 when persecution started.
On account of the economic conditions in another country, most people eat just one meal a day. This has forced some, but not all, pioneers out of the full-time service and into secular work. Because of local difficulties, the expense reimbursements of the special pioneers often arrive late. With no food in the house, the wife of one special pioneer became discouraged and begged her husband to start secular work again. He encouraged her to trust in Jehovah fully. After praying together, they heard a strange noise in the darkness of the night. Quickly, the brother grabbed a lamp and spotted a type of armadillo under the table. He wasted no time capturing this highly prized meat, which solved their food problem for a few more days.
On another occasion after unsuccessfully searching for food, he met hunters who had captured a jackal but did not know what to do with their prey. Their religious custom prevented them from eating such meat. They asked the pioneer for his view on food. He explained that Christians are no longer under the Law covenant and that any flesh could be eaten as long as it was bled properly. That convinced the hunters, and they promptly killed and bled the jackal. They also gave the pioneer a big piece of meat to take home for his family!
Therefore, no matter what part of the globe we may call home, Jehovah, by means of his holy spirit and through the Lamb’s bride, is still sounding forth the invitation, “Come!” and “take life’s water free.”—Rev. 22:17.
[Chart on page 34-41]
1988 SERVICE YEAR REPORT OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES WORLDWIDE
(See publication)
[Picture on page 5]
Last year 239,268 people were baptized in answer to the call, “Come!”
[Pictures on page 14]
In Italy, part of the crowd attending the “Divine Justice” District Convention in Verona, and delegates in Leinì examining new book
[Pictures on page 19]
The first class of the Ministerial Training School graduated on November 29, 1987, and the second class graduated on May 22, 1988
[Picture on page 22]
In the South American country of Guyana, the new Bethel Home is a clay-brick structure. Dedicated January 14, 1988
[Picture on page 22]
The U-shaped building of the Ecuador branch houses the offices, kitchen, dining rooms, laundry, and residence rooms. Dedicated October 11, 1987
[Pictures on page 27]
The Papua New Guinea branch has residence rooms on the upper levels. The building also has an infirmary, a library, offices, a recording studio, a laundry, a kitchen, and a dining hall. Dedicated December 12, 1987
[Pictures on page 28]
The factory, offices, reception area, and Kingdom Hall of the Ghana branch are grouped in the form of a big “U.” Dedicated January 30, 1988
[Pictures on page 29]
The branch facility in Hawaii includes offices, a conference room, a dining room, and a kitchen. Also located in this complex are two Kingdom Halls. Dedicated April 3, 1988
[Pictures on page 30]
The residence block of the Portugal branch has 40 rooms, with a service wing. Solar heat is used. The four-story factory building has an office area and a Kingdom Hall. Dedicated April 23, 1988
[Picture on page 33]
In Cyprus, the branch has four apartments facing gardens. A Kingdom Hall was built alongside the property. Dedicated August 2, 1988
[Picture on page 33]
The new Hong Kong branch adds to the Kent Road facilities six bedrooms with bathrooms, a kitchen, and a dining room that can comfortably seat up to 36 persons. Dedicated May 7, 1988
Acts of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Modern Times
p. 65
Acts of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Modern Times
Austria Stands Firm 66
Is your Christian faith a match for the severe privations of a Nazi concentration camp? Witnesses of Jehovah in Austria stood firm in the face of such cruel persecution at the hands of their oppressors. Find out how they endured.
Barbados Harvests Kingdom Seed 148
Among the sun-drenched islands of the Caribbean, Barbados gives witness not only of sowing Kingdom seed but also of reaping spiritual fruitage. Learn how the seed of the Kingdom message spread to other neighboring islands too.
Ecuador Embraces the Truth 198
Straddling the equator, Ecuador is a land populated by a people as diverse as scantily clothed farmers and business suit bankers. Some of these Ecuadoreans, quick with a handshake and a smile, have for the past 53 years been equally keen to embrace Bible truth. Discover why.
Austria
pp. 67–142
Austria
THE Alps of Austria are alive with the sound of music. Renowned for sublime musical compositions produced by Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, the Strausses, and others, Austria is also famous for its natural beauty. Thick forests, clear lakes, and broad valleys separate many of its snowcapped Alps, which majestically reach into the sky as high as 12,457 feet [3,797 m]. Eventually these peaks graduate into soft rolling hills and agriculturally rich low plains in the east. The loveliness of these grand surroundings has been enhanced by the spiritual beauty of Bible truth that emerged in Austria in the early 1900’s. And since then, Austria’s lofty peaks and green valleys have been echoing with “songs extolling God” Jehovah.—Ps. 149:6.
For centuries Austria was part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation. Later it was linked with Hungary in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. So it is not surprising that 98 percent of the population speak German and that ethnic groups include Magyars (Hungarians), Croatians, and Slovenes. When Vienna was the capital of a vast empire, as well as during the periods following the world wars, large numbers of people flocked to this colorful city on the Danube River to live. Thus, more than 20 percent of Austria’s population of some 7,555,000 are now found in Vienna.
For centuries the official religion in Austria was Roman Catholicism, as dictated by the Hapsburg rulers. Even today, 84 percent of the population profess to be Roman Catholic, and there is a concordat between Austria and the Vatican that assures government financial support for the Catholic Church. Another 6 percent are listed as Protestants. However, these figures do not show the people’s real attitude toward religion, since devotion to religious institutions has greatly declined. Many of them hold back from openly breaking their traditional religious ties because the average Austrian’s concern is, ‘What will people say?’
Much effort and the blessing of Jehovah’s spirit have been required to locate God-fearing individuals and to teach them Jehovah’s ways. As a result, there are today in Austria upwards of 17,700 persons who have demonstrated that their greater concern is, ‘What will God say?’ These make up the 246 congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
First Attempts to Witness
At the beginning of the 20th century, religious life in Austria danced to the tempo set primarily by the Roman Catholic Church. Although Protestants possessed certain rights that had been granted under the so-called Edict of Toleration in 1781, most other people were allowed to practice their religion only in private. Nevertheless, Charles Taze Russell, the first president of the Watch Tower Society, decided to go to Vienna in 1911 to direct his attention first to the Jewish populace.
Traveling by train, he arrived in Vienna, where the large hall of the Continental Hotel had been hired for March 22. His talk, designed to appeal to sincere Jews, was to be “Zionism in Prophecy.” What would be the reaction of the Jewish population here to his explanations of Bible prophecy? From New York, a Jewish rabbi had cabled a long message of misrepresentation, warning the Jews against the Bible Students, as Jehovah’s Witnesses were then known. As a result, although the hall was packed when Brother Russell stepped to the platform, he soon realized that about a third of those in the audience were determined to prevent him from speaking.
Russell later reported: “From the very beginning of our address, from all over the hall, they shouted and screamed and some of them appeared possessed of demons. . . . We endeavored to speak a word or two to allay their fears, but to no purpose. . . . Several seemed anxious to get their hands upon us, but a strong cordon of the more sensible ones formed a barricade around us. We had no fear, but those who knew our opponents better seemed quite fearful for us. Finding that we could accomplish nothing, we smilingly waved our hand, indicating that we would give up the attempt, and left the platform. The same Jews opened the way before us and kept off any opponents and guided us out of the hall . . . About fifteen came the next day and questioned further respecting the divine plan.”
For the benefit of sincere truth seekers, arrangements were also made to publish the full text of Russell’s discourse in the newspaper Neues Wiener Journal (New Viennese Journal).
This was not the first time that Brother Russell had seen Vienna. Twenty years earlier, in 1891, he had made a trip that took him from Dresden, Germany, via Vienna to Kishinev in Russia. Commenting on the situation as he understood it back at that time, Brother Russell stated in Zion’s Watch Tower of November 1891: “We saw no opening or readiness for the truth in Russia, . . . nothing to encourage us to hope for any harvest in Italy or Turkey or Austria or Germany.”
Nevertheless, a further attempt was made to help at least some of the people here. Early in 1914, Maxwell G. Friend (then known by the name Freschel, born to Jewish parents) was asked to go from the Bethel Home in Germany to Austria-Hungary in order to spread the good news of the Messianic Kingdom among the Jews. In Vienna he was able to start a regular home Bible study with two subscribers for Zion’s Watch Tower. He reported: “Jews hardly ever responded to the good news, because they confused us with missionaries of Christendom. They had no love for Christendom due to the many centuries that she had driven them from country to country and mercilessly killed them with fire and sword.”
Within a few months World War I broke out. Would this put an end to all efforts to share the good news with the Austrian people?
Beginning of the Postwar Harvest
Amid the horrors of the world war, there were persons who thought and talked about spiritual things. Johann Brotzge, though a young man, was one who was deeply religious. At his place of work in the city of Dornbirn, he delivered coal to a man named Degenhart, who was in charge of the furnace. During one of his deliveries in the early autumn of 1917, Degenhart initiated a conversation about God’s Kingdom. Soon afterward young Johann was drafted into military service. Would the seeds of truth that he heard take root?
After having experienced the horrors of war, Johann returned home. The words about God’s Kingdom had left a deep impression and they were still in his mind. He started to search for Degenhart. How sad though, Degenhart had died in the meantime. In the spring of 1919, however, Johann Brotzge did come into contact with Otto Mathis as well as Xaver Klien, who was by then a Bible Student. It was from Otto that he obtained his long-desired Bible literature. Those men were the first Bible Students in the west of Austria.
Roughly 425 miles [680 km] from there, at the eastern end of the country, the truth took hold in another receptive heart. Young Johannes Ehm was employed as a music teacher in the village of Deutsch Wagram on the Marchfeld plain, during the years of 1919 and 1920. A married couple who were his friends took in an engineer from Germany as a boarder. That couple told Johannes that the engineer, a Mr. Goller, spoke of completely new and strange things. He said that the end of the world was near, that there is no hellfire, and that the majority of believers would not go to heaven but, rather, would live on earth someday. Not only that, but he contended that he could prove it all from the Bible. “Would you like to attend such a discussion?” the couple asked the young music teacher.
At that discussion Johannes saw a Bible for the very first time in his life. He later said: “Goller radiated calmness and serenely answered all my questions—and there were not a few of them!” Johannes soon ordered the six volumes of Studies in the Scriptures, written by C. T. Russell, and eagerly started to study them.
Meanwhile, in Klagenfurt in the south of Austria, a young bookkeeper, Franz Ganster, made acquaintance by letter with a man in Switzerland named Egg. Their correspondence included something more than stamp collecting and exchanging picture postcards. Since Egg was already one of the Bible Students, it was from him that our young Austrian bookkeeper heard the Bible’s message. Ganster placed an order for all the Watch Tower literature then available in Switzerland, which was personally delivered by a cooper named Leopold König when he returned to Austria from Switzerland in 1921. What was set off by this we shall see later.
At about the same time, a Bible Student from Germany left a booklet with a married couple who lived at Linz, in the northern part of Austria. That booklet was entitled Millions Now Living Will Never Die. After reading it and passing it on to their friend, a farmer named Simon Riedler, they told him, “It is written in a sensational style.” So Simon Riedler glanced through it casually and in a somewhat prejudiced frame of mind. ‘Probably nothing but nonsense,’ he thought to himself.
Nevertheless, he read it a second time, then a third time. Would he finally appreciate the gems of truth in this booklet? Yes, even to the point of feeling ashamed of his original bias.
Desiring to investigate the message more thoroughly, Simon wrote to Vienna to the address given on the back of the booklet. How long he had wanted to possess a Bible! Thus he came into contact with Leopold König, the cooper who had returned from Switzerland and was now serving as a colporteur. When Brother König sent a pocket-size Luther Bible to that farmer, he probably never imagined the great joy it would cause. At last, Simon Riedler had his own Bible! Along with it, he read Zion’s Watch Tower and Food for Thinking Christians. His family, relatives, and neighbors heaped ridicule upon him. But Simon Riedler had found the truth; that was all that mattered. As he later said: “My heart was full, and my lips were brimming over.”
Listening Ears at a Memorable Discourse
In late autumn of 1921, a lecture on the striking theme “Millions Now Living Will Never Die” was given in the spacious Sofiensäle in the picturesque city of Vienna. The reaction to the message was very different from what Brother Russell had encountered ten years earlier.
A report concerning the meeting says: “The message had great impact. The announcement caused quite a stir and gave rise to much discussion in the streets before the meeting started. The hall was overcrowded and the doors were shut long before the beginning of the lecture, while hundreds were turned away. The crowd listened with breathless attention to the wonderful message of the establishment of the Kingdom of God and the comforting Biblical promise that millions now living will not have to die.” On that evening 2,100 copies of the Millions booklet were placed, and 1,200 addresses were submitted so that follow-up calls could be made.
Among those deeply affected by that talk was Hans Ronovsky. He was not present at the Sofiensäle. But a few weeks later when he was strolling down one of Vienna’s shopping streets, his attention was caught by a poster advertising the same lecture, to be delivered at the Konzerthaus. He went, not to enjoy a Strauss waltz or a Mozart concerto, but to listen to the lovely melody of Bible truths. What he heard proved to be a turning point in his life.
Activity in the Provinces
Now attention was directed to other population centers throughout the country. One day Franz Ganster received a postcard from Vienna. He was to rent the largest hall he could find in Klagenfurt for a lecture to be given by Brother Emil Wetzel, who had been sent from Dresden, Germany, to oversee the work in Austria. ‘Well, that might be the hall at the Sandwirt Hotel,’ Ganster thought to himself, promptly setting out to find the owner of the hotel.
“I would suggest,” the hotel manager said, “having tables and chairs put in the hall to make it look fuller, as surely only a few people will turn up.”
Ganster replied resolutely, “I have the order to rent the hall with seats only.”
Now, who was going to distribute the many invitations for the talk? Ganster, a workingman himself, had an idea. He hired a couple of men, and these distributed 3,000 handbills in the city. As the attendance showed later, they evidently did a good job. The hotel manager estimated that 2,000 people attended the talk. And not only was the main floor overcrowded but the balcony was as well.
Among those present was Richard Heide, a 20-year-old student. After he saw the poster advertising the talk “Millions Now Living Will Never Die,” he said to his father: “Dad, I am going to hear that talk whatever anyone might say. I want to know whether this is just bluff or if there is any truth in it!” So he did go, and his father and his sister Therese decided to accompany him.
After the talk many in attendance left their address, with a request for literature. To care for such requests, Franz Ganster ordered an ample supply of Studies in the Scriptures. He received so many that his landlady wondered where he would put all the parcels. His room was stacked with literature from floor to ceiling, leaving hardly any space for Franz himself.
Mr. Heide, thrilled with the lecture, also ordered the seven volumes of Studies in the Scriptures, which he eagerly read. Before long, meetings were being held in his apartment. Often, up to 30 people crowded together in his living room.
In Graz, too, meetings were held as early as the spring of 1922. Talks were given also in other provincial towns. So Jehovah’s work was increasing in intensity in the provinces.
What a zealous little group these publishers in Klagenfurt were! Why, they had not even been immersed yet. It was not until July 5, 1922, that an immersion took place in Vienna; then the following week a baptism was held in the province of Carinthia where the firstfruits of this territory were immersed in the waters of the beautiful Wörther See. These included Franz Ganster, Mr. and Mrs. Heide (the parents), their two children Richard and Therese, and a Mr. Kopatsch, who later became well known for his zeal and freeness of speech.
In the meantime something had happened in Vienna that gave rise to lively conversations not only among God’s people but also among others.
A Tumultuous Meeting in Vienna
When on a tour of various branch offices in 1922, Brother Rutherford, the Watch Tower Society’s second president, included a visit to Vienna from May 30 to June 1. Plans were made for a lecture to be given in the spacious Katharinenhalle. Would the reception be more favorable than when Brother Russell had attempted to speak in Vienna 11 years earlier?
When Brother Rutherford and his interpreter, Brother Conrad Binkele (from Switzerland), ascended the platform, every available space in the hall, including the aisles, was packed with people. Some were even seated on the platform, right up against the speaker. Others were still trying to get in. However, among the thousands present, there were a few hundred who had come not to listen quietly to the talk but, rather, to disrupt it. Opposers of the Bible’s message had their henchmen stationed throughout the audience, particularly toward the rear of the hall.
All went well for about the first 40 minutes of the talk. Brother Rutherford had been warned, however, that there would be an attempt to stop the meeting. So he first covered the main points of his discourse, with the intention of elaborating afterward. But as soon as the main points had been dealt with, a tumult broke out. Some 200 to 300 troublemakers began to shout and stamp their feet like a wild herd of cattle. Young men and women jumped onto chairs and signaled in all directions. As with one sharp blow, these troublemakers brought the talk to an abrupt end.
Brother Rutherford tried to appeal to the audience to calm down and behave properly, but in vain. Again he tried to speak to the audience through his interpreter, saying: “I want to take a vote of this audience and see how many wish to hear this lecture through.” Most of the audience raised their hand affirmatively. But the riotous ones loudly voiced their disapproval. With a firm voice Brother Rutherford now said: “Those who do not wish to hear, please withdraw from the hall immediately and let the people hear who do wish to hear.”
At that, the full anger of the disturbers was unleashed. The leaders of the commotion pushed their way through the aisles. When they came to within 15 feet [5 m] of the platform, the troublemakers began to sing the “Internationale.” Their action was so frenzied that it appeared they were demon possessed.
The manager of the hall now arrived and demanded that the speaker leave the platform immediately. Brother Rutherford hoped that the storm would blow over and that the police would subdue the crowd so that he could continue with the lecture. But this was not the case. The manager switched off some of the lights, but the opposers turned them on again. Becoming still more alarmed, the manager and two or three of his assistants ran to the speaker’s stand, seized Brother Rutherford by his arm, and pulled him to the rear out of sight.
As the mob reached the front of the platform, they were still singing, and a few of them cried: “Where is he? Where is he? Our flag is red!” The mob, not able to find Brother Rutherford, posted guards at the exits. But they evidently overlooked a door at the rear of the platform. This door, usually locked and barred, was immediately opened. Brother Rutherford and Brother Arthur Goux, who had come with him from New York, rushed through it, and the door was promptly closed and bolted again.
The newspaper Neues Wiener Journal reported: “Scandalous scenes at a Bible lecture”—“Communists break up the gathering.”
Emil Wetzel, who was then overseer of the Society’s work in Austria, later wrote that during his first six months in this assignment almost all our public meetings were disrupted. On the other hand, there were many people in attendance who were hungry for the truth, and arrangements were made to care for them. To facilitate that care, in 1923 the Society opened its first office in Austria, at 12 Pouthongasse, Vienna.
“I Will by No Means Leave You”
In 1924, for the first time, a general meeting of the International Bible Students Association was held in Vienna. The following year, when a convention was again held in Vienna, Johannes Schindler from Dresden was among the delegates. This became a turning point in his life. How so? One of the talks culminated in the call: “Who would like to serve as an auxiliary missionary in Austria?” (Today we would refer to such a person as a pioneer.) Among the six brothers who responded on the spot was Johannes Schindler.
Brother Schindler first went back to Dresden to notify his employer that he would be leaving. At the time, he was working for the renowned Ernemann-Zeiss-Ikon-Works as a precision optician. But without that work, how was Brother Schindler going to care for his material needs? He would be permitted to keep for personal use a certain part of the money contributed for literature. However, in Austria no literature could be sold from house to house, and that law was construed as applying to our work. The only thing to do was to tell the householder kindly: “If you wish to contribute something toward the support of this missionary work, you are free to do so.” Complete confidence in Jehovah was required for a person to accept this assignment under these circumstances. But had not Jehovah promised his servants: “I will by no means leave you nor by any means forsake you”?—Heb. 13:5.
At the age of 24, Brother Schindler had already gained experience for two years as a proclaimer of the good news in his native Germany. Now, with 100 reichsmarks in his pocket, he came to Austria to start his work in and around the town of Wels on October 17, 1925.
He tried to live as economically as possible. However, even during the first month he had to fall back on his financial reserves. At the end of three months, his funds were exhausted. From then on, his faith and his trust in Jehovah were really put to the test. And Jehovah did care for his needs in His own way.
For example, one Saturday evening after Brother Schindler used his last money to pay the rent for the room where he and his pioneer partner would stay overnight, his thoughts traveled ahead to the next day. Prayerfully he and his partner approached their heavenly Father. First thing Sunday morning, Brother Schindler went to the post office, which was open for just an hour on Sunday, to see whether there was any mail. How surprised he was when a parcel was handed to him! The contents? There were 500 booklets and a covering letter saying that the booklets were free of charge.
The service at the local church had just finished, and the men, as they were accustomed to do, flocked to the inns to enjoy their Sunday drinks and to play cards. Brother Schindler approached the innkeeper, offered him a booklet, and asked whether he might also speak to the guests at the tables. The request was granted.
Brother Schindler approached a table and put one booklet in front of each man around the table, saying: “Millions now living will never die. This prophecy of the Holy Scriptures will soon be fulfilled. We do not sell these booklets, but if anyone wishes to contribute something for our missionary activity, he is free to do so.” As soon as one of the men had put some small change on the table, others got out their purses and followed suit. So Brother Schindler moved fearlessly from table to table distributing the booklets.
There were also other inns in that village. Within an hour and a half his literature bag was emptied. Once again Brother Schindler and his partner had the money needed to buy food and to pay for their lodging. With confidence in Jehovah, they looked forward to the next day.
Until his passing away on December 23, 1986, Johannes Schindler was still in the ranks of the pioneers, then in the Federal Republic of Germany.
Funerals Attract Attention
In the same year that Brother Schindler began to pioneer in Austria, Georg Gertz was sent from Germany to the Vienna branch office. He became well known throughout the larger cities in the country as an excellent speaker.
When Brother Heide of Klagenfurt died, Brother Gertz was assigned to give the funeral talk. Brother Heide had been well known because of his zealous share in the preaching activity. With the help of a directory, he had sent sample magazines and various tracts such as Ecclesiastics Indicted and The Fall of Babylon to all parts of Carinthia. After envelopes had been sorted according to destination, his children would help him take the shipments in a laundry basket to the post office. Time and again Brother Heide received letters from interested persons in various towns and villages of Carinthia, and if he could manage to visit them personally, he would.
So at Brother Heide’s death, it was not surprising that many showed interest in the funeral arrangements. Funerals mean a lot to the rural population of Austria. On the one hand, they may speak of them with much praise, but on the other hand, they may strongly disapprove of them. Well, this funeral service, the first one for any of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Austria, was attended by about 2,000 persons. And as the Austrian loves to talk about funerals, people were still talking about this one even after ten years.
Small Beginnings, Persistent Effort
Today there are 16 congregations in and around Linz, in Upper Austria. But it was only slowly that Bible truth took hold here. Religiously, this was a stronghold of the Catholic Church, and it was not easy to proclaim the message of the Kingdom in this territory.
Simon Riedler, that humble farmer, enthusiastically talked to others in this area about the precious Bible truths that he had learned. In about 1930, Brother Nasl from Munich, Germany, came to his assistance, and they did find a few interested persons. Brother Riedler gave talks for the group or read to them from the Society’s publications. Generally from 30 to 35 persons congregated for these meetings. Because of pressure, however, interest weakened, and reports even as late as 1940 show that there was only one loyal sister in Linz.
In the west, near the Liechtenstein border in the city of Feldkirch, a customs official named Wilhelm Coreth was witnessing to his colleagues as early as 1922. Agathe Thaler and her mother, who were living in the village of Lauterach at that time, heard the good news. A discussion was arranged at the house of Agathe’s parents, with the local priest present. Between 20 and 25 persons were on hand. The priest was not able to refute from the Bible any of the arguments presented. The result? The whole family embraced the truth. In 1925 the town of Dornbirn became the center for the meetings, and brothers from nearby Switzerland came over to give talks. Johann Brotzge, who had first heard the truth as early as 1917, had also progressed to the point of giving talks.
The progress being made throughout the country was reflected in the attendance at the Memorial. In 1926 Vienna reported 312, Graz 43, Klagenfurt 26, and other places a total of 52.
In this same year, the oversight of the Kingdom work in Austria was transferred to the Germany branch office. A capable brother was sent to Austria to provide the needed local supervision.
Pushing Ahead in the Face of Pressure
The preaching work was carried out under difficult circumstances in those days. Everyone who shared the good news of God’s Kingdom with others, especially in the rural areas, soon made the acquaintance of the constabulary.
One day a group of brothers had hired a bus to visit some villages of the Waldviertel, a rural area to the north of Vienna, to do some preaching there. They were already expected when they arrived. At the entrance to the village, they found themselves facing a hostile crowd of villagers agitated by the local priest. Among the crowd stood men with steel helmets and rifles; they belonged to the so-called Heimwehr, a civic militia supported by some rural policemen. As soon as the brothers stepped off the bus, they were assaulted and their entire literature supply was snatched away from them.
Needless to say, when working in rural areas after this incident, the brothers got off the bus outside the villages and took roundabout ways to enter them. However, the enemies of the truth promptly adapted their ways to the new methods of the brothers. Some areas were firmly in the hands of the clergy, and the constabulary was only too willing to cooperate with the clergy in taking action against the brothers.
The hostilities that the brothers had to face touched every facet of life and did not end even with death itself. Mr. and Mrs. Geisberger, who lived near the small town of Schärding, accepted the truth and withdrew from the Catholic Church in 1923. Because of this, not long afterward Sister Geisberger lost her job as a teacher of needlework. Then, when her husband died, the village priest tried to prevent any funeral for Brother Geisberger at the local cemetery. Legally, of course, nobody could be refused a burial. So the brothers took the matter to the district commissioner. What arrangements could be made to bury this man who believed and endeavored to live in harmony with the Bible? The burial would have to be in the part of the cemetery reserved for graves of people who had committed suicide. At least Brother Wetzel of Vienna was permitted to give the funeral discourse.
Persecuted for Being Christians
The Scriptures do not hide the fact that in this world hardship comes with being a Christian. Jesus Christ told his followers: “Bear in mind the word I said to you, A slave is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you also . . . But they will do all these things against you on account of my name, because they do not know him that sent me.” (John 15:20, 21) This proved to be the experience of those who endeavored to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ in Austria during this period. Sometimes, as Jesus had warned, the opposition came from close family members. (Matt. 10:32-39) But it did not discourage the brothers in Austria from taking their stand on the side of God’s Kingdom.
Beatrice Lojda was spokeswoman of the Socialist movement and had run for election to the Nationalrat (National Council, Lower House of Parliament). One of her girlfriends—her name was Bretschneider—whom she knew from her political activities, had become a witness of Jehovah and naturally spoke to her about God’s Kingdom. Beatrice was invited to the Continental Hotel in Vienna to hear a lecture. This was the very hotel where Brother Russell had tried in vain to give a talk back in 1911. Beatrice did not believe in God and at first waved off the whole matter, remarking: “God would first have to introduce himself to me!” But she wanted to please her friend and so she attended the talk. In spite of her feelings, even during the discourse she could not help saying several times to Sister Bretschneider: “This is the truth! This is the truth!”
It did not take long until Beatrice withdrew from political life, in harmony with Jesus’ words to his disciples: “You are no part of the world.” (John 15:19) At once, difficulties set in. Her husband threatened to divorce her unless she would ‘come to her senses,’ as he put it. But she stood firm in the faith and continued to do so until her death.
Franz Monfreda of Salzburg had been a zealous Catholic, but the truth reached his heart. After leaving the Catholic Church on March 12, 1927, he dedicated his life to Jehovah God. His family was not at all pleased with this action and thus heaped reproaches and hostility upon him. It went so far that he lost his house as well as his business. His faith was put to hard tests, for it took quite some time for him to find another job. But he stayed faithful to Jehovah. What does he have to say about those days? “Today I am happy that I overcame that period and stuck with the truth. Jehovah’s arm never proved to be too short.”—Compare Isaiah 59:1.
There Was Only One Bicycle
The brothers in the area of Riedlingsdorf, province of Burgenland, showed extraordinary zeal in the Lord’s work. Their territory was widespread, and there was hardly any means of transportation. The possession of a motorbike, let alone a car, was out of the question for them. Many did not even own a bicycle. So some of the brothers used the following method for field service:
One brother would start out walking, calling at the houses to preach as he went along. A second brother would go ahead on his bicycle to a previously fixed point and leave the bicycle there. He then continued his activity on foot. The first brother, on arriving at the point where the bicycle had been put, would ride it to the next place previously agreed upon. If this bicycle had had an odometer, it would no doubt have had a tremendous record of Kingdom-preaching mileage on it!
Since the brothers had only Sundays free for their field service, they made full use of the time. Sometimes they left their homes at 3:00 a.m. and returned late in the evening. Wholehearted effort marked their ministry.
Fighting for Legal Rights
As the preaching work became more extensive, it was not unusual for the brothers to be summoned to appear before local authorities on account of their preaching activities. As far as they were capable of doing so, they defended themselves. In some cases they were given legal aid. But the legal steps did not always turn out in their favor.
However, it proved far more difficult to get the local branch of the Watch Tower Society registered than to avert sentences. Legal recognition as an organized religion was simply not possible yet. The brothers tried at least to get registered as an association, but the public authorities objected, arguing: ‘Your intention is to form a religious organization, and an organization of that type cannot be constituted under Austrian law.’
The brothers filed an appeal with the Constitutional Court, complaining that they were being denied their legal right to form an association. The immediate reaction of the members of the Austrian Constitutional Court was the dismissal of the appeal on December 7, 1929. Next, the brothers tried to register an association for distributing Bibles and Bible literature, without any involvement in religious functions. This application was not refused. So, on May 24, 1930, a local association was formed to serve as a legal instrument for the brothers.
Legal recognition of the Wachtturm-Gesellschaft by no means ended the difficulties with which the brothers had to contend. But Jehovah’s servants stuck to their Scriptural responsibility. They recognized that a witness must be given also to officials.—Mark 13:11.
New Congregations, Growing Attendance
So as not to trigger too many controversies, the brothers had decided to refrain from holding larger assemblies. Only the Photo-Drama of Creation, seen in Vienna for the first time in 1922, was to be shown in smaller provincial towns as well.
Nevertheless, in some areas attendance at the congregation meetings was considerable. That was true in the town of Leoben, where Eduard Payer was in full-time service. Before his arrival, nobody had heard of the Bible Students. But he preached with great zeal, and soon about 200 were attending the meetings. By 1932 he was serving in Graz, the provincial capital of Styria. Here again, several hundred attended the meetings. Among those in attendance was a former member of the French Foreign Legion, Leopold Pitteroff, who later was thrown into a concentration camp where he remained faithful. The number of organized Bible study groups (or classes, as they were called then) in Austria had already grown to 30.
Opposition Increases
The change on the political scene that next took place was very welcome to the clergy, who were our foremost opponents. Dr. Engelbert Dollfuss, a Christian-Socialist, assumed office as federal chancellor on May 20, 1932, and received a congratulatory telegram from Cardinal Pacelli, the papal secretary of state. Marked curtailments of civil liberties occurred during the term of office of Dr. Dollfuss. Cleverly taking advantage of an emergency situation in 1933, he dissolved the Parliament. Then, holding all the political strings in his hand, he established what he called “The First Catholic Model Government of Europe.” Clerical circles described Dollfuss as the ideal Catholic statesman.
Under these circumstances, would it be a surprise if attempts were made to prohibit our Christian meetings? Such a prohibition was soon put into effect in Graz, where hundreds of persons were attending our meetings. The brothers were not intimidated. They immediately filed an appeal, which had to be allowed because there was no infraction of law on the part of our brothers. However, the public authorities withdrew the permits of residence from some pioneers and thus forced them to leave town. Nearly every week there were false accusations against the brothers. A Catholic journal requested that the government put a stop to our Christian work, plainly revealing who was behind these actions.
Just at the right time Jehovah’s organization provided upbuilding help. Although Brother Rutherford was not able to come in 1933 as he had planned, he sent N. H. Knorr and M. C. Harbeck, who met with the brothers in Wimberger’s Etablissement in Vienna. That meeting did much to strengthen the brothers.
Censorship and Confiscation of Literature
In harmony with the Bible’s prophecy that human rule is to be replaced by God’s Kingdom of the heavens, our publications freely highlighted the sad results of rulership by men. (Dan. 2:44; 7:13, 14, 27) The ruling authorities took offense at such statements when they felt that these put them in a bad light. As a result, there was a series of confiscations of our literature in the early 1930’s.
During 1933 and 1934 the brothers were summoned before the public authorities almost weekly to listen to all sorts of objections. Often the authorities demanded that certain paragraphs in the publications be made illegible. To make absolutely sure that all paragraphs in question would really be obliterated, a policeman was stationed right at the Society’s office. Some days the work continued for a long time, even until midnight. And as the eye of the law also gets tired sometimes, certain passages in the publications remained legible after all.
Political Unrest Brings Restrictions
The differences between the various political parties escalated dramatically. The Social Democratic Schutzbund (armed forces of the Socialist Party) went into resistance. The opposition by the working class was brutally smashed in February 1934. The Social Democratic Party was prohibited. Further restrictions of personal freedom followed.
As if affirming that a new era had begun, Austria got a new constitution in May 1934. The introductory words of it sounded like a religious creed: “In the name of God, the Almighty, from whom all the law goes forth, the Austrian people herewith receives this constitution for their permanent Christian German Federal State.” But in neighboring Germany, Hitler, another Catholic but one who espoused a different political ideology, was already firmly in power. And in July a supporter of Hitler’s National Socialist Party assassinated Dr. Dollfuss, Austria’s chancellor.
The months that followed, under the government headed by Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg, brought no relief for those who truly sought to serve “God, the Almighty.” Bible literature was still seized from them, and they continued to be haled before the courts. In many cases public Bible meetings were also forbidden.
Local Association Dissolved by Authorities
Finally, by a decree issued on September 10, 1934, the federal security commissioner of Vienna dissolved the Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, the legal association used by Jehovah’s Witnesses. However, following an appeal by the brothers, that decree was canceled by the Federal Chancellor’s Office in its capacity as an executive board for public security.
But the authorities who were especially eager to stamp out our work did not rest. On June 17 and on July 17, 1935, it was again decreed, this time by the federal security administrator, that the “Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Branch of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, Brooklyn, N.Y.,” was to be dissolved. The brothers tried again to appeal this decree but, this time, to no avail.
Putting the Kingdom First Despite Obstacles
The brothers continued to work from door to door, though cautiously now. In spite of their vigilance, they were often arrested and sentenced either to go to jail or to pay a fine. Even though jail could mean several weeks of detention, they preferred jail to paying a fine, for they had in mind opportunities to give a witness there.
In those days of unrest and economic uncertainty, Leopold Engleitner entered the full-time service. In January 1934 he moved to the territory assigned to him in Upper Styria, where hardly any witnessing had been done up to that time.
National socialism was already exercising a powerful influence there. As a result, in some places martial law had been declared. This was true at Schladming, which had been occupied by a civic militia as a result of Nazi disturbances. In view of the seriousness of the situation, Brother Engleitner kept only a small amount of literature in the pockets of his jacket so as not to attract attention. Working the very outskirts of a town first, he offered literature only to those whom he felt that he could trust.
One day he was arrested and because of the prevailing political situation was asked at the constabulary office whether he carried any weapons on him. Our brother replied that he did, reached into his pocket and pulled out a Bible and put it on the table in front of them. (Eph. 6:17) When the officers had recovered from their laughter, they dismissed him.
The clergy, however, were upset about this servant of Jehovah. Whenever he started his preaching work in one of the larger villages, the clergy saw to it that all the inhabitants were informed, including the constabulary. There was one arrest after another for Brother Engleitner. Jail sentences soon followed. At first it was for only 48 hours at a time, but the sentences became longer and longer. Finally, he had to transfer his activities to another place.
In his new territory, in a remote valley in a mountainous region, he was careful not to miss any of the houses. Even when nobody was at home, he left something for them to read.
In one case the farmhand was the first to come home. He noticed the tract, read it carefully, ordered more literature, and became a faithful brother. Not until 32 years later did he unexpectedly meet Brother Engleitner at a district convention.
Why Were They There?
An episode in the village of Riedlingsdorf paints a clear picture of the existing tension. A funeral was scheduled in that village, and Brother Ronovsky of Vienna was to give the talk. At that time funerals afforded the only opportunity to give a witness to a large group. However, when our brother stepped up to the grave, he was surprised at the unusual setting. Facing him were 50 men of the constabulary and of the civic militia who, with their steel helmets on their heads and rifles under their arms, looked very much ready for action. The total number present amounted to about 100, including the local priest. Our brother tried the best he could to give a witness about Jehovah God, his Son, and the resurrection hope. But why were the armed men there?
Not until later did Brother Ronovsky learn the reason for the nerve-racking encounter. The brothers from that village told him later that the men of the constabulary and of the civic militia had been surprised at his explanations from the Bible because the local priest had spread the rumor that the Witnesses were communists who intended to overthrow the government.
Restrictions on Meetings
From 1935 onward, the meetings could no longer be held in public. All Watchtower Studies had been forbidden, even in private homes. At times, the authorities argued that public security was endangered, and at other times, they said that the Catholic population took offense at such gatherings. But God’s Word commanded: ‘Do not forsake the gathering of yourselves together.’—Heb. 10:25.
The brothers continued to meet, but only in private homes and in small groups of eight or ten persons. The place of meeting was constantly changed. Thus they did not attract undue attention. At their meetings they discussed the Scriptures with the help of The Watchtower and other publications, such as The Harp of God, Creation, Prophecy, Government, and Light. They also listened to Bible talks on records, when they had these at their disposal. Despite the government’s ban, God’s people increased steadily in number.
Even when earnest effort was required, the brothers made it a point to associate regularly with fellow believers. Since Vienna is not far from the Czechoslovakian city of Bratislava, or Pressburg, the brothers rented a bus every other weekend specifically to travel from Vienna to Bratislava to hold the Watchtower Study. On June 9, 1935, Austrian brothers attended the district convention in Maribor, Yugoslavia, and in 1936 they went to the convention in Lucerne, Switzerland. In Austria itself, however, tension continued to mount.
Preparing for Anticipated Persecution
Reports from Germany gave glimpses of what our brothers there were enduring, and this made the publishers in Austria shudder. They prayed to Jehovah for the strength needed to bear such pain and suffering, if necessary, and to stay faithful. But things had not gone quite that far yet.
In the summer of 1937, all who could do so were urged to attend a convention that was to be held in Prague, Czechoslovakia. To accommodate those who signed up for the trip from Vienna to Prague, three buses were needed. It was a full day’s trip. Not all, however, could afford to go by bus. Brother Engleitner and five others from Bad Ischl and surroundings made the journey of more than 220 miles [360 km] by bicycle.
All those attending the convention had the feeling that this would most likely be the last large gathering they would enjoy in freedom. The topics of the talks well suited the purpose of preparing the brothers for critical times ahead. During this convention it was pointed out repeatedly that the brothers were rapidly approaching a time of severe trial. They were strengthened by special instructions regarding conduct under persecution. To avoid endangering others in the event of house searches, they were also cautioned against keeping any lists with names of fellow Witnesses. (Matt. 10:16) The steadfast endurance of the brothers in Germany was stressed as a fine example to follow. The conventioners were urged to endure faithfully and obediently, with full trust in Jehovah, no matter what might happen.—Prov. 3:5, 6.
And so the assembly came to its end. With heavy hearts they sang, “God be with you till we meet again,” and then said good-bye to their brothers and to the hospitable city of Prague. Many tears were shed in parting as our brothers now realized why they had been urged to attend this convention.
German Troops Cross the Border
Everything indicated that German troops could be expected to march into Austria soon. Some people eagerly anticipated an economic boom as soon as Austria was annexed to Germany. But those who did not agree with Hitler’s ideology were apprehensive of reprisals. As for the brothers, they knew that inevitable tests of their loyalty to Jehovah would come. Just as it had been feared, Hitler’s troops were set in motion and crossed Austria’s border, doing so on March 12, 1938.
About a week before this, in anticipation of what was about to take place, the Society’s property in Vienna was sold, and the responsible brother, together with his wife, left Austria for Switzerland. When the brothers in Austria learned of this, they wondered: ‘What does all this mean?’ ‘How will the work go on?’ ‘From where will we get spiritual food?’
Brother August Kraft (also known as Kraftzig), who had worked in the Society’s office, was also given the option to leave Austria. But he declared: “I want to stay with the sheep.” Lovingly he encouraged, strengthened, and cared for them. How grateful they were for this God-fearing brother and shepherd who tenderly cared for them even though his name was already on the list of those being hunted down by the German Gestapo! He stayed on the move, visiting the brothers in Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, and other parts of the country. Most cautiously he visited the homes of the brothers late in the evening and left again early the next morning.
Demands of the New Ruling Powers
April 10 was a day filled with tension. The people of Austria were to vote on whether they would agree to Austria’s annexation to Germany. However, this had actually been decided upon long beforehand. Nobody could overlook the pressing appeal to the public that appeared on posters everywhere: “Your YES for Hitler.”
What did the brothers do? No matter how our brothers might have acted, they knew that the election committees had means of finding out what the decision of every single voter had been. On polling day Johann Viereckl of Vienna went into the woods early in the morning and did not return until late at night under the cover of darkness. Five times the officials of the voting committee had been at his door, according to what neighbors told Johann later. Without prior agreement, other brothers did exactly the same thing as Johann in order to keep their neutrality. One thing was now clear to the brothers: The eyes of the new rulers were upon them.
To express their solidarity with the new regime, people were required to decorate their windows with the flag bearing the swastika. In the small town of Knittelfeld, Sister Altenbuchner lived in an apartment that faced the street. Time and again, local representatives of the regime approached her, demanding that the swastika flag be displayed in her windows. They made it known that if she declined to do so, she would reap the animosity of all her neighbors. Apparently she faced a united hostile front. For reasons of conscience, she decided that she would not hang the flag. The consequences? She was given a court order to vacate her apartment facing the street and move into one assigned to her at the rear of the house, where no display of flags was required—a solution that she never had expected.
Provision of Needed Food
For a time after Hitler’s takeover of Austria, the brothers managed to have small meetings in Vienna—but discreetly. One brother was in charge of the spiritual care of study groups in each Vienna district.
At the start Brother Kraft went to Vorarlberg to fetch copies of The Watchtower that Swiss brothers smuggled across the border. En route to Vienna, he made an intermediate stop in Innsbruck to contact Brothers Defner and Setz, who took copies for the Tirol area. Brother Setz stored this precious material underneath the firewood that was piled up behind his house. All of that sounds very easy. But do not forget that the Gestapo and their informers were everywhere.
Courageous Sisters Fill a Vital Need
Without delay, Brother Kraft made arrangements so that the supplies of spiritual food for the brothers would continue after he was arrested. Courageous sisters gladly made themselves available for the spiritual feeding work. Therese Schreiber of Vienna was one of these. Brother Kraft taught her how to mimeograph The Watchtower copies by using a simple machine.
The underground activity consumed much of Therese’s time, but she found a part-time secular job that enabled her to provide financially for herself and her mother. She tried to be cautious. Quite a few brothers had already been arrested. And since her mother was suffering from serious heart troubles, how would the mother fare if her daughter was arrested? Therese comforted her, always reassuring the mother that Jehovah would surely not leave her in the lurch.
Other courageous sisters were also prepared to serve Jehovah’s interests in whatever way was needed. Sister Stadtegger from Wels volunteered to travel to the west to deliver study material to the brothers in Tirol. This she continued to do until she fell into the hands of the Gestapo. Without any legal proceedings, she was sent to the concentration camp at Ravensbrück. She never came back. Some time later her husband was also imprisoned.
Was Satan Proving Victorious?
After again visiting the brothers to strengthen them, in May 1939, Brother Kraft had only a short stay in his modest Vienna home before the Gestapo struck mercilessly. He was arrested on May 25. The doors of the extermination machinery of the Mauthausen concentration camp opened, and there his life was extinguished. Deep sorrow filled the hearts of the brothers when they heard of his death. He is remembered affectionately for his outstanding love for Jehovah and for his brothers.
Had Satan and his henchmen truly proved victorious by arresting and imprisoning these servants of God and putting some to death? On the contrary! As is shown in the case of Job, Satan’s contention is that a person will serve Jehovah only if everything seems to be going well for him. Thus every Witness that proved faithful under hardship added to the mountain of evidence that the Devil is a gross liar and that Jehovah is the true God, whom they loved with all their heart. Jehovah will richly reward all such loyal ones.—Job 1:6-12; 2:1-5; Jas. 5:11.
Two Kinds of Food Bags
The brother to whom responsibility for the preaching work was now entrusted was not working in the Society’s office but owned a small vegetable store in order to provide for himself and his wife. This was Peter Gölles. “Without any organizational instructions whatsoever,” as he put it, he was asked to keep the activity of God’s people going as far as it was possible under those oppressive circumstances.
Since Brother Kraft was no longer with them, Brother Gölles oversaw the duplication and distribution of Bible study material throughout the country. At night he worked secretly in cold cellars, and during the day he appeared in his food store. It was not safe to use the mails, so literature was carried by couriers. Incoming contributions were not sufficient to cover travel expenses, so Brother Gölles used what was in his own pocket. Since customers often got their vegetables and other foodstuffs packed in paper bags, when selected people left the store with paper bags that had somewhat different contents, this was not noticed. For some time, the couriers and the brothers in Vienna were able to obtain spiritual food from Brother Gölles’ store in this manner.
Help for the Brother in Charge
From 1938 on, it was increasingly difficult to maintain contact with Switzerland and the Netherlands, so as to get at least a few copies of The Watchtower into the country. Many contacts were interrupted because of arrests, and train journeys taking a week or more were sometimes necessary to get spiritual food from foreign countries. Brother Gölles tried to get spiritual supplies by way of Pressburg, Czechoslovakia, with Sister Kattner bringing study material from there. But this route, too, was soon cut off.
During those days Ernst Bojanowski appeared on the scene. He came from Germany, but he had already been in contact with brothers in Austria. Bojanowski offered his services to Brother Gölles and worked together with Sister Schreiber to mimeograph study material. Bojanowski gave the impression of being a courageous man with great initiative. He went on journeys to deliver literature as well. On three occasions he even baptized new brothers and sisters.
Another aid was the mimeograph machine that was installed in the cellar of a gardener’s house in Vienna. Using it required much work because it had to be dug out of its hiding place every time it was used. Nevertheless, nobody noticed what was being done, because the owner of the property had emigrated, and only the gardener, one of our brothers, was left to look after the house.
To the west near the Italian border, other Witnesses were helping. Sister Gelmi would enlarge slides of Watchtower articles that Narciso Riet brought across the border from Italy. She then typed stencils for mimeographing, and finished copies were taken to a place high up on a mountain. From there the distribution took place. Sister Tammerl from Innsbruck and Sisters Entacher (mother and daughter) from Schwaz shared in distributing study material to fellow believers. They realized what could happen to them if they were caught, and they were prepared to face it if necessary.
Into the Enemy’s Hand
Suddenly a new wave of arrests set in, particularly during September and October of 1939. Word circulated among the Witnesses that a brother had revealed names to the authorities. In Gestapo documents now available for examination, you can read for yourself these details in black and white. The Gestapo’s report for Vienna, dated November 2, 1939, says:
“Kuderna who was mentioned in the daily report of October 31, 1939, has stated that the illegal activity of the I.B.V. [International Bible Students Association] was engaged in until most recently. He further disclosed the names of the leading brothers of the I.B.V. of almost all of Vienna’s districts.”
Johann Kuderna had been a fellow believer since 1924. For reasons not known anymore, he had apparently unintentionally played into the enemy’s hands.
A further blow was that the secret code used by the sisters in distributing the magazines also got into the hands of the authorities. Now it was easy for them to understand what was meant by the wording “20 copies for ‘Resi’”; because Sister Schreiber’s first name was Therese, she was called Resi for short. Sister Schreiber was arrested and without any legal proceedings was put into the Ravensbrück concentration camp. And what about her mother? She had died two months previously.
Testifying Courageously in Court
After some time had elapsed, Sister Schreiber was taken from the concentration camp back to Vienna. What did they intend to do with her? She would soon find out. During the legal proceedings at the provincial court in Vienna, she saw on the desk a number of Watchtower magazines in which Hitler’s name appeared. These had been produced underground. Sister Schreiber concluded that they knew about her participation in both the reproduction and the distribution of the magazines.
“Did you make these duplicates?” the judge asked her emphatically. Already prior to her arrest Sister Schreiber had prayed to Jehovah that he would put words into her mouth, so she might give a good witness for him. With a firm “Yes, I did,” she accepted the responsibility.
Sister Schreiber was of pleasant appearance and behaved in a distinguished manner. The judge, obviously impressed, wanted to acquit her. But the Gestapo kept her in custody and sent her back to the concentration camp. Later a transfer to a labor camp saved her life, although she had to endure five and a half years of detention.
Mimeographing Literature
Those were difficult days for Brother Gölles as loyal fellow workers were seized one after another. He tried to do his best to continue the distribution of spiritual food. But who would help? He remembered that a sister had approached him some months earlier, saying: “Brother Gölles, I would like to do something for the work of the Lord.” It was Hansi Hron (now Buchner), who had been baptized in 1931. She had spent some years in foreign countries. Now, at a critical time, she returned to Austria. And from her heart she was prepared to take up the difficult service of a courier.
Ludwig Cyranek also offered his help. He had already served a two-year prison term in Germany. As soon as he was released he took up underground work again and made his experience available to the brothers in Vienna. He shared in the dangerous work of reproducing The Watchtower.
But was the location of the mimeograph machine betrayed too? Unsure of the answer, the brothers moved the machine first to one location, then to another. While Brother Cyranek wrote the stencils, Brother Joseph Schön from Prague and Sister Anna Voll from Vienna dictated the text to him, and Ernst Bojanowski, together with another brother, did the mimeographing. From yet a different place, Hansi Hron picked them up for delivery to the brothers.
Again the mimeograph had to be transferred, and Brother Schön found a hiding place for it in a summerhouse. There, he and another brother did the mimeographing. When that theocratic chore was completed, Brother Schön would deliver the study material to the brothers. One day, at a delivery stop, he was asked to stay and visit. This was a mistake. Soon he was arrested.
Sister Hron learned from this sad experience. She made her deliveries quickly and then would be on her way again. After about six months, she also was arrested. But she had fulfilled her earnest desire “to do something for the Lord.”
With the passing of time, the brothers became more ingenious in hiding both the literature and the location of their study groups. Thus, during surprise house searches by the police no literature would be found. And for their meetings, in some areas the brothers would go to the mountains or the woods to study. When the corn had grown tall enough, small groups would meet between the rows of cornstalks in the middle of the field, where they could not be seen from the road. How fitting were the Watchtower study articles too! Included among them were such ones as “Faithful Nation” and “Endurance in the Truth.” It was truly “food at the proper time.”—Matt. 24:45.
Enemy Search for the Mimeograph
The public authorities prepared a new blow. They wanted to seize as many of Jehovah’s Witnesses as possible, but they also were trying desperately to find the duplicating equipment that was being used to reproduce The Watchtower.
Gestapo files that are available for examination contain a decree issued on June 8, 1940, that reads: “By order of the RSHA [main security office of the German State], Berlin, on June 12, 1940, all members of the I.B.V. as well as all persons working for this movement and all persons known as Bible Students are to be taken into custody. . . . Persons liable for detention include women also. . . . This action by the state police goes into effect in the whole territory of the German state and is to be executed all of a sudden on June 12, 1940. Houses are to be searched at the same time arrests are made, and any material of the movement of the Bible Students is to be seized.”
So quick was this enemy attack that it is impossible to reconstruct the details. But we do know that in one sweep 44 brothers and sisters were arrested, including our courier Hansi Hron.
However, the evidence shows that the enemy was intent on seizing more than people. This is revealed in a Vienna court sentence dated January 28, 1941. It reads: “Only after detailed investigations was it possible to find the place where the printed material was produced, the shaft discovered, and the duplicating machine together with the typewriter and other material found and seized.” The gloating of the enemies of Jehovah’s people is clearly reflected in those words.
Did He Compromise?
Later, when Sister Hron was being interrogated, the officer interrupted the questioning and left the room. While he was absent, Sister Hron’s eyes lighted on a protocol, or record, of interrogation with Ernst Bojanowski. What she read shocked her. It contained so many names of brothers and so many other details that she could not help suspecting that Bojanowski had cooperated with the authorities.
Had the officer deliberately put those papers there, seeking to break her spirit and get her to divulge more information? The protocol of Bojanowski’s interrogation was preserved during the war. Portions of it read like a history of the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Austria from 1938 until January 1940. No wonder the word spread among the brothers: “We were betrayed!”
To engage in certain spiritual, underground activities, Bojanowski had gone to Germany in December 1939. Both he and Anna Voll were arrested in Dresden. An article in the official organ of the Nazi regime, Völkischer Beobachter, of March 21, 1941, adds to the picture. There we read:
“Dresden, March 20. The Special Court at Dresden sentenced to death . . . Ludwig Cyranek . . . on grounds of demoralization of military power in coincidence with participation in an association opposed to military service and in violation of the ban of the International Association of Earnest Bible Students . . . Ernst Bojanowski of Berlin was further sentenced for the same offenses, to 12 years penitentiary and to loss of honor for ten years.”
Ludwig Cyranek, mentioned above, was that faithful brother who had fearlessly made himself available for further underground work after having already served a two-year prison term. And Bojanowski? Had he been brutally beaten? Had overconcern about his own safety caused him to divulge information about his brothers? Was the protocol partly falsified? We do not know, but according to the brothers in Germany, Bojanowski was in prison only a short time.
Young but Loyal
The official papers preserved from the Nazi era do not reveal everything. But they do tell of many who were unbreakable in their integrity to Jehovah. Auguste Hirschmann (now Bender), whose parents were also in the truth, was a girl of 17 years of age when interrogated by the Gestapo. Her steadfastness is reflected in this report of October 1941:
“She was educated in the doctrines of I.B.V. by her parents and professes to be a Witness of Jehovah even to this day. The named person studied the Bible repeatedly with her parents, so that she, as she admits herself, ‘would thus strengthen her faith and loyalty’ and get strong enough to stick to the doctrines represented by the I.B.V. . . . Hirschmann refuses to give any information on persons of the same conviction. She has to be described as unteachable.”
Elisabeth Holec, though a frail, sickly 18-year-old girl, was also firm and determined in her stand for the truth. In their protocol dated December 17, 1941, the officials could only say: “Elisabeth Holec is still sticking to the ideas of the I.B.V. and admits having congregated with like-minded persons. She refuses, however, to give any information on other Bible Students and declares that this would be betrayal, something not practiced in the ‘Organization.’” Together with her mother she was taken to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, where she died.
But now we return to 1939, the year after Hitler’s troops seized Austria.
Memorial Night Arrests
The Memorial on April 4, 1939, proved to be a day of severe testing for many brothers. They made their preparations, went over the main points of the talk once more, and got the emblems ready. But there were others who also made preparations.
In Bad Ischl five persons met at the apartment of Franz Rothauer to celebrate the Memorial. They had gathered to call to mind the significance of the death of Jesus Christ in the outworking of Jehovah’s purpose. They well knew that Jesus had undergone severe tests leading up to his death but that he had demonstrated unbreakable integrity.
Brother Engleitner was well prepared to give the talk to the small group but had no written notes on him. He had hardly started to speak, however, when there was a violent knocking on the window. The householder opened the door, and five men stormed into the room where the brothers were. Two of the intruders were members of the dread Gestapo, and three were from the SS (a fighting troop of the Nazi Party). The brothers were ordered to raise their hands and stay in that position until they were searched. The men turned everything in the apartment upside down and were furious because they did not find any Watch Tower literature.
Their suggestion was for the brothers to declare themselves to be members of a religious sect that would willingly surrender to the orders of the Führer (Adolf Hitler) and that wanted to have no connection with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Of course, none of the brothers were willing to do that. Consequently, all of them were arrested. The only one who was allowed to return home was Brother Engleitner, and he was seized later. The other brothers were immediately taken to the jail at the provincial capital of Linz. There they joined many other Witnesses who had been arrested that night. Soon afterward the brothers were transported to the Dachau concentration camp, whereas the sisters were sent to Ravensbrück.
Alois Moser, Josef Buchner, and other brothers in Braunau and surroundings had similar experiences that night. They were also arrested during the Memorial celebration. Years later Brother Buchner still recalled the speech of the camp commander Grünewald when the brothers arrived at Dachau: “And now, you Bible Students, you will remain the ‘living inventory’ of Dachau. And right in this camp here you will rot. You will not get out of here; your way out will be through the chimney.” By that he meant that their remains would be burned at the crematory.
Yes, they were being called on to face death at the hands of enemies of true worship even as had the one whose death they had assembled to memorialize. They endured six years of suffering in the concentration camps before they were finally released.
A Stand for Christian Neutrality
Long ago it had been written by the prophet Isaiah: “It must occur in the final part of the days that . . . many peoples will certainly go and say: ‘Come, you people, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob.’ . . . And he will certainly render judgment among the nations and set matters straight respecting many peoples. And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.” (Isa. 2:2-4) In contrast, the Nazi regime required that all able-bodied men be trained in the art of warfare. What did Jehovah’s Witnesses in Austria do?
A short time after the Nazis had taken over Austria, a government decree was issued, requiring all who had done military service during World War I to participate in three days of military field exercises. Consequently, Johann Rainer was notified to report to the military barracks in Innsbruck.
What a sight! Eight hundred men stood at attention to take a military oath. In front of all of them, Brother Rainer refused. Without any further ado, he was taken to a room for interrogation. On leaving the room, he saw the chaplain, whose name was Klotz, in his military uniform, a big cross draped around his neck and his chest decorated with many medals awarded to him during World War I. With a “Heil Hitler!” salute, the priest approached the officer to give his opinion about Brother Rainer.
Sometime later Brother Rainer was again brought before several officers for further questioning. One of the officers said that what the priest had told them did not agree with what Brother Rainer had said. Brother Rainer replied that they could read at Matthew chapter 23 what Jesus said about such religious leaders, namely, that they are hypocrites. Another officer spoke up: “This man is right!” Nevertheless, Brother Rainer was locked up, and his case was referred to the provincial court. At this point, the owner of the wholesale grocery business in which he had been employed contacted the police chief, claiming that she had nobody to do Brother Rainer’s work. So he was allowed to return to his family and to his employment.
In more than one case, influential non-Witness relatives or employers intervened in behalf of the brothers, often because they highly appreciated the brothers’ honesty and diligent work. But not all fared that well.
Futile Efforts of Nazi Officials
About a year after Hitler’s troops marched into Austria, Hubert Mattischek was still carrying on in the preaching work without letup. But in March 1939, a car pulled up near his house and two Gestapo officials got out. Brother Mattischek did not have to guess whom they wanted to visit. He was poised and calm.
“We have to search the house for illegal literature,” one of them said. As a precaution, Brother Mattischek had already distributed the major part of the literature, and the rest he had safely stored outside the house. So the search proved to be disappointing for the officials.
“What are you going to do when you will be called up soon to do your military service?” one of them asked.
Brother Mattischek’s unhesitating reply was: “I shall refuse to take an oath or do anything else that is in connection with the war.”
At that the second official asked: “Are you aware of the consequences?”
Our brother replied, “I have been fully aware of them for a long time,” and he was arrested on the spot.
Some weeks later Brother Mattischek found himself in a cattle car, together with other brothers, heading for the Dachau concentration camp. In all, Brother Mattischek endured stays in three different concentration camps before the gates of freedom swung open for him.
When brothers arrived at the Mauthausen concentration camp, the notorious command leader Spatzenegger welcomed them with the words: “No Gypsy and no Bible Student will come out of here alive.” Many did die there.
Numerous offers were made that would have allowed the brothers to evade this machinery of death. For example, early one morning while they were in the Mauthausen concentration camp, Hubert Mattischek and his brother Willi were told to report to the gate of the camp. There was, understandably, a feeling of nervous tension as they walked to the gate. They were taken to the camp commander, Ziereis, who was surrounded by a group of high-ranking party leaders and some SS men. The Gauleiter (title of a regional party leader) of Upper Austria, August Eigruber, was also present.
Ziereis made himself spokesman, and turning to the two brothers, he said: ‘The Gauleiter here would take you two brothers to your home at once. All you have to do is to sign a piece of paper, especially drawn up for Jehovah’s Witnesses, and this could spare you years of suffering.’
There was a brief silence and bewilderment among the officials when they heard the brothers answer firmly: “We do not wish to become unfaithful to Jehovah God and to our belief.”
Ziereis, the commander, turned to the men present: “Didn’t I tell you beforehand?” Obviously they had talked earlier about the unyieldingness of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
National Labor Service Training
Franz Wohlfahrt was drafted into the National Labor Service of the (German) Reich. But when he reached the training camp, he realized that this institution also aimed at premilitary training. He refused to put on the uniform and to buckle on the waist belt. Then one day, 300 young men and about 100 leaders of lower as well as of higher grades lined up at the muster court, and Franz Wohlfahrt was ordered to march by with his hand raised in the Hitler salute, at the same time paying tribute to the swastika flag. Instead, he called to mind what the three young Hebrews had done when ordered to bow before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up in ancient Babylon. (Dan. 3:1-30) What strength that gave him! He followed their faithful example.
Not many days went by, and then Dr. Almendinger, a high official from Berlin, tried personally to make our young brother change his mind. “You are not aware at all of what you are in for,” Dr. Almendinger pointed out during the conversation.
“Oh, yes I am,” our 20-year-old brother replied. “My father was beheaded for the same reason only a few weeks ago!” Dr. Almendinger gave up. Finally, Franz was sentenced to five years of imprisonment at Rollwald Camp in Germany.
Executed for Christian Neutrality
One day in September 1939, a disquieting rumor spread through Salzburg, a city at the foot of the mountains. It made people feel uneasy—even those who expected great benefits from Hitler’s rule. What was it that they whispered into each other’s ears? Two men were said to have been shot dead at the military range of Glanegg near Salzburg.
What at first appeared to be a rumor was bitter truth. The men, Johann Pichler and Josef Wegscheider, two of our brothers, had been executed by a military detachment for refusing military service. But the execution did not proceed as smoothly as the commanders had expected. The two brothers had declared that it was unnecessary to blindfold them, although it was done anyway. Then when the command was given, the soldiers refused to shoot. Not until the soldiers had been warned emphatically that they would face disciplinary measures themselves if they failed to obey, and not until the order had been given a second time, did the soldiers shoot those innocent men. But there is more to it.
During the trial in Salzburg, the judge and his associates had attempted to make the accused change their minds. The judge had called the wives of the men to appear in the courtroom, hoping that their appearance would influence the men to yield. On the contrary, one of the women had spoken words of encouragement to them, saying: “Your lives are in the hand of God.” This had made such a deep impression on the judge that in great agitation he had hammered the table with his fist and shouted: “These people are not criminals or traitors but, rather, a company of believers whose number is not limited to two or three but goes into hundreds and even thousands!” Nevertheless, the law demanded the death sentence.
On the day preceding the execution, Brothers Pichler and Wegscheider had been visited in their cell, and a fresh attempt had been made to get them to change their minds. Asked if they had one last wish, they had expressed the desire to have a Bible. It was brought to them personally by the judge. He watched them in their cell until midnight and then went away remarking: “Both of those men in their last hour were united with their God; they are indeed holy men!”
When the execution was over, the two coffins were released for private burial. Approximately 300 attended the funeral, under strict police surveillance, of course. Singing was prohibited, and the prayer was eventually interrupted by the harsh words of a Gestapo official because he considered it to be too long. The Gestapo had also forbidden use of the name Jehovah. But this did not restrain one brother from calling out as the coffins were lowered: “Till we meet again in Jehovah’s Kingdom!”
After the events surrounding this execution had become known in Salzburg, all further cases of execution were transferred to Berlin-Plötzensee, Germany.
Words of Faith From a Death Cell
From the detention center Berlin-Plötzensee, 36-year-old Franz Reiter wrote to his mother on January 6, 1940: “I am strongly convinced in my belief that I am acting correctly. Being here, I could still change my mind, but with God this would be disloyalty. All of us here wish to be faithful to God, to his honor.”
He said “all of us” because there were five more brothers from near his hometown who, like him, faced death by the guillotine. His letter continued:
“With what I knew, if I had taken the [military] oath, I would have committed a sin deserving death. That would be evil to me. I would have no resurrection. But I stick to that which Christ said: ‘Whosoever will save his life will lose it; but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same will receive it.’ And now, my dear Mother and all my brothers and sisters, today I was told my sentence, and don’t be terrified, it is death, and I will be executed tomorrow morning. I have my strength from God, the same as it always was with all true Christians away back in the past. The apostles write, ‘Whosoever is born from God cannot sin.’ The same goes for me. This I proved to you, and you could recognize it. My dear one, don’t get heavyhearted. It would be good for all of you to know the Holy Scriptures better still. If you will stand firm until death, we shall meet again in the resurrection. . . .
“Your Franz
“Until we meet again.”
Some who received like letters were marriage mates. Sister Endstrasser of Graz was still a young wife when the postman handed her a letter dated December 15, 1939. Just try to imagine her feelings as she read:
“Dear Erna,
“It just happened the way I decided . . . Don’t cry, because we have become a theatrical spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men. (1 Cor. 4:9) Greetings to you once again and kisses in spirit.
“Your Dati.
“See you again in the Kingdom.”
Such letters showing great faith were an encouragement to faithfulness for those who still enjoyed freedom. They, on the other hand, tried to encourage their imprisoned brothers, in spite of any danger that it might mean for themselves.
For example, a letter that Franz Zeiner received while incarcerated in Berlin included the exhortation: “Be strong in the faith because Jesus Christ will help us, so will our great heavenly Father . . .” As could be expected, this letter had been read by the censor. Franz Zeiner was executed on July 20, 1940. But what about Wilhelm Blaschek, who wrote this letter encouraging Franz to be strong in faith? He was found, arrested, and sentenced on August 11, 1941, to four years at hard labor in a penitentiary on the charge of ‘demoralization of the troops.’
Torn From Their Children
The tests faced by others involved their children. Because they were teaching their children the Bible-based beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Richard Heide and Johann Obweger were summoned to appear before the president of St. Veit/Glan District Court.
Thereafter, Brother Heide was sent a court decree ruling that his child was to be taken away from him. The decree argued: “It is dangerous to leave him [the son, Gerhard] in his father’s care, as he is a Bible Student and forbids his son to render the Hitler salute and to sing the national songs.”
Gerhard was given into somebody else’s care, and his father was allowed to see him only once in a while. Later, he and his entire school class were sent to a children’s camp at Lienz, East Tirol, where he stayed until the end of the war in 1945. But Gerhard did not forget what his parents had taught him. He has been a pioneer for over 38 years!
Young but Faithful
And what about the daughter of Johann Obweger? Hermine was barely 11 when she was taken from her parents and put into a reform school. But her parents had made good use of their opportunities to inculcate the truth in their daughter.
Opponents of the truth could not break Hermine’s loyalty to Jehovah. Strenuous efforts to make her sing a patriotic song or use the salute “Heil Hitler!” met with no success. Resolutely she refused to make any compromises. One day a teacher tried to force her to wear the uniform jacket of the League of German Girls. But no matter how hard the responsible persons tried to get this jacket on her, they never got it any farther than up to her elbows, and so they stopped trying.
In spite of the disapproval of school authorities, the parents were still allowed to visit their daughter. Naturally they would use these opportunities to encourage her to stand firm in faith. Hermine was also encouraged by the loyalty of her brother Hans. She knew that he was in prison and then in a concentration camp because he refused military service. She also knew that he was enduring faithfully. However, one of her brothers did join the army. And the school wardens cleverly used this as an argument in their endeavor to break her loyalty. But they had not reckoned with Hermine’s determination. Her unwavering reply was: “I am not a follower of my brother. I am a follower of Christ Jesus!”
Because of her unwillingness to compromise and because they wanted to put an end to the visits of her parents, the authorities sent the child to a convent in Munich, Germany. However, in May 1944 she was allowed to go home for a few days. This greatly surprised her parents. But the authorities never anticipated what happened now. Hermine was baptized while she was there, and Brother Ganster, who was still able to serve his brothers in freedom, gave the baptismal talk. This infused Hermine with increased strength to stay loyal to Jehovah during the remaining time until the final breakdown of the Nazi regime.
Beware! Spies and Informers
Because of the continual spying of informers in every town and village—above all, spying by the block wardens and others working for the Gestapo—the brothers’ spiritual activity became more and more difficult. One day Johann Viereckl wanted to visit Peter Gölles, who was then responsible for oversight of the preaching work in Austria. Instead of going directly to Brother Gölles’ store, Brother Viereckl stopped at a house next door to make inquiry of a businesswoman who had appeared to be interested in the truth and who knew Brother Gölles. He asked how Peter Gölles was and whether he had been arrested. However, she would give no information. Instead, she told him to go across the street to a florist. There, she said, he could get the information requested.
That roused Brother Viereckl’s suspicions, so he returned home instead. Soon afterward he learned that the Gestapo had been waiting at the florist to intercept and arrest anyone who wanted to see Brother Gölles. Before long, the store was closed, for Brother Gölles and his wife were taken into custody on June 12, 1940.
An Unusual Court Trial
Brother Gölles was charged with directing the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Austria. After months of confinement, he was brought before a judge who was notorious for handing down death sentences and who angrily called the Bible Students an abscess on the German people. The public prosecutor called for the death sentence. After Brother Gölles had answered the accusations Biblically and his defense counsel had delivered his speech, court was adjourned. Before the trial was resumed, things took an amazing turn.
Early in the morning Brother Gölles heard the key in his cell door turn. A prison warden motioned him to come along and took him to a barred room. Who was waiting there for him? The judge, alone.
“I want to point out to you,” the judge began, “that I violate gravely my oath of office by speaking to an accused privately, but I do this because I could not find any rest or sleep since the trial. I would regard myself a murderer if I would pronounce the death sentence for you.”
There was total silence in the room. It was Brother Gölles who eventually spoke. “Satan is the one who brings on such circumstances,” he said. “He is the actual murderer. And you, you are just the man who pronounces a sentence on the basis of the facts of the court case.” The atmosphere of tension eased.
“I will try to maneuver the proceedings in such a way that you will not lose your life,” the judge promised. He then added something that could have resulted in serious consequences for himself: “I really do not want to appear as plaintiff for the State, but, rather, I want to help you to escape from the jaws of death.” Then the judge put one hand on the shoulder of our brother, and with the other one he clasped the brother’s hand.
The trial took a more unbiased course following its resumption, the judge trembling all the time. The court did not accept the prosecution’s motion for a death sentence but, instead, sentenced Peter Gölles to ten years of penitentiary confinement, barring any mitigation. He spent the following three and a half years in solitary confinement in the penitentiary of Stein, Lower Austria.
A Humble Servant
The public authorities recognized what an important part in the underground work was played by Peter Gölles, this simple man who was fully devoted to Jehovah. Protocols preserved among Gestapo records make that clear. From their description one might imagine a strong, dynamic leader. But nothing of the kind! He was a modest man who never wanted to be in the limelight. After the end of the Nazi regime in 1945, he shared in rebuilding the organization in Austria and later went into the background again. For some years he helped to get parcels of literature ready for shipment at the Vienna Bethel. With his kind and friendly disposition, he and his untiring wife, Helene, who stood by his side all the time, were a source of encouragement to the brothers, not only under persecution but also later in postwar times.
He served faithfully until his death on September 2, 1975. He did not profess to belong to the remnant of Christ’s joint heirs, but he showed deep appreciation for “the faithful and discreet slave” and cooperated with it to care for the work in Austria during very difficult times.—Matt. 24:45.
Handling of Scarce “Food”
During the final years of the war, the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses was virtually paralyzed in most of Austria. The brothers in the various towns and villages were able to meet only occasionally. Great caution was required.
In Klagenfurt, however, theocratic activity was continuing, apparently better than anywhere else. Brother Ganster gave the literature he received to Peter Vajvoda, who would copy each issue of The Watchtower. Once, Brother Ganster took some issues of The Watchtower, well concealed on his body, and walked from Klagenfurt to Krumpendorf (about 4 miles [7 km]) to visit the Platzer family and Sister Wanderer. And who happened to be walking in the same direction? A Gestapo officer, the one who usually questioned him. But the officer suspected nothing, and they walked together. Make no mistake about it, though, that was not easy for Brother Ganster to do.
In Vienna local duplication of The Watchtower had come to a standstill when Brother Gölles was arrested. But the brothers received spiritual food now and then by means of a brother from Switzerland who had a secular job that required him to travel to Vienna. Using appropriate vigilance, he brought copies of The Watchtower along with him. When a brother received one of those magazines, he was not allowed to keep it for himself. Since there were no other copies for the other brothers, he would read it immediately and then pass it on to the next trustworthy brother, not personally, but tucked away in a shopping basket or something else. Thus, those precious pieces of literature kept moving from hand to hand. That spiritual food was of great importance to the brothers under their trialsome circumstances.
A Few Shrink Back
In order to break the brothers’ resistance and to influence them to sign a declaration renouncing all connection with Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Gestapo claimed that many brothers had already signed and had been released. That was a gross exaggeration.
The Gestapo promised that each one who signed would be set free and would thus spare himself years of suffering. What it really meant was that he would exchange physical suffering for years of torment of conscience. The issue was clearly one of loyalty to Jehovah and his organization. By far the majority of the brothers were unwavering in their integrity. However, there were some who signed. But not all of those who signed were really set free; usually they remained under constant surveillance.
One day Agnes Hötzl met a couple in Vienna who had been in a concentration camp because of the truth. However, she was not aware of the circumstances of their release. Filled with joy, she greeted them. Without uttering a word, they passed her as if she were a complete stranger. Now she discerned what had happened. On another occasion she was near the entrance of a factory located close to her home. She could not believe her eyes: On the chest of one she thought was a brother, there was a swastika! He, too, passed her, fearfully acting as if he did not know her. Those were hard blows for the faithful, but that did not dampen their loyal love for Jehovah and for the rest of their loyal brothers.
Enduring Concentration Camp Torments
In 1939 Alois Moser of Braunau and Josef Buchner of Ranshofen, together with 142 other brothers, were transferred from the Dachau concentration camp to the Mauthausen camp in Upper Austria. When they arrived at Mauthausen around midnight and stepped out of the railway cattle cars, they were told: “Mauthausen is not a sanatorium like Dachau. We will finish all of you.” According to estimates, from August 1938 to May 1945, a total of 206,000 persons were imprisoned there, and according to the record, 35,270 died.
For the first three years, all of our brothers, without exception, were made to do hard physical labor in the stone quarry. In the winter the weather was extremely cold. Hundreds of prisoners actually froze to death in the quarry. When the prisoners returned to the camp at night, each of them had to carry a big stone up the 186 steps of “the death-stairs” into the camp. The command leader Spatzenegger decreed that stones of less than 20 pounds [10 kg] were too light. He had stones of 80 or more pounds [40 or more kg] put on the prisoners, many of whom collapsed from complete exhaustion. Frequently, those who collapsed were killed on the spot.
Eventually Brothers Moser and Buchner were assigned to draw the sledge on which the naked dead bodies from various parts of the camp were put. Each corpse was identified by a tag bearing the name and prisoner number attached to the big toe. This assignment brought them to the barracks in which mostly prisoners suffering from diarrhea were housed. To their great dismay, it was here that they found August Kraft. All this misery and the wretched situation in which they found themselves made the two brothers break out in tears. But Brother Kraft was thinking, rather, of the blessings that he had enjoyed at Jehovah’s hand, and he said: “I thank Jehovah for everything!” The following day, Brother Kraft, too, lay on the sledge, having persisted in pursuing to the end the goal of “the prize of the upward call.”—Phil. 3:14.
The brothers lovingly watched out for one another’s welfare. When certain ones were especially weak, others would give them a few additional spoonfuls from their meager meals to help them regain needed strength.
Theocratic Activity Inside the Camps
Right inside the camps, theocratic activity continued, but with extreme prudence. Witnessing was done, Bible studies were held, some meetings were conducted, and a few persons were baptized.
Franz Desch was transferred not far away from Mauthausen to the Gusen concentration camp. There he was able to study the Bible with an SS officer. How much progress was made? Well, imagine the great joy of both of them when, years later, they met as brothers at a convention!
New prisoners were brought in from many different countries. In order to share the Kingdom truth with them, the brothers used testimony cards written in those languages. Since prisoners were allowed to receive mail, the SS guards who entered the barracks unsuspectingly did not realize that it was not mail the men were reading.
In the camp at Gusen, a locksmith’s workshop was managed by Brother Karl Krause. And what a unique workshop at that! Not only were locks made and repaired on the premises but also five Poles were secretly baptized there in a wooden trough specially made for that purpose.
To keep spiritually strong, the brothers would meet in small groups at night to discuss Bible texts. On occasion they even came into possession of a Bible. It would then be divided into parts, which were passed from one to the other. Lying under their beds, they would read during what little free time they had.
The brothers even succeeded in celebrating the Lord’s Evening Meal. Managing to obtain the emblems, they assembled while everyone else was asleep. The washrooms and toilets at Gusen were located between the barracks, at a distance of approximately 20 feet [6 meters]. In such a washroom, with light from a candle, they celebrated the Memorial. Under Jehovah’s loving protection, everything went well.
A Record of Faithfulness
Many more experiences could be related as examples of the faithfulness of our brothers during Nazi rule over Austria. The ones related here are set out only as examples of the hardship endured and the unbreakable loyalty that was shown.
Before Hitler’s troops entered Austria, there were 549 publishers in this country. Altogether, 445 were thereafter incarcerated for various periods. Between 1938 and 1945, 48 of these, including some of our sisters, were executed. Thirteen were beaten to death, gassed, or made the victims of perverse medical experiments. At least 81 others died in prisons and concentration camps because of disease or exhaustion.
Of necessity, statistics are used when telling of the victims of that sad epoch. But they are much more than cold numbers. Each one was a Christian brother or sister, as well as a husband or wife, father or mother, son or daughter. To the record compiled over thousands of years by faithful witnesses of Jehovah, these have added their testimony that love for Jehovah moves his faithful servants to lay down even their lives, if necessary, to prove their loyalty to him as their God and Sovereign.
What Shall We Do First?
The war and Nazi domination of Austria came to an end in the spring of 1945. Soon our brothers and sisters began to return from the concentration camps. The first thing on their minds was to fellowship with the other brothers. Although it took great effort to arrange for the meetings again, on July 21, 1945, there were 27 present for the first organized postwar meeting in Klagenfurt. By autumn, meetings were also being held in Vienna.
Faithful brothers proceeded to reorganize the work. In Vorarlberg, Austria’s westernmost province, several brothers met with Franz Zürcher, Georg Gertz, and David Wiedenmann, all from the office in Bern, Switzerland, and discussed the measures that needed to be taken to get the congregation meetings and the preaching work started again. From Austria, Peter Gölles, Felix Defner, Leopold Pitteroff, and Franz Ganster were present. Despite the hard experiences of the war years, Kingdom fruitage began to manifest itself. The 549 publishers active in 1937 increased in number to 730 Kingdom proclaimers by the end of the 1946 service year.
After his return from prison, Peter Gölles was the first postwar branch overseer for Austria. His apartment in Vienna, at Florianigasse 58, was the branch office. Then, from April 1947 onward, the office work was done in a school building, one that had been heavily damaged by bombs. There the brothers mimeographed The Watchtower and also some 4,000 booklets. Therese Schreiber, who had been imprisoned for her part in mimeographing Bible literature, was back on the job again, sharing in the duplicating work. In Klagenfurt the brothers even mimeographed the entire Children book and put it into a hardcover binding. Paper and ink were scarce and difficult to obtain, but, with Jehovah’s help, the brothers managed to get what was needed.
The year 1947 provided an opportunity for the brothers to enjoy their first postwar convention. It lasted for four days. The attendance of 1,700 may seem small when compared with conventions being held now, but it was a big crowd for the Austrian brothers then, and it gave evidence that there was potential for much growth.
Later that month, on Saturday, June 21, another important step was taken in connection with reorganization. Seven brothers met in a school to reorganize the local association of the “Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Zweigstelle der Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, Brooklyn, N.Y.” Thus, a legal instrument for the publication of literature was again available.
And Then—Siberia!
Until May 1955, Austria was occupied by the troops of the Allies (U.S.A., France, Britain, and U.S.S.R.) and was divided into four occupation zones. The village of Deutsch Wagram was in the Soviet zone. Brother Franz Malina lived there. He knew how to speak Russian, and he witnessed in a very straightforward manner to the occupation troops, even conducting Bible studies with some of the men. He also obtained Bible literature in Russian and distributed it among the soldiers.
His activities did not go unnoticed. Early in 1948 two men favorably disposed toward him warned: “Franz, get out of here; they want to arrest you. There was literature of yours found with the Russians.” But Brother Malina did not flee. He decided to stay with his sick wife and the children. It was not long, however, before he was arrested. He was detained in the local Soviet commander’s office for eight days and eventually was transferred to the center of the Soviet army staff. During the six weeks he was forced to spend there, he preached frankly to soldiers and officers alike, telling them about Jehovah’s Kingdom. Finally he was sentenced to ten years at forced labor on the now familiar-sounding charge of ‘demoralization of the troops’ and was taken to far-off Siberia.
At last he arrived in the vast area behind the Ural Mountains. There he went from one camp to another, mostly on foot. Escape was impossible. In almost all the camps he met brothers from various parts of the Soviet Union. When he would arrive at a new camp, he naturally had to search for them. And when he found brothers, they tested him to determine whether he was really one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They did this by asking questions such as: “How is Jonadab’s family?” and “Who is the president of the Watch Tower Society?”
Convinced that he truly was a brother, they lovingly helped him to endure the harsh, unaccustomed life in the camps. Because of his age he was called Dad. In the course of five years, he got to know 30 camps. Then in 1953, he was granted a pardon and returned home. His wife had died in the meantime, and his eldest daughter had assumed the role of mother. Was Brother Malina now discouraged or broken? On the contrary, within the next few days he was already on his way again preaching the good news from house to house. This he continued to do until his death in 1964.
Pioneers Share in the Harvest
During the years since World War II, much expansion in the work of Jehovah’s people has taken place in Austria. A great contribution to this growth has been made by ardent pioneers, special pioneers, and missionaries.
Among those zealous workers are Hans Rothensteiner and his wife. Within a year’s time from when they were first contacted with the truth, they started to pioneer. In 1955 they were appointed to be special pioneers. One of their assignments was the territory around Kaprun in an alpine region. Hans relates the following experience they had there:
“With appreciative hearts, we set about the work of looking for the Lord’s sheep. And so, we found a family at Walchen who had already received some literature. A study was started immediately with the whole family; they also invited some friends to join us. Sometimes up to 12 persons were present. The study progressed very well—so well that the families soon decided to leave the church. However, to do this, they needed their certificates of baptism. So Lois, one of those goodhearted people, went to the parsonage to get the certificates for all of them. Since there were many children in these families, they needed 17 certificates altogether.” The conversation Lois had with the local clergyman went something like this:
Lois: Morning. I need a few certificates of baptism.
Priest: Whatever do you mean by “a few,” and what do you need them for?
Lois: Because we want to leave the church.
Priest: Oh, do you? And how many certificates do you want?
Lois: I made a note of it. Oh, yes, here it is; I need just 17.
Priest: What? What on earth has happened that so many of you want to leave the church?
Lois: Well, we’ve studied the Bible. That’s all there is to it. You see, you were teaching us a lot that isn’t true at all, things that neither Jesus nor the Bible ever said!
This conversation continued for a while, and Lois left without the certificates. At a later date, however, a discussion took place with the clergyman when Hans was present, too. At the end of it, Lois said to the priest: “Now, there was absolutely nothing that you could prove, and now out with the certificates of baptism, but a bit quick, please.” The clergyman had no option and obliged.
There is now a congregation of 90 publishers in this alpine village.
In 1978, throughout the country there were 626 enjoying the blessings of pioneer service including 278 auxiliary pioneers. But in April of 1988, the number reporting such service had risen to 1,925, including 1,102 auxiliary pioneers.
Branch Arrangements
On August 1, 1965, Lowell L. Turner, who had recently graduated from Gilead School’s special ten-month organizational training course, was assigned the responsibilities of branch overseer. After nearly ten years in his assignment of oversight, Brother Turner left Austria in July 1975 for a new assignment in Luxembourg. Since January 1976 a committee of several brothers has been caring for the branch in Austria.
Extensions of Branch Facilities
The Society’s branch offices all over the world have been enlarging their facilities to care for the needs of the constantly growing number of praisers of Jehovah. Has it been any different in Austria? Certainly not.
In time the building purchased in 1957, located in one of the garden districts of Vienna, became too small for a branch office. So during the years of 1970 and 1971, it was enlarged to provide more room for the Shipping Department and for a Kingdom Hall. But in a few years, the need for further expansion became evident. Jehovah’s hand in the matter was felt when one of the neighbors offered his piece of land for sale. While construction of new buildings was getting under way in 1983, another plot of adjoining land was also offered for sale to the branch. With the dedication of the new facilities in the summer of 1987, an additional 53,820 square feet [5,000 sq m] of space became available, which more than quadrupled what was there before. Was all of this really necessary? The number of Witnesses being served by this office had already tripled since the former building was purchased, and the brothers in the office were working in very cramped quarters.
Before the project was completed, many modifications in layout of the facilities were required in order to meet the objections of neighbors. This required a lot of additional work. However, the branch office acknowledges: “At the end, almost all necessary changes proved to have been to our benefit. In many cases, the brothers had to admit: ‘Now it is better than we intended it before.’”
Multilanguage Territory
Not everyone who lives in Austria is truly an Austrian. And not everyone who lives here can fluently speak German, which is the principal language of Austria. There are many guest workers here from Yugoslavia and from Turkey. Since the early 1970’s, the branch has made arrangements to reach these guest workers with the message of the Bible. The seed fell on fertile soil, and soon it was possible to form study groups.
Nine congregations now hold their meetings exclusively in Serbo-Croatian (one of the main languages spoken in Yugoslavia). There are also study groups in Turkish, Spanish, Polish, Japanese, English, and Arabic. Brother Letonja, who serves in the Vienna Bethel with his wife and whose theocratic career dates back over 50 years, tells us something about the work among the guest workers:
“In 1971, I was assigned to join those five brothers who were preaching the good news to Yugoslav guest workers. For this purpose I learned to speak the Serbo-Croatian language. Today, in 1988, there are more than 320 publishers in Vienna and its surroundings who belong to the Serbo-Croatian language group. It is most enjoyable to work with these brothers. They are very family-minded. Their zeal for the truth is catching, and they encourage one another. Not a few of them remain in the service throughout the day until the late hours of the evening. In spite of the difficult working conditions for guest workers, several of them engage regularly in the auxiliary pioneer service. Their enthusiastic conversations revolve mainly around the truth.
“There is also a goodly number of Gypsies among them, to whom the congregation is a place like home. From one Gypsy family at least 25 members have already been immersed and more than 19 other relatives are interested in the truth. It is really a blessing to work together with these brothers.”
Being Hosts at Conventions
During difficult times in the past, those of us in Austria frequently crossed the border to attend congregation meetings and larger assemblies. We well remember the loving hospitality extended to us by brothers in the areas to which we went. Now those in Austria have the opportunity to take their turn at being hosts.
Actually it started in 1965, when 1,200 friends from Greece came to the district convention in Vienna. Arrangements were made for them to have the entire program in Greek in a separate wing of the building used for the assembly.
Then in 1967 there were 889 brothers from Yugoslavia who attended a district assembly in Klagenfurt, in the south of Austria. They, too, were able to enjoy the program in their own language. The number who came from Yugoslavia increased. In 1968 the attendance at the sessions arranged for them in Villach was 2,319.
At our district conventions in 1978, it was our privilege to arrange to present the program also in Hungarian. Since a few elders whose native tongue is Hungarian live in Austria, it was not too difficult to arrange for the parts. However, weeks before the convention, the brothers responsible for organizational matters wondered: ‘Will brothers from Hungary be able to cross the border to attend the convention?’ What a thrill it was when the attendance at the Hungarian program passed the 400 mark! Since then, our district conventions in the Vienna area have almost always included a program in Hungarian. In 1986, to the great joy of everybody, the number in attendance at those sessions rose to 1,781. Were there yet others to whom we could extend hospitality?
What About Brothers From Poland?
The 1980 convention theme was “Divine Love.” What could underscore this better than the presence of 1,883 brothers and sisters from Poland, hearing the program in their own language in Vienna? A large tent housed the Polish group, whereas one hall each was reserved for the sessions in Hungarian and Croatian. For the program in German, a stadium was hired on the same site.
The assistant convention chairman made a suggestion: “What would it be like if, on Sunday, the brothers of the other language groups would also come to the stadium for the final song?” The convention office enthusiastically agreed.
Just picture in your mind this sight at the end of the convention: On one side of the stadium were the 5,000 Austrian delegates—in front of them the bright green lawn of the playing field. An announcement was made, and then the opposite terraces in the stadium started to fill up. Arranged according to language groups, the brothers came in and stood—Yugoslavs, Hungarians, Poles. And then, after the cue had been given in four languages, almost 8,000 voices united in one song of praise: “We Thank You, Jehovah.”
The brother who delivered the concluding remarks then addressed the brothers from Poland: “If, the next time, you will be more than we are at the German program, then we will leave the stadium to you!” After the program was finished, the brothers would not part from one another for a long time. It was a convention that moved hearts, and it furnished the brothers on both sides of the border with much to talk about for a long time. Filled with deep happiness, the branch office afterward wrote to the Governing Body:
“It was something you had to experience. What a powerful demonstration of the uniting force of Jehovah’s spirit and his ‘Divine Love.’ Even long after the conclusion of the song, the brothers waved to one another. Nobody wanted to leave. One brother expressed the feeling of many of the brothers when he said: ‘This has been my tenth district assembly; however, I have never experienced anything like this, such warmth, sincerity, and tender affection in such bonds of unity. I would have liked to stretch out my arms and embrace them all. In a spiritual sense I have done it.’”
The very next year, in 1981, as preparations for the “Kingdom Loyalty” District Convention reached their final stage, one thing was clear—this time, we would be leaving the stadium for the more than 5,000 brothers from Poland. And once again the brothers in Vienna and the surrounding area proved to be openhearted hosts.
In addition, there was another enrichment to the assembly; Brothers Theodore Jaracz and Daniel Sydlik of the Governing Body had come to Vienna. What a fine opportunity for them to associate with brothers from Hungary and Poland! Their encouraging talks and friendly, warm personal contact with the brothers of all the language groups were very much appreciated. In his part of the program, Brother Sydlik spoke about the Christian disciple Barnabas. The brothers paid rapt attention. After a few words, speaker and audience were “one heart and one soul,” as the saying goes in Austria.
Since 1982 our brothers in Poland have been able to have their own conventions, but the brothers in Austria continue to enjoy being hosts for their brothers from Hungary.
Marching on Into the Future
In Austria things generally take their course “cozily,” as it is said. But this is not true of the proclamation of the good news of God’s Kingdom. There has been no sensational growth, but the number of praisers of Jehovah has increased steadily. Back in the 1950’s, a district overseer encouraged the brothers, saying: “It should not be surprising to us if there would be 10,000 publishers in Austria one day.” That sounded nice. But Austria is a small nation, with only 7.5 million inhabitants. And at that time there were not more than 5,000 publishers in the whole country. However, in 1971 we passed the 10,000 figure, and at present the crowd of praisers of Jehovah in this land has risen to over 17,000.
Austria is well known as a land of mountains and music. However, in the lives of an ever-growing crowd, it is “the mountain of the house of Jehovah,” the exalted position of true worship, that has the greatest significance to them. And the sweetest melody that can be heard in this land comes from the 17,705 publishers who share in singing the “new song,” a song exalting Jehovah’s Kingdom.—Isa. 2:2; Ps. 98:1, 4-6.
[Box/Map on page 72, 73]
Profile of Austria
Capital: Vienna
Official Language: German
Major Religion: Roman Catholic
Population: 7,575,700
Publishers: 17,705
Pioneers: 1,398
Congregations: 246
Memorial Attendance: 30,216
Branch Office: Vienna
[Map]
(For fully formatted text, see publication)
AUSTRIA
Lake Constance (Bodensee)
Dornbirn
VORARLBERG
Innsbruck
TIROL
Eastern Alps
SALZBURG
Bad Ischl
Salzburg
UPPER AUSTRIA
Linz
Mauthausen
Danube River
Vienna
LOWER AUSTRIA
Neusiedler Lake
BURGENLAND
STYRIA
Knittelfeld
Graz
CARINTHIA
Klagenfurt
SWITZERLAND
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
HUNGARY
YUGOSLAVIA
ITALY
[Full-page picture on page 66]
[Pictures on page 69]
Continental Hotel, Vienna, where C. T. Russell attempted to speak, March 22, 1911
[Credit Line]
From the Pictorial Archive of the Austrian National Library
[Pictures on page 74]
Simon Riedler, left, and Franz Ganster first heard of the truth in 1921
[Pictures on page 79]
J. F. Rutherford spoke in the Katharinenhalle, Vienna, 1922
[Credit Line]
From the Pictorial Archive of the Austrian National Library
[Pictures on page 81]
Program for the first convention of the Bible Students in Vienna, 1924. The next convention was a turning point for Johannes Schindler
[Picture on page 83]
Heide family, 1924, early Austrian Witnesses
[Picture on page 87]
Emil Wetzel had oversight of the work in Austria from 1922 to 1926
[Picture on page 95]
Leopold Engleitner, jailed for preaching in 1934
[Picture on page 99]
August Kraft, arrested by Nazis, May 25, 1939. Concluding comment of Gestapo document on Kraft
[Credit Line]
DÖW, Vienna, Austria
[Pictures on page 108]
Therese Schreiber, left, mimeographed literature, and Hansi Hron (Buchner) was a courier. Both were arrested
[Picture on page 109]
Gestapo documents reveal extensive knowledge of underground mimeograph network
[Credit Line]
DÖW, Vienna, Austria
[Pictures on page 115]
Alois Moser, left, was in seven prisons and concentration camps; Johann Rainer refused to take a military oath; Franz Wohlfahrt maintained integrity even though his father and his brother were executed
[Pictures on page 117]
Entrance to the concentration camp at Gusen. Witness survivors of Mauthausen/Gusen, 1945
[Credit Line]
DÖW, Vienna, Austria
[Pictures on page 120]
Josef Wegscheider, left, and Johann Pichler were shot dead, September 26, 1939, near Salzburg
[Pictures on page 124]
Hermine Obweger, left, was taken from her parents at age 11. Auguste Hirschmann (now Bender) took a stand before the Gestapo at age 17
[Pictures on page 126]
Peter Gölles was arrested on June 12, 1940. He was sentenced in this courthouse and imprisoned in this cellblock
[Picture on page 137]
Franz Malina, imprisoned for five years in labor camps in Siberia
[Picture on page 140]
Lowell L. Turner, branch overseer from 1965 to 1975, and his wife, Margot
[Picture on page 141]
Branch office and Bethel Home, 1957
[Picture on page 142]
Enlarged branch, 1987
Barbados, West Indies
pp. 149–148
Barbados, West Indies
WELCOME to Barbados—the “land of the flying fish,” and the gateway to the West Indies. Did you know that this tiny island is one of the most densely populated countries in the world? Its land area of approximately 166 square miles [430 sq km] is inhabited by more than 253,500 people. But as the saying goes, “Beautiful things come in small packages,” and this is certainly true of this most easterly island of the Caribbean archipelago.
Barbados’ eastern coastline provides a picturesque view of gently sloping hills overlooking the whitecaps of the restless Atlantic Ocean, whereas the west coast is fringed by white beaches that are caressed by the more serene water of the Caribbean Sea.
At one time sugarcane was the economic “king” in Barbados. However, of late, tourism has become the principal money earner. Every year this island plays host to thousands of visitors, who outnumber its entire population.
From the time of Barbados’ settlement by English colonists in 1627 C.E. to the granting of its independence in 1966, a strong link was maintained with Britain and, subsequently, with the Anglican Church. To what extent did this affect everyday life? At one time legislation was enacted requiring ‘family prayers and attendance at church.’ Morning and evening prayers were made compulsory. Any failure to obey resulted in a fine of 40 pounds [18 kg] of sugar. Everyone was obliged to conform to the ruling and to the discipline of the church without any deviation. This led one historian to describe Barbadians as “stiff with starch and Anglicanism.” However, the situation has changed somewhat, since at present there exist 141 different “Christian” sects and denominations. Would the true faith be able to flourish in such a religious stronghold?
Sowing Seeds of Kingdom Truth
In 1905, nine years before the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom in heaven, Joseph Brathwaite began witnessing in Barbados as a colporteur, as full-time workers among Jehovah’s Witnesses were then called. He had learned the truth in British Guiana (now Guyana). Before long, truth-hungry persons like Algernon Symmonds and his wife, Maud, accepted the gladsome message of the Kingdom. Both of them, along with Juliet Shepherd, were baptized in 1909. Symmonds’ young daughter Waldemar (who later became Mrs. Vere Rice) soon joined her parents in distributing Bible tracts.
These early Bible Students had a burning desire to talk to others about what they had learned. The spirit of urgency and self-sacrifice moved them to distribute publications of the Watch Tower Society as they took the message to many villages on the island. Sister Rice relates: “Pappy [her father], who operated a business in the capital city, Bridgetown, would use his mule and carrier to transport the group of Bible Students sharing in the work to cover the country districts. We would go out mainly on weekends. The poor mule did not get much rest, and so it would stop quite often on the way home—whether due to tiredness or just plain stubbornness, we couldn’t say. As a result, we would get back home very late on Sundays, sometimes much past midnight. Yet I had to be up the next morning to go to school.”
Memories of Exciting Days
Among the ones whose activity dates back to those early times is Sister Lina Gaul, familiarly addressed by young and old alike as “Mammy Gaul.” Though her memory is not as sharp as in former times, oh, how she loves to relive those exciting days and to reflect on Jehovah’s marvelous dealings with his people! Now in her 90’s, Mammy Gaul recalls the time, back in 1910, when her father and mother received a tract from Mr. Thomas, a schoolteacher. With the aid of this tract and others printed by the Bible Students, the family soon learned the truth about hell, the soul, the Trinity, and other teachings. It did not take them long to sever all ties with the Christian Mission Church at Workman Village, and soon they associated with the ecclesia (or congregation) of Bible Students meeting at No. 40 Roebuck Street in Bridgetown. By 1911 both of her parents were ready for baptism, and the following year Lina was also immersed.
Sister Gaul and her parents, Alexander and Josephine Payne, were viewed as “strayed sheep” by their former Christian Mission associates, and efforts were made to “restore” them. To that end, the mission held public meetings right in front of the Paynes’ home and implored the Lord to send them back to the Christian Mission fold.
Sister Gaul, with a pleasant smile and twinkling eyes, recalls an occasion when her mother’s former best friend from the mission was sent to their home. As if hearing the conversation all over again, she relates:
“‘Sister Payne,’ said my mother’s friend, ‘I have a message from the Lord for you.’
“‘Did you see him? What did he look like?’ Mother countered.
“‘He is a tall white man, dressed in white, riding a white horse, and he tells you to come back to Workman Village Hall.’
“Mother’s next retort quickly ended their attempts to get us to return to the Mission Church. She said: ‘Well, you go back and tell this “man” that I, Josephine Payne, say that I am not coming back.’”
The Paynes, as well as other individuals associating with the Bible Students in those early years, met with considerable ridicule and persistent opposition. However, their faith was strong. In retrospect, we can appreciate this question raised in the Scriptures: “Who has despised the day of small things?” (Zech. 4:10) Without a doubt, Jehovah’s purpose to have his name declared in all the earth included this small island in the West Indies.
Sister Gaul is still actively serving and has never missed a month in preaching the good news since her baptism in 1912. Although having suffered two strokes, locally referred to as “passovers,” she still maintains a clear head and is always looking for opportunities to share the good news with others.
Undiminished Zeal
Another hard worker, Sister Waldemar Rice, has effectively presented the truth to people in every station of life over the past seven decades. She has the knack of using Barbadian, or “Bajan” dialect, to good effect. Her thorough acquaintance with local expressions adds color to her witnessing without detracting from its dignity, and her keen enthusiasm for the Kingdom hope, when expressed in the vernacular, commands a listening ear. When speaking to persons of humble background about deteriorating world conditions, she may say: “Dis worl’ in bare turmoil, dah is de troof, when um en trouble in one place, um is starvation in another or riots in yonder.”
She is bold and fearless in advocating the truth, and this example has encouraged many young folks over the years. Though her physical strength has waned, Sister Rice’s zeal for Jehovah’s service remains as vibrant as ever right into the 87th year of her life.
Reaching the White Community
Barbados, like most West Indian islands, is made up mainly of descendants of black African slaves—90 percent of the population. Among the first persons of the white population to accept the truth was Lucy Gooding, whose family once lived where the branch building and a Kingdom Hall are presently located in Bridgetown.
John Benjamin took the Kingdom message to the Goodings one evening in 1910. As staunch Anglicans, they were startled to have explained to them the Bible truth about some of their precious beliefs. Concerned, they spoke to their minister. “Why worry about these things?” he replied. “Forget them and stick to the church.” Instead, they resigned.
Since Sister Gooding had a very strong personality and was able to explain the truth clearly, she was in the forefront of the Kingdom work for many years. From the very earliest days, her house served as an unofficial missionary home for special representatives of the Society who visited Barbados.
Among these early Witnesses, no segregation or disharmony existed. Social and ethnic divisions never infiltrated their ranks, as they did the rest of the community. All the old-timers who are still with us are quick to relate the evidences of the very strong love and attachment they felt, and still feel, toward one another. It is as Jesus said: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.”—John 13:35.
The adopted sister of Lucy Gooding, Winifred Heath, remembers the early days and the changes she herself had to make in order to become an approved servant of Jehovah. She laughs at herself as she embarrassedly recalls: “Man, I used to swear like a fisherman.” Because those changes came slowly, she did not get baptized in the early years but did so in 1940 when the gathering of the “other sheep” was under way.
Benefits From Public Talks
Public Bible talks have played an important role in spreading the truth. Alfred Joseph, who had originally come from Guyana, had his initial contact with the truth at an open-air Bible lecture at Brandons Beach, close to the Bridgetown port. About 50 persons were in attendance to hear the talk “Where Are the Dead?” This start of his Bible education led to his baptism in 1915, which was held not far from the very location where he first heard that Bible lecture.
Jesus said: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) Now that Brother Joseph was spiritually free, he could help others gain that same freedom. Interestingly, in 1516, by Spanish Imperial License, the way had been opened up for legalized slave trading from Africa, which lasted for over three and a half centuries. But, perhaps with a touch of irony, Alfred Joseph and William R. Brown of Jamaica, both descendants of African slaves, went to Africa to point the way to spiritual freedom for many thousands living in West Africa. Thus, on June 29, 1915, Brother Joseph left by steamer to take up a work contract in Sierra Leone, where he also worked like a yeoman in spreading the good news of the Kingdom.
When Brother Joseph returned to Barbados 18 years later, he played a leading role in delivering open-air lectures. On one occasion, he took a group of brothers and sisters to work Waverly Cot in the parish of St. George. As was their custom, they spent the morning preaching to people in their homes and inviting them to a public meeting to be held in the afternoon. A public hall was rented for that purpose. However, as soon as the lecture started, with only the brothers and sisters inside, the members of the Church Army of St. Luke’s Church assembled right outside with a bass, or “boom,” drum and a kettledrum. The loud beating of the drums, accompanied by singing, was designed to drown out the speaker. A crowd gathered. The noise was overwhelming. Brother Joseph, with no sound equipment, could hardly be heard.
Then, much to the surprise of the brothers and the crowd outside, there was a sudden downpour of rain. Yet, the sky had been clear, with no hint of an impending storm. Since the hall in which the brothers were assembled was the only place that offered any shelter, all the people that were gathered outside, including the ones beating the drums, came scrambling into the hall, which quickly became filled to capacity. Everyone stayed for the hour-long lecture and enjoyed it, too. When the brothers left for their homeward trip, they discovered that strangely the rain had fallen only in the area where the hall was located!
Seeds Fall on Other Islands
At present the branch office in Bridgetown, Barbados, directs the work of Kingdom preaching on five other islands: Bequia, Carriacou, Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent. These islands are situated west of Barbados—all within 158 miles [253 km].
Grenada, the farthest of these islands to the southwest, is only 120 square miles [311 sq km], with a population of 112,000 friendly inhabitants. Grenada earned the nickname “Spice Island” because of the prevalence of such aromatic spices as cinnamon, cloves, tonka bean, cocoa, and nutmeg.
The seeds of truth were planted on this colorful island the year World War I broke out. As a migrant worker in Panama, Elias James had accepted the message of God’s Kingdom and had become a dedicated and baptized publisher. Very eager to share the truth with those on his home island, he returned there in 1914. Before long he contacted Mr. Briggs, a Barbadian residing in Grenada. Briggs quickly embraced the Kingdom message.
Just about this time, zealous workers in Barbados were sending tracts and other pieces of literature to their acquaintances on the “lower islands.” Judith Callender, who served Jehovah faithfully until her death several years ago, related that her uncle “Popie” would send tracts to her father, Francis, a Barbadian, when he was living with her in Grenada. In turn, he shared the good news with fellow Barbadians.
Among those who embraced the truth was Chriselda James, sister-in-law of Elias James. She succeeded in raising a family of nine children in the truth despite the persistent opposition of her husband. All nine children became baptized Witnesses. As a professed member of the anointed, she proved to be a loyal and enduring Christian until she died in 1986, at 87 years of age. Three of her children died before she did, but all the others are still active with two of them serving as regular pioneers and one as an elder and a special pioneer.
Visiting traveling ministers also are remembered for their share in the Kingdom work in Grenada. Among them were A. T. Johnson, W. R. Brown, and E. J. Coward. Brother Coward’s service in the eastern Caribbean was a success by any standard. However, it did not escape the envious eye of the clergy. Exploiting the fears that existed during World War I, enemies of the truth caused a wicked rumor to spread suggesting that E. J. Coward was a German spy! Under this pressure from the clergy, government officials ordered Brother Coward to leave the British West Indies. Thus his ministry here was brought to an abrupt end. After this experience, the Society realized that no Bible Student from the United States would gain easy admittance to the islands. So arrangements were made for Brother George Young, a Canadian, to be sent there in 1922.
Over the years conventions were attended mainly by elderly persons, so people began to refer to this as the “old people religion.” Their spirit was young and eager, however. It was not uncommon for these devoted workers to walk five miles [8 km] and more, sometimes in heavy tropical rain, to attend the weekly meetings.
Come with us now as we move over to St. Vincent, just 74 miles [118 km] north of Grenada, to see how the work got started there.
A Beginning in St. Vincent
St. Vincent, a colorful island of 150 square miles [388 sq km] in area and home of one of the oldest botanic gardens in the eastern Caribbean, was visited by Brother A. T. Johnson in 1913. At that time, Ethel and Maud Thompson and their father showed some interest in the Kingdom message. A number of years later, Philippa La Borde, a Trinidadian, settled in the island.
There is a rustic expression among farmers in the West Indies that has often proved to be true: “Drop seed bears more than the one planted.” In other words, a seed that falls by chance produces more than the one deliberately sown. For example, in 1918, while going through her husband’s pockets before doing the laundry, Philippa found a Bible tract that had been given to him by W. R. Brown. This tract sparked interest. Both she and her husband studied and accepted the truth and then were baptized on August 1, 1918. A few years later, sometime before 1923, they went to St. Vincent for health reasons. They intended to stay for just a few months, but it turned out that they stayed for many years.
Recalling her first impressions when she went to St. Vincent, Philippa stated: “The streets were rough and dusty, but the people were very friendly, and that was the important thing.” Over the next 50 years, Sister La Borde, generally referred to as “Mother Lab” throughout the island, was able to take the message to top officials of government—because she had been the kindergarten teacher for some of them. She was petite and of frail appearance, but she had a strong personality and was capable of expressing Bible truths in a simple and logical manner.
Her initiative and resourcefulness were clearly seen in the way in which she assisted Marion Dunn, a native of St. Vincent, to the point of baptism. Mrs. Dunn had first come into contact with the truth in Cuba in 1914. Soon thereafter, she returned to St. Vincent, but then she ran into stiff and sustained opposition from her cousin with whom she was living. Because of the vengefulness of her cousin, Mrs. Dunn hesitated to dedicate her life to Jehovah and symbolize this by water baptism. However, after Sister La Borde had provided the necessary Scriptural encouragement and help, arrangements were made to have Marion Dunn privately baptized in Sister La Borde’s home in 1935. Years later, Sister La Borde reflected, “I learned a great deal from working with Sister Dunn, namely, patience and humility.”
Additional Help Provided
John C. Rainbow, from the Society’s headquarters in the United States, was assigned in 1924 to spend a week with the Witnesses in St. Vincent. His visit provided fine encouragement not only to these faithful sisters but also to those who attended his lectures at the Carnegie Library in Kingstown, the capital city.
George Young, on his second missionary tour through the islands, also stopped at St. Vincent to help these sisters. At that time, in 1932, the Photo-Drama of Creation was shown at the Carnegie Library and was very well received. In fact, by public demand, arrangements were made for another showing, this time at the capital’s courthouse. Brother Young put on a series of public lectures and helped the sisters to organize a weekly study of The Watchtower. To aid in furtherance of true worship among these humble folks, he also initiated the house-to-house ministry on this island.
Groping for God and Finding Him
During the war years of 1939 to 1945, something developed in St. Vincent that surely illustrates angelic direction in the ingathering of sheeplike ones. High in the mountains of Riley is a place from which a person can look to the south and get a commanding view of the island of Bequia some ten miles [16 km] away or can look to the north and get a dizzying view of the Mesopotamia Valley just below. Up in these mountains lived a sincere group of people who met regularly to learn about God. Though misguided, they were still ‘groping for God.’ (Compare Acts 17:26, 27.) Leonard Pope, the bishop of the group, with leader Albert Forbes and the congregation of “Shakers,” as they called themselves, had come to appreciate the Watch Tower publications and were using them in their meetings.
One day in 1942, Rupert G. Wyllie stopped to listen to Leonard Pope as he was preaching in an area called Paul’s Lot in Kingstown. Pope was preaching loudly, but from what he said, Wyllie, who was a reader of Watch Tower literature, knew that Pope must have been reading the same literature. Besides, in Pope’s hand, which he was using to make sweeping gestures, there was a book to which he kept making frequent references, claiming that it proved the things he was saying. Wyllie recalled thinking, ‘It’s true he is a Shaker, but now he is saying something that’s worth listening to.’ Later, when talking to Wyllie, Pope said: “There should be some place in Kingstown to study this.” Wyllie knew Sisters La Borde and Dunn and so directed Pope to them. He met with the sisters and learned more about the truth. Soon he and his congregation of eight persons were walking the five miles [8 km] to Kingstown for the weekly study of The Watchtower.
In 1944 during a visit to St. Vincent by Gilbert Talma, the Society’s branch overseer in Trinidad, all eight of them were baptized at Edinboro Beach. However, it was not until 1947 that this group of Witnesses in Riley was organized to form the second congregation in St. Vincent. The first was in Kingstown. The following year several of the former “Shakers” became full-time pioneers and gave an effective witness in the rugged country areas.
The last of the original eight in “Bishop” Pope’s group, Leonora Forbes, despite legs crippled by arthritis, continued to have an active share in spreading the Kingdom good news right up to her death in March 1988. She was a wonderful source of encouragement to young and old alike.
When a small plot of land on top of a hill was donated for the building of a Kingdom Hall, these diligent workers labored hard. The site commanded a majestic view, but it was a challenge to build there. Brothers and sisters toted building supplies on their heads to the building site—a distance of a mile and a half [2.4 km] from both the river and the nearest access road. Finally the hall was completed, the first one owned by our brothers on the island. The approach to this picturesque Kingdom Hall was by means of steps that were cut into the clay hill. Of course, in rainy weather these steps would become extremely slippery, and a number of traveling overseers have had a slippery ride to the bottom of the hill—standing or otherwise!
Before we go on to St. Lucia, we are going back briefly to Barbados to observe the progress of the work there.
Hired Buses for Witnessing
The colporteurs (now called pioneers) were doing extensive work in the distribution of Bible literature. Cuthbert Blackman, now in his 77th year, was one of the 10 pioneers in Barbados in 1931, and there were 44 others who shared in the work as time and circumstances permitted.
Today the inhabitants of Barbados are well served by a network of modern roads. In fact, even though described as “21 miles [34 km] long and a smile wide,” the island has 800 miles [1,280 km] of paved or asphalt roads. However, 50 years ago transport was very different from now. There were frequent blind corners in the roads, which were leftovers of a road system that had essentially been designed for the donkey carts of the 17th century. Because of that, Brother Blackman relates, “We were glad enough to have the services of Brother Edwin Hackett’s cart pulled by his faithful horse Harry.”
However, as other means of transportation became more common, the brothers began to hire buses for witnessing. In this way all the 11 parishes of the island could be systematically covered in group witnessing. For a time the brothers used testimony cards to explain the reason for their visits. Later, recordings of Brother Rutherford’s sermons were played on portable phonographs for householders, and transcription machines were used for larger audiences.
Normally, people in the island rise early in the day. Alfred Joseph recalled that one morning he and some other brothers decided to get an early start in the witness work in Holetown, a small community on the west coast. They hung the transcription machine high up on a tree so that the sound would travel far in the quiet morning air and thus reach more people. This aggressive tactic got an immediate response. Brother Joseph said: “A police sergeant soon appeared on the scene, advising that he had been dispatched by the ‘Reverend’ and that we were to stop our program of Bible education. We encouraged him to listen for a few minutes. When he observed that we were not disorderly in any way—apart from starting early—and that there was nothing wrong with our Kingdom message, he left.”
Bold Witnesses
The zeal and boldness of the brothers, coupled with determination to give a thorough witness, was a hallmark of that period. These early Witnesses took the message to the gates, as it were. Keen to expose the hypocrisy and confusion in Christendom, they succeeded in making many people sit up and think seriously, something they would not have done otherwise.
For instance, when a certain “Reverend” Ince of St. Lawrence Nazarene Church in Christ Church, Barbados, heard about Brother Joseph’s travels in Africa, he invited Brother Joseph to address his congregation about life in Africa. “I readily accepted,” Brother Joseph recalls, “and agreed to speak for an hour. I used a good part of the time to relate my ministerial work in Sierra Leone and the way of life there. But then I felt I should say something about certain Bible teachings. I asked the ‘Reverend’ Ince and his catechist to follow the texts I was using, such as Ezekiel chapter 34 and Isaiah chapter 28. Then, becoming even more bold, I invited Ince to read Isaiah 56:10, 11. [“His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs . . . ”—KJ] Well, this was going just too far, for he immediately called for a hymn to be sung. Before the congregation got started, however, I continued my theme.
“At the very next opportunity, he called for a collection to be taken. Now, can you imagine me contending with him even on this point, and that right in his own church? Well, I did! You see the Society’s policy was deeply etched on my mind—‘Seats free and no collection’—and I couldn’t let this opportunity slip by without saying something. I declared to the entire congregation that we wouldn’t collect a cent and that I would even pay for the cost of the electricity used during the meeting. Eventually, no collection was taken after all.
“I asked the congregation if they would like to have me speak to them again, on another occasion. The response was a definite yes. However, their ‘reverend’ never invited me again.
“Some time after that incident, I set up the transcription machine in the open air well to the rear of the same Nazarene Church and played Judge Rutherford’s recordings. As a result, when the congregation assembled for service, many did not go inside but, rather, stayed outside to listen to the recorded lecture. Whether it was mainly out of curiosity or because of real interest, I couldn’t say, but this I could say: ‘My congregation’ outside was larger than what was inside the church.”
By 1936 there were four congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses located in Barbados—one in Bridgetown and one each in the parishes of Christ Church, St. George, and St. Philip.
Blind Man Helps Others See
Many persons throughout the island were accepting the truth. They would show this by standing before the company, as congregations were then called, repudiating their former connection with Christendom and making a declaration of their consecration (dedication). Later, they would symbolize this by water immersion. One of those doing this in the late 1930’s was a blind person, Cecil Alleyne.
Cecil made his public declaration in a different setting. As assistant pastor of the Nazarene Church at Blades Hill, St. Philip, he already knew a host of Scripture passages. But he had never grasped “the pattern of healthful words.” (2 Tim. 1:13) However, when Brother Blackman witnessed to him, even though Cecil was blind, it did not take him long to see the truth. Now he felt incensed over the many years of spiritual enlightenment he had lost in his association with the Nazarene Church. Shortly thereafter, he stood up in the church and made his declaration that he would no longer be associating with them but that he had become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Many who were in attendance wept and begged him not to leave, as he was very much loved by them. But in the course of the years that followed, many of these very ones took up true worship as a result of Brother Alleyne’s witnessing to them.
He knew the districts very well, as he had not been born blind. When he would be escorted around in the territory, he knew just where he was and who lived in whatever house he might be passing at the time. His remarkable zeal and good sense of humor endeared him to others. He had a winsome way with the people, supported by an infectious laugh, that would both drive home the Scriptural points he was making and provide a refreshing pause for the points to sink in. He was largely responsible for a fine congregation that was later established at Blades Hill. One of those to whom he witnessed and whom he greatly helped was Oswald Batson, who became a pioneer and later served as a circuit overseer and then as a district overseer in the six islands of the branch territory until his death in 1957. Brother Alleyne has also died.
Theocratic Organization During World War II
Historically the year 1938 was significant to Jehovah’s people the world over. That year marked the recognition of the need for a complete theocratic organization. In the eastern Caribbean, as was true all over the world, there was a tightening up of the organizational structure. This was indeed providential, as it contributed to the unity that was needed to help true Christians to maintain neutrality during the world conflict that soon followed.
Even though these islands were not directly involved in the hostilities, as colonies of Great Britain they provided manpower for uniformed services. However, our brothers kept out of the war activities and devoted their efforts to pointing to Jehovah’s Kingdom as the only hope for mankind. Even though there was no official ban on the Society’s publications, officials used their high office to restrict the entry of literature, records, documents, and other supplies that would be of assistance in the Kingdom activity.
A scarcity of literature resulted. So whatever publications the brothers received were used with great care. Sister Lucy Gooding and a few others in Barbados became devoted scribes, duplicating and distributing to the brothers study articles of any Watchtower magazine they received. Expressing heartfelt gratitude, and reflecting the attitude of all those then associating, were the words of Sister La Borde of St. Vincent: “We thank Jehovah and our dear Sister Gooding, who shared the heavenly calling with us, that we were able to keep up with the latest information.”
After the war ended, an appeal was made to the government to allow the Society’s publications to be imported again. Soon after, shipments were received, and no difficulty has been experienced since that time.
Gilead Graduates Arrive
Many countries, including Barbados, were now in for an unanticipated blessing. Beginning in 1945, graduates of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead arrived. What a grand stimulus this gave to the work!
James and Bennett Berry, two fleshly brothers, and Franklyn Lamar Pate began serving as missionaries in November 1945. They also served the other islands now under this branch as circuit overseers, then called servants to the brethren. By their sharing with the brothers the fine training received at Gilead, a discernible improvement was noted in the standard of teaching, both inside the congregations and in the field ministry.
For the first time the brothers in Barbados appreciated the benefit of covering all the scheduled paragraphs of assigned study material within the allotted time. This was of particular benefit to the Bridgetown Congregation, where an argumentative spirit had developed among some individuals. The improved spirit was conducive to further spiritual growth. A number of new and younger ones began to associate.
By now there were six congregations in Barbados, with 72 active publishers. The Memorial attendance for that year was 199. Meanwhile, Grenada reported 15 publishers, with 22 present for the Memorial.
Presidential Visit
In 1946 following the war, the president of the Society, Nathan H. Knorr, and the then vice president, Frederick Franz, visited the West Indies for the first time. On this occasion, however, the only island visited was Trinidad, which supervised the Kingdom work in all the islands of the eastern Caribbean.
What excitement and appreciation bubbled when a letter was received from the branch office at Port of Spain, Trinidad. Addressed to all congregations, this letter read in part: “A convention is to be arranged, and public meeting with Brother Knorr as speaker. It will be impossible for Brothers Knorr and Franz to visit other islands on this trip, so please inform the brethren. . . . It would be well for the company servants and pioneers to come, if they can afford it. This will be a wonderful opportunity for the brethren in the West Indies to meet with the Society’s president and vice president and gain much valuable information about forwarding the Kingdom service.”
However, the benefits of the convention program were shared even by those who could not make the trip to Trinidad. To make that possible, a large convention was held in Barbados in October of that year. By this time Joshua Steelman, another Gilead graduate, had arrived, and he had a share in the convention program. At this convention the brothers welcomed the news that they would be having regular visits to the congregations by “servants to the brethren,” now called circuit overseers. The peak attendance was 902. This was the beginning of the era of larger, well-organized conventions in Barbados.
Among those strengthened by that convention were the Gall brothers, St. Clair and Frank. The true pioneer spirit that the missionaries displayed impressed them so much that they also took up the pioneer service. In 1950 Frank Gall and Fitz Gregg were the first Barbadians invited to attend Gilead School. After graduating from the 16th class, both were assigned to British Honduras (now Belize).
As the local brothers extended themselves, at times beyond what is normal, Jehovah poured out abundant blessings on them. Dudley Mayers, who is 81 years old, recalls those years and tells us: “There were only ten of us in our little group in Hall’s Village, St. James, including four members of my family. Since one of the brothers was quite old and there were many sisters, I was appointed to all the servants’ positions in the company, as we called the congregation then. Later, we moved our location to Cave Hill, St. Michael, about three miles [5 km] from the original location, and from then on things really began to improve to the point where today we have about 135 publishers and more than 200 attending our Sunday meetings.” Brother Mayers himself, though he has had three heart attacks, continues to serve regularly as an auxiliary pioneer.
They Did Not Give Up
It took the missionaries some time to adjust to local conditions and acquire a measure of immunity to local diseases. Many of them did not give up but stayed in their assignment.
A sterling example of one who did not quit and who has come to be much loved by the brothers is Sven Johansson. He and Richard Ryde were assigned to serve as missionaries in Grenada in March 1949. Brother Johansson, originally from Sweden, recalls the time he got malarial fever. Not knowing what the ailment was, he tried to treat himself for a cold in the best way he as a bachelor knew how, but he finally realized that his sickness was much more serious than he had imagined. He writes: “When the doctor got me under his care, it was too late. Everyone thought I was going to die. My missionary partner, Richard Ryde, even wrote to Brother Knorr about funeral arrangements. Brother Knorr promptly replied that he should see to it that I got the best medical attention available.
“Eventually, I pulled through. Then my partner took ill similarly. Together we had repeated relapses. At times both of us were sick and in bed at the same time. To determine which one would get up to take care of the other and look after necessary home chores, we would compare body temperatures. The one with the higher temperature got to stay in bed. For many years we struggled with this annoying and recurring fever. As for me, it took eight years before I was cured.”
Respected for Honest Work
Brother Johansson served not only in Grenada, where he married a local sister, but also in St. Vincent. In 1951 he and his wife went to St. Vincent, where they served as regular pioneers for several years. However, no sooner had he settled down than he received a notice from the chief of police that he had five days to leave the island. In a subsequent interview with the chief, he was told that he was declared undesirable because he was a foreign spy. Brother Johansson explained to him that he was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and did not get involved in politics. The chief of police remained adamant.
Brother Johansson wrote: “My only appeal was to go and see the administrator of the island. After making an appointment, I was able to speak with the administrator for about 30 minutes. He confirmed what the chief of police had told me earlier, namely, that I was now an undesirable visitor. The administrator then declared that I was against Catholics; being himself a Catholic, he felt very strongly about that. I assured him that I was not against Catholics. I mentioned that my barber was a Catholic and that I visited Catholics in their homes to talk to them about the Bible. Finally, he said: ‘Mr. Johansson, I have heard you are very good at repairing radios. I have two radios that need repairing. I’ll send them to you tomorrow for repairs. You can stay in the island.’ He then picked up the telephone, phoned the chief of police, and gave him instructions that I should be permitted to stay in the island.”
More than once, a fine witness resulted from the fact that Brother Johansson was exemplary in his secular work. A businessman wanted a reliable and honest person to repair defective radios. He took two identical radios that were in good condition and cut a wire in the circuit of each radio. Then he sent the two radios to two technicians whom he considered to be among the best in their trade. When Brother Johansson sent back the radio that had been given to him for repair, he enclosed a bill for $2.40 (88¢, U.S.), stating that it was for soldering a broken wire. The other technician sent a bill for replacing tubes and other parts. Brother Johansson got the job as radio repairman for that firm.
During the 39 years that Brother Johansson has been in these islands, he has shared in circuit, district, and special pioneer work. At present he is residing in Barbados and serves as a regular pioneer and as a member of the Branch Committee that supervises the Kingdom work in these islands. Although he suffered a severe heart attack recently, he is back on his feet once more. His heart, having been weakened somewhat, demands a slower pace. His example over the years reminds many of Paul’s comment at 2 Corinthians 6:4-6: “In every way we recommend ourselves as God’s ministers, by the endurance of much, by tribulations, by cases of need, by difficulties, . . . by long-suffering, by kindness, by holy spirit, by love free from hypocrisy.”
Kingdom Work Gets Going in St. Lucia
St. Lucia, 120 miles [192 km] northwest of Barbados, is a lush and beautiful tropical island with 120,000 inhabitants. Famous for its twin sugarloaf-shaped mountain peaks that jut out of the sea, Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the island is noted for producing bananas and copra.
In 1947 St. Lucia also began to produce Kingdom fruitage. The first native Witness was Leanna Mathurin. At the time she accepted the truth, she was living in Demerara, Guyana. She wrote to Brother Knorr, inquiring if there was anything she could do to help spread the good news in St. Lucia. After receiving Brother Knorr’s encouraging reply, she moved to Micoud, a village some 30 miles [48 km] from Castries, the capital.
Two years later, Gilead-trained missionaries arrived—Lloyd Stull and William Cammers. These two, along with Leanna Mathurin, made up the total population of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the island.
This zealous sister, being conversant with the native patois, a mixture of French and English, reached many of the country folk with the comfort from the Scriptures. From her personal funds she had a small Kingdom Hall built. Two rooms were added to it, one on either side. She occupied one herself, and she reserved the other for traveling ministers. Though 82 years old, she is still zealously serving as a regular pioneer.
St. Lucia, being predominantly Catholic, presented certain challenges to the missionaries’ obtaining suitable housing, but Brother Stull says: “We took the view that everything we needed would be provided for in the house-to-house ministry.” And sure enough, time after time their necessities were taken care of.
Over the years more missionaries were sent to St. Lucia. Among these were Fred Dearman from the United States and William and Edith Honsinger from Canada, who are still faithfully serving in their assignments. Jehovah’s blessings have been truly manifest on their labors of love, for now there are four fine Kingdom Halls serving the needs of five congregations and their 380 zealous publishers.
Seasickness During Convention Travel
In the early years, in order to get to conventions on the various islands, the brothers had to use sloops, windjammers, schooners, or whatever vessel moved on the sea between the islands. There was no reliable air service linking the islands. For those who were rugged sailors, sea travel presented no problem. But for some like Brother Stull, it frequently proved to be a sickening experience.
Someone described one of those trips this way: “Brother Stull, not being a good sailor, got very sick on the boat. Further, to make a bad matter worse, what was to have been a one-day journey took three days because of the sea’s turbulence.
“Sleeping had to be done on deck, as there was cargo in both the ship’s hold and cabin space. There was a tarpaulin with which to shelter, but eventually the rain and the sea spray would get through. Brother Stull was so sick he did not have the strength to take shelter, so most of the time he was exposed to the elements. During the day when the sun would shine, we would roll him over on one side to dry, then roll him over on the other side until he was dried out—until the next spell of bad weather, when there would be a repeat of the experience.”
The harrowing experience persisted until the friends came within sight of the convention island. But even then there was no relief. The tide reversed, and the boat drifted out to sea, out of sight again. When they finally did dock, what a disappointment it was to learn that the immigration and customs officers had already left their posts! So the brothers had to spend another night aboard the schooner.
Richard Ryde, who was based in Grenada as a missionary, also experienced the hardships of interisland travel. He was scheduled to serve as chairman for a convention in Barbados. He sailed from Grenada to St. Vincent, hoping to make connection through to Barbados. Knowing the vagaries of interisland travel, he allowed sufficient time so that he could share in preconvention work. However, because of sea conditions, Brother Ryde arrived in Barbados just in time to hear the public talk! When the boat in which he traveled approached Barbados, those on board could see land on several occasions. They could even make out people walking on the shore. But adverse tides and winds kept them from reaching it. The superstitious sailors took these developments as a bad omen and put up crosses, but to no avail. With understandable disgust, Brother Ryde told them, “Boys, you don’t need the crosses—you need an auxiliary motor.”
Visit From Headquarters
How delighted the brothers were with the news in 1949 that Brother Knorr, on his second trip through the Caribbean, would be visiting Barbados! This time, Milton Henschel, also from the headquarters staff, would be accompanying him. An interisland district convention to be held at the Steel Shed was arranged to coincide with the visit.
The attendance at the public talk, “It Is Later Than You Think!” was 3,000. That number was not exceeded for another 25 years. During that convention Brother Knorr also discussed with the pioneers a subject that would bring spiritual dividends to the islands—the prospect of Gilead training.
The “No-Hell Religion”
Woven into the culture of Barbadian life is the people’s great love for the Bible. This, along with widespread literacy and a keen desire for learning, makes the house-to-house ministry a pleasant challenge. A person is rarely refused a hearing. Rather, he may find that an animated religious discussion can develop, requiring a good knowledge of the Bible and skillful use of it.
For some time, especially during the 1960’s and 1970’s, people would often refer to the Witnesses as the “no-hell religion.” One of our brothers recalls that Gertrude Linton was referred to by people in the community as “No-Hell Gertie.” That obviously was designed to stumble persons who were showing an interest in our message. So it became necessary to have a part on a circuit assembly program showing how to deal with this objection by using the King James Version. Bible texts such as Psalms 55:15; 86:13; Isaiah 14:9; and Jonah 2:2, with the accompanying marginal references in the King James Version, were used. Since most homes had that version of the Bible with marginal references, the brothers were able to reason with people from their own Bible and help them to see that the hell referred to in the Scriptures is not a place of fiery torment but the grave. This method evidently proved to be very successful, for one hardly ever hears this objection anymore.
Covering the Grenadines With the Witness
The major islands now in this branch territory were being given a fine witness. But the smaller islands that are spread out between Grenada and St. Vincent also needed attention. These islands are called the Grenadines.
Nowadays a person who travels by air in this area is never out of sight of these islands. However, to reach them years ago, the Society purchased a 65-foot [20 m] schooner named Sibia. It was on March 18, 1950, that an international group of missionaries dropped anchor off the island of Carriacou, the largest of the Grenadines. Among the crew members were Arthur Worsley, Stanley Carter, Ronald Parkin, and Gust Maki, who served as captain—all of them zealous proclaimers of the good news. Before long the 7,000 people on this island of 13 square miles [34 sq km] had received their first organized witness.
The brothers found that, in spite of their being relatively isolated, there was a warmhearted spirit among the people. They did not have much materially, but this mattered little to the missionaries since they were there to give and to share. So to help these humble folks, the missionaries often exchanged Bibles and other literature for the local produce of peanuts, corn, and vegetables. On August 29, 1950, the first local Witness, a sister, was baptized. On September 22, 1952, a congregation was organized. Today that congregation has over 43 publishers, not to mention the scores of publishers who have moved away from the island and who are now in Europe, North America, and other Caribbean islands.
Another of the Grenadine islands that preserves its untouched, rustic beauty is Bequia. The Sibia sailed into its picturesque harbor, Port Elizabeth, on April 5, 1950. During the following years, ten visits were made by the Sibia to this island of some 6,000 inhabitants. Today, a strong congregation of about 20 publishers takes care of the interest there.
In 1953 the president of the Society approved the purchase of a larger boat, a motor vessel called Le Cheval Noir, to take the place of the Sibia. The name was changed to a more appropriate one, Light, which truly represented the purpose of this twin-screw vessel. There was room for eight persons to live on board. It could even carry up to 50 persons on short interisland runs, and this was often done as it ferried publishers between the islands to attend conventions.
Help After Hurricane Janet
In September 1955, Hurricane Janet swept across the islands of Barbados, Bequia, Carriacou, Grenada, and St. Vincent. Like an angry bull, the wind, at a velocity never before experienced in the memory of those living in this area, ripped up trees and houses. Before moving farther north, Janet blew trillions of horsepower of destructive energy on these islands for a full week. Ninety percent of the houses and buildings in Carriacou were thrown down or destroyed.
The love that the brothers showed toward those affected by the hurricane was indeed outstanding. “During the hurricane we were with the vessel Light in the Puerto Rico area,” Gust Maki said. “The brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico gave us a lot of clothing and food items to carry to the brothers in Carriacou.” Recalling the people’s reaction, he continued: “Since the churches in Carriacou were all damaged, there were no religious services for several months. The Catholic priest was seen going to his members’ homes to offer Communion to them before he left the island. The Anglican priest called at one parishioner’s home to beg for money in order to repair the church; at the same time this person was living in a makeshift kitchen. She was heard to say, ‘My bishop comes to beg for money, while Jehovah’s Witnesses come to help their members.’”
Emigration Influences Growth
The years from 1950 to 1970 altered the pattern of growth and development of the organization throughout the branch territory. People from all over the eastern Caribbean felt the need to migrate to more developed countries in search of the “better life” and improved economic conditions. This was especially true of Barbadians. Within a 30-year period, Barbados reported a net population loss of 74,000.
The economic situation of our brothers was no different from that of other people. Many found themselves torn between two pressing demands—the necessity to provide food, clothing, and shelter for their families, and the more urgent need to keep spiritual things first and preserve family unity in true worship. This situation prompted quite some soul-searching for family heads in the islands.
Many congregations were considerably weakened by the departure of some brothers who had been the most zealous publishers. In some cases, protracted absence of one member of the household contributed to marital infidelity, and to repair the marital breach, discipline as well as guidance from the elders was required. The fact that the family was not together contributed, in some cases, to children becoming delinquent. As years passed, the returning migrants were in most cases better off financially, but in view of the damage to family relationships and the spiritual loss, some found themselves asking, ‘What good was it after all?’
Finer Choice, Grander Blessings
There were those, however, who resisted the economic lure, kept their families together, and endured the hard times. They just dug deeper into their resourcefulness and were richly blessed for doing so. Consider two of those who set fine examples—Milton Alleyne and Fitz Hinds.
Though a skilled and experienced contractor, Milton Alleyne resisted the urge to emigrate. He stayed in the community so that he could help his family in more than just economic ways and so that he could help the local brothers. He kept his family together and now experiences the joy of having all his four children dedicated and baptized and active in the truth. Two are now serving as regular pioneers and one as a special pioneer. Brother Alleyne now serves as presiding overseer of the Hillaby Congregation in Barbados.
Fitz Hinds also demonstrated patient endurance. He has been in the forefront of theocratic activity, providing leadership in the congregation for more than 36 years. Currently serving as Watchtower Study conductor in Sugar Hill, Barbados, he too has had the joy of helping his entire family grow up in the truth. His three sons are all ministerial servants, and one of his daughters is a regular pioneer. The rest of the family regularly share in the auxiliary pioneer service at various times during the year.
Happily, it can be said that the pattern of the 1950’s through the 1970’s has been reversed. Now fewer of the more qualified and zealous brothers think of emigrating for economic reasons alone.
Some who have taken hold of the privilege of full-time service have been favored with training at Gilead School. It is heartwarming to reflect on the fact that the Barbados branch has sent ten full-time workers to Gilead over the years. To coordinate the rapidly expanding work on the islands, two of the graduates who were reassigned here, A. V. Walker and O. L. Trotman, now serve on the Branch Committee along with Sven Johansson.
It is evident that the work of making disciples has progressed well. The brothers have acquired needed organizational ability and have taken on more responsibility in connection with the Lord’s work in these closing days of this wicked system of things.
After the Light, Follow-Up Work
The missionaries on the boat Light did a valuable work on the islands. There was one drawback, however. In these small islands, people were deeply concerned about who would christen their babies after birth and who would perform the last rites or bury them when they died. Interested persons who studied with the missionaries, some of whom went so far as to leave their church, felt abandoned when the missionaries had to pull up anchor and sail to another island. ‘Who now will bury our dead?’ they wondered. So they returned to their church.
Hence, by 1957 the Society’s floating missionary home Light had served its purpose and was sold. The missionaries that were on the boat were assigned elsewhere. The stage was now set for land-based full-time workers to follow through on the interest shown.
Stanley and Ann Carter were assigned to St. George’s, Grenada. Loyally and faithfully they labored to strengthen the brothers. Soon the enthusiasm that was generated by the zealous Witnesses in the city led to the need for a larger meeting place. A fine Kingdom Hall was built on a location overlooking the beautiful harbor of St. George’s and was dedicated by Robert Wallen of headquarters staff when he visited as zone overseer in March 1964.
Readjustments Sift out Disgruntled Ones
The Society’s provision in 1961 for additional training by means of the Kingdom Ministry School for special pioneers, missionaries, and elders in the congregation did much to strengthen the work organizationally. It helped qualified brothers to appreciate the value of putting forth the effort to stay with their assignments instead of emigrating for economic benefits. Attention also needed to be given to situations involving publishers whose lives were morally unclean. Such cases were at times not being dealt with promptly. Therefore, the one-month course that was provided in Bridgetown, Barbados, and Kingstown, St. Vincent, supplied the necessary Scriptural readjustment in viewpoint.
Some complained when adjustments were made, but others were humbly grateful to be able to serve Jehovah in any capacity. For example, Reuben Boyce admits that when he was replaced as presiding overseer in the Bridgetown, Barbados, Congregation, it came “as a big surprise” to him. But he accepted it as being at Jehovah’s direction or by His permission. On the other hand, one who no longer walks in the way of the truth approached Brother Boyce with feigned sympathy and said: “What happened? Why they removed you, Man?”
Brother Boyce responded, “How do you mean?”
The one who was trying to stir up discontent then stated: “That ain’t good enough! What are you going to do about it?”
Brother Boyce’s rejoinder reflected the loyal attitude of the great majority of brothers when he said: “Look, Man! This ain’t nothing to talk about. When the Society appoints a person to a post in the congregation, they don’t tell you they are going to appoint you; so when they remove you, you don’t make a fuss—you carry on as usual. So I don’t see anything to get cranky about.” And that ended the conversation.
Over the years Brother Boyce has continued to maintain his loyalty to Jehovah and His organization and to benefit from the needed discipline. Now totally blind and very advanced in age, he serves as an elder. In his later years he has also had the blessing of having his wife, who formerly was an unbeliever, become a dedicated and baptized Witness.
New Branch Organized
Among the Theocratic News items in the February 1966 issue of Kingdom Ministry (Trinidad Edition) was a brief but significant announcement: “A new branch office began functioning January 1, 1966, in Barbados to oversee the work in Barbados, Bequia, Carriacou, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent.” By this time the number of Witnesses in these six islands totaled 1,084. These publishers had the assignment of preaching to a combined population of more than half a million. Of course, much witnessing had already been done.
Two missionaries were sent to Barbados to organize the missionary home in which the branch office would be located. These were Benjamin and Beryl Mason. Brother Mason had attended the 2nd and 39th classes of Gilead. Zeal for the ministry was his hallmark. He had a slight stoop in his appearance, and with his characteristic sense of humor, he would remark that his stoop was a result of “pressing forward in the Lord’s service.”
From its very beginning, the new branch lost no time in giving more personal attention to the brothers, caring more for their needs. Also having the branch office right in the island community meant getting congregation supplies more readily, without having to order from Trinidad and then depend on the unreliable shipping service between the islands. It did not take long for all the brothers in the branch to become used to being a part of the new “branch family.”
It was now time for the Society to send down permanent roots in Barbados. An excellent piece of property in Bridgetown was purchased to be used for the new branch office, missionary home, and Kingdom Hall. It was the very property that had been the center of so much theocratic activity for more than 50 years—Lucy Gooding’s home.
The Barbados branch office is ideally located in Bridgetown, one block from the new general post office and about a ten-minute walk from the Bridgetown port. The fine, clean appearance of the buildings is often commented on by people as they pass by—people who also watched the community effort of the Witnesses in the construction. All the congregations shared in the actual construction, and that in itself was a great witness.
The coordination of the construction work on the branch buildings and the fellowship it engendered made the brothers think more seriously about needed Kingdom Hall construction. Suddenly they realized that construction skills were readily available among the brothers in the island. Thus, within 18 months after the dedication of the branch buildings, eight new Kingdom Halls were built in the branch territory. The first to be dedicated was at Cave Hill, Barbados; others followed in Castries, St. Lucia, as well as Grenville, Grenada, to name just a few. In the entire branch territory there are now 28 Kingdom Halls, thus making it possible for all the 33 congregations to meet in buildings owned by the brothers.
Political Changes Around Us
Beginning in 1958 there were big political changes throughout the West Indies. Ten West Indian islands, from Jamaica in the northwest to Trinidad in the south, were joined in a political federation. But it turned out to be a fiasco, and so it was dissolved in May 1962. Instead of all these islands proceeding to political independence as one nation, each one was left to pursue independence on its own. Thus, Barbados became an independent nation on November 30, 1966. Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent did so later.
However, these political developments did not affect the relationship among the brothers on the various islands. Both before and since the political independence of these islands, the brothers have always endeavored to live in harmony with the Bible principle of neutrality. They well know that Christ said concerning his followers: “They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.” (John 17:16) They have also been guided by the apostle Paul’s words: “If possible, as far as it depends upon you, be peaceable with all men.” (Rom. 12:18) Since the brothers did not get involved politically but maintained strict neutrality, they have come to be highly respected, even though not loved, by their island’s government. Sometimes, politicians may get annoyed at the brothers for not performing what are considered to be civic duties, especially during local elections. However, over this matter the brothers have never had really serious problems.
On a few occasions, some of the Witnesses’ children have been threatened with expulsion from school for refraining from pledges and oaths of political allegiance. When that happened, it was helpful to refer the school administrators, especially the ones in Barbados, to some of the features of the island’s constitution. When the school authorities were reminded of the rights guaranteed there, we seldom had further difficulty. The brochure School and Jehovah’s Witnesses has proved to be an excellent instrument for making our position clear to school administrators and teachers.
Gilead Graduates Set Fine Example
All the islands have benefited from Gilead-trained traveling overseers and missionaries. Each of these has made a solid contribution to the spreading of the good news and to the strengthening of the congregations.
In 1960 John and Lynne Mills came to Barbados from Trinidad to do circuit work. And this they did successfully for many years, with a young child at that.
Richard and Gay Toews arrived in Barbados on February 21, 1967, to take up their missionary assignment. In that same year Brother Toews was appointed to head the branch administration, and he cared well for that responsibility for 13 years. As the apostle Paul had instructed Timothy to do, the brothers in the branch during that time worked to develop and train local brothers, rather than the foreign missionaries, to handle responsibility and to take care of vital assignments.—2 Tim. 2:2.
Gay Toews, an affable and hardworking sister, proved to be a fine missionary during the years she lived in Barbados. She became quite familiar with the “Bajan” expressions and used them frequently in her house-to-house ministry, even though the Barbadian idioms did not sound quite the same when rolled off a Canadian tongue! She experienced considerable success in directing interest to the organization. Because of ill health, in time Brother Toews and his wife, Gay, returned to Canada, where they now share in district work.
At present the Barbados branch has ten missionaries and five missionary homes. Four of the five traveling overseers are Gilead trained. Many who are now serving in the full-time service say that one of the things that motivated them to take up the full-time service was the fine example of the missionaries.
With all this missionary help, the increase might have been greater were it not for the immoral situation of the times. In one of the islands, 78 percent of all native children are born out of wedlock. Whereas the religions of Christendom are easily prepared to adapt to the so-called new morality, Jehovah’s people cannot. In an effort to give social respectability to the result of such promiscuous sex, one island government, in a recent Family Law Reform bill, removed the word illegitimate (to describe children born out of wedlock) from the statute books. So our brothers have had to lay strong emphasis on adhering to Jehovah’s high standards of morality.
International Convention in Bridgetown
A fine indication of the spiritual growth, maturity, and stature of the brothers in Barbados was reflected in their hosting one of the series of international conventions in 1978. The brothers were thrilled to have that privilege, which proved to be a resounding success. Never before had so many delegates from abroad attended any sort of convention in Barbados. Delegates had come from 28 nations.
An excellent witness was given in hotels and elsewhere as these hundreds of delegates mingled with the people of Barbados. As a result, over 6,000 were present for the public talk, which was delivered by Karl Adams from Brooklyn Bethel. Jack Barr and his wife, Mildred, from London, England, were also in attendance, and Brother Barr handled several vital portions of the program. He was then waiting for legal papers that would permit him to enter the United States so that he could serve as a member of the Governing Body.
Free Radio Service Results in Witness
In Barbados when an issue, practice, or celebration becomes topical, provision is generally made to have differing views aired on the radio stations. This forum has been used effectively by God’s people to state our stand on various issues, and this has resulted in breaking down prejudice against our work. On one occasion we were invited to send a representative to serve as part of a panel that would consider questions on a call-in program on the subject of Christmas, since we do not observe this celebration.
On the panel was the bishop of the Anglican Church. Before the program went on the air, the brother representing the Witnesses approached the bishop and asked him how he should be addressed. The bishop indicated that he could be addressed as Father, Bishop, or Reverend. Our brother politely explained that he would not be able to use any of such titles because the Bible does not agree with such a practice. The clergyman was obviously upset, so he went to the moderator of the program and stated that he would not appear on the program with that Witness—it was either he or the Witness. Since the brother representing the Witnesses was the only one on the panel who did not agree with the celebration of Christmas, he had to be retained. So it was a very annoyed and humiliated clergyman who left the studio.
When the issue of blood transfusion and the practice of homosexuality became topical, again the Witnesses were invited to send representatives to serve on various panels and to present the Bible’s viewpoint.
Avoiding Distractions
It can readily be said that the local theocratic organization has come a long way during the past 84 years. While there has been no organized repression of God’s people in these islands, our wily adversary, Satan the Devil, has used other devices. He has employed more subtle traps—immorality, fault-finding, and excessive recreation.
For example, the most popular island sport is cricket. It is pursued with a passion, so much so that one writer observed: “Cricket is more of a religion than a sport.” Enthusiasts follow the game on radio, on television, or in person at the “hallowed” cricket pitch at Kensington Oval in Barbados. But most of the brothers, knowing its time-consuming nature, have endeavored to maintain a balanced view toward this and other forms of recreation that can make incursions into a person’s spiritual life.
The response to auxiliary pioneer work during April demonstrates that our brothers truly do endeavor to put Kingdom interests first. In April 1988 the Barbados branch reported a peak of 1,009 auxiliary pioneers. This means that there were on the average over 32 auxiliary pioneers per congregation on the six islands under the supervision of the branch. Altogether, 46 percent of the brothers were engaged in some form of full-time service during that month. Such zealous activity without doubt contributed to the fact that in April of that year the branch was blessed with a new peak of 2,571 publishers.
Telling Forth Jehovah’s Praise in the Islands
The history of Jehovah’s Witnesses is now part of the history of Barbados. That silent sentinel of land at the entrance to the Caribbean Sea has given voice to the good news of God’s Kingdom for the past eight decades. And because of that loud voice, the island has truly become a spiritual gateway for many thousands who have come to enjoy “seasons of refreshing” through gaining a fine relationship with Jehovah God and his Son, Christ Jesus.—Acts 3:19.
The prophet Isaiah long ago wrote: “Sing to Jehovah a new song, his praise from the extremity of the earth . . . Let them attribute to Jehovah glory, and in the islands let them tell forth even his praise.” (Isa. 42:10, 12) It is the united prayer of all 2,571 Kingdom proclaimers in this branch territory that the blessing of Jehovah will continue to be upon their efforts to tell forth his praise.
[Box/Map on page 150]
Profile of Barbados Branch
Capital of Barbados: Bridgetown
Official Language: English
Major Religion: Anglican
Combined Population: 629,184
Publishers: 2,571
Pioneers: 299
Congregations: 33
Memorial Attendance: 8,065
Branch Office: Bridgetown
[Map]
(For fully formatted text, see publication)
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BARBADOS
Bathsheba
Holetown
Bridgetown
ST. LUCIA
Castries
Micoud
ST. VINCENT
Kingstown
BEQUIA
Port Elizabeth
GRENADINES
CARRIACOU
GRENADA
Grenville
St. George’s
CARIBBEAN SEA
[Full-page picture on page 148]
[Picture on page 153]
Lina “Mammy” Gaul, left, and Waldemar Rice, early Witnesses in Barbados
[Picture on page 155]
Lucy Gooding, whose house was used as a missionary home
[Picture on page 156]
Winifred Heath, who changed her life to qualify for baptism in 1940
[Picture on page 158]
Chriselda James of Grenada raised nine children in the truth
[Picture on page 159]
E. J. Coward, from Brooklyn headquarters, served eastern Caribbean islands
[Picture on page 161]
Philippa “Mother Lab” La Borde, a Witness since 1918, served in St. Vincent for 50 years
[Picture on page 165]
Cuthbert Blackman used a horse cart for pioneering
[Pictures on page 170]
Frank Gall, left, one of the first Barbadian Gilead graduates, and Dudley Mayers, who helped form early congregations in Barbados
[Picture on page 173]
Richard Ryde, left, and Sven Johansson were sent to Grenada as missionaries in 1949
[Picture on page 175]
Lloyd Stull, one of the first missionaries sent to St. Lucia
[Picture on page 180]
“Sibia,” a 65-foot [20 m] schooner used in the missionary work
[Picture on page 183]
“Light,” a twin-screw vessel that replaced the “Sibia”
[Picture on page 184]
Members of the Branch Committee: A. V. Walker, left; O. L. Trotman; and Sven Johansson
[Picture on page 188]
Benjamin and Beryl Mason, who helped to organize the missionary home
[Picture on page 191]
Richard and Gay Toews, missionaries assigned to Barbados in 1967, now serving in Canada
[Picture on page 192]
Branch buildings and Kingdom Hall in Bridgetown, Barbados
[Picture on page 193]
1978 “Victorious Faith” International Convention, National Stadium, Barbados
[Picture on page 194]
Bathsheba coast, on the Atlantic Ocean side of Barbados
Ecuador
pp. 198–199
Ecuador
AT THE middle of the earth and yet farthest away from its center—there lies Ecuador astride the equator. Steaming jungles in the lowlands contrast with the “cities of eternal spring” high up in the rocky Andes Mountains. Two different ocean currents along the Pacific Coast battle for their turn to revive the land. The chilly Peruvian Current dominates from May to December, bringing cool, dry weather to the central regions. Then from January through April, the warm current named El Niño prevails, blowing heat and humidity, though refreshing the land with new seasonal rains.
The Ecuadorean people are every bit as varied as the country in which they live. Among the dozens of Indian tribes, perhaps the most widely known are the Otavalo Indians. Usually with their hair twisted in a pigtail, the men are dressed in a dark felt hat and a navy-blue poncho over white pants and shirt. Some of them are world travelers, selling their woven blankets, shawls, and ponchos abroad. On the other hand, the Colorado Indians wear very little. Their men are identified by a bowl-shaped haircut, plastered down with a bright-orange paste.
Another important segment of the population, the blacks, can trace their roots directly to Jamaica and Africa. Spain, too, left its mark on both facial features and architecture as a result of the influence of the conquistadores who came in search of gold. Now, add large groups of Oriental, Jewish, Arab, and European merchants, and you have the Ecuador of today. These are a hospitable people who usually greet others with a handshake and a warm smile. That friendliness has helped many of them to embrace a message that has greatly enriched their lives.
Good News Comes to Ecuador
It was first in 1935 that at least some people in Ecuador heard the good news of God’s Kingdom. That year, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses en route to Chile, Theodore Laguna and his partner, spent ten months preaching here. Then, in 1946, missionaries from Gilead School assigned to Ecuador arrived in the port city of Guayaquil. They were Walter and Willmetta Pemberton along with Thomas and Mary Klingensmith.
After caring for necessary legal formalities, these first missionaries were soon on their way to the capital city, Quito, which lies on a plateau of volcanic ash about two miles above sea level. Since no passable roads led up to that altitude, they took the railroad from Guayaquil to Quito. Recalling their trip, they said: “We were fortunate not to have to ride on the roof or hang on the sides, as many did. Not a few carried bananas, pineapples, and chickens to sell farther along the line.”
To negotiate the abrupt climb over what was called The Devil’s Nose, the train trundled through a series of switchbacks. It seemed that they were riding on a narrow ledge dug into the side of a cliff. The train would angle up the steep slope in one direction for a while, stop, and then move backwards up the next section of the zigzag. This was repeated again and again until they reached the top. After two days, as nightfall approached, they neared their destination. Struck with awe, they viewed snow-mantled volcanic peaks, the most striking of which was Cotopaxi—one of the world’s highest active volcanoes, 19,347 feet [5,897 m] high.
True missionary life now began. A home had to be rented. Food was bought daily because there were no refrigerators. A wood-burning stove was used for cooking. How were the clothes washed? Not with an automatic washing machine. Bare knuckles scrubbed the clothes up and down on a washboard, piece by piece. But as one of the missionaries said: “I don’t remember that we ever complained much. We just got on with the preaching work.”
This too was a challenge because their knowledge of Spanish was very limited. Nevertheless, with faith in Jehovah they started out from house to house using a testimony card, phonograph records, and a lot of self-invented sign language. Good results were not long in coming.
First Ecuadorean Finds the Truth
Late one evening when Walter Pemberton was walking down a narrow back street in Quito to scout out the territory, a small boy ran up to him to ask for the time and then ran back into a doorway. On looking inside, Walter noticed a man making a pair of shoes. In broken Spanish, Walter introduced himself, explained that he was a missionary, and asked the man whether he might be interested in the Bible. “No, but I have a brother who is very much interested,” was the reply. The man’s brother turned out to be Luis Dávalos, an Adventist who was beginning to have serious doubts about his religion.
Early the next morning Walter called on Luis. Walter relates: “With my limited knowledge of Spanish, I explained to him God’s purpose to make the earth a paradise where mankind would live forever under God’s Kingdom.”
On hearing this, Luis replied: “How can that be? Jesus said that he was going away to heaven to prepare a place for them.”
Walter showed him that Jesus had in mind a little flock and that this little flock was limited to 144,000. (Luke 12:32; Rev. 14:1-3) He also explained that Jesus spoke of other sheep who are not of this fold but who would have the hope of living here on earth.—John 10:16.
“All my life I have been taught that all good people go to heaven,” Luis said. “I need more proof about this earthly group.” So together they looked up other scriptures, after which Luis exclaimed: “It’s the truth!”—Isa. 11:6-9; 33:24; 45:18; Rev. 21:3, 4.
Luis was like a man dying of thirst in the desert, but his craving was for waters of truth. Immediately he wanted to know what the Bible taught about the Trinity, immortality of the soul, hellfire, and other doctrines. Needless to say, Walter was not able to leave until late that evening. The very next day Luis got busy witnessing to all his friends and telling them, “I have found the truth!”
“The Answer to My Prayer”
About this time Ramón Redín, one of the founders of the Adventist movement in Ecuador, had also become disillusioned with his religion. Divisions in the church disturbed him. In reality Ramón was doubtful about all religions. One day he prayed to God: “Please show me the truth. If you do, I will serve you faithfully the rest of my life.”
Shortly after this, one of his friends, Luis Dávalos, said that he had something very important to tell him. “Ramón, did you know that the Seventh-Day Adventists do not have the truth?” Ramón replied: “Luis, I appreciate your concern for me, but the fact is that none of the religions teach the truth of the Bible, and for that reason, I’m not interested in any of them.” However, Ramón did accept a Watchtower magazine as well as the address of the missionary home and promised that he would at least talk with the missionaries and see if they could answer his questions. His seeming indifference did not convey his true feelings; he had a deep-down desire to find out if there was such a thing as true Christianity. So on leaving his friend’s home, he spent two hours searching for the missionary home.
Walter Pemberton, who was still struggling with Spanish, did his best to answer the questions Ramón asked, such as: “Do Jehovah’s Witnesses allow people the freedom to reason on the Scriptures?” Walter replied: “We oblige no one to go against his conscience. We want people to reason on the Scriptures, as this is the way we come to correct conclusions.”
“Well, do the Witnesses keep the Sabbath?” asked Ramón. “We observe what the Bible says on the Sabbath,” Walter answered.—Matt. 12:1-8; Col. 2:16, 17.
Surprisingly, despite Ramón’s halting English and Walter’s limited Spanish, the truth began to crystallize in Ramón’s mind. Ramón recalls: “I was so impressed by that first hour that I remember saying to myself, ‘This must be the answer to my prayer!’”
Day after day the discussions continued. Walter would look up the texts in his English-language Bible, and Ramón would follow along in his Spanish one. Fifteen days after his initial visit, Ramón Redín, along with Luis Dávalos and three other Ecuadoreans, was among those who participated in the first organized group witnessing in Ecuador. God had answered his prayer to show him the truth, and Brother Redín has been doing his utmost to keep the vow he made that he would serve God faithfully for the rest of his life. Now at 87 years of age, Brother Redín enjoys being a special pioneer.
Pedro Finds the Answer
This tiny but fast-growing group was soon joined by a young man who had been searching for the truth for over 17 years. When Pedro Tules was ten years old, he heard a priest try to explain the Trinity. Not understanding it, Pedro asked him how three persons could be one god. The priest’s reply was a blow on the head with a ruler, and a series of insults. Pedro said to himself: ‘Some day I am going to learn what this is all about.’
Eventually, after spending some time with the Adventists, he began attending the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The “mystery” of the Trinity was cleared up almost immediately. It was not a mystery but a falsehood, he learned. Jesus Christ is not, as some say, “God the Son,” but he is “the Son of God.” (John 20:31) He was impressed with the fact that the Witnesses all preach from house to house, a work he had once tried to convince the Adventists to do. He believed this form of evangelism was necessary in order to follow the example of the apostles. (Acts 5:42; 20:20) Still, Pedro straddled the religious fence.
For four or five months he kept attending the Adventist meetings while also associating with the Witnesses. Finally, Walter Pemberton told him: “Pedro, you have to make a decision. If the Adventists are right, then go with them. But if Jehovah’s Witnesses have the truth, then stick with them. The truth should be above everything.”—Compare 1 Kings 18:21.
“This helped me to make the best decision I have ever made in my life,” says Pedro, “and so I was baptized in symbol of my dedication on August 10, 1947.” The following year Pedro began pioneering, and he has continued faithfully in the full-time service ever since. He was the first Ecuadorean to receive training at Gilead School, after which he returned to Ecuador to help with the work here.
More Help From Headquarters
In 1948 the preaching work received a real boost when 12 more missionaries were assigned to Ecuador, six of these going to Quito and the other six to the country’s largest city and main port, Guayaquil. Albert and Zola Hoffman were among those sent to Guayaquil. Never before had they seen so many curious and interested people! Albert Hoffman describes it this way:
“Sunday afternoon we did our first witnessing as a group along the riverfront, where people could regularly be found. We used the phonograph with Spanish records. First we would tell them that we had a wonderful and important message and then we set the phonograph going. Soon a large crowd would gather around to listen.”
Similarly, when doing magazine street work, if the missionaries stood still in the crowded business sections, they were quickly surrounded by a friendly crowd. Some had questions, and others wanted to obtain the magazines. This was a thrilling experience for the new missionaries inasmuch as they were not accustomed to seeing such demonstrative interest.
An occasion that is specially remembered by those early missionaries took place in March 1949. What was it? The first zone visit to Ecuador by N. H. Knorr, the Watch Tower Society’s president, and his secretary, M. G. Henschel. In Quito, 82 persons gathered to hear the talk “It Is Later Than You Think!” In Guayaquil, the same talk was scheduled. When Brother Knorr noticed the new missionaries’ enthusiasm for advertising, he said, “Don’t be too discouraged if not many people come.” After all, they had been working there for only two and a half months. But it was everyone’s turn to be surprised when 280 people showed up, and countless others heard the discourse by radio.
Earthquake Changes Missionary Assignment
In 1949 it seemed appropriate to begin directing attention to some of the cities around Quito in the Andes highland. Ambato was chosen. However, in August this city and the towns surrounding it were struck with the most devastating earthquake this country had experienced in generations. Entire villages disappeared. It was estimated that more than 6,000 people lost their lives. Ambato was in shambles.
The desolation was so great that by the following year suitable living quarters were still not available for the new missionaries. So it was decided that they would be sent to Riobamba, the next city to the south. Jack Hall and Joseph Sekerak had the task of opening up this virgin territory. But progress was slow in this isolated and very Catholic town.
Applying What They Learned
One day when witnessing in Riobamba, Jack left the book “Let God Be True” with César Santos, a young married man. He became so fascinated by what he was reading that he could not put it down that night until he had read it all. The chapter that caused an immediate reaction was “Use of Images in Worship.” He read: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image . . . Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.” (Ex. 20:3-5, KJ) Now, César was particularly devoted to San Antonio, a Catholic saint, and kept an image of him in his house. But as César continued reading he glowered up at the image of that once favorite saint and said, “I’m going to take you down right away.” He finished reading the chapter, reached up, grabbed the image, took it outside, and threw it away.
When he began telling his relatives and friends what he had learned, they thought he had gone crazy. However, a week later he visited his younger brother Jorge and asked him to read the book. Jorge was impressed by the logic of it and was deeply moved by the prospect of a paradise earth. A month later he was out in the field service with the missionaries.
Jorge still had some things to learn though. One day he was eating when Jack Hall came to visit. Jorge’s mother was serving some fried blood, a common dish in this part of the country. When Jack was offered some, he politely refused and took advantage of the opportunity to explain what the Bible says about blood. (Gen. 9:4; Acts 15:28, 29) Jorge promptly took it to heart. Much to his mother’s surprise, he refused to finish what was on his plate.
Soon even more members of this family were to be benefited by the truth.
Determined to Serve God
Orffa, César’s 18-year-old sister-in-law, once had asked a Catholic priest to tell her who created God. He did not know, so she asked an Evangelist pastor. He could not answer her question either. Then she asked César, and he explained from the Bible that Jehovah has neither beginning nor end. (Ps. 90:2) This simple truth was enough to spark in Orffa a flame of interest that spread to her two sisters. In spite of strong family opposition, she and her younger sister, Yolanda, began to study the Bible and secretly attend the meetings. For this they were given beatings by their parents every time they returned home from the meetings.
Up until this time César’s wife, Lucía, who was Orffa’s sister, was indifferent to the Bible’s urgent message. Then one day Orffa reprimanded her, saying: “Just look what I have to go through for the truth!” as she lowered the back of her dress to reveal welts and bruises. From that time on, Lucía made rapid progress.
In the meantime, the priest had given orders to Orffa’s mother to throw her out of the house, and the mother obeyed. However, this turned out to be a blessing. Now on her own, Orffa began to prepare for baptism, as did Lucía. At the next assembly who should join them among the baptismal candidates but their youngest sister, Yolanda. Without a thought as to how she would be received on returning home, she had traveled over 100 miles by bus to be baptized with her sisters. The three of them stood together and expressed their determination to serve Jehovah come what may!
Clergy Opposition Protested
With the arrival of more missionaries in the early 1950’s, the preaching of the good news quickly began to spread out to the isolated towns in the coastal lowland—Manta, La Libertad, Milagro, Machala, and others. Rapid growth and the large groups of publishers that were sharing in the ministry caused the Catholic Church to get alarmed. This was territory she had conquered with the help of the conquistadores, and she was not about to tolerate any rivalry. On the other hand, true Christians have the backing of Jehovah’s invincible spirit, and no amount of persecution is able to quench their burning desire to spread the good news of God’s Kingdom. What was the outcome?
Pedro Tules recalls: “In the suburbs of Quito in the section called Magdalena, after the priest had stirred up a mob of people against us, a man walked up and said, ‘Mr. Priest, what are you doing here?’ The priest replied: ‘I am protecting my flock from these people. I am the only one that has the right to teach them about God.’ The man replied: ‘No, you have a right to teach in the church, but out here in the streets and parks they have complete freedom to teach the Bible. They are not harming anyone. Until now I did not know of such people, but I want all of you to know that they are welcome in my home anytime.’”
In yet another community near Quito, a priest endeavored to run the Witnesses out of town. As they were crossing a bridge, the priest and his mob threatened to throw the publishers into the river. Just at this moment a man appeared whom Pedro had visited a number of times. “Hello, Pedro,” he said. “What’s going on here?”
In reply, Pedro said, “We were peacefully teaching the Bible to people, but this man has stirred up the people against us and he is running us out of town.”
At this, the man pulled out a revolver, walked over to the priest, and shouted: “Hey, what are you doing? Don’t you know that these people have the same rights as you? What you are doing is a violation of the law.” When the priest tried to defend his actions, the man replied: “What has occurred here is going to appear in El Comercio tomorrow!” He happened to be working for that newspaper, and true to his promise, that priest’s unchristian conduct was in the headline of Quito’s leading paper the next day.
Government Warns Opposers
Alfred Slough recalls another incident that occurred while he was serving as a missionary: “A ‘brave’ fellow pretended interest but then snatched a copy of The Watchtower out of the hands of one of the missionary sisters and proudly tore it to shreds. About this time I noticed the priest on his bicycle with skirts flying, approaching rapidly to verify our presence.
“Shortly after his arrival, a mob was formed, headed by the man who had torn up The Watchtower and assisted by two nuns. The rest were mostly youngsters who could be seen filling their pockets with stones. As a group, we started walking slowly the several blocks to the bus stop with the mob right on our heels. During this tense walk they contented themselves with throwing smaller stones into our group. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt. When the bus stopped, the mob finally developed a great surge of courage and charged, throwing rocks as they approached. By the time they arrived alongside the bus, all the sisters and youngsters were on board, so I hopped on. We left in a shower of stones and mud thrown into the bus, while residents of this area who were also on the bus angrily shouted at the mob, calling them savages. The people on the bus kindly gave us their seats and helped us to wipe off the mud, thus demonstrating that what had occurred was the action of only a misguided few, who unquestioningly did the will of the priest. We had a wonderful opportunity to witness all the way back to town.”
The reaction of the press was immediate, with such headlines as: “PRIEST INSTIGATES CRIME,” “IN MAGDALENA FANATICS ATTACK MEMBERS OF SECT OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES,” “RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE.”
Of course, the priest denied having any part in the mob action, saying that he had been in another part of the neighborhood. Some Catholic societies and committees in this area also signed a petition declaring their innocence. But the Ministry of Government directed the chief of police to reply: “The Constitution and laws of the Republic allow freedom of religion, and for this reason, we as authorities are obliged to be on the watch to see that the rights of citizens are not threatened. . . . It would be very desirable that from now on there be no repetition of incidents similar to what happened the sixth of this month, otherwise this authority will be obliged to punish according to the law the responsible ones.”
Nevertheless, more harassment was to come, because the Church was not about to let her captives go.
Difficult Cuenca
Cuenca, the third-largest city in Ecuador, with a population of 152,000, was a veritable fortress of the Catholic Church. Since the population had not yet received a witness, Pedro Tules and Carl Dochow, a more recent Gilead graduate, were assigned there in October 1953. It was a very difficult and often discouraging assignment.
Carl remembers a fanatic maid who excitedly said, “You don’t believe in the Virgin.” When he opened the Bible to Matthew 1:23, she began to tremble and said, “We are forbidden to read the Bible.” At that she abruptly went back into the house and left Carl standing at the door. On another occasion a maid was listening with interest, but when the woman of the house came home and took one look at what was happening, she kicked Carl’s book bag down the stairs. Another time he was chased off a patio by an irate householder brandishing a piece of firewood. Each time the missionaries witnessed in the San Blas area, the priest would ring the church bells; and when the children came running, he would urge them to throw stones at the missionaries.
In three years, not one person in Cuenca had the courage to take a stand for the truth. Many a time Carl would take a sad stroll down by the river and pray that Jehovah would give him a more productive assignment. Finally he was assigned to the coastal city of Machala, populated by easygoing, open-minded people. However, this was not the last that Cuenca was to see of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Mob Violence at an Assembly
Riobamba, the city where Jack Hall and Joseph Sekerak had been sent in 1950 to open up the territory, was in the news in 1954. In March a circuit assembly was held there in the Iris Theater. All went well until a Jesuit priest denounced Jehovah’s Witnesses on the radio and said that they had no right to hold an assembly in the “Catholic city of Riobamba.” He called on the people to prevent the public meeting scheduled for the following day. But the brothers alerted the police to his threats.
The public talk entitled “Love, Practical in a Selfish World” began as scheduled with 130 persons present. But within ten minutes, cries of “Long live the Catholic Church!” and “Down with the Protestants!” could be heard in the distance. Minute by minute the noise grew louder as the mob neared the theater.
Eight policemen blocked the theater entrance. As the furious crowd of opposers grew in numbers, the police drew their swords and pushed them back to the intersection; from there the crowd kept hurling stones at the entrance. Despite this commotion, however, the program was carried out to its conclusion. Appropriately, the final discourse was “Enduring to the End.”
As the audience left the hall, they found about 40 policemen there to protect them. But as the brothers moved away from the area of police protection, the situation became more tense. The location of the missionary home and Kingdom Hall was well known, and an even larger mob had gathered there. Once again it was necessary to request police protection. Officers accompanied the missionaries to their home and surrounded the house all night. Not being able to get at the Witnesses, the mad mob vented its fury on the apartment building, throwing stones and breaking practically all the windows facing the street, much to the disgust of the other six families who also lived there and who were not Jehovah’s Witnesses.
National Protest Against Intolerance
As the brothers walked the streets the following day, they were repeatedly approached by people who, in spite of having little interest in the work of the Witnesses, wished to express their disapproval of what had happened the previous evening. By the second day the entire nation was protesting. A wave of newspaper articles in favor of freedom of worship and championing the rights of Jehovah’s Witnesses swept the country for an entire week.
El Comercio, the newspaper of greatest prestige in the nation’s capital, described the attack and then called to mind the Inquisition, Hitler’s pogroms, and other savage events of history.
A columnist for the principal newspaper of Guayaquil, El Universo, wrote on the “Fruits of Intolerance” and said:
“My purpose in this article is to put, in direct form, a question to the Rector of San Felipe High School, where they teach intolerance to the point of launching their young students to attack with sticks and stones the patient . . . Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Rector Reverend Jesuit Father ought to answer this question, if he is a man able to face up to the consequences of his actions. The question, very simply, is the following: How would it seem to the Rector if in the nations where the Catholics are in the minority they proceeded in the way that he makes his students proceed with the Protestants? . . . Catholics in the whole world, headed by the Supreme Pontiff, are asking for tolerance. They demand it in all tones; they ask for it in the United Nations, at the Berlin Conference, and at all of the conventions and in all of the meetings where East and West get together. The Holy Pontiff and chief of Catholicism, in intimate accord with Churchill (Protestant) and Eisenhower (Protestant), asks of Russia and her satellites tolerance, the freedom of the imprisoned archbishops and cardinals . . .
“What difference is there between a group of Communists in Czechoslovakia who, sticks in hand, attack Catholics who are praying in a temple, and the students of San Felipe who, sticks in hand, attack Jehovah’s Witnesses in Riobamba while they are listening to a sermon on ‘Love in This Selfish Era’?”
The curses of the Jesuit priest of Riobamba had resulted in a blessing just as in the case of Balaam, for Jehovah was with his people.—Num. 22:1–24:25.
Greater Affection for Christ
During this time Carlos Salazar, a young Ecuadorean who had learned the truth in the United States of America, took up the full-time ministry.
Carlos was just 16 years old when a pioneer sister in New York City placed a Bible and the book “This Means Everlasting Life” with his mother, who gave them to Carlos to read. Since he was not interested in religion, he put them on the shelf. However, one day while playing in Central Park, he broke his leg and so was laid up at home. With time on his hands, he reluctantly accepted the pioneer’s offer to study the Bible, but only on the condition that she teach him some English. He says: “The more I read the book, the more I was convinced that this was the truth.”
Soon Carlos began to attend meetings and share in the field service, even standing on street corners offering the magazines. True, his mother had given the book to him, but when she saw him reading it, she became so angry that she threatened to send him back to Ecuador. She was imagining that Ecuador had no Witnesses. So in 1953, escorted by his devout Roman Catholic great-aunt Rosa, Carlos returned to Ecuador.
“Carlos, now that you are back in Ecuador, you must begin attending Mass again,” his great-aunt said.
But Carlos was not about to give up something as valuable as the hope of everlasting life. (John 3:36) Jesus’ words, “He that has greater affection for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me,” had real meaning for him. (Matt. 10:37) He replied: “Aunt Rosa, you do not understand at present what I am doing. But now that I am here in Ecuador, I intend to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and you must respect my wishes.”
After Carlos was baptized in 1954, he began pioneering. In 1958 he became the second Ecuadorean to be invited to Gilead School. He was assigned back to his home country, where he has continued in the full-time service. Finally after ten years of patient witnessing to her, he saw his great-aunt also accept the truth; and at the age of 84, she continues to be an active Witness.
Courageous Sisters Defend the Good News
In 1958 two sisters who were graduates of Gilead School were also sent to Ecuador. Unn Raunholm from Norway and her partner Julia Parsons from Newfoundland were assigned to Ibarra, a beautiful city nestled in a valley north of Quito. Here another valiant defense was made for freedom of worship. Unn has these vivid memories of what happened:
“As we began covering our territory in the city of Ibarra, we found that there were small towns nearby that we could not work, like San Antonio, where they made beautiful carvings of wood along with many religious images. As soon as word got to the local priest that we were there, he would either turn up on horseback or come running with a string of people behind him and cause such an uproar that we would have to leave. So we decided to concentrate on another small town nearby called Atuntaqui.
“One day while working near the church, we noticed a group of people outside but did not pay any attention until the local sheriff came over. He was a friendly man I had visited before; in fact, he had even taken some literature. However, this time he excitedly urged me, ‘Miss, please leave town at once! The priest is organizing a demonstration against you, and I do not have enough men to defend you.’ It turned out that the priest of San Antonio had been transferred to Atuntaqui, and he was up to his tricks again.
“As there were four of us preaching that day, it took some time to round up everyone to leave. Then we learned that the bus for Ibarra would not be going for another hour. So we headed for a hotel, hoping to find protection there until the bus would arrive. On our way there we began to hear shouting. The crowd was coming after us! The Vatican flag of white and yellow was waved before the group while the priest shouted slogans like ‘Long live the Catholic Church!’ ‘Down with the Protestants!’ ‘Long live the virginity of the Virgin!’ ‘Long live the confession!’ Each time, the crowd would echo the slogans word for word after the priest.
“Just as we were wondering what to do, a couple of men came toward us and invited us into the local Workers’ House. It belonged to the union, and they assured us that here no one would harm us. So while the mob stood outside shouting slogans like ‘Down with the Masons!’ ‘Down with the Communists!’ we were inside busily witnessing as curious people came in to see what was going on. We placed every piece of literature we had.
“Recalling the fine amount of interest we had found in Atuntaqui, we decided to visit it again, but this time starting to work cautiously on the outskirts of town. However, someone must have reported us, as the church bells began to ring frantically and we soon heard a loud voice warning us that the priest was coming this way with a mob of people behind him. The priest came up to me and blurted out: ‘Miss, how do you dare come back after what happened last time!’ I tried to reason with him, explaining that the country’s constitution guaranteed freedom of religion. ‘But, this is my town!’ he said. ‘Yes,’ I said, ‘but I have a right to talk to these people, and they have a right to listen if they wish. Why not just tell your people that if they do not want to listen, they do not have to open their doors when we call, and we will go on to the next person.’
“The priest then turned to the crowd and said: ‘I shall for sure leave this town if these people take another step forward!’ At this, several that were listening urged us to continue on with our work and promised to back us up against the priest. However, as we did not want to start a civil war, we decided that it would be best to leave and return another day.”
Back to San Antonio
“Seeing that this fire-breathing priest had been moved to this town, we decided to visit the other town, San Antonio, again,” Sister Raunholm continues. “Before we had made many calls, the church bells began ringing and several women started gathering in the streets with sticks and brooms in hand. One householder invited us in, and as we were talking, a loud knock came at the door. It was the local sheriff. He urged us to leave town and said: ‘You know what happened in Atuntaqui, and you know that there is no need to come here as we are already Christians.’ I asked him if he thought that coming against people with sticks in hand was what true Christians would do. I suggested that he go outside and ask the people to go home. He said that he would try, but he came back almost immediately saying that they would not listen to him.
“At this, another neighbor invited us to his house to talk to his family, even escorting us on the way there. While inside, we heard another knock on the door, and it turned out to be the police armed with rifles. They had been summoned from Ibarra by the sheriff. They said: ‘We have been told about your troubles. You just continue going from house to house, and we will be right there behind you.’ We thanked them for their kindness and suggested that they visit the local priest, as he was the instigator of the whole matter.”
The police followed through on the suggestion. From that time on, our sisters had no more problems with witnessing in the town of San Antonio.
Areas on the Coast
Two other missionaries, Ray and Alice Knoch, were assigned to bring the Kingdom message to villages on the Pacific Coast. To reach Manta, a fishing village with a population of about 10,000, they traveled by bus for 16 hours from Guayaquil. En route they had to ford streams where there were no bridges. At times the road was so slippery with overgrown vegetation that the passengers had to get out and push in order to get the bus up the steep grades.
Preaching from house to house was unlike anything they had experienced. Dozens of curious children, never having seen a foreigner before, followed them from house to house. Because the people were receptive to the Bible’s message, a congregation was established in short order.
Next, Ray and Alice moved to La Libertad, another fishing village down the coast. Travel to this village was by cattle boat. By the time they arrived, clothing, furniture, and everything else had the odor of a barnyard. But here in La Libertad they met Francisco Angus, a man of Jamaican origin who listened intently to the message. He accepted a Bible study. In about six months he and his wife, Olga, were ready to share in field service. Alice says: “What impressed me about Francisco was that after working all night long, he would come home in the morning, wash up, and be ready for service.” Later he went into the pioneer work with his wife, then became a circuit overseer, and now is serving as a member of the Branch Committee.
Machala Bears Fruit
Meanwhile, Carl Dochow and Nicolas Wesley, another missionary, also began to find hearing ears in Machala, the banana capital of Ecuador. Joaquín Palas, a burly saloon owner, listened with keen interest as Carl explained about the hope of living on a paradise earth. Joaquín readily accepted a study. Such was his appreciation that he would close down the saloon during the time for the study. When he learned that there was no burning hell, he became so excited he began to visit some of his neighbors to share what he had learned. However, he was a bit taken aback when a neighbor said: “Joaquín, you had better clean up your own house first before you come talking about the Bible. You are not even married to the woman you live with.”
When Joaquín asked Carl what he should do, the answer was that he should get legally married. The very next day he and his live-in companion went down to the authorities to arrange their papers. Next he decided that he really ought to change occupations. The beer saloon was sold, and he began making charcoal to support himself and his wife. Later they both entered the pioneer work.
The Kingdom Hall in Machala was a modest structure that had split bamboo walls through which daylight and air could pass freely. Unknown to the brothers, a curious woman—a neighbor—had made a small opening in the wall to observe what was going on. For two months she watched how the brothers would greet one another and how they enjoyed visiting before and after the meetings. This friendly, loving environment was something she had never experienced in the religions to which she had belonged. She wanted to be a part of it. So, Floricelda Reasco began attending meetings and soon became a sister in the faith and then a zealous pioneer.
Stiff Opposition in Portovelo
A few miles from Machala lies the gold-mining town of Portovelo, nestled in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Here lived Vicenta Granda, a devout Catholic lady who was one of the most faithful attenders at Mass. On the so-called Holy Week, she strictly followed a ritual known as rezar viacruzes. For seven days in a row she would pray in front of 12 paintings depicting the sufferings of Jesus from the time of his arrest until his death. Devotees were taught that performing this ritual gave them full pardon for all their sins committed during the year.
Well, Vicenta Granda wanted to know more about God, so she acquired two Bibles, the Valera and Torres Amat translations. She had already read them through twice and now was full of many questions. When Alice Knoch called at her home, offering the book “Let God Be True,” she took it immediately and promptly became so absorbed in reading it that she entirely forgot about Alice’s presence. On Alice’s return visit, Vicenta could hardly wait to ask her questions. “Did the ‘Virgin Mary’ have other sons?” “What is the name of the Father? I have always wanted to know, but our priest says that his name is not Jehovah.” Just a few verses in her own Bible answered her questions. She was satisfied. (Matt. 13:53-56; Ps. 83:18) An occasional visit from the circuit overseer and his wife gave her further personal help.
Meanwhile, when the priest saw that she had abandoned the Catholic religion, he had her expelled from the church publicly. One day when she went to the market, a group of her former friends surrounded her and were going to beat her up for leaving her religion. But a courageous bystander called the police. It was practically impossible for anyone to witness from house to house in this town without being stoned. But Vicenta Granda said: “Even if it costs my life, I will never stop studying the Bible!”
In time she moved to Machala, where it was easier for her to progress spiritually. In 1961 she was baptized and later that same year became a pioneer; she has continued in the full-time service ever since.
Later, Joaquín Palas and his wife were assigned to Portovelo as special pioneers. Being no exception, they, too, received bitter opposition from the priest, who felt that he ruled this town. At one time the priest told Joaquín that if he did not leave town by a certain date, he was going to send the people to burn his house down. But before the priest could carry out this threat, his own house caught on fire!
In spite of efforts to stop the Kingdom work in this town, a congregation was established in the early 1970’s, and today our brothers are able to meet and carry on their lifesaving work peacefully.
Not All Embrace the Truth
In a setting of breathtaking beauty on the western slopes of the Andes Mountains lies the small village of Pallatanga. It was here that Maruja Granizo first came in contact with the truth 24 years ago when her sister visited her. She was impressed by what was said about ‘the end of the world.’ But she did not react as favorably when told that God’s name is Jehovah. Nevertheless, she still wanted to learn more about spiritual things. So she asked the local priest about the condition of the dead and the resurrection. The priest scornfully brushed her question aside by replying that the only kind of people who believed in the resurrection were those who had nightmares from eating too much. But that sarcastic remark did not dampen her interest.
Her sister later returned with Nancy Dávila, a young sister from Machala. Nancy had such a kind and loving manner that Maruja was moved to say to herself: ‘This is the kind of friend I want for my children.’ Among Maruja’s first questions were, “Where are the dead? And is there a resurrection?” Maruja recalls that on receiving the answer that the dead are unconscious in the grave and awaiting a resurrection, she was so overjoyed she wanted to tell this newfound truth to everyone. (Eccl. 9:5; John 5:28, 29) So she asked Nancy to accompany her in visiting her neighbors up in the mountains.
But, as was true in other areas, the priest was like a king in these villages. So while they were on their way to visit Maruja’s native village deep in the mountains, the priest’s orders had evidently preceded them. At one home they were greeted by a large sign scrawled with obscene words.
At another home, a relative remarked: “The priest says that those who go about preaching should be killed with sticks and stones.” Maruja replied: “If you kill us, then who will go to prison—you or the priest?”
“We will,” answered the relative.
“But think about your children,” reasoned Maruja. “Who will care for them when you go to jail? The priest doesn’t worry about whom he orders to be killed, since he is not the one who will have to answer for it. We are not dogs. If we are killed, then someone is going to press charges and you will have to answer for it.”
A Record of Endurance
After a two-month stay in Pallatanga, Nancy had to return to Machala, and Maruja was again left alone with her four children and elderly mother. Yet, she felt an urgent need to associate with Jehovah’s people. So she went to Riobamba to look for the Witnesses. There she was able to attend a circuit assembly and get baptized.
For some time she traveled to Riobamba for association whenever she had the money. Later, in spite of the neighbors’ threats to harm the Witnesses or even kill them, the brothers from Riobamba began assisting her to witness in Pallatanga.
Things came to a head one day when the brothers from Riobamba made plans to show one of the Society’s films in the Pallatanga town square. All was quiet until the first mention of the name Jehovah. Suddenly the people began to shout: “Maruja Granizo had better get out of here, or we will not be responsible for her life!” Someone tore down the sheet that had been hung up as a screen for the projection. Church bells began to ring frantically, and people started coming out of their homes with sticks and rocks in hand. So the brothers quickly gathered up their equipment and got on board the bus to leave town. As the bus started up the road a head count was taken, and it was noticed that one of the Witnesses, Julio Santos, was missing! Had he been caught by the mob?
Suddenly they saw a large man running toward the bus, leading the mob, throwing stones, and shouting: “Give it to them with sticks and stones!” It was Julio! The mob had somehow got between him and the bus, so in a desperate scheme of self-preservation, Julio pretended that he was one of them. When he caught up with the bus, he jumped on board, and away they went toward Riobamba.
Maruja and her family had also got on the bus for safety’s sake. But outside the village, they got off and started toward home. How were they going to make it? The mob was searching for them. A number of times they had to hide as the mob ran by. Finally late at night they arrived safely at home.
What has been the result of 24 years of endurance in this isolated territory? First of all, the priest that had caused so much trouble in Pallatanga was thrown out 20 years later by the same townspeople, who accused him of immorality and stealing. Little by little the people have become very receptive to the Bible’s message. Though there is still only a small isolated group here, Maruja herself now conducts 11 Bible studies. In 1987 a large restaurant was made available for the Memorial, and 150 attended. Yes, Pallatanga is a modern-day Macedonia, sheltered by breathtaking scenic mountains, just begging for someone to step over and help this tiny group to preach the good news throughout its vast territory.
‘The Only Religion That Has the Truth’
Some people, like Jorge Salas, who lived in Ibarra, would even search for Jehovah’s Witnesses. He chanced to read a book entitled La Gran Obra (The Great Work), written by a Dr. Berrocochea who lived in Uruguay at the time. Among other things, the book stated that the only religion that had the truth was Jehovah’s Witnesses. That was what Jorge wanted. So he decided to go to Quito to search for the Witnesses, and if they could not be found there, he would go to Guayaquil, or even to Uruguay if necessary.
In Quito, he started out at 5:30 a.m. in search of the Witnesses. After getting tired of walking, he hired a taxi. When the taxi driver got tired of driving him, he hired another one. At noon the second driver was getting hungry and wanted to quit. However, Jorge insisted that they continue.
Finally someone showed him where a Witness lived, and from there he was escorted to the entrance of the missionary home. Arthur Bonno, the cook for that day, came to the door with his apron on and invited him in. Jorge thought to himself: ‘If the cook is a gringo and is so well dressed, what will the missionary be like who attends me?’ In a short while a missionary with strong Indian features arrived to care for him. This was Pedro Tules. Again he wondered, ‘What kind of religion could this be, one that has the Indians being served by the lighter-skinned people?’ He was to discover that this is not the only way in which Jehovah’s Witnesses are different. Soon he himself forsook his immoral life, remarried his divorced wife, and was able to assist her and most of their children to accept the truth.
Unlike Jorge, there were some people who at first wished that the Witnesses would go away.
A Polish Businessman
In Guayaquil, John and Dora Furgala, who had emigrated from Poland, ran a hardware store that was well known to all the builders, carpenters, and plumbers in the city. Zola Hoffman placed a tract with Dora and returned on the weekend for a visit. Dora’s husband, John, however, was not pleased to have his day of rest interrupted. So he accepted all the books Zola had in her witnessing bag, thinking that this would mean no more visits, as she would have nothing more to offer them. However, Zola sent back a missionary who spoke Polish, and a study was started with Dora.
Later when the Furgalas were invited to the congregation meetings, John replied: “Dora can go along and tell me what she learns.” John did not get enthusiastic about the Bible until he suffered a slight heart attack and the doctor ordered him to stay in bed for 15 days. In order to occupy his mind, he started reading the Bible and the publications. Suddenly, he felt like a man who was having his eyes opened for the first time. Every day he would call his wife and say: “Hey! Look! I’ve discovered something new!” Soon both of them were baptized. But in view of their hardware business, would John really give Jehovah’s service first place?
For John Furgala, being a prominent businessman was no handicap because he was not ashamed of the good news. (Matt. 10:32, 33) Along with his tools and hardware, he set up an attractive stand to display the Watch Tower publications. While his helper filled an order for a customer, John would give him a witness. In those days it was the custom to give a commission to a client when he purchased a certain amount of hardware. Instead, John would offer the person a free subscription for our magazines. It was not uncommon for him to place 60 or more subscriptions in a month.
A Politician Embraces True Justice
People in all walks of life—the rich and the poor, those in prison and those who are prominent in this system of things—need to be given opportunity to hear the truth. Rafael Coello was one who had been searching for social justice since his youth. This led him to become a member of the Communist Party in 1936. For seven years he participated in riots and protests. Disillusioned, he renounced membership with them and became involved in several other parties. There he experienced both notoriety and prominence. At one time he was named by the president of Ecuador as ambassador to a special meeting directed by the United Nations. Yet another time, when the opposing party was in power, he was put into prison. It was here in jail that Albert Hoffman paid him a visit and left him the book “Let God Be True.”
Seven years later a man of kindly appearance called at the home of Rafael Coello, who relates: “I recognized instantly that it was someone I had been waiting for without knowing it. Albert Hoffman was looking for me again.” A study was started in the book “This Means Everlasting Life.” It did not take long for Rafael to find what he had been looking for all these years—the understanding that true justice would come only by means of God’s Kingdom. His baptism in 1959 stirred quite a bit of excitement, for he had been well known as a politician for over 20 years.
Just as he had been a vigorous fighter for human justice, he now became a strong defender of divine justice. On looking back over the years, Brother Coello recalls: “I have been privileged to speak of Jehovah’s justice to men of all stations, from ex-presidents to very humble laborers.” Being well acquainted with the Palacio de Justicia (Palace of Justice) in Guayaquil because he had served there as judge in the court of appeals, he went back to witness to each one of the dozens of judges and lawyers there. As a result, he established an extensive magazine route with former work associates.
An International Brotherhood
Because the brothers have done much planting and watering of seeds of Kingdom truth, people of all sorts have heard the good news. But it is Jehovah who has given the increase. (1 Cor. 3:6) His spirit working on his entire visible organization has made it possible.
With the encouragement received at the 1958 Divine Will International Assembly in New York, many brothers came to Ecuador to serve where the need was greater. When a visit was made by the Society’s president in 1959, he talked to 120 persons who had come from foreign countries. Many new ones were brought to a knowledge of the truth through their efforts. Some were instrumental in forming new congregations and effectively training local brothers for congregational responsibilities.
In 1967 the Ecuadorean Witnesses experienced in yet another way the genuineness of our international brotherhood. The occasion? The “God’s Sons of Liberty” International Assembly that was held in Guayaquil. Present at this assembly were directors of the Society along with some 400 visiting brothers from various countries. What joyous fellowship with more than 2,700 Ecuadorean brothers and interested persons! So many expressions of appreciation came from the native brothers as well as from those visiting from abroad.
A Different Spirit in Cuenca
In the year 1967 it seemed appropriate to make another attempt to get the good news established in Ecuador’s third-largest city, Cuenca. How would this be done? At first, Carlos Salazar was sent there as a special pioneer. Shortly after that, four recent graduates of Gilead also arrived—Ana Rodriguez and Delia Sánchez of Puerto Rico, as well as Harley and Cloris Harris from the United States.
At that time the only local Witness in this city of over 100,000 was Carlos Sánchez, a young man who was paralyzed from the waist down as a result of an automobile accident some years before he learned the truth. For each meeting the missionaries would carry him downstairs from his apartment, settle him on the back of a motor scooter, and then carry him upstairs to the Kingdom Hall. His smiling face and optimistic attitude were a real encouragement to this small group.
Remember, Cuenca had the reputation of being the strongest Catholic city in all Ecuador. One of the first things that caught the missionaries’ attention was the surprising number of churches. It seemed that every fourth or fifth block had one. And towering over all of them was the huge cathedral located on the main square. Each morning long before dawn the missionaries were awakened by church bells, calling the people to early morning Mass. During what was known as Holy Week, the images from the various churches were carried outside and paraded up and down the streets of Cuenca. It would take a whole day to finish this procession of images.
So it was with great caution that the small group of Witnesses began to work from house to house. Tales of rock-throwing mobs still lingered from past efforts to work certain sections of the city. However, much to the surprise of the missionaries, nothing of this sort happened now. On the contrary, people welcomed them into their homes on the first visit and took much literature. The people were starving spiritually.
Regarding one of the most popular priests in Cuenca, Harley Harris relates: “We were constantly hearing about a priest from Spain by the name of Juan Fernández. He was in disagreement with the bishop of Cuenca because he refused to charge different prices for the various categories of Mass. To him, the Mass was all the same. The problem was that he was not bringing in enough money to satisfy the bishop. Secondly, he got rid of almost all the images in his church. This was applauded by the liberal Catholics, while the more conservative ones were scandalized.
“Then one day a lady told us of her neighbor who had refused to listen to us and had then reported this to Fernández the priest. Much to her surprise and that of others, he publicly criticized her at Mass and told those present that if anyone should come to their doors talking to them about the Bible, they should listen, as the Bible contains the truth.
“I decided I should meet this priest, and after some effort I was able to obtain his home address. I gave him an invitation to our home and was pleased to receive him for a two-hour visit. Surprisingly, he had a fair knowledge of some basic Bible teachings. When I asked him what position he thought a Christian should take when there is a political conflict between two nations, he immediately replied: ‘There is just one position a Christian can take and that is neutrality, because one cannot obey Jesus’ command to love and kill at the same time.’ The conversation ended on a warm and friendly basis, and he requested a number of our publications.”
Due to his dispute with the bishop, however, he was relieved of his duties as a priest and was sent back to Spain that same week. His comments had loosened the mental shackles of many townspeople who afterward gave a hearing ear to the Bible message.
Still there was something that seemed to be holding the people back from taking a firm stand for the truth. Many would study the Bible and come to the meetings; but when it came to going out in the field service, almost no one had the courage to do so. We came to the conclusion that it was fear of neighbor. What could help to overcome this barrier?
“Mother, I Can’t Die Yet”
Bob and Joan Isensee, former missionaries, chose to rear their family in Cuenca. While Mimi, their 10-year-old daughter, was playing at school one day, she was crushed beneath the wheels of a loaded dump truck. She was rushed to a clinic. Desperate efforts were made to save her life. When her anxious mother arrived, Mimi was still conscious and whispered: “Mother, I can’t die yet. I haven’t even conducted a Bible study!” And of her own accord the child told the nurses that she did not want any blood used in treating her. This was the clinic’s first experience with Jehovah’s Witnesses. And it proved to be an unforgettable one.
The doctor arrived. He said an operation would be necessary to determine what damage had been done internally. The father explained that this was quite all right, but “No blood, please, because the Bible forbids the use of blood in any form!” (Acts 15:28, 29) The doctor was shocked. Never before had he been faced with an operation as serious as this with the request that blood not be used. The father said that this was his responsibility as a parent and not the surgeon’s. He would accept full responsibility for the outcome. The only thing he asked was that, without violating God’s law on blood, the doctor do all he could to save the child’s life.
With humility the doctor replied: “Since I have my own religious beliefs and want others to respect them, I will respect yours. I will do what I can.”
Just before being wheeled into the operating room, Mimi said to her father: “Don’t worry, Daddy. I have already prayed to Jehovah.”
More than five long hours passed. During that time many people who knew the family or had heard of the accident came to the clinic and waited for the results. Meanwhile the parents were explaining to them that if their child should die, they had the assurance of seeing her again in the resurrection. What effect did this have on the others?
Remarks like these were heard: “I am a father too and know what it means to lose a child; but you show more calmness over this than I would.” Another said: “If I could have faith like these people, I would be the happiest man alive.” A next-door neighbor, whose husband had died some time before this, came to console them and went away comforted herself. She said: “For two years, since the death of my husband, I have been depressed; but seeing you and your faith in God and the hope you have has enabled me to find happiness for the first time.”
But what about the child? Finally the long operation ended, and the anxious parents approached the doctor to get his report. Very serious damage had been done to the internal organs. The artery to the diaphragm had been cut and more than half of her blood was lost. The liver had been lacerated in several places. Because of the tremendous pressure, the stomach had been forced right through the diaphragm. The truck had stopped just short of bursting the heart.
The doctor said that he appreciated the calm attitude of the parents, as this had enabled him to begin the operation in a much more steady frame of mind. Mimi recovered in short order, much to the elation of everyone. The entire experience resulted in a tremendous witness as news spread throughout the city of Cuenca. The radio station spoke about the outstanding faith and tranquillity of the Isensee family. A prominent doctor told the father: “You should know that this case is referred to as a real miracle among the men of the medical circle.”
A Cyclist Enters a Different Race
Mario Polo, a lifelong resident of Cuenca, was renowned for winning the nationwide cycling competition for several years in succession and retiring undefeated. For good reason, the city of Cuenca was quite proud of its native son.
When Mario’s wife, Norma, began to study with the Witnesses, he decided to sit in once to see if he could get some of his own questions answered. The first thing he wanted to know was: “Who is the harlot mentioned in the book of Revelation?” (Rev. 17:3-5) The missionary replied that we usually start with simpler things of the Bible. But, since Mario had brought up the question, the missionary explained that the Bible uses the symbol of an immoral woman named Babylon the Great to represent the worldwide association of religions that do not keep separate from the world.—Jas. 4:4; Rev. 18:2, 9, 10.
From then on, Mario took a keen interest in the Bible study and made great efforts to attend even though his work was some distance out of town. Then one night he came to the missionary home with a very worried look on his face. He had obtained some literature from the Evangelists that made strong accusations against Jehovah’s Witnesses. The missionary replied that if those charges against us worried him, the best way to answer the accusations would be to request an Evangelist to be present to see if he could sustain them. That seemed quite fair to Mario. So he and the brother paid a visit to the Protestant pastor who was distributing the literature.
Mario requested that the pastor come to his house to defend what he had said against Jehovah’s Witnesses. He was obliged to accept the invitation, otherwise his absence would have been an admission that the accusations were false.
There were ten people, including Mario’s friends and relatives, waiting when the pastor accompanied by another preacher from his church showed up. The Trinity was selected for discussion. Every time a scripture was quoted to support the doctrine, Mario, his wife, or one of their friends would show the pastor why this did not apply. The missionary hardly had to say anything.
After about a half hour, the pastor looked at his watch and said that he had another appointment. “But, Sir, you haven’t proved a thing yet,” protested one of those present. “Don’t tell us that you are now leaving us at the mercy of these wolves, as you call them!” The pastor left, saying that he would see about some future arrangement, but he refused to commit himself as to when it would be.
He did return one day and told Norma Polo that he would come back—but at a time when Jehovah’s Witnesses were not present. This seemed unjust to Mario, who went over to the pastor’s house and advised him that he would be welcome to his house only when Jehovah’s Witnesses were there to defend themselves. It was now very clear to Mario as to who had the truth and the courage to defend it.
From that time on, Mario continued to make steady progress. Before long he was sharing in the field ministry right there in his own community, and later his wife and daughter joined him.
As various native residents of the city began to identify themselves as Jehovah’s Witnesses, the effect on others was tremendous. Doctors, lawyers, jewelers, farmers—people from all walks of life in Cuenca—have now embraced the truth by the hundreds. Twenty years ago there was no congregation in Cuenca. Now there are 11 congregations in this territory. On the streets where religious parades used to last an entire day during the so-called Holy Week, a few minutes is all that is necessary to see what passes by—the relics of a bygone era. By contrast, Jehovah’s name is now known from one end of the province to the other.
The Need: Encouragement
During the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, the Kingdom work in Ecuador enjoyed a period of peaceful expansion. The influence of other religions, as well as their ability to incite the people, diminished. Publishers were working hard to spread the good news of the Kingdom to every corner of the country.
In 1963 there were 1,000 publishers active in the field ministry. Five years later the number had reached 2,000. By 1971 the total had risen to 3,000. In two more years we reported 4,000 Kingdom proclaimers; the next year it was 5,000, and by October 1975 we had reached a peak of 5,995.
Then, however, for the first time in years, a decline set in. By 1979 the total number of active preachers of the good news had dropped to just over 5,000. What was happening? It seems that some of the new ones here had been swept along by enthusiasm for a date instead of building on genuine appreciation for Jehovah and his ways. At any rate, by 1980 there was again a slight increase and again in 1981, but progress was slow.
What was holding the increase back, when country after country was now reporting fine growth in their territory? Apostasy was unheard of here. There was apparently no uncleanness that would cause Jehovah to withhold his spirit. Much prayerful thought was given to the matter. Growth prospects were excellent, as 26,576 were in attendance in 1981 at the Memorial—a ratio of 5 interested persons to each Kingdom publisher.
It was decided that what our brothers really needed was encouragement. The elders and ministerial servants needed to be reminded of their responsibility to take the lead in the field. Those who had become inactive needed to have Bible studies conducted with them to rekindle their appreciation for spiritual things.
So after compiling the 1981 service year report, the Branch Committee arranged to invite all the elders and ministerial servants to short meetings in key cities throughout the country. The brothers were overjoyed with the information shared with them. Everyone left with renewed spirit for the work. An increase of 14 percent in publishers and 19 percent in home Bible studies resulted that service year. Memorial attendance jumped 28 percent, to 34,024! Truly the fields were white for harvesting.
Torrential Rains
Now another obstacle presented itself. For ten months straight, from October 1982 to July 1983, the country experienced heavy rains and flooding unlike anything remembered in the past hundred years. In Guayaquil and the surrounding areas, more than 100 inches of rainfall were recorded in a few months. Bridges were wiped out, isolating towns. Communication became extremely difficult. Kingdom Halls and the homes of our brothers suffered damage.
But the brothers were determined to continue to hold their meetings. In Babahoyo, some had to wade in water up to the waist to get to meetings. Farther south, in Milagro, the water was almost knee deep right in the Kingdom Hall. But the brothers just rolled up their pant legs and enjoyed the meetings despite the flooding.
Earnest effort was made to maintain communication with our brothers, even those in isolated areas. When it was learned that some were lacking food and other necessities, the branch informed the congregations, and our local brothers responded generously. From around the country, brothers kindly provided the necessary money, food, clothing, and medicine. Right in the midst of this period of incessant rain, the branch scheduled another meeting with the elders and ministerial servants. Encouraging experiences were shared, and suggestions were offered as to how the preaching work could be carried on in spite of such inclement weather. Paul’s words seemed very appropriate: “Preach the word, be at it urgently in favorable season, in troublesome season.”—2 Tim. 4:2.
What was the result? Reports from many of the congregations that were adversely affected by the weather showed remarkable increases. At the end of the 1983 service year, in spite of the rains, our brothers had averaged a 17-percent increase in publishers and had reached a new peak of 7,504. During this same period of time, home Bible studies had jumped 28 percent! The more our brothers worked the territory, the more it produced.
Need to Expand Branch Facilities
The Kingdom work in Ecuador is relatively new in comparison with the work in many other countries. The first sustained preaching activity got under way just over 40 years ago. As the growth of a youngster requires new sets of clothing, so the expansion of the Kingdom work here has made it necessary to obtain larger branch facilities.
At first the branch office simply operated out of a missionary home. By 1957 new facilities were built in Guayaquil. Later this structure was enlarged. In 1977, during his zone visit, Brother Grant Suiter suggested that the brothers begin looking outside of Guayaquil for a larger piece of property. One day a brother came to the branch office and asked if we might be interested in a plot of land he would like to donate to the Society. It was just outside of Guayaquil. How thrilled we were to accept this offer!
Another urgent need at that time was for a place where one of the district assemblies could be held—even if it was out in the open air. After some preliminary clearing of this new piece of land, the first assembly was held on it. The hillside provided a natural amphitheater, and the brothers spread out blankets on the ground for seating. For a number of years this lot served for district and circuit assemblies on the coast.
Finally, late in 1984, work got under way to build a handsome Assembly Hall on this property. It was to have a seating capacity of 3,000. Over 80 acres were available for this construction. However, more than an Assembly Hall was needed. With approval from the Governing Body, early in 1985 construction of a new branch building began on another part of the same land. What an exciting time as the friends experienced Jehovah’s blessing on their efforts to bring all of this to completion! Construction started just before the Society’s international construction program got under way, but the building was completed under its direction. The brothers were delighted to receive a professional helping hand from international volunteer construction workers from 14 countries. What a blessing this assistance was! Our deep appreciation goes to each one who helped.
Changes in Administration
In 1949 Albert Hoffman became the first branch overseer and did much to help organize the work here in its infancy. Then in 1950, that oversight was transferred to John McClenahan, also Gilead trained. Again, in 1970, it was necessary to make some changes in the administration. Another Gilead graduate, Harley Harris, was appointed to be branch overseer and has continued serving in the branch since then. At present the branch is administered by a committee of five men: Francisco Angus, Arthur Bonno, Harley Harris, Vern McDaniel, and Laureano Sánchez.
Sacrifices by the Thousands
The history of the Kingdom work in Ecuador contains hundreds of thousands of sacrifices of our brothers—some so small they go unnoticed by us as humans, but never by Jehovah. To all these loyal ones applies the assurance recorded at Hebrews 6:10: “God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love you showed for his name.”
Those who came from other lands to serve here will long remember the frustrations of trying to express themselves in a tongue that they were just beginning to learn. The native language sounded to them like a barrage of words shot at them at machine-gun speed. Said one missionary: “I felt like a baby learning to talk again.”
Then what about the times they thought they were beginning to master the language but would say something that gave the wrong impression? For example, one brother went to a hardware store and, after consulting his English-Spanish dictionary, said: “Quiero una libra de uñas” (I want a pound of fingernails). He had asked for the wrong kind of nails! A sister was standing up in a bus when the driver abruptly started, throwing her backward into a man’s lap. Thinking that she was apologizing, she said: “Con su permiso” (With your permission). The passengers had a hearty laugh when the man good-naturedly replied: “Go right ahead, Lady.”
Sister Zola Hoffman, who stayed with her missionary assignment in Ecuador right down to the finish of her earthly course, is well remembered for her fearless witnessing. Was she afraid to talk to anyone about the good news? Hardly! Her favorite territory was the business section of Guayaquil. There she was known by almost everyone—executives, lawyers, judges, and many others. Her funeral was attended by many townspeople to whom she had witnessed. Thus, the Kingdom Hall was packed to overflowing, and there were people standing outside, all the way to the other side of the street. Among those present were some of the 94 persons she had personally helped to dedicate their lives to Jehovah.
The once strong voice of Brother Albert Hoffman is now only a heavy whisper. What happened? One night, when driving home from a meeting, he stopped for a traffic light. A man, a stranger, approached, put a pistol to his neck, and said something; he was probably demanding money. Since Albert was hard of hearing, he did not respond immediately. Angrily, the man pulled the trigger. The bullet passed through Albert’s neck, lodging in his right shoulder, cutting the vocal chords in the process. Despite this damage to his voice, Albert continues to speak Jehovah’s praise, though now in a heavy whisper. He has a record of almost 60 years in the full-time service.
Someone else noted for his determination is Herman Gau, who came from Germany with his wife to serve where the need was greater. He likes to get things done, and fast, no matter what difficulties arise. Since a Kingdom Hall was needed by the little congregation in the jungle town of Puyo, Brother Gau reasoned: “Let’s go out into the jungle and cut down some trees for lumber.” He saw what looked like a nice straight tree, but the native brother with him cautioned: “I wouldn’t cut that down if I were you. It has ants in it.”
“There are no ants that can keep me from having this nice tree for a Kingdom Hall!” said Herman. And so they attacked it with their machetes. When this partly hollow tree tumbled to the ground, thousands of angry ants defensively swarmed all over them. Desperately, the brothers ran to the river and jumped in, clothes and all. From then on, Herman listened when a native spoke to him about trees. “But,” he says with a hearty laugh, “we did get that Kingdom Hall built!”
Youths Embrace the Truth
However, there is something that is much more challenging than building Kingdom Halls. That is rearing children in the truth. Jorge and Orffa Santos have spent close to 30 years in the full-time service. During that time they have also reared five children, all of whom are now in the full-time service as they follow the good example of their parents. Theirs is just one experience among many that demonstrates the importance of fine parental example in training children in the way they should go.—Prov. 22:6.
Carlos Salazar, however, did not have that kind of spiritual upbringing. On the contrary, when he chose to serve Jehovah, he was put out of the house by his mother and shunned by his fleshly brothers and sisters. Nevertheless, during the 34 years that he has devoted to the full-time ministry, he has gained over 12,000 spiritual brothers and sisters in his native country of Ecuador alone—not to mention the more than 3,000,000 who make up the international brotherhood. How much he has come to appreciate the loving care Jehovah bestows on those who have become “orphans” for the sake of the good news!
Jim and Frances Woodburn have shown much zeal as a missionary couple, sowing Kingdom seed far and wide. They have called on many high schools, presenting the book Your Youth—Getting the Best out of It. It has filled a dire need in the schools in helping youngsters to learn better morals, respect for their teachers, and an awareness of the danger of drugs. The book Life—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation? was also presented—as something unique, the only book discussing evolution that presents both sides of the issue. Teachers and school authorities allowed Brother and Sister Woodburn to go right into the classrooms to present the literature to the students. Even the religious schools run by priests and nuns were receptive. One priest called the entire student body together to the school auditorium and said: “This is just the book you need, and I would urge each one of you to obtain a copy.” Of more than 65 schools visited, not one refused to allow the Woodburns to offer this vital material to the students! At times they would place more than a thousand books in a month.
Future Prospects
As we walk down the streets of Quito, Cuenca, Riobamba, and San Antonio today, it is difficult to imagine that here a short time ago vigorous battles were fought for the freedom to preach the good news. Shouting mobs have been replaced by peaceful persons who listen with deep respect to the Bible’s message. Monuments to the victory that Jehovah has given us are now found everywhere—Kingdom Halls where 188 congregations meet to feed on God’s Word.
This year experienced another jump in publishers—to a peak of 13,352. There are almost twice as many Bible studies as there are publishers, and 66,519 were present for the Memorial of Christ’s death—all of this giving indication that much work is yet to be done here in helping others embrace the truth too.
How refreshing it was that during the heat of persecution honesthearted Ecuadoreans came to the defense of the brothers and sisters, to give them “a cup of cold water.” As Jesus said, such persons by no means lose their reward. (Matt. 10:42) Thousands of people here along the equator, from the forested tropical plains to the snowcapped mountain peaks, have already been rewarded with the refreshing waters of truth. Our earnest desire is that thousands more will benefit before this system comes to its end.
[Box/Map on page 201]
Profile of Ecuador
Capital: Quito
Official Language: Spanish
Major Religion: Roman Catholic
Population: 10,054,000
Publishers: 13,352
Pioneers: 1,978
Congregations: 188
Memorial Attendance: 66,519
Branch Office: Guayaquil
[Map]
(For fully formatted text, see publication)
PACIFIC OCEAN
COLOMBIA
ECUADOR
Ibarra
Atuntaqui
San Antonio
EQUATOR
Quito
Manta
Ambato
Riobamba
Babahoyo
Guayaquil
Milagro
La Libertad
Andes
Cuenca
Machala
PERU
[Full-page Picture on page 199]
[Picture on page 202]
Thomas and Mary Klingensmith, left, and Willmetta and Walter Pemberton were the first missionaries from Gilead School in Ecuador, 1946
[Picture on page 207]
Pedro Tules, first Ecuadorean to be trained at Gilead School
[Picture on page 209]
N. H. Knorr, left, third president of the Watch Tower Society, and standing with him M. G. Henschel, also from world headquarters, when they visited Ecuador in March 1949. Albert Hoffman, right, was Ecuador’s first branch overseer. He later survived a shooting
[Picture on page 210]
César Santos gave up idol worship to become a Witness
[Picture on page 215]
Carl Dochow, a Gilead-trained missionary, met resistance in the city of Cuenca
[Picture on page 218]
Carlos Salazar, the second Ecuadorean to attend Gilead School
[Picture on page 220]
Unn Raunholm was sent to Ecuador as a missionary in 1958
[Picture on page 223]
Ray and Alice Knoch, missionaries assigned to Pacific Coast villages
[Picture on page 227]
Maruja Granizo, left, with her grandchildren and daughter-in-law
[Picture on page 230]
John Furgala, left, outside his hardware store
[Picture on page 233]
Rafael Coello, once a judge in the court of appeals, witnesses to former associates at the Palace of Justice in Guayaquil
[Picture on page 238]
Former missionaries Bob and Joan Isensee and their children. They faced the blood transfusion issue
[Pictures on page 241]
Mario Polo after winning national cycling race. Mario and his wife, Norma, now champion Bible truth
[Pictures on page 245]
Ecuador’s new Bethel Home with its reception area
[Picture on page 246]
New open-air Assembly Hall facility and new branch, seen in background
Refreshing Good News
pp. 253–255
Refreshing Good News
How refreshing it is to have this world report and to know about the worldwide progress in Jehovah’s work! “As cold water upon a tired soul, so is a good report from a distant land.” (Prov. 25:25) We have been very busy with the assignments of work given to all of us, so the exciting events reported come like refreshing cold water just when needed. This is information we should share with others for their good. “The brightness of the eyes makes the heart rejoice; a report that is good makes the bones fat.” (Prov. 15:30) What did you find outstanding in the report? Will you tell others?
In the first century of our Common Era, when the Christian congregation was growing and the good news was reaching new fields, the faithful servants of Jehovah passed on reports to their brothers and encouraged them. In some places, they experienced opposition, but it did not stop the ingathering of more Christians. New congregations were organized in many places. Jehovah blessed the efforts of his servants in the proclamation of the good news despite attempts at interference by enemies of the truth.—Acts 11:19-21.
Traveling representatives such as the apostle Paul and his companions went among people of the nations under direction of holy spirit. They pioneered in territory of the Roman Empire and found sheeplike ones who readily accepted the good news. Believers were organized into congregations, and they were spiritually built up when told of developments in the work. Take Antioch as an example: “When they had arrived and had gathered the congregation together, they proceeded to relate the many things God had done by means of them, and that he had opened to the nations the door of faith.”—Acts 14:27.
When it became necessary for some to travel to Jerusalem for a meeting with the apostles and older brothers in order to settle a problem, “these men continued on their way through both Phoenicia and Samaria, relating in detail the conversion of people of the nations, and they were causing great joy to all the brothers.” (Acts 15:3) They took advantage of the opportunity to encourage their brothers with the reports. Each one of us who is dedicated to Jehovah can bring joy to others by relating how Jehovah has been doing many things by means of his Witnesses. Make use of this year’s report to encourage your own family, your brothers, and interested ones among the 9,201,071 who attended the Memorial last year. Stimulate others to read the annual report and rejoice.
May we continue to share in doing what is described at Isaiah 52:7: “How comely upon the mountains are the feet of the one bringing good news, the one publishing peace, the one bringing good news of something better, the one publishing salvation, the one saying to Zion: ‘Your God has become king!’”
Keep on Sharing in the Work
Jehovah has become King! The proclamation is being made worldwide now. Kingdom subjects are increasing. The number of congregations increased last year by 2,759, making the total 57,670 worldwide. The number of new Kingdom Halls is increasing. Dedicated ones everywhere are lending support to the preaching work and preparing structures for advancing the good news. We appreciate this support being given by all in their labors of love and in their contributions.
And most important, the great crowd are coming by hundreds of thousands yearly. It is because Jehovah’s Witnesses are saying, “Come!” (Rev. 22:17) The invitation is being heard, and people everywhere are taking advantage of the opportunity to call on the name of Jehovah for salvation. (Rom. 10:13-15) And they will not be disappointed. (Rom. 10:11) Yes, this is truly good news that comforts the people. Let us all keep on saying, “Come!”
In 1989 much more will be done under the direction of the King Jesus Christ and the guidance of Jehovah’s holy spirit. Let nothing turn any of us away from our worship and service to Jehovah. Keep alert to follow Jehovah’s way with proper godly fear, and give him glory, as we “worship the One who made the heaven and the earth and sea and fountains of waters.”—Rev. 14:7.
Please accept our warm Christian love and best wishes.
Your fellow servants,
GOVERNING BODY OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES