Souvenir Notes — Convention, Yankee Stadium, New York (1953)
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Report of
NEW WORLD SOCIETY
ASSEMBLY
of
JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
Yankee Stadium - New York City
July 19-26, 1953
CEM
New History
and
A New Era
YANKEE STADIUM
KNORR RELEASES NEW BOOK!
70 Bible Themes in "Make Sure of All Things"
The Watchtower Society's new book "Make Sure of All Things", 416 pages, was released Monday afternoon at Yankee Stadium to thunderous applause by the 125,040 there and in overflow tents and at Trailer City. Striking a resounding chord as the keynote of the New World Society Assembly of Jehovah's Witnesses, President Knorr's presentation of a Resolution was enthusiastically received by 125,040 who made the stadium grounds and Trailer City reverberate as they shouted "Aye" to the motion for its adoption. It sets forth the stand of Jehovah's witnesses and outlines the work ahead of them.
This "double feature" release and resolution, both presented at the conclusion of the talk fittingly went together. Why? Because, as the speaker stated, the New World society is founded on God's Word, and "Make Sure of All Things" is a book letting God himself speak directly through his Word.
Mr. Knorr explained that years of work had been expended in preparing the book. It is different in that it arranges under 70 main themes and many subheadings a great array of scriptures pointedly answering the hosts of questions that are arising this very day. It helps to push back the tide of atheism, agnosticism and false religious opposition to Kingdom truth by the irresistible force and logic of the Bible itself.
The expectant air of the tremendous audience was heightened by the very first sentence of Mr. Knorr's keynote talk on
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"Make Sure of All Things" extended to conventioners. Inset shows Knorr releasing it. Made in U.S.A.
New Book!
"Living Now as a New World Society." The stirring words, "When the big guns of World War I thunderously began belching fire and smoke in the summer of 1914, a new-world society was due to be born!" gave promise of something special. Continuing, he pointed out that not to worldly slogans, schemes or propaganda, but solely to Jehovah God must go the credit for producing this new-world society. Although their enemies thought they had written finis to Jehovah's servants by means of the fiery persecution during World War I, nevertheless, they clung to Jehovah and he, by the power of his spirit, freed them from the fear of men and from men's organizations.
The New World society now consists of hundreds of thousands. Its existence is not dependent upon any political charter of any one nation, for it is a world-wide society; it has used the Watch Tower Society until now, but it will continue even though the governments of this world may dissolve the charter of that Society, yes, even into the new world long past Armageddon, when Jehovah will dissolve such governments.
The kingdom of the heavens established in 1914 may be unreal to worldly politicians, but to us it is more real than the U.N. with its visible structures. Its actuality is shown in that it has subjects that submit to its power, and its reality and power are impressed upon us by the fulfillment of Bible prophecy.
The New World society has its own language, the theocratic Kingdom truth. To continue in the New World society we must speak the truth. That means getting rid of old-world lies and the practice of speaking falsehoods for any selfish reason. It also means getting rid of false religious teachings and publishing the truth of God's Word to those outside the New World society, that others who are hungry for truth and righteousness may get filled and be set free. Doing this "the New World society will indeed get known as an organization of truth."
The resolution appears in full in a separate article of this report. Knorr's talk will appear in full in a future issue of The Watchtower.
North America Reports to Assembly
Preliminary to the president's discourse, the Monday afternoon conventioners were delighted by reports from 18 representatives, missionaries and branch servants from 12 lands of North America. The conventioners thrilled to see the sign on the playing field telling of North America's 1953 publisher peak—193,568, an increase of 24,819 over 1952.
E. C. Ihrig from British Honduras told the assembly that their big problem was to
awaken the brothers to the importance of attending circuit assemblies and congregational meetings. "In El Salvador," said C.J. Beedle, "the main problem was how to find time to study." They said that both problems were being solved.
Newfoundland found that its progress was due to careful planning of meetings, both by servants and publishers participating, M. F. Latyn said.
G. D. Papadem next stimulated the assembly with news of the wonderful progress in Panama.In 1945 the first missionaries were sent to Panama. Then there were 43 publishers Now 668 active ministers preach in Panama.
Nicaragua's representative,
Examining "Make Sure of All Things"
D.
R. Munsterman, explained how progress has been effected by the country's Supreme Court lifting a ban on the work.
Only one Kingdom publisher was active in Guatemala in 1945, said branch. servant W. R. Kennedy. Now, eight years later, there are 340 publishers. The zeal displayed by Guatemala's publishers is well exemplified by the sister who put a mortgage on everything she had to come to this assembly!
"In 1914," said W. E. Call of Costa Rica, "there were a few active publishers; in 1944 the figure reached 155. In 1951 the peak figure zoomed to 1,825 publishers!"
Canadian branch servant Percy Chapman summarized Reasons for North American Progress": (1) a careful organizing of the work, (2) all the congregations obediently following out the instructions, and (3) the brothers constantly fighting opposition even to the highest courts. At the conclusion of his talk the booklet Will Religion Meet the World Crisis? was released in the Ukrainian language-a great boon for Canada, for many people in that land speak Ukrainian.
RESOLUTION ADOPTED
In leading the assembly on to still another surprise for Monday afternoon President Knorr proceeded to say:
What an opportunity this unparalleled occasion affords as we brothers are met together in international assembly with tens of thousands of representatives from the four quarters of the earth! To crystallize our realization of ourselves as one united New World society and to go on record before God and
his kingdom and our absent brothers and all mankind. I move the adoption of the following
RESOLUTION
"The scene of this world is changing." (1 Corinthians 7:31, New World Translation) These inspired words, written nineteen centuries ago, cannot be challenged today, either by the lowly common man or by mighty world powers and ruling factors. Since the year 1914 the world has passed through strange and startling events, and their climax has not yet been reached Everywhere men and nations are in a state of growing distress and perplexity, and confessedly they do not know what the final shape of things will be and whether it will be for human weal or for human woe.
The same Word that foretold the complete changing of the world scene foretold also the new scene that was to come to the view of mankind, a righteous new world of endless life amid an unbroken peace and prosperity. It is the infallible word of the Almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth, that gives men this heartening good news written over his own name: "that they may know that thou alone, whose name is Jehovah, art the
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Happy conventioners display prized copies of new book
Resolution
Most High over all the earth." (Psalm 83:18, American Standard Version) In his wisdom and foresight he has in every case prepared his faithful worshipers for the destiny-making changes ahead; for instance, Noah and his household, who were warned and prepared to survive the global inundation with which the entire world of that day passed off the scene. True to his loving-kindness, and in view of the passing of the present old world off the scene shortly in a trouble the like of which has never yet been, the Most High God, Jehovah, has prepared a New World society and given it the Scriptural hope of surviving into that righteous new world that he has promised. Its members he has made his witnesses, to uphold and proclaim his rightful sovereignty over heaven and earth, to sound the final warning of the coming violent change of the world scene, and to recommend his Messianic kingdom as the one and only hope for a race that the Devil is driving to destruction.
THEREFORE we, as witnesses of Jehovah and as members of his New World society, gathered in our scores of thousands from scores of lands in international assembly here at Yankee Stadium, New York city. N.Y., this 20th day of July, 1953, seize this as a most fitting occasion to adopt the following resolution:
THAT in all the nations represented by us we unitedly continue to declare to the peoples that in the year 1914 the Supreme Judge of men and nations brought to an end his "appointed times of the nations" for uninterrupted world domination. At the same time, to replace this long experiment of imperfect men at self-government on earth with all the sad consequences of failure, the Supreme Authority brought forth the kingdom of his anointed Son Jesus Christ. This is therefore the only government with right and authority to continue to rule all the earth and its inhabitants. It alone now has the backing of the Most High God, Jehovah,
and is empowered to fulfill toward afflicted mankind all the prophecies of his inspired Word by removing from them the oppressive superhuman rule of Satan the Devil, "the god of this system of things," and his demons, and by exercising a righteous heavenly rule for the blessing of obedient men of good will with perfect human life and all its needs for happiness in a paradise earth.
THAT we publicly acknowledge our debt to Jehovah for the vision and hope he has given us of his promised new world of righteousness. Gratefully and humbly we confess before all mankind what he has done for us as Christians who are wholly dedicated to him and his will and purpose. He has taken us out of this old world and made us his people, reserved for his new world. He has made us a New World society by his dealings with us according to his precious promises. This New World society thus derives its origin from no human source and it is dependent upon no earthly political states, applying to none of them for its incorporation as a body and for the chartering of its existence and activities. Although it is no part of this present distressed system of things but is preparing for life and service in the divine system of things to come, yet this New World society disavows all subversive movements against the institutions of this world. It cannot promote, approve or take part in any violent overthrow by men of governments of this world. It subjects itself under the mighty hand of Jehovah God and waits upon him to bring in his new world in his own way by the heavenly kingdom of his Son Jesus Christ.
THAT, as a New World society, we hold fast to the indissoluble ties that bind us. We are one people, without distinction according to race, color, language, tribe or nation. We have the one living and true God, Jehovah. We have one common Monarch under God, his Son and our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. We have a law common to us all no matter
where we live, Jehovah's theocratic law set forth in the Holy Bible. We have been taken out of the nations and divided off from the doomed world. We have the one country to which we are unitedly moving, the new world of God's creating. We are one family of brothers under God's one provision for salvation through Jesus Christ. In accord with these facts, we will live in peace and harmony with one another and, as far as within us lies, be at peace with all men everywhere, till the actual new world enters.
And finally,
THAT we continue to measure up to the responsibility that the divine statement lays upon us: "Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and I am God." (Isaiah 43:12, American Standard Version) We count it a high honor and favor to be made Jehovah's witnesses, and never want to prove finally unworthy of it. Hence, despite the hatred, the reproach and the persecution that men without understanding may heap upon us, we will press forward, true to our divine commission, bearing witness to Jehovah's universal sovereignty and his holy name, preaching in all the inhabited earth the good news of the established kingdom of his anointed Son Jesus Christ, and comforting all who mourn. This we will do by giving Bible education to all peoples publicly and from house to house, by all the means available, that all who will may take their stand on the side of the Kingdom and become a part with us of the New World society under Christ and share its hope and attainment of life eternal in Jehovah's righteous new world.
The motion in favor of adopting the above Resolution was seconded by Percy Chapman, the chairman of the New World Society Assembly of Jehovah's Witnesses. The question now being put, the Resolution was adopted by a roar of acclamation and with sustained applause, by the assembly. This Report, containing the Resolution in full statement, was distributed by the conventioners throughout New York city and its environs.
Gilead Graduates 127 Missionaries 126,387 Attend Spectacular Gilead Graduation August 1 Watchtower Released, New Feature Missionaries Assigned to 44 Lands
The assembly's Sunday afternoon program featured the graduation of the 21st class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead of South Lansing, New York. What a festive graduation it turned out to be! Not only were there in attendance 126,387 from all parts of the earth, but there were also gathered 945 alumni graduates of 20 previous Gilead classes. N. H. Knorr, president of the school, delivered a most fitting graduation address entitled "Gathering Men of All Nations into One Flock." Diplomas and gifts were awarded to 127 graduates, 66 of whom were males and 61 females, from 28 countries.
Promptly at 1:30 p.m. the graduation event opened before a packed house at Yankee Stadium, and filling many of the overflow places. The sky was clear and the sun was bright, with a cooling breeze to accompany a most colorful and spiritually stimulating graduation. Members of the faculty, U. V. Glass, D. H. Burt, E. A. Dunlap, M. G. Friend and A. D. Schroeder, delivered farewell talks to the graduates.
Apt illustrations and Biblical
counsel were employed to encourage faithfulness on the part of the missionaries as they entered new fields of expansion taking to the people the pure language of the truth. J. F. Markus, the farm servant at Kingdom Farm, also spoke, encouraging the missionaries to always dwell together as harmonious family units in their missionary home assignments.
The vice-president of the school, Mr. F. W. Franz, next spoke to encourage the graduates to be ever watchful in all things and to fully accomplish their ministry. He showed how love should be exercised by the missionaries and demonstrated to others, because "love cannot stand alone," as First Corinthians 13 shows.
The principal graduation address, delivered by N. H. Knorr, brought round after round of applause from the vast throngs of assembled ministers. In discussing the great shepherding work now being done among the nations he showed it was not hard to identify the false shepherds, the religious clergy who were fleecing the flock. He said,
Knorr addressing the graduates
"These religious and political shepherds have sheared and fleeced their own claimed flocks and fattened themselves at their expense and driven them in ways ending in death and destruction." He then proceeded to make a detailed study of the pastoral work being done by the Great Shepherd, Jehovah God, as aptly described in Ezekiel 34.
A brief history of the establishment of Gilead was next given, showing how the School was born in 1943, that Gilead means "heap of witness," and that the graduates from this school have been sent to more than 100 lands in the earth. During the past ten years of Gilead's operation the pastoral
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The platform during graduation, showing class seated around it
Gilead Graduates (Cont'd) work of the Society has experienced a tremendous increase.
Mr. Knorr went on to show that the enemy is manifesting chagrin and opposition to the pastoral work, even falsely accusing Jehovah's witnesses of political activity. He vehemently denied such vicious charges and said, "Jehovah's witnesses are no politico-religious movement; they do not combine politics and religion; rather they wash their hands absolutely clean of this world's politics, known for what it is."
In the midst of his principal address a spectacular demonstration occurred. Mr. Knorr called for the rising of Gilead graduates present from the first class in the reserved sections in front of the platform. They arose displaying a sign identifying the class. Then classes two through twenty did the same. In all, 945 returning missionaries were introduced as having fought a valiant fight abroad. He said that the majority of them have return tickets to go back to foreign assignments as pastoral workers.
Then to the surprise of the entire audience he introduced the prospective 22nd class of non-American students called to enroll in the school on September 2,1953. Great demonstrations of appreciation resounded from the vast audience in course of the afternoon's activities.
Finally the climactic part of the graduation came as the president passed out the diplomas and gifts being awarded to the 127 graduates. Each was then told the breath-taking news as to where he was being assigned abroad. The graduates were assigned to be scattered to 44 different lands throughout the earth.
A resolution was presented on behalf of the student body by graduate H. Lattau, expressing great gratitude to Jehovah God and the Watchtower Society for having been granted the opportunity to be trained for five months at the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. They also resolved that we will "keep our faces forward in full faith as we and all our fellow witnesses anticipate with complete assurance our early deliverance from
this modern Babylon reserved for destruction and our emergence therefrom to an everlasting new world of happiness, all to the honor and vindication of the Universal Sovereign, Jehovah God."
Before dismissing the assembly for the afternoon, N. H. Knorr released to the audience the August 1 issue of the Watchtower magazine, which contained the full text of the graduation address. He pointed out the interesting new "Check Your Memory" feature in the back. He also brought to our attention the new procedure for congregational study of The Watchtower. The audience rejoiced to attend a Gilead graduation and witness for themselves the moving event. They joined with their brothers in wishing the graduates success in their future ministry and recognized that as pastoral workers each Kingdom publisher has much he can do in his own territory to help gather Jehovah's other sheep.
With a song and prayer the afternoon session was concluded shortly after 4:30 and all left the session greatly refreshed.
Part of the 126,387 conventioners that heard the graduation exercises of the 21st class of Gilead
GILEAD AND ITS PURPOSE
"There are many places where the witness concerning the Kingdom has not been given to a great extent." How different those words sound from the reports of amazing increase being given at this assembly, yet the Watch Tower's president uttered them less than eleven years ago! "There
Students make good use of the more than 9,000 volumes in the library (above) and also participate with the local congregation in house-to-house ministry (below).
must be hundreds and thousands more that could be reached," he said, "if there were more laborers in the field. By the Lord's grace there will be more."
The occasion for those remarks was the opening of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead's first class, February 1, 1943. Since that date it has provided well-trained and faithful missionaries for the field, which is the world. Shortly before it opened there were 106,000 Kingdom publishers throughout the world. Now there are more than four times that number! Gilead has had a great part in this marvelous expansion.
The school is located near South Lansing in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York state. Construction was begun on the three-story main building in 1940. The attractive and highly specialized library was completed in 1947. Its collection of Bible literature is rarely surpassed. Repeated landscaping continually adds to the beauty of the rolling green campus, and many a visitor has marveled at such a peaceful newworld oasis in this trouble-ridden old world.
Each February and September a new class of about 115 students is brought in. They have come from 45 different nations, and have been sent out as missionaries to more than 100 lands. The four instructors have the interests of the preaching at heart, and give the eager students much time and attention. Each specializes in a different subject.
Unlike most missionaries, Gilead's graduates
prompt such a response from the people that those who hear also take up the unpaid preaching work. Some of these have themselves been called to the school and trained for further activity.
The students are chosen carefully. They must have good records in the full-time "pioneer" ministry, and must agree to go wherever in the world they may be sent in gospel-preaching activity, there to use their new knowledge in Jehovah's service.
Yet with more laborers in the field, more persons hear of the message, the work grows and many more are needed. All unencumbered Christian ministers can aspire to Gilead service. Those who qualify can be richly blessed as workers in the Christian organization!
A class taking advantage of good weather to meet in amphitheater. Library is in background.
Air view looking west at Gilead's central campus. At upper left is the attractive library (called Shiloah) and part of the orchard. At center is main Gilead building, with classrooms, assembly hall, dining room and 61 bedrooms. At right is garage and one of the pleasant streams.
682 Foreign Missionaries Entertained
Bethel Home Scene of Reunion of 17 Classes
Friday evening, July 17, was a memorable night for some 682 proved and tested foreign missionaries who descended on Bethel from the four corners of the earth. Months ago Brother
Knorr had invited all Gilead missionaries active in foreign fields to this happy rendezvous.
By four o'clock droves of welldressed men and women of many racial origins began to converge upon the Society's Brooklyn headquarters building. As the afternoon went on the front lobby and reception hall filled and hundreds had to assemble on the walkways and even in the street itself. What a spectacle it was! Everyone was in gay spirits, laughing, shaking hands and recounting the bygone days of schooling at Gilead. For over three hours this preliminary visiting went on. Finally, about seven o'clock the doors into the Kingdom Hall were opened and the happy circles of gay reminiscencers, upon producing credentials, passed into the building for the first assembly.
Brother Knorr announced that a reunion banquet had been prepared for all the visitors and that the seating at the tables would be made according to classes. This brought spontaneous expression of delight. The classes were called to come to the front of the Kingdom Hall to leave for the dining room. Twenty-eight veteran missionaries from the class that graduated June 1943 rose amid thunderous applause and marched out. After each successive class did so, applause was sounded from the remainder of the audience, and quick counts were made as to the classmates attending this mass reunion. Class 8 had one of the highest numbers of representatives. When the dining hall's 500 seats had been filled, those of the remaining classes were served cafeteria-style and were tied in with the head table of the dining hall by a loud-speaker.
By 8 p.m. the entire missionary party of 682 were seated and commenced to enjoy a delightful dinner. After the meal was concluded the very animated audience was called to order by President Knorr, who warmly welcomed the missionaries. He expressed warm appreciation for the services rendered by these veterans over the past many years, expressed his delight in the fruitage shown in the foreign fields in the four corners of the earth and hoped that all of them would be keen on returning to their foreign assignments for many more years of ministerial work.
Vice-President F. W. Franz movingly expressed his great appreciation at being present. He noted the stamp of maturity upon each of these veteran missionaries. He encouraged them to keep up their commendable record of service for the days to come. The school's registrar, A. D. Schroeder, was next asked to express himself. He told of thirteen letters' being obtained, three from theological seminaries, all favorably expressing recognition of Gilead as having an educational program comparable to schools on the college and university level. These credentials were presented to the United States Office of Education in Washington, which, on January 22, 1953, granted approval and recognition conceding that Gilead was a professional school offering higher education in the ministry. This will permit hundreds more to be brought to the United States to this recognized school for nonimmigrant students.
M. G. Henschel next talked with the missionary audience, giving a report on the convention preparations. Gilead's instructors, D. H. Burt, M. G. Friend, E. A. Dunlap, and J. C. Booth addressed this most receptive audience.
Finally, about 10 p.m., this happy banquet was brought to an official close. President Knorr
and his assistant, M. G. Henschel, personally visited each one in attendance, giving each a contribution of money from the Society to cover his travel expenses while attending the world assembly of Jehovah's witnesses. N. H. Knorr then offered a moving prayer to Jehovah God. Though it was 10 p.m. this by no means brought to an end the evening party. It was not until near midnight that all the groups finally dispersed, after enjoying hours of delightful fellowship, to return for the night to their various lodgings in greater New York city.
COUNTING SHEEP
This memorable night will long be remembered for its warm, moving spirit of close fellowship of veteran dedicated missionaries, who have only one present objective in life, the preaching of the good news of the established kingdom to the four quarters of God's footstool earth.
Counting sheep may be a way to sleep, but counting Jehovah's lapel-pin-identified sheep has awakened New Yorkers by the millions to the fact that Jehovah's witnesses are in town. Two hundred thousand such pins were ordered by those coming to the assembly. Were they used? New York certainly thinks so. On the Saturday before the convention a 9 p.m. spot check was made miles from Yankee Stadium at the northeast corner of 44th Street and Broadway in Times Square. In just ten minutes, 83 pins went north, 92 south, and that on just one side of the street! That is almost one every three seconds.
The name of the wearer and his home congregation typed or printed clearly on each pin provides an excellent introduction among Jehovah's witnesses, who, as Christian brothers, do not stand on formalism anyway; but, even more important, they provide one of the best possible means of personal public advertising.
Address of Welcome Opens Assembly
"With joy and gladness we welcome you to this New World Society Assembly of Jehovah's Witnesses." So began the address of welcome by Percy Chapman, branch servant of Canada, at 10:30 Sunday morning. He termed this gathering a "family reunion of Jehovah's people"
from the five continents, and bade them welcome in the name of Jehovah, in the name of his King, Christ Jesus, and in the name of "the sole and only theocratic organization on earth, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society."
For twelve months Jehovah's people have been hoping, expecting and praying, and today their hopes were realized. The evidence of their prayers' being answered was apparent to all, the speaker observed. "Praise be to the happy God that made this assembly possible, the grandest in all history. For these blessed and joyful eight days, this Yankee Stadium has been transformed into the house of Jehovah, a mammoth Kingdom Hall."
Mr. Chapman next emphasized the purpose of the assembly: to gain strength, brighten vision and increase faith. Such could not be done if time were spent sight-seeing. Attend each and every session, he admonished; see New York after the assembly. New York will remain but the assembly will not.
"Its joys can never be adequately re-enacted."
Emphasizing the international aspect of the assembly, Mr. Chapman read some of the 97 banners fastened to girders, containing greetings from faraway lands, as well as telegrams from Korea, the Philippine Republic, India and other lands.
By the end of the assembly all should be loaded down, filled to the full with blessings to take home to those who could not come, he observed. Then he announced the release of a leatherbound edition of the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures.
Missionary Service as a Life's Work
Preliminary to the chairman's address was G. Fredianelli's discussion of missionary service. He spoke from experience, having served for years as a missionary in Italy.
Are missionaries happy in their foreign assignment? Of course they are happy! In fact, theirs is a greater happiness. "To make the missionary field your field," he said, "means that you are not content with just
The chairman, assistant chairman, F. S. Hoffmann, and missionary Fredianelli examine leather-bound Bible
being happy, but that you want to be happier."
Then the missionary likened the onward march of missionaries in foreign fields to an invading army. But, he said, unlike old-world armies we missionaries build up instead of destroying; we bring happiness and not sorrow.
After you are with your assignment for a while, it will not be hard to stick. Leaving will become difficult. The missionary went on to say: When you hear good-will persons say to you, "Brother, don't abandon us. Continue to help us to know and serve Jehovah," you will stay.
The speaker went on to say that the foreign missionary service has hardly been tapped, and made a direct appeal to fulltime preachers. "Pioneers," he called out, "you need those foreign fields for your greater happiness! Most of all, those foreign fields need you!" "Heed the call!" "Make missionary service your life's work!"
Delegates from Earth's Extremities
What the apostle said long ago concerning the preaching of the good news holds true today: "This thing has not been done in a corner." (Acts 26:26, New World Trans.) There was living proof of this as delegates opened this first session of the assembly with reports from farlung lands.
H. Nichols related that 44 from Argentina came 5,676 miles to the assembly. "The tickets alone for the trip," she said, "are about the equivalent of a whole year's salary" in Argentina.
M. E. Bartlett from South Africa declared that there is no longer anything dark about Africa, for the illuminating message of God's kingdom is being widely proclaimed. Forty delegates each traveled 10,000 miles to attend the assembly.
Delegate J. A. Cutforth, from the kangaroo continent of Aus-
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GRADUATES OF GILEAD'S TWENTY-FIRST CLASS FROM TWENTY-EIGHT LANDS EXPRESS THEMSELVES
The muffled roar of the 70,863 citizens of the new world turned to songs of praise Sunday evening, July 19, as Gilead's twenty-first class gave expressions of appreciation.
N. H. Knorr, the school's president, described the beautiful green surroundings and the happy atmosphere that make Gilead attractive even to outsiders. Many Cornell University students come over for a visit. Would you like to see what happens when they come to visit Gilead? The audience responded with applause. Well, tonight we plan on taking a little tour of Gilead and you can be our guests.
The students then re-created a scene of taking Cornell students through the school. They began with introductions and then proceeded to Classroom A. They told what subjects were covered in each classroom, in an exciting and interesting style.
"This is Classroom A," one of the students began. "Four subjects are studied here. Theocratic records, missionary service, theocratic ministry and Bible truth." The "Cornell" students would break in and ask questions: 'What do you mean by theocratic records?' 'Don't you
Address of Welcome (Cont'd) tralia, prompted a burst of hearty applause when he told that 120 brothers traveled such tremendous distances to the assembly that it would consume four to five months in coming and going.
Gracie Joseph of India announced that delegates from that quarter of the earth had come more that 8,000 miles. In India, "like everywhere," she said, "the Kingdom message is preached; it is bringing much happiness and joy to the people of good will."
Delegate J. G. Bruton, from the land of lakes, Finland, next told a happy throng that preaching there involves skiing hundreds of miles to get to homes.
What joy when it was next announced that from the province of Quebec, Canada, long a stronghold of Roman Catholicism, 1,260 delegates came to the assembly! Ella Allen proceeded to relate how missionaries are often evicted from their rooms through the instigation of priests. In one city, the home town of ex-Prime Minister Duplessis, missionaries had to hitchhike 170 miles daily for ten days to find rooms.
B. S. Yun came over 9,000 miles and thrilled the assembly as she told how God's love has penetrated that land long torn by hatred and war, Korea. When
B. S. Yun, Korea, and Gracie Joseph, India
the Communist regime took over, she hid herself, but when it rained she took an umbrella to conceal herself and went about preaching the good news.
R. N. Casson was one of the first missionaries to go to Ethiopia. He told the assembly that delegates, in order that they might see the glories of the Greater than Solomon, had to travel over four times as far as the queen of Sheba.
study the Bible?' 'What about mathematics and bookkeeping?' The students then showed them how each one of those subjects was covered efficiently and thoroughly. And so, on went the discussion from Classroom A to B, where two subjects were covered Here, the students told their visitors, "we become equipped for every good work."
They toured where Spanish and Scriptural facts are studied. "What others cover in two years we take five and a half months to learn," said one student. How thrilling it was to be able to go along with these students on an imaginary visit to Gilead!
For relaxation every evening we have a half-hour off, one student explained. With that the huge gathering at Yankee Stadium was given a special treat with a round of Hollandish, German, Hawaiian, African and Spanish songs, including folk and Kingdom songs. Round after round of applause swept the audience; spontaneous laughter showed that all in attendance were thrilled with the entire program.
Over to the library we were directed. "Here are 9,000 useful volumes," one student declared. "This library specializes in Bibles and religious books." In Classroom D history and religion (the true kind and the false) are studied. Law is also taught. Supreme Law, also natural and revealed law and superior law, is covered too.
The thousands in attendance got a peek at what takes place in each of the classrooms, and how well all students get along after classes. "It's like living at home," one student said, "only we don't fight." "Gilead has left a deep impression with me that I'll never forget," said another. Each student's love for the school, the instructors, for others, for the Society and for Jehovah God was evident. "The school is like a big family. It works like a well-oiled machine. I'll be so sorry to leave here."
The school's president, N. H. Knorr, then closed the session with a few appropriate remarks.
YANKEE STADIUM, NEW YORK CITY, JULY 21, 1953
Graduates from Hawaii, Nigeria and United States who participated in the Sunday evening program. The bridge leads to platform
ROTARY
Graduates from several nations collaborate on some Spanish songs, to add enjoyment to the Sunday evening program
Information and Help for Incoming Delegates
What is the first thing a hundred thousand delegates to the New World Society Assembly wanted when they approached New York?
Information!
It took almost 300 people to give out that much information.
And this was no ordinary staff Think what one person would need to have met all the requirements-a taxi driver's knowledge of New York, ability to speak the languages of 96 countries, a rugged car, inexhaustible supplies of gasoline and the stamina to stay on call 24 hours a day!
By sea—226 delegates arrive aboard Georgie from Britain
By land—busloads from Cuba arrive in New York
By air-37 arrive from Chile
Let's say you want a taste of the storybook atmosphere that went with working in the Information department. Visualize, if you can, a stream of auto traffic pouring into the world's biggest city at such a rate that even on Friday one man counted 48 cars before he could eat a banana split—this, of course, was on only one highway.
Most of these seventy thousand or so autoists, funneling at New York from all points-over roaring turnpikes, elevated roadways, fantastic-sized bridges and miles of tunnels—did not know how to find their ultimate destination. Had you been among the 150 workers that staffed the seven Information booths on all the main Jersey-side highways, it would have been your job to help them find it. You asked for their room assignment card. You marked out the best route to their lodging. Then you sent them; happy and grateful, on their way. And if as yet they had no room assignment, you directed them to Rooming Department headquarters.
You might have joined the forty workers who staffed the three New York bus terminals, where one out of twelve of your brothers arrived, where buses poured in, as at Port Authority terminal, at the incredible rate of two a minute.
Or you might have been among the forty Information workers at the Pennsylvania and Grand Central railroad stations (trains shuttle in here as fast as one every twenty seconds!), where one in six delegates arrived.
Or had you worked at the two airports as one of the thirty members of the staff there, you would have had your share of welcoming the hundreds of delegates who flew here from all continents and from countless North American cities.
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HOUSING THE DELEGATES
On April 26 a vanguard of 509 optimistic New York witnesses of Jehovah sallied forth in the biggest house-to-house and stair-climbing hunt for rooms in the city's history. New York witnesses remembered that in addition to 20,000 hotel accommodations in 1950, their brothers
had needed twice that many home accommodations.
On May 17 there was in the field every day an average of 1,600 diligent canvassers, drawn from a reservoir of 5,485 different members of New York's 42 congregations. A month later, June 18, about 50 more congregations within a 60-mile radius of New York city were invited to share in the room search. And by July 6, if all the hours spent in room searching had been put in by one man, working 24 hours a day, it would have taken him 14 years to accomplish it.
So vast an army of room seekers were in the field by July 16 that 39 Kingdom Hall field service centers, from the Coney Island area to the top of Yonkers, were buzzing. So many accommodations were written up 48,586 in private homes-that an office force of 175 workers, operating in shifts of 60 to 80, were kept busy processing and filing and matching them with the requests that were pouring in from all over the globe at a rate that, until the last week, outpaced accommodations obtained.
"The people received us so well," R. L. Anderson, rooming department supervisor, said, "that they were not annoyed even when we called on them for the third and fourth times." In fact these latter calls yielded more accommodations than the first calls, Anderson explained. "This was due partly to so much talk among the people, so much radio and newspaper publicity about our assembly. And, too,
Information and Help (Cont'd)
Besides, there were eleven mighty monarchs of the oceans the Queen Elizabeth and the Ile de France among them—to be met to receive the bands of happy delegates from the farthest points on earth.
Can you visualize greeting all these arrivals? For the 21,000 foreign friends (this includes Canadians) it was not always so simple as marking a route on a map for them. "So far as the foreign brothers are concerned," explained Information Director F.J. Molohan, "we operated a kind of glorified taxi service."
"When a group arrived by plane or boat," he continued, "brothers were there to interpret, and other brothers were there with their cars. They assisted the friends through the Customs, then drove them to nearby Kingdom Hall reception centers. There they were given
refreshments, room assignments and other help, and finally chauffeured to their rooms."
How did this service of pure love for their brothers impress the public? "A great deal," responded Arthur Dritz, information assistant. "At Idlewild airport two people were overheard talking about it. One remarked that these Witnesses are really something big. The other said something derogatory. But the first fellow challenged him to point out another organization that goes all out to help one another like this.
"Yes," Arthur Dritz concluded, "a lot of people appreciated a glimpse of our new-world way of living."
After the 19th, the Information booths were disassembled and reorganized into four huge Information centers at Yankee Stadium-three inside the stadium and one in the cafeteria tents.
people knew by this time whether they were going on vacation or not, and if they would have visitors, and so on."
Anderson, a United States circuit supervisor, was happy to announce that the biggest single boon to the 1953 room search was the landladies who remembered Jehovah's people from 1950. "A very large number of our accommodations were called in to us by landladies. Our phones were kept so busy that some of them waited till after midnight to get a call through, or sent us a wire. Many others just came to the Rooming department in person to offer us accommodations. Still others simply left their keys with us and went on their vacations. It was a thrill!"
Hotels
"I do want Jehovah's witnesses back in 1953. When you had your assembly here in 1950 the Witnesses who stayed with us wrote letters and thanked me for everything. They inserted bits of their philosophy. Sometimes when I get low I dig out the files and read their letters over again."
The reaction of this hotel manager, when R. E. Abrahamson, hotel accommodations manager for the Watchtower Convention, presented his card, reflected the general good will of the hotel association.
"But," the manager apologized, "I don't have many accommodations to list with you." "Is that right?" said Abrahamson. "Because the same people who stayed with me last time have already made their reservations, some as far as a year in advance. Besides, they are bringing some of their friends along."
(Continued next page) WHAT'S NEW?
That common question has real meaning at this assembly. The first new thing was the deluxe, leather-bound edition of the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures, released by the chairman Sunday morning. Then in the afternoon along came the August 1 Watchtower, with its new "Check Your Memory" feature. Monday the colored picture post card of the stadium with the previous day's attendance figure printed right on its face surprised conventioners.
At the other-language meetings Monday came six more new publications: Will Religion Meet the World Crisis? in Arabic and Polish, God's Way Is Love in Greek, Evolution versus The New World in Norwegian, and The Kingdom Is at Hand and Evolution versus The New World in Portuguese.
At the end of P. Chapman's Monday afternoon discourse a copy of the new Will Religion Meet the World Crisis? was presented in Ukrainian.
The greatest surprise yet during the assembly was, however, "Make Sure of All Things", the outstanding new ministry aid so enthusiastically received by the conventioners Monday afternoon.
Housing
The convention hotel department, operating under the Rooming Committee, had assigned 20,731 hotel accommodations in 265 hotels through its office by July 19. "How many hotel rooms the friends obtained on their own is anyone's guess," Abrahamson said. "Our official estimate is that at least 35,000 Jehovah's witnesses are staying in hotels."
John Groh, convention servant, goes over points with Ray Anderson, left. of Rooming. Groh's wife assists.
R. Abrahamson, handling hotel accommodations, reaches agreement with Warren Slater, right, of Hotel New Yorker.
Rooming headquarters
NEW YORK CITY
A NEW BIBLE!
132,811
Cheer Its
First of
Release
Hebrew
Scriptures
"New World Translation" Features Name Jehovah
Wednesday afternoon a tremendous discharge of joy broke a three-year build-up of expectation to receive a new translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. Sustained applause and shouts of delight for nearly a minute by the vast throng of 132,811 marked the release of the New World Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures.
July 22,1953, goes down as the historic date for the release of a new translation of the Masoretic text by the New World Bible Translation Committee. At 3:30 p.m. N.H. Knorr delivered the convention thriller, "Walk in the Name of Jehovah Our God for Ever."
The audience proved to be the most enthusiastic of this assembly, breaking into applause more than fifty times during the hour and a half. Ever since the release of the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures on August 2,1950, Jehovah's witnesses the world over have been building up an expectation for the receiving of the Hebrew Scriptures. That great
expectation was in part fulfilled today when N. H. Knorr announced the release of the first eight books of the Hebrew Scriptures published as Volume I of the New World Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. Volumes II and III were promised for some future year.
For an hour prior to the historic lecture the stadium was packed to overflowing. At the start of his lecture Knorr mentioned how the name of Jehovah God has come in for considerable discussion in recent years. He also told how the translators of the Revised Standard Version Bible, released in 1952, had purposely hidden the divine name from the public by refusing to translate the Hebrew tetragrammaon properly. They rendered the distinctive divine name
by the indefinite "Lord."
The flimsy excuses offered by this Revised Standard Bible Translation Committee for dropping the name Jehovah were that the correct pronunciation of the name is not exactly known and further that "the use of any proper name for the one and only God, as though there were other gods from which he has to be distinguished, was discontinued in Judaism before the Christian era and is entirely inappropriate for the universal faith of the Christian Church."
Dramatically, Mr. Knorr put the following questions to the keyed-up audience. "Does the Revised Standard Committee in its Preface speak for you?" The audience rang out an emphatic NO! Again Knorr asked,
(Continued next page)
New Bible
New Bible (Cont'd) "Is it inappropriate to distinguish the true God by a proper name?" Again the audience shouted NO!
Knorr showed how the religious press prophesied that the Revised Standard Version, leaving out the name Jehovah, would draw the fire of Jehovah's witnesses; also they said that the witnesses were greatly upset by this leaving out of Jehovah's name. Had Jehovah's witnesses been members of the National Council of Churches that authorized the Revised Standard Version there would be reason for Jehovah's witnesses to be upset. But Jehovah's witnesses are glad that they are not members of that National Council. A tremendous applause from the audience gave the speaker full support on this point.
He went on to say that "the great indignity that the Revised Standard Version Committee had rendered to the grandest and most worthy name in the universe and the motives, stated and unstated, that prompted them to do this" are things that we rise to in great objection. Again the audience supported Knorr.
In the middle of his lecture he thanked Jehovah God that provision had been made for a translation of the Hebrew Scriptures that does restore the name Jehovah to its right place. At this point Knorr made the electrifying announcement that the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society was releasing Volume I of the New World Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Octateuch, which comprises the first eight books of the Hebrew Scriptures. At that moment he held up a copy of the new translation and simultaneously there was unfolded a gigantic replica of the New World Translation on the scoreboard of the stadium located to the rear of the speaker.
The audience was delighted and enthusiastically applauded and shouted for 35 seconds. Then as Knorr endeavored to make a few additional remarks they interrupted to break out into another sustained ovation lasting even longer, 45 seconds. By this tremendous demonstration Jehovah's witnesses assembled at Yankee Stadium served notice to the world that they proclaim and accept this New World Translation and will use it to the fullest extent in their ministerial activities.
Eager workers unfolding big replica of new Bible as its release occurred
Knorr went on to show other noteworthy features of the
New World Translation, in addition to the retaining of the divine name Jehovah. He showed that whereas the King James Version uses the term "faith" only twice in the entire "Old Testament," the New World Translation uses it seven times in the Octateuch alone.
Another precise rendering is that for the Hebrew 'o-lam, which is rendered in the King James Version as "for ever," "everlasting," "perpetual," "old," etc. It actually means "concealed time" and so is translated "to time indefinite." The New World Translation also consistently transliterates She'ol and in the Appendix gives valuable information regarding it. It also translates neph'esh as "soul" in its 231 occurrences in the Octateuch. The Appendix gives the 14 instances soul is applied to lower animals, 49 instances showing the soul is mortal, and 12 instances showing a corpse is a dead soul.
Knorr concluded by proclaiming with much audience support, "We do not expect the clergy of Christendom, and of Jewry, to generally approve this translation. They may even forbid their people to obtain and read it." That does not worry Jehovah's witnesses. This translation has not been authorized by any earthly potentate or group of self-styled authorities. Instead, Knorr said, "This translation has been authorized by the great Creator Jehovah God." No
WHAT'S NEW?
Why, the New World Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, Volume I, in both the regular and de luxe full-leather editions, is the newest and most important thing the conventioners have yet received! Any who doubt that should have witnessed the enthusiasm of prolonged and sustained applause that roared up from the stadium when that Bible was announced shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Other new things: "Preach the Word", a booklet presenting testimonies in many languages; Songs to Jehovah's Praise in
Spanish, and the first issue of this Report.
Other releases in other languages Tuesday and Wednesday were: "This Means Everlasting Life" in Greek, Slovak and Ukrainian; Evolution versus The New World in Hollandish and Spanish; God's Way Is Love in Polish, Russian and Slovak; Can You Live Forever in Happiness on Earth? in Russian; and Will Religion Meet the World Crisis? in Armenian and Icelandic; What Has Religion Done for Mankind? in Spanish and Icelandic.
Total releases thus far: 29.
higher authorization than this is required for the producing of a new, fresh translation in modern English of the Hebrew Scriptures.
The audience was difficult to restrain, as they were eager to get up and obtain their personal copy of the New World Translation. However, the speaker did keep them in place long enough to tell them that the green cloth edition was available for 1.50 and also a leather-bound edition was available for 6.50. With that a short closing song was sung and then the audience dispersed rapidly to the various corridors, where supplies of the new Bible were available.
Preliminaries to Release Prior to this thrilling speech
and release W. E. Woodworth called on many missionaries and branch servants, who pointedly related experiences and growth of the new-world organization. Among the many reports space allows only a few high lights:
A Bible study class in Venezuela consists of 100 in attendance, mostly children.
Missionary L. Foster from Ecuador told how, after patient study, many honesthearted people are throwing away their idols, images and picture saints. True worship is setting them free.
From Peru, N. Pool told of a man who asked her not to talk to him about living forever. His daily prayer was to die. He was sick of living.
After visits to the Kingdom Hall, he hopes to live eternally.
Chileans love Kingdom songs, conventioners learned. At least in one case a whole family has come into the truth just through the hearing of these songs of praise.
In Argentina Catholic opposition is keen, remarked C. R. Eisenhower. A man who was appointed by a priest to trouble Jehovah's witnesses read some of the Society's literature. When a witness spoke to him the man stated: "If anyone bothers you, I will see that he gets ten days in jail."
Missionary R. D. Thompson from Paraguay related that the government of Paraguay contributed to place seven of these Bible-truth-containing books in the Naval library.
Pléased and joyful after the release of the new Bible, Knorr and Vice-President F. W. Franz converse
Aerial view of Wednesday afternoon session at Yankee Stadium
4,640 BAPTIZED!
Symbol of Their Dedication to God
"Those who are going to be immersed, please stand up!" This request by C. A. Steele near the conclusion of his discourse on "Baptism" Wednesday morning prompted a mass rising of thousands of immersion candidates filling Sections 10 to 22 of the stadium, and brought forth sustained, swelling applause. "This certainly shows God's blessing on his people, and also upon baptism," Steele said.
At 9:30, after prayer and song, the candidates filed out to board twelve special buses provided by New York City's Surface Transportation System. Carrying 60 persons per bus, these operated a constant shuttle service between the stadium and Riverside Cascade Pool located at 134th Street near Broadway. The total of 4,640 baptized was made up of 1,861 men and 2,779 women.
Everything was highly organized. Seventy men working in shifts did the immersing. Attendants helped the candidates to the buses, took care of the dressing rooms, even seeing that their jewelry and other valuables were safely laid aside to keep them from loss or damage in the water. A doctor and nurses were on hand as a special precaution. But these proved to be mere spectators.
Surrounding the elevated pool, the spectators included a battery of newspaper and newsreel cameramen, as well as many amateur photographers. New Yorkin this campaign, sat in the front-center section as Knorr outlined the "Principal Work of All Servants"—that every servant strive to help every publisher be a regular house-to-house minister.
(Continued on page 32)
One of the 4,640 submitting to immersion
Knorr Pushes House-to-House Training
N. H. Knorr electrified the assembly Wednesday morning with the first announcement of a great house-to-house training program. Circuit and district servants, figuring prominently
"Everyone," he said, "should be able to preach the good news from house to house." This being the primary objective, from now on all circuit servants will give special attention to house-to-house training.
Several changes were made to effect greater efficiency in the organization. Circuit servants are now to have a regular schedule to follow, which calls for them to spend a minimum of 100 hours a month in house-to-house work, including back-call and study activity. During the week the circuit servant will direct the training program by selecting a mature house-to-house publisher to work with the new and unexperienced ones.
District servants, he announced, will now accompany circuit servants for a period of two weeks, thus being able to observe their effectiveness and offer any necessary counsel.
Preliminary to Brother Knorr's stadium-shaking announcement, L. E. Reusch, district servant, emphasized that "life in the new world is dependent on praising Jehovah." But first we need the knowledge that comes from study.
(Continued on page 32)
KNORR TALKS TO BRANCH SERVANTS
32-Page Preaching Aid Released
If anyone had doubts that the organization of Jehovah's witnesses, the world's largest missionary society, is theocratic, that is, God-governed, and is also apostolic, those doubts were
dispelled if he was among the 121,294 that attended this Tuesday afternoon meeting. Most of the managers of its far-flung 70 branches were assembled immediately in front of the platform. The symposium constituted a course of instruction.
God's approval on a mature, clean organization. "We certainly want no interference from inside the organization. From the outside world we expect it. That's why they're outside," he
N. H. Knorr, the Society's president, in "Counsel to Branch Servants," emphasized that the fundamental position of primary importance in God's organization is that of an active house-to-house preacher of the good news. A branch servant as a leader and example must, above all things, be as Jesus was a zealous preacher.
To illustrate what a branch servant should be, he pointed to the apostles. Jesus selected them because they were
Knorr, in his office, is here discussing the Swiss branch work
men of zeal and love. They were men who would stick, would work and not run away or become tired and turn responsibility back for someone else to take. Yet they were organizers who would not try to do everything themselves, but would see that the Kingdom work was well and efficiently taken care of. They would train and use others.
Ambitious branch servants might try to follow worldly organizations by seeking quantity instead of quality, a big report for their country instead of
exclaimed. Jehovah is the Great Shepherd, and he is not going to bring his sheep into an organization filled with corruption. "They might as well stay out there wandering in the bush,"he declared.
With final counsel to be fearless, knowing that Jehovah himself is backing them up, and to daily approach God in prayer, he then announced a newlyprovided help. The Society's new 32-page preaching aid, "Preach the Word", giving a testimony in 30 languages, will enable all
to "preach the Kingdom gospel to people we can't even talk to."
Then M. G. Henschel, a director of the Society, gave counsel based on the Society's years of actual missionary experience.
Branch servants, his talk explained, must pay special attention to Gilead graduate missionaries sent to their country. These should be warmly greeted and taken out in the door-to-door work right away. They should quickly learn the customs of the people. A good start for them is vital.
Practical advice by A. D. Schroeder, registrar of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead followed. His practical suggestions for studying The Watchtower were: (1) Read the magazine through, (2) determine whether it is topical in form or the Scriptural commentary type, (3) get the outline by another reading, underlining the high points and key scriptures, (4) discuss the subject with others, (5) carefully examine
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