1955 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses
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1955 YEARBOOK OF
JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES containing report for the service year of 1954 Also daily texts and comments
Corporate Publishers
WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY, INC. INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
124 Columbia Heights Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
Branch offices appear on last page
Copyright, 1954, by Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society
Made in the United States of America
WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY
OFFICERS
N. H. KNORR President
F. W. FRANZ Vice-President
GRANT SUITER Secretary and Treasurer
WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY, INC.
OFFICERS
N. H. KNORR President
F. W. FRANZ Vice-President
GRANT SUITER Secretary and Treasurer
INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
OFFICERS
N. H. KNORR President
A. PRYCE HUGHES Vice-President
E. C. CHITTY Secretary
GRANT SUITER
Ass’t Secretary and Treasurer
Page
Aden
Alaska
Algeria
Angola
Argentina
Aruba, N. W. 1
Australia
Austria
Azores
Bahamas
Basutoland
Bechuanaland
Belgian Congo
Belgium
Bermuda
Bolivia
Bonaire, N. W. I
Brazil
British Guiana
British Honduras
British Isles
Bulgaria
Burma
Cameroun
Canada
Ceylon
Chile
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Cyprus ...
Czechoslovakia .
Dahomey
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
Page
Eire
El Salvador
Eritrea .......
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Equatorial Africa . 76
French Togoland
Gambia
Germany, Eastern
Germany, Western
Gold Coast
Greece
Greenland
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Haiti
Hawaii
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indochina
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kalimantan .....
Page
Page
Kenya
Korea
Kuwait
Lebanon
Leeward Islands
Liberia
Libya
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Madeira
Malta
Martinique
Mauritius
Mexico
Morocco
Netherlands
Netherlands West Indies . 211
Newfoundland
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Nigeria
North Borneo
Northern Rhodesia
Norway
Nyasaland
Okinawa
Other Islands
Pakistan
Panama
Papua
Paraguay
Peru
Philippine Islands
Poland
Portugal
Portuguese East Africa ... 228
Puerto Rico
Romania
Saar, The
St. Helena
St. Martin
Samoa, American
Samoa, Western
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Singapore and Malaya ... 245
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Southern Rhodesia
South-West Africa
Spain
Sudan, The
Sulawesi
Sumatra
Surinam
Sweden
Switzerland
Swaziland
Syria
Taiwan
Tanganyika
Thailand
Timor
Trinidad
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
United States of America . 68
Uruguay
Venezuela
Virgin Islands
Yugoslavia
Service year chart, page 34
YEARBOOK
OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES
JEHOVAH is the Giver of life. He also gives knowledge to man as to how he can attain life.
Jehovah’s witnesses have the hope of eternal life and are grateful for the knowledge they have of how life can be theirs unendingly through Jehovah’s undeserved kindness. They want to live, for with life they can worship the Sovereign Ruler of the universe. (Ps. 118:17) The majority of human creatures do not want to die and return to the dust, for in the grave where man goes there is no knowledge or wisdom, nor can the dead do any work. “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.” (Eccl. 9:5, 10, AS) Life, living in God’s new world, is the hope held out for man. Jehovah’s witnesses have hope in that new system of things, and this faith and hope are based on their knowledge of Jehovah’s Word.
Jehovah’s words have power. “For the word of God is alive and exerts power and is sharper than any two-edged sword.” (Heb. 4:12, NW) With this truth in mind we should want to know what Jehovah says at any time, if it is within our finding out. We should certainly want to study his sayings. When God says something we should listen, because what he says has a tremendous effect on animate and inanimate things. “By faith we understand that the systems of things were put in order by God’s word, so that what is beheld
came to be out of things that do not appear.” (Heb. 11:3, NW) David, a man who was after God’s own heart, appreciated the power of Jehovah’s word, for he stated: “By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” (Ps. 33:6, AS) Man cannot conceive the power in the Creator’s words. It is written that “power belongeth unto God” and “the Almighty ... is excellent in power.” (Ps. 62:11; Job 37:23, AS) With all the power in heaven and earth as Sovereign Ruler, he can certainly make his Word to stand and never return to him unfulfilled. Hence he himself says: “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isa. 55:11) Words so powerful we should study.
When Jesus walked this earth he spoke the words of his Father in the heavens. He had faith in Jehovah’s words. His course of life was based on his Father’s promises. It was Jesus himself who said: “The sayings that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. But there are some of you that do not believe.” (John 6:63, 64; 8:26-28, NW) It is a fact that the majority of humans who lay claim to being Christian set themselves up as judges of God’s words and they individually decide whether certain texts of the Bible are true and can be accepted or whether they should be discarded. Their wisdom they set above that of Jehovah God himself. They class themselves with those who do not believe. Marginal reading of John 6:63 (NW) makes Jesus’ expression even stronger: “The sayings that I have spoken to you mean spirit and mean life.”
This is no time to push aside the Word of God and say: “I’ll look into that some other time. I have yet many years to live; so I’ll do it later when convenient.” Man reasons that there is so much of importance in this world to care for that he does not have time for the ‘old’ Bible. He wants to keep up to date. He thinks that accumulating riches will make him enjoy life in his later years. But he may never enjoy his savings and he can easily lose out on living eternally. At one time Jesus illustrated this: “The land of a certain rich man produced well. Consequently, he began reasoning within himself, saying: ‘What shall I do, now that I have nowhere to gather my crops?’ So he said: ‘I will do this: I will tear down my storehouses and build bigger ones, and there I will gather all my grain and all my good things, and I will say to my soul: “Soul, you have many good things laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, enjoy yourself.’’ ’ But God said to him: ‘Unreasonable one, this night they are demanding your soul from you. Who, then, is to have the things you stored up?’ So it goes with the man that lays up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”—Luke 12:16-21, NW.
To be rich toward God, to hold fast your hope, you must study the precious Word of God and continuously make public declaration of it. Anyone having the hope of life in the new world must boldly and thoughtfully tell out this good news, making it known to everyone who will listen. “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a witness,” said Jesus, because words so preached would be words of life. (Matt. 24:14, NW) Faith in the true God on the part of any individual comes by hearing the words of God. “However, how will they call upon him in whom they have not put faith? How, in turn, will they put faith in him of whom they have not heard? How, in turn, will they hear without someone to preach?” (Rom. 10:14, NW) One who knows the words of eternal life must teach them so that others can hear and so that those who do hear can have faith. Then these in turn will study God’s Word like the teacher. “Preach the word” is the admonition of that faithful follower of Christ Jesus who knew that faith is built on accurate knowledge. (2 Tim. 4:2) To live in the new world one must be filled with the knowledge of God. If you could not be filled with the knowledge of God, then you would have to say that God is not a good teacher. True Christians realize, however, that they will “all be taught by Jehovah.” (John 6:45, NW; Isa. 54:13, AS) Learning from such a wonderful Teacher you will not want to keep the knowledge to yourself, “for with the heart one exercises faith for righteousness, but with the mouth one makes public declaration for salvation.”—Rom. 10:10, NW.
Our concern, then, is with ourselves, making ourselves a group of good preachers. Paul urged: “Pay constant attention to yourself and to your teaching.” (1 Tim. 4:16, NW) Wisely, then, each of us determines to study God’s Word the Bible, thus paying attention to ourselves and assuring ourselves of everlasting life. At the same time, by studying the Bible diligently we are able to pay constant attention to our teaching; we can be sure that that which we tell others is the truth. As Christians we must follow Jehovah’s instruction. “Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. Enter not into the path of the wicked, and walk not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass on.” (Prov. 4:13-15, AS) How much more clearly can it be stated? Here it says instruction is our life! Better, then, that we pay attention to instruction, learning how to live.
‘A TIME SUCH AS NEVER WAS’
Ours is a very wicked day, the worst in all history. On every side of us we see hatred, strife, war. Nearly every man’s hand seems to be against his neighbor. The world is filled with selfishness, fear. Such are products of a mad, hateful world whose god is Satan the Devil. Yes, God’s Word says that Satan is the god of this system of things. On this vital subject Jehovah’s witnesses are trying to enlighten the people’s minds. At the same time we hold out to peoples of all nations the hope that Jehovah holds out: His kingdom, the only hope for mankind. This old world’s inhabitants need instruction so that they can turn from the wicked course that will lead to death. "‘If, now, the good news we declare is in fact veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing, among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through.” (2 Cor. 4:3, 4, NW) Today as never before the light is shining through in the message that Jehovah’s witnesses regularly take to willing listeners in all nations of the world. Hundreds of thousands are listening. More and more are taking in knowledge and instruction and thus starting on the road to life everlasting. This is the time for the great witness to be given as Jesus foretold: “And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a witness to all the nations, and then the accomplished end will come.” (Matt. 24:14, NW) Will you share in this great work of “announcing Jehovah’s kingdom”? You can, and you will want to if you make it your business to heed instruction from God’s Word and hold fast to that instruction.
Now is the time when those desiring to live in Jehovah’s new world must stick together. Privately studying your Bible is necessary, but jointly studying with those of like precious faith is even more necessary. Since the words of God, as set forth in the Bible, are so powerful that by holding on to their instruction life can be gained, what should a believer in God’s Word do? He should first study, then talk about that which he studies. To gain knowledge one must work. To retain that knowledge he must use it. You will want others to know what you know, therefore you will talk. As Jehovah’s chief witness Christ Jesus preached the good news and brought salvation to mankind. But now he is not with us in the flesh as he was nineteen hundred years ago when he led the apostles and set them the proper example. “We are therefore ambassadors substituting for Christ, as though God were making entreaty through us. As substitutes for Christ we beg: ‘Become reconciled to God.’ ” (2 Cor. 5:20, NW) Those Words Paul addressed to the congregation at Corinth. Today Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere are a united congregation of Jehovah God. Unitedly, jointly they have a work to do, that is, to preach to all the world, to show all lovers of righteousness the way to life. Every one of Jehovah’s witnesses must keep alive to the truth as expressed in His Word, because it is necessary for every individual in his theocratic organization to think as Jehovah thinks. He being their Teacher and his Word being their textbook, they will think alike, work alike and worship alike. Hence their sticking together in Jehovah’s theocratic organization means for them their everlasting life. Were any individual in this New World society to try to go alone, he soon would see that he never could succeed or realize his hope in life. That individual never would get into the new world. So individually each one of us must stay in Jehovah’s New World society and at the same time be active as a part of it.
Clearly now Jehovah God through Christ Jesus is gathering together all who are of good will and who love righteousness. (Zeph. 2:1-3) This he is doing before his battle at Armageddon. Those who now lay hold on instruction will flee from this old world and get into the new system of things. With so many of the “other sheep” being gathered into the New World society it is essential that Jehovah’s witnesses must get to know one another, especially within each of their congregations. They must learn of the benefits of that congregation and what it will do for them. Jehovah’s witnesses soon learn that it is essential for them to go to every meeting arranged for them for their education and instruction. To get life they must constantly seek knowledge and learn more of Jehovah and his purposes. They must fully appreciate they cannot get along without his written Word. Also, they wifi learn that they cannot get along without Jehovah’s organization. Their sticking together, their jointly studying God’s Word, makes Jehovah’s witnesses very vigorous. It sets them apart distinctly from all others in this world. They truly are Bible students; they constantly practice the teachings of God’s Word.—John 13:17.
“Let us hold fast the public declaration of our hope without wavering, for he is faithful that promised. And let us consider one another to incite to love and right works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you behold the day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:2325, NW) This sound counsel has been talked about many times. Probably all in your congregation have used this scripture, either at service meetings or at the theocratic ministry school, pointing out how necessary it is for every one of Jehovah’s servants to assemble with his brothers, now more than ever because we are living at the end of this old system of things. Let us here examine this text to see what vital force there is in it and how it must affect us in our daily lives.
“PUBLIC DECLARATION OF OUR HOPE”
This scripture that says “Let us hold fast the public declaration of our hope” does not mean merely doing this by going from house to house witnessing day by day throughout our lives. Many other scriptures definitely prove we must go from home to home preaching the good news of the Kingdom. That is a point beyond dispute. But what important fact is brought to our mind in this text under consideration? Does its statement —“Let us hold fast the public declaration of our hope without wavering”—apply to our house-to-house witnessing? Have in mind the context. What is Paul talking about here when addressing the Hebrews? He tells them to make a public declaration, but where? The context shows it must be in the congregation of Jehovah’s people. There is a definite reason, too, for making this declaration and coming together in the congregation to do it. It must be a declaration that will incite to love, to help others in right works and to encourage one another in the Christian ministry. By doing these things all will be helped to remain united, to stay in the organization. Our congregation meetings themselves provide positive assistance to others. Yes, it is our public declaration of our hope in the congregation that does much for others of the congregation.
The New World society consists of many congregations scattered all over the earth. Many are in English-speaking communities. Others are among Germans, French, Japanese; in fact, assemblies are held in more than a hundred tongues in all parts of the world. But regardless of what language is spoken Jehovah’s witnesses must come together in congregation meetings. Every dedicated member of the New World society must regularly assemble with others and get the benefit of his brothers’ knowledge as well as give to his brothers the benefit of his knowledge. Before one makes his public declaration in the congregation of God’s people it is essential for him to engage in private study. But that is not all. After the private study you must meet with the congregation and make public declaration of what you have learned. If one tries to go alone without the organization, it will be only a matter of time until he will be in want; and if he stays away from the congregation too long, he will die of starvation for spiritual food. A Christian witness of Jehovah cannot get out of line for New World living and survive for the new world. After one has made his day-by-day and week-by-week private study he should make his ‘advancement manifest to all persons’ by expressing before the congregation what he believes so that the other members of the congregation thereby may be incited to love and right works and encouraged to greater activity.—1 Tim. 4:15, NW.
Daily reading and study of the Bible are needful. Bible study aids also should be read, such as the Watchtower magazine and books distributed by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society; for every reasonable observer knows there are no other publications like these. All these printed products will help the truth seeker to get a broader understanding of the Word and purposes of Jehovah so that he will be able better to express his hope at the congregation meetings. By filling the mind with divine instruction and truth it will help the witness of Jehovah to prepare his talks for the theocratic ministry school that he attends; it will aid him in sharing in the service meeting and Watchtower study meeting, and it will help him in preparing short sermons to use from house to house. God’s Word says we are to make a “public declaration of our hope.” Ask yourself: ‘How many times have I expressed myself in the Watchtower study meeting during the last six months, or the last year?’ It is very important that in these studies each one speak up as he has opportunity, because upon each one rests a twofold obligation. First, you have opportunity to make public declaration of your hope; and, second, the expression affects those who are listening and should incite them to love and the right kind of works. This you can do when you do not forsake assembling with your brothers in the congregation.
Another point: “Keep testing whether you are in the faith, keep proving what you yourselves are. Or do you not recognize that Jesus Christ is in union with you? Unless you are disapproved. I truly hope you will come to know we are not disapproved.” (2 Cor. 13:5, 6, NW) Under that wholesome counsel by Paul it is very necessary for each one of us to look after himself. It is not just a matter of saying, ‘I am one of Jehovah’s witnesses,’ or one’s coming to a meeting and there sitting quietly. It really is a matter of inspecting yourself, testing or proving yourself by answering questions in public, voluntarily or when called upon. How can anyone say he is one of Jehovah’s witnesses if he does not attend and participate in the meetings of true worshipers of Jehovah? (John 4:23) How can he say, even to himself, that he believes the truth of God’s Word if he never expresses that truth to his brothers? One might be born a Catholic and be baptized into that religious cult when he is but a few days old and be called a Catholic for the rest of his life. Or he may be born of Protestant parents or Moslem parents or Jewish parents, and the name of his parents’ religion will go with him the rest of his life unless he personally decides to progress. But as for Jehovah’s witnesses, each must make a decision for himself. It is not for any parent to decide for his child to make a dedication to Jehovah God through Jesus Christ. Each must personally prove that he is one of Jehovah’s witnesses through public expression of his faith and hope in Jehovah’s new world before the congregation of Jehovah’s people. It is your active belief that will incite others to greater activity; therefore the knowledge you have gained should be expressed aloud before the congregation for the benefit of all. —1 John 4:17, NW.
Needful it is, then, to keep testing ourselves, keep on proving what we ourselves are, as to our faith. We can make mistakes, we can get out of line with Jehovah’s principles of truth and righteousness, we can drift, think on wrong things; and, not having read and studied the Word of God enough, we can get to forming our own philosophies on life. Individuals may even go so far as to express what they think God himself should be like and what he should be doing. But one knows that he cannot become acquainted with another unless he talks to him or reads about or otherwise communicates with him. No one can come to know God unless he listens to him through his written Word. In private study you can take in much information about God, but by attending congregation meetings your advance study, having equipped you, enables you to express your belief and hope, to benefit others. It is very unprofitable for a Christian witness of Jehovah to forsake regularly assembling with other dedicated Christians. Think of the harm he does to himself and also to others. He is not incited to love and right works, for he does not hear his fellow workers comment and he is not there to give comment to help them.
“WE MAY HAVE FREENESS OF SPEECH”
Jehovah’s visible organization has arranged for weekly Watchtower studies in every congregation throughout the world. It is advisable to attend these. Other meetings, too, such as the theocratic ministry school and the service meeting, yield a rich blessing and help one to hold on to instructions. Whenever you attend these meetings do not sit back and feel that it is so much better for any other person to express himself. In your simple, pleasant manner and with, probably, hesitant speech, even you can incite others to love and right works. You can encourage others by your right expression. Were you ever in a Watchtower study where a brother or sister you have been working with for months spoke up for the first time? It gave you a little thrill to hear this one speak, did it not? After the meeting you very likely complimented that one. To you it was a joy and a real pleasure to hear that person speak. It encouraged you to do greater works, as Paul said; and so, by making public declaration of your hope, you will be inciting and also be incited yourself to love and right works. Why not, then, give the other persons that same sense of joy, that same pleasure you had, by letting them regularly hear you speak in the Watchtower study? Without question they will appreciate your comment. You may be older in the truth and so they will be happy to hear what you have to say. Or you may be new in the truth and then they will rejoice to see your progress in understanding.
To express ourselves is both practical and necessary, for to a great extent we really do not know what we do believe until we start talking or start writing, that is to say, communicating. If we never express ourselves, then our thoughts never come into a form to benefit others or even ourselves. Some excuse themselves by saying that if they speak they may give an incorrect or misleading answer. Do you keep quiet because you might make a mistake? Even your making that mistake is to your benefit. How so? Because then someone else will give the correct answer and, additionally, the chairman will express himself and point out the right answer and finally the paragraph will be read to complete the answer to the question. For a moment you may be a little ashamed, but you did express to the congregation what you believe. You found out you were wrong and so by studying along with other members of the congregation and by expressing yourself you discovered your error. By keeping quiet you may never have known of your error. So now you have the opportunity of changing your thinking. You want the right ideas in your head, and now you have changed some wrong thought and have substituted the correct one. No worshiper of Jehovah wants to go from house to house talking about Jehovah’s purposes and telling householders the wrong things. So, then, your brothers helped you to correct the error you made in your public declaration in their hearing. Do not let the error you think you might express hold you back from speaking. Your mistake may sharpen the correct answer in the minds of others. If one did all his own thinking and never consulted anyone else or expressed himself to others, he never would be able to test himself. That underscores the value of “freeness of speech”; and that is why we have the admonition, “Keep testing whether you are in the faith, keep proving what you yourselves are.”
We must advance, increase, grow up in Jehovah’s organization; we cannot stand still. Through the Watchtower magazine and all companion publications, as well as through the congregation, circuit and district servants, the Watch Tower Society constantly stresses that we must study. Serious study is hard work. But it does yield happy results. It takes effort to search the Scriptures, but you know that the knowledge gained spells out life. Taking in knowledge of Jehovah God and of his Son, said Jesus, means everlasting life. (John 17:3) One who wants life must listen to the Giver of life, Jehovah, for it is written: “Most truly I say to you, He that hears my word and believes him that sent me has everlasting life, and he does not come into judgment but has passed over from death to life.” (John 5:24, NW) Everlasting life is due, then, to hearing the Word and believing Jehovah God, for it was God who sent
Christ Jesus; and by having this faith we are able to pass over from death to life. By assembling ourselves together for making public declaration of our hope we continue learning and growing, advancing to maturity.
‘CONSIDER ONE ANOTHER, TRUSTING IN JEHOVAH’
Paul, writing to the Hebrews, wanted them to know more about Christ Jesus. He wrote: “Concerning him we have much to say and hard to be explained, since you have become dull in your hearing. For, indeed, although you ought to be teachers in view of the time, you again need someone to teach you from the beginning the first principles of the sacred pronouncements of God, and you have become such as need milk, not solid food. For everyone that partakes of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to mature people, to those who through use have their perceptive powers trained to distinguish both right and wrong.” (Heb. 5:11-14, NW) A vigorous Christian himself, Paul wanted these Hebrews to advance and use their perceptive powers. In view of the time they were in the truth they should have been teachers, but they did not want to express themselves for enriching others. They preferred to take life easy and just feed on the milk of the Word and just remember the simple things they learned when they first came into Jehovah’s organization without becoming acquainted with the whole Word of God and taking the solid food that belongs to mature people. Any dedicated Christian witness of Jehovah should want to grow up and make advancement in the New World society. When one gains knowledge of Jehovah’s marvelous purposes it should fill him with vigor and give him vitality. Energized, he should want to help others to gain the same valuable information he has. Therefore he should show an aptness to teach, giving out accurate knowledge so that others, too, can lay hold on instruction. When he really grows to love his brothers he will want to make a public declaration in the congregation to incite them to love and right works.
A great change must take place in one’s thinking when he becomes a Christian. There must be a making over of the mind. To quit the old way of thinking is necessary. A new form of instruction must be put on. That is why Paul wrote: “Quit being fashioned after this system of things but be transformed by making your mind over, that you may prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and complete will of God.” (Rom. 12:2, NW) Every one of us has been born in the wicked, delinquent, fearful old world and we have been trained in the old world’s way to think selfishly, as human leaders want their followers or subjects to think. From childhood we have been taught to hate other nations, peoples and races and to fear them and suspect them, thus building up barriers between certain persons and ourselves. This wrong thought was very sharply expressed in one of the popular stage successes (“South Pacific”). In that play, a young army man, distressed because he had fallen in love with a young girl of another race and nationality, sings about ‘your being taught to hate and fear; that you have got to be taught from year to year, having it drummed into your dear little ear—carefully taught to be afraid of people whose eyes are ugly made and whose skin is a different shade; carefully taught before it’s too late, before you’re six or seven or eight, to hate all the people your relatives hate.’ And that is true of the old world. Talk aplenty there is about brotherly love and the brotherhood of man and world brotherhood; but those who have been carefully taught according to this old world’s untheocratic theories prefer segregation, class distinction, the caste system. How necessary it is, then, for a reasonable person to make his mind over, to quit thinking like the old world and, instead, take instruction from Almighty God! God’s Book, the Bible, teaches us to love as he loves. Love casts out fear. “He that docs not love has not come to know God, because God is love.” “There is no fear in love, but perfect love throws fear outside, because fear exercises a restraint. Indeed, he that is under fear has not been made perfect in love. As for us, we love, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:8, 18, 19, NW) When one lives by the accurate knowledge he receives from Jehovah’s Word, how different his life becomes! But with these new ideas, these newly found truths from God’s Word, Jehovah’s witnesses must go forward to teach others so that all who eventually choose to become part of the New World society will think as Jehovah thinks and grow to maturity.
HOW VALUABLE IS THE BIBLE?
Every one of us can become alive to the wonderful joys and blessings that Jehovah’s witnesses have if we take the time to receive instruction, associate with Jehovah’s witnesses, express ourselves and advance to maturity in the congregation of God. Sometimes it is said that Jehovah’s witnesses have their own Bible, but when one reads the pages of The Watchtower he sees that many translations are constantly cited and quoted from. Jehovah’s witnesses urge that every person read his own copy of the Holy Bible daily. It matters not which version of the Bible is read, whether the Catholic Douay, or the Protestant King James or American Standard, or any other Bible version in German, French, Spanish, Hebrew or Tagalog. No matter which rendering of the Holy Scriptures you read you can learn the truth. None, generally speaking, are so far off from the original meaning expressed in the Hebrew and Greek texts as to sidetrack the reader and send him into error. However, there are good and better translations. Such are available for selection; and when you can get a better one to read and study, it will be to your advantage. It will aid you to gain a clearer understanding, probably a quicker understanding, of the marvelous purposes of Jehovah. His Book, the Bible, is one you should be reading every day throughout the entire year, and year after year. It is an inexhaustible fountain of refreshing water, truth. It never becomes dry. It is always deliciously fresh, tasty. Do not be choosy in your reading, but starting with Genesis proceed through to the last book, Revelation. You will find the rarest gems of truth, marvelous instruction, sound counsel; for all this is the written word of the Supreme Sovereign, the living God Jehovah. For us, dwellers upon this little earth of his vast universe, he provided that Book so that we might be properly instructed and trained as true followers of his Christ.—Eph. 4:31, 32; 1 John 1:7.
Centuries ago when Pilgrim fathers came to America’s shores the Bible was their principal book. Often now we hear or read of those bygone days when persons used their Bible daily in nearly every home. It affected the upbringing of their children, it broadened their knowledge and understanding, it helped to keep them close to the living God. They did not measure its contents with a yardstick supplied by self-serving, hostile critics or prejudiced scoffers. Indeed, the Giver’s Book, the Bible, is the one volume that has solid food for thought, excellent instruction on living and on proper behavior of oneself. Today the Bible is far more valuable to us than it was to those of past days; for all things written aforetime were written for our instruction now in these days of great trial. (Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11) The Bible is for our comfort, and in reading the Scriptures we are able to have hope.—1 Pet. 1:3; 2 Pet. 1:19-21.
Do you appreciate that when you hear or read the Bible you are actually listening to, giving attention to, Jehovah God, as he communicates his thoughts to you? He is not going to talk to you in a dream. He will not send you a special messenger, an angel, to give you private instruction. Through his written Word he now is communicating to us. “All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16, 17, NW) It is useless to look around for advice and instruction from any other source.
WHY REGULARLY STUDY AND PREACH GOD’S TRUTH?
No one can be just satisfied with a mere general knowledge of God’s truth. (Psalm 117) In one’s Christian activity he must leave the elementary things and advance to maturity. That is why Paul said: “For this reason, now that we have left the elementary doctrine about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying a foundation again, namely, repentance from dead works, and faith toward God, the teaching on baptisms and the laying on of the hands, the resurrection of the dead and everlasting judgment. And this we will do, if God indeed permits.” (Heb. 6:1-3, NW) Once we have taken the forward step of being one of God’s slaves, it is not a matter of becoming just a ‘Sunday Christian.’ It must be an everyday affair. The dedicated Christian witness of Jehovah must demonstrate that he is truly an industrious minister and cannot be interested in merely gaining knowledge for himself but he must see the responsibility of maintaining his own integrity through aiding others by sensibly preaching the good news to them. (1 Pet. 3:15) Every additional responsibility should be welcomed by all in the New World society. One should not be satisfied with the idea that he will ‘let well enough alone,’ but, rather, will be progressive and eagerly desire to advance. “For God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love you showed for his name, in that you have ministered to the holy ones and continue ministering. But we desire each one of you to show the same industriousness so as to have the full assurance of the hope down to the end, in order that you may not become sluggish, but be imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Heb. 6:10-12, NW) No matter how long we have been walking in the truth, we must continue to preach God’s Word, the Bible, and study the things he has provided for us to study through his organization for his purposes. Otherwise, if we do not keep pace with the organization, sluggishness will overtake us. (1 John 2:6) The Word of God makes us alive, gives us vigor, and we have zeal peculiar to Jehovah’s house. A good Christian witness will always be an industrious person. He will be found regularly at the meetings, at the service centers, and taking the lead in gratefully expressing the truth to others.
Do you ever feel spiritually weak? Examine yourself. Very likely you have not been going to meetings regularly. You lack association with your brothers. When one begins missing meetings one is withdrawing from Jehovah’s organization, and that is when one begins to become weak. He ceases to express himself or make a public declaration of his hope. In these last days of the Devil’s organization this is no time to take chances. All must be strong in powers of understanding, and the only way we can remain strong is to study Jehovah’s Word and meet with Jehovah’s people. “Brothers, do not become young children in powers of understanding, but be babes as to evil; yet become full-grown in powers of understanding.” (1 Cor. 14:20, NW) The godly advice is that as far as the wicked things of this old system are concerned be like children, innocent toward such things and knowing only very partly or incompletely about the evil things, so as to avoid such. Do not associate in such company. But, on the other hand, when it comes to powers of understanding, do not be children; be full grown, mature.
One who holds on to the instruction from Jehovah will be a spiritually-minded person. He will think correctly, divinely, like God. Spiritual-mindedness is opposed to carnal-mindedness. To be carnally-minded means to be thinking of the things of this world, to be carrying on the wicked practices of the Devil’s organization. To be spiritually-minded is to be the opposite of carnally-minded. Life and our gaining it are the important things to have in mind. Jesus had these things in mind when he was upon earth and he told his apostles: “Stop being anxious about your souls as to what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your bodies as to what you will wear. Does not the soul mean more than food and the body than clothing?” (Matt. 6:25, NW) By far the majority of the people in the world are interested in only these things that pertain to themselves and not how they can benefit others. This is the Gentiles’ or selfish way of looking at it. In his discussion with his apostles Jesus told us that there was a far greater thing to think about, the spiritual thing, the Kingdom. He said: “Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his [Jehovah’s] righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33, NW) Do not question that Jehovah God does not know our needs. He does, and he can care for them. He does not want us to be worried about them all the time. He wants us to concentrate on the greater thing, Jehovah’s kingdom that will mean life to men of good will. When we follow Jesus, then we will want to “take fast hold of instruction; let her not go.”—Prov. 4:13, 48.
Taking in the right kind of knowledge is important to our spiritual-mindedness and our gaining life. Jesus, when praying with his disciples, set forth the formula for happy endless living, saying to Jehovah: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3, NW) In this prayer Jesus was very anxious to see his followers take in this true knowledge of the Sovereign Ruler of the universe and to understand why he sent his Son to earth, for with this information one can know the way to everlasting living. From this we can see, then, how essential it is for every individual dedicated to Jehovah God to be busy in the congregation of Jehovah’s people. Meeting attendance is a “must.” Meeting attenders must speak up, communicate, express their minds, and they must keep spiritually-minded. This is not difficult, Paul says, adding: “For I am longing to see you, that I may impart some spiritual gift to you in order for you to be made firm; or, rather, that there may be an interchange of encouragement among you, by each one through the other’s faith, both yours and mine.” (Rom. 1:11,12, NW) This spiritual gift Paul is talking about seems to be bestowed upon Jehovah’s people just through communication, by one’s expressing himself as others listen, by the individual’s telling out his faith—by Paul’s expressing his faith to and interchanging thought with others. In other words, talking about Jehovah’s truth is rounding out spiritual-mindedness. (Ps. 145:9-12) This fits in with the thought that we should make a “public declaration of our hope without wavering, for he is faithful that promised.”
Our experiences in the field, our association with the brothers, our discussing the Watchtower articles, our going to the theocratic ministry school, our having a part in the service meeting, our attending and participating in the activity of the service center and our attendance at public meetings; all of this is spiritually sustaining, all this discussion, communicating and interchange of ideas is encouraging, spiritually strengthening, upbuilding to faith, as Paul says, “both yours and mine.”
CONSIDER ONE ANOTHER
The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society publishes the Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses during the forepart of every year, reporting the past year’s activities of God’s servants throughout the world. The Yearbook also sets forth a text for consideration for each day, with a comment on each daily text. How grand it is for families to read the text each day, discuss it, interchange their thinking about it and thus show to one another their faith, making a declaration of their hope; and then sum it up by reading the published comment on that text! All of this is spiritually upbuilding and helps us hold fast to instruction, for this is life.
Spiritual-mindedness is very important in the life of the Christian, but when one does not study or attend meetings of his brothers he will soon feel lost among his brothers when he does come occasionally, and he will even feel out of place when his brothers call on him. Why should that be? It is because he is losing his spiritual-mindedness, because he is no longer making a public declaration of the things he believes. He is letting his faith weaken and die out, and he is slipping back into the old world. The greater part of the congregation that Paul called upon was slipping backward, and so to them he wrote: “Brothers, I was not able to speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to fleshly men, as to babes in Christ. I fed you milk, not something to eat, for you were not yet strong enough. In fact, neither are you strong enough now, for you are yet fleshly. For whereas there are jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly and are you not walking as men do? For when one says: *1 belong to Paul,’ but another says: ‘I to Apollos,’ are you not simply men?” —1 Cor. 3:1-4, MW.
Jealousy and strife now fill the old world. Love for God and love for the brothers are the principal teachings of the Bible. (Mark 12:29-31; John 15:11-15) Keeping the teaching of God’s Word does not direct us to be following any man, as did the Corinthians who were following Paul or Apollos, making a choice of an individual visible associate. That is what men of the old world are doing every day, choosing this one or that one as a leader. But Christians must choose to follow and then actually and exclusively worship the Sovereign Ruler of the universe, Jehovah God. Every day will they bless him.
For one to become a spiritual man requires time. If he is a person of the world, never having turned to God’s Word, he must first study; and that is where Jehovah’s witnesses have a great blessing and opportunity before them. They call upon the people at their homes and tell them about the things they have learned. They make back-calls and conduct home Bible studies with people of good will. It may take six months or a year before these individuals are able to understand and appreciate what Jehovah’s purposes are, but in time any person who is sincere and who has a sheeplike disposition will turn from his worldly way of thinking and will see that the instruction set forth in God’s Word is of greatest value, and it will not be long until he will be becoming spiritually-minded. All the “other sheep” who have been gathered into the New World society and have dedicated themselves to Jehovah God have become spiritually-minded just like the anointed of God who will be joint heirs with Christ Jesus of the heavenly kingdom. They have become spiritually-minded through the interchange of faith, through communicating to one another about the things they believe. Those who are truly spiritually-minded can help the weaker ones in the organization. It is the responsibility of the stronger ones to speak to those who have shown hesitance in taking up their responsibility. That is why Paul said: “Brothers, even though a man takes some false step before he is aware of it, you who have spiritual qualifications try to restore such a man in a spirit of mildness, as you each keep an eye on yourself, for fear you also may be tempted.” —Gal. 6:1, NW.
A brother in the organization should not be offended when another brother who is zealous and joyful in God’s service calls on him to help him. He should be grateful to God that someone sees his need and that someone with spiritual qualifications is willing to help to restore him in a spirit of mildness. It may be that the one who was slipping away lost his grip and no longer was holding fast to the instruction God had given for him through His Word. Once we lose our grip on the instruction in God’s Word we begin to lose our life. We must seek accurate knowledge, and this we cannot attain by our individually, privately working out our own philosophies and ideas of life. We must seek Jehovah God. (Prov. 3:5-7) We must turn to his Word; we must associate with his organization. We must keep our minds on the right things and in that way we shall be able to attain accurate knowledge and true understanding. It should be the desire of every one to be filled with accurate knowledge, wisdom and spiritual discernment so that each one can walk worthily of Jehovah and thus please him. As a Christian we each must be bearing fruit in every good work, and as we bear this fruit we must increase in accurate knowledge of God. What a wonderful privilege it is for a dedicated person to have made advancement in Jehovah’s organization so as to qualify himself to be a right kind of minister. He feels like the apostle Paul: “Thanking the Father who rendered you suitable for your participation in the inheritance of the holy ones in the light.” (Col. 1:9-12, NW) He was glad to see others make advancement and to co-operate with God to render themselves suitable servants so that they too could share in this great work of “announcing Jehovah’s kingdom” in all the world for a witness.—Matt. 24:14, NW.
MAINTAINING INTEGRITY
There is no doubt about it, we as individual members of the New World society must be interested in ourselves. It was Jesus who said: “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt. 22:39; Luke 21:34-36, NW) We must pay constant attention to ourselves so that we may gain life in the new world. Individually we must look after our own integrity. No one else can take any one of us into the new world by holding our hand and dragging us through the battle of Armageddon. Each dedicated Christian witness of Jehovah must stand on his own feet. (Joel 2:7, 8; Phil. 2:12, 13) He must hold fast to instruction. As Jesus said, it is your taking in knowledge of Jehovah, the only true God, and of the One whom he sent forth, Jesus Christ, that means life. Wisdom and understanding of Jehovah’s purposes are the vital essentials that will ensure your survival. But, remember, you cannot go it alone. While you may do much private study, it is very necessary that you meet with the congregation and there make the public declaration of your hope. Even Jesus did that. (Heb. 2:12; John 13:15-17) By so doing, you, like Jesus, will incite others to love and good works and encourage those who have not forsaken the assembling of themselves with their brothers in these last days. Knowledge you thus gain and dispense shows that you are holding fast to instruction and that you can be assured of everlasting life.
Paul loved youthful Timothy and he gave him much admonition in several letters. One time he wrote him at length and, summing up, said: “Ponder over these things, be absorbed in them, that your advancement may be manifest to all persons. Pay constant attention to yourself and to your teaching.” (1 Tim. 4:15, 16, NW) From this it is clear that every Christian must advance within Jehovah’s organization and never be ashamed to make this advancement manifest to all persons within the congregation. If you respectfully speak up and express yourself and others become aware that you are becoming more mature and spiritually-minded, that makes their hearts glad and it may help them to follow in the same way, for they see the benefit you are deriving from studying and communicating in the hearing of your assembled brothers. They will observe, too, that you are paying constant attention to yourself and that you are keeping yourself in attendance at all the meetings and that you are seeing to it that you are getting out in the field service, both in your private territory and with your brothers at the service center. They may even see that you are advancing to the point of entering the pioneer service and perhaps eventually to going through Gilead School and on to a foreign missionary assignment or into circuit servant work. Not that you are trying to be better than someone else, but simply better than you have been, because you see the great responsibility Jehovah God has placed on each one who has dedicated himself to serve Jehovah God, a responsibility to grow, to increase. You are paying constant attention to yourself and now you want to be sure, too, that you are paying constant attention to your teaching.
To maintain integrity we see how important it is to meet with the congregation, to mingle with and express ourselves among our brothers, so that we can always be sure that our teaching, the things we speak from house to house and in Bible studies, is correct. By meeting attendance we are constantly testing whether we are in the faith and we keep proving or demonstrating what we ourselves are. Results of such conduct are marvelous, constantly bringing joy and gladness to our hearts. Paul adds: “Stay by these things, for by doing this you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.” (1 Tim. 4:16, NW) Yes, by taking in knowledge, by holding feist to instruction, by believing the whole Word of God, you can save yourself. By your holding fast the public declaration of your hope those who listen to you in the congregation can be helped and those who listen to you as you travel throughout the old world preaching the good news of the Kingdom can also be helped.
Jehovah’s witnesses certainly find themselves in a magnificent position at this time. They are not fearful of the things occurring in the old world. They are not disturbed because of the thickening darkness, the encircling gloom that afflicts and perplexes all nations. They are not afraid of the wars or the rumors of wars. The reason: They have hope. They know the outcome. They have read, yes, studied God’s Word and so feel content and satisfied and sure. Let each of us, then, holding fast the public declaration of our hope, be like that man of whom the psalmist wrote: “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in Jehovah.”—Ps. 112:7, AS.
THEY ARE NOT AFRAID
Jehovah’s witnesses are filled with confidence in Jehovah, the living God. They see his direction of them and they observe how he aids them in their service. They appreciate that they are backed up by his holy spirit or active force. They see the strength in the unity of Jehovah’s organization and they rejoice in sticking together in performing his purposes. Knowing that Jehovah is with them, Jehovah’s witnesses are not afraid. The psalmist says: “Jehovah is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Jehovah is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evil-doers came upon me to eat up my flesh, even mine adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, even then will I be confident. One thing have I asked of Jehovah, that will I seek after: That I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of Jehovah, and to inquire in his temple.” (Ps. 27:14, AS) Every one of Jehovah’s witnesses wants to dwell in the house of Jehovah forever. They have dedicated themselves as Jehovah’s slaves and they are fully cognizant of Jehovah’s will concerning them. They know what he wants them to do despite any outside influences. Knowing that the taking in of more knowledge of him and his purposes is the right thing to do and the way to life eternal, and knowing that they want to live so they can serve Jehovah, they certainly will not be fearful of anyone else. So they ask: “Whom shall I fear?” If they fear man, then they fall into man’s snare. If they are afraid of evildoers and any hurt that may come upon them, they will fall into a snare. But by their staying wholly on Jehovah’s side and in his organization and close to the congregation of his people they will continually observe their adversaries falling and stumbling, hurting themselves and eventually vanishing permanently in the battle of Armageddon, now near.
Even though the entire communistic organization globally lines itself up against Jehovah’s people, as it now does behind its “iron curtain,” the hearts of Jehovah’s witnesses will not fear. As the 1954 report shows, those fearless ones behind the “Iron Curtain” are not ceasing their service to Jehovah God. They still remain his obedient slaves and preach Jehovah’s kingdom, not communism. Even though war were to rise up against them, still they would be confident that Jehovah God would protect them, and they will do what Jehovah has given them to do, for his honor’s sake.
Having studied Jehovah’s Word day by day, privately and congregationally, a true witness of Jehovah God will always seek his Father in heaven and worship him and will want to bless him every day. He will not only want to do it, he will do it, as Jehovah’s witnesses have been doing for the past many years, and especially so during the 1954 service year of the Watch Tower Society. This you can prove as you study the chart on pages 34 to 39. You do not see Jehovah’s witnesses running for cover and trying to seek safety within the worldly governments of the Devil’s organization. These governments, with their religious false shepherds, their high and mighty political shepherds, and their powerful business organizations cannot give life to man. Jehovah’s witnesses know that, and because of their careful study of God’s Word they see that life comes through knowledge of the Sovereign Ruler of the universe and of his Son Christ Jesus, and that life is a gift of God to them because of their obedience to his commands. Why should they seek anything less than life eternal? With life they can worship their God Jehovah. The Devil’s world is all vanity.
1954 SERVICE YEAR REPORT OF
%Inc.
Peak
Av.
No.
Av.
Av.
over
Pubs.
Pio.
Public
Country
Pubs.
Pubs.
Pubs.
Meet'gs
U. S. of America
139,966
153,969
169,015
6,379
107,906
Alaska
Bermuda
Fr. Equ. Africa
Guam
Iceland
Israel
Other Islands (“Faith”) 4
Argentina
2,579
2,939
3,356
1,576
Australia
6,302
6,874
7,594
4,047
American Samoa
Fiji Islands
Papua
Solomon Islands
New
Western Samoa
Austria
3,101
3,443
3,769
2,333
Bahamas
Belgium
3,406
3,686
3,932
1,900
Luxembourg
□
Bolivia
Brazil
5,774
6,662
7,438
3,802
British Guiana
British Honduras
British Isles
26,104
27,145
29,435
22,201
Eire
Malta
Burma
Canada
22,350
23,944
26,826
12,885
Ceylon
Chile
1,018
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
1,551
1,604
1,675
Cuba
9,085
9,428
9,958
4,256
Cyprus
Denmark
6,765
7,507
8,084
4,218
Faroe Islands
7 New
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan 17
El Salvador
Ethiopia
Eritrea
2 New
Finland
5,029
5,516
6,091
5,882
France
7,371
8,056
8.740
5,391
Algeria
Indochina
Morocco
Saar
Senegal
Tunisia
Germany, West
40,158
44,492
47,977
23,950
Gold Coast
4,728
5,465
5,852
3,654
Gambia
JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES WORLD-WIDE
No. of
Cong’s :
Total Literature
Total Hours
New Subs. :
Individual
Magazines B
Av. Bible ack-Calls Studies
3,350
8,459,957
24,417,154
618,975
15,382,336
7,955,368
88,796
9,822
23,126
1,059
17,044
7,017
2,973
4,575
1,865
2,493
96,105
127,546
1,884
3,549
11,256
6,893
1,563
2,312
2,796
9,719
1,385
3,581
1,650
4,042
1,092
142,139
470,355
7,722
268,729
234,059
2,110
261,008
1,030,145
17,603
537,643
329,402
3,488
1,910
4,443
9,973
6,443
4,172
3,943
4,721
1,321
143,636
489,302
3,505
336,055
217,785
1,686
9,332
23,001
9,043
7,748
157,546
463,472
3,546
162,234
162,431
1,651
5,476
18,076
8,236
6,642
21,429
62,331
2,084
29,213
23,026
289,627
914,897
16,416
234,660
312,657
3,486
17,611
99,420
48,669
34,696
4,260
28,085
11,202
11,513
2,601,286
3,779,503
55,744
1,824,714
1,604,411
11,914
33,822
81,511
14,714
20,516
27,550
32,615
5,993
13,987
634,740
3,010,938
50,469
1,829,233
840,498
8,786
13,286
27,556
10,244
10,194
61,117
179,089
4,587
116,898
83,274
1,062
3,611
2,479
34,582
137,044
46,345
53,748
16,189
186,304
29,159
54,684
1,025
120,078
1,193,262
5,280
264,018
379,065
6,034
8,288
51,678
6,048
18,176
154,000
793,813
7,594
433,979
321,478
2,768
1,312
1,924
35,753
20,295
25,387
69,730
23,218
27,391
13,660
52,246
12,551
18,943
1,484
12,800
72,449
27,022
25,757
1,842
21,467
2,471
9,107
205,846
776,502
13,949
336,707
227,163
2,366
407,637
849,036
9,420
288.902
358,742
2,907
7,253
12,715
3,507
9,661
14,286
77,984
35,563
35,353
3,097
1,544
5,324
4,511
1,075
1,627
804,364
6,466,407
38,084
2,922,663
2,296,199
18,350
70,067
1,396,979
1,669
73,907
333,083
3,590
Country
1953 Av. Pubs.
1954 Av. Pubs.
%Inc. over 1953
Peak Pubs. 1954
Av. Pio. Pubs.
No. Public Meet'gs
Ivory Coast
Togo
Greece
3,784
4,190
4,931
1,340
Turkey
Guadeloupe
St. Martin, F.W.I.
Martinique
4 New
Guatemala
Haiti
Hawaii
Honduras
Hong Kong
India
Iran Indonesia (Java)
1 173
New
1 214
Borneo Sulawesi
1 New
25 14
Sumatra
3 New
Timor
2 New
Italy
2.170
2.356
2,587
Libya Jamaica
2,759
2,905
3,180
2,775
Japan Okinawa
29J
Taiwan
1,432
1,771
Korea
1,065
Lebanon
Aden Iraq Jordan
Kuwait Saudi Arabia Syria
1 New
Leeward Islands (Antigua)
Anguilla Dominica
Montserrat
Nevis
St. Kitts
Liberia
Mexico
9,759
10,486
12,265
5,900
Netherlands
7,649
8,274
9,151
2,918
Noth. Antilles (Curacao) 95
Aruba
Bonaire
Newfoundland
New Zealand
1,643
1,898
2,128
1,398
Nicaragua
Nigeria
13,056
16,057
18,547
13,964
Camerouns
1,043
1,629
1,295
Dahomey
Northern Rhodesia
20,373
22,381
25,042
2,142
Belgian Congo
Kenya
No. of Total
Total New Individual
Av. Bible
Cong’s Literature Hours
Subs. Magazines Back-Calls Studies
8,257
2,797
52,677
17,718
38,957
325,674
2,385
68,994
163,305
1,252
3,064
14,660
2,780
6,408
4,869
18,126
3,100
5,727
1,749
1,174
27,478
78,025
1,459
29,201
31,201
11,244
48,170
15,189
17,369
38,771
152,149
3,693
60,333
60,327
12,618
91,792
32,008
36,744
15.012
25,939
1,784
11,236
46,408
187,690
1,632
36,099
61,117
23.925
35,428
1,317
15,168
15,520
7,700
6,862
2,933
1,974
2,460
1,141
100,072
347,908
1,820
60,373
154,028
1,465
9,374
1,887
4,529
21,715
421,894
85,870
136,532
2,467
100,955
138,926
3,647
94,968
66,215
3,924
2,318
2,224
1,631
218,605
117,541
44,792
126,532
1,675
16,414
48,118
15,116
73,750
11,382
19,398
2,730
…