District Assemblies During 1952
THE expansion of true worship in the earth has been shown in the increase in the size of modern theocratic assemblies. Back in 1893, 360 were in attendance; in 1919, at the Cedar Point, Ohio, international assembly, some 7,000 heard the president of the Watch Tower Society, J. F. Rutherford, speak; while 123,707 heard the president of that Society, N. H. Knorr, give the public lecture at the Yankee Stadium, New York city, in 1950.
In 1952, instead of one international assembly, some 70 district assemblies were held during the months of August and September alone in upward of twenty different lands, with a combined peak attendance of 313,751 persons. Of these assemblies, 35 were held in the United States, 11 in Canada, 8 in Germany and 6 in England and Wales. The programs of these assemblies were identical.
Growing to maturity by making good use of Jehovah’s undeserved kindness was the theme of these assemblies. The outstanding feature was the public discourse “World Unity, Is It Just a Dream?”
ADVERTISING THE PUBLIC LECTURE
Every conceivable and possible means of advertising, ancient and modern, was used to invite the people to come to hear the public discourse Sunday afternoon. Among the ancient means used were those of going from house to house and standing on the streets, particularly on Friday and Saturday mornings, as well as by the witnesses’ making use of every contact with the public to give the invitation. By such methods millions of handbills also were distributed and much Bible literature was placed.
Signs were also extensively used. Many of the witnesses had one or more signs on their cars; bumper signs, signs on the sides and rear and some signs even attached to the tops of their cars. Motorcades toured the streets advertising the lecture. Large signs were put up along the highways, across streets, on the sides of buildings and on hotel marquees. Thousands of signs were placed in store windows. At Galveston, Texas, the request by one of the witnesses to be permitted to put a sign in a certain window resulted in a heated argument between two business partners, one a Jew, the other a Catholic; the Jew was in favor of having the sign placed in the window, the Catholic was opposed thereto. Thinking it futile to wait, the witness left them arguing and proceeded to the next store. However, before reaching it the Jewish businessman called, “Hey, you, come back here and put one of those signs in my window. We won!”
News releases were given to all the newspapers in each area, and very favorable response was given in many cities. In the Syracuse, New York, area some 70 different papers carried items regarding the assembly. Some welcomed the witnesses in their editorial columns, such as the Portland, Maine, Evening Express, and from which we quote: “A more earnest, more orderly gathering of men, women and children (whole families are attending this assembly) one could hardly hope to see. . . . The Witnesses are here on serious business and their assembly is attending strictly and devotedly to that business. And Portland is glad to have them.”
Nor was such fair and even favorable publicity limited to the press. Many radio stations gave good co-operation both by having ten- and fifteen-minute interviews and by spot announcements. In some cities television lent the final word to the modern means of advertising the assembly and particularly the public lecture. As a result of all these various means of advertising, the previously mentioned total of 313,751 persons attended the public lecture Sunday at the assembly points.
HOW JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES IMPRESSED OTHERS
Vainly the world tries by selfish pursuits, by self-indulgence, pleasure-seeking and excesses to find joy and happiness. On the other hand, Jehovah’s witnesses by engaging in the pure worship are seen to be the happiest and most joyful people under the sun. The world calls the Bible and its principles old-fashioned and impractical, but in spite of itself it has to gape in utter amazement as it sees Jehovah’s witnesses apply the principles of the Bible in this twentieth century and obtain results possible in no other way. And yet those of the world continue in their selfish course, overlooking entirely that generosity, love and unselfishness are just as contagious as are greed and selfishness, and far more powerful.—Luke 6:38.
A fire department official at Allentown, Pennsylvania, marveled at the way Jehovah’s witnesses not only succeed in interesting young people in their message but also get the young folks to share in the work at hand. The obvious unity between all races and the very good behavior of the children caused a Bridgeport, Connecticut, newspaper reporter to exclaim, “What you are doing is very practical indeed!” But the world continues too proud to imitate such practical Christianity.
At that same assembly a city official expressed wonderment: “You mean to tell me people are working like that for nothing?” Being assured that such was the case, he replied, “I just don’t get it! We pay people and can’t get them to work like that!” But that is just it: people working for selfish ends do not work that hard. This fact was clearly appreciated by a certain Philadelphia professional tent erector who supervised the erection of the tents for the Wilmington, Delaware, assembly. Commenting on the co-operation he received from Jehovah’s witnesses in the erection of these tents, he said: “You can tell that those men are volunteers. Men working for money just do not work that hard!”
Expressing the same sentiment was the comment of a Buffalo, New York, auditorium official, “You can’t get men to work like that if you paid them money. In my language, you fellows are tops!” And noticing such activity an official at Portland, Maine, moaned, “Why can’t I get men to work like that instead of griping all the time?” Yes, the world wonders why, yet it is all so simple. Love for one’s Creator, Jehovah God, and for one’s neighbor is the strongest force in the world. It accomplishes what no selfish inducement ever could. And yet they say the Bible is impractical!
And that such unselfishness is contagious, as already noted, was particularly apparent from the experiences had by those engaged in the work of obtaining rooms. Many people offered rooms freely, some turning their entire homes over to the witnesses. In more than one city upward of a hundred free rooms were obtained. At Rockford, Illinois, a householder, regretting that he would not be in town during the assembly, offered to pay the cost of two rooms for three days at a hotel. At Amarillo, Texas, another householder expressed regrets at not being able to accommodate any of the witnesses, and contributed five dollars to help provide hotel accommodations for one of the witnesses. In every city the response for rooms was better the second and third times than at the first time the householders were approached.
SOME OPPOSITION
However, not all were ready to cooperate with Jehovah’s witnesses. The American Legion at Rockford, Illinois, did its best, or worst, to keep the witnesses from using the armory, for which a contract had been signed. But state officials did the American thing by standing for freedom of worship, not being cowed by the un-American position of the Legion.
And the American Legion at Galveston, Texas, tried to prevent Jehovah’s witnesses not only from meeting at the city auditorium which had been contracted for, but also from meeting anywhere else in the city, charging that Jehovah’s witnesses were “opposed to the defense of our country and followed the direct teachings of Russian theology”, a charge which obviously revealed either ignorance or prejudice. However, their efforts not only proved to be futile but served to better advertise the assembly and the position of the witnesses on communism, etc.
At one of the district assembly public meetings held in Austria a bishop sent 30 students to disrupt the meeting. However, they were so impressed by what they heard they forgot why they came there and listened attentively to the lecture. Afterward they shame-facedly confessed why they had come and who had sent them!
Some in the United States also experienced a change in heart. A union official at Zanesville, Ohio, stated: “Before your assembly there was an ill-feeling toward Jehovah’s witnesses in this town, but your assembly has surely changed a lot of minds. I am one that changed his mind.” At another assembly, the official in charge, a World War II veteran, started out by doing all he could to make it difficult for the witnesses, and ended up by doing all he could to assist them.
Needless to say, no district assemblies were held behind the Iron Curtain and the Communists in East Germany did their best to keep Jehovah’s witnesses from attending any of these assemblies. But in spite of their opposition, of the some 9,000 witnesses that attended the Berlin district assembly fully half of them crossed over from the Eastern zone. Incidentally, at the Berlin public meeting 14,800 attended, exceeding even the best United States attendance, which was some 13,000 at Los Angeles.
And now Jehovah’s witnesses all over the world look forward to the great international convention to be held July 19 through 26 at the Yankee Stadium, New York city. They are not only looking forward to it but praying for it and making plans to attend it. Are you planning to be there? Those who attended the assembly there in 1950 do not need to be urged.
If you can possibly get there, in faith arrange to come. Remember that according to our faith it will be unto us, that the arm of Jehovah is not shortened, and that ‘positive thinkers and actors will be there’. “If Jehovah wills, we shall live” and be present.—Jas. 4:15, NW.