One day in 1901 Jean-Baptiste Tilmant, Sr., of Jumet-Gohissart, a small coal-mining town on the outskirts of Charleroi, saw the books Millennial Dawna advertised in a newspaper. He immediately ordered the first two volumes and began reading them. What a comfort! What a thrill for him to see the truth of the Gospel shining forth! How could he possibly refrain from speaking about these things to his friends? The following year, in 1902, he gathered his friends together in his home to study the Holy Scriptures, and each Sunday thereafter this small group continued holding such meetings.

At that time the light of the truth had already penetrated into other European countries, particularly Switzerland, where Brother Adolphe Weber was taking care of Kingdom interests for part of Europe. Brother Tilmant’s great thirst for the truth moved him to write to this brother for more information. In answer, Brother Weber extended his missionary tours to Charleroi to strengthen the faith of this small group.

The spiritual food that “the faithful and discreet slave” had been giving out in the English language was now to be dispensed to the French-speaking people as well. In 1903 Zion’s Watch Tower appeared for the first time in French. The light of truth was destined to shine very brightly in this coal-mining area. So, regularly each Sunday, this small group of Bible Students, as they were then called, would go into the “field,” distributing the seeds of truth contained in the eight pages of this magazine. The magazines were offered to those coming out of Christendom’s churches on Sunday morning. Thus the first two French issues of Zion’s Watch Tower were given a wide distribution.

EXPANSION BEGINS

Little by little the small group at Jumet-Gohissart extended its preaching activity to other sections of the country, especially in the southern part where French was spoken. It was only later on that the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium was to be reached with the truth of God’s Kingdom.

Then, in August of 1904, ten years before the first world war, these courageous bearers of good news were seen carrying on their activity as far as Denain, in France. There, in front of a Baptist church, they once again offered the magazines to those coming out of the building. What resulted? Two years later, in 1906, a congregation was formed in Denain.

Other study groups were formed, as Jean-Baptiste Tilmant and his fellow workers courageously spread Bible truths. Such expansion made the opening of a literature depot necessary, and this was arranged at Jumet-Gohissart in the home of Brother Tilmant.

Rapidly his friend Verdière accepted the truth and began giving public talks. In fact, he was one of the brothers who spoke at Brother Jean-Baptiste Tilmant’s funeral in 1911.