GROUP WITNESSING BY BUS

In the late 1920’s the congregation in Kingston obtained a bus so that a group could work the rural territories on Sundays. By means of it, territories far and near received a tremendous amount of sowing of Kingdom seed. In 1929, for example, 23,447 books and booklets were distributed island wide by the small band of loyal Witnesses. Some of the brothers and sisters who traveled on that bus are still alive and active. They have vivid memories of those witnessing trips.

Brother Charles Crawford remembers those days, saying that the brothers and sisters had to get up as early as 3:00 a.m. on Sunday. The bus left at 4:00 a.m. and traveled up to 80 miles. The publishers got off at towns along the route. Since some publishers reached their assignment before the sun was up, they had to wait for hours until the householders woke up. “We had joyful times together,” recounts Brother Crawford, “sometimes placing all the literature we had.” The bus, he said, became such a familiar sight in the rural towns that some people named it Unity. Perhaps this was because of the united spirit and efforts of those who traveled on it. Brother Crawford expressed deep satisfaction at living to see thriving congregations today in the towns he used to visit to sow Kingdom seed with the aid of that bus. He is now 82 years of age and pioneers in a small rural community.

[Picture on page 77]

Members of the Kingston Congregation used this bus for rural witnessing on Sundays