1918. Now a new work was to be taken up by Jehovah’s people in a campaign of still greater proportions. Inasmuch as the Gentile times had ended in 1914 and the heavenly Kingdom then had been set up, it was now more urgent than ever to preach “this gospel of the kingdom.” There was shown to be “work for all” and “the work before us” was made clear.l

In the advancing of the new witness work and the building of a more centralized organization necessary to weld the witnesses together into one solid working force, considerable resistance was encountered from unprogressive “elective elders” in the local congregations of Jehovah’s people. Many of these insisted on living in the past—in the time of Pastor Russell, who by them was claimed to be the sole channel of Scriptural enlightenment and whom they called “that servant” of Matthew 24:45. The Watch Tower of April 1, 1920 (page 100), and subsequent studies showed clearly that even Brother Russell in 1884 and subsequently kept urging that the Watch Tower Society was the instrument or channel being used by Jehovah to teach his people on earth.a Now that there was much new spiritual light being flashed from Jehovah’s heavenly temple these “elective elders” should not retard or prevent the local congregations from keeping abreast with the accelerating witness work.b It was correctly argued that the Society was the publisher in Brother Russell’s time and would continue to be the publisher used now by Jehovah. Warning was given not to accept private interpretations and blindly follow self-styled leaders into darkness. Rather, all should keep together with the Society originally used so phenomenally in the past. Men-pleasing must be avoided.c However, at this time the Society in its right position as Jehovah’s instrumentality did not extend its full jurisdiction over the ruling affairs of the local congregations.d

The germ of theocratic direction really began in the fall of 1919 with the launching of the work of “The Golden Age,” which new magazine was released in October, 1919.

“The Golden Age work is a house-to-house canvass with the kingdom message, proclaiming the day of vengeance of our God and comforting them that mourn. In addition to the canvass, a copy of The Golden Age is to be left at each home, whether a subscription is taken or not. . . . Class workers will procure their samples from the Director.”e

Congregations desiring to participate in the new field service now opening up with the Golden Age campaign were asked to register as a service organization with the Society. Upon receiving such request the Society theocratically appointed one of the local number to serve as the Society’s appointee known as the “director,” not subject to local yearly election. Now for the first time authority began to be taken from the democratically controlled congregations under their “elective elders,” to reside more directly under the Society’s international supervision. Thus there began a partial theocratic supervision by the Society of the congregation’s field service, operating alongside the body of “elective elders” who continued to control congregational studies and lectures in a democratic manner.

In 1921 the Society began to discourage the idea that some local “elective elders” were advancing to the effect that they comprised a local “board of directors” that could pursue independent democratic ways apart from the headquarters organization. An effort was made to define more clearly the relationship of the local elders to the congregation.f Furthermore, a plea was made for world-wide unity and uniformity of Jehovah’s people in performing the preaching work. The British associates were counseled to undertake the work in the same manner as the work was developing in America.g A tightening up of preaching responsibility began in 1920 by requiring every one in the congregation who participated in the witness work to turn in a weekly report. Prior to 1918 only the pioneers were required to report their service activities. Definite territory assignments were now being made to the congregations for their field activity. Truly the congregations were being “yoked” for service. For the first year of such reporting, 1920, there were 8,052 “class workers” and 350 pioneers.h Of the more than 1,200 affiliated congregations 980 were reported by 1922 as being fully reorganized to engage in the field service with 8,270 “class workers.”i Beginning in 1923 several Sundays were set aside for “world-wide witness,” to encourage united efforts all over the world in holding simultaneous public meetings using the subject “Millions Now Living Will Never Die” and also for united participation in advertising the lectures.j

Beginning May 1, 1923, the first Tuesday of each month was set aside as a “service day,” on which all congregation publishers were to spend some few hours “selling books” under the direction of the “service director.”k From this time forward the congregational prayer meetings were to devote a half of the weekly Wednesday night meeting to testimonies relating to the service work. Incidentally, the designation “service director” was changed in 1936 to “company servant”l and then in 1953 to “congregation servant.”a Thus the appearance in 1919 of centralized and partial theocratic direction of Jehovah’s people began to bear fruit just in time to harness the growing numbers world-wide for strenuous declaration of Jehovah’s written judgments. The service sheet of instructions entitled “Bulletin” appeared now monthly after October, 1922, encouraging all as “valiant warriors” to memorize Society-prepared testimonies, first called a “canvass,” in offering the Bible literature. (In October, 1935, this monthly service instrument was named “Director,” and finally in July, 1936, was given its present title “Informant.”) These organizational instruments have done much to produce a uniform world campaign and to supply centralized theocratic direction.

Gradually over a twenty-year period from 1919 the witnesses were schooled and trained to accept a theocratic system of congregational organization. All along the way certain “elective elders” manifested themselves as opposers to the new divinely provided leadership. They failed to see that Jehovah’s holy spirit or active force was working organizationally in bringing about a governmental transformation leading to a theocratic or God-directed New World society. In almost every year’s report after 1922 the subject “organization” was mentioned, keeping the Kingdom publishers conscious of this matter.b They were also made to see that Satan has a mighty opposing organization. Then in 1932 the August 15 and September 1 issues of The Watchtower published a series of two articles entitled “Jehovah’s Organization,” wherein it was proved that the offices of “elder” and “deacon” filled by congregational elective vote do not Scripturally exist. Rather all spiritually mature ones in God’s sight are elders or older ones and may and should act as overseers (epískopoi) and ministerial servants (diákonoi). From all over the world the spiritually awake congregations sent to the Society’s headquarters resolutions abolishing these “offices” from their midst. They immediately expressed confidence in the service director appointed by the Society, and they selected by vote a company chairman and a service committee of not more than ten to replace the “elective elders” and to assist the local service director of the Society.c Many of the former “elective elders” who had refused to participate in the expanding field service (instead confining their activities merely to local congregational preaching) left the ranks of the witnesses at this time.

(To be continued)

It Could Happen Only in Japan

By Watch Tower missionaries in Japan

A GROUP of homeward-bound conventioners settled down for a quiet night’s journey from Sendai to Tokyo. It had been a delightful assembly, and everyone was bubbling over with good spirits. So much so that fellow passengers inquired the why and wherefore, and one of these, at ten minutes to midnight on the last day of the Watchtower subscription campaign, subscribed for the Japanese Watchtower.

Then it happened! The sleepy carriage was awakened by the sudden entry of some twenty unkempt yokels, each having loaded on his or her back a bundle as large as a man. The loads were dumped along the passageway, untied, and divided into many smaller packages. Parcels in colorful disguises were planted along the luggage rack, among the seats, wherever there was a spare corner. Larger paper sacks were roughly shoved under the seats, between the seats, till there was scarcely a corner to put one’s legs. The marketeers of “black” rice, uncouth creatures of Japan’s underworld, had chosen our car, of all cars, for their overnight jaunt to Tokyo!

A shudder goes through our group. These strange men and women are taking out knives! As we look through the hazy stench of their tobacco smoke, we note that every one of them is holding a knife, wrapped in a handkerchief for disguise, but with the point clearly protruding. Will we all be knifed? We are nearing a station. The black marketeers, hands nervously twitching, jump quickly to their feet, and pull down all the blinds, screening the interior from the outside. As the train lurches to a standstill, louts at each end of the carriage nail heavy boards across the doors. Their watchman shouts, “Police! Inspection!” and pandemonium breaks loose.

A burly constable appears at one of the doors. It takes him half a minute to smash the glass in, but then he is too fat to force his way through. A plain-clothes man finally forces his way in, and wrenches the door open. Precious seconds have been lost! But our attention focuses on the black marketeers. Knives are flying in all directions, and so is rice! Torrents of rice! Rice to left of us, rice to right of us, rice seething into our shoes. As we clamber up onto our seats, the carriage floor becomes blanketed inches deep with a sea of glistening white rice. By the time a furious police force can reach the scene, only one large packet remains intact to be confiscated. No use making arrests. They cannot prove who put the rice there. The police shovel what grain they can through a window onto the platform, but the great sea of rice remains when the train whistle blows, signaling the police exit through a haze of rice dust.

Then more feverish activity! The black marketeers swarm round and under the seats. New paper sacks, ropes and improvised shovels are produced, and within ten minutes the floor is as clean as a whistle again. The camouflaged parcels are recovered from the luggage racks, the great bundles of rice are made up again. As we reach suburban Tokyo, the army of black marketeers stagger out under their loads, wreathed with a smile of victory, and bowing “We made a frightful nuisance of ourselves” to fellow passengers. We reply, “Don’t mention it!” An exciting night’s entertainment, and all for free!