• Jehovah’s Organization Moves Ahead—Are You Moving With It?
    The Watchtower—1982 | December 1

    • Franz Gives Dedication Discourse

      To conclude this inspiring evening program, Brother Henschel introduced the president of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Fred W. Franz. Brother Franz began in the full-time preaching work away back in 1914, and has served as a member of the headquarters family since 1920. So he was able to relate from firsthand experience many interesting details regarding the forward movement of Jehovah’s organization.

      Although the newly completed facilities at 25 Columbia Heights are the finest, Brother Franz emphasized that they were not made for any selfish purpose. He called attention to the Bible account at Mark 7:11-13, where it mentions a man that had property, but instead of using it to honor his parents, as he should have done, he wanted it for his own selfish use. So he declared it to be “corban, that is, a gift dedicated to God.”

      However, Brother Franz said: “Our brothers and sisters in these new offices that we are dedicating to Jehovah are not like that. Rather, they are using these new facilities to give their best to Jehovah God. They are working hard, not to get selfish pleasure out of the matter by being in such excellent quarters, but to get more of the work done and in a better style.”

      Despite the excellent, durable construction of these new facilities, Brother Franz noted that we need Jehovah’s protection, just as the Bible says in Psalm 127:1: “Unless Jehovah himself builds the house, it is to no avail that its builders have worked hard on it.” And so it is with these properties here, Franz explained, unless Jehovah is protecting them and blessing our operations in them we are expending our efforts in vain. But the history of God’s people down through the years, he said, proves that Jehovah is blessing and protecting his people.

      In bringing his discourse to a close, Brother Franz quoted King David’s words: “Who am I and who are my people, that we should retain power to make voluntary offerings like this? For everything is from you, and out of your own hand we have given to you.” (1 Chronicles 29:14) So, since Jehovah is the Owner of everything and we have got these properties from him, Franz said, all that we are doing is giving them back to Jehovah by dedication to him. Thus, in concluding the most delightful, spiritually uplifting day and evening, he announced: “I should like now to declare that these new offices stand fully, unequivocally dedicated to Jehovah God.”