When work with The Golden Age was starting, it was outlined in this way: “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. Samples will be supplied gratis. . . . Class workers will procure their samples from the Director.” Congregations wishing to participate registered with the Watch Tower Society as service organizations. In turn, the Society appointed one in the local congregation to serve as the “Director.” Being an appointee, he was not subject to local yearly election, as were the elders at that time.

Suppose we join briefly in the Golden Age work. Elva Fischer tells us this about it: “In 1919 we received our first consignment of the new magazine The Golden Age. . . . None of us owned automobiles at this time, so my husband and his fleshly brother, Audie Bradshaw, loaded our little one-seated buggy with the magazines and off they went to preach the good news from a horse and buggy. My sister-in-law stayed home to care for the livestock and our children, as we all lived on farms. The boys spent two whole days placing these magazines, as they were to place a Golden Age in each home. We were all very happy for this opportunity to have a part in the preaching work.”

“Volunteers were called to obtain subscriptions for the magazine,” remarks Fred Anderson, adding: “I responded and felt the first real joy of doing active witnessing. Since then I have obtained many subscriptions and placed hundreds of copies of the magazine, now called Awake! It has been a powerful instrument to awaken persons to the critical times and has given them a marvelous hope of life and peace in a cleansed earth.”

“GA” NO. 27

In time Golden Age No. 27 made its appearance. “It was the September 29, 1920, issue, detailing the persecution and abuse of the brothers and sisters during the period of oppression,” writes Roy E. Hendrix, who had part in distributing it. Amelia and Elizabeth Losch add: “It exposed the ungodly persecution heaped upon the International Bible Students during World War I by the religious clergymen of Christendom and their allies, political and military. . . . Nine in the congregation refused to participate in this work and signed a petition not to do so. They lacked faith in the ‘faithful and discreet slave.’ As a result, we, along with three others, maintaining faith, distributed 25,000 copies in only two weeks. The end of the campaign saw us tired but happy, knowing we were faithfully walking in the light of God’s Word.”

Four million copies of Golden Age No. 27 were printed. These were given away free or were placed on a voluntary contribution of ten cents a copy. Principally, distribution was from house to house.