help my Negro brothers in their service of Jehovah. Coming from the North, I was not fully prepared for the many indignities that came my way in the South because of my race, such as segregation on buses, trains, restaurants, and so forth. The first few unpleasant encounters were a real test on me, but they strengthened me for the later ones. Some of the Negro brothers became offended and would not comply with segregation laws in the South. They are no longer in Jehovah’s service, having fallen away from it a long time ago. I realized that mankind must look to God’s new order of righteousness to see injustices permanently corrected. As long as we are in the old system of things, we, as Christians, must abide by Caesar’s laws, doing as the Bible instructs: “Be in subjection to the superior authorities.” (Rom. 13:1) Although a color line exists in the world, there is none among Jehovah’s servants. This was demonstrated to me on many occasions.

MINISTRY IN FOREIGN FIELDS

During the years from 1922 to 1937 my travels for the Lord’s organization took me to many places, including Panama, Costa Rica and Jamaica. When I returned to New York from Jamaica in 1937, the Watch Tower Society’s president asked me what objection I had to staying in Jamaica. I had none whatsoever. Wherever Jehovah’s organization wanted to send me I was willing to go. So he said, “The next time I send you to Jamaica, you will stay awhile.” He then revealed that he wanted me to be the overseer of the Society’s work there by being in charge of its Jamaican branch.

It was in 1938 that I was assigned to the island of Jamaica. At that time there were about 390 persons who were publishing the good news of God’s kingdom there, and they were organized into 53 congregations. From that time until the present, the congregations have grown to 151, with 4,866 persons now actively associated with them. In those early years there was not as much office work in the Society’s branch as there is today. So my work consisted principally of traveling all over the island with a sound car that broadcast recorded Bible lectures and also giving Bible lectures in the evenings.

Not long after I arrived in Jamaica a ban was put on the importation of the Watch Tower Society’s publications as a result of pressure put on political leaders by clergymen who opposed us. We engaged the services of the Minister of Lands in an effort to get the ban lifted. He told me, “When I read your correspondence addressed to the governor, I became very much interested in your case.” He went on to say that he would do his best to put the case before the House in an effort to have the ban rescinded. He did this, but some time passed before we heard from him. In the meantime we had to carry on our ministry with what Bible literature we still had.

Despite the effort of our enemies to stop us from receiving Bible literature, Jehovah saw to it that we received one copy of every issue of the Watchtower magazine. Sometimes it was copied in longhand and sent to us as a personal letter. We had a mimeograph machine that we used to make copies of that single issue. In this manner we were able to supply the congregations of Jehovah’s people in Jamaica with copies of that official publication of the Watch Tower Society. They never missed an issue.

The government seized only certain publications that we had, permitting us to keep the others. These we used in our ministerial work, making the supply last as long as possible. Just when it was nearly depleted, the government lifted the ban that had been unjustly put on our literature, and they returned to us the publications they had seized. Much of what was returned could not be used because of being water-soaked or damaged by termites. But thereafter we had no further difficulty in receiving supplies of Bible literature from the Society’s headquarters for distribution to the Bible-loving people of Jamaica.

Because of my failing health and strength, it was necessary in 1946 for someone younger and stronger to take over the responsibility as branch servant in Jamaica. I was given the choice of returning to the United States to live with my children or of continuing to live at the Society’s headquarters in Jamaica, where I could do whatever work my health would permit. Since Jamaica was my assignment, I chose to remain there. At that time I was seventy-five years of age. Now I am ninety-three.

My activity in Jehovah’s service has been hindered by ill health and age, but I am, nevertheless, still enjoying life at the Society’s headquarters here in Jamaica. My room is just a few steps from the Kingdom Hall in the building where the branch is, making it possible for me to attend all the meetings of the congregation that meets here. My sight is still good, allowing me to read all the Society’s publications and to rejoice in the truths they contain, which appeal to the intelligence of man as well as to the heart. I use every opportunity to talk about Jehovah’s purposes and the truths of his Word with my visitors and by means of correspondence. I am very happy that I can complete my days on earth in my foreign assignment and still in Jehovah’s full-time service.

I am practically a young man now, because if my hopes are realized I will have an eternity of life in the future. For this reason I count these ninety-three years as only the beginning of my life. Spending my full time in Jehovah’s service has been the joy of my life, and I look forward to continuing it eternally in association with Jesus Christ and his “holy ones in the light.”—Col. 1:12.

Impart God’s Progressive Revelation to Mankind

THAT God gives his people on earth a progressive revelation is a thought that has never occurred to most persons of Christendom. But all Christian witnesses of Jehovah do appreciate that “the path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established.” Yes, even as it was true in the days of the apostles, it is true today that progressively God’s truths have “been made manifest to his holy ones.”—Prov. 4:18; Col. 1:26.a

Thus some eighty years ago Christian Bible students learned that the second presence of Christ was to be invisible and that God had earthly blessings in store for the vast majority of humankind. Through the years since then the light of God’s Word has shone ever more brightly and its truths have been widely publicized by means of The Watchtower and other Bible-study aids. Within the past twenty-five years or so we have progressively learned, among other things, that Christians must be neutral as regards conflicts between the nations and that blood, as well as life, is sacred in the eyes of God.

This progressive revelation not only has served to enlighten us on matters of conduct and doctrine but also has served to improve our ministerial activity. As a result, today Jehovah’s witnesses are able to give effective three- to eight-minute Bible sermons at the doorsteps of the people, know how to meet objections tactfully and how to arouse interest as well as to give longer sermons when calling back upon those persons who have evinced some interest in God’s Word.

Of course, since we want to be able to impart God’s progressive revelation to others,