• New Zealand
    1981 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses

    • On his arrival Brother Franz was welcomed in traditional Maori style on the sidewalk in front of the Civic Theatre. Passersby were immediately drawn by the singing Maori dancers in attractive native attire. It was difficult to say who enjoyed the unusual welcome the most, the enthusiastic onlookers, or Brother Franz and the Maori sisters who greeted him with a handshake and a nose rub.

      This assembly was truly a landmark in the history of New Zealand. Unprecedented radio and television coverage was received, the highlight being a 95-second film of the baptism. A fine witness was given, by both the preaching of assembly delegates and their conduct. “You are the best organized and by far the best behaved people I have seen,” the manager of the Civic Theatre said.

      KINGDOM HALL CONSTRUCTION

      As noted earlier, the Maoris built the first Kingdom Hall in New Zealand back in 1950. It was not until 1955 that New Zealand’s second Kingdom Hall was dedicated in Gisborne. But then, during the 1960’s 58 Kingdom Halls were built as the brothers moved out of rented halls​—often musty and laden with cigarette and alcohol odors—​into beautiful, clean new buildings dedicated to Jehovah’s worship. How grateful the brothers are for these!

      This building program continued during the 1970’s. Now there are 119 congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in New Zealand, and 112 of them have their meetings in their own Kingdom Halls. And additional Kingdom Halls are in the planning stage.

      “PEACE ON EARTH” ASSEMBLY

      In November 1969 picturesque Alexandra Park, Auckland’s Trotting Club Raceway, was transformed into a beautiful assembly site by 1,500 volunteer workers. Over 5,000 potted flowers, 300 trees and shrubs and hundreds of square feet of “instant lawn” were used in decorating the platform. Green variegated geraniums against a background of red begonias spelled out “Haere-Mai” (Maori for “Welcome”). The occasion was the six-day “Peace on Earth” International Assembly, attended by both N. H. Knorr and F. W. Franz, as well as by scores of other delegates from foreign lands.

      A special program, which included Maori singing and dancing, was arranged for the overseas delegates. One Maori brother told the enthusiastic audience that there were 193 of his fleshly relatives present at the assembly. This illustrated how well the Maoris were responding to the Kingdom message.