At the turn of the century a young Lutheran, Heinrich Brinkhoff, moved to the city of Haarlem, in the Netherlands, to do missionary work. He was zealous but lacked accurate knowledge. Before long he joined the Seventh-Day Baptists; yet, he was still searching. He also began to read Bible literature published by the Watch Tower Society and the International Bible Students Association. His interest in it grew to the point that the Baptists no longer wanted him. He was eager to share with others what he was learning. So, he translated and then personally distributed the first volume of Studies in the Scriptures as well as the small book Food for Thinking Christians and some tracts, all published by the Watch Tower Society. In time, those seeds of truth began to grow.

Soon he was joined by elderly Sister Kropff in Rotterdam and by Frits Peters, a young man in Amsterdam. Then Ruurd Hallema began to distribute some of this literature when visiting his parents in the province of Friesland. In that way J. Andringa obtained one of the books. What he read was music to his ears. He was already at odds with his church, and now when his minister, during Sunday services, prayed for the victory of the Allied armies in the world war then in progress, Andringa broke with the church and undertook a lifetime of service of the true God.

In the audience on that occasion was 19-year-old Arnold Werner. He had been making an earnest effort to get to know more about God by attending catechism in the Reformed Church. But he was not receiving satisfying answers to his questions. At the same time, his older brother, Tom, was getting answers right from the Bible as a result of his contact with the International Bible Students, as Jehovah’s Witnesses were then known. For Arnold, that talk at the Diamond Exchange was a major turning point in his life.

FULL-TIME WORKERS IN THE FIELD

The following year Tom Werner and Otto Lehmann began to devote their full time to the distribution of Bible literature. Brother Block, too, made many trips from the branch office to give talks that were very stimulating to the study groups. That year, at a one-day national assembly in April, Arnold Werner was among those presenting themselves for water baptism.

As a young man interested in sports, Arnold had invested in a fine sailboat. But shortly after his immersion he sold the boat and used much of the proceeds to finance trips to towns along the railroad network to distribute a resolution entitled “A Challenge to World Rulers.” This resolution called upon all people to recognize and accept God’s Kingdom, and it exposed the unfaithfulness of Christendom in endorsing a substitute, the League of Nations. Arnold personally distributed tens of thousands of copies of this resolution.

In time Arnold teamed up with his brother Tom, and as they moved about the country they lived in a mobile house that had been built on a Model T Ford truck. Together they distributed the biting exposé of Christendom that was set out in the resolution “Indictment.” Fearlessly they went into areas where the Roman Catholic Church had until then ruled supreme. In the town of Helmond, a group of hysterically shrieking women gathered in the middle of the street and cried out: “Our Holy Church is being accused!” But the brothers calmly went on with their work.

Shortly they were approached by a priest who said: “What that pamphlet contains is not the truth. You should immediately stop the distribution.” But the two brothers responded: “Sir, we are convinced that what this resolution contains is based on what the Bible teaches on this matter. We deem it our duty to make these truths known to the people. We will, however, instantly stop the distribution if you show us on the basis of the Bible that what this resolution contains is not true.” “Good,” he replied, quite relieved. “Come to me at the presbytery at about two o’clock this afternoon.” It was then about 11 o’clock in the morning. “OK,” said the brothers and they continued with their work.

But when the clergyman saw they were continuing the distribution he excitedly demanded: “Yes, but you are to stop this distribution immediately.” To this the brothers replied: “Sir, at this moment we are still convinced that what this resolution contains is the truth, and until the time the contrary is proved, we are going to do our duty.” To that the priest said: “Oh, then come along with me at once!” Of course, he could not refute anything in the resolution, so the brothers kept on in their work until the entire town had been covered.