ADDITIONAL HELP FROM GILEAD

You will remember that, all along, the work was hampered by the fact that the European brothers could not work in African areas. In fact, white brothers could not go into what were then called Native Reserves even for supervisory purposes. It was under these circumstances that four Gilead graduates of the tenth class arrived on the scene, in February 1949. These were George and Ruby Bradley, Myrtle Taylor and Phyllis Kite.

UNEXPECTED HELP

Let us for a moment dwell on the feeling many had developed against Jehovah’s Witnesses​—that of uncertainty as to their motives. Illustrating this was the experience of George Bradley in Salisbury during the month of June 1950, after the branch office and missionary home had moved to the capital city.

While doing street work, Brother Bradley was approached by a well-dressed man who seemed rather shocked at seeing The Watchtower and Awake! so openly displayed. He asked: “Is this not communist?” Being assured that it was not, he said: “Well, I am Dendy-Young, a member of Parliament, and I must say that I am completely in the dark as to your work.” He took two magazines and asked us to visit his office the next day.

At this visit Mr. Dendy-Young stated that the magazines were completely innocuous and asked for a letter clearly stating the motives and purposes of our work. Why this request? Because Parliament was going to debate the Subversive Activities Bill, and Mr. Dendy-Young was of the impression that Jehovah’s Witnesses were going to be discussed in connection with it. He wanted to read to Parliament a letter that would give the facts. True to his word, the whole letter was read.

While the Bill did become an act of law, it has never been applied to the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses.