• Zimbabwe
    1985 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses

    • ORGANIZING FOR THE WORK AHEAD

      Up until now the work in this country was being supervised by the South Africa branch. But in 1948 a change took place that had far-reaching effects. January of that year saw the arrival of our first Gilead School graduate, referred to in the Yearbook as our “gift from Gilead.” This was Eric Cooke. Just shortly after his arrival two visitors also appeared, Brothers N. H. Knorr and M. G. Henschel. Their visit resulted in another great step forward in the direction of improved leadership and organization of the congregations. This was the establishment of a branch office on September 1, 1948, with Eric Cooke as the branch overseer.

      It was clear that the field needed closer supervision. By now the number of publishers exceeded 3,500, and these were serving in 117 congregations. So in 1948 these congregations were grouped into five circuits. You can imagine the work our circuit overseers had to do​—five of them in a country roughly 400 miles square. While some of their traveling was done by bus or train, most of it was by bicycle. But it was a start.

      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. Eric Cooke and Myrtle Taylor later married and are now serving as missionaries in South Africa.

      While the four new missionaries were given permission to stay in the country, it was only on a probational basis. Why? Because, according to the Chief Immigration Officer, Jehovah’s Witnesses were still “under a cloud.” However, after several months of working among the whites in Bulawayo, Eric Cooke was called to the immigration office and told that the period of probation was over. Permanent residence was granted to all four, a victory that was to open the way for other Gilead graduates to come into the country in the years ahead!