Branch Dedications: ‘God Made Them Grow’

A healthy child all too soon outgrows his clothes, sending parents on a quest to obtain larger-size apparel. In a similar way, as the number of publishers increases in a country, those charged with oversight seek larger headquarters to meet the demands of a growing force of Kingdom preachers.

A Branch Committee looks upon this as a happy challenge. It is evidence that God is blessing their branch with growth. (1 Cor. 3:6) Last service year, four branches dedicated new facilities exclusively to Jehovah’s service.

Australia

November 25, 1989, was the date for the dedication program. The original branch complex was erected in 1982 and dedicated early in 1983. In 1987 the office was enlarged. But now a five-story residence building and a three-story factory addition were dedicated.

Forty years ago, there were just over 4,000 publishers in the country, but now there are more than 51,000, an increase of over 1,100 percent! Nearly 22,000 of these have come into the truth in the past ten years. Printing has expanded to care for the needs of not only Australia but also New Zealand and the many islands of the Pacific region. Publications are now being produced in 37 languages.

Guatemala

Happy hearts and smiling faces were the order of the day in Guatemala City on November 26, 1989. That is when 13,882 of Jehovah’s Witnesses met together to celebrate the dedication of their new branch facilities. The day was the crowning point of seven years of activity leading to a branch complex that has proved to be more than eight times as large in floor area as the previous building. The present site has an area of 2.8 acres [1.1 ha] and abounds with eucalyptus, cypress, and pine trees. Set in such pleasant surroundings, with the picturesque silhouette of volcanoes in the background, the new Guatemala branch facility, with its white walls and red tile roof, truly stands out.

The need for a new branch facility had been evident for quite a number of years. The old branch building near the center of the city had been in use since 1949, when there were only 218 publishers. By 1985, when the property for the new branch complex was bought, the number of publishers had risen to 8,135. By the time the building was completed four years later, the publisher figure had risen to a new peak of 11,147, representing an increase of 37 percent.

Construction actually lasted two and a half years. During that time, the local congregations provided 269 regular workers, as well as more than 2,000 weekend volunteers. Added to this were the 215 who came from foreign countries as near as Costa Rica and as far afield as Canada, Finland, and the United States. These volunteer workers trained the local brothers in different trades, such as concrete work, tile setting, and furniture making.

Visitors were treated to a special day on Saturday, November 25, beginning with tours through the complex. The day ended with a supper in the back garden; the music of the marimba mingled with the sounds of animated conversation and the laughter of friends enjoying sweet Christian fellowship.

Honduras

Cool weather but warm hearts was the experience of the 5,085 attenders in Tegucigalpa on October 22, 1989, the second day of a special two-day gathering. The dedication program on the 21st recounted the history of the preaching work in Honduras since 1945 when the branch office was opened.

Right next to the original branch building, which was erected in 1961 and enlarged in 1978, sits the new branch addition. The new facility, with its basement, ground floor, and first floor, almost triples the available floor space. There is a covered walkway that connects the new building with the former one, which was completely remodeled. The branch complex now has a total of 13 rooms for accommodations, 10 rooms in the new building and 3 in the remodeled one. There is now ample space for the present 13 members of the Bethel family and for expansion, since the branch complex can now house up to 26 persons. Construction kept some 125 International Volunteer Construction Workers and more than 1,500 local brothers and sisters busy for two years.

Nigeria

On January 20, 1990, when the new branch facilities for Nigeria were dedicated before a crowd of 4,209, representatives from 29 countries were present. The following day over 60,000 attended special meetings in three Nigerian cities.

The new Bethel Home and branch office is located in the countryside near the village of Igieduma, about 225 miles [360 km] from Lagos. It was back in 1983 that the 140-acre [57 ha] site was obtained. Trees and bush had to be cleared from the property, but enough vegetation was left to shelter the remaining antelope. Hundreds of fruit trees and seven thousand pineapples were planted. One day at the early stages of construction, a forestry official came to the site and questioned the project overseer as to why trees were being cut down. However, upon being shown the grounds, the proposed development, and the method of building with voluntary help and donated materials, he was so impressed that on leaving he asked: “Where is the contribution box?” He then put in his contribution and said nothing further about cutting trees and permits.

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In Australia, a five-story residence building with 51 rooms and a three-story factory addition were dedicated on November 25, 1989

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Guatemala branch facilities were dedicated on November 26, 1989. The present branch family of 28 now has room for expansion

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The new branch building in Honduras was constructed next to the former one and was dedicated on October 21, 1989

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The Nigeria branch complex was dedicated on January 20, 1990. With four residence buildings, it can house more than 400 people