• Brazil
    1997 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses

    • Preparation for More Increase

      Further increase in the number of Kingdom proclaimers, as well as the extent of their witness work, was on the way, and preparations had to be made for it. (Compare Isaiah 54:1-3.) To produce the needed literature, it became necessary to replace the rotary letterpress equipment with more modern, faster offset presses. A larger work area was required. In a stopgap effort to deal with this need, an annex to the Assembly Hall in Ribeirão Pires was built in 1975. This provided storage space for some of our paper. However, it was obvious that we had to find more property on which to expand the Bethel Home as well as the branch office and the printery.

      The possibility of purchasing additional property near the existing facilities in São Paulo was considered, but zoning laws and the high cost of property made this impractical. The alternative was to move the branch to an entirely new location. The Governing Body recommended that we look for property outside the city of São Paulo. After several possibilities were considered, a property of 285 acres [115 ha] was purchased in August 1977 in the municipality of Cesário Lange, São Paulo, about 90 miles [150 km] from the city of São Paulo.

      ‘You Are Thinking Too Small!’

      Immediately after we purchased the property, an invitation was sent out for volunteers to assist in preparing the ground for construction. Building proposals were also submitted to the Governing Body. We thought that our plans included ample room to care for expansion for a long time to come. In fact, we thought we might be planning too big. However, the answer from the Governing Body amazed all of us: ‘You are thinking too small! You should build about twice as large as you have planned!’

      The result was a plan that called for residential and factory/office space five times as great as what we had in São Paulo. Was it needed? Well, since 1977 the number of Witnesses in Brazil has quadrupled, and the number of hours being devoted to the ministry each year is about six times what it was then.

      Arrangements were made for a construction firm to put up the new branch facilities. But our brothers also cared for necessary aspects of the work. Paulo Tinoco Carneiro, a Witness who is an experienced civil engineer, moved with his family from the city of Salvador to a location near the construction site. About 150 other Witnesses, including some members of the Bethel family, provided support services, such as the making of aluminum window frames and the preparation of meals for the workers, as well as maintenance and cleaning. At the peak of construction, three meals a day were being served to more than 1,000 workers. No small task!

      The large number of men employed by the construction company constituted an excellent territory for the preaching work in the evenings and on weekends. In one month a brother placed more than 80 copies of My Book of Bible Stories with the workers. Bible studies were started, and six workers progressed to the point of baptism. One of them now serves as a member of the Brazil Bethel family.

      Shouldering Added Responsibilities

      Construction of the new branch facilities brought with it added responsibility. Max Larson, from the world headquarters, spoke about this during a visit to Brazil in 1980. In a stimulating discourse given in Pacaembu Stadium, in São Paulo, he stressed the need for the brothers in each country to finance the preaching work and the building of printeries and Bethel homes in their respective territories. Would it be possible for the brothers in Brazil to assume that responsibility? Brazil faced a serious economic crisis, with high rates of inflation and unemployment. In spite of this, the response was excellent. Congregations and individuals contributed voluntarily and regularly, so that the construction was completed and the needed equipment was installed. The generosity shown reminded one of the spirit manifested in ancient Israel when plans were being made in the time of King David for construction of the temple in Jerusalem.—1 Chron. 29:3-9.

      The transfer of the 225 members of the Bethel family and all the printing equipment from São Paulo to Cesário Lange began in August 1980. It took more than 160 truckloads to make the move. Then came the installation of the equipment and the period of adjustment to the new environment.

      A dedication program was held on March 21, 1981. Lloyd Barry, a member of the Governing Body, was on hand to deliver the dedication discourse. Quoting the beautiful words of King Solomon at the time of the inauguration of the temple in Jerusalem, Brother Barry made it clear that all the credit and glory for the fine Bethel buildings belong to Jehovah God. Then he concluded by saying: ‘It was because of the increase in the preaching work that these buildings were built. So the preaching work deserves the undivided attention of all of you.’

      During the following months, groups of Witnesses from all parts of the country came to visit Bethel. On just one holiday, 12,000 visitors came, in 300 buses and dozens of cars.

      They could see that more was taking place at the branch than settling into new buildings. Important forward steps were being made in the field of printing Bible literature. In 1981 the Spanish editions of The Watchtower and Awake! began to be printed in Brazil for shipping to neighboring Spanish-speaking countries—Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. In addition to printing magazines, the Brazil branch also began to print and bind books for Bible study. That required much new equipment and the learning of new skills. In 1981, the new factory’s bindery line began to function, and the first item produced was the Portuguese Yearbook for 1982. Soon afterward, the first of four volumes of Aid to Bible Understanding was printed and bound. And starting in 1987, the most important book of all came through that bindery—the Bible, the Portuguese edition of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.