More special pioneers were appointed, and a local circuit overseer started to encourage the congregations. The brothers preached boldly, backed up by a revised constitution that guaranteed basic human rights of free religious expression, free speech, and a free press. The number of publishers reached a peak of 103.

Though many letters of protest were written from all over the world, the missionaries were forced to leave the country. Arrests and interrogations followed. Now came a period of testing and sifting. Some became fearful and left the truth. A few turned traitor. The special pioneer work was discontinued, and several former pioneers had to be disfellowshipped. Others, however, remained faithful. One brother suffered 42 days in leg irons and was then released with stern warnings to cease his preaching.

Thus, the work went underground. Far away, at the 1958 Divine Will International Assembly, the first Amharic book, “Let God Be True,” was released, but only a few copies managed to seep into Ethiopia. Tests of loyalty and courage in the face of opposition caused some to drop by the wayside, so that by 1962 the number of those still active had dropped to 76.