Jubilation Among God’s People
THE words of King David, recorded at Psalm 68, verses 2-4, include a warm invitation to all lovers of true liberty: “Sing you to God, make melody to his name; raise up a song to the One riding through the desert plains as Jah, which is his name; and jubilate before him.” What greater privilege could there be than to jubilate before our God? (Isaiah 12:2, 3) Throughout the year 1986, Jehovah has sustained his witnesses marvelously as they have continued to proclaim liberty to the peoples of earth.
The following pages give a summary of the worldwide activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses during 1986. What reason for jubilation! As the figures show, the peak number of active Witnesses in the 208 lands reporting has risen to 3,229,022, a 6.8-percent increase during the year. The number baptized was 225,868.
Memorializing Jesus’ Death
Attendance at the principal meeting of the year, the Memorial of Jesus’ death, rose to at least 8,160,597, though some reports were not received because of worsening world conditions. The number partaking of the Memorial emblems fell to 8,927 as older anointed ones completed their earthly service.—Revelation 2:10.
Many of those who assembled in obedience to Jesus’ command showed exemplary courage. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 16:33) In an African land where Jehovah’s work is banned, the congregation had gathered at a sister’s home to celebrate the Memorial. Just eight minutes into the talk, local authorities showed up to arrest the brothers. They ordered them to stop the meeting. The brothers kindly but firmly insisted that they must honor this Memorial to Jesus’ sacrificial death. After reasoning and pleading with the police, they were allowed to continue in the hearing of the officers. The meeting was concluded in peace, and all were then arrested. After a period of interrogation, five were detained. They remained in prison for a time but were then released, happy that they had been able to observe the Lord’s Evening Meal!—1 John 5:3, 4.
Nigeria, where the number of Witnesses has increased to 128,461, had a Memorial attendance of 394,370—the highest ever. One Memorial meeting was held at the construction site of the new Bethel complex at Igieduma, and over 700—almost the entire local village—were there!
From Mexico comes the report: “Everywhere we go in the country, the publishers are just bubbling over with enthusiasm, and the whole country seems to be on fire with the truth. The truth envelops the brothers, and their lives revolve around the truth. Whole families are coming into the truth. A good percentage of the people that study start to attend meetings at the same time. This helps them to make rapid progress.” Mexico reported a Memorial attendance of 838,467. In August the 198,003 Kingdom publishers in that land were conducting 327,664 Bible studies in the homes of the people. What a potential they have for continued increase!
Further Global Expansion
From the heart of Christendom come similar reports of expansion. Italy reached a new peak of 139,570 publishers in August, and 301,009 were present for the celebration of the Lord’s Evening Meal. Jehovah’s Witnesses are indeed ‘letting their light shine before men.’ (Matthew 5:16) For example: “A sister was putting money into a ticket machine on a bus when an acquaintance told her that there was no need to pay for a ticket as the ride was so short. The sister explained that it was right to pay the ticket, even for just one stop. After that, her friend got off the bus. At that, the bus driver turned to her and said: ‘Are you one of Jehovah’s Witnesses?’ ‘Yes,’ replied the sister, ‘what made you ask?’ ‘I heard your conversation about paying the bus ticket, and I know that Jehovah’s Witnesses are among the very few people who do so and are honest in all things.’ A few months later, a man approached the sister at a meeting and said, ‘Do you know me? I’m the bus driver who talked to you about paying for the ticket. Observing your conduct, I decided to begin studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses.’”
Britain had a peak of 107,767 Kingdom publishers, including this newly baptized brother: “George is now 84 years of age. After 50 years as a lay preacher in the local church, he came to a knowledge of the truth. Initially, when he would finish his home Bible study, he would hasten into another room to smoke a cigarette. He had been a regular smoker for 70 years. But after studying chapter 26 of the book You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, he has never smoked again. George has now been baptized for over a year and is very zealous in field service, telling others of the blessings Jehovah will bring in His new system of things.”
The Federal Republic of Germany reports a peak of 118,645 publishers. There are also thousands of faithful Witnesses ‘letting their light shine’ in the neighboring German Democratic Republic. In Germany faithful oldsters refuse to lay down “the sword of the spirit.” (Ephesians 6:16, 17) A congregation reports: “We have a sister who is 103 years old and still lives alone. The elders arranged for a group of seven to eight sisters to take turns in caring for her each week. They have been doing this now for the past three to four years. Social workers, who are paid by the community, come to care for the bathing and changing. But when they are ill or on vacation, our sisters take over the work. This evidence of Christian love and sacrifice has served as a good witness to outsiders. Our 103-year-old sister is mentally alert and considers the social workers to be her ‘territory.’ She preaches zealously to them while they are bathing her and gives them literature.” Truly, “gray-headedness is a crown of beauty when it is found in the way of righteousness.”—Proverbs 16:31.
However, the invitation to praise Jehovah goes out to people of all ages—“you young men and also you virgins, you old men together with boys.” Many young people are ‘remembering their Grand Creator in the days of their young manhood.’ (Psalm 148:12; Ecclesiastes 12:1) In Brazil, where there was a splendid new peak of 196,948 publishers, the Watch Tower Society received a letter from an out-of-the-way town where two young brothers witnessed for some months. It read in part: “I would like to commend you for the fine young people you have in your religion. I am a schoolteacher and deal with youth, and I know they are not what they used to be. Your youths are really an example. They respect their elders, are polite and modestly dressed. And how they know their Bibles! That truly is religion! It’s a pity they have to leave.” Families of our brothers are now moving permanently into some of these isolated areas to take care of the interest.
What progress is the truth making in non-Christian areas? The Wall Street Journal of July 9, 1986, published a lengthy article under the headline “Barren Ground—Christian Missionaries Sow the Seed in Japan But Find Little Grows.” A missionary of the United Church of Christ was reported as saying, “There is no way that Christianity will ever really take root in Japan,” and a Franciscan priest as stating, “The day of the foreign missionary in Japan is finished.” Both had labored in vain for more than 30 years. The article said: “Less than 1% of the population is Christian, and despite all the missionary work, the percentage is dropping.” So much for Christendom’s religions! But what of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who teach the pure Christianity in that land? For the past 92 months in a row, they have increased their number of active ministers to a peak of 113,062 (including an average of 46,390 pioneers each month). In Japan 146,316 home Bible studies are being conducted with newly interested people. This is surely a harbinger of further grand increase. Here, we see a living fulfillment of Isaiah 65:13, 14.
The Field of Pioneering
What about the hub of all this dynamic activity—the United States of America? There, 744,919 Kingdom publishers were in the field as a peak. But are such ‘home missionaries’ really needed? Truly they are, as crime, drugs, immorality, disease, and corruption escalate to a far worse degree than in most so-called pagan lands. People who desire better things need comfort and hope, and Jehovah’s Witnesses have such a message. (Isaiah 61:1, 2; Matthew 24:14) In the United States, during 1986, these ministers devoted 146,673,490 hours to declaring the good news of the Kingdom. That amounts to a 12.6-percent increase, or 16,449,229 more hours than last year. That time was profitably spent, as 6,138,938 books were distributed, which is a 23.2-percent improvement over the last year. In April alone, the total was over 1,000,000 books explaining the true hope for peace and security.
One of the most exciting features of the United States report is the expansion of pioneer service. In April there was a peak of 45,786 regular pioneers, an increase of 23 percent over last year. When you combine that figure with the average of 43,369 auxiliary pioneers and the average of 279 special pioneers, it means that each month nearly 90,000 were declaring abroad the Kingdom of God in the pioneer work. These are young people and older folk, too, who are wisely making use of their time in praising Jehovah.
Giving a Thorough Witness
In teaching publicly and from house to house, the apostle Paul “thoroughly bore witness” to the good news. (Acts 20:20, 21) A similar witness is being given in many territories today. For example, this report comes from Guadeloupe: “By the end of the service year, we had one publisher for 72 people. Needless to say, we are more than well known throughout the country! In fact, in many places, we go into the same territory each week. Some could say that certainly people are tired of seeing us, or that it is a source of discouragement to be in the same territory week after week. But on the contrary, the more we work the territory, the more interest is aroused. And the proof? Well, it is the peak last April of 7,136 home Bible studies conducted by our 4,558 publishers! Recently a magazine carried a headline: ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses—Kings From Door to Door’! We consider that an honor. During the service year, 458 new brothers and sisters were baptized.” Steadfastness and joy displayed in working our territory over and over, getting to know and befriend the people, lovingly breaking down their prejudices—this can lead to finding many sheeplike ones.
Jehovah is richly blessing his servants in an African country where the work is banned and civil war rages. In that land many of our brothers suffer in prisons, and some youthful Witnesses have been executed. Yet, April had an outstanding report, with ten all-time peaks. The new publisher figure is an increase of 29 percent over last year. What zeal these dear brothers manifest! Average hours in April were over 18 per publisher, and home Bible studies were 2.6 per publisher.
A cryptic message received by the branch office caring for this territory is sufficient to convey some idea of existing conditions. It reads: “The heat continues to beat down on us. The effort required to move around and see someone is proof we are having a heat wave. But we know we are made in such a way as to adapt to any temperature and any environment. In spite of everything, we persevere and trust we will survive.” Such integrity!
Individual integrity keepers make an integrity-keeping organization. The global organization of 3,229,022 witnesses of Jehovah is just that! They look forward to surviving the coming “great tribulation” and to sharing, under Christ’s Kingdom, in the grand work of transforming earth into a paradise. (Revelation 7:14; 21:3, 4; Isaiah 65:17, 21-23, 25) They are jubilant about the way Jehovah is even now blessing their zealous activity, whether they are preaching the word “in favorable season” or “in troublesome season.” (2 Timothy 4:2) The following pages show how they have obeyed the theme of their 1986 yeartext: “Go . . . , declare abroad the kingdom of God.”—Luke 9:60.
[Box/Picture on page 7]
Some Features of the Global Report of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Increase:
Peak of publishers: 3,229,022 6.8%
Monthly average of pioneers: 391,294 21.2%
Total hours of preaching: 680,837,042 15.3%
Average monthly home Bible studies: 2,726,252 14.6%
Total number baptized 1986: 225,868 19 %
[Chart on page 10-13]
1986 SERVICE YEAR REPORT OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES WORLDWIDE
(See bound volume)
[Pictures on page 8, 9]
WITNESSING “PUBLICLY AND FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE” “TO THE MOST DISTANT PART OF THE EARTH”
Davao Philippines
Venice Italy
Castle Combe England
Gålå Norway
Kowloon Hong Kong
Taipei Taiwan
Queenstown New Zealand
Bolgatanga Ghana
Paris France
Quetzaltenango Guatemala
Kerala India
Banff Canada