Fruitage of 80 Years

As a nation with the second-largest population on earth, a tremendous work remains to be done in India. Only about 6.6 percent of the population have thus far been reached with the good news. Compared to that of most countries, the growth of Jehovah’s people in India has been slow. It took 53 years to reach just the 1,000-publisher mark. But the missionaries and local brothers have continued persistently and patiently in doing their Father’s will. (Isaiah 60:22) Now we rejoice to see a 10-percent increase over last year, and a new peak of 7,410 publishers in the country’s 340 congregations and isolated groups.

These 80 years of preaching were traced during the dedication program. Highlights of the construction work were given. Zone overseer Günter Künz noted in his dedication talk that there has been a 30-percent increase of Jehovah’s people worldwide in the past five years. But he was glad to report that India had surpassed that with a 34-percent increase, and he reminded listeners that with much hard work India would continue to move forward.