In 1932 the office was moved to Cēsu Street, Riga.

On June 30, the minister of the interior closed down the office of the International Bible Students Association and confiscated over 40,000 books and booklets along with a small amount of cash. Clergymen were appointed liquidators! Applications to reregister were rejected.

In 1939, World War II erupted, and in June 1940, the Russian army marched into Latvia. In August, Latvia became the 15th republic of the USSR and was named the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic. On October 27, the Dunhams had to leave Latvia and their dear Latvian brothers and sisters. They were reassigned to the Australia branch, where Percy ended his earthly course in 1951 and Madge, in 1998.

The closing down of the office, the deportation of the brothers taking the lead, the trials of war, and the decades of harsh Communist rule that followed had a crushing effect on the work.