A newly arrived missionary, William Nushy, was appointed to oversee the new branch office. William had previously worked as a card-and-dice dealer in casinos across the United States. After becoming a Christian, he left that work and firmly upheld righteous principles​—a trait that would win him the love and respect of the publishers in Sierra Leone.

Honoring God’s Gift of Marriage

As William Nushy settled into his assignment, he saw that some publishers were not upholding Jehovah’s standard for marriage. Some couples had common-law marriages, living together as man and wife without registering their union with the civil authorities. Others followed the local custom of putting off marriage until the woman became pregnant, thus ensuring that their union would be fruitful.

Accordingly, in May 1953, the branch office wrote to each congregation and clearly explained the Bible’s standard on marriage. (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 13:1; Heb. 13:4) Couples were given time to register their marriage. If they did not do so, they would face being removed from the congregation.​—1 Cor. 5:11, 13.