At the Glad Nations Theocratic Assembly, held in Cleveland, Ohio, August 4-11, 1946, Brother Knorr delivered the talk “Equipped for Every Good Work.” The entire audience was intrigued as he posed such questions as: “Would it not be of tremendous aid to have information on each one of the sixty-six books of the Bible? Would it not aid in understanding the Scriptures if we knew who wrote each book of the Bible? when each book was written? where it was written?” Expectancy ran high as he then declared: “Brethren, you have all that information and much more in the new book entitled ‘Equipped for Every Good Work’!” A burst of applause followed that announcement. The new publication would serve as a textbook for the ministry school held in the congregations.

Not only were Jehovah’s Witnesses equipped with a publication to deepen their knowledge of the Scriptures but they were also given some excellent aids for use in the field. The 1946 convention will long be remembered for the release of the first issue of Awake! This new magazine replaced Consolation (formerly known as The Golden Age). Also released was the book “Let God Be True.”e Henry A. Cantwell, who later served as a traveling overseer, explains: “For some time we had very much needed a book that could be used effectively in conducting Bible studies with newly interested persons, one that would cover the basic Bible doctrines and truths. Now with the release of ‘Let God Be True,’ we had just what was needed.”

Equipped with such valuable teaching aids, Jehovah’s Witnesses expected further rapid expansion. Addressing the convention on the subject “The Problems of Reconstruction and Expansion,” Brother Knorr explained that during the years of global war, no standstill had occurred in efforts at witnessing. From 1939 to 1946, the number of Kingdom proclaimers had increased by over 110,000. To meet the growing worldwide demand for Bible literature, the Society planned to expand the factory and the Bethel Home in Brooklyn.

The anticipated period of world peace had set in. The era of global expansion and Bible education was well under way. Jehovah’s Witnesses returned home from the Glad Nations Theocratic Assembly better equipped to be teachers of the good news.

Constructed with the financial support of Witnesses from around the world, the new facilities completed the vast expansion program announced and enthusiastically approved at the 1946 Cleveland convention.