1959: For the first time verbal permission was obtained from the local government authorities for the brothers to hold congregation meetings, this despite the fact that the legal ban against the work has not been lifted. Up till this time no congregation meetings had been possible, and meetings of just small groups for Bible study in homes had been held. Now the brothers got busy and arranged as their first organized congregation meetings the Memorial celebration, and at the five Leopoldville [congregations] a total of 1,019 were present. Onlookers marveled, not only because the meetings were held at all, but to witness the joyful spirit of Christian fellowship manifest by the brothers. It caused several there and then to see that here was a people different from the other religions because ‘they manifest love among themselves.’

Though it was not yet possible to send missionaries into Congo, a decree of tolerance signed on June 10, 1958, permitted Jehovah’s Witnesses there “to assemble in enclosed meeting places.” The brothers were delighted that they could meet freely. Sometimes security agents attended these meetings and praised the brothers for their good conduct and orderliness.

1960: The work in the Belgian Congo has moved forward wonderfully in the past year. Despite the difficulties in that country and the fact that technically the work continues under a ban, it has been possible for the brothers to hold regular meetings in Kingdom Halls.

An outstanding event occurred at the time of the Memorial in the city of Leopoldville, the capital. The six [congregations] in that city arranged to meet together for a public talk on Sunday and had the thrill of seeing an attendance of 1,417. As one of the [overseers] wrote at the time: “We were very happy, because it was the first time that we had tried such a thing; Jehovah’s angels camped all around us.”