IBethel YaseBrooklyn—Iminyaka Eyikhulu Yomlando

IKhaya LaseBethel elise-122-124 Columbia Heights

ITabernakele LaseBrooklyn — 13-17 Hicks Street (1909-1918)

UNYAKA ka-1909 waba ovusa amadlingozi eNew York City. Kwavulwa iQueensboro Brigde, exhumanisa idolobha laseQueens neManhattan, kwaphinde kwavulwa neManhattan Brigde, exhumanisa iManhattan neBrooklyn.

Wabuye waba unyaka ovusa amadlingozi nakoFakazi BakaJehova. Ngaphambidlana, uCharles Taze Russell, umongameli we-Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, inhlangano engokomthetho yoFakazi BakaJehova, wayebonile ukuthi kunethuba elihle lokwenabisa izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu. (Mathewu 24:14) Wayekholelwa ukuthi ukususa indlunkulu yeNhlangano ePittsburgh, ePennsylvania, iye eBrooklyn, eNew York, kwakuyoba yisinyathelo esibalulekile ekufezeni lokho. Amalungiselelo okuthutha ayeseqalile ngo-1908, futhi ekuqaleni konyaka owalandela kwathuthwa.

Kungani Kwathuthelwa EBrooklyn?

Labo ababehola emsebenzini wokushumayela ngaleso sikhathi, babazi ukuthi ukushumayela ngezintshumayelo ezinyatheliswe emaphephandabeni kwakuyindlela ephumelelayo yokusakaza iqiniso leBhayibheli. Eqinisweni, ngo-1908, izintshumayelo zeBhayibheli zamasonto onke zikaRussell zavela emaphephandabeni angu-11 futhi kwanyatheliswa amakhophi angu-402 000 alawo maphephandaba.

Nokho, uRussell wabhala: “Abazalwane abajwayelene nendlela yokusebenza kwamaphephandaba . . . basiqinisekisa ngokuthi uma izintshumayelo zamasonto onke zingavela [edolobheni elikhulu] cishe lokho kuyokwenza ukuba zinyatheliswe emaphephandabeni akulo lonke elase-United States; nokuthi kungase kube namakhulu amaphephandaba azinyathelisa njalo ungakapheli nonyaka.” Ngakho, abazalwane baqala ukufuna indawo ekahle kakhulu yokwenabisa umsebenzi wokushumayela.

UCharles Taze Russell — Izintshumayelo zikaRussell ephephandabeni

Kungani kwakhethwa iBrooklyn? URussell wathi: “Ngemva kokufuna isiqondiso kuNkulunkulu, sonke safika esiphethweni sokuthi njengoba iBrooklyn, eseNew York, inabantu abaningi . . . futhi yaziwa ngokuthi ‘iDolobha Lamasonto’, ingaba indawo efaneleka kakhulu yokwenza umsebenzi wokuvuna.” Imiphumela ibonisa ukuthi babeshaye esikhonkosini. Ngokushesha nje, kwase kunamaphephandaba angu-2 000 ayenyathelisa izintshumayelo zikaRussell.

Kwakunesinye isizathu esenza ukuba iNew York ibe yindawo efanelekayo. Ngo-1909, kwase kunamahhovisi amagatsha eGreat Britain, eJalimane nase-Australia, futhi kwakusenamanye ayezomiswa. Ngakho, kwakuwukuhlakanipha ukuba indlunkulu yomhlaba wonke ibe sedolobheni elinechweba, imigwaqo emikhulu nojantshi bezitimela.

Kungani Yabizwa Ngokuthi IBethel?

Isakhiwo e-18 Concord Street — 18 Concord Street (1922-1927)

Isakhiwo e-117 Adams Street — 117 Adams Street (kusukela ngo-1927 kuze kube namuhla)

Indlunkulu yokuqala ye-Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society yamiswa ngawo-1880, e-Allegheny (manje eyingxenye yePittsburgh), ePennsylvania. Ngaleso sikhathi yayibizwa ngokuthi iBible House. Ngo-1896, lesi sakhiwo sasinezisebenzi ezingu-12.

Kodwa lapho kuthuthelwa eBrooklyn ngo-1909, isakhiwo esisha esasizohlala izisebenzi sabizwa ngokuthi iBethel.a Kungani yethiwa ngaleli gama? Izakhiwo i-Watch Tower Society eyazithenga eziku-13-17 Hicks Street zazingezomfundisi odumile uHenry Ward Beecher futhi zazibizwa ngokuthi iBeecher Bethel. Indlu uBeecher ayehlala kuyo ngaphambili eyayiku-124 Columbia Heights, nayo yathengwa. INqabayokulinda ka-March 1, 1909, yathi: “Kuyamangalisa ngempela ukuthi sikwazile ukuthola iBeecher Bethel endala futhi kwaqondana sathola nomuzi ayehlala kuwo. . . . Ikhaya elisha sizolibiza ngokuthi ‘iBethel,’ futhi ihhovisi nehholo elisha sizokubiza ngokuthi ‘iTabernakele LaseBrooklyn’; la magama azongena esikhundleni selithi ‘Bible House.’”

Nanamuhla, izakhiwo ezinwetshiwe eziseBrooklyn nakwezinye izindawo ezimbili eNew York State, eWallkill nasePatterson, ezihlanganisa isakhiwo sokuhlala, indawo yokunyathelisa namahhovisi, zisabizwa ngokuthi iBethel. Empeleni, emhlabeni wonke kunamakhaya aseBethel emazweni angu-113. Anezikhonzi ezingaphezu kuka-19 000 ezisiza ekusakazeni ukwaziswa okuseBhayibhelini.

Kwenziwa izincwadi e-35 Myrtle Avenue — 35 Myrtle Avenue (1920-1922)

Ukwamukelwa Kwezivakashi Ngezandla Ezifudumele

Lezi zakhiwo zanikezelwa ngoJanuary, 31, 1909. UMsombuluko wangomhla ka-6 September 1909, waba usuku lokwamukela izivakashi eBethel. Amakhulu abaFundi BeBhayibheli, njengoba babebizwa kanjalo oFakazi BakaJehova ngaleso sikhathi, babuka izakhiwo. Abaningi babo babebuya emhlanganweni wamaKristu owawuseSaratoga Springs esenyakatho, ibanga elingamakhilomitha angu-320 uma usuka eNew York City. UCharles Taze Russell wamukela izivakashi.b

Izivakashi zisamukelekile eBethel. Empeleni, unyaka ngamunye abantu abangaphezu kuka-40 000 bayeza bezobuka izakhiwo zaseBrooklyn. IBethel eseBrooklyn isaqhubeka ifeza indima ebalulekile ekuthuthukisweni kwemisebenzi ephathelene noMbuso kaJehova, okuholela ekubusisweni kwezigidigidi zabantu.

Indawo Yokunyathelisa EWallkill — Isakhiwo sokunyathelisa esiseWallkill

IPatterson Educational Center — I-Patterson Educational Center

a Igama lesiHebheru elithi “Bethel” lisho ukuthi “Indlu KaNkulunkulu.” EBhayibhelini, iBethele yayiwumuzi ovelele wakwa-Israyeli. Umuzi waseJerusalema kuphela okukhulunywa ngawo kaningi.

b Ukuze uthole eminye imininingwane ngalo mlando, bheka incwadi ethi OFakazi BakaJehova—Abamemezeli BoMbuso KaNkulunkulu, amakhasi 718-723, enyatheliswa oFakazi BakaJehova.

Yini Oyaziyo Nge-Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society?

Inhlangano manje eyaziwa ngokuthi i-Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania yasungulwa ngo-1884 ibizwa ngokuthi i-Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society. Yasungulelwa ukusakaza iqiniso leBhayibheli emhlabeni wonke, ikakhulukazi ngezincwadi. Nanamuhla, i-Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society isalokhu iyithuluzi elingokomthetho elisetshenziswa oFakazi BakaJehova emhlabeni kabanzi.c—Filipi 1:7.

I-Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society iye yakhiqiza amaBhayibheli nezincwadi ezisekelwe kulo ngezilimi ezingu-473. Iye yanyathelisa amakhophi e-Nguqulo Yezwe Elisha YemiBhalo Engcwele aphelele noma ayizingxenye angaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-150 ngezilimi ezingu-72. Ngaphezu kwe-Nguqulo Yezwe Elisha, le nhlangano iye yazinyathelisela noma yakhokhela ukuba kunyatheliswe lezi zinguqulo zamaBhayibheli ezilandelayo: I-American Standard Version, i-Bible in Living English, i-Emphatic Diaglott, i-Linear Parallel Edition kaHolman, i-King James Version (kuhlanganise noHlelo LwabaFundi BeBhayibheli) ne-New Testament Newly Translated and Critically Emphasized, uHlelo Lwesibili.

Ngaphandle kokunyathelisa amaBhayibheli, eminyakeni nje engaphezu kweyishumi edlule, oFakazi BakaJehova baye bakhiqiza ezinye izinto ezingaphezu kwezigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-20, njengezincwadi, omagazini, amapheshana, ama-CD, ama-DVD nezinye izinto ezinjalo ezisekelwe eBhayibhelini.d Eziningi zalezi zinto ziye zanyatheliswa, zahlanganiswa, zabe sezithunyelwa zisuka emakhaya aseBethel emazweni anjenge-Argentina, i-Australia, iBrazil, iBrithani, iCanada, iColombia, iFinland, i-Italy, iJalimane, iJapan, iKorea, iMexico, iMyanmar, iNdiya, iNigeria, iNingizimu Afrika, iPhilippines, iSpain ne-United States.

c Ngo-2008, inani loFakazi BakaJehova lalingu-7 124 443 emazweni angu-236. Amabandla abo ayengu-103 267.

d Lezi zinto azithengiswa. Umsebenzi wokufundisa ngeBhayibheli woFakazi BakaJehova usekelwa ngeminikelo yokuzithandela.