1923​—⁠Eminyakeni Eyikhulu Edlule

UBUNYE EMIHLANGANWENI YEBANDLA

Phakathi nonyaka, inhlangano yenza izinguquko ezithile ezasiza abaFundi BeBhayibheli baba nobunye kakhudlwana endleleni abakhonza ngayo uNkulunkulu. INqabayokulinda yaqala ukunyathelisa amaphuzu achaza umBhalo okwakuxoxwa ngawo eMhlanganweni Womthandazo, Wokudumisa Nowokunikeza Ubufakazi wamasonto onke. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abaFundi BeBhayibheli benza ikhalenda elalinomBhalo wesonto ngalinye kanye neculo elalingaculwa esifundweni somuntu siqu nasekukhulekeleni komndeni.

Emihlanganweni yabo, abaFundi BeBhayibheli babenikeza ubufakazi obuhlanganisa izinto ezazenzeke enkonzweni yasensimini, amazwi okubonga uJehova, iculo, ngisho nomthandazo imbala. U-Eva Barney, owabhapathizwa ngo-1923 eneminyaka engu-15, uyakhumbula: “Uma ufuna ukunikeza ubufakazi, wawusukuma usho into enjengokuthi, ‘Ngifisa ukubonga iNkosi ngazo zonke izinto ezinhle engenzele zona.’” Abanye abazalwane babethanda ukunikeza ubufakazi. UDade Barney uyaqhubeka: “Umzalwane othandekayo osekhulile, uGodwin, wayenezinto eziningi kakhulu ayezibonga eNkosini. Kodwa lapho umkakhe ebona ukuthi umzalwane oqhubayo useqala ukuphelelwa isineke, wayedonsa ibhantshi lomyeni wakhe kancane ngemuva, bese umyeni wakhe ehlala phansi.”

Kanye ngenyanga, ibandla laliba noMhlangano okhethekile Womthandazo, Wokudumisa Nowokunikeza Ubufakazi. Ichaza lo mhlangano, INqabayokulinda ka-Ephreli 1, 1923, yathi: “Ingxenye yalo mhlangano kufanele isetshenziselwe ukunikeza ubufakazi obuhlobene nomsebenzi wokushumayela nokukhuthaza abenza lo msebenzi. . . . Sikholelwa ukuthi le mihlangano ekhuthazayo izobenza basondelane abazalwane.”

UCharles Martin, owayengummemezeli oneminyaka engu-19 eVancouver, eCanada, wazuza kakhulu kule mihlangano. Kamuva wathi: “Ngafunda lapho ukuthi kufanele ngithini lapho ngishumayela endlini ngendlu. Izikhathi eziningana othile wayexoxa ngalokho okwakwenzeke ngesikhathi eshumayela endlini ngendlu. Lokho kwakunginikeza amacebiso alokho engingakusho nendlela engingaphendula ngayo abantu abaphikisa ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene.”

UBUNYE EMSEBENZINI WOKUSHUMAYELA

“Izinsuku zenkonzo yasensimini” nazo zaba nesandla ekwenzeni inhlangano ibe nobunye. INqabayokulinda ka-Ephreli 1, 1923, yathi: “Ukuze sonke sibe nobunye . . . , uLwesibili, lwangoMeyi 1, 1923, luzoba usuku lwenkonzo yasensimini. Ngemva kwalokho, uLwesibili lokuqala njalo enyangeni luzoba usuku lwenkonzo yasensimini. . . . Wonke umuntu, kuwo wonke amabandla kufanele abe nengxenye kulo msebenzi.”

Ngisho nabaFundi BeBhayibheli abasebasha bawenza lo msebenzi. UHazel Burford, owayeneminyaka engu-16 nje kuphela ngaleso sikhathi, uyakhumbula: “I-Bulletin yayinezingxoxo eziyisibonelo esingazibamba ngekhanda.a Mina nomkhulu sahlanganyela ngentshiseko kulo msebenzi wokushumayela.” Nokho, uDade Burford wamangala lapho umuntu ayengamlindele emelana nokuthi wayeshumayela. Wathi: “Omunye umzalwane osekhulile wayengafuni neze ngikhulume nabantu. Ngaleso sikhathi, abanye babengaqondi ukuthi bonke abaFundi BeBhayibheli, kuhlanganise ‘nezinsizwa nezintombi,’ kufanele babe nengxenye ekudumiseni uMdali Omkhulu.” (IHu. 148:​12, 13) Kodwa uDade Burford akayekanga ukushumayela. Kamuva waba sekilasini lesibili leSikole SaseGileyadi, waba isithunywa sevangeli ePanama. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, labo bazalwane bawulungisa umbono wabo ngokushumayela kwabantu abasebasha.

UBUNYE EMIHLANGANWENI EMIKHULU

Imihlangano yesigodi neyesifunda nayo yenza abafowethu baba nobunye kakhudlwana. Eminingi yale mihlangano yayiba nezinsuku zenkonzo yasensimini. Ngokwesibonelo, emhlanganweni owawuseWinnipeg, eCanada, bonke ababekhona bacelwa ukuba bashumayele kulelo dolobha ngoMashi 31. Izinsuku zenkonzo yasensimini ezinjengalezo zabeka isisekelo sokwanda kwalo msebenzi esikhathini esizayo. Ngo-Agasti 5, abantu abangaba ngu-7 000 bathamela omunye umhlangano omkhulu eWinnipeg. Ngaleso sikhathi eCanada kwakuqala ngqa ukuba kube nabantu abaningi kangaka emhlanganweni.

Umhlangano ongasoze walibaleka wabantu bakaJehova ngo-1923 wawungo-Agasti 18-26, eLos Angeles, eCalifornia. Emasontweni andulela lowo mhlangano, amaphephandaba ayenezikhangiso zawo. AbaFundi BeBhayibheli bona bahambisa izimemo ezingaphezu kuka-500 000. Izimoto ezithutha umphakathi nezimoto zabantu zazinezikhangiso zalowo mhlangano.

NgoMgqibelo, ngo-Agasti 25, uMfoweth’uRutherford wanikeza inkulumo ethi “Izimvu Nezimbuzi.” Kuleyo nkulumo wacacisa ukuthi “izimvu” yilabo ababenesimo esihle sengqondo esiyobenza bathole ukuphila okuphakade epharadesi emhlabeni. Wafunda nezwi lesinqumo elithi “Isixwayiso.” Leli zwi lesinqumo lalahla eLobukholwa lanxusa abanhliziyo ziqotho ukuba bazihlukanise ‘neBhabhiloni Elikhulu.’ (IsAm. 18:​2, 4) Kamuva abaFundi BeBhayibheli abashisekayo emhlabeni wonke basakaza izigidi zamapheshana analeli zwi lesinqumo.

Ngosuku lokugcina lomhlangano, izithameli ezingaphezu kuka-30 000 zalalela uMfoweth’uRutherford enikeza inkulumo yomphakathi ethi “Zonke Izizwe Manje Ziya E-Amargedoni, Kodwa Izigidi Eziphilayo Manje Azisoze Zafa.” Belindele abantu abaningi kakhulu, abaFundi BeBhayibheli baqasha inkundla yezemidlalo eyayisanda kwakhiwa, iLos Angeles Coliseum. Ukuze baqiniseke ukuthi wonke umuntu uyezwa, abazalwane basebenzisa izipikha zaleyo nkundla yezemidlalo, okwakuyinto entsha kwezobuchwepheshe ngaleso sikhathi. Abanye abantu abaningi balalela isimiso somhlangano emsakazweni.

UKWANDA EMHLABENI WONKE

Ngonyaka ka-1923, kwaba nokwanda okuphawulekayo emsebenzini wokushumayela e-Afrika, eYurophu, eNdiya naseNingizimu Melika. ENdiya, u-A. J. Joseph wasiza ekukhiqizeni izincwadi ngesiHindi, isiTamil, isiTelugu nesi-Urdu, kuyilapho enakelela umkakhe nezingane eziyisithupha.

ESierra Leone, u-Alfred Joseph noLeonard Blackman, abangabaFundi BeBhayibheli, babhalela endlunkulu yomhlaba wonke eBrooklyn, eNew York, becela usizo. Ngo-Ephreli 14, 1923, isicelo sabo saphendulwa. U-Alfred wathi: “Ngolunye usuku ngoMgqibelo ebusuku, ngathola ucingo engangingalulindele.” Wezwa umuntu onebhesi ethi, “Nguwe yini obhalele iWatch Tower Society ucela abantu abazoshumayela?” U-Alfred waphendula wathi, “Yebo yimina.” UWilliam R. Brown wathi: “Bathumele mina.” Wayefike ngalolo suku evela eCaribbean ehamba nomkakhe u-Antonia, namadodakazi abo asemancane uLouise noLucy. Abazalwane kwakungeke kudingeke balinde isikhathi eside ngaphambi kokuba bahlangane noMfoweth’uBrown nomndeni wakhe.

U-Alfred uyaqhubeka, uthi: “Ngakusasa ekuseni, mina noLeonard sasiqhuba isifundo seBhayibheli samasonto onke lapho kuqhamuka umdondoshiya wendoda emnyango. KwakunguMfoweth’uBrown. Wayeshisekela iqiniso kangangokuba wayefuna ukunikeza inkulumo yeningi ngakusasa lokhu okusayo.” Kungakapheli ngisho nenyanga, uMfoweth’uBrown wayesezihambise zonke izincwadi ayefike nazo. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho wathola ezinye izincwadi ezingaphezu kuka-5 000 futhi kungakabiphi kwase kudingeka ezinye izincwadi ezengeziwe. Kodwa uMfoweth’uBrown wayengaziwa ngokuthi ungumdayisi wezincwadi. Phakathi nenkonzo yakhe ende eyisikhonzi sikaJehova esishisekayo, wayeyicaphuna njalo imiBhalo ezinkulumweni zakhe, waze wabizwa ngokuthi uBible Brown.

Phakathi naleso sikhathi, ihhovisi legatsha laseBarmen, eJalimane, lalinabantu abaningi kakhulu futhi lelo dolobha lalingase lihlaselwe yizwe elingumakhelwane, iFrance. AbaFundi BeBhayibheli bathola isakhiwo esikahle kakhulu ababengenzela kuso umsebenzi wokunyathelisa izincwadi eMagdeburg. NgoJuni 19, abafowethu baqedela ukupakisha imishini yokunyathelisa izincwadi nenye impahla, base bethuthela eBethel entsha eMagdeburg. Ngalo kanye usuku abazisa ngalo indlunkulu ukuthi umsebenzi wokuthutha wawusuphothuliwe, amaphephandaba amemezela ukuthi iFrance yayisilithathile idolobha laseBarmen. Abazalwane babheka loko kuthutha njengobufakazi bokuthi uJehova wayebabusisa futhi ebavikela.

EBrazil, uGeorge Young, owahamba amabanga amade eshumayela izindaba ezinhle, wamisa igatsha elisha futhi kwaqalwa ukunyatheliswa kwe-Nqabayokulinda ngesiPutukezi. Phakathi nezinyanga ezimbalwa nje, wahambisa izincwadi ezingaphezu kuka-7 000. Ukufika kwakhe eBrazil kwanikeza noSarah Ferguson ithuba elijabulisayo. Wayeqale ukufunda INqabayokulinda kusukela ngo-1899, kodwa wayengakaze athole ithuba lokubonisa ukuzinikezela kwakhe ngokubhapathizwa ngamanzi. Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezalandela, uDade Ferguson nezingane zakhe ezine ekugcineni bakwazi ukuthatha lesi sinyathelo esibalulekile, babhapathizwa.

“UKUKHONZA UNKULUNKULU NGENTSHISEKO NANGENJABULO”

Njengoba unyaka ka-1923 wawusuzophela, INqabayokulinda kaDisemba 15, 1923, yakhuluma ngemiphumela yokukhonza uNkulunkulu ngobunye kwabaFundi BeBhayibheli. Yathi: “Kulula ukubona ukuthi amabandla . . . anobuhlobo obuhle noNkulunkulu . . . Masizigqoke kahle izembatho zethu zempi, siqhubeke sikhonza uNkulunkulu ngentshiseko nangenjabulo kulo nyaka esiya kuwo.”

Unyaka olandelayo wawuzoba ingqophamlando kubaFundi BeBhayibheli. Abafowethu eBethel base bechithe izinyanga bakha endaweni ethile eStaten Island, okuyibanga elifushane uma usuka endlunkulu eBrooklyn. Izakhiwo ababezakha kuleyo ndawo entsha zaqedwa ngo-1924, zasiza nasekwenzeni abazalwane babe nobunye nasekusakazeni izindaba ezinhle ngezindlela ezazingakaze zicatshangwe ngaphambili.