Elokuqala Eminyakeni Eyikhulu Edlule

Imvume engokomthetho ye-Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society yakhishwa ePennsylvania, e-U.S.A., ngo-December 15, 1884.a Kulapho lapho kwakhiwa khona indlunkulu yale nhlangano. Kamuva ngo-April 23, 1900, kwatholakala indawo yehhovisi legatsha lokuqala eLondon, eNgilandi. Yayiku-131 Gipsy Lane, eForest Gate, eMpumalanga London, njengoba kuboniswe lapha.

LAPHO lelo gatsha lokuqala limiswa eminyakeni eyikhulu edlule, eNgilandi kwakunabaFundi BeBhayibheli abangu-138, njengoba oFakazi BakaJehova babebizwa kanjalo ngaleso sikhathi. Eminyakeni emibili kamuva, ngo-1902, kwavulwa igatsha lesibili eJalimane; kanti ngo-1904, kwase kumiswe amanye amagatsha e-Australia naseSwitzerland.

Ngo-1918, unyaka eyaphela ngawo iMpi Yezwe I, kwase kunabaFundi BeBhayibheli abangu-3 868 ababebika umsebenzi wokushumayela emhlabeni wonke. Ngonyaka olandelayo kwamiswa igatsha lesihlanu le-Watch Tower Society—eCanada. Njengoba ukumenyezelwa kwesigijimi seBhayibheli kwakuqhubeka, kwavulwa amagatsha amasha emazweni amaningi, ayisithupha avulwa ngo-1921 kuphela.

Ngo-1931, lapho abaFundi BeBhayibheli bamukela igama elisekelwe eBhayibhelini elithi oFakazi BakaJehova, kwase kunamahhovisi amagatsha angu-40 emhlabeni wonke. (Isaya 43:10-12) Phakathi neminyaka emithathu eyalandela, inani lakhuphuka lafika ku-49! Ngo-1938, kwase kunenani eliphakeme loFakazi abangu-59 047 ababeshumayela emazweni angu-52, kodwa ngaleso sikhathi ukuphikiswa okunzima kwase kuqale ukusongela inkonzo yabo yobuKristu ezindaweni eziningi.

Njengoba omashiqela bezombangazwe babanda emazweni amaningi futhi kugqashuka iMpi Yezwe II ngo-September 1939, amahhovisi amagatsha oFakazi BakaJehova avalwa emazweni amaningi. Ngo-1942, kwakusele angu-25 kuphela ayesasebenza. Nokho, ngokumangalisayo, phakathi naleyo mpi eyacekela phansi kunazo zonke emlandweni wesintu, oFakazi BakaJehova baqhubeka besebenza emhlabeni wonke futhi bajabulela okunye kokwanda okukhulu emlandweni wanamuhla.

Ngisho nalapho kuphela iMpi Yezwe II ngo-1945—futhi izingxenye eziningi zomhlaba zisala zonakele—amahhovisi amagatsha oFakazi abuye avulwa futhi kwamiswa amanye amasha. Ngo-1946 kwase kunangu-57 emhlabeni wonke. KwakunoFakazi abangaki? Inani eliphakeme labangu-176 456! Base becishe baphindwe kathathu kunango-1938!

Indlela Amagatsha Okuqala Andiswa Ngayo

Ngo-1911, igatsha lokuqala le-Watch Tower Society, eLondon, eNgilandi, lathuthelwa ku-34 Craven Terrace, lapho kwakukhona khona indawo enkudlwana yamahhovisi neyokuhlala. Kwase kuthi ngo-April 26, 1959, kwanikezelwa izakhiwo zegatsha ezintsha eMill Hill, eLondon. Kamuva kwandiswa izakhiwo zokuhlala, futhi ekugcineni (ngo-1993) kwanikezelwa isakhiwo esiseduze sokunyathelisa namahhovisi esingamamitha-skwele angu-18 500. Lapha kukhiqizwa amakhophi angaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-90 e-Nqabayokulinda ne-Phaphama! unyaka ngamunye ngezilimi ezingu-23.

Ukwandiswa kwegatsha lesibili leNhlangano kwakumangalisa nakakhulu. Ngo-1923 igatsha laseJalimane lathuthelwa eMagdeburg. INqabayokulinda ka-July 15, 1923, yayingeyokuqala eyanyatheliswa ngomshini weNhlangano kulelo gatsha. Eminyakeni embalwa eyalandela, kwathengwa isakhiwo esiseduze, kwanezelwa izakhiwo futhi kwatholakala umshini wokuhlanganisa izincwadi neminye imishini yokunyathelisa. Ngo-1933 igatsha lathathwa amaNazi, oFakazi bavinjelwa futhi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, abayizinkulungwane ezimbili bathunyelwa emakamu okuhlushwa.

Lapho kuphela iMpi Yezwe II ngo-1945, isakhiwo saseMagdeburg, eyayiyingxenye yeMpumalanga Jalimane ngaleso sikhathi, sabuyiswa futhi igatsha laphinde lavulwa. Kodwa ngo-August 30, 1950, amaphoyisa amaKhomanisi ahlasela izakhiwo abopha izisebenzi, futhi oFakazi baseMpumalanga Jalimane bavinjelwa. Ngaleso sikhathi, ngo-1947 kwakuthengwe isiza eWiesbaden, eNtshonalanga Jalimane. Phakathi namashumi eminyaka alandela, izakhiwo zegatsha ezakhiwa lapho zazilokhu zandiswa ukuze zihlangabezane nesidingo sezincwadi.

Ngenxa yokuthi yayingasekho indawo yokwandisa isakhiwo eWiesbaden, kwathengwa indawo engamahektare angu-30 eduze kwaseSelters ngo-1979. Ngemva kweminyaka engaba mihlanu kwakhiwa, igatsha elikhulu lanikezelwa ngo-April 21, 1984. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi liye landiswa, ukuze likwazi ukuhlalisa izisebenzi zasegatsheni ezingaphezu kwenkulungwane. Inyanga ngayinye kunyatheliswa omagazini abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-16 ngezilimi ezingaphezu kwezingu-30 emishinini yokunyathelisa emikhulu eseSelters; futhi onyakeni wamuva nje kuye kwahlanganiswa izincwadi ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-18, kuhlanganise namaBhayibheli.

Amanye Amagatsha Amakhulu Anyathelisayo

Kwaqale kwamiswa igatsha eKobe, eJapane, ngo-1927, kodwa ukushushiswa okunzima koFakazi phakathi neMpi Yezwe II kwamisa umsebenzi wabo. Nokho, ngokushesha ngemva kwempi igatsha laphinde lamiswa eTokyo. Lapho ingasekho indawo yokulandisa, kwakhiwa igatsha elisha eNumazu. Lanikezelwa ngo-1973. Lapho lezi zakhiwo ziba ncane ngokushesha, kwakhiwa ezintsha e-Ebina futhi zanikezelwa ngo-1982. Kusanda kuqedwa izakhiwo ezandisiwe kule ndawo, ezingahlala izisebenzi ezingu-900. Angaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-94 amakhophi e-Nqabayokulinda ne-Phaphama! anyatheliswa ngo-1999, ngolimi lwesiJapane kuphela, kanye nezigidi zezincwadi.

Ukwandiswa kwezakhiwo zamagatsha kuye kwafana emazweni amaningi. Ngo-1929 kwamiswa igatsha eMexico City, eMexico. Kwase kuthi lapho inani loFakazi selifinyelela ku-60 000, kwakhiwa esinye isakhiwo esikhulu ngaphandle kwedolobha. Sanikezelwa ngo-1974, futhi izakhiwo ezenezelwe zaqedwa ngo-1985 nango-1989. Manje sekuzophela isakhiwo esikhulu sokunyathelisa nezakhiwo zokuhlala. Ngenxa yalokho, maduzane nje igatsha laseMexico lizokwazi ukuhlalisa izisebenzi ezingu-1 200. Kakade leli gatsha linyathelisa omagazini nezincwadi zoFakazi abangaphezu kuka-500 000 nezigidi zabanye abantu baseMexico kanye nabantu abahlala emazweni angomakhelwane.

Ngo-1923 kwahlelwa ihhovisi legatsha eRio de Janeiro, eBrazil, futhi kamuva kwakhiwa izakhiwo ezinhle ezintsha lapho. Kodwa njengoba iSão Paulo iyisikhungo samabhizinisi nezokuthutha eBrazil, ngo-1968 kwakhiwa igatsha elisha kulelo dolobha. Phakathi nawo-1970, kwakunoFakazi ababalelwa ku-100 000 eBrazil. Nokho, kwakunzima ukuba kwandiswe izakhiwo eSão Paulo, ngakho kwathengwa indawo engamahektare angu-115 eCesário Lange, ebangeni elingamakhilomitha angu-150 ngaphandle kweSão Paulo. Ngo-March 21, 1981, kwanikezelwa izakhiwo zegatsha kuleyo ndawo entsha. Ngenxa yokwandiswa kwale ndawo, leli gatsha lingahlala abantu abangu-1 200. EBrazil kukhiqizwa izincwadi zengxenye enkulu yeNingizimu Melika kanye nezinye izingxenye zomhlaba.

Elinye igatsha elikhulu lokunyathelisa laqedwa ngasekuqaleni kwawo-1990, eduze kwaseBogotá, eColombia. Kukhiqizwa omagazini INqabayokulinda ne-Phaphama! abasakazwa kuyo yonke inyakatho-ntshonalanga yeNingizimu Melika.

Amanye amagatsha anyathelisa izigidi zomagazini unyaka ngamunye ase-Argentina, e-Australia, eCanada, eFinland, e-Italy, eKorea, eNigeria, eNingizimu Afrika, ePhilippines naseSpain. Igatsha lase-Italy nalo likhiqiza izigidi zezincwadi, kuhlanganise namaBhayibheli, ngezilimi eziningi unyaka ngamunye. Yebo, omningi womkhiqizo waminyaka yonke, ofinyelela ezincwadini ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-40 nomagazini abangaphezu kwezigidi eziyinkulungwane, usanyatheliswa endlunkulu ye-Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society eBrooklyn, eNew York, kanye nasefektri yayo yokunyathelisa esenyakatho yeNew York.

Ngempela kuyamangalisa ukuthi inani lamahhovisi amagatsha liye lenyuka lisuka kwelilodwa eminyakeni eyikhulu edlule laya kwangu-109 namuhla akhonza izidingo zoFakazi BakaJehova emazweni angu-234. Futhi ucabange ukuthi anezisebenzi zokuzithandela ezingamaKristu ezibalelwa ku-13 000! Ngokuqinisekile, umsebenzi wazo kanye nowezisebenzi zokuzithandela ezingu-5 500 ezisendlunkulu yeNhlangano ubalulekile ekugcwalisekeni kwesiprofetho sikaJesu Kristu sokuthi ‘lezi zindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu zaziyoshunyayelwa emhlabeni wonke owakhiwe ngaphambi kokuba ukuphela kufike.’—Mathewu 24:14.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

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UTom Hart, okukholelwa ukuthi waba umFundi WeBhayibheli wokuqala eNgilandi

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Igatsha laseLondon eliku- 34 Craven Terrace (esithombeni kwesokudla)

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Izakhiwo ezisetshenziswayo manje eLondon