‘The Battle Belong to Jehovah’

In 1999, the government in France say that our branch office must pay tax for all the contribution dem they been getting from 1993 to 1996. We carry the case to different-different courts in France, but we not win. After we lost the case, the government seize more than $6,300,000 U.S. from our branch bank account. The only court we wor depending on that the European Court of Human Rights. But before we go for the case, the European Court of Human Rights say we and the government lawyer dem must meet with somebody from the European Court to see if we can come to one agreement.

We wor expecting that the person the European Court send wor coming force us to pay some of the money the government say we must pay. But we know that Jehovah wor not going to be happy if we agree to pay any of that money. We know that the contribution dem the brothers and sisters make, it for Jehovah and it not for the government. (Matt. 22:21) But we still go there because we wanted to show respect for the court arrangement.

We meet in one of the fine room in the court building. The discussion not start good. The person who the court send say that Jehovah Witnesses suppose to pay some of the money the government tell them to pay. Right away we ask her this question, “You know that the government na already seize more than $6,300,000 U.S from our branch bank account?”

Her mouth wor full. When the government lawyer dem agree that what the government do, her whole feeling about the case change. She blast at the government lawyer dem, and right away she end the discussion. This one help us to see that Jehovah change everything so we can win the case. We wor happy when the meeting end. And the way everything happen, we not belief it seh.

On June 30, 2011, the European Court of Human Rights say that we win the case. They say it wor not right for the government to ask us to pay tax! They tell the government to pay all our money back and even put interest on it. This decision still helping our brother dem in France today. That question that we wor not even thinking about wor looking just like the rock that kill Goliath, it change everything. Wetin make us to win this case? Because of the same thing David tell Goliath. He say, ‘the battle belong to Jehovah.’—1 Sam. 17:​45-47.

That not the only case we na win. Even though some strong-strong governments and religious people dem na go against us, we na win 1,225 court case in big-big court dem in 70 countries and international courts. All this case dem we win na protect us different-different ways. For example, it na make the government to accept us as religion, to preach, to not take part in politics, and to not take blood.

Let me tell you how I manage to be part of this case in Europe even though I wor working to the World Headquarters of Jehovah Witnesses in New York, in America.

MY PARENTS WOR HAVING ZEAL

My parents, George and Lucille, graduate from the 12th class of Gilead and they assign them to Ethiopia. That the place I wor born in 1956. They name me after one way back evangelizer name Philip. (Acts 21:8) The next year, the government stop our worship. Even though I wor small, I can still remember my family hiding to worship Jehovah. Because I wor small, I wor taking it to be fun! Sad to say, the government force us to leave the country in 1960.

When our family move to Wichita, Kansas, in America, my parents come with the same zeal they wor having when they wor missionary. They set good example, and they teach me, my big sister, Judy, and my small brother, Leslie, to value the truth. All of us wor born in Ethiopia. I get baptize when I wor 13 years old. After three years, our family move to Arequipa, Peru to serve where they need more people to preach.

In 1974 when I wor just 18 years old, the branch office in Peru assign me and four other brothers as special pioneers. They assign us to preach way in the Central Andes Mountains where nobody na preach before. We use to preach to the Quechua and Aymara people dem. We wor having one car that looking like house. And we use to call it “The Ark” because it wor looking just like box. I can feel happy when I remember the way I use the Bible to show the people how Jehovah will soon finish hard time, sickness and death. (Rev. 21:​3, 4) Plenty of them take the truth.

ASSIGN TO WORLD HEADQUARTERS

One brother who wor on the Governing Body name Albert Schroeder, went to visit Peru in 1977. He encourage me to apply to go work in bethel to the world headquarters. And I do it. It not stay long, on June 17, 1977, I start working in Brooklyn Bethel. I work in the Cleaning and Maintenance departments for four years.

In June 1978, I meet Elizabeth Avallone to one international convention in New Orleans, Louisiana. She grow up with her parents who set good example in the truth just like my parents. Elizabeth been regular pioneering for four years, and she wanted to be in full-time service throughout her life. Two of us use to talk all the time. It not stay long, we fall in love. We get marry on October 20, 1979, and we start serving in Bethel together.

The Brooklyn Spanish Congregation wor our first congregation, and the brother dem really show us love. We serve in three other congregations that show us love and help us to continue working in Bethel. We grateful for our friends and family who help us to take care of our parents in their old age.

HELPING THE ORGANIZATION WITH COURT CASE DEM

In January 1982, I wor surprise when they assign me to work in the Legal Department in Bethel. After three years, they send me to the university to do law so I can be lawyer. In the university, I wor surprise to learn that people in America and other countries wor free to do plenty things because of the court case dem that Jehovah Witnesses na win. We study plenty about this case dem in class.

In 1986 when I wor 30 years old, they appoint me to be the overseer for the Legal Department. Since I wor still young, I wor happy that the organization trust me to do that work. But I wor also worry because I know that it wor not coming to be easy.

I became lawyer in 1988. But I wor not even thinking about the way the university affect me and my friendship with Jehovah. Learning plenty book can make you feel that you important. It can also make you feel that you the boss man over other people who not learn plenty book like you. My wife Elizabeth really help me. She help me to start doing the thing dem I use to do before, so I can make my friendship with Jehovah strong again. It take some time, but small-small I get close to Jehovah again. I can tell you from experience that to know plenty book, that not the most important thing. But the most important thing in life, that to get close friendship with Jehovah, love him and his people.

USING THE LAW TO DEFEND THE GOOD NEWS

After I finish law school, I started putting more time to help organize the work in the Legal Department in Bethel and to help the organization with other court case dem. I wor enjoying my work, but it wor not also easy because things wor changing quick-quick in our organization. For example, we use to ask for contribution for our publication dem. But starting in 1990, our organization ask the Legal Department to give some information and suggestions on how to stop asking for contribution. From that time, Jehovah Witnesses can’t ask for contribution for their publication dem again. This one make the work in Bethel and in the field to be easy, and also stop the problem dem that can come from paying tax. Some people wor thinking that we will not get enough money to print the magazine dem for field service, and it will make plenty people to not learn about Jehovah. But that not what happen. Since 1990, the amount of people that na come to serve Jehovah na get plenty. And today people can get all the publication dem free of charge. I na learn that all the big-big change dem we see in Jehovah organization can be successful only because of Jehovah help and the direction from the faithful slave.—Ex. 15:2; Matt. 24:45.

We not win this court case dem just because we get good-good lawyers. But most of the time, that because of Jehovah people fine conduct can make the judge dem and other government officials to talk for us. I see this one in 1998 when three brothers on the Governing Body and their wive dem went for the special conventions in Cuba. The way they wor respectful and kind, prove to the government official dem that we can’t put our hand in politics. This one really convince the government officials more than the things we use to say when we having meeting with them.

But sometime the only way to get justice, that to ‘use the law to defend the good news’ in court. (Phil. 1:7) For example, for plenty years the government in Europe and South Korea refuse to allow us to use our right to not join the army. Because of that, about 18,000 brothers in Europe and over 19,000 brothers in South Korea na go to jail because their conscience not allow them to join the army.

On July 7, 2011, the European Court of Human Rights made one big decision. They say that all over Europe, people can decide to do community work instead of joining the army. After they make that decision, South Korea Constitutional Court make that same decision on June 28, 2018. This one wor not coming happen if few of the young brother dem wor coming agree to join the army.

The Legal Department to world headquarters and the legal departments in other branch dem around the world, really working hard to defend our right to worship Jehovah, and to preach the good news about the Kingdom. We happy that Jehovah using us to talk for our brother and sister dem who can face problem from government officials. So whether we win the case or not, we giving witness to governors, kings and the nations. (Matt. 10:18) The judge dem, government officials, the news people, and everybody must be able think about the Bible verse dem in the documents we can use in court and the thing dem we can say in court. This one can help people who really want know about Jehovah Witnesses, to know them good-good and where they can take their beliefs from. Some of them na even come in the truth.

THANK YOU, JEHOVAH!

For the past 40 years now, I been working on some case dem with other branch offices around the world. I na stand in front some big-big government official dem in plenty big-big courts to defend my brothers and sisters. I can really enjoy working with my brother and sister dem in the Legal Department to world headquarters and in other legal departments around the world. I really happy because Jehovah been blessing me.

My wife Elizabeth really been supporting me and she continue to be faithful for the past 45 years, whether in good times or bad times. Even though she suffering from some kindna sickness that can make her weak, she still trying her best to support me. And I love her for that.

We na see for ourself that, not because of the strength we get and the thing dem we know make us to win all this case dem. We win them because of what David say. He say, “Jehovah is a strength for his people.” (Ps. 28:8) Yes, “the battle belong to Jehovah.”