Uvuzwé ‘Ngomqhele Wokuphila’
UMPHOSTOLI uJohane watshelwa ukuba abhalele ingelosi yebandla laseSmirna: “Thembeka kuze kube-sekufeni, ngokunika umqhele wokuphila.” (IsAmbulo 2:8, 10) Ngakho-ke, siyadabukisa futhi siyajabulisa isaziso esenziwa lapha sokuthi uFrederick William Franz, umongameli we-Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania ne-Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., kanye nezinye izinhlangano eziningi ezingokwasezulwini, uqede inkambo yakhe yasemhlabeni ekuseni ngo-December 22, 1992.
Siyisaziso esidabukisayo ngokuthi sisitshela ngokuphela kwemisebenzi yasemhlabeni yenceku kaJehova ebithandeka kakhulu nebithembeke ngokuphawulekayo. Nokho, siyisaziso esijabulisayo futhi ngoba amazwi esAmbulo 14:13 manje ayasebenza kuMfoweth’ uFranz othandekayo: “Babusisiwe abafileyo abafele eNkosini kusukela kulesisikhathi. Yebo, usho uMoya, ukuze baphumule ekukhandlekeni kwabo; ngokuba imisebenzi yabo iyabalandela.” UMzalwan’ uFranz wayemnene futhi ethobekile, eyisikhonzi esizikhandlayo nesikhiqiza kakhulu uJehova uNkulunkulu asisebenzisé ngokunamandla njengelungu ‘lenceku ethembekileyo neqondayo’ ukuze sisize ekulungiseleleni ukudla okungokomoya “kwabendlu” nabangani babo.—Mathewu 24:45-47.
UMzalwan’ uFranz wazalwa ngo-September 12, 1893, eCovington, eKentucky. Iqiniso walithola ngomfowabo omdala. Ngalesosikhathi wayeseYunivesithi yaseCincinnati, elungiselela ukuba umfundisi wesonto laseHabe. Kunalokho, wazehlukanisa neSonto laseHabe futhi wazihlanganisa nabaFundi BeBhayibheli, njengoba oFakazi BakaJehova babebizwa kanjalo ngalesosikhathi. Wabhapathizwa ngo-November 30, 1913, futhi ngonyaka olandelayo wayeka eyunivesithi futhi wangenela umsebenzi wama-colporteur (amaphayona). Ngo-June 1, 1920, waba yilungu lomkhaya waseBethel yaseBrooklyn. Ngokushesha, wabelwa ukuphatha umnyango wama-colporteur, futhi ngo-1926 washintshelwa emnyangweni wabahleli, lapho asebenza khona ngendlela ekhiqiza kakhulu. Ngo-1945 waba yiphini likamongameli we-Watch Tower Society nezinye izinhlangano ezihlangene nayo. Lapho kufa owayengumongameli ngalesosikhathi uNathan H. Knorr ngo-1977, waba umongameli we-Watch Tower Society. Wakhonza kulesosikhundla kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwakhe. Ekuphileni kwakhe, uMzalwan’ uFranz wabona inani loFakazi BakaJehova landa lisuka ezinkulungwaneni ezimbalwa liya cishe ezigidini ezine nengxenye. Wajabulela amalungelo amaningi enkonzo, kuhlanganise ukukhuluma emihlanganweni yezizwe nokuvakashela amagatsha namakhaya ezithunywa zevangeli ezingxenyeni eziningi zomhlaba. Indaba yokuphila kwakhe yavela ku-Nqabayokulinda ka-May 1, 1987.
NgoMsombuluko ebusuku, ngo-December 28, 1992, kwenziwa inkonzo yomngcwabo eHholo LoMbuso laseBethel yaseBrooklyn. Inkulumo efudumele neyakhayo ngokomoya yanikezwa uMzalwan’ u-Albert D. Schroeder weNdikimba Ebusayo. Imikhaya yaseBethel e-Watchtower Farms, Patterson, Mountain Farm, naseKingdom Farm, kanye nomkhaya waseBethel egatsheni laseCanada yayixhunywe ngocingo kulesimiso.
Bonke, ikakhulukazi labo ababesebenzelana ngokuseduze noMzalwan’ uFranz, bayomkhumbula kakhulu. Wayebonakalisa ukuqonda, eyisikhuthazo, futhi enesineke kubo bonke ayebakhonza futhi ehamba nabo. Ngempela, abakholwa kanye naye baye basabela kuye ngomoya wamazwi akumaHeberu 13:7: “Bakhumbuleni ababenihola bekhuluma izwi likaNkulunkulu kini, niqonda ukuphela kokuhamba kwabo, nilingise ukukholwa kwabo.”
Ngo-December 30, 1992, uMzalwan’ uMilton G. Henschel wakhethwa njengomongameli wesihlanu weNhlangano, othatha isikhundla sikaMzalwan’ uFranz.
[Izithombe ekhasini 31]
UFrederick W. Franz ngo-1913
Esefekthri yeNhlangano eMyrtle Avenue ngo-1920
EnoNathan H. Knorr eYankee Stadium ngo-1953