Imivuzo Ecebile Yenkonzo Engcwele
Njengoba ilandiswa uHarry Bloor
Eminyakeni engaba ikhulu edlule, umkhulu wayeyilungu eliqotho leSonto LaseWeseli. Futhi wayengumshumayeli ohlonishwayo, owayenikela ngokungagodli ekusekeleni amasonto amaningi aseStoke-on-Trent, okuyidolobha laseNgilandi lezimboni zezinto zobumba. Wabe esebhekana nezikhathi ezinzima ngokwezimali. Ukuze asize umkhulu, ubaba wahlela ukuba athole isitodlwana kulowo muzana. Leso sitodlwana sasinemvume yokuthengisa ubhiya, futhi lapho abantu baseWeseli bezwa ngalokhu, bamxosha ngokushesha umkhulu esontweni.
UBABA wathukuthela futhi wafunga ukuthi ngeke aphinde ahileleke kunoma yini ephathelene nenkolo—futhi kwaba njengokusho kwakhe. Wayeyiphoyisa, kodwa kamuva waba umnikazi wenkantini. Ngakho ngakhulela phakathi kwentuthu kagwayi yaleyo ndawo. Inkolo yayingenangxenye ekuphileni kwami, kodwa ngangichwepheshile emidlalweni edlalelwa oqwembeni oluqinile (board games)! Nokho, ngenxa yethonya likamkhulu lasebuncaneni, ngangilokhu ngilihlonipha iBhayibheli, nakuba ngangazi okuncane ngalo.
Ngafunda Iqiniso LeBhayibheli
Ngo-1923, lapho ngineminyaka engu-24 ubudala, ngathuthela eNottingham esempumalanga futhi ngathandana noMary, owayehlala endaweni eqhele ngamakhilomitha angaba ngu-40 edolobhaneni laseWhetstone, eningizimu-ntshonalanga yeLeicester. Uyise, u-Arthur Rest, wayedlala u-ogani esontweni lendawo, kodwa ngaleso sikhathi wayesengumFundi WeBhayibheli oshisekayo, njengoba oFakazi BakaJehova babaziwa kanjalo ngaleso sikhathi. U-Arthur wayehlale exoxa nami ngenkolo yakhe ayesanda kuyithola—kodwa ngangingenasithakazelo kangako. Nokho, isithakazelo sami sashukunyiswa, lapho ngiya naye esontweni lamaBaptist lendawo ngeSonto ntambama, ngo-July 13, 1924, siyolalela intshumayelo yelungu lephalamende elaliyilungu elivelele laseBaptist. Isihloko salo esasithi, “Izimfundiso ZikaMalus’uRussell Zihlolwé NgokomBhalo,” sangenza ngaba nelukuluku lokwazi. Ngisenawo amaphuzu engawabhala ngaleso sikhathi.
AmaBaptist asenqaba isicelo sabaFundi BeBhayibheli sokuziphendulela ekuhlaselweni kwezinkolelo zabo. Kwangithukuthelisa lokhu futhi nganquma ukuthola enye indawo okwakungaqhutshelwa kuyo lowo mhlangano. Isakhiwo esikhulu esasiseduze nalapho sabonakala sikufanelekela lokho. Sasishanela sahlanzeka, sathintitha ulwembu, saqhelisela eceleni imishini yokubhula okusanhlamvu, sabe sesilungele umhlangano. Saqoqela ndawonye izihlalo ezingu-70 sanyathelisa nezimemo.
Lapho uFrank Freer efika evela eLeicester ezonikela inkulumo, zonke izihlalo zase zinabantu, futhi kwakunabanye abangu-70 ababemile! Incazelo kaFrank ecacile esekelwe emiBhalweni yangihlaba umxhwele, njengoba kwaba njalo nakwabanye abaningi ababekhona. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi kuqhubeke, ibandla elincane labaFundi BeBhayibheli laseBlaby eduze naseLeicester lakhula ngokushesha. Kwaba isikhathi soshintsho nasekuphileni kwami—nokukaMary. Ngo-1925 sobabili sazinikezela kuJehova, sabhapathizwa, futhi sashada.
Izibusiso Ezingokomoya
Ngonyaka owalandela, ngamiswa njengomqondisi wenkonzo weBandla LaseBlaby. Mina nomkami sasifuna ukulandela ezinyathelweni zama-colporteur sibe abashumayeli bevangeli besikhathi esigcwele, kodwa ngokushesha kwaba sobala ukuthi impilo kaMary yayingenakumvumela ukuba asebenze ngokuzikhandla kangako. Nakuba ayenempilo ebuthakathaka kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwakhe ngo-1987, wayengumngane omuhle nesikhonzi esiphumelela kakhulu esasinekhono lokushumayela ngokwethukela nokuqala izifundo zeBhayibheli. Ubusuku ngabunye sasiya emihlanganweni noma sihlanganyele amaqiniso eBhayibheli nomakhelwane bethu.
Ngangiwunjiniyela futhi ngisebenzela inkampani eyayenza imishini yokusaha amapulangwe. Umsebenzi wami wawuhilela ukuhamba kakhulu kulo lonke elaseBrithani, kanye naseFrance, futhi uMary wayevame ukuhamba nami. Lokho kuhamba kwakusinika amathuba okushumayela kabanzi.
Izisekelo Zokwanda
Ngo-1925 sakha isakhiwo esihle semihlangano yethu eBlaby, futhi kusukela lapho sahlela isimiso esiphumelelayo sokufakaza. Njalo ngeSonto ekuseni, sasiqasha ibhasi elalisiyisa emadolobhaneni nasemizaneni eqhelelene. Abamemezeli babehamba beshiywa endleleni ukuze basale beshumayela, bese bethathwa lapho ibhasi selibuyela emuva. Phakathi nezinyanga ezifudumele zasehlobo, sasiba nesifundo seBhayibheli sangeSonto kusihlwa, sisebenzisa umagazini wamuva we-Nqabayokulinda. Ngemva kwalokho, ngo-8, sasihlangana emakethe yaseLeicester ukuze sithamele inkulumo yeningi endaweni evulekile. Ngobunye ubusuku yathanyelwa abantu abangu-200. Lomsebenzi wabeka izisekelo zamabandla amaningi akhona manje eLeicester nasezindaweni ezizungezile.
Ngo-1926 kwaba nomhlangano oyingqopha-mlando e-Alexandra Palace naseRoyal Albert Hall eLondon. Kuleso senzakalo uJoseph F. Rutherford, owayengumongameli we-Watch Tower Society ngaleso sikhathi, wakhulula incwadi ethi Deliverance. Izwi lesinqumo elithi “Ubufakazi Kubabusi Bomhlaba” nenkulumo yeningi enamandla kaMfoweth’uRutherford ethi “Isizathu Sokuyenda Kwemibuso Yezwe—Ikhambi,” kwanyatheliswa kuphelele ephephandabeni elivelele ngosuku lwangemva kokunikelwa kwakho. Inkulumo yeningi yazwiwa abantu abangaphezu kuka-10 000, futhi kamuva kwasakazwa amakhophi angu-50 000 000 ezwi lesinqumo emhlabeni wonke. Lowo mhlangano wasiza ekusheshiseni umsebenzi wokushumayela eBrithani.
Umhlangano Omkhulu Phakathi Nesikhathi Sempi
Kwagqashuka impi yezwe yesibili ngo-September 1939, futhi ngo-1941 yayisashubile. Izindiza zamabhomu zaseJalimane zazihlasela imini nobusuku, futhi kwakushaywe umthetho ezweni lonke wokuba kungakhanyiswa. Ukudla kwakuyindlala, futhi okwakutholakala kwakwabiwa ngokulinganiselwa okukhulu. Izinto zokuhamba zaziyindlala, ngisho nesitimela imbala. Naphezu kwalezi zithiyo ezazibonakala zingenakunqotshwa, saba nomhlangano wezwe wezinsuku ezinhlanu ngo-September 3-7, 1941.
IDe Montfort Hall yaseLeicester yakhethwa njengendawo yomhlangano ngoba iLeicester isenkabeni yeNgilandi. Njengoba ngangisembonini yamapulangwe, ngakwazi ukusiza ekwakhiweni kwezimpawu zokumemezela umhlangano. Ngahlela nezinto zokuhamba zezihambeli zomhlangano. Ngokuthenga amathikithi kusengaphambili nokukhokha imali engaphezu kwevamile, sagcina izinqola zasemigwaqweni yaseLeicester zisebenza ngisho nangeSonto.
Ngenxa yemingcele eyayibekiwe ngokuphathelene nokuhamba, sasinethemba lokuthi mhlawumbe kwakungafika oFakazi abangu-3 000. Cabanga indlela okwavusa amadlingozi ngayo lapho izihambeli ezingaphezu kuka-10 000 zithi zazizoba khona! Kodwa zazizohlalaphi? Ngomusa izakhamuzi zaseLeicester zamema izihambeli eziningi ukuba zihlale emakhaya azo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izihambeli ezingaba inkulungwane zahlaliswa ematendeni ayakhiwe endaweni evulekile esebangeni elingamakhilomitha amathathu ukusuka endaweni yomhlangano. IKamu LikaGideyoni, njengoba sasiyibiza kanjalo, lawuthinta kakhulu umphakathi.
Kwaqashwa amatende amakhulu amhlophe ukuze kwenziwe iminyango ehlukahlukene yomhlangano futhi kuhlaliswe nezixuku ezinkulu ezase zigcwele ziphuphuma. Lapho kutholakala ukuthi ekukhanyeni konyezi, lamatende ayengahlaselwa izindiza zamabhomu zamaNazi, agutshuzelwa ngokushesha ukuze afihleke. Impi, futhi ikakhulukazi ukungahlanganyeli koFakazi kuyo, kwaba undabuzekwayo emphakathini. Ngaleso sikhathi, amakhulu oFakazi ayeboshiwe ngenxa yokuma kwawo kokungathathi hlangothi okusekelwe eBhayibhelini.—Isaya 2:4; Johane 17:16.
I-Sunday Pictorial, ka-September 7, 1941, yabika: “Kuyinto emangazayo ukuthola abantu abangu-10 000, iningi kuyintsha, bechitha isonto bekhuluma ngenkolo kodwa bangayithinti impi, ngaphandle kwalapho ithintwa ngokwethukela.
“Ngabuza ukuthi oFakazi babenawo yini amalungu eJalimane. Ngatshelwa ukuthi babenawo, futhi cishe wonke, ayengaba ngu-6 000, ayesemakamu okuhlushwa.”
Lentatheli yenezela: “Yiqiniso, amaNazi ayizitha, kodwa akukho oFakazi abakwenzayo ngako, ngaphandle kokuthengisa amapheshana nokulalela izinkulumo.”
Imibiko yamaphephandaba ngathi ngokuvamile yayingemihle, futhi abaphikisi baze baphendukela nasebudloveni njengoba imizamo yabo yokuphazamisa umhlangano wethu yayingaphumeleli. Nokho, i-Daily Mail yaseLondon yavuma, ikhononda ngandlela-thile: “Izinto zazihlelwe ngononina, ngesizotha nangokuphumelelayo.”
Sasolwa ngokuntuleka kukagwayi edolobheni. Kodwa i-Daily Mail yachaza: “ILeicester noma Umlawuli Kagwayi abanakukhononda ngokuthi oFakazi baqeda ugwayi waseLeicester. Ababhemi.” Futhi, ukukhononda kokuthi oFakazi babenza izakhamuzi zendawo zintule ukudla kwachithwa lapho kuchazwa ukuthi babeze nokuningi kokudla ababezokudla. Eqinisweni, ekupheleni komhlangano, izinkwa ezingu-150 ezingamakhilogremu angu-1,8 sisinye zanikelwa kuyi-Leicester Royal Infirmary—okwakuwumnikelo omkhulu ngaleso sikhathi sokuswelakala kokudla.
Lomhlangano waba isikhuthazo esikhulu ngokomoya koFakazi abangaba ngu-11 000 baseBrithani. Babejabule kakhulu ngokuba khona kwabantu abangaba ngu-12 000! Izihambeli zenza umsebenzi omkhulu wokufakaza emgwaqweni eLeicester ngenkulu injabulo, futhi zahambela amadolobhana asemaphandleni ngezinkulumo eziqoshiwe.
Izinkulumo eziyinhloko zomhlangano zaziyizinkulumo ezaziqoshwe ngenyanga eyandulele emhlanganweni woFakazi BakaJehova wezinsuku ezinhlanu eSt. Louis, eMissouri, e-U.S.A. Inkulumo eqoshiwe kaMfoweth’uRutherford ethi “Izingane ZeNkosi” yayiyinkulumo evelele yomhlangano. Njengoba kwakungenakwenzeka ukuba kuthunyelwe amakhophi encwadi ethi Children eyayikhululwe eSt. Louis, kamuva kwanyatheliswa incwadi enesembozo esithambile eBrithani. Amakhophi ayo athunyelelwa zonke izingane ezazibe khona emhlanganweni.
Umhlangano Waminyaka Yonke Oyingqayizivele ELeicester
Ngemva kwempi ukwanda kwabamemezeli boMbuso eBrithani kwakumangalisa! Ekuqaleni kwawo-1980, inani lamabandla eLeicester lase lande lafinyelela eshumini. Sabe sesaziswa ukuthi iNdikimba Ebusayo YoFakazi BakaJehova yayinqume ukuba umhlangano waminyaka yonke we-Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society uqhutshelwe eLeicester ngo-1983. Njengombonisi wedolobha laseLeicester, ngabe sengiba matasa ngamalungiselelo, kuhlanganise nokuphinde ngiqashe iDe Montfort Hall.
Kulomhlangano kwafika amalungu angu-13 eNdikimba Ebusayo evela endlunkulu yeNhlangano eBrooklyn. Izihambeli ezingu-3 671—kulokhu ezivela emhlabeni wonke, futhi ngokuyinhloko ezase zinesikhathi eside zingoFakazi—zagcwala ehholo. Abanye abangu-1 500 bezwa isimiso beseHholo Lomhlangano eliseduze.
U-Albert D. Schroeder, owayengumbonisi wehhovisi legatsha le-Watch Tower Society laseLondon phakathi nomhlangano wethu waseLeicester wangesikhathi sempi, wayengamele kulowo mhlangano waminyaka yonke. Ebheka emuva emhlanganweni wango-1941, uMfoweth’uSchroeder wabuza: “Bangaki phakathi kwethu namuhla ababekhona ngaleso sikhathi?” Izilaleli ezingaphezu kwengxenye zaphakamisa izandla zazo. “Hawu! Yeka indlela okujabulisa ngayo ukuphinde nihlangane ndawonye nina enikholekile nenithembekile!” ebabaza. Ngempela kwakuyisenzakalo esingenakulibaleka.
Nakuba sengineminyaka engu-98 ubudala, ngisakhonza njengonobhala ebandleni engikulo futhi ngiyaqhubeka nginikeza izinkulumo zeningi, nakuba manje ngizinikeza ngihlezi phansi. Ngemva kokushona kukaMary ngo-1987, ngashada noBettina, umfelokazi mina noMary esase sineminyaka eminingi simazi. Ngiyajabula ngokunakekelwa kahle kangaka, kokubili ngokwenyama nangokomoya. Naphezu kwezithiyo zempilo ebuthakathaka kaMary nezokukhula kwami manje, ngiye ngathola ukuthi ukuba nokuningi kokukwenza enkonzweni engcwele kuye kwavuza ngokucebile ngaso sonke isikhathi.—1 Korinte 15:58.
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Silungele ukuhlanganyela enkonzweni ngawo-1920
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Imifanekiso yomhlangano waseLeicester