Kusukela Ngo-1915 Kuya Ngo-1947 Izinsuku Zokuqala (Ingxenye 2)

Bamelana NamaGladiator

Lapho abefundisi baseFreetown bebona imihlambi yabo ijabulela izinkulumo zikaMfoweth’ uBrown, baba nomona futhi bathukuthela. INqabayokulinda yesiNgisi ka-December 15, 1923 yathi: “Abefundisi baye bahlasela iqiniso besebenzisa abezindaba. UMfoweth’ uBrown wayelokhu ebaphendula, amaphepha enyathelisa okushiwo nhlangothi zombili.” Ekugcineni, abefundisi bavaleka imilomo. Izimfundiso zabo ezingamanga zazidaluliwe. Amaqiniso eBhayibheli ayesesakazwe kude naseduze, okwaholela ekutheni abafundi abaningi bamaphephandaba bacele izincwadi zeBhayibheli. Abefundisi babecebe ukuthulisa abantu bakaNkulunkulu, kodwa uJehova ‘wayebuyisele kubo ukulimaza kwabo.’​—IHu. 94:​21-23.

Njengoba lalizama ukulwela abefundisi balo, iqembu lentsha yesonto elithile, elibizwa ngokuthi amaGladiator, lamemezela uchungechunge lwemihlangano yomphakathi ukuze kungcofwe “ubuRussell,” njengoba sasibizwa kanjalo isigijimi soMbuso. UMfoweth’ uBrown waphendula obala ngokubacela ukuba babe nochungechunge lwezinkulumo-mpikiswano. AmaGladiator ayenqaba inselele kaMfoweth’ uBrown futhi asola umhleli wephephandaba owayebhale lesi sicelo. Benqabela noMfoweth’ uBrown ukuba aye emihlanganweni yabo, ngakho kwaya u-Alfred Joseph.

Le mihlangano yayiqhutshelwa eBuxton Memorial Chapel, isonto lamaWeseli elihlonishwa kakhulu eFreetown. U-Alfred uyakhumbula: “Ngesikhathi semibuzo nezimpendulo, ngangibabuza imibuzo ngezimfundiso zaseSheshi, imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu nezinye izimfundiso eziningi ezingasekelwe emiBhalweni. Ekugcineni, usihlalo wenqaba ukuba ngiqhubeke nokubuza.”

Omunye weqembu lamaGladiator owayekhona ngalobo busuku, uMelbourn Garber, wayeye abe khona ezinkulumweni zika-“Bible” Brown. Empeleni uyena lowaya mfundi osemusha owayefundela ubufundisi owayebabaze wathi “uMnumzan ’uBrown uyalazi iBhayibheli lakhe!” Ngemva kokuhlaziya ngokucophelela lokho ayekuzwile, uGarber waqiniseka ukuthi wayethole iqiniso. Ngenxa yalokho, wacela ukuba uMfoweth’ uBrown amfundele. UMfoweth’ uBrown wammemela esifundweni se-Nqabayokulinda esasiqhutshwa masonto onke kwakhe. Nakuba umndeni wakhe wamlahla, uGarber wathuthuka ngokushesha ngokomoya, futhi yena nabanye abambalwa babhapathizwa ngokushesha.

Imizamo kaSathane yokuqeda umsebenzi wokushumayela usaqala yayibhuntshile. Njengoba nje umphathi-dolobha waseFreetown ayetshele amaGladiator: “Uma lo msebenzi ungowabantu, uzophela. Kodwa uma uvela kuNkulunkulu, ngeke nikwazi ukuwuqeda.”​—IzE. 5:​38, 39.

Isonto LakwaBrown

Ekuqaleni kuka-May 1923, uMfoweth’ uBrown washayela ihhovisi legatsha laseLondon ucingo ecela izincwadi ezengeziwe. Ngokushesha kwafika izincwadi ezingu-5 000, kwalandela nezinye. Waqhubeka eba nemihlangano yasobala futhi yakhanga izinkulungwane zabantu abanesithakazelo.

Kamuva ngalowo nyaka, INqabayokulinda yabika: “Umsebenzi [eSierra Leone] usuwande masinyane kangangokuba uMfoweth’ uBrown uze wacela usizo; uClaude Brown waseWinnipeg, owayesuka eWest Indies, usendleleni uzonisiza.”

UClaude Brown wayeyisikhonzi sezindaba ezinhle esimnkantsh’ ubomvu. Phakathi neMpi Yezwe I, wayekhuthazelele ukuphathwa kabi emajele aseCanada naseNgilandi ngenxa yokwenqaba ukuthatha uhlangothi. Wakhonza eSierra Leone iminyaka emine, eqinisa abazalwane nodade bendawo.

UPauline Cole uyakhumbula: “Ngaphambi kokuba ngibhapathizwe ngo-1925, uMfoweth’ uClaude wangibuzisisa.

“‘Dadeweth’ uCole, uyakuqonda lokhu okufunde encwadini ethi Studies in the Scriptures?’ ‘Asifuni ukuba uhlehle eqinisweni ngoba ungaziqondanga izimfundiso zeBhayibheli.’

“Ngaphendula: ‘Mfoweth’ uClaude, ngiyakuqondisisa lokhu engikufundile. Sengisenzile isinqumo!’”

UPauline wakhonza uJehova iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-60, eminingi yayo njengephayona elikhethekile. Waqeda inkambo yakhe yasemhlabeni ngo-1988.

UWilliam “Bible” Brown wayekuphaphamele nokusiza abanye bahlakulele imikhuba emihle engokomoya. U-Alfred Joseph uyalandisa: “Lapho ngihlangana noMfoweth’ uBrown ngezikhathi zasekuseni, ingxoxo yethu kwakuba yile: ‘Sawubona Mfoweth’ uJoe. Unjani namhlanje? Uthini umBhalo wosuku?’ Uma ngingawazi, wayegcizelela ukubaluleka kokwazi umBhalo wosuku ngalunye osencwadini ethi Daily Manna. [Manje ibizwa ngokuthi Ukuhlola ImiBhalo Nsuku Zonke.] Ngakusasa ekuseni, ngangivuka ngifunde le ncwadi ukuze athi uma engibuza, ngikwazi ukuphendula. Ekuqaleni ngangingakwazisi ukuqeqeshwa okubalulekile engangikuthola, kodwa kamuva ngakwazisa.”

Konke lokhu kuqeqeshwa kwaba nemiphumela emihle. Phakathi no-1923, kwamiswa ibandla eFreetown, kwabhapathizwa abantu abangu-14. Omunye walaba bazalwane abasha kwakungu-George Brown, okwenza ukuba imindeni yakwaBrown ibe mithathu ebandleni. Umsebenzi wentshiseko waleyo mindeni emithathu wenza izakhamuzi eziningi eFreetown zabiza abaFundi BeBhayibheli ngokuthi isonto “lakwaBrown.”