Year Book of Jehovah's Witnesses - Watchtower Archive

Yearbook 249
enjoyed immensely that scripture being read, but the clergyman
was so annoyed that in his fury he tore to shreds a
copy of "Let God Be True" in his hand in front of the public.
This enabled all present to see who had the spirit of the
Lord and who not.
But not all clergymen are like the foregoing one. An
African circuit servant called on one a few months back.
This man appreciated the message and began to study with
the help of one of Jehovah's witnesses. Within two months
he became associated with the local company and a little
later he and his entire household were publishing the message
of the Kingdom. Before he became a publisher he had
a notice in front of his house reading, "Rev. --- of the
Apostolic Church of Nazareth." Now another board has
taken the place of the former and on the new board is
written "Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses".
A principal of a school in the rurals was contacted by a
European publisher, subscribed for The Watchtower and
took "Let God Be True" and eight booklets. A month later
the publisher was in that district again and made a backcalL
Imagine his surprise when he was greeted with
"Brother ---"! More literature and a Bible was placed.
When told of the circuit servant visits he welcomed the idea
and immediately offered to accommodate one for the period
of his stay.
Early in the service year one of the African circuit servants
received a course of training in the Laubach method of
combating illiteracy. Thereafter he visited the various circuit
assembly centers. Those brethren in the circuit who could
arrange to do so came along on the Monday and received
instruction during the week. Those showing the most aptitude
to pick up the Laubach method were appointed as instructors
in their company. To date 250 classes have been
organized, with an average of 6 pupils in each class. The
classes are held on three or four days per week and two
hours are spent on each lesson. Our first aim is to help
illiterate brethren to read and write their own language.
Classes are being held in Zulu, Sesuto, Xosa, Sechuana,
Sepedi and English. It takes about 30 lessons before the
pupils can read.
At those centers where the brethren have been diligent
and attended the classes regularly, remarkable progress has
been made. For example, at one center at which 23 pupils
enrolled 20 could read and write four months later. At
another center 7 out of 11 pupils could read and write in
a similar period of time. Some hundreds of brethren have
been helped to read and write during the year and as a
result have become more efficient witnesses. They are now