The Happy Graduates of Gilead School
THE graduation of Gilead School’s 51st Class, September 7, 1971, at Jehovah’s Witnesses Assembly Hall in New York city was indeed a happy occasion. How inspiring for those in attendance to see one hundred graduates of this missionary school willing to go to the most distant parts of the earth to share the good news and to help others apply Bible principles in their lives!
As the Watch Tower Society’s president, N. H. Knorr, opened the program at 2 p.m., he told the audience some facts about these happy students. Their average age, he said, was twenty-seven, and before coming to the school they had already been in the ministry an average of twelve years each. In fact, they had been full-time preachers for over, six and a half years, on the average. Among this happy group of ministers were to be found thirty-one married couples, twenty-five single men and thirteen single women.
The Society’s president also explained that these students had come from twelve different lands, such as Germany, Sweden, England and New Zealand, and now they were going to serve in twenty-nine lands. They had been equipped for their foreign assignments by studying French, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese. Following his graduation discourse on the need for loyalty to Jehovah God and his organization and for mercy in dealing with one another, President Knorr passed out the diplomas. He related that the students would go to such faraway lands as Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, Morocco, Hong Kong, Spain, Brazil, Ivory Coast and Central African Republic.
Though most of the one hundred graduates would become missionaries, a number of them were assigned to service in branch offices of the Society. At the Watchtower Society’s printing plant in Brooklyn they have been trained to help with the printing of Bible literature in Ghana, Nigeria, Japan, Australia and the Philippines. Three large rotary printing presses, President Knorr related, have been purchased in Japan; one will be used in Japan, another in the Philippines and the other in Australia, so that these lands can print the Watchtower and Awake! magazines.
Prior to the main discourse, a number of short talks were given to encourage the graduates. For example, school instructor U. V. Glass pointed out that there are hundreds of persons named in the Bible. But there are some not named, and yet their good deeds are recorded. Glass explained that when the prophet Elijah thought he alone remained faithful to God, Jehovah told him there were 7,000 other faithful ones. (1 Ki. 19:18) He also told about an unnamed little Israelite girl who spoke the truth courageously while captive in Syria. (2 Ki. 5:2, 3) These people were successful, he explained, because of their loyalty to Jehovah. Remember the deeds of these nameless ones, Glass encouraged, and imitate them in loyalty to God and “you will have a name that Jehovah himself knows and will remember.”
M. G. Henschel, a Watch Tower Society director, told the graduates: “The experiences you will have in the ministry will make you value the ministry as a great treasure. You will have many blessings.” To illustrate the kind of blessings awaiting them, he related an experience that one Gilead graduate had in South America:
A man eighty-eight years of age, afflicted with asthma, prepared to die. He bought himself a coffin and also burial clothes. But one day a missionary of the good news of God’s kingdom called at his home. The elderly man accepted a Bible study. Within three weeks this man’s viewpoint had completely changed. He started going to the Christian meetings at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s witnesses, bringing his eight children. He progressed spiritually. When the time came for a Christian assembly, the man wanted to attend and to be baptized. But he needed money to go. So he sold his coffin. Now he had money. However, he needed something to wear while getting baptized, so he put on his burial clothes. Now all his family is studying the Bible, and he himself has started a Bible study with another man, one who is ninety-nine years of age!
Later in the program, the graduates themselves expressed their happiness at having been at Bethel, the Society’s headquarters, and associating with members of this family. In a letter from the graduating class, which was read to the audience, they called attention to the joy they also received by associating with so many of the anointed Christians, those called to God’s heavenly kingdom. They said:
“You dear brothers of the Lord’s anointed ones in the Bethel family have caused us to search our hearts and examine them carefully and have provided the loving care and correction we need to become wholehearted, full-hearted in our lives of praise to Jehovah. We have come to appreciate that among God’s chosen ones Isaiah’s words surely apply: ‘Great in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.’ (Isa. 12:6) We want you to know that by our association here with you, we have been helped to draw closer to our heavenly Father.”
Adding to the happiness of the graduates were messages that came in from all parts of the world, These were read by the Society’s secretary-treasurer, G. Suiter. Among them was one from Ireland that said: “On this grand day of your graduation we remember you and rejoice with you. May you have much joy.” From Germany: “We are rejoicing with you as you conclude a very interesting phase of your training in Jehovah’s organization. Although we are not present we feel the excitement and anticipation permeating your graduation program.” Another message said: “Greetings as we anticipate future mutual blessings in theocratic ministry. [Signed] Panama’s Twenty-four Happy Missionaries.”
After the graduation exercises, the graduates delighted the audience by demonstrating their musical talents. Even while in school these happy students enjoyed getting together in their rooms, playing musical instruments and singing. And now for the evening program, they played a variety of instruments, such as the clarinet, harmonica, ukulele, guitar and accordion, and sang many songs. Folk music of various lands was rendered with beauty and spirit. The singing was a real pleasure to hear.
Further illustrating the talents of these happy graduates was their excellent acting ability. They portrayed a Bible drama, the story of Joseph and his brothers, with power and effectiveness. It was a heartwarming drama and all could see the value of the modern application showing the need for Christians to show mercy to one another.
Without doubt, the graduates of Gilead’s 51st Class will be able to look back on graduation day as an outstandingly happy one in their lives. And now they will be better able to make others truly happy as they go to their assignments in the distant parts of the earth.
[Picture on page 24]
Fifty-first Graduating Class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead
In the list below, rows are numbered from front to back and names are listed from left to right in each row.
(1) Dinoo, S.; Brown, L.; Flores, C.; Duffy, G.; Porstendorfer, E.; Hollender, L.; Dover, P.; Reid, F.; Salleo, A.; Black, V. (2) Price, J.; Corley, W.; Heads, J.; Schaefer, A.; Brown, S.; Slupina, U.; Moore, J.; Agren, M.; Cox, H.; Mitchell, M. (3) Sibley, D.; Morris, Y.; Taylor, M.; Morawietz, W.; Lentz, J.; Hughes, R.; Thomas, E.; Flack, E.; Dominguez, M.; Mentor, M. (4) Perez, J.; Lay, H.; Edmondson, C.; Forde, B.; Hatsel, C.; Hudema, L.; Lommatzsch, S.; Marston, B.; Schredl, M.; Dominguez, A. (5) Aragon, B.; Punko, J.; Sibley, N.; Stevens, J.; Bacher, U.; Bridgman, G.; Allen, E.; Pedersen, B.; Reynolds, T.; Bridgman, G. (6) Corley, T.; Pischke, E.; Hollender, M.; Ramirez, B.; Pischel, G.; Lougheed, S.; Pevy, P.; Matzen, H.; Harper, R.; Heads, W. (7) Morris, L.; Punko, L.; Pandachuk, V.; Willingham, P.; Pischel, G.; Kaeufer, K.; Schredl, F.; Shepherd, D.; Edmondson, D.; Agren, G. (8) Reid, E.; Richards, D.; Trotman, L.; Verollet, P.; Zukiwsky, L.; Thomas T.; Bohmert, W.; Dover, M.; Ramirez, E.; Lentz, J. (9) Williamson, P.; Marston, D.; Stevens, E.; Lougheed, T.; Willingham, J.; Moore, P.; Berrios, T.; Brown, I.; Forde, M.; Hudema, M. (10) Duffy, B.; Cox, A.; Hatsel, C.; Taylor, T.; Price, W.; Dyer, K.; Flores, R.; Pevy, R.; Lupui, P.; Ruckman, E.