International Unity Through Faith—Montreal ’78
By “Awake!” correspondent in Canada
THE year was 1960. And the date? September 1. A milestone event was about to take place at Montreal, Canada. In its suburb of Verdun, Quebec’s first all-French district assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses was about to begin.
What was so unusual about the Witnesses’ having an all-French district assembly in Quebec? Well, during the years prior to 1960—especially from 1945 and 1946 on into the 1950’s—there was much official opposition to their Christian activities. Premier Maurice Duplessis, an avowed opposer, had declared “war without mercy against the Witnesses of Jehovah.” And war it was! The battles were fought mainly in the courts of the land.
A Look at History
For more than 30 years, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Quebec had struggled for freedom to preach the good news of God’s kingdom. At first, their numbers were small. For example, in 1945, at the peak of the persecution, there were only some 300 Witnesses in all Quebec. Most of them were centered in Montreal, then Canada’s largest city. They made up only 4 percent of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Canada, and the majority were English speaking, even though Quebec is predominantly French speaking. The opposition was great for just 300 people. Many of them were arrested more than once on false charges of seditious libel and peddling without a license. They were harassed in many ways. Mob violence, often clergy inspired, was common. Thousands of cases came to be pending before the courts.
By 1960, however, there had been five major Canadian Supreme Court decisions in favor of the Witnesses, proving the charges brought against them to be unfounded. This turn of events virtually cleared the courts of the pending cases. With this legal background, one can see how it became possible to hold the first all-French district assembly in Quebec during 1960. Even though some prejudice was evident—the five Supreme Court decisions could not erase that—the zeal and determination of the Witnesses were blessed by God’s spirit, and the assembly was held. There were 3,219 persons at the public talk—a tremendous encouragement to the Christians there because 1,000 of that number were persons who were not Witnesses. As small as that assembly was, it was a milestone.
From Opposition to Cooperation
But that was 1960. This is 1978. What about today? There will be quite a change in a number of ways. At the “Victorious Faith” International Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses to be held in Montreal on July 5 to 9 this year, our expectations are to have an attendance of 75,000 people! For such a multitude, it will be necessary to use the full facilities of Olympic Park, including the mammoth Olympic Stadium. Of course, the conventioners are not all coming from Quebec, as this will be an international assembly. But there should be quite a contrast with the 1960 gathering. This time 3,000 volunteers will work with mop and pail to ensure spotless facilities.
How is the news of this convention being received by the people of Quebec? Are there any public and official prejudices or problems with cooperation? The convention manager reflected the feelings of his entire staff when he said: “In all the conventions I have managed, I have never before experienced such fine cooperation from civic officials, from the mayor on down. For example, right in the middle of Montreal we’re anticipating a 100-acre site as a trailer city that could have as many as 12,000 people move in overnight—literally overnight! There is a tremendous amount of work to do in setting up facilities for such a project, and, of course, there are standards and laws that must be met. The city engineers have given us their full cooperation in an undertaking that neither we in this country, nor they, have experienced before in such proportions.”
One Witness, who had been at the 1960 district assembly, was amazed at the politeness, the cooperation and the interest that city and Olympic officials demonstrated. “How different it is from the days of Duplessis and Church domination,” he said.
The convention manager summed it up by saying: “With each day spent in convention preparation, I get the feeling that the city really wants us here.” You can also be sure that every one of the 110 French and 32 English Witness congregations in Quebec wants the convention there too. So do the six Italian congregations, as well as the Greek, Spanish and Portuguese congregations functioning in Montreal.
Jehovah’s Witnesses in Quebec certainly have grown over the years. Instead of having just 4 percent of the total number of Witnesses in Canada, Quebec now has 15 percent. There the increase in numbers has been 200 percent faster than in the rest of the country. The Witnesses in this province are a dedicated and hardworking group. This is also reflected in the fact that in Quebec one out of every 11 Witnesses is a full-time pioneer in the evangelizing work.
Olympic Park and the Contest of Faith
The excellent facilities at Olympic Park undoubtedly will contribute to the success of the convention. The stadium itself seats about 70,000 people and will house the English sessions. All the Witnesses in eastern Canada and portions of the northeastern United States have been invited. Requests for rooming accommodations at the assembly headquarters reveal that hundreds also are coming from other parts of the world. The French attendance, however, will come primarily from Quebec itself. Yet, there are indications that French-speaking delegates will be coming from quite a number of lands, such as France, Guadeloupe and Martinique. The French sessions will be held in the air-conditioned Velodrome, another major facility of Olympic Park. About 12,000 Witnesses are expected for the French sessions. Surely that would have warmed the hearts of those few Witnesses in Quebec back in 1945, had they been able to see what the future would bring.
Olympic Park was built especially to house the 1976 Olympic Games held in Montreal. At that time, the Olympic flame burned there to signify that the games were in session. The athletes contended for the honor of their sport and in the hope of furthering unity and understanding among nations, one of the objectives of the games. To a degree, there has been a beneficial result. But it is obvious that there is still much more to be desired in the way of unity. One person was heard to remark: “This business of some nations not sending their athletes because some other nation has theirs there—it’s like some of the kids that play in the park next to my home. I heard one of them say about another, ‘If he’s going to play, then I’m going home.’” Yes, in connection with the Olympic Games there is such bickering among nations. Although it would be unfair to question the sincerity and integrity of all the athletes participating, one can conclude that international unity is advanced very little by the games, when compared with the great needs that yet exist.
By contrast, in July of 1978 Olympic Park will be free from any bickering of national groups. Delegates to the “Victorious Faith” International Convention will also have a flame, a fire, but of a different kind. It is like the fire in the bones of Jehovah’s prophet Jeremiah, who could not hold back from giving out his message from God. (Jer. 20:9) Similar zeal had kept the Witnesses active in Quebec during earlier times of trial. And it is this same zeal and devotion that will bring thousands of them together in Montreal. They, too, are in a contest. (2 Tim. 2:5) It is the contest of faith. The apostle Paul compared it to running a race for the prize of eternal life. (1 Cor. 9:24-26) An assembly such as this provides the training, stimulation and motivation that stoke the fires of faith. It furnishes spiritual instruction that truly unites national groups.—1 Cor. 1:10.
Unity Through Faith
Today in Quebec, there is a prominent issue involving national unity. It is hotly debated. But over the years, Jehovah’s Witnesses, French and English, have stood united, side by side. They have resisted unwarranted attacks and have continued to love their neighbors and even their enemies. They have shown that faith can overcome man-made barriers to unity. Their unity will be in evidence during the forthcoming international convention, at which there will be sessions in French, English, Italian, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Ukrainian and Arabic. Why not attend and observe the unity that prevails?
Montreal is a large city with a population of about 3,000,000. The people are friendly and want you to feel at home. Especially are the 55 congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Montreal area eager to have you present. They have already spent many hours obtaining rooms in hotels, motels and private homes so that the convention delegates will have suitable accommodations. Olympic Park is right in Montreal and there is easy access to it by subway.
If you wish to spend a little time touring Montreal before or after the assembly, you will not be disappointed. The city is rich in history and has some interesting sites, excellent eating places and fine shopping centers.
Come to the “Victorious Faith” International Convention in Montreal and you will be glad you did. Witness and share in this example of international unity through faith.