Kidnapers or Christian Ministers?
The experience of two special pioneers in the Gold Coast
IT HAD been a fine assembly; everyone was delighted with the warmth of Christian fellowship and the stimulating Bible talks. All along the way, on the return journey home, Jehovah’s witnesses had been happily talking over the information and solid counsel received at the assembly. Three young brothers (all schoolboys) were happily talking over the information with their two friends who are full-time ministers of Jehovah’s witnesses until, late on Sunday night, they had arrived home. They went to bed that night, happy and contented, little knowing what tomorrow held for them.
School started as usual on Monday morning and the three young witnesses entered their classes. The schoolmaster, who is opposed to the work of Jehovah’s witnesses, immediately drove them out of school because they had attended the assembly and had missed one day of school without his consent. He brought the case to the attention of the educational officer and the government agent and finally to the police, where he charged the two full-time ministers with kidnaping, in the Gold Coast a crime punishable by ten years in prison. He said that they had stolen the three children from the school without the consent of the boys’ parents. The two ministers were arrested and detained for questioning.
On Wednesday, the three children, their parents and the two full-time workers of Jehovah’s witnesses were called before a police officer for an investigation into the charge of kidnaping. Even though the parents had given the boys permission to attend the assembly they allowed the schoolmaster’s threats to influence them and told the police that they did not know the two full-time ministers and flatly denied even granting permission to their own sons, but emphasized that the boys were really stolen. Each one of the boys, however, when called on to give his statement put into practice some of the good Christian principles he had learned at the assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses, and gave his statement, which, in fact, testified to the truth. Each said that he was not kidnaped but had obtained permission to travel to the assembly with Jehovah’s witnesses. Saturday morning was set as the date for the final decision by the police officer.
When Saturday came all were present to hear what the decision would be. The police officer said he had examined all the evidence carefully and found the two ministers of Jehovah’s witnesses not guilty and dismissed the case. The police officer remarked that Jehovah’s witnesses are also engaged in mass education work, and that it would be wrong to interfere with their ministerial activities. The schoolmaster’s efforts to stop the Christian activity of Jehovah’s witnesses had boomeranged.
The three young brothers are now back at school and their faith is strengthened more than ever. They cannot stop preaching to schoolmates and attending congregational meetings with their two friends, the full-time Christian ministers.