Building to Jehovah’s Glory
TOWARD the end of a life spent in devoted service to his God, David could well exclaim: “Yours, O Jehovah, are the greatness and the mightiness and the beauty and the excellency and the dignity; for everything in the heavens and in the earth is yours.” David could appreciate how this loving God supplies always the necessities both spiritual and material for his servants on earth. In joyful recognition of Jehovah’s loving-kindness in providing for his people Israel, the entire nation had united in bringing together their contributions toward building a glorious temple for Jehovah’s worship. Yes, the people had given way “to rejoicing over making their voluntary offerings, for it was with a complete heart that they made voluntary offerings to Jehovah.” The attitude of that entire nation was as David now expressed it: “Now, O our God, we are thanking you and praising your beauteous name.”—1 Chron. 29:9-13.
In the closing decades of this 20th century, we also have plenty for which we must thank Jehovah. We are happy to render our gifts at his spiritual altar. And he has blessed us, too, on account of the material gifts that we have brought to his worship. Throughout the earth, many thousands of bright, clean Kingdom Halls testify to the generosity of Jehovah’s Witnesses in financing such projects. The Watch Tower Society is happy, too, that this corporate body has been able, in many instances, to assist with loan arrangements that have made such building projects possible.
In recent years, other building projects have also been completed by Jehovah’s Witnesses. Outstanding among these have been the construction of new buildings, or extensions to existing buildings, at the location of many of the worldwide branch offices of the Watch Tower Society. These buildings are far different from the imposing churches and temples that are often erected inside and outside of Christendom for the purpose of “show” and for attracting people to a formalistic religion. To the contrary, Jehovah’s Witnesses build with utility in mind, and with a view to giving support to the worldwide work of proclaiming the “good news” of Jehovah’s kingdom. Generally, these buildings combine factory and shipping work areas with dormitory and dining areas for the happy families of volunteer workers who are giving wholehearted service to Jehovah at these locations. Repeatedly, The Watchtower has reported joyful gatherings held for dedicating such new structures, to Jehovah’s praise.
Building For The Future
The work in connection with God’s kingdom, of preaching and disciple-making, has made remarkable progress throughout the earth during the past 60 years. Initially, the printing of Bibles, Bible literature and magazines in the United States was started at the eight-story factory that was built in Brooklyn, New York, in 1927, and added to during the years that followed. However, the demand for these publications was great, and other factories were established, such as at Berne, Switzerland (1925), and Wiesbaden, Germany (1948). Other installations have followed until, today, there are 39 printing branches of the Watch Tower Society earth wide.
In recent years, particularly, an effort has been made to decentralize the manufacture of literature and magazines from Brooklyn. In 1975, construction of a large factory was completed at Wallkill, New York State, and here 15 high-speed rotary presses now take care of the production of English-language magazines and other magazines for the United States and many other countries. Bible and book production remains mainly at the Brooklyn factory. Today, some 1,830 volunteer workers at Brooklyn and 650 others at Watchtower Farms handle the factory work, as well as the work in supplying food, furnishings and many services for all who serve so zealously at these two headquarters installations.
This decentralization has also affected many other branches of the Watch Tower Society. Printing of magazines is now being carried out, or is being planned, for many more locations throughout the world. Thus, if a future world crisis should shut down shipping lanes, supplies of essential spiritual “food” will still be available to the brothers. Thus, at this writing, new branch facilities are just being completed at Bogotá, Colombia, to accommodate 60 workers. A large farm property, of 284 acres has been procured at Cesario Lange, S.P., Brazil, and a start is being made to erect a Bethel home-factory complex there that will provide for 288 workers.
In northern Europe, factory and home facilities will be greatly expanded in Sweden when, in the spring of 1980, a new building housing 126 Bethel workers is completed near Arboga. Here, as with many others of the current projects, the entire construction work is being done by dedicated witnesses of Jehovah as part of their contribution toward the furtherance of the “good news.” At Arboga, a large hotel was purchased and renovated to serve as comfortable accommodations for the many volunteers on the job. Later, the remodeled hotel will be sold. Also, the sale of the valuable but outgrown Bethel complex at Jacobsberg is providing a very substantial part of the financing of the new buildings. And the situation will be similar with a number of other Watch Tower branches that are moving from the cities into the suburbs or into the country.
Building With A Purpose
However, why are so many Watch Tower branches moving out of the big cities? Well, take Denmark as an example. Here the printing branch’s work has expanded to the point that both working and living quarters are now crammed to the limit. Also, the noise pollution from the highway adjoining the building has become almost unbearable. The Society is therefore in the process of purchasing a farm of 12 acres near Holbæk, about 45 minutes’ distance by car from Copenhagen. Construction of the new Danish Bethel is to commence there shortly. These new home and factory complexes, world wide, are generally being erected with spacious surroundings, so that there will be no further problem with expansion during the years to come.
Lack of room for expansion, as well as the crescendo of noise, day and night, from the highways that pass the present building on either side, are also principal reasons for relocating Canada’s branch premises on a recently acquired farm property near Halton Hills, Ontario. Volunteer workers there are now proceeding with the construction of a dormitory-factory complex that will house 264 workers. Cramped quarters are one reason, too, that the South African branch plans to move to the countryside; also, there will be more space to take care of their multilanguage printing of magazines and, eventually, it is believed, other literature. Japan has recently shipped to South Africa a new high-speed rotary offset press that will enable them to handle this expanding work.
Extensive expansion is also projected for the Japanese and German branches. Germany already keeps five high-speed rotary letterpress M. A. N. machines busy, supplying many magazines and almost all bound books to European countries. However, they now have on order a four-color rotary offset press that will give greater production and versatility, even printing books such as the beautiful publication for children My Book of Bible Stories. The Japanese branch of the Watch Tower Society recently purchased 12 acres of land at Ebina, midway between the present branch properties at Numazu and Tokyo. A willing team of more than 200 volunteer construction workers are already located on the site, foundations are laid and a two-year project of erecting a spacious factory, together with a Bethel home accommodating 360 persons, is under way. The Numazu factory and Bethel have been outgrown, and now the new facilities will also include a four-color offset rotary press that should prove to be a “powerhouse” in turning out Kingdom literature for the Orient.
The Watch Tower Society has many other expansion projects under way throughout the earth. Australia is well along with plans for a new Bethel and factory at its Ingleburn Kingdom Farm site, about one hour’s drive out of Sydney. London, England, is extending its fine facilities. And not to be overlooked are all the smaller branches, many of them without extensive printing operations, that are expanding or relocating their operations, with a view to giving the Kingdom witnesses better service in their area.
New branch buildings with fine facilities have recently been completed at Dublin, Ireland; Nairobi, Kenya; Athens, Greece; Rome, Italy, and branch buildings or extensions are in course of planning or construction in Guam, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Zambia, Curaçao, Puerto Rico, Solomon Islands and other places. It is hoped that all these new branch facilities will contribute much to the expansion of Kingdom interests, both before and possibly after the “great tribulation.”
A Word Of Thanks
How has all this Kingdom expansion been financed? Largely by the willing donations of many thousands of interested persons, just as back in David’s day. Also, individual countries with building projects have at times set up loan arrangements, whereby Jehovah’s Witnesses in those countries have made short-term loans, which have been repaid after the financing of the project is completed. As this magazine has clearly stated many times during its 100 years of publication, Jehovah’s Witnesses never solicit contributions. However, those who are interested in sharing financially in expanding the interests of Jehovah’s kingdom are always free to forward voluntary contributions to the branch office of the Watch Tower Society in their country. In the United States, such contributions may be sent to the Watch Tower Society, 124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, New York 11201. This information is supplied so that any persons who have the means, and who are moved by God’s spirit to share in the worldwide forward movement of Jehovah’s Kingdom activities, may know how to do so. Such donations are gratefully acknowledged.
At this point we want to say “thank you” to all who have contributed so generously during the past year to the advancement of Kingdom interests. It is hoped that this article will be of encouragement to you, in showing some ways in which your goodwill contributions have been used. Also, we want to say a big “thank you” to all those devoted brothers and sisters who have given so generously of their time and hard work in getting these many construction projects under way or completed, so that Jehovah’s name may be praised all the more.
[Pictures on page 27]
New branch buildings now under construction
GUAM
AUSTRALIA