A Letter from the Governing Body

IT IS good for all of God’s people to reflect upon developments of the past year as we await what lies ahead. And what a magnificent prospect Jehovah has set before us! For the little flock, those anointed with the spirit of God, there is the privilege of serving as kings and priests in the heavens with Jesus Christ. (Rev. 20:6) For the other sheep, who now number well over five million, there is eternal life in an earthly paradise, a paradise in which everyone will know and love Jehovah and reflect his qualities in dealing with fellow humans. (Isa. 11:9; 1 John 4:7, 8; Rev. 21:4) Why has Jehovah done this? Because of his love and as an expression of great undeserved kindness toward those who exercise faith in the ransom sacrifice that he provided by means of his own Son, Jesus Christ.—John 3:16.

No wonder the apostle Paul said that “the sufferings of the present season do not amount to anything in comparison with” what God had set before him. And he aptly described the “eager expectation” that would be felt by those watching for clear evidence that the heavenly kings had gone into action to cleanse the earth, to be followed by the raising up of the dead and the bringing of obedient mankind to perfection. This will make it possible for humans to enjoy “the glorious freedom of the children of God.”—Rom. 8:18-21.

 Already the heavenly Kingdom is in operation. (Rev. 11:15-17) We have the privilege of serving its interests here on earth. Our assignment is to tell other people about the good news of the Kingdom. (Matt. 24:14) What sort of circumstances have our brothers had to face while doing this during the past year? Exactly the sort that the Scriptures foretold for the last days of the present wicked system of things.—Luke 21:10, 11; 2 Tim. 3:1-5.

A wave of violence engulfed Albania for months. Heavily armed terrorist bands robbed, destroyed property, raped, and murdered. But our brothers did not refrain from preaching the good news. Warfare swept across large sections of Africa and tore at the heart of parts of Latin America and Southeast Asia. Although maintaining strict Christian neutrality, a number of our brothers perished as a result of the violence, as well as from diseases that followed the fighting. Many had to leave all their possessions and flee into the bush or the jungle, even having to cross national borders to seek refuge. Catastrophic floods hit areas of Poland, the Czech Republic, Italy, and the United States. An earthquake destroyed two Kingdom Halls in Venezuela. Hot ashes, mud, and boulders spewing from a volcano forced over half of the inhabitants of Montserrat to leave that island. In many places people are faced with severe economic problems, and street crime makes it dangerous for anyone to wear jewelry, even a watch.

In the midst of all the above, and despite the general apathy in the Western world, Jehovah’s Witnesses keep on preaching. How do they cope? They are sustained by Jehovah’s love, by the intense love of the international brotherhood, and by a keen awareness that the events of our day all point unmistakably to the near end of the old system.—Rom. 8:35-39; 1 Pet. 4:7, 8.

Although worsening conditions make life hard, our brothers continue courageously to gather for congregation meetings and assemblies. Our yeartext for the past year was, “Teach me to do your will.” (Ps. 143:10) Much of that teaching is done at  the meetings, and Jehovah fed us well through the faithful slave class during the year. When the government in Albania declared a state of emergency, the brothers shifted meetings to daylight hours and met in book study groups. Attendance ran two to three times the number of publishers. In the face of anarchy, looting, and killing, our brothers met regularly in Sierra Leone. When they were forced to flee to the jungle in Sri Lanka or to live in a refugee camp, as in Côte d’Ivoire, arrangements were made so that they would not miss out on assembly programs.

With turmoil becoming more widespread, this is no time to be lax about attending our meetings or to adopt the view that getting to the Kingdom Hall once a week is enough. The Scriptures urge us ‘not to forsake the gathering of ourselves together, but to encourage one another, and all the more so as we behold the day drawing near.’ (Heb. 10:24, 25) Jehovah knows what we need.

This past year a new peak of 375,923 were baptized in symbol of their dedication to Jehovah. What cause for rejoicing! Jesus’ words as recorded at John 4:35 still apply: “Lift up your eyes and view the fields, that they are white for harvesting.” Hence, we keep pressing ahead in giving a witness. Whether there are many or few, the lives of those who turn to Jehovah are precious. (Luke 15:7) Indeed, we thank Jehovah that Memorial attendance increased by more than one million this past year!

Our yeartext for 1998 reminds us of the need to help further millions answer the call: “Everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.” (Rom. 10:13) It is our earnest prayer that all in the organization individually share in giving a witness during this new service year, thus showing our depth of appreciation for all that Jehovah has done for his people.

With warm Christian love to our fellow servants worldwide,

Your brothers,

Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses