Hlangana nomnyaka loyo, ihlangano yenza amatjhuguluko asiza ekuthuthukiseni ukubumbana kokulotjha hlangana nabaFundi beBhayibheli. I-The Watch Tower yathoma ukugadangisa amezwi ahlathulula umtlolo okuzokucocwa ngawo emhlanganwenabo waqobe veke, wokuThandaza nokuDumisa uJehova. AbaFundi beBhayibheli bagadangisa nekhalenda ebeyitjengisa ukuthi ngimuphi umtlolo okuzokucocwa ngawo qobe veke emhlanganweni neengoma ezizokuculwa qobe langa esifundweni sabo somuntu mathupha namkha ekulotjheni komndeni.

Emihlanganwenabo, abaFundi beBhayibheli bebakhuluma ngalokho abahlangene nakho esimini batjho ukuthi kubayini bathokoza uJehova, bavume iingoma namkha bathandaze. U-Eva Barney, owabhabhadiswa ngo-1923 aneminyaka eli-15, uyakhumbula uthi: “Nange bewufuna ukukhuluma, bewusukuma utjho amezwi anjengathi: ‘Ngithanda ukuthokoza iKosi ngakho koke okuhle engenzele khona.’” Abanye abafowethu bebakuthanda ukusikima batjho okuthileko. Udade Barney uraga uthi: “Umfowethu u-Godwin osele aluphele bekanezinto ezinengi athokoza ngazo iKosi. Kodwana umkakhe nakabona ukuthi umfowethu oraga umhlangano uthoma ukuthukwa, bakadosa kancani ibhaji yendodakhe bese ilise ukukhuluma ihlale phasi.”

Kanye ngenyanga, ibandla beliba nomThandazo okhethekileko, okumhlangano wokuThandaza nokuDumisa uJehova. I-The Watch Tower ka-Apreli 1, 1923 nayihlathulula umhlangano lo ithi: “Isiquntu somhlangano lo, kufuze kube ziimpendulo nalokho okwenzeke emsebenzini wokutjhumayela begodu kukhuthazwe iinsebenzi. . . . Siyakholelwa ukuthi imihlangano ekhuthazako le izokwenza abangani batjhidelane.”

U-Charles Martin, oneminyaka eli-19 omrhuweleli webandla le-Vancouver, e-Canada wazuza khulu emihlanganweni le. Uyakhumbula uthi: “La kulapho ngathoma khona ukufunda bona khuyini ekufuze ngiyitjho nangenza umsebenzi wokutjhumayela indlu ngendlu. Qobe, bekuba nomuntu okhuluma ngalokho okwenzeke nakatjhumayela indlu ngendlu. Lokho kwanginikela iindlela zalokho engingakutjho nokuthi ngingakuphendula njani ukuphikiswa okuhlukahlukeneko.”

“Amalanga wokutjhumayela” nawo enza abafowethu babumbana. I-The Watch Tower ka-Apreli  1, 1923 yathi: “Ukwenzela bona soke sibumbane emsebenzini ofanako . . . , uLesibili, Meyi 1, 1923 ubekelwe ilanga lokutjhumayela. Ngemva kwalokho uLesibili wokuthoma waqobe nyanga bekaba lilanga lokutjhumayela . . . Yeke woke amalunga webandla bekufuze abe nengcenye emsebenzini lo.”

Ngitjho nabaFundi beBhayibheli abasesebatjha bebahlanganyela emsebenzini lo. U-Hazel Burford obekaneminyaka eli-16 ngesikhatheso, uyakhumbula uthi: “I-Bulletin beyineentjumayelo ezisibonelo ebesingazibamba ngehloko. a Mina nomkhulwami besisebenza budisi ukulungiselela iintjumayelwezi.” Nanyana kunjalo, udade Burford wararwa yindlela omunye umfowethu ebekazizwa ngayo ngendlela ebekatjhumayela ngayo. Uthi: “Omunye umfowethu obesele aluphele wathi akukafuzi ngikhulume nabantu. Ngesikhatheso, abanye bebangazwisisi ukuthi boke abaFundi beBhayibheli kuhlanganise ‘amasokana neentombi’ kufuze bahlanganyele ekudumiseni uMdali Omkhulu.” (Rhu. 148:12, 13) Kodwana udade Burford waragela phambili atjhumayela. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi waya esikolweni se-Gilead etlasini lesibili begodu waba sithunywa sevangeli e-Panama. Ekugcineni, abafowethwaba balungisa indlela abacabanga ngayo malungana nokutjhumayela kwabantu abatjha.

Imihlangano nayo yasiza abafowethu babumbana khulu. Eminye yemihlangano le beyiba namalanga wokutjhumayela njengaloyo owabanjelwa e-Winnipeg, e-Canada. Ngokwesibonelo, ngoMatjhi 31emhlanganweni e-Winnipeg, e-Canada boke ebebeze emhlanganweni lo bamenyelwa ukuyokutjhumayela edorobhenelo. Ngamalanga wokutjhumayela akhethekileko la kwatholakala abantu abanengi khulu bekwaba nemiphumela emihle. Ngo-Arhostosi 5, kwaba nabantu abangaba zii-7 000 abeza komunye umhlangano e-Winnipeg. Ngesikhatheso, isibalwesi bekusibalo esiphezulu khulu sabantu ekhebeza emhlanganweni e-Canada.

Umhlangano oqakathekileko wabantu bakaJehova ngo-1923 wabanjelwa e-Los Angeles, e-California ngo-Arhostosi 18-26. Emvekeni  zangaphambi komhlangano, amaphephandaba bekanemikhangiso yomhlangano lo begodu abaFundi beBhayibheli bakhambisa iimemo ezingaba zii-500 000. Bebanamabhorodo akhuluma ngawo umhlangano lo, aseenthuthini zomphakathi neenkoloyini ezincani.

NgoMgqibelo, Arhostosi 25, umfowethu u-Rutherford wanikela ikulumo enesihloko esithi, “Izimvu neembuzi” lapho ahlathulula ngokukhanyako ukuthi “izimvu” zibabantu abalungileko abazokuphila ephasini ngokungapheliko epharadesi. Wanikela ikulumo wafunda nesiqunto esibizwa ngokuthi, “A Warning.” Isiquntwesi silahla Lobukholwa besikhuthaza abaneenhliziyo ezithembekileko bona bazihlukanise ‘neBhabhiloni eliKhulu.’ (IsAm. 18:2, 4) Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi abaFundi beBhayibheli abakhutheleko ephasini loke barhatjha iingidigidi zamaphetjhana anesiquntwesi.

Ngelanga lamaswaphela lomhlangano, abantu abangaphezu kwee-30 000 ebebeze emhlanganweni bezwa umfowethu u-Rutherford anikela ikulumo yatjhatjhalazi ethi, “All Nations Marching to Armageddon, but Millions Now Living Will Never Die.” AbaFundi beBhayibheli bacabangela isiqubuthu esikhulu, baqatjha i-Los Angeles Coliseum ebeyiqeda ukwakhiwa. Ukuqinisekisa ukuthi woke umuntu uyezwa, abafowethu basebenzisa iimpikara ze-stadium ebekuyitheknoloji etja ngesikhatheso. Abanye abanengi bezwa ihlelweli ngomrhatjho.

Ngomnyaka ka-1923, kwaba nokwanda okukhulu emsebenzini wokutjhumayela e-Afrika, e-Europe, e-India ne-South America. E-India, u-A. J. Joseph nakatlhogomela umkakhe nabantwabakhe abasithandathu wasiza nekwenzeni iincwadi ngesi-Hindi, isi-Tamil, isi-Telugu nesi-Urdu.

E-Sierra Leone, abaFundi beBhayibheli u-Alfred Joseph no-Leonard Blackman batlolela umzimkhulu wephasi loke we-Brooklyn, e-New York babawa isizo. Ngo-Apreli 14, 1923, isibawo sabo saphendulwa. U-Alfred uthi “Ngelinye ilanga ngoMgqibelo ebusuku ngafumana umtato engingakawulindeli.” Wezwa iphimbo elikhulu limbuza ukuthi “Kghani nguwe otlolele i-Watch Tower Society ubawa abantu abazokutjhumayela?” U-Alfred waphendula wathi, “Iye.” “Bathumele mina.” Iphimbweli bekungelaka-William R. Brown. Bekafike ngelangelo nomkakhe u-Antonia namadodakazabo u-Louise no-Lucy, bavela e-Caribbean. Abafowethu bebaqale phambili ukubona umfowethu u-Brown nomndenakhe.

U-Alfred waraga wathi: “Ngelanga elilandelako mina no-Leonard besicoca ngeBhayibheli njengombana  sijayele ukwenza qobe veke, singakalindeli sabona indoda ede ijame emnyango. BekunguMfowethu Brown. Bekakhuthalele khulu iqiniso kangangobana bekafuna ukubeka ikulumo ngelanga elilandelako.” Kungakapheli nenyanga, umfowethu u-Brown besele akhambise zoke iincwadi ebekeze nazo. Msinyana wafumana ezinye iincwadi ezizii-5 000 begodu kungasikade bekutlhogeka ezinye. Kodwana umfowethu u-Brown bekangaziwa ngokuthi uthengisa iincwadi. Emsebenzinakhe njengenceku kaJehova ekhutheleko, kanengi bekaqalisela emTlolweni nakanikela iinkulumo zakhe, ngebanga lalokho wazifumanela igama elithi Bible Brown.

E-Germany abafowethu baqunta ukusuka e-ofisini legatja e-Barmen ngombana belilincani khulu. Bezwa nokuthi ibutho le-France lizokusahlela idorobho. AbaFundi beBhayibheli bafumana isakhiwo e-Magdeburg besibonakala sisihle bona kungagadangiselwa kiso. NgoJuni 19, abafowethu baqunta ukupaka imitjhini yokugadangisa nezinye izinto bathuthela e-Bethel etja e-Magdeburg. Ngelanga langemva kobana umzimkhulu wephasi loke utjeliwe ukuthi kuqediwe ukuthutha, amaphephandaba amemezela ukuthi i-France ithethe idorobho le-Barmen. Abafowethu baqala ukuthutha kwabo njengobufakazi bokuthi uJehova uyababusisa begodu uyabavikela.

E-Brazil, u-George Young, obekakhamba iindawo ezinengi arhatjha iindaba ezimnandi wathomisa igatja begodu wagadangisa i-The Watch Tower ngesiPutukezi. Ngeenyangana ezimbalwa besele akhambise abomagazini neencwajana ezizii-7 000. U-Sarah Ferguson wathaba khulu lokha umfowethu u-Young avakatjhela umndenakhe. Bekasolo afunda i-The Watch Tower kusukela ngo-1899 kodwana akhenge akghone ukutjengisa ukuzinikela kwakhe ngokuthi abhabhadiswe. Ngemva kweenyanga ezimbalwa, udade Ferguson nabantwabakhe abane bathatha igadango eliqakathekilekweli.

Ekupheleni komnyaka, i-The Watch Tower kaDisemba 15, 1923 yahlathulula indlela amatjhuguluko abawenzako malungana nemihlangano yebandla, isimu nemihlangano emikhulu nemincani eyathinta ngayo abaFundi beBhayibheli. Ithi: “Kuyabonakala ukuthi . . . amabandla anokukholwa okuqinileko . . . Asizimiseleni ukusebenza ngokungeziweko begodu siragele phambili sisebenza ngokuzimisela nangethabo hlangana nomnyaka ka-1924.”

Umnyaka ka-1924, bewuzokuba mnyaka othabisa khulu ebaFundini beBhayibheli. Abafowethu be-Bethel bebasolo basebenza iminyaka ukufumana indawo e-Staten Island, okulikhambo elifitjhani ukusuka emzimkhulu e-Brooklyn. Izakhiwo ezakhiwa lapho zaqedwa ukwakhiwa ekuthomeni kwaka-1924 begodu zasiza ekubumbaneni kwabafowethu nabodadwethu bezarhatjha iindaba ezimnandi ngendlela engakhenge ikghonakale ngaphambilini.