CHAKA cha 1909 chinali chapadera kwambiri kwa anthu a mu mzinda wa New York City. M’chakachi, mlatho wa Queensboro, womwe uli m’tauni ya Queens ndipo umalumikiza tauniyi ndi tauni ya Manhattan, unatseguliridwa. M’chaka chomwechi, mlatho wa Manhattan, womwe umalumikiza tauniyi ndi tauni ya Brooklyn, unatseguliridwanso.

Chakachi chinalinso chapadera kwambiri kwa Mboni za Yehova. M’mbuyomo, Charles Taze Russell, yemwe anali pulezidenti wa Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, lomwe ndi bungwe la Mboni za Yehova lovomerezeka mwa lamulo, anaona kuti m’tsogolo, ntchito yolalikira uthenga wabwino wa Ufumu wa Mulungu, ingadzafalikire m’madera ambiri. (Mateyo 24:14) Iye ankakhulupirira kuti kusamutsa likulu la bungweli kuchokera ku mzinda wa Pittsburgh, ku Pennsylvania, kupita m’tauni ya Brooklyn, ku New York, kunali kofunika kwambiri kuti ntchito yolalikira ipite patsogolo. Motero, ntchito yokonzekera kusamuka inayamba mu 1908 ndipo m’chaka chotsatira, anasamukadi.

Anthu amene ankatsogolera ntchito yolalikira panthawiyo anaona kuti kusindikiza ulaliki m’manyuzipepala inali njira yabwino kwambiri yofalitsira  choonadi cha m’Baibulo. N’chifukwa chake pofika mu 1908, ulaliki wa Russell unali ukufalitsidwa m’manyuzipepala okwana 11 ndipo manyuzipepalawa ankasindizidwa okwana 402,000 mlungu uliwonse.

Komabe, Russell analemba kuti: “Abale amene akudziwa bwino mmene makampani a nyuzipepala amagawanirana nkhani, . . . ananena kuti ngati uthenga wathu womwe umafalitsidwa m’manyuzipepala mlungu uliwonse utamachokera [mu mzinda winawake waukulu], zingachititse kuti uthengawo ufalikire m’dziko lonse la United States. Komanso zingachititse kuti makampani ambiri a nyuzipepala azisindikiza uthenga wathu nthawi zonse.” Choncho, ntchito yofunafuna malo abwino inayambika.

N’chifukwa chiyani anasankha kusamukira ku Brooklyn? Russell anati: “Titapemphera kwa Yehova za nkhaniyi, tonse tinagwirizana kuti tisamukire m’tauni ya Brooklyn, ku New York, mzinda womwe unali ndi anthu ambiri . . . womwenso unkadziwika kuti ‘Mzinda wa Matchalitchi.’ Choncho tinaona kuti ntchito yathu yokolola iyenda bwino kwambiri tikamaigwira tili mu mzindawu.” Ndipo zotsatira zake zinali zabwino kwambiri chifukwa patangopita nthawi yochepa chabe, chiwerengero cha manyuzipepala amene ankasindikiza ulaliki wa Russell, chinakwera kwambiri n’kufika pa 2,000.

Panali chifukwa chinanso chimene chinachititsa kuti mzinda wa New York ukhale wabwino kwambiri pa ntchito yathu. Pofika m’chaka cha 1909, maofesi a nthambi anali atatsegulidwa m’mayiko a Great Britain, Germany, ndi Australia ndipo m’zaka zotsatira, maofesi enanso anatsegulidwa m’mayiko ena. Choncho, zinali zoyeneradi kuti likulu la ntchitoyi likhale mu mzinda wa mphepete mwa nyanja, womwenso unali ndi misewu yambiri ndiponso njanji zolumikizana ndi madera ena.

Poyamba, m’zaka za m’ma 1880 likulu la Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society linali ku Allegheny (komwe tsopano ndi mbali ya mzinda wa Pittsburgh), ku Pennsylvania. Nthawi imeneyo, maofesiwa ankatchedwa Nyumba ya Baibulo. Ndipo pofika m’chaka cha 1896, anthu okwana 12 ndi omwe ankagwira ntchito ku maofesiwa.

Koma likululi litasamutsidwira ku Brooklyn mu  1909, nyumba yatsopano imene anthu ogwira ntchito ku maofesiwa ankagona, inkatchedwa ndi dzina lakuti Beteli. * N’chifukwa chiyani anasankha dzinali? Poyamba, maofesi amene bungwe la Watch Tower Society linagula ku 13-17 Hicks Street, anali a m’busa wina wotchuka, dzina lake Henry Ward Beecher ndipo maofesiwa ankatchedwa Beteli ya Beecher. Bungweli linagulanso nyumba imene Beecher ankakhala, yomwe inali ku 124 Columbia Heights. Magazini ya Nsanja ya Olonda ya March 1, 1909, inanena kuti: “Zinali zoyenera kugula Beteli ya Beecher ndipo tinachitanso mwayi wogula nyumba imene iye ankakhala. . . . Nyumbayi tsopano izidziwika ndi dzina loti ‘Beteli,’ ndipo maofesi atsopanowa pamodzi ndi holo yake azitchedwa ‘Chihema cha Brooklyn.’ Mayina amenewa alowa m’malo mwa dzina lakuti ‘Nyumba ya Baibulo.’”

Masiku ano, maofesi a ku Brooklyn ndiponso maofesi ena omwe ali ku Wallkill ndi ku Patterson m’dera la New York, kuphatikizapo nyumba zogona ndiponso nyumba zosindikizira mabuku, zimatchedwanso ndi dzina loti Beteli. Padziko lonse, nyumba za Beteli zilipo m’mayiko okwana 113, ndipo ku malowa kuli anthu oposa 19,000 omwe akugwira ntchito yothandiza kufalitsa uthenga wa m’Baibulo padziko lonse.

Mwambo wotsegulira maofesiwa unachitika pa January 31, 1909. Ndipo Lolemba pa September 6, 1909, linali tsiku lapadera lomwe anthu anabwera kudzaona malo ku Beteli ya ku Brooklyn. Anthu ambirimbiri a Mboni za Yehova, omwe panthawiyo ankatchedwa ndi dzina loti Ophunzira Baibulo, anabwera kudzaona malo. Ambiri mwa anthuwa anadzaona malowa akuchokera kumsonkhano wawo womwe unachitikira ku Saratoga Springs, mtunda wa makilomita 320 kuchokera ku New York City. Ndipotu alendo amenewa analandiridwa mwansangala kwambiri ndi Charles Taze Russell. *

Masiku anonso, alendo akapita ku Beteli amalandiridwa bwino kwambiri. Ndipo anthu oposa 40,000 amakaona malo ku Beteli ya Brooklyn chaka chilichonse. Beteli imeneyi ikupitirizabe kupititsa patsogolo ntchito yolengeza uthenga wa Ufumu wa Yehova ndipo anthu ochuluka kwambiri akupindula ndi zimenezi.