UMUNARA W’UMURINZI wo ku itariki ya 1 Mutarama 1917 waravuze uti “umwaka mushya utangiriye mu ntambara ikomeye, imidugararo no kumena amaraso.” Koko rero, Intambara ya Mbere y’Isi Yose yahitanaga abantu benshi hirya no hino ku isi, yari ikomeje kuyogoza u Burayi. Icyo gihe yitwaga Intambara Ikomeye.

Nubwo Abigishwa ba Bibiliya bari batarasobanukirwa neza uko Abakristo b’ukuri birinda kubogama, benshi muri bo birinze kugibwaho n’umwenda w’amaraso. Urugero, Stanley  Willis wo mu Bwongereza, icyo gihe wari ufite imyaka 19, yari yariyemeje kutagira aho abogamira. Mbere y’uko agezwa imbere y’urukiko azira kutabogama, yaranditse ati “ndumva ntewe ishema no gutanga ubu buhamya. Mu gitondo Koloneli yambwiye ko ngomba kwambara imyenda y’abasirikare, bitaba ibyo urukiko rwa gisirikare rukancira urubanza.”

Stanley yanze guteshuka maze akatirwa gufungirwa mu kigo cyakorerwagamo imirimo y’agahato. Icyakora yakomeje kurangwa n’icyizere. Hashize amezi abiri yaranditse ati “‘umwuka w’imbaraga’ zitangwa n’Ukuri, utuma umuntu yihanganira ibintu abandi badashobora kwihanganira.” Yakoresheje neza igihe yamaze muri gereza, kandi yaravuze ati “kimwe mu bintu byiza naboneye mu bigeragezo mperutse guhangana na byo, ni uko nabonye umwanya uhagije wo gusenga ntuje, nkiyigisha kandi ngatekereza ku byo niga.”

Bidatinze Amerika na yo yinjiye muri iyo ntambara. Ku itariki ya 2 Mata 1917, Perezida Woodrow Wilson yavugiye ijambo imbere ya Kongere ya Amerika, atangaza ko agiye gutera u Budage. Nyuma y’iminsi ine, Amerika yinjiye mu ntambara. Abakristo bo muri Amerika batangiye guhura n’ibitotezo bitewe no kutabogama.

Muri Gicurasi hatowe itegeko ryemerera Amerika gutoranya abajya mu gisirikare. Nyuma y’ukwezi kumwe gusa, batoye irindi tegeko rigenga ubutasi, rihana umuntu wangaga kujya mu gisirikare. Bidatinze, abanzi b’ukuri batangiye kuririra kuri ayo mategeko, bagatoteza abagaragu ba Yehova.—Zab 94:20.

Imvururu zari mu isi ntizatunguye Abigishwa ba Bibiliya. Bari bamaze imyaka ibarirwa muri za mirongo basuzuma ubuhanuzi bwo muri Bibiliya bwari bwarazivuze. Icyakora, hari benshi batunguwe n’ibibazo byavutse mu bagaragu ba Yehova.

Charles Taze Russell amaze gupfa, abagaragu ba Yehova bo muri Amerika batangiye guhura n’ibibazo. Havutse ikibazo cyo kumenya uko abagaragu ba Yehova bagombaga kuyoborwa. Umuvandimwe Russell yari yarashinze umuryango wa Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society mu mwaka wa 1884, kandi yakomeje kuwubera perezida kugeza igihe yapfiriye mu kwezi k’Ukwakira 1916. Igihe Joseph F. Rutherford yatangiraga kuwuyobora, abagabo bamwe bari bakomeye muri uwo muryango, hakubiyemo na bane bari muri komite nyobozi yawo, bagize inyota y’ubutegetsi.

Abo bagabo bane hamwe n’abandi bari babashyigikiye, ntibishimiye uko umuvandimwe Rutherford yayoboraga. Kimwe mu byo banengaga, cyari gifitanye isano n’inshingano ya Paul S. L. Johnson, wari umugenzuzi wasuraga amatsinda y’Abigishwa ba Bibiliya.

Mbere gato y’uko umuvandimwe Russell apfa, yari yarateganyije kohereza Johnson mu Bwongereza. Yagombaga kujyayo akabwiriza ubutumwa bwiza, agasura amatorero kandi agatanga raporo y’uko umurimo wakorwaga muri iyo fasi. Igihe yageragayo mu kwezi k’Ugushyingo 1916, abavandimwe bo mu Bwongereza bamwakiranye urugwiro. Ikibabaje ni uko icyubahiro bamugaragarije cyatumye yibona, maze akibwira ko ari we wagombaga gusimbura umuvandimwe Russell.

Johnson yirukanye bamwe mu bari bagize umuryango wa Beteli wo mu Bwongereza, nubwo atari abifitiye uburenganzira. Nanone yagerageje kwigarurira konti y’umuryango w’Abigishwa ba Bibiliya yari muri Banki y’i Londres, ariko icyo gihe umuvandimwe Rutherford amutumaho ngo agaruke muri Amerika.

Johnson yasubiye i Brooklyn, ariko aho kwicisha bugufi ngo yemere gukosorwa, yakomeje guhata umuvandimwe Rutherford ngo amureke asubire mu Bwongereza. Johnson abonye ko atabashije kumwemeza, yagerageje koshya abari bagize komite nyobozi, maze bane muri bo baramushyigikira.

 Umuvandimwe Rutherford yabonye ko abo bagabo bashakaga kwigarurira amafaranga y’umuryango w’Abigishwa ba Bibiliya wo muri Amerika nk’uko Johnson yari yarabigerageje mu Bwongereza, maze abirukana muri komite nyobozi y’umuryango. Amategeko yo muri Amerika yasabaga ko abanyamuryango batora buri mwaka abagize komite nyobozi y’umuryango wabo. Icyakora, mu nama ngarukamwaka y’umuryango w’Abigishwa ba Bibiliya yabaye ku itariki ya 6 Mutarama 1917, hatowe batatu gusa mu bari bagize komite nyobozi, ari bo Joseph F. Rutherford, Andrew N. Pierson na William E. Van Amburgh. Umwe yabaye perezida, undi aba visi perezida naho undi aba umunyamabanga n’umubitsi. Nta matora yabaye ku yindi myanya ine yari isigaye yo muri iyo komite. Abo bagabo bane bari muri iyo myanya, ari na bo barwanyaga Rutherford, bari baratowe mu myaka yabanje, kandi hari bamwe bumvaga ko bari kuguma kuri iyo myanya kugeza bapfuye. Icyakora, kubera ko batatowe muri uwo mwaka, birumvikana ko amategeko atabemereraga kuba muri komite nyobozi! Ubwo rero, muri Nyakanga 1917, umuvandimwe Rutherford yakoresheje ububasha yari afite, ashyira abandi bagabo bane b’indahemuka muri ya myanya ine y’ubuyobozi.

Abo bagabo bane bari birukanywe ku buyobozi bararakaye, bishyiriraho ubuyobozi bwabo. Icyakora nta cyo bagezeho. Bamwe mu Bigishwa ba Bibiliya barabakurikiye, bashinga imiryango yabo, ariko abenshi mu Bigishwa ba Bibiliya bakomeje kuba indahemuka, kandi abo bane ntibongeye kuba muri komite nyobozi.

Muri icyo gihe, umuvandimwe Rutherford n’abandi bavandimwe b’indahemuka bari kuri Beteli, bakomeje guteza imbere inyungu z’Ubwami. Umubare w’abasuraga amatsinda y’Abigishwa ba Bibiliya wariyongereye, bava kuri 69 bagera kuri 93. Abapayiniya b’igihe cyose na bo bariyongereye bava  kuri 372 bagera kuri 461. Nanone muri icyo gihe ni bwo hatangiye gahunda y’abapayiniya b’abafasha. Hari amatorero yabaga arimo abapayiniya b’abafasha bagera mu 100.

Ku itariki ya 17 Nyakanga 1917, hasohotse igitabo gishya (Le mystère accompli). Byageze mu mpera z’uwo mwaka, ibitabo byose byacapwe byarashize kandi icapiro ryari ryarahawe komande y’ibindi bitabo 850.000. *

Gahunda yo kuvugurura umurimo wo kuri Beteli yari yaratangijwe n’umuvandimwe Russell mu mwaka wa 1916, yarangiye mu mwaka wa 1917. Mu kwezi k’Ukuboza k’uwo mwaka, Umunara w’Umurinzi waravuze uti ‘gahunda yo kuvugurura imirimo ikorerwa mu biro yararangiye, none ubu akazi karagenda neza. Abakora iyo mirimo bumva ko bagomba kuyikora bicishije bugufi.’

Muri Nzeri 1917, Umunara w’Umurinzi waravuze uti ‘kuva ku itariki ya 1 Mutarama, umubare w’ibitabo byatangwaga buri kwezi wariyongereye ugereranyije n’ibyatanzwe mu mwaka wa 1916. Ibyo bitwereka ko Umwami aduha umugisha mu murimo ukorerwa hano i Brooklyn.’

Abari barigometse bari barirukanywe mu muryango, kandi ibyavuye mu matora yabaye mu matorero yose, bigatangazwa mu Munara w’Umurinzi, byagaragaje ko abavandimwe hafi ya bose bari bashyigikiye umuvandimwe Rutherford n’abandi bagabo b’indahemuka bakoranaga kuri Beteli. Icyakora igihe cyo kugeragezwa cyari kitararangira. Nubwo umwaka wa 1918 watangiye ubona bimeze neza, ni wo mwaka waje kuba mubi cyane mu mateka yacu yo muri iki gihe.