UNYAKA we-1909 yayingunyaka obalulekileyo kwiNew York City. Kwavulwa iBhulorho yaseQueensboro, edibanisa iQueens neManhattan, kwaza kwavulwa neManhattan Bridge, yona edibanisa iManhattan neBrooklyn.

NakumaNgqina kaYehova yayingunyaka obalulekileyo lowo. Ngaphambilana, uCharles Taze Russell, umongameli weWatch Tower Bible and Tract Society, umbutho osemthethweni omela amaNgqina kaYehova, wabona ukuba umsebenzi wokushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo wawunokwanda. (Mateyu 24:14) Wayekholelwa ukuba ukufudusa ikomkhulu lombutho ePittsburgh, ePennsylvania, liye eBrooklyn, eNew York, yayilinyathelo elibalulekileyo ukuze kufezwe loo njongo. Amalungiselelo okufuduka aqala ekuqaleni kowe-1908, kwaza kwafudukwa ekuqaleni konyaka olandelayo.

Abo babekhokela kumsebenzi wokushumayela babesazi ukuba ukusasaza iintshumayelo ezazishicilelwe kumaphephandaba kwakuluncedo  ekusasazeni inyaniso yeBhayibhile. Ngonyaka we-1908, iintshumayelo zeBhayibhile zikaRussell ezazikhutshwa veki nganye zapapashwa kumaphephancwadi ali-11 ekwakushicilelwa imibhalo yawo engama-402 000 veki nganye.

Noko ke, uRussell wabhala wathi: “Abazalwana abaqheleneyo nokusebenzisa amaphephandaba . . . bathi ukuba iintshumayelo zeveki bezinokupapashwa kwisixeko esikhulu iintshumayelo bezinokusasazeka kuyo yonke iUnited States; yaye ngonyaka nje omnye zinokupapashwa kumakhulu amaphephancwadi rhoqo.” Kwaphunyw’ iphulo kufunwa eyona ndawo ifanelekileyo ukuze kwandiswe umsebenzi wokushumayela.

Kwakutheni ukuze kufudukelwe eBrooklyn? URussell wathi: “Emva kokuyithandazela le nto sagqiba kwelokuba iBrooklyn, N.Y., enabantu abaninzi . . . neyaziwa ngokuba ‘Sisixeko SeCawa,’ yayiyeyona iwufaneleyo umsebenzi wethu wokuvuna.” Imiphumo ibonakala kuye wonke ubani. Ngexesha nje elingephi, amaphephancwadi angama-2 000 ayeshicilela iintshumayelo zikaRussell.

Sasikwakho nesinye isizathu esasiyenza ifaneleke iNew York. Ngowe-1909, kwakusekwe iiofisi zamasebe eGreat Britain, eJamani, naseOstreliya, ibe kwakuseza kulandela amaninzi. Yayisisigqibo sobulumko ukufudusela ikomkhulu lehlabathi kwisixeko esiselunxwemeni nesineentlobo ezahlukeneyo zothutho.

Ikomkhulu lokuqala leWatch Tower Bible and Tract Society lamiselwa ngeminyaka yee-1880, eAllegheny (ngoku eyinxalenye yePittsburgh), ePennsylvania. Ngaloo mihla lalibizwa ngokuba yiBible House. Ngowe-1896, lalinamalungu ali-12.

Noko ke, xa kwakufudukelwa eBrooklyn ngowe-1909, indawo ababehlala kuyo abazali  yabizwa ngokuba yiBheteli. * Kwakutheni ukuze kuthiwe yiBheteli? Isakhiwo esathengwa yiWatch Tower Society e-13-17 Hicks Street sasifudula sisesomfundisi owaziwayo uHenry Ward Beecher yaye sasibizwa ngokuba yiBeecher Bethel. Kwaphinda kwathengwa nendawo awayehlala kuyo uBeecher, eyayise-124 Columbia Heights. IMboniselo kaMatshi 1, 1909, yathi: “Ibangel’ umdla kakhulu into yokuba sithenge iBethel kaBeecher size siwelwe ngumqa esandleni ngokufumana nendawo ebekade ehlala kuyo. . . . Ikhaya elitsha siza kulibiza ngokuba ‘yiBheteli,’ size yona iofisi entsha neholo sithi, ‘yiThe Brooklyn Tabernacle’; siza kusebenzisa la magama endaweni yelithi ‘Bible House.’”

Namhlanje, izakhiwo eziseBrooklyn, eWallkill nasePatterson, eNew York State kuquka izakhiwo zokuhlala ezibini, indawo yokushicilela iiofisi zisabizwa ngokuba yiBheteli. Ehlabathini lonke kukho amakhaya aseBheteli kumazwe ali-113. Kuwo kusebenza abalungiseleli abangaphezu kwama-19 000 abancedisa ukusasaza ulwazi lweBhayibhile.

Ezi zakhiwo zanikezelwa ngoJanuwari 31, 1909. UMvulo, kaSeptemba 6, 1909, yayilusuku lokwamkelwa kweendwendwe eBheteli. Amakhulu Abafundi beBhayibhile, njengoko ayesaziwa njalo amaNgqina kaYehova ngoko, atyelela eso sakhiwo. Amaninzi kuwo ayesuka kwindibano eyayiseSaratoga Springs, emalunga neekhilomitha ezingama-320 kumntla weNew York City. UCharles Taze Russell wazamkela ngokwakhe iindwendwe. *

Iindwendwe ezifuna ukutyelela eBheteli zisamkelekile nanamhlanje. Nyaka ngamnye izakhiwo zaseBrooklyn zityelelwa ngabantu abangama-40 000. IBheteli yaseBrooklyn isaqhubeka inendima ebalulekileyo ekuhambiseleni phambili izilangazelelo zoBukumkani bukaYehova, ukuze kusikelelwe izigidi ezingenakubalwa.