“The Battle Belongs to Jehovah”

The controversy had begun in the late 1990’s when the government of France levied an unjustified tax on the donations that our France branch had received between 1993 and 1996. We sought justice before the courts in France, but to no avail. After we lost in an appellate court, the government confiscated money from the branch’s bank account worth over four and a half million euros ($6,300,000 U.S.). Our final hope rested with the ECHR. But before ruling on the dispute, the ECHR required that we and the government’s legal team attend a pretrial settlement hearing before one of the Court’s registrars, officials responsible for the administrative and judicial activities of the Court.

We anticipated that the registrar would pressure us to resolve the matter by agreeing to pay a portion of the amount demanded. However, we clearly understood that paying even one euro would violate Bible principles. The brothers and sisters had donated to support Kingdom interests, so their donations did not belong to the government. (Matt. 22:21) Still, we attended out of respect for the Court’s protocols.

We met for the hearing in one of the Court’s elegant conference rooms. The hearing did not begin well. In her opening comments, the registrar confirmed that she expected Jehovah’s Witnesses in France to pay some of the levied tax. We suddenly felt impelled to ask her, “Are you aware that the government has already confiscated over four and a half million euros from our bank account?”

She was visibly shocked. When the government’s legal team confirmed that they had done so, her attitude toward the case changed completely. She scolded them and abruptly concluded the hearing. I realized then that Jehovah had, in a way we could never have anticipated, completely altered the course of this litigation. We left the hearing elated, barely believing what had taken place.

On June 30, 2011, the ECHR issued a unanimous decision in our favor. It annulled the tax and ordered the government to refund the money it had seized, plus interest! This historic ruling has protected pure worship in France to this day. That single, unrehearsed question we asked, like the stone that sunk into Goliath’s head, was the turning point of the battle. Why did we win? Because, as David told Goliath, “the battle belongs to Jehovah.”​—1 Sam. 17:45-47.

This victory is not the exception. To date, in the face of powerful political and religious opposition, the highest courts of 70 countries and several international tribunals have handed down 1,225 decisions in favor of Jehovah’s Witnesses. These legal victories protect our fundamental rights, such as our right to have legal status as a religion, to engage in the public ministry, to refuse to participate in patriotic ceremonies, and to refuse blood.

How did I come to be involved in a legal case in Europe while serving at the World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses in New York, U.S.A.?

MOLDED BY MISSIONARY ZEAL

My parents, George and Lucille, graduated from the 12th class of Gilead and were serving in Ethiopia when I was born in 1956. They named me Philip, after the first-century evangelizer. (Acts 21:8) The following year, the government banned our worship. Although I was just a toddler, I clearly remember my family worshipping in secret. As a child, I thought it was exciting! Sadly, officials forced us to leave the country in 1960.

When our family relocated to Wichita, Kansas, U.S.A., my parents brought something very special with them​—their inspiring missionary zeal. They lived the truth and instilled spiritual values not only in me but also in my older sister, Judy, and my younger brother, Leslie, both of whom had also been born in Ethiopia. I got baptized at the age of 13. Three years later, our family moved to serve where the need was greater, in Arequipa, Peru.

In 1974 when I was just 18, the Peru branch assigned me and four other brothers to serve as special pioneers. We were to preach in untouched territories, high in the Central Andes Mountains. This included witnessing to the indigenous Quechua and Aymara communities. We traveled in a motor home affectionately called The Ark because of its boxlike appearance. I treasure memories of using the Bible to show the indigenous people that Jehovah will soon do away with poverty, sickness, and death. (Rev. 21:3, 4) Many accepted the Kingdom message.

OFF TO WORLD HEADQUARTERS

During a 1977 visit to Peru, Albert Schroeder, who was a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, encouraged me to apply for Bethel service at world headquarters. So I did. Soon after, on June 17, 1977, I began my service at Brooklyn Bethel. Over the next four years, I worked in the Cleaning and Maintenance departments.

In June 1978, I met Elizabeth Avallone at an international convention in New Orleans, Louisiana. She had been raised by parents who, like mine, lived the truth. Elizabeth had been serving as a regular pioneer for four years, and she treasured full-time service as a way of life. We kept in touch. Before long, we fell very much in love. We got married on October 20, 1979, and we started Bethel service as a couple.

The brothers and sisters in our first congregation, Brooklyn Spanish, opened their hearts to us. Through the years, three other loving congregations have welcomed us and supported our Bethel service. We treasure their backing, as well as the support of friends and family who helped us care for our parents in their old age.

JOINING OUR LEGAL WARFARE

To my surprise, I was assigned in January 1982 to serve in the Legal Department at Bethel. Three years later, I was asked to attend law school and to become a licensed attorney. I was pleasantly surprised to learn during my studies that the fundamental freedoms that most people take for granted, both in the United States and internationally, were strengthened by legal victories won by Jehovah’s Witnesses. These key cases were discussed extensively in class.

In 1986 when I was 30, I was appointed as the overseer of the Legal Department. Since I was so young and barely grasped the complexity of what lay ahead, I felt both privileged and overwhelmed.

I qualified as an attorney in 1988, but I was dangerously unaware of what I had allowed this accomplishment to do to my spirituality. Higher education can nurture a desire for self-promotion and foster the notion that having specialized knowledge elevates a person above others who do not have a similar education. Elizabeth came to my rescue. She helped me reestablish the spiritual routine I had before law school. It took time, but I gradually recovered spiritually. I can attest that having a head full of specialized knowledge is not the most important thing in life. What brings true value to life is having a close relationship with Jehovah and a deep love for him and his people.

DEFENDING AND LEGALLY ESTABLISHING THE GOOD NEWS

With law school behind me, I focused on helping to organize the legal services needed at Bethel and defending Kingdom interests in court. Supporting our fast-moving, growing, and innovative organization was both exciting and challenging. In the early 1990’s, for example, the Legal Department was asked to take the lead in changing our long-standing custom of asking for a suggested contribution for publications. Jehovah’s Witnesses thereafter made these available without charge. This simplified the work at Bethel and in the field and to this day protects these activities from unwarranted taxation. Some thought that this change would deplete our resources and hinder our public ministry. The opposite happened. The number of those serving Jehovah since 1990 has more than doubled, and today people can have access to lifesaving spiritual food without charge. I have personally witnessed that it is only through the strength Jehovah gives and the direction he provides by means of the faithful slave that this and so many other organizational adjustments can be successfully implemented.​—Ex. 15:2; Matt. 24:45.

Legal victories are seldom solely the result of good advocacy in court. Often, what moves those in authority is the fine conduct of Jehovah’s people. I saw an example of this in 1998 when three members of the Governing Body and their wives attended special conventions in Cuba. Their kind, respectful demeanor did more to convince the authorities of our political neutrality than anything we said to them in formal meetings.

However, when legal matters cannot be resolved amicably, we ‘defend and legally establish the good news’ in court. (Phil. 1:7) For example, for decades the authorities in Europe and South Korea did not recognize our right to refuse to perform military service. As a result, some 18,000 brothers in Europe and over 19,000 brothers in South Korea spent time in jail because of their conscientious objection to military service.

Finally, on July 7, 2011, the ECHR handed down the historic decision Bayatyan v. Armenia that mandates providing for alternative civilian service throughout Europe. That was followed by a similar decision by the South Korean Constitutional Court on June 28, 2018. Neither victory would have been obtained if even a small percentage of our young brothers had compromised.

Our oversight and legal departments at branches worldwide are working tirelessly in defense of Kingdom interests. We are honored to represent our brothers and sisters who are confronted by official opposition. Regardless of whether we prevail in court or not, our litigation results in a witness to governors and kings and to the nations. (Matt. 10:18) Judges, government representatives, the media, and the public in general must consider the scriptures that we include in our legal submissions and in our oral arguments. Honesthearted ones learn who Jehovah’s Witnesses are and the source of their beliefs. Some of these individuals have become our fellow believers.

THANK YOU, JEHOVAH!

Over the past 40 years, I have been privileged to collaborate on legal matters with branch offices worldwide and to appear before numerous high courts and many high officials. I love and admire my fellow workers in the Legal Department at world headquarters and in the legal departments around the world. My life has been richly blessed and very fulfilling.

Elizabeth has loyally and lovingly supported me throughout the past 45 years, in good times and in bad times. I admire her for that because she has done so despite dealing with an illness that compromises her immune system and limits her strength.

We have personally witnessed that strength and victory do not come from our own abilities. As David said, “Jehovah is a strength for his people.” (Ps. 28:8) Indeed, “the battle belongs to Jehovah.”