Kingdom Proclaimers Report

A Chief Speaks Up

IT IS encouraging to know that there are still men in high station in this world who love honesty and justice and who speak out to uphold these qualities. An example is a chief in an African country where the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses is restricted. Let the report tell us:

“Recently different religious groups held an interdenominational convention in our town, and this included Catholics, Presbyterians, Pentecostals, and so forth. The Paramount Chief was invited to address the convention toward the closing sessions. To the surprise of the whole gathering, he told them, among other things, to imitate the honesty and high moral standards of Jehovah’s Witnesses, adding that if all were like Jehovah’s Witnesses, there would be peace in the nation.

“The next day leading members of the churches represented at the convention came to the Chief’s palace and protested vehemently against the part of his address that praised the Witnesses and asked him if he was not aware that the Witnesses had been banned in the country. The Chief replied in the affirmative but told them that he found no fault in Jehovah’s Witnesses. He went on to say: ‘For all my years as Paramount Chief, not once has one of Jehovah’s Witnesses been brought to my court for gross wrongdoing. On the other hand, if cassava is stolen from a farm, it often turns out that a Catholic is the thief. If yam is stolen, it is a Presbyterian who is responsible. Members of your church have polluted my land with abortions, and yet not one of Jehovah’s Witnesses has been brought to my court for such offenses. Do not God’s laws forbid such evils, or are the churches no longer bound by God’s law?’ The clergymen had no answer.

“Later, the Paramount Chief called representatives of Jehovah’s Witnesses and exhorted them to take good care of themselves so that no reproach is brought upon the name of their God and upon his own name as the Paramount Chief who has spoken up for Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

The report states that now many new ones are taking their stand for the truth. One Witness states that he has recently been able to start Bible studies with three chiefs in the area, one of them being the Paramount Chief, and all three are attending meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses!

Jehovah God takes note of those who love truth and righteousness and speak up in behalf of his servants.​—Matthew 10:42.