Branch Letter

Dear Kingdom Publishers:

At our Bethel breakfast table the other morning Brother Franz delighted us with a very special report. He had just returned from a three-week trip through some of the central countries of Africa.

His first stop was at Dakar, Senegal, where there was a peak attendance of 325, and although there are only 178 publishers in the country, 25 were baptized. The Ivory Coast has 453 publishers, yet for the public talk there were 1,003 present. Seventy-eight were baptized here. In Togo it seemed providential that the “Esther” drama was scheduled for the opening day of that assembly, for immediately afterward the health officials moved in and closed the assembly down, using the danger of cholera as a pretext for their action. With only 1,638 publishers in the country, it was gratifying that 4,089 were present for the drama.

It was thrilling to hear Brother Franz tell of the growth in these countries. But for sheer numbers nothing compared with the figures he gave on the Nigerian assembly in Lagos. Whereas there are about 85,000 publishers in that country, at the public talk 121,128 heard Brother Knorr! And 3,778 were baptized! There in Lagos the English talks were translated simultaneously into 16 languages.

A special feature of the Nigerian assembly was the arrival by chartered jet plane of 112 of our brothers from London, England. And nearly 240 brothers from the North American continent were present, making it truly an international assembly! The American brothers were also privileged to attend some of the other assemblies in Africa.

Brother Franz said the work is growing so fast in Nigeria the brothers there no longer speak of an expansion, but an explosion!

The family here is now looking forward to hearing further reports of the work in Africa when Brothers Knorr and Henschel return.

Your brothers,

BROOKLYN BRANCH OFFICE