Just four days later, on January 26, 1962, Brothers Eric Britten, the then branch overseer, Domenick Piccone and Eric Beveridge and their wives, all missionaries, were called to P.I.D.E. headquarters and ordered to leave the country within 30 days. They were told that the reason for their expulsion was their talking to others about their religion and teaching neutrality. In an interview with Brother and Sister Beveridge the director of the P.I.D.E. referred to a recent incident where a young Portuguese man had refused military service and asserted that the Witnesses were responsible for his actions. Conscientious objection would not be tolerated in Portugal, he added.

It was a hard blow to see the missionaries depart, and many tears were shed. They had truly given of themselves whole-souled and were warmly loved for their zeal and fine example. The Brittens eventually returned to Brazil where they are still serving full time in the circuit work. For the Piccones, it was their second expulsion from a missionary assignment. They went to Morocco but are now in El Salvador. The Beveridges were assigned to Spain, where they served for 19 years before being transferred to the Brooklyn Bethel family.

KINGDOM MINISTRY SCHOOLS

How opportune that just before the expulsion of the missionaries they were able to hold the first Kingdom Ministry School!

Since the missionaries were gone, local brothers responded to the challenge to carry on the preaching work. Reminiscing about those times, circuit overseer Gilberto Sequeira says:

“When the Society sent missionaries to Portugal in 1958, I realized then that we also should give our very best to Jehovah and, if at all possible, join the pioneer ranks.

Gilead missionary Paul Hundertmark and his wife, Evelyn, had been expelled from Spain in 1960 and were now in Portugal, learning Portuguese. Suddenly, Paul found himself with an underground branch to look after. And what a challenge that was going to be!

PERSECUTION INTENSIFIES

Following the expulsion of the missionaries in 1962, the authorities hardened the campaign of persecution against Jehovah’s Witnesses.