A MAJOR PROJECT

When Nathan Knorr and Milton Henschel, who were serving at headquarters in Brooklyn, visited South Africa in 1948, it was decided to purchase property for a Bethel home and printery at Elandsfontein, near Johannesburg. The project was completed in 1952. For the first time, members of the Bethel family could live together under one roof. Much additional printing equipment was installed, including a flatbed press. The Watchtower was published in eight languages, and Awake! in three.

In 1959 the Bethel home and printery were expanded. The addition was larger than the original building. A new Timson press was installed, the first rotary press in the branch.

To assist with the printery operations, Brother Knorr invited four young brothers from Canada to move to South Africa: Bill McLellan, Dennis Leech, Ken Nordin, and John Kikot. They arrived in November 1959. Bill McLellan and his wife, Marilyn, still serve at the South Africa Bethel, while John Kikot and his wife, Laura, now serve at Brooklyn Bethel, New York. Ken Nordin and Dennis Leech remained in South Africa, married, and raised families. They continue to make a fine contribution to Kingdom interests. Both of Ken’s children are serving at the South Africa Bethel.

The expanded Bethel and the new equipment were used to the full in caring for the growing interest in the country. In 1952 the number of publishers in South Africa exceeded 10,000. By 1959, that figure had grown to 16,776.

When the first branch was built at Elandsfontein, the authorities did not allow the black, colored, and Indian brothers to live in the same buildings as the white brothers. At the time, most of those in Bethel were white because of the difficulties in getting permits for those of other races to work in the city. There were, however, 12 black and colored brothers and sisters at Bethel, mainly translators of the vernacular languages. The government gave permission to build five rooms at the back of and separate from the main residence to accommodate these brothers. The permission was later withdrawn when apartheid rules were more strictly applied, and our brothers had to travel to the nearest African township, some 15 miles [20 km] away, and stay at a men’s hostel. The two black sisters were accommodated in private homes of Witnesses in the township.

The law did not even allow these Bethelites to eat with their white brothers in the main dining room, and inspectors from the local municipality were watching for any infringement of the law. However, the white brothers could not bear the thought of eating separately. So they replaced the clear glass windows in the dining room with opaque panes so that the whole family could be together for meals without disturbance.

In 1971, Brother Knorr paid another visit to South Africa. By this time, Bethel had again become too small. There were now 68 members in the family. Extensions were planned, and brothers willingly offered their services or donated funds for the project. Construction was completed by January 30, 1972. Another extension was finished in 1978. All this expansion provided encouraging reassurance of Jehovah’s backing, for at the time God’s people faced increasing pressure from governmental authorities.

[Picture on page 108, 109]

original, 1952

Bethel, Elandsfontein, 1972