On Tuesday, September 2, Brother Rutherford explained: “A Christian’s mission on earth . . . is to proclaim the message of the Lord’s kingdom of righteousness, which will bring blessings to the whole groaning creation.” Three days later, on Friday, September 5, which was called Co-Laborers’ Day, Brother Rutherford further stated: “In sober moments a Christian naturally asks himself, Why am I on the earth? And the answer of necessity must be, The Lord has graciously made me his ambassador to bear the divine message of reconciliation to the world, and my privilege and duty is to announce that message.”

‘Advertise the King and the Kingdom’

In 1922 the Bible Students returned to Cedar Point for a nine-day program, from September 5 to 13. Excitement ran high as the delegates arrived for this international convention. The climax of the convention was reached on Friday, September 8, when Brother Rutherford delivered the talk “The Kingdom.”

Thomas J. Sullivan later recalled: “Those who were privileged to attend that meeting can even yet visualize Brother Rutherford’s earnestness when he told the few restless people that were walking around because of the intense heat to ‘SIT DOWN’ and ‘LISTEN’ to the talk at any cost.” Those who did were not disappointed, for that was the historic discourse in which Brother Rutherford urged his listeners to ‘advertise the King and the Kingdom.’

The audience responded with great enthusiasm. The Watch Tower reported: “Each one present was thoroughly impressed with the fact that the obligation is laid upon every one of the consecrated from this time forward to act as a publicity agent for the King and the kingdom.” The Bible Students came away from that convention with a burning zeal for the preaching work. As Sister Ethel Bennecoff, a colporteur then in her late 20’s, said, “we were aroused to ‘advertise, advertise, advertise the King and his kingdom’—Yes, with more zeal and love in our hearts than ever before.”