Gilead School Sends Out Its 100th Class
THE Watchtower Bible School of Gilead has played an important role in the global proclamation of God’s Kingdom in modern times. Since Gilead School began training missionaries in 1943, its graduates have served in upwards of 200 lands. On March 2, 1996, the 100th class graduated.
The students had attended school during a period when well over six feet [2 m] of snow had fallen in the area of the Watchtower Educational Center at Patterson, New York. Not surprisingly, snow was falling on their graduation day. Nevertheless, the auditorium was full, and overflow audiences listened at Patterson, Wallkill, and Brooklyn—2,878 persons in all.
Theodore Jaracz, a member of the Teaching Committee of the Governing Body, served as chairman. After a warm welcome to the guests present from many lands, he invited all to stand and sing song number 52. The auditorium reverberated with praise to Jehovah as they sang “Our Father’s Name,” from the book Sing Praises to Jehovah. That song, coupled with the chairman’s remarks about using education to praise Jehovah, set the tone for the program that would follow.
Scriptural Counsel From Older Men
The first part of the program was made up of short talks to the graduating class by a number of longtime servants of Jehovah. Richard Abrahamson, a member of the headquarters staff who began his full-time service in 1940, urged the class: “Continue to Be Readjusted.” He reminded them that they had already experienced various periods of readjustment in their lives as Christians, including their five months of schooling at Gilead. So why should they continue to be readjusted?
The speaker explained that the expression used by the apostle Paul at 2 Corinthians 13:11 “implies a progressive process, a continued submitting to Jehovah’s forming or refining of one, a fine-tuning, so that one meets the more exacting standards of Jehovah.” In their foreign assignments, the graduating class would face new challenges to their faith. They would need to learn a new language, adjust to a different culture and living conditions, and adapt to different types of territory. They also would be dealing with different personalities in their missionary homes and in their new congregations. If they would carefully apply Bible principles to all these situations, with a willingness to be readjusted, then, as the apostle Paul wrote, they could also “continue to rejoice.”
John Barr, one of the five members of the Governing Body who shared in the program, took his theme from 1 Corinthians 4:9. He reminded his hearers that Christians are a spectacle to angels and to men. “Knowing this,” he said, “greatly adds to the importance of a Christian’s course in life, especially so when he realizes that by what he says and what he does, he can have a marked effect on those who are watching, unseen as well as seen. I believe that this is something that it would be very well for all of you dear brothers and sisters of the 100th class of Gilead to remember as you go away to the far-flung corners of the earth.”
Brother Barr urged the 48 students to keep in mind, as they help sheeplike ones to learn the truth, that “joy arises among the angels of God over one sinner that repents.” (Luke 15:10) Referring to 1 Corinthians 11:10, he showed that one’s attitude regarding theocratic arrangements affects not only our brothers and sisters whom we see but also the angels whom we do not see. How beneficial it is to keep this larger picture in mind!
Another member of the Governing Body, Gerrit Lösch, himself a graduate of Gilead School, discussed such scriptures as Psalm 125:1, 2; Zechariah 2:4, 5; and Psalm 71:21 to show that Jehovah ‘surrounds his people.’ He provides protection for them on every side. Will God provide such protection only during the great tribulation? “No,” answered the speaker, “for Jehovah is already a ‘wall of fire,’ a protection to his people. The postwar year of 1919 found the remnant of spiritual Israel eagerly desiring to preach the good news of the Kingdom worldwide as a witness to all the nations. They were representatives of the figurative Jerusalem in the heavens. Jehovah guarantees divine protection of these representatives as a group during the time of the end. Who then can effectively stop them? Nobody.” How reassuring to them and to all who closely associate with them in doing the divine will!
Ulysses Glass, the senior member of the school faculty, encouraged the class to ‘finish carving out their niche in Jehovah’s worldwide organization.’ A niche is a situation or an activity specially suited to a person’s abilities or character. “You prospective missionaries have found your niche in the worldwide organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses,” he declared. “But, valuable as it is now, this is only the beginning of your life as a missionary.” They would need to apply themselves to use well their abilities and to fit into the special assignments that Jehovah and his organization were giving them.
The final talk in this part of the program was given by Wallace Liverance, a member of the Gilead faculty who served for 17 years in Bolivia. “Will you put God to the test?” he asked the student body. How should they do it? The nation of Israel put God to the test in the wrong way. (Deuteronomy 6:16) “Obviously, putting God to the test by complaining or murmuring or perhaps by showing a lack of faith in his way of handling matters is wrong,” stated the speaker. “When you arrive in your new assignment, resist that inclination,” he urged. What, then, is the right way to put God to the test? “It is by taking him at his word, by doing exactly what he says, and then leaving the outcome in his hands,” Brother Liverance explained. As seen at Malachi 3:10, Jehovah invites his people: “Test me out, please.” He promised that if they faithfully brought their tenth parts into the temple storehouse, he would bless them. “Why not view your missionary assignment in a similar way?” the speaker asked. “Jehovah wants you to be successful at it, so put him to the test. Stick to your assignment. Make the adjustments he wants you to make. Endure. See if he will not bless you.” What fine advice for all who are serving Jehovah!
After a song the program changed from discourses to a series of delightful interviews.
Practical Expressions From the Field
Mark Noumair, a new member of the Gilead faculty, invited the students to relate experiences that they had had in the field ministry while attending the school. These highlighted the value of showing initiative in the ministry and gave the audience practical ideas that they could use.
During their school term, students in this Gilead class were especially benefited by being able to associate with Branch Committee members from 42 lands, who were also at the Patterson Educational Center for special training. Many of them had graduated from Gilead years earlier. On the program, interviews were conducted with representatives from the 3rd, 5th, 51st, and 92nd classes, as well as from the Gilead Extension School in Germany. How beneficial their comments were!
They told how missionaries have felt as they have seen the number of praisers of Jehovah in their assignments increase from a handful to tens of thousands. They told of the share that they have had in carrying the good news to scattered dwellings in the Andes Mountains and villages at the headwaters of the Amazon River. They discussed witnessing to illiterate people. They told about their own struggle to learn new languages and what the graduates could realistically expect as to how soon they would be able to witness and to give talks in a language such as Chinese. They even demonstrated sample presentations in Spanish and in Chinese. They emphasized that missionaries are most effective when they learn not only the language but also the thinking of the people. They told about the often harsh living conditions in poor lands and stated: “Missionaries should recognize that this situation often has to do with exploitation. A missionary does best if he feels as Jesus did—he had pity for the people, who were like sheep without a shepherd.”
After a song the program continued with a discourse by A. D. Schroeder, a member of the Governing Body. He was privileged to be one of the original instructors at Gilead School when it opened in 1943. As a fitting finale to the program, he discussed the subject “Hailing Jehovah as Sovereign Lord.” Brother Schroeder’s absorbing discussion of the 24th Psalm 24 impressed all in attendance with just how grand a privilege it is to hail Jehovah as Sovereign Lord.
After distribution of the diplomas, and a final song, Karl Klein of the Governing Body concluded with heartfelt prayer. What a practical and spiritually refreshing program it was!
In the days after the graduation, the 48 members of the 100th class began to move out to missionary assignments in 17 lands. But they were not just beginning their ministry. They already had a solid record of full-time Christian ministry. When they enrolled in Gilead, they were, on an average, 33 years of age and had devoted over 12 years to the full-time ministry. Some of them had been members of the Watch Tower Society’s global Bethel family. Others had served as traveling overseers. A number of the students had already shared in some form of foreign service—in Africa, Europe, South America, the islands of the sea, and among foreign-language groups in their home countries. But now they are joining the many other missionaries who have been delighted to be able to say, ‘We will serve anywhere in the world where we are needed.’ Their heartfelt desire is to use their lives to magnify Jehovah.
[Box on page 27]
Class Statistics:
Number of countries represented: 8
Number of countries assigned to: 17
Number of students: 48
Average age: 33.75
Average years in truth: 17.31
Average years in full-time ministry: 12.06
[Picture on page 26]
100th Graduating Class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead
In the list below, rows are numbered from front to back, and names are listed from left to right in each row.
(1) Shirley, M.; Grundström, M.; Genardini, D.; Giaimo, J.; Shood, W.; Phair, P.; Buchanan, C.; Robinson, D. (2) Pine, C.; Kraus, B.; Racicot, T.; Hansen, A.; Beets, T.; Berg, J.; Garcia, N.; Fleming, K. (3) Whinery, L.; Whinery, L.; Harps, C.; Giaimo, C.; Berg, T.; Mann, C.; Berrios, V.; Pfeifer, C. (4) Randall, L.; Genardini, S.; Kraus, H.; Fleming, R.; D’Abadie, S.; Shirley, T.; Stevenson, G.; Buchanan, B. (5) Robinson, T.; Garcia, J.; Harps, P.; Racicot, D.; D’Abadie, F.; Phair, M.; Stevenson, G.; Shood, D. (6) Beets, L.; Pfeifer, A.; Berrios, M.; Pine, J.; Mann, L.; Randall, P.; Grundström, J.; Hansen, G.