Jehovah’s Witnesses in New Zealand—Peaceful and Devout Christians?

On October 21, 1940, New Zealand designated Jehovah’s Witnesses as a subversive organization and a danger to public safety. Despite the hardships resulting from the government’s declaration, Jehovah’s Witnesses were not deterred. For example, they continued gathering for worship at the risk of being raided and arrested by the authorities.

Andy Clarke, the non-Witness husband of a Witness named Mary, noticed her determination to continue attending meetings despite the threat. He feared that his wife would be arrested while attending the meetings. Although he had not normally done so, Andy started accompanying Mary and told her, “Well, if they’re going to arrest you, they will have to arrest me too!” Andy attended every meeting with his wife from that point on. In time, he too became a baptized Witness. Mary’s determination in the face of persecution was typical of many Witnesses in New Zealand during World War II.

Thriving in Detention

One day the police stopped 78-year-old John Murray while he was speaking about the Bible from door to door. The court convicted him of participating in the activities of a subversive organization. Dozens of other Witnesses were brought before the courts; some were fined, and others were imprisoned for up to three months at a time.

The Witnesses objected to military service on the basis of their Bible-trained conscience. (Isaiah 2:4) As a result, during the war they experienced severe hardship when many were called up for military duty. In place of being trained for military service, some 80 Witnesses were sent to detention camps for the duration of the war. Even there, despite harsh mistreatment and extreme cold in winter, these brothers joyfully continued to worship Jehovah.

The Witnesses in the detention camps lost no time in organizing consistent spiritual activities. They functioned as a congregation, with regular meetings and arrangements for preaching to other inmates. The Witnesses were even permitted, with a guard present, to hold assemblies in some of the camps. Some inmates learned Bible truths in the camps and were baptized there.

Bruce, the youngest son of Mary and Andy, who were mentioned earlier, saw incarceration as an opportunity to improve his spiritual education. He recalled, “For me, it was like going to school because I could probe the brains of more experienced brothers in the camps and absorb all that knowledge that was then available to me.”

In 1944 the government considered releasing some of those held in detention camps. However, the military authorities objected because they were convinced that the Witnesses, if released, would continue to talk with others about their faith. The report stated: “While continued detention might offer some measure of control over the fanaticism of these types, it will never alter or change them.”

Not a Danger to Public Safety

Because of the publicity generated by the ban, some people became curious about Jehovah’s Witnesses. In time, many realized that Jehovah’s Witnesses were not at all a danger to public safety. They learned that the Witnesses were harmless, peaceful Christians. As a result, the number of Witnesses in New Zealand grew from 320 in 1939 to 536 in 1945!

Occasionally, fair-minded officials recognized that the ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses was unjust. One magistrate, after hearing evidence against a brother who had been preaching, dismissed the case. He said: “It is absolutely repellent to my mind and my conception of the law that the distribution of copies of the Bible should be made a criminal offense.”

When the ban was finally lifted at the end of the war, the Witnesses were more determined than ever to help their neighbors learn about God’s Kingdom. In 1945 a letter from the branch office to all congregations in New Zealand said: “Let each one be tactful, friendly and kind to all. Avoid controversies and strife. Remember that the people we meet hold their beliefs sincerely and conscientiously. . . . A great number of them are the Lord’s ‘sheep’ whom we must lead to Jehovah and his kingdom.”

Today, Jehovah’s Witnesses in New Zealand continue to share the Bible’s message with local residents and tourists. One day, in just a couple of hours, a group of 4 Witnesses in Turangi spoke with 67 visitors from 17 countries!

Clearly, the people of New Zealand recognize that Jehovah’s Witnesses are peaceful, devout Christians who have high regard for Bible truths. Hundreds of people are baptized as Jehovah’s Witnesses every year. As of 2019, more than 14,000 Witnesses were joyfully serving Jehovah in this southern land.