Beteli y’i Brooklyn​—Ubu imaze imyaka 100

UMWAKA wa 1909 wabaye umwaka w’intibagirwa ku gisagara ca New York. Ikiraro citwa Queensboro, igihuza akarere ka Queens be n’aka Manhattan caruguruwe. Haruguruwe kandi n’ikiraro c’i Manhattan, igihuza akarere ka Manhattan n’aka Brooklyn.

Uwo mwaka warabaye kandi uw’intibagirwa ku Vyabona vya Yehova. Imbere y’aho, Charles Taze Russell uwari perezida wa Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society ico gihe, urwo rukaba ari urwego rwemewe n’amategeko rw’Ivyabona vya Yehova, yari yarabonye ko igikorwa co kwamamaza inkuru nziza y’Ubwami bw’Imana gishobora kwongerekana. (Matayo 24:14) Yarabona ko kwimura icicaro gikuru kikava i Pittsburgh muri Pennsylvanie kikaja i Brooklyn muri New York yobaye ari intambwe ikomeye mu bijanye no kwagura ico gikorwa. Imyiteguro y’ukucimura yatanguye mu 1908, gica cimurwa mu ntango z’umwaka ukurikira.

Kubera iki cimuriwe i Brooklyn?

Abari bahagarikiye igikorwa co kwamamaza muri iyo myaka barabonye ko kwamamaza inkuru nziza hakoreshejwe insiguro zicapuwe mu binyamakuru bwari uburyo bwiza cane bwo gukwiragiza ukuri kwo muri Bibiliya. Kukaba nkako, mu mwaka wa 1908, insiguro zishingiye kuri Bibiliya Russell yashikiriza buri ndwi zarasohotse mu binyamakuru 11, vyose hamwe bikaba vyacapurwa ari amakopi 402.000 ku ndwi ku ndwi.

Ariko rero, Russell yanditse ati: “Abavukanyi bamenyereye ukuntu ibinyamakuru bikora . . . baratwereka neza yuko nka hamwe izo nsiguro zitangwa buri ndwi zokwiragizwa zivuye [mu gisagara gikomeye kuruta] vyoshoboka ko zishika muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika hose; ko mu kiringo c’umwaka umwe vyoshoboka yuko izo nsiguro zisohorwa zidahorereza mu binyamakuru amajana n’amajana.” Ku bw’ivyo, haciye hatangura kuronderwa ikibanza ciza kuruta ibindi cofasha mu bijanye no kwagura igikorwa co kwamamaza.

Kubera iki bahisemwo i Brooklyn? Russell yavuze ati: “Tumaze kurondera ubuyobozi buva ku Mana, twese hamwe twashitse ku ciyumviro c’uko i Brooklyn muri New York, ahari abantu benshi . . . kandi hazwi ko ari ‘igisagara c’ihuriro ry’amadini’ ari ho, ku bw’izo mvo, hotubera ikibanza ciza kuruta ibindi mu bijanye n’igikorwa c’iyimbura.” Ivyavuyemwo birerekana ko iyo ngingo yari nziza. Mu gihe gitoyi, ibinyamakuru 2.000 vyariko birasohora insiguro za Russell.

Hariho n’iyindi mvo yatumye guhitamwo i New York kiba ikintu ciza. Mu 1909, ibiro vy’amashami vyari bimaze gushingwa mu Bwongereza, mu Budagi no muri Ositaraliya, kandi n’ibindi vyari bigiye gushingwa. Ni co gituma vyumvikana gushira icicaro gikuru mu gisagara carimwo ikivuko kikaba kandi cari gifise amabarabara menshi harimwo n’ay’indarayi agihuza n’utundi turere.

Kubera iki ciswe Beteli?

Icicaro gikuru ca mbere ca Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society cashinzwe mu myaka ya 1880, i Allegheny (ubu akaba ari igice ca Pittsburgh), muri Pennsylvanie. Ico gihe, ku cicaro gikuru hitwa Inzu ya Bibiliya. Mu 1896, hakorera abantu 12.

Ariko rero, icicaro gikuru kimaze kwimukira i Brooklyn mu 1909, iyo nyubakwa nshasha abahakorera babamwo yaciye yitwa Beteli.a Kubera iki? Ishirahamwe Watch Tower ryaraguze ikibanza kiri kuri 13-17 Hicks Street cari ic’umukuru w’idini yari azwi cane yitwa Henry Ward Beecher kandi cari kizwi kw’izina rya Beteli ya Beecher. Ikibanza kiri kuri 124 Columbia Heights Beecher yahoze abamwo na co nyene cari caraguzwe. Umunara w’Inderetsi (mu congereza) wo ku wa 1 Ntwarante 1909, wavuze uti: “Mu vy’ukuri bisa n’ibidasanzwe na gato kuba twarashoboye kuronka iyahoze ari Beteli ya Beecher tukongera tugaca turonka tutari tuvyiteze inyubakwa yahoze abamwo. . . . Iyo nzu nshasha y’uburaro tuzoyita ‘Beteli,’ ibiro be n’inyubakwa iberamwo inama bishasha na vyo tuvyite ‘Itaberenakulo y’i Brooklyn’; ayo mazina azosubirira izina ‘Inzu ya Bibiliya.’”

Muri iki gihe, inyubakwa zaguwe cane ziri i Brooklyn be n’iziri mu bindi bibanza bibiri vyo muri Leta ya New York, ari vyo Wallkill na Patterson, ushizemwo n’inyubakwa y’uburaro, iy’icapuriro be n’iy’ibiro, zahavuye zitwa Beteli. Ubu hirya no hino kw’isi hariho amabeteli mu bihugu 113. Ayo mabeteli akoreramwo abasuku barenga 19.000 bafasha gukwiragiza amakuru ashingiye kuri Bibiliya.

Abaza gutembera barahabwa ikaze n’igishika cinshi

Izo nyubakwa zeguriwe Imana ku wa 31 Nzero 1909. Ku wa mbere igenekerezo rya 6 Nyakanga 1909, wari umusi uhariwe abaje gutembera kuri Beteli. Abatohoji ba Bibiliya amajana n’amajana, ukwo akaba ari ko Ivyabona vya Yehova bitwa ico gihe, baratembereye muri iyo nyubakwa. Benshi muri bo bari baje ata handi barinze guca bavuye kw’ihwaniro rya gikirisu ryari ryabereye i Saratoga Springs, nko ku bilometero 320 mu Buraruko bw’igisagara ca New York. Charles Taze Russell ubwiwe yarahaye ikaze abaje gutembera yongera arabaramutsa.b

Abaza gutembera kuri Beteli n’ubu barahabwa ikaze. Nkako, ku mwaka ku mwaka abantu barenga 40.000 baratembera mu nyubakwa za Beteli y’i Brooklyn. Beteli y’i Brooklyn irabandanya kugira uruhara rukomeye mu gikorwa co kwagura ibijanye n’ivyungura Ubwami bwa Yehova, ibiheza bikazanira ivyiza abantu amamiliyoni n’amamiliyoni.