Kwesi sivumelwano, kwasekwa nombutho owawubizwa ngokuba luManyano Lwezizwe. Lo mbutho kwakufuneka “uqiniseke ukuba amazwe emhlabeni wonke ayasebenzisana ibe kukho uxolo nokhuseleko phakathi kwawo.” Iicawa ezininzi zamaKristu zaziwuxhasa lo mbutho. IFederal Council of the Churches of Christ yaseAmerika yawothulel’ umnqwazi isithi “ngumbutho wepolitiki omela uBukumkani bukaThixo emhlabeni.” Yade yathumela abantu bayo kula ntlanganiso yayiseParis. Omnye wabo wathi le ntlanganiso yayiza “kutshintsha izinto ezininzi emhlabeni wonke.”

Nyhani ke izinto zaziza kutshintsha, kodwa zazingazukutshintshwa yila ntlanganiso yaseParis. Ngo-1919, yatshintsha indlela owawusenziwa ngayo umsebenzi wokushumayela xa uYehova wanceda abantu bakhe bashumayela ngendlela ababengazange bashumayela ngayo ngaphambili. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba yenzeke loo nto, kukho into ebalulekileyo ekwakufuneka itshintshe kuBafundi BeBhayibhile.

Qho ngonyaka, kwakubakho intlanganiso ekwakuvotelwa kuyo abantu abaza kukhokela iWatch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Ngo-1919, le ntlanganiso yayiza kuba ngoJanuwari 4. Ngelo xesha, uJoseph F. Rutherford wayevalelwe engenzanga nto eAtlanta, eGeorgia, eMerika kunye nabanye abazalwana abasixhenxe. Ngoko eyona nto yayinzima yile: Ngaba aba bazalwana babanjiweyo babemele bavotelwe kwakhona okanye kwakumele kuvotelwe abanye?

Nangona wayesejele, uMzalwana uRutherford wayenexhala ngento eza kwenzeka kwintlangano. Wayesazi ukuba abanye abazalwana babecinga ukuba kubhetele kuvotelwe omnye umongameli. Ngenxa yaloo nto, wabhala ileta ethi mayibe nguEvander J. Coward umongameli. Wathi uCoward yindoda “ezolileyo,” “esisilumko” “nezinikeleyo eNkosini.” Kodwa abanye abazalwana  bathi kubhetele kuvotwe emva kweenyanga ezintandathu. Amagqwetha abazalwana ababebanjiwe avuma. Abazalwana ababexoxa ngale nto behlisana besonyusana.

Emva koko, kwenzeka into uRichard H. Barber awathi yayilungisa le ngxaki. Omnye umzalwana owayekule ntlanganiso wathi: “Andilogqwetha, kodwa ndiyayazi into elungileyo. UThixo ufuna senze izinto ezilungileyo. Ndicinga ukuba eyona nto ilungileyo esingayenza phambi kukaThixo kukuba sivote size sikhethe umzalwana uRutherford abe ngumongameli kwakhona.”—INdu. 18:25.

UA. H. Macmillan owayebanjwe nomzalwana uRutherford uthi ngosuku olulandelayo, uMzalwan’ uRutherford wamnkqonkqozela esiseleni sakhe waza wathi: ‘Khupha isandla.’ Emva koko, wamnika iphepha. Kwelo phepha uMacmillan wabona umyalezo omfutshane waza wawuqonda ngoko nangoko. Lo myalezo wawusithi: “RUTHERFORD WISE VAN BARBER ANDERSON BULLY NOSPILL UMONGAMELI ABALATHISI ABATHATHU BANITHANDA NONKE.” Le nto ithetha ukuba uJoseph Rutherford noWilliam Van Amburgh babephinde bavotelwa ibe basekwiiofisi zabo. UMzalwan’ uRutherford wayeza kuqhubeka engumongameli.

ABafundi BeBhayibhile bacela abantu ukuba basayine ileta eyayicela urhulumente ukuba akhulule abazalwana abasibhozo ababebanjiwe. Le nto yenziwa ngaba bazalwana noodade ibonisa ukuba babenesibindi. Kwasayina abantu abangaphezu kwe-700 000. NgoLwesithathu ngoMatshi 26, 1919, uMzalwana uRutherford kunye nabanye bakhululwa ejele ingekafiki naloo leta kurhulumente.

Xa wayethetha nabantu ababeze kubamkela, uMzalwana uRutherford wathi: “Ndiqinisekile ukuba le nto yenzekileyo iza kusinceda sonke sazi ukuba masithini xa kusenzeka izinto ezinzima ukodlula yona. . . . Beningalweli nje ukuba abazalwana benu bakhululwe ejele. . . . Eyona nto beniyilwela kukuzukisa uYehova ibe abazalwana noodade abayenzileyo le nto baye basikelelwa kakhulu.”

Izinto ezazisenzeka xa kwakuxoxwa ityala labazalwana zisenokubonisa ukuba nguYehova owayesalathisa izinto. NgoMeyi 14, 1919 inkundla yathi: “Abazalwana babanjelwe . . . into engekhoyo, ngenxa yaloo nto, ityala labo liyarhoxiswa.” Aba bazalwana kwakusithiwa benze izinto ezimbi kakhulu, ngoko ukuba babexolelwe okanye isigwebo sabo sincitshisiwe, elo tyala laliza kuhlala lisezincwadini zomthetho. Abazange baphinde batyholwe nganto. Ngenxa yaloo nto, uMzalwan’ uRutherford wavunyelwa ukuba amele abantu bakaYehova kwiNkundla Ephakamileyo YaseMerika, ibe le nto wayenza amaxesha amaninzi emva kokuba ephumile ejele.

UMzalwan’ uMacmillan wathi: “Sasingazukusonga nje izandla silinde iNkosi isise ezulwini. Saqonda ukuba kufuneka kubekho into esiyenzayo ukuze siyazi eyona nto ifunwa yiNkosi.”

Abazalwana ababekwikomkhulu abazange bakwazi ukuqhubeka nomsebenzi ekwakukudala bewenza. Ngoba? Ngenxa yokuba xa babesejele, zonakaliswa zonke izinto ababeprinta ngazo. Le nto yabakhathaza kakhulu abazalwana noodade ibe abanye babo babezibuza ukuba ugqityiwe na umsebenzi wokushumayela.

Ngaba babesekhona abantu ababenomdla kwiindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani ezazishunyayelwa ngaBafundi BeBhayibhile? Ukuze kuphenduleke lo mbuzo, uMzalwan’ uRutherford waqonda ukuba makanikele intetho. Kwakuza kufuneka kumenywe wonk’ umntu. UMzalwan’ uMacmillan uthi: “Ukuba abantu babengezanga, sasiza kubona ukuba sigqibile ukushumayela.”

NgeCawa ngoMeyi 4, 1919, uMzalwan’ uRutherford wanikela intetho enomxholo othi “Ithemba Loluntu Olunxungupheleyo” eLos Angeles, eCalifornia nangona wayegula kakhulu. Babemalunga ne-3 500 abantu ababekhona ibe kwajikiswa abanye abaninzi kuba kwakugcwele kakhulu. Ngosuku olulandelayo, kweza abantu abayi-1 500. Abazalwana bayifumana impendulo yabo, abantu babenomdla.

Into eyenziwa ngabazalwana emva koko yayitshintsha kakhulu indlela esiwenza ngayo umsebenzi wokushumayela ukuza kutsho namhlanje.

IMboniselo ka-Agasti 1, 1919 yathi kuza kubakho indibano eCedar Point, eOhio ekuqaleni kukaSeptemba. Omnye uMfundi weBhayibhile  osemtsha, uClarence B. Beaty wathi: “Wonk’ umntu wayefuna ukuba pha.” Kwabakho abazalwana noodade abangaphezu kwe-6 000. Abazalwana babengalindelanga ukuba kungakho abantu abaninzi kangaka. Enye into eyavuyisa kakhulu kukuba, kule ndibano kwabhaptizwa abantu abangaphezu kwe-200 kufutshane neLake Erie.

NgoSeptemba 5, 1919, ngosuku lwesihlanu lwendibano, uMzalwana uRutherford wanikela intetho enomxholo othi “Intetho Kubasebenzi Abangoowethu.” Kule ntetho, wenza isaziso sokuba kukho imagazini entsha ekuthiwa yiThe Golden Age. * Wathi le magazini “iza kuthetha ngezinto ezibalulekileyo ezenzekayo ize isebenzise iZibhalo ukuze icacise ukuba kwakutheni ukuze zenzeke.”

Bonke aBafundi BeBhayibhile bakhuthazwa ukuba bashumayele besebenzisa le magazini. Ileta eyayithetha ngendlela ekwakuza kushunyayelwa ngayo yathi: “Wonke umntu obhaptiziweyo umele akhumbule ukuba kuyintsikelelo ukukhonza, ibe umele angaliyeki eli thuba aze ashumayele kangangoko kweli hlabathi.” Baninzi abantu abazimiselayo ukushumayela. UDisemba wafika abavakalisi behambise iimagazini ezingaphezu kwe-50 000.

Kwathi kuphela u-1919, babe abantu bakaYehova belungelelene ibe benamandla kwakhona. Zininzi neziprofeto ezithetha ngemihla yokugqibela ezenzeka kuloo nyaka. Abantu bakaThixo babesele bevavanyiwe baza bacocwa, njengokuba wayetshilo uMalaki 3:1-4. Babephumile ‘kwiBhabhiloni Enkulu,’ ibe uYesu wayesele elikhethile ‘ikhoboka elithembekileyo neliyingqondi.’ * (ISityhi. 18:2, 4; Mat. 24:45) Ngoku aBafundi BeBhayibhile babeza kutsho bakwazi ukuwenza umsebenzi uYehova awayefuna bawenze.