NARRATOR: The allure of distant lands.

Mysterious. Exotic.

For centuries men have sought them for wealth, power, and ad-venture. But others have sought distant lands for a noble pur-pose. As fields in which to proclaim the good news of God’s Kingdom. Jesus told his disciples, “You will be witnesses of me to the most distant part of the earth.” In imitation of the early apostles a few courageous men and women early in the twentieth century took the good news to re-mote corners of the world.

Edwin Skinner preached in the sub continent of India.

W.R. Brown’s work in West Africa earned him the nickname “Bible Brown”.

And Kathe Palm, working alone, witnessed in mining camps, company towns and sheep ranches throughout the republic of

Chile. Thus by the early 1940’s a limited amount of missionary work was being done. But vast areas of the world had not yet received a witness. How could this good news be spread to the ends of the earth? September 1942. The world is at war. In sharp contrast peace loving Christians attend the “New World Theocratic Assembly” held earth wide in 85 cities. At the main city, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, the president of the Watchtower Society, Nathan Knorr, delivers the talk, “Peace – Can It Last?”

He explains a startling Bible prophecy that was in the midst of fulfillment. Many in attendance expected the then raging war to climax in God’s battle of Armageddon. To them the words of Nathan Knorr come as a surprise. NATHAN KNORR: This international war is not the battle of the great day of God Almighty. Before Armageddon comes the scrip-tures show a peace must come. NARRATOR: Plans were made to take advantage of the antici-pated peace period.

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MILTON HENSCHEL:

I was Brother Knorr’s secretary and the Governing Body was the Board of Directors in those days and the Board of Directors had the meeting and they talked about the program of education that Brother Knorr had in mind. NARRATOR: The result? ALBERT SCHROEDER: I was one of three that received a spe-cial invitation to see Brother Knorr at his office. Brother Keller,

Brother Maxwell Friend,

and myself

were given astounding news. That the Governing Body had de-cided to open up a missionary school.

NARRATOR: This missionary school was given the Biblical

name “Gilead”.

HENSCHEL: There was something to use, that building. It was a nice place to have studies, its quiet, fresh air, very healthy sur-roundings, so they could concentrate on their studies. NARRATOR: Confidential invitations to the first class were ex-tended by letter to 100 full time ministers in the United States.

CHARLOTTE SCHROEDER (1

st Class)

(Served in Mexico and El Salvador. In 1956 she became the wife of Albert Schroeder, one of her former Gilead instruc-tors, who later became a member of the Governing Body):

I was working with a group of sisters, special pioneering, five of us. We had one mailbox. We’d go and get our mail, of course, everyday. And three of us got three long beautiful envelopes from the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. We immediately sat down and read our letters and then we couldn’t say another word to each other because in the letter were instructions to dis-cuss this invitation to this new school of Gilead only with Jeho-vah. NARRATOR: Mildred Simpkins received such a letter.

MILDRED SIMPKINS (1

st Class)

(Served in the Mexican field): Please bring your birth certificate or equivalent with you, do not plan on returning to your home after you complete the course for no doubt you will go direct from Gilead to your new assignment.

CHARLES EISENHOWER (1

st Class)

(Served in Cuba and Argentina): We filled out the application and sent it in to the Society and a month later we got our invitation for Gilead. Well, we still didn’t feel we were worthy of it. But we sold the car and the trailer,

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said good-bye to everybody because we never thought we’d get back to see them again. JULIA WILDMAN (1

stClass) (Served in Mexico and El Salva-

dor): I just went home to see my mother and all my clothes fit into an overnight bag and I had a carton with all the Society’s books from my library that I put into a little cardboard suitcase and took my overnight bag with an extra dress or two and that was it. That’s all the preparation there was. SIMPKINS: Brother Knorr showed us around the farm. We real-ized that would be our home for five months. And there would be peace there in a war torn world at that time. NARRATOR: The dedication of the school took place on Febru-ary 1, 1943. SCHROEDER: During the operation of the first class several patterns were set for future classes. Very active and humorous but at the same time very serious and inquired of deeper things pertaining to Bible prophecies and the Bible itself. DOROTHY ARONSON (1

st Class): I didn’t know what to do. I

was awestricken. I thought “How little I know, what am I going to do?”. But they didn’t mind, they helped us and they were so kind. All of our instructors were so loving. FRANCES GARCIA (1

st Class): In fact. I’ll tell you, Bother

Friend used to call us his precious guinea pigs. They were work-ing with us and we were working along with them, whatever was presented to us to do. We were just willing. A hundred willing people is what it was. NARRATOR: There were examinations and those who passed were granted a diploma. In its first 50 years the school graduated 6707 students sending them to 187 lands. ALBERT MANN (1

st Class) (Served in Chile): One thing that

sticks very clearly in my mind was a statement by Brother Fredrick Franz when he said this is not an experiment. We know that the good news has to be preached and that is the purpose of this school of Gilead. HENSCHEL: As long as this peace period after the war would be going we would be doing this work of missionaries and we would reach all the world if possible. NARRATOR: Gilead is still training missionaries. What was it like to be a member of the 95

th class on the school’s 50

th anniver-

sary.

ULYSSES GLASS (GILEAD REGISTAR):

We’d like to welcome you students of the 95th

class. And today we would like to have what we call an orientation session.

NARRATOR: The students come to the school between the ages of 21 and 40. They must have good physical health and stamina, speaking English well and have been full time ministers at least two years. GLASS: They’re going to leave their family, they’re going to leave their friends, they’re going to leave their home, they’re go-ing to leave their language, their climate, the food, everything, it’s all gone behind. They don’t even know what kind of climate they’re going to get into. They don’t even think about that be-cause they have a purpose a goal. And that’s why it’s such a joy to be a teacher. You don’t have to motivate these kids, they’re ready to go. NARRATOR: The students tour the Gilead library and learn where their 175 written tests and reports will be returned to them. In a classroom they are greeted by stacks of books that will help them thorough the next five months.

JACK REDFORD (GILEAD INSTRUCTOR) (Former mission-ary in Vietnam: Brother Knorr, the Society’s president wanted the students to have an education in the Bible and he wanted them to cover every book of the Bible and to put as time on each book of the Bible as five months allow. And as we go through we assign certain verses or chapters for research and then the stu-dents can go to the Society’s indexes, look up information and present that in class. So that truly by the time they finish Gilead school the Bible really has been their textbook. NARRATOR: On the evening of their first official day enrolled in the school the students will introduce themselves to the Bethel family. It’s a time for reflection and even some humor.

BROTHER BILLINGSBY:

And one of those many blessings I have to say is meeting my present wife, Mumtaz. (laughter) I mean by that, she’ll always be my wife.

SISTER STEDMAN:

I came to love Jehovah myself as I was a young child, my grandmother used to relate Bible stories to me as I was growing up.

BROTHER BOKER:

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I asked the man, I said, “Do you honestly believe that?” And he said, “Well yes, all of Jehovah’s Witnesses do, it’s what the Bible says and we take it as the word of God.” I was immediately con-vinced that I wanted to study with him, he was the first one I ever met that really believed the Bible and I wanted to be part of that.

BROTHER NUMMINEN:

Can you imagine that I have had long hair, a big motorcycle, and leather jacket? (laughter)

SISTER DONZE:

I was raised a good Catholic, he asked me a whole bunch of questions, why, why did I go to church? Why did I celebrate the holidays? But, of course, I didn’t know the answers. That made start asking him about Jehovah’s Witnesses and what he was being taught.

BROTHER THOMAS:

I first came in contact with the truth from my two best friends. We three together were very keen surfers. Surfing was our entire lifestyle. Well, unknownst to me they started studying the Bible and in time one of them came to tell me about the beautiful new system in terms that would capture my interest, perfect surf eve-ryday he promised. (laughter)

SISTER LUTTRELL:

One of my favorite scriptures I know will come true which is Malachi 3:10 which says “Test me out please in this respect, Jehovah of armies has said, whether I shall not open up to you the floodgates of the heavens and actually empty out upon you a blessing until there is no more want.” Thank you for letting me be here.

NARRATOR: The school starts in earnest. Using different styles and teaching aids the principle instructors take the stu-dents on virtual verse by verse discussion of the Bible. GLASS: And it says by what means did Jesus want people to identify him as the Christ? REDFORD: That it had 10 horns. Now the 10 horns seem to picture all of the pieces into which the Roman Empire was even-tually divided GLASS: Let’s have two reasons why it is not admissible for a prophet to be destroyed outside Jerusalem? REDFORD: So here the Anglo American World power would fight against the remnant, the holy ones. GLASS: Well we’ve enjoyed this session with you very much and we appreciate all your comments your observations but that will end our session for today. Thank you class dismissed.

BROTHER BUELOW:

It’s like an accumulation of experience that is just bestowed upon you. If we were to add up all the years of experience these brothers have and then they just give it to you, it’s unbelievable. NARRATOR: To benefit from the course Gilead students study 3 hrs every night. Come morning the student may find himself presenting a report.

BROTHER LUTTRELL:

Well another aspect of the high priest’s garment that we want to talk about is the blue sleeveless coat. What is interesting is that the bottom of this coat was handsome fringe of bells and pome-granates and taken into its entirety this woven garment pictured Jesus’ trueness and faithfulness toward Jehovah. NARRATOR: They have a work assignment during a portion of every school day. And they keep their preaching skills sharp with regular participation in the ministry. REDFORD: A person who becomes a missionary should be one of those who just loves the field service because that’s all they do. 140 hrs a month they spent preaching and teaching. He’s going to adjust to his new assignment although it’s very different because he loves the people there, although they’re different. And because he loves people he’ll be able to get along with his fellow missionaries in peace and unity in the missionary home. NARRATOR: About mid way thru the course a very special day comes for the 95

th class. The countries where the students will

be sent have been selected.

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THEODORE JARACZ:

This is the day when we hand out assignments to all of the stu-dents and they wonder just where it’s going to be.

SISTER JONES:

The morning we knew that we were going to get our assignment we went down to morning worship and then we had to line up and we were waiting to get our assignment and my stomach was churning and I felt really sick, Sick with excitement as well as the fact that you knew that whatever Brother Jaracz said the next sentence that came out of his mouth would determine the rest of your life. JARACZ: Well we’re going to send them not too far away into the Carrebean area, the Dominican Republic. And they’re going to join another couple that is being sent to Taiwan. It’s to Chile.

SISTER BUELOW:

We’re just so excited about going, When we came to Gilead it was anywhere in the world. And we felt like no matter where we were sent you know we’d be happy to jump into it. And so since it is Chile it’s such a wonderful place it’s like better than our dream. JARACZ: Well a good place is Estonia. To the Leeward Islands. Lesotho. Argentina. Honduras. Cambodia.

BROTHER NILSSON:

I have a little anxiety, will we stay healthy, will everything workout good. Will we have the opportunity to continue our service or not? But we will turn to Jehovah and ask for him and his help and support in this regard.

NARRATOR: About this time the class photograph is taken. And the class work continues without letup. One of the great blessings of Gilead is to be able to listen to lectures given by members of the Governing body.

CAREY BARBER:

What is the proof of a good teacher? Brother? BROTHER: The things that the student does. BARBER: Get results from your student. Not for yourself but get good results from your student.

JOHN BARR:

But the effect of God’s word on our mind can have the same effect if we let it. This is the point if we get into it’s field of influ-ence. But we’ve got to do that and it means effort on our part. JARACZ: So we have to see the organization and our position and our place in it and then we’re going to be able to explain it to other people. If you don’t see it how can you explain it? You can’t teach someone something that you don’t understand.

DANIEL SYDLIK:

Make the truth come alive in you then you’ll come alive. And you’ll find joy in your life. And you will find joy because you’ll know that you’re associating with your God, Jehovah. You will feel that you are walking hand in hand with him. REDFORD: Most of them seem to be impressed at the end of it all with the humility of the members of the governing body. Brothers are very warm and friendly, down to earth, very human, and this makes a tremendous impression on the students as they leave here, that there is a loving caring kind organization that is backing them up.

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NARRATOR: As the course nears its conclusion the students find time for a bit relaxation and reflection. BROTHER BUELOW: What I think I’ve gotten out of it is I’ve gotten a heritage a deeper heritage into the truth. You get this feeling that these are the people that have worked hard they’ve toiled and that’s the family. But now they’re handing the torch to you and they’re saying run hard with it. You can keep the work going. SISTER JONES: You’ll never ever get another opportunity to spent at least 8 hrs a day without having to worry about anything else just to concentrate on building yourself up spiritually and building your faith up. You’ll never ever get another chance to have the time or the opportunity to do that and I wouldn’t of swapped it for the world. NARRATOR: Graduation day comes quickly. The Jersey City assembly hall fills with Bethel family members, close family of the students and special guests. SCHROEDER: We say Good morning, this is the happy day of graduation for the 95

th class of the Gilead school.

NARRATOR: This is the final step. What awaits them are enve-lopes with their diplomas and later one way tickets to their as-signments. JOHN STUEFLOTEN (Watchtower Farms Committee): You’re going to 18 countries that has a total population of approximately 170 million people. DEAN SONGER (Factory Committee): Obviously you will ini-tially be learners. Who are the experts, the brothers who are already there. SYDLIK: Teach yourselves and others too to love Jehovah with all your hearts soul mind and might and your neighbor as your-self. Do this and you’ll find that your joy will be great and your reward of everlasting life will be made sure. NARRATOR: After listening to a program of encouraging talks they make their way to the stage for their last moments as Gilead students. Very soon they will be Gilead graduates and the 95

th

class will be sent to the ends of the earth. GLASS: It’s when they walk across the platform and get their envelope with the diplomat in it. And they know what that means then, this is it, now they’ve got it they’ve made it, they got through, the next stop now is their assignment. And we know that isn’t a stop really it’s just a beginning for them and it’s just like part of the family is leaving you. You just can’t escape that. REDFORD: It’s a remarkable testimony to faith and to confi-dence in the organization to see what young people are doing. They’ve sacrifice everything that the world can offer, they’ve de-voted themselves to this one purpose of being able to qualify to be at Gilead. Now to study and to qualify to go out and give themselves in further sacrifice, you have to love them for what they are doing. NARRATOR: What is life as a missionary like? Consider just 3 countries where missionaries have been active for many years. SISTER: We didn’t really know what to expect at this point we were ready and willing to go wherever Jehovah would send us. BROTHER: It was a little strange but we were really positive and prepared because of the training of Gilead especially the part missionary service it really trains you to anything and you were full of fire and you’d talk to anyone.

HARVEY LOGAN (TAIWAN):

You come out with a view as it was stressed when we were young at Gilead, this is a one way ticket and this is your assign-ment this is where you’re going to be until Jehovah brings the new system. NARRATOR: Missionaries around the world begin their day with the discussion of the Bible text. (Different languages discussing daily text from Cote d’Ivoire, Ecuador, and Taiwan) NARRATOR: By whatever means of transportation the entire day will be spent in preaching. One of the first challenges a mis-sionary must overcome is learning the local language. (Brother teaching other brother the word “agree”) MARY CHRIST (TAIWAN): After being in Gilead taking in all this wonderful knowledge and then come to Taiwan and can’t speak the language. Chinese is very difficult and so I found it very frus-trating. I couldn’t express myself. At least a year or more before you could really start to carry on a conversation with people.

KAREN ETHERIDGE (ECUADOR) (76

th CLASS):

But then when you are limited with the language it’s just not pos-sible. so then you have to work extra hard to know how to put it in a simple way that you can understand what you are saying and that the person can understand what you are saying. And you dread them to ask you any questions cause you have no idea what they ask you. (Brothers and sisters is service in other languages using maga-zines, Young People Ask, and tracts) NARRATOR: Missionary life is truly rewarding. But it brings its own special challenges. ED MOBLEY (COTE D’IVOIRE): We’re in a country where ma-laria runs high and any sickness is a handicap to the work, So when we get sick it doesn’t make us feel good naturally and it come become discouraging but as a whole we see how Jehovah

7

bring us thru. We get the needed medicine and with time we’re back on the road again. HEIDI POHL (COTE D’IVOIRE): In order to be happy as a mis-sionary one shouldn’t be fussy, one shouldn’t be afraid of dirt, of smells, of mosquitoes, of all these little beasts and also the rats and mice and all this. I mean just can’t avoid it because you are in the tropics. NARRATOR: Taking turns some missionaries will be assigned to shop in local markets for food and other essentials needed at the missionary home.

WALTRAUD BISCHOF (COTE D’IVOIRE) (46

th CLASS):

We have to wash our vegetables nicely in the kitchen and put that in the bleach water for 20 min. to kill the amebas but after a while you just get used to it. NARRATOR: The break at midday finds the missionaries back at home for a family meal. In the afternoon it’s back to the field for preaching.

EMMANUEL TOMASZEWSKI (COTE D’IVOIRE) (79

th CLASS):

People are very friendly and practically at each door you can talk with somebody. We sit down at nearly every door. We meet very few people who say I do not believe in God. They are a people who as soon as you ask “Can we talk about God?” Reply, “Of course.” ARLENA MOBLEY (COTE D’IVOIRE): You see how people are responding to the message and you’re able to share the kingdom truth with them, study with them, see them make changes and it’s fulfilling when you see them learning how to thank Jehovah. How wonderful Jehovah God is when they learn that and that he is center of all true worship and admiration it just swells your heart. NARRATOR: Most missionaries preach in cities and towns, but sometimes they witness in more primitive territories. They find good results. BISCHOF: The ministry is good. I wouldn’t want to change with anybody. It’s really good. People are friendly, they are hospita-ble. When you go from house to house you can sit down in gen-

eral, they listen and it’s very easy to have studies. I have more studies than I can take care of.

PAUL SANCHEZ (ECUADOR) (59

th CLASS):

When we had our memorial 1854 just for our congregation. Be-sides that in our territory we had something like 29 baptized just from our congregation for one assembly. And in four visits of the circuit overseer the congregation divided 3 times. TOMASZEWSKI: That is not to say that all Bible studies come into the truth but at least in conducting several studies you have the feeling of working thoroughly. Of giving a thorough witness to all these people and that makes us very happy. NARRATOR: Chores around the home are part of the regular assignment. SISTER: Missionary life has got it all. You feel that you’re using your life to the full in Jehovah’s service. You learn so much living the way we do. KAREN EVANS (COTE D’IVOIRE): To be a missionary you can’t be afraid of work because there’s a lot of physical work in a missionary home to keep it clean and also there’s lots of work in the congregation helping brothers and sisters and especially in the field. There’s enormous changes that people have to make so you really have to work hard in helping people to come in the truth. NARRATOR: Missionaries have the privilege in teaching many people the truth that leads to everlasting life. This is the grandest reward.

NANCY WARGNIER (COTE D’IVOIRE) (91

st CLASS):

When you feel that love from you brothers and sisters and from the interested people that you have the privilege to study with them it’s just wonderful feeling. BROTHER: I study with Seyvundo and his wife Mercedes they study with sister Anito Jova and she studied with Margarita. So we have 1-2-3-4 generations HERMAN GAU (ECUADOR): I believe that I do better than any medical doctor here that saves the life. Because he can save the

8

life for about 5 – 10 – 20 years but if I can help somebody to accept the truth I can help them to live forever. What better thing can you do? NARRATOR: A very full day of work will likely conclude with spiritual meetings or personal and family study. YOLANDA SCHUILO (ECUADOR): You go to bed tired but sat-isfied because you feel you did what you were supposed to. NARRATOR: Even though they come from distant lands mis-sionaries have found new places to call home. BROTHER: My family is here, my work is here, all my friends all my children are here. Now I am determined to stay here. MOBLEY: And it’s our desire to remain as missionaries as long as Jehovah permits, our health permits, and the governments on foreign soil permits. It’s a career, it’s a way of life for us and we would like to remain forever. NARRATOR: What has been the accomplishment of thousands of missionaries planting seeds of Kingdom truth around the world? Consider just 2 examples. First, Japan. A country steeped in the Shinto and Budhist religions it did not seem at first to be a likely location for a large harvest of Christians. In fact prior to the arrival of missionaries in 1949 the good news of God’s Kingdom was almost unknown.

LLOYD BARRY (11

th CLASS):

We looked at those people and we knew at the time there were only a handful maybe half a dozen Kingdom publishers active in the country, we wondered well will anything ever come out of this? NARRATOR: In time more missionaries would come. Over the years some 168 would serve there. Listen to Matsue Ishii one of the handful of Jehovah’s Witnesses preaching in Japan before the arrival of Gilead missionaries. MATSUE ISHII: Their influence was truly marvelous. Before the war in Japan there were no meetings or assemblies. We never got together. We didn’t study the Bible together. So when the missionary brothers and sisters came meetings became regular. Conventions were started and all sorts of things got organized. So that we who’d been blind up until then were brought to life spiritually. NARRATOR: Those early missionaries found a zealous people, enthusiastic to learn. Japan was a fertile field ready for harvest-ing. BARRY: In the first 10 years in Japan we had up to 60 mission-aries in the country by that time. We got just 1000 publishers. I remember when we reached that 1000 mark after 10 years of hard work. And now in Japan they get 1000 publishers increase every month. You talk about Jehovah’s speeding the work up well that means it’s been speeded up 120 times since those early days of missionary work.

NARRATOR: Now consider what Gilead missionaries have accomplished in the vast country of Brazil. Though long domi-nated by the Catholic religion, Brazil too proved to be a receptive field for seeds of Kingdom truth. A graduate of the first class re-members the daunting task of organizing the preaching work in a land so vast. CHARLES LEATHCO (1

st CLASS): The publishers were thinly

spread all over the whole country even though there was less than 400. When I came with my partner Harry Black there was 394 publishers, a peak in the year of 1925. NARRATOR: The early missionaries shared in a battle to legal-ize the Watchtower society. Only after many years did their ef-forts triumph. Nevertheless the preaching work went on. The branch committee coordinator in Brazil was taught the Kingdom truth by a Gilead missionary. He explains why such missionaries produced good results in his native land. AUGUSTO MACHADO: It’s precisely the same now a days in the congregation, if a student has a study with a brother who is weak his progress is slower. On the other if he happens to have a good teacher his progress will probably be faster. The mis-sionaries contribute to more rapid progress. Without them it would certainly take much more time in the training of the broth-ers so that they could assume leadership of the work. NARRATOR: The message of truth has continued to prosper and grow. The result? Today more that 360,000 in Brazil witness to Jehovah’s name and on the average more than 60 new ones are baptized every day. Similar success stories could be told in many other lands. For example in Argentina, Mexico, Italy and Nigeria. In 1993 the total number of Jehovah’s Witnesses was 75 times what it had been in 1949. Worldwide during the schools first 50 years Jehovah’s Witnesses grew from 129 000 to 4.7 million in 231 countries. Gilead missionaries played a major part in paving the way for that increase. When Gilead was estab-lished more than 50 years ago vast areas of the earth had not been reached with the good news. Today millions still have not heard the message of salvation. The missionary example en-courages all young Christians to make the full time preaching work their career. It encourages those with family or other re-sponsibilities to do their utmost to reach out to others with the good news.

In it’s new home in Patterson, New York,

Gilead will continue to fulfill it’s mandate to train new missionar-ies. All dedicated Christians will continue to work with the mis-sionary spirit to seek out the meek hearted until Jehovah says, “The work is done.”

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GLASS: For than 50 years Gilead has had an impact on the worldwide preaching work. It continues to prepare young men and women for missionary service and it’s wonderful to reflect on what they accomplish. Thanks to their efforts and with Jehovah’s blessing great numbers in many lands continue to be helped to gain in a knowledge of the truth. This is the legacy that Gilead is leaving behind. It is something that will never be forgotten.

Gilead Training in the Most Holy Faith Graduation of 95th Class Watchtower December 1, 1993 “OUR students have been well trained in the most holy faith.” These were the opening remarks at the graduation program of the 95th class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead, held on Sunday, September 12, 1993. On that morning the 4,614 invited guests and members of the Bethel family who were gathered at the Jersey City Assembly Hall were led in an opening prayer by George Gangas. Brother Gangas has been a member of the Bethel family for 65 years and at 97 is the oldest member of the Governing Body. Albert Schroeder, also of the Governing Body and chairman of the program, stated: “For five months the Gilead course has been based on the most holy faith.” But what is the “most holy faith”? He explained that this “most holy faith,” mentioned at Jude 20, is the whole range of Bible truth. So the Gilead course is based on Jehovah’s Word, the Bible, which is its principal textbook.

Students Receive More Instruction The first speaker was John Stuefloten of the Watchtower Farms Committee, who spoke on the theme “Benefiting From the Influ-ence of Wise Persons.” The Bible says that those who are “walk-ing with wise persons will become wise.” (Proverbs 13:20) Dur-ing the Gilead course, the students spent over 900 hours study-ing the Bible. Brother Stuefloten asked the students: “How will Jehovah’s influence affect you in the future? You are going to 18 countries with a combined population of some 170 million peo-ple. So how will you influence those people?” By reflecting the wisdom of Jehovah, the new missionaries will be able to help others to become worshipers of Jehovah, the Source of bound-less wisdom. “Becoming All Things to All Men” was the theme of the following talk, developed by Lloyd Barry of the Governing Body. (1 Corin-thians 9:22, King James Version) Some 45 years ago, Brother Barry himself was a student in the 11th class of Gilead. Now the 95th class appreciated receiving practical counsel from a former missionary with years of experience in a foreign land. He en-couraged the students to identify quickly with the people in their new foreign territory by getting to know the local culture and learning the vernacular language. He said that this can best be done by mingling and working with the local people as well as by learning their customs and adopting them whenever appropriate. Next, Dean Songer of the Factory Committee spoke on the in-triguing theme “Set Free From Duty.” After more than 35 years of full-time service, Brother Songer understands what it means to live a focused, simple life, concentrating on the work at hand, free from material concerns. And that was the essence of his counsel to the students. The singers at Jehovah’s temple were set free from duties common to other Levites in order to devote

themselves fully to their special assignment. (1 Chronicles 9:33) Similarly, Gilead missionaries have been set free from such ordi-nary matters as secular work so that they can concentrate on their special service. Brother Songer concluded with this admoni-tion: “Keep your outlook focused and your life simple. Your re-sponsibility as those set free from duty is to be in the work by day and by night, praising Jehovah.” Governing Body member Daniel Sydlik followed with the theme “Teaching Others How to Get the Best Out Of Life.” He encour-aged the students “not only to teach doctrine but to be bold enough to show the people what they must do to bring their lives into harmony with the will of God.” Good teachers must inspire and motivate. “Be conscious of building Christian values rather than merely teaching rules and regulations,” he said and added in conclusion: “Above all things, dear brothers, teach yourselves and teach others how to love, for it is a perfect bond of union.”—1 Corinthians 13:1-3; Colossians 3:14. After months of training, the students grew especially fond of their two Gilead instructors. Jack Redford, a former missionary himself, spoke first, on the subject “You Have Made the Right Choice.” In the ancient Jewish world, before becoming a Chris-tian apostle, Paul had position, prestige, influence, and financial security. But at Philippians 3:8, Paul described all of this as “a lot of refuse,” or “garbage,” according to the Phillips translation. His heart was in the ministry, and he made the right choice. In con-trast, the majority of mankind today show by their choices in life that they consider their material possessions to be of greater value than everlasting life. Gilead missionaries have made the right choice. Jack Redford concluded by saying: “There is noth-ing that the Devil’s world can offer you that compares with mis-sionary service. Take care of that inestimable privilege, and let the world take care of its garbage!” For the past 32 years, Ulysses Glass has been a Gilead instruc-tor. He gave the students some parting counsel with the theme “Only God Can Make a Tree,” basing his talk on Psalm 1:3. Modern technology has never been able to rival the construction of a tree, designed by God. In a sense, true Christians are like trees, planted and irrigated by Jehovah. Brother Glass noted that for five months, the students had been “regularly irrigated from the fountain of life-giving waters in God’s Word,” like trees in a spiritual grove or paradise. Yet, as missionaries, they must guard their “spiritual root system against any damage.” They were ex-horted to ‘continue drinking the water of life from Jehovah be-cause only God can make a tree.’ The final talk was given by Carey Barber, a member of the Gov-erning Body. After 70 years of full-time service, Brother Barber could confidently speak on the subject “Give Jehovah Exclusive Devotion.” The vast majority of mankind have not given Jehovah exclusive devotion. (Deuteronomy 5:9) However, as Brother Barber indicated, in spite of our imperfection, “it is quite possible to be wholly devoted to God.” He added: “No one can really say: ‘The Devil made me do it.’” But the Devil can defeat us if we fail to oppose him. (James 4:7) Keeping busy in Jehovah’s work is the foremost way to oppose Satan and his world and give Jeho-vah exclusive devotion.

Appointed as Missionaries The morning program concluded with the official appointment of all 46 students as missionaries. The 23 couples received diplo-mas stating in part that the graduates are “specially qualified to engage in educational work, promoting goodwill and working in behalf of permanent peace and the law of perfect order and righteousness among all peoples.” The 95th class of Gilead will surely endeavor to accomplish this lofty mission in the 18 coun-tries to which they have been assigned. The assignments span the world and include countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

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In the afternoon, after an abbreviated Watchtower Study con-ducted by Charles Woody of the Service Department Committee, the new Gilead graduates presented their student program, with the theme “Gilead Has Prepared Us to Teach as Missionaries.” The session concluded with the drama “The Choices Facing Us.” After this stimulating program, the new missionaries were now ready to be sent to the four corners of the earth to share with others the “most holy faith.”

Class Statistics Number of countries represented: 7 Number of countries assigned to: 18

Number of students: 46 Number of married couples: 23

Average age: 30.06 Average years in truth: 12.92

Average years in full-time ministry: 9.4

Gilead Classes 1943-60: School at South Lansing, New York. In 35 classes, 3,639 students from 95 lands graduated, most being assigned to missionary service. Circuit and district overseers serving in the United States were also included in the classes. 1961-65: School in Brooklyn, New York. In 5 classes, 514 stu-dents graduated and were sent to lands where the Watch Tower Society had branch offices; most of the graduates were en-trusted with administrative assignments. Four of these classes had 10-month courses; one, an 8-month course. 1965-88: School in Brooklyn, New York. In 45 classes, each with a 20-week course, another 2,198 students were trained, most of these for missionary service. 1977-80: School in Brooklyn, New York. Five-week Gilead course for Branch Committee members. Fourteen classes were held. 1980-81: Gilead Cultural School of Mexico; 10-week course; three classes; 72 Spanish-speaking graduates prepared for ser-vice in Latin America. 1981-82, 1984, 1992: Gilead Extension School in Germany; 10-week course; four classes; 98 German-speaking students from European lands. 1983: Classes in India; 10-week course, conducted in English; 3 groups; 70 students.

1987- : Ministerial Training School, with an 8-week course, held in key locations in various parts of the world. As of 1992, graduates had already been serving in more than 35 lands out-side the country of their origin. 1988- : School at Wallkill, New York. Twenty-week course in preparation for missionary service is currently conducted there. It is planned that the school will be moved to the Watchtower Edu-cational Center at Patterson, New York, when this is completed.

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