Different approach in organisation of services #1

Based in a Catholic country

The Belgian Bible Students and the Belgian Free Christadelphians both started a new year like the Catholic Church in Belgium and the schools, universities and clubs started a new year.

For the Catholic Church and for us there is the promise to the young girl Miriam (Mary/Maria) which let us look at the beginning of a new era, the time of salvation at hand. We, in contrast with our brethren and sisters from the Central Fellowship, like the CBM and CIL Christadelphians, start already now with reading about the Glad Tidings and the beginnings of the New Testament. The members of the Belgian Free Christadelphians in their ecclesiae follow the Bible Reading Plan by Robert Roberts and start only on the 1st of January with Genesis 1 & 2 plus Matthew 1 & 2.

Because there are so many Catholics in this country we like to show them from their readings, their religious year readings, what the Bible really says. Because every year they choose an other Gospel author as their main writer which they will follow, we also do take that writer his writings to put in the spotlight. It is a matter of coming closer to them and to have a better play on the ball with their readings and their traditions.

Different traditions

About those traditions, the Bible Students and several Amended Christadelphians may have a different feeling, because some Central Christadelphians join the pagan Christian festival and celebrate Christmas and Boxing Day. For us the real birth of Christ,on the 17th of October 4BCE is an other good reason to start in September/October with the new ‘church year’. But we do have to abstain from the pagan based holidays, like Christmas and the Catholic and some Protestants their Easter. The Easter we do have to celebrate and which the Free Christadelphians in Belgium also keep to is the remembrance day installed by Jesus Christ before he was going to die, on the 14th of Nisan.
Like the Belgian Catholics we may find that there is a time of advent in the Autumn, a preparation time to receive and celebrate the Good News of the one who brought us the Kingdom of God. Last year we looked at Luke and this year we shall therefore have a closer look to the Book of Matthew, the 1st book of the New Testament. There are more allusions to the Old Testament in this Gospel than in the others. It was clearly written for Jewish Christians, the purpose being to prove that Jesus was the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament and therefore it is also a very good book to introduce to those who do not know Jesus or to those who have a wrong view of this Nazarene man.

This year the Free Christadelphians in Belgium, like us, looked back at the awful year they had, and showed their good spirit to stand up again and to go forwards through the breakers which dash against our coast. The ecclesia Brussel-Leuven also found it wise to give an idea how the Christadelphian movement came into being and how it developed.

In the Gospel of Matthew is written how the Lord Jesus himself announced the work of Harvest of the Gospel Age.

“Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”” (Matthew 13:30 NIV)

Adolf Daens (1839–1907) Flemish priest from Aalst. Daens was a Jesuit from 1859 to 1871 but is especially known for his socio-political involvement after he joined the diocesan clergy. He created the Daensist movement from which originated in 1893 the Christene Volkspartij inspired by Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum. The Christene Volkspartij forced the radicalisation and democratisation of the Catholic party.

Sowing the seeds in the 19° century

Dr. John Thomas (1805–1871) founder of the Christadelphian movement, a Restorationist religion with doctrines similar in part to some 16th-century Antitrinitarian Rationalist Socinians and the 16th-century Swiss-German pacifist Anabaptists.

Brother John Thomas in the 19° century tried to sow the seeds. He found many listening ears. One of them was Brother Charles Taze Russell who visited Antwerp and Brussels in 1891. Already at that time the fresh new country seemed to struggle with the Gospel Faith. The Roman Catholic Church was a very strong bastion with her hand in the political system and favouring the rich instead of helping the poor, priest Adolf and his brother Pieter Daens, or Pie Donsj for those from Aalst, an exception.

Brother Charles met there a Christendom that was ignorant of biblical truth. The fear of the clergy and of the fire of hell, doctrine that has no foundation in the Scripture, kept people away from opening the Bible.  But the Catholic Church had taken care that the people would not come to see the truth, by forbidding them to read the Bible. Mass was done in Latin and the readings as such, in that language, did not say so much to the people, who had not studied enough to get to know Latin and Greek.

The Bible translations in Dutch, French or German were forbidden and blacklisted.

Walloon grocery and mining

Because there was so much French spoken Russell did find it a good idea to have a modest Swiss forestry worker named Adolphe Weber to proclaim “the good news of great joy” in the French speaking countries of Europe. Adolphe Weber began the translation in French of books of the “present truth” and published in Swiss, French and Belgian daily newspapers advertisements referring to the first volume of the studies in the Scriptures and some booklets.

Jumet is a section of the Belgian town of Charleroi within the Walloon region in the province of Hainaut. It was a commune of its own before the merger of the communes in 1977. – Location in the municipality of Charleroi

In 1901, a grocer named Jean-Baptiste Tilmant (father) working in Jumet-Gohissart, city located near Charleroi, answered one of these advertisements and asked for some literature. As a result, a small group of bible students started meetings at his house in 1902 and used material from Russell.

Urged by his desire to know more about the truth, Jean-Baptiste Tilmant wrote to the Swiss brother asking to receive more information. As an answer to his demand, Brother Weber came to Charleroi during his missionary tour, to strengthen the faith of this small group.

In 1903, the periodical “lighthouse of Zion Tower” was published in French for the first time. The light of truth began to

shine so brightly in this mining area. Indeed, each Sunday morning, a small group of Biblestudentsastheywerecalledat the time, were going “in the fields” to sow the seeds of truth contained in this eight pages periodical; they waited for instance at the exit of churches. That is how the two first editions of “Zion’s Watch Tower” were largely distributed.

Borderareas

The Borinage is an area in the Walloon province of Hainaut in Belgium

The small group of Jumet Gohissart pushed away the limits of its territory to the south in the French part of the country. Some time later, the truth of God’s Kingdom also expended among the Flemish population.

In the month of august 1904, ten years before the First World War, these brave messengers of the Good News went to Denain in France, to offer booklets to people getting out from a Baptist temple. In Belgium and France the non-trinitarian Baptists mostly were not openly known, because of the fear of persecution.
The results of their activity was that two years later, a congregation started near Denain in Haveluy.

Jean Baptiste Tilmant and his friends continued to bravely preach the biblical truth and other groups appeared to face this big growth, a deposit of books was opened at brother’s Tilmant house in Jumet Gohisart and in 1906 a bible student community was founded in Denain.

The “Lighthouse” of August 1904, page 64, mentions for the first time the name and books from “Dawn”; (It has to be Volume I of the Studies in the Scriptures); subscriptions to the “Lighthouse” and request for free booklets and papers.

In 1906 the leaflets “Do you Know?” and the “Wage of sin” two other booklets and Volume 1 were to be published in Dutch and delivered in Brussels.

In 1908 Heinrich Brinkhoff published the first edition of The Watchtower in Dutch: De Wachttoren. 

Throwing pearls to pigs

Around 1910, François Caré who had known the truth in France went to Liège to a protestant friend named Edouard Verdière. He could not help it speaking with him about the truth. He wanted to help him leaving the false religion. His friend was so opposed to the message of brother Caré that at the end he finished by telling him

“ I don’t want to argue with you any longer , I don’t want to throw pearls to pigs “

After these words, he went to bed , these words bothered Mr Verdière all night long. The next morning, he asked brother Caré to tell him what he meant. He told him that he will no longer speak about the truth to him because he did not appreciate the “pearls” he was offering him. After this explanation, his friend became more conciliating so that after his return to France brother Caré started to send him regularly periodicals. He also dispatched a few volumes of Studies in the Scriptures. It did not last long before Edouard Verdière accepted the Truth and even began to speak in public. In another district of Belgium, light began to break through the darkness.

From Catholicism to Protestantism to coming in the Truth

The Rosary (from Latin rosarium, meaning “Crown of Roses” or “garland of roses” , in its most commonly known format as the Dominican rosary, is a form of prayer used especially in the Catholic Church or a string of prayer beads used to count the component prayers

In the coalmine where he worked, Edouard Verdière had a colleague named Léonard Smets searching the truth. He was a sincere catholic; he diligently attended religious services with his family. He used to pray with a rosary. This man from Flemish origin lived in Heure-le Romain near Vivegnis (Liège). In 1900, a protestant offered him a Bible saying, “I have the Book of God”. Another day, at the confessional, Léonard Smets confessed to the priest that he was reading the Holy Scriptures. The priest said that if he still wanted to receive absolution for his sins he had to give back his Bible. From that day on, Léonard did not attend the service any-more. He thought,

“If they are sincere, they will come to meet me, because they have to come and catch back the lost sheep”.

However, the priest never came to see him. Léonard Smets began to attend the protestant temple.

A confessional is a small, enclosed booth used for the Sacrament of Penance, often called confession, or Reconciliation. It is the usual venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church. – Traditional confessional in Saint-Thiébaut Church, Thann, France

Even on his working place, in the coalmine, Smets was reading the New Testament. One day, Vedière noticed it. He was curious to know which his religion was; he began to sing a protestant hymn. “I was protestant”, answered brother Verdière “but I have something better for you.” He offered him a copy of the “watchtower of Zion” and witnessed with all his strength of the truth. It happened in 1912. Léonard Smets did not keep this truth for himself; he shared it with a Flemish colleague named Joseph Poelmans, father of seven children. He was disillusioned by the teachings of  Catholicism and chose Protestantism. However when he read the periodical that Smets gave him, he recognised the accent of truth.

Later, the three coalminers Verdière, Smets and Poelmans questioned the protestant minister of religion of Herstal (Liège) about the doctrine of immortality, trinity and Hell. Instead of helping them, the pastor was very angry and threw them out. They realised he was not better than the catholic priest, so they decided to meet and to study the Scripture with the help of the books they received from France.

In 1908 5000 “watch Towers” were distributed in Belgium.

In 1911 Brother Russell could only stop for a few minutes in Liège where dear brethren Pétré and some others were waiting to greet him on the train: sister Miss Peerkings (an English sister living in Liège where she learned about the Truth) served as an translator. With the same train, Brother Russell arrived in Charleroi where he took the road to arrive in Denain in the evening.

Joseph Franklin Rutherford (1869–1942), also known as “Judge” Rutherford, president of the incorporated Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, who played a primary role in the organization and doctrinal development of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

In 1912, there were seven municipalities: Haine-Saint-Paul, Flémalle-Haute, Engis, Amay, Ampsin, Liège and Jumet–Gohissart. Each of these groups was organizing monthly meetings and was welcoming Brother Weber from the Swiss office for periodical visits.

At Pentecost on June 26th and 27th 1912 there was a a general meeting or their first general assembly in Jumet Gohissart.

Brother Rutherford was in Jumet on Monday 22nd September for a private meeting.

The group also grew strongly in the most northern part of France and in 1913 more than 1,000 people attended a lecture by Joseph Franklin Rutherford when he visited Denain. On August 31, 1913 70 Belgian supporters visited a conference in Paris where Russell was present.

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To be continued: Different approach in organisation of services #2

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie: Andere aanpak in de organisatie van de diensten # 1

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Please do find out more about the Christadelphians:

1. Not all christians are followers of a Greco-Roman culture
2. Two new encyclopaedic articles
3. Who are the Christadelphians
4. What are Brothers in Christ
5. Discipleship way of life on the narrow way to everlasting life
6. Christadelphian people
7. Christadelphians or Messianic Christians or Messianic Jews
8. About the Belgian Free Christadelphians
9. What Christadelphians teach
10. Small churches of the few Christadelphians
11. Priority to form a loving brotherhood
12. 19° Century London Christadelphians
13. Breathing and growing with no heir
14. Commitment to Christian unity
15.  Parts of the body of Christ
16. What part of the Body am I?
17. The Church, Body of Christ and remnant Israel synonymous
18. United people under Christ
19. Fellowship
20. The Ecclesia
21. The Ecclesia in the churchsystem
22. The ecclesia or Christadelphian church
23. Our relationship with God, Jesus and each other
24. Our ecclesia or Christadelphian-church
25. Intentions of an Ecclesia
26. An ecclesia in your neighbourhood
27. Communion and day of worship
28. Christadelphians today
29. Small churches of the few Christadelphians
30. Who Celebrates Easter as Religious Holiday
31. Eostre, Easter, White god, chocolate eggs, Easter bunnies and metaphorical resurrection
32. Harvest in Belgium
33. Biblestudents & T.C.Russell
34. About the Belgian Biblestudents
35. What the Belgian Biblestudents believe

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Andere aanpak in de organisatie van de diensten # 1

Gevestigd in een katholiek land

De Belgische Bijbel Studenten en de Belgische Vrije Christadelphians zijn beiden, zoals de katholieke kerk in België en de scholen, universiteiten en clubs begonnen met een nieuw jaar.

Voor de katholieke kerk en voor ons is er de belofte naar het jonge meisje Mirjam (Maria/Maria), om in herinnering te nemen. De haar gedane belofte was zeer speciaal omdat zij de mensheid naar het begin van een nieuw tijdperk, de tijd van het heil zou brengen. Zoals de Rooms Katholieke Kerk advent houdt kunnen wij ook een vorm van advent houden. Wij, in tegenstelling met onze broeders en zusters van het Centraal Fellowship of Centraal Broederschap, zoals de Christelijke Bijbel Missie of Christadelphian Bible  Mission (CBM) en Christadelphian Isolation League (CIL) Christadelphians, beginnen onze leesplan met de Blijde Boodschap en het begin van het Nieuwe Testament niet op 1 januari, maar reeds nu. De leden van de Belgische Vrije Christadelphians in hun ecclesiae volgen het Bijbel Plan van de Lezingen door Robert Roberts samengesteld en starten pas op 1 januari met Genesis 1 & 2 plus Mattheus 1 & 2.

Omdat er zo veel katholieken in dit land wonen willen wij laten zien wat hun lezingen, hun religieuze jaar lezingen naar voor brengen en wat de Bijbel werkelijk zegt. Want elk jaar kiezen zij een ander Evangelie auteur als hun belangrijkste schrijver die zij zullen volgen, en daar willen wij op inspelen en Bijbelstudie rond voeren. Die geschriften die zij onder ogen zien en bepaalde onderwerpen die zij dan aanspreken willen wij ook in de spotlights zetten. Het is een kwestie van toenadering tot hen en om beter op de bal te kunnen spelen omtrent hun lezingen en hun tradities.

Verschillende tradities

Over die tradities, kunnen de Bijbel Studenten en diverse Amended Christadelphians een ander gevoel hebben, omdat sommige Central Christadelphians nog steeds deelnemen aan heidense christelijke feesten en zo nog steeds Kerstmis vieren. Voor ons is de echte geboorte van Christus, op 17 oktober 4 vGT een andere goede reden om te starten in september / oktober met het nieuwe ‘kerkelijk jaar’. Maar we moeten ons onthouden van heidense gebaseerde feestdagen, zoals Kerstmis en het katholieke en sommige protestanten hun Pasen. Ware Christenen horen Jezus laatste avondmaal te vieren. Het belangrijkste feest van het jaar is dan ook voor ons en de Vrije Christadelphians in België de herdenkingsdag geïnstalleerd door Jezus Christus, voordat hij ging sterven, op de 14e Nisan.

Net als de Belgische katholieken kunnen we ontdekken dat er een tijd van verwachting is in de herfst, een voorbereidingstijd om de ontvangst van het Goede Nieuws van degene die ons het Koninkrijk van God bracht, te vieren. Vorig jaar hebben we zo gekeken naar het evangelie van Lukas en dit jaar zullen we daarom eens een kijkje nemen op het 1e boek van het Nieuwe Testament, het evangelie van Mattheüs. Er zijn meer toespelingen op het Oude Testament in dit evangelie dan in de andere. Het werd duidelijk geschreven voor joodse christenen met als doel te bewijzen dat Jezus de Messias was die voorspeld was in het Oude Testament. Daarom is het ook een zeer goed boek om een introductie te geven aan hen die Jezus niet kennen of aan degenen die een verkeerd beeld van deze Nazarener man hebben .

Dit jaar hebben de Vrije Christadelphians in België, net als wij, een vreselijke jaar achter de rug maar tonen zij hun goede geest om weer op te staan en om vooruit te gaan door de branding. De ecclesia Brussel–Leuven vond het ook verstandig om een idee te geven aan de buitenwereld hoe de Christadelphian beweging ontstond en hoe het zich ontwikkeld heeft. In het evangelie van Mattheüs is geschreven hoe de Heer Jezus zelf het werk van de Oogst van de Evangelie Tijd aankondigde.

“Laat beide samen opgroeien tot aan de oogst, dan zal ik, wanneer het oogsttijd is, tegen de maaiers zeggen: ‘Wied eerst het onkruid, bind het in bundels bij elkaar en verbrand het. Breng dan het graan bijeen in mijn schuur.’ ”’” (Mattheüs 13:30 NBV)

Het zaaien van de zaden in de 19 ° eeuw

Dr. John Thomas (1805-1871) grondlegger van de Christadelphian beweging, een herstellers van religie groepering met doctrines vergelijkbaar voor een deel met een aantal 16e-eeuwse Antitrinitarische Rationalistische Socinianen en de 16e-eeuwse Duits-Zwitserse pacifistische wederdopers of Anabaptisten.

Adolf Daens (1839–1907), Vlaamse jezuïet uit Aalst die vooral bekend staat om zijn sociaal-politieke betrokkenheid nadat hij lid van de diocesane clerus was. Hij schiep de daensistische beweging waaruit in 1893 de Christene Volkspartij ontstond, geïnspireerd door Leo XIII zijn encycliek Rerum Novarum.

Broeder John Thomas probeerde in de 19 ° eeuw de zaden te zaaien die noodzakelijk waren om tot de verspreiding van het geloof in de beloofde Messias te komen. Hij vond veel luisterende oren. Een van hen was broeder Charles Taze Russell, die in 1891 Antwerpen en Brussel  bezocht en op dat moment een fris nieuwe land vond dat leek te worstelen met het Geloof volgens het Evangelie. De rooms-katholieke kerk was een zeer sterk bastion met haar hand in het politieke systeem en in het bevorderen van de rijken in plaats van het helpen van de armen, priester Adolf en zijn broer Pieter Daens, of Pie Donsj voor die van Aalst, een uitzondering.

Broeder Charles ontmoette er een christendom dat onwetend was van de Bijbelse waarheid. De angst voor de geestelijkheid en van het vuur van de hel, de leer die geen basis in de Schrift heeft, hield de mensen uit de buurt van het openen van de Bijbel. Maar de katholieke kerk had er zorg voor gedragen dat de mensen er niet zouden toe komen om de waarheid te zien, door hen te verbieden om de Bijbel te lezen. Mis werd opgedragen in het Latijn en de lezingen als zodanig, in die taal, zeiden niet zozeer veel voor de mensen, die niet genoeg hadden gestudeerd om Latijn en Grieks te leren kennen en/of te spreken.

De Bijbel vertalingen in het Nederlands, Frans of Duits werden verboden en stonden op de zwarte lijst van de toegestane boeken.

Waalse kruidenier en mijnbouw

Omdat er zo veel Frans werd gesproken in dat kleine land dat Russell bezocht, vond hij het een goed idee om een bescheiden Zwitserse bosbouw werknemer genaamd Adolphe Weber “het goede nieuws van grote vreugde” te laten verkondigen in de Franstalige landen van Europa. Adolphe Weber begon de vertaling in het Frans van boeken van de “tegenwoordige waarheid” en publiceerde advertenties in de Zwitserse, Franse en Belgische dagbladen die verwijzen naar het eerste deel van de “Studies in de Schrift” (Studies in the Scriptures) en een aantal boekjes.

Jumet is een gedeelte van de Belgische stad Charleroi in de Waalse regio in de provincie Henegouwen. Het was een gemeente op haar eigen voor de fusie van de gemeenten in 1977.

In 1901, antwoordde een kruidenier met de naam Jean–Baptiste Tilmant (vader) die werkzaam was in Jumet-Gohissart, gelegen in de buurt van Charleroi, een van deze advertenties en vroeg om wat literatuur. Als gevolg hiervan begonnen een kleine groep bijbel studenten vergaderingen in zijn huis te houden in 1902 en gebruikten zij materiaal van Russell.
Aangespoord door zijn verlangen om meer over de waarheid te kennen, schreef Jean-Baptiste Tilmant aan de Zwitserse broeder om meer informatie te ontvangen. Als een antwoord op zijn vraag,  kwam Broeder Weber naar Charleroi tijdens zijn zendingsreis, om het geloof van deze kleine groep te versterken.

Gemeenten in de steenkoolmijnstreek Borinage, Henegouwen

In 1903 werd het tijdschrift “Vuurtoren van Zion Tower” “Lighthouse of Zion Tower” voor de eerste keer gepubliceerd in het Frans . Het licht van de waarheid begon zo helder te schijnen in deze mijnstreek. (Borinage)
Inderdaad, elke zondag ochtend, gingen een kleine groep studenten van de Bijbel zoals ze  op dat moment werden genoemd, “in de velden” om de zaden van waarheid met dit acht pagina’s periodiek te zaaien; ze wachtten bijvoorbeeld bij de uitgang van de kerken d mensen op om ze over de waarheid toe te spreken. Dat is hoe de eerste twee edities van “Zion‘s Watch Tower” grotendeels werden verspreid.

Grensgebieden

De kleine groep van Jumet Gohissart overschreed de grenzen van hun grondgebied van het zuiden in het Franse deel van het land om zo ook in Noord Frankrijk maar ook naar het Noorden toe in het Vlaamse landsgedeelte mensen aan te spreken en tot de waarheid te brengen.

In de augustus maand van 1904, tien jaar voordat de Eerste Wereldoorlog uitbrak, gingen deze dappere boodschappers van het Goede Nieuws naar Denain in Frankrijk, om boekjes aan te bieden aan mensen die uit een Baptisten tempel kwamen. In België en Frankrijk waren de niet–trinitarische Baptisten meestal niet openlijk bekend, vanwege de vrees voor vervolging.

De resultaten van hun activiteiten was dat na twee jaar later, een congregatie in de buurt van Denain in Haveluy begon .
Jean Baptiste Tilmant en zijn vrienden bleven de Bijbelse waarheid moedig prediken en andere groepen bleken tot deze grote groei toe te treden. Een reeks boeken werd opgeslagen enten huize van de broer van Tilmant in Jumet Gohisart werden vergaderingen gehouden en in 1906 werd een bijbel studenten gemeenschap opgericht in Denain.

De “Vuurtoren” van augustus 1904, pagina 64, vermeldt voor het eerst de naam en de boeken van “Dawn”; (It has to be Volume I of the Studies in the Scriptures) (Het moet zijn, deel I van de Schriftstudies ); abonnementen op “Lighthouse”of de “Vuurtoren” en aanvraag voor gratis boekjes en papieren.

In 1906 zouden de folders “weet je dat?” En het “Loon van de zonde” twee andere boekjes en Volume 1 worden uitgegeven in het Nederlands en geleverd worden in Brussel.In 1908 publiceerde Heinrich Brinkhoff de eerste editie van The Watchtower in het Nederlands: De Wachttoren.

Parels gooien voor de varkens

Rond 1910 ging François Caré die de waarheid in Frankrijk had leren kennen naar Luik naar een protestantse vriend Edouard Verdière. Hij kon het niet helpen met hem te spreken over de waarheid. Hij wilde hem helpen bij het verlaten van de valse religie. Zijn vriend was zo tegengesteld aan de boodschap van de broeder dat die zijn geduld verloor en op het einde zei:“Ik wil niet langer met u in discussie gaan, ik wil geen parels gooien naar varkens”

Na deze woorden ging hij naar bed, maar die woorden bleven hem de hele nacht achtervolgen. De volgende ochtend, vroeg hij broeder Caré om hem te vertellen wat hij bedoelde. Hij vertelde hem dat hij niet langer over de waarheid zou  spreken tot hem, omdat hij de “parels” niet kon waarderen die hij hem aan het aanbieden was. Na deze uitleg, werd zijn vriend meer verzoenend zodat na zijn terugkeer naar Frankrijk broer Caré hem regelmatig tijdschriften begon op te sturen. Hij zond ook een paar volumes Schriftstudies op. Het duurde niet lang voordat Edouard Verdière de Waarheid aanvaarde en zelfs in het openbaar begon te spreken. In een andere wijk van België begon het licht ook te breken door de duisternis.

Van het katholicisme tot het protestantisme tot het komen in de Waarheid

Een rozenkrans of paternoster is een gebedssnoer in gebruik in de Katholieke Kerk. Rozenkrans is ook de naam voor het ‘rozenkransgebed’.

In de kolenmijn waar hij werkte had Edouard Verdière een collega, genaamd Léonard Smets die  op zoek was naar de waarheid. Hij was een oprecht katholiek die ijverig de religieuze diensten met zijn familie bijwoonde. Hij gebruikte een rozenkrans om te bidden met. Deze man van Vlaamse afkomst leefde in Heure-le Romain in de buurt van Vivegnis (Luik).
In 1900 had een protestant hem een Bijbel aangeboden en gezegd:

“Ik heb het Boek van God”.

Traditionele biechtstoel in Saint-Thiébaut Kerk, Thann, Frankrijk

Een andere dag, in de biechtstoel, bekende Léonard Smets aan de priester dat hij de Heilige Schrift aan het lezen was . De priester zei dat als hij nog absolutie wilde te ontvangen voor zijn zonden hij zijn Bijbel moest terug geven. Vanaf die dag ging Léonard geen diensten van de Katholieke Kerk meer bij wonen. Hij dacht,

“Als ze oprecht zijn, zullen ze mij tegemoet komen, omdat ze de verloren schapen terug moeten komen zoeken en vangen “.

Echter, kwam de priester hem nooit opzoeken. Léonard Smets begon naar de protestantse tempel te gaan.

Zelfs op zijn werkplek, in de koolmijn, las Smets het Nieuwe Testament. Op een dag merkte Vedière dat op. Hij was nieuwsgierig om te weten welk zijn religie was. Hij begon een protestants lied te zingen.

“Ik was protestant”, antwoordde broeder Verdière, “maar ik heb iets beters voor je.” Hij bood hem een exemplaar van de “Wachttoren van Sion” en getuigde met al zijn kracht van de waarheid. Het gebeurde in 1912. Léonard Smets hield deze waarheid niet voor zichzelf; hij deelde het met een Vlaamse collega, met name Jozef Poelmans, vader van zeven kinderen. Hij werd gedesillusioneerd door de leer van het katholicisme en koos het protestantisme. Maar toen hij het tijdschrift las dat Smets hem gaf, herkende hij het accent van de waarheid.

Later stelden de drie mijnwerkers Verdière, Smets en Poelmans vragen aan de protestantse predikant van Herstal (Luik) over de leer van de onsterfelijkheid, drie-eenheid en de Hel. In plaats van hen te helpen, was de voorganger erg boos en gooide ze buiten. Ze beseften dat hij niet beter was dan de katholieke priester, dus besloten ze elkaar verder te ontmoeten en om de Schrift met de hulp van de boeken die ze ontvingen van Frankrijk te bestuderen.

In 1908 werden in België 5000 “wachttorens” verspreid.

In 1911 kon Broeder Russell alleen voor een paar minuten stoppen in Luik waar geliefde broeders Pétré en enkele anderen zaten te wachten om hem te begroeten op de trein: zuster Miss Peerkings (een Engels zus die in Luik woonde, waar ze over de Waarheid geleerd had) diende als een vertaler . Met dezelfde trein kwam broeder Russell aan in Charleroi waar hij in de avond de weg verder nam naar Denain.

Joseph Franklin Rutherford (1869-1942), ook wel bekend als “Rechter” Rutherford, voorzitter van het Wachttorengenootschap, die een primaire rol in de organisatie en leerstellige ontwikkeling van Jehovah’s Getuigen had.

In 1912 waren er zeven gemeenten: Haine–Saint–Paul, Flémalle–Haute, Engis, Amay, Ampsin, Luik en Jumet–Gohissart. Elk van deze groepen organiseerde maandelijkse bijeenkomsten en verwelkomden Broeder Weber van het Zwitserse bureau voor periodieke bezoeken.
Met Pinksteren op 26 juni en 27 1912 vond hun eerste algemene vergadering plaats in Jumet Gohissart.
Broeder Rutherford was in Jumet op maandag 22 september voor een besloten bijeenkomst.

De groep groeide ook sterk in het meest noordelijke deel van Frankrijk en in 1913 woonden meer dan 1.000 mensen een lezing door Joseph Franklin Rutherford bij toen hij een bezoek bracht aan Denain. Op 31 augustus 1913 bezochten 70 Belgische supporters een conferentie in Parijs, waar Russell aanwezig was.

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Wordt vervolgt: Andere aanpak in de organisatie van de diensten # 2

Engelse versie / English version: Different approach in organisation of services #1

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Lees verder meer:

1. Bedenkingen: Gods eigen Volk
2. De Bijbel als Gids
3. Vele kerken
4. Volharding en Bijbelstudenten + Volharding en Bijbelstudenten
5. Doelstelling van Bijbelstudenten
6. Over de Belgische Bijbelstudenten
7. Wat de Belgische Bijbelstudenten geloven
8. Bijbelonderzoekers niet steeds Getuigen van Jehovah
9. Wie kan zich beroepen op C.T. Russell
10. Bijbelonderzoekers en Russelism
11. Christadelphians openen Tweede Ontmoetingsplaats in België
12. Seizoen 2013-2014

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Please do find out more about the Christadelphians:

1. Not all christians are followers of a Greco-Roman culture
2. Two new encyclopaedic articles
3. Who are the Christadelphians
4. What are Brothers in Christ
5. Discipleship way of life on the narrow way to everlasting life
6. Christadelphian people
7. Christadelphians or Messianic Christians or Messianic Jews
8. About the Belgian Free Christadelphians
9. What Christadelphians teach
10. Small churches of the few Christadelphians
11. Priority to form a loving brotherhood
12. 19° Century London Christadelphians
13. Breathing and growing with no heir
14. Commitment to Christian unity
15.  Parts of the body of Christ
16. What part of the Body am I?
17. The Church, Body of Christ and remnant Israel synonymous
18. United people under Christ
19. Fellowship
20. The Ecclesia
21. The Ecclesia in the churchsystem
22. The ecclesia or Christadelphian church
23. Our relationship with God, Jesus and each other
24. Our ecclesia or Christadelphian-church
25. Intentions of an Ecclesia
26. An ecclesia in your neighbourhood
27. Communion and day of worship
28. Christadelphians today
29. Small churches of the few Christadelphians
30. Who Celebrates Easter as Religious Holiday
31. Eostre, Easter, White god, chocolate eggs, Easter bunnies and metaphorical resurrection
32. Harvest in Belgium

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• Review of the Christadelphians from some older articles
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