He Helped to Spread
Light “to the Extremity of the Earth”
THE apostle Paul was used to spread spiritual light
“to the extremity of the earth.” As a result, many “rightly disposed for
everlasting life became believers.”—Acts 13:47, 48; Isaiah 49:6.
A keen desire to spread spiritual light was also evident in the devoted life and tireless Christian efforts of William Lloyd Barry, a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Brother Barry died on July 2, 1999, while having a direct part in serving a district convention in Hawaii.
Lloyd Barry was born in New Zealand on December 20,
1916. His mother and father had earlier taken an active interest in the Bible
truths presented in the publications of C. T. Russell, as distributed by the
Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Hence, Brother Barry grew up in a devoted
Christian household.
Though interested in sports and education, even
earning a degree in science, Brother Barry maintained his keen focus on
spiritual matters. Thus, on January 1, 1939, he took up the full-time ministry,
becoming a member of the Bethel family at the office of the Society in
Australia. After the government banned the Society in 1941, Brother Barry kept
busy in office work, at times being assigned to write material for the
encouragement of fellow believers. He also took an exemplary lead in the public
ministry.
In February 1942, Brother Barry married another
full-time servant. His loving wife, Melba, has faithfully worked alongside him
all these years in many parts of the earth. They took a major step toward
service in foreign fields by attending the 11th class of the Watchtower Bible
School of Gilead in the United States. Their assignment was to what many would
consider ‘an extremity of the earth’—Japan. After arriving in November 1949,
they began serving as missionaries in the seaport city of Kobe. At that time,
only 12 individuals were preaching the good news in Japan. Brother Barry
learned the language and ways of his new home and developed a deep affection
for the Japanese people, with whom he served for the next 25 years. His love
for those “rightly disposed for everlasting life” was clear to the growing
Christian brotherhood in Japan, helping him to be effective in overseeing the
branch for decades.
In mid-1975, when there were some 30,000 Witnesses
in Japan, the Barrys were transferred to Brooklyn, New York. As a
spirit-anointed Christian, Brother Barry had been invited to serve as a member
of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses. (Romans 8:16, 17) His writing
experience proved very useful in his new role in the Writing Department. And
his extensive branch and international experience equipped him to make a
valuable contribution as a member of the Publishing Committee of the Governing
Body.
***
w99 10/1 pp. 16-17 He Helped to
Spread Light “to the Extremity of the
Earth” ***