The year 2022 marks 100 years since Jehovah’s Witnesses began preaching on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The apostle Paul visited the island with a native Cypriot, Barnabas, during his first missionary tour. In modern times, the first seed of Bible truth was planted in 1922 when a clergyman received the booklet Does the Soul Die?

Two years later, Cyrus Charalambous, a Bible Student living in the United States, returned to Cyprus. He began his ministry in earnest and mailed the tract Where Are the Dead? to every town and village in Cyprus.

The tract reached Antonis Spetsiotes. Struck by what he read, Antonis discussed it with his neighbor Andreas Christou. In turn, the two men began sharing what they learned with others.

The Greek Orthodox Church opposed their preaching efforts, and both Antonis and Andreas were excommunicated. Their preaching never waned. In the 1930’s, their efforts led to the formation of the first congregation on the island in the village of Xylophagou. {continue reading}