Jehovah’s Witness convention returns to Salisbury

COURTESY JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

After a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19 concerns, Jehovah's Witnesses have returned to Salisbury for their global convention.

After a three-year pandemic pause, Jehovah’s Witnesses are back in Salisbury for their global gathering.

Some 6,000 conventions will be held worldwide as part of the 2023 “Exercise Patience!” series June 2-4. In the United States alone, more than 700 conventions will be held in 144 cities in 35 different languages. A live baptism will be performed following the Saturday morning session and a prerecorded drama will be featured in two parts during the Saturday and Sunday afternoon sessions.

Before 2019, summers were marked by Jehovah’s Witnesses filling Salisbury hotels and restaurants for the annual convention at the Salisbury Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted that tradition when the Witnesses canceled in-person events in favor of virtual events in more than 500 languages.

“As much as we loved the convenience and quality of our virtual conventions, nothing can replace being together in a large group setting,” said Tremaine Tucker, spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “While our online conventions reached millions around the world and kept our communities safe, we long to get back to our joyful fellowship at these large gatherings.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses have been holding public conventions in stadiums, arenas, convention centers, and theaters around the world for more than 100 years. After resuming smaller in-person meetings and their public ministry during 2022, the summer of 2023 marks the first time they will gather at much larger regional events around the world since the lifting of pandemic restrictions.

“Patience is a beautiful quality that all Christians desire to display in their daily lives,” Tucker said. “Despite our good intentions, however, maintaining patience in the face of life’s many challenges can be a daily struggle. Spending three days exploring aspects of this quality will be very timely for all of us.”

The convention is open to the public and no collection is taken.

On the Net:
jw.org

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