Jehovah’s Witnesses to Hold Bible Conventions at TU
JULY GATHERING: Jehovah’s Witnesses listen to a Bible discourseduring a previous regional Bible convention, which are held annuallyaround the world. Jehovah’s Witnesses will hold two of its 2016 “Remain Loyal to Jehovah!” regional conventions July 1-3 and July 8-10 at The University of Tulsa’s Donald W. Reynolds Center, 3208 E. 8th St., with an expected attendance of 6,000.
In July, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Northeast Oklahoma will attend their 2016 “Remain Loyal to Jehovah!” Regional Conventions, to be held at The University of Tulsa’s Donald W. Reynolds Center, 3208 E.n8th St., and they are inviting the public.
Two three-day conventions will be held July 1-3 and 8-10, with approximately 6,000 members expected to attend. A total of 481 regional conventions are being held throughout the year in 130 cities throughout the United States.
The religious organization, which had its beginnings in the late 1800s, numbers more than eight million members worldwide.
In the Tulsa metro area, Jehovah’s Witnesses currently report 3,000 active members and 14 Kingdom Halls, with services offered in seven languages: English, Spanish, American Sign Language, Vietnamese, Russian, Hmong and Tiddim Chin.
However, in the mid 1900s, local members Gene and Sara Moore, who have been married for 65 years, remember attending the first Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, which sat at 440 N. Boston Ave., near Cain’s Ballroom.
Over the decades, though, as the organization grew, Jehovah’s Witnesses’ focus on the house-tohouse preaching work remained unchanged. This is due to Jehovah’s Witnesses’ recognition of the importance of the preaching work, which Jesus Christ instituted while he was on earth, says Mark Snead, a local representative for Jehovah’s Witnesses.
However, as technology and individuals’ modes of communication change with time, Jehovah’s Witnesses have introduced additional methods to reach the public with Jesus’ message.
In 2012, Jehovah’s Witnesses launched JW.org, the most widely translated website in the world, offering access to free, downloadable Bibles, Bible-based publications and videos in more than 800 languages.
Jehovah’s Witnesses have also added another method to reach individuals wherever they are, and that is through its public-witnessing carts and tables: portable carts set up in high-traffic areas that allow individuals to view and take Bible publications at no charge and to ask Biblebased questions and request more information.
This activity first began in November 2011 in New York City. Because of that endeavor’s success, it was soon initiated in other cities. By March 2015, over 165,000 carts, as well as stands, tables and kiosks, were being used by congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses throughout the world.
Yet, though these additional preaching methods have proved effective in reaching additional individuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses maintain the house-to-house preaching activity as their primary way in which they make known Bible truth, says Snead.
As part of their preaching message during the month of June, area Jehovah’s Witnesses tailored their house-to-house message to spread a public invitation to attend their 2016 regional conventions. Each of the conventions will feature 49 presentations, 35 video segments and two short dramatic films, all of which address God’s view of loyalty and the role it plays in the family and the community.
Updated 07-10-2016
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