Jehovah’s Witnesses commence series of conventions throughout PHL

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Jehovah’s Witnesses will be holding a series of more than 170 conventions throughout the country beginning May to August this year, marking their return to large halls, stadiums, and venues after three years of pandemic pause.  

As one of the largest convention organizations in the world, Jehovah’s Witnesses will be holding their three-day 2023 “Exercise Patience”! Convention in at least 90 host cities nationwide, including Metro Manila.

The convention series will run for four months starting May 26 to Aug. 27. 

These conventions that will be hosted in the Philippines will form part of the 6,000  “Exercise Patience”! Convention series that will be held globally.

Aside from the Philippines, Jehovah’s Witnesses are present in 238 other lands. 

“Patience is a beautiful quality that all Christians desire to display in their daily lives. 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,” said James Morales, spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses.  

From Friday through Sunday, six convention sessions will explore the quality of patience, highlighting its modern-day relevance through Scriptural examples.

During the Saturday session, attendees will learn how showing patience can help people improve their relationships with family and friends.

A live baptism will be also performed following the Saturday morning session. 

A prerecorded drama with title “Commit Your Way to Jehovah” will be featured in two parts during the Saturday and Sunday afternoon sessions. 

The upcoming conventions will be available in at least 11 languages for the more than 249,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Philippines as well as for interested individuals. 

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Metro Manila and nearby areas attended their annual conventions at the SMX Convention Center, Cuneta Astrodome, Paco Arena Events and Sports Center, and the Metro Manila Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

As part of their efforts to safeguard health, they shifted their in-person events to virtual convention programs in more than 500 languages globally. 

“As much as we loved the convenience and quality of our virtual conventions, nothing can replace being together in a large group setting. 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,” Morales said. 

Even when the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) status of COVID-19 has been lifted recently, Morales expounded that Jehovah’s Witnesses continue to value the health and the welfare of their community and thus continue to implement health standards set by local authorities when holding large conventions. 

“While we enjoy our return to in-person large gatherings, we can maintain a high level of consideration for the general well-being of our fellow worshippers and other people around us,” he said.

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, mid-year 2023 marks the first time they will gather at much larger regional events around the world since the lifting of pandemic restrictions. 

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

For more information on the program or to find other convention locations and dates, please go to jw.org and navigate to the “About Us” tab.

A preview on the topics that will be discussed during the convention can be also viewed on its official website

There are 8.6 million Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide, and they are known for their door-to-door preaching activity as well as other forms of ministry like the so-called cart witnessing that feature free Bible-based literatures relevant to the times.

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