Witnesses knocking on doors again
Jehovah's Witnesses will resume their trademark door-to-door ministry beginning Sept. 1 when a two-and-a-half-year suspension of the work is officially lifted, just in time to begin a global campaign featuring a new interactive Bible study program.
The decision to resume their door-to-door ministry marks the complete restoration of all pre-pandemic in-person activities for the 1.3 million Jehovah's Witnesses in the 13,000 congregations in the United States. Houses of worship (called Kingdom Halls) were reopened April 1, witnessing in public places resumed May 31, and in-person conventions are once again being planned for 2023.
"It's very exciting to be able to speak to our neighbors again," said Romell Overton, who will be heading out into the Waukegan neighborhood with his wife, Amy, in the coming weeks. During the suspension, they continued to connect with people through phone calls and letters.
"The pandemic has caused so much distance between us as humans worldwide," Amy said. "We miss that deep human interaction, so we're excited to be back and tailor our conversations with individuals, because now we'll be able to see them face-to-face."
The suspension of the public ministry was a proactive response by the organization to keep communities and congregants safe. The move was also unprecedented. Jehovah's Witnesses had been preaching from house to house without interruption for more than 100 years through an economic depression, two world wars and global unrest. But COVID-19 demanded a different response.
Jehovah's Witnesses in Lake County resume door-to-door ministry offering the new "Enjoy Life Forever!" brochure, a new interactive Bible study program.
"We believe that the early decision to shut down all in-person activities for more than two years has saved many lives," said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesperson for Jehovah's Witnesses. "We're now ready and eager to reconnect with our neighbors once again - person to person, face to face. It's not the only way that we preach, but it has historically been the most effective way to deliver our message of comfort and hope."
The move coincides with a global campaign to distribute a new interactive Bible study program available in hundreds of languages at no cost. The program comes in the form of a book, online publication or as an embedded feature within the organization's free mobile application, JW Library. Released in late 2020, the interactive study platform combines text, video, illustrations, and digital worksheets to help learners of all ages.
"This new study program is designed to match the learning needs of the 21st-century student," Hendriks said. "We're excited to begin sharing it with our neighbors as we return to making personal visits."
The pandemic forced Jehovah's Witnesses to quickly pivot to virtual meetings and conventions, while conducting their ministry exclusively through letters, phone calls and virtual Bible studies. This has led to growth in meeting attendance and the number of congregants, with more than 400,000 newly baptized witnesses joining the ranks of 120,000 congregations globally in just the first two years of the pandemic.
The Overtons have participated in the door-to-door ministry for most of their lives, and both agree that this new study program is highly beneficial, especially in the age of technology we currently live in.
"I have been able to be part of a Bible study with a few individuals [with this program], and it's a perfect outline," Romell said. "It's interactive and back-and-forth. It is not just someone just talking. The videos tied to every lesson inspire an individual to express themselves."
For more information about Jehovah's Witnesses, their history, beliefs, and activities, visit their official website, jw.org, with content available in more than 1,000 languages.