Even virtually, conventions are vital
Meetings a tool for building Witnesses’ faith
Over the past 71 years of his life, Roger Burgess has gradually built his belief using the tools of the Jehovah’s Witness faith.
Among those tools are the annual conventions that the Christian denomination hosts.
Roger Burgess, 81, has been attending the conventions for more than 60 years, using the teachings to expand his understanding of God and the Bible.
Though the conventions are admittedly different now — as COVID-19 has forced the material to be virtual instead of shared during large gatherings at event centers — Roger and his wife Shirley, 80, still love the content.
“At first I didn’t care about it, but I tell you what, it’s been a marvelous provision to have this technology,” he said.
Roger was baptized when he was 10 years old and the past two years, he and Shirley have tuned into conference programming virtually.
While he misses the camaraderie, hugs and handshakes he had with other witnesses at past conventions, Roger said he loves the virtual convention programming.
He and Shirley are able to watch the talks and a Bible drama at their own pace and then go back if they want to and rewatch it, taking the time to think deeply about what is said.
The programming was released in six installments, with occasional release dates starting June 28 and ending this month.
“By having a week in between, we can go back and watch the programs again if we want to, we get more out of it because you can concentrate on that particular session,” said Shirley, 80.
The couple watches the programs together from the couch in their Northwest Side living room, just as families, small groups and couples do around the world.
The 2021 global convention, the last installment of which was released Aug. 16 and watched around the globe on Aug. 21 and 22, was delivered in more than 500 languages to more than 15 million people.
Before the pandemic forced many organizations to cancel in-person events, Jehovah’s Witnesses held almost 6,000 annual conventions in 240 countries.
The conventions have been hosted since 1897 and in Ohio since 1908, according to the denomination.
Last year, when COVID hit in March, months before the conventions were set to commence, Jehovah’s Witness employees worked hard to be able to offer the convention virtually worldwide, in hundreds of languages, said Robert Hendriks, national spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses.
“Not providing the convention was not an option,” Hendriks said. “Once that’s your premise, that we had to deliver this convention, it wasn’t an option not to.”
With all of the faith’s facilities in lockdown, employees were recording translations of the convention materials in their home closets and their cars, Hendriks said, doing everything they could to get the convention to people.
“That’s what crisis does,” he said. “We can’t discount God’s blessing on this in that He wanted it done and this was his Holy Spirit that helped us to accomplish that.”
The conventions are a cornerstone of the faith, and they go back to Biblical times, Hendriks said, when Jesus’ family left their home to go to an annual lawmandated gathering in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.
“Luke Chapter 2 is about how Jesus’ family was making its trek to the convention or the Passover in Jerusalem,” Hendriks said. “They called that a holy convention. Our conventions have roots in Biblical history.”
The conventions have historically been open to everyone, and the online content is also available to all, no matter their religious affiliation, Hendriks said.
The programming can be found at www.jw.org, on the JW Library phone application or on streaming platforms like Apple TV and Roku.
Hendriks said he hopes that the efforts of the denomination to make the content available to all despite the pandemic makes them feel as though the church really cares about them.
“All of us have this feeling, ‘Boy, I wish we could go to these in person conventions again,’ but I think all of us also feel
like we really are cared for to be able to have at our fingertips this option to be able to enjoy this spiritual nourishment at this time,” he said.
The conventions are the highlight of the year for Jehovah’s Witnesses, Hendriks said.
Shirley and Roger agreed. They remember some of their first conventions, held in New York City before the large attendance made the denomination have to host more than one conference.
“We never missed any,” Roger said. The two used to travel to Virginia for conventions with their four children, then, later, to Dayton.
When Roger was 12, he went to a convention where there was a large “tent city” set up for attendees who stayed overnight for the three-day long event. He remembers the joy of meeting other children his age from all over the world and how great it was to have the faith in common with them.
“People had come from so far,” he said. “It just struck me to the heart ... Our camaraderie, it grew.”
And Roger loves the camaraderie he has found with other witnesses at the conventions the most.
“It’s so unique, it’s a unity,” he said, of sharing his faith with other at conventions.
Online, he said he’s able to have that unity again through Zoom discussions, with every witness watching the same programming.
“Spirituality is not about a building,” Hendriks said. “It’s about our relationship with our creator and with each other and those things have never been stronger.” dking@dispatch.com @Danaeking