Jehovah’s Witnesses return to their places of worship after 2 years
Starting on April 1, Jehovah’s Witnesses hold meetings in person and through video conferencing. PHOTO FROM JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES
After two years of worshipping through video conferencing, the 8.5 million Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide are back to their places of worship called the Kingdom Hall.
This will help them prepare for the Memorial of Jesus Christ’s death on April 15, the only sacred occasion they solemnly observe every year.
At least 2,448 Kingdom Halls in the Philippines have been opened to the public for the first time starting April 1 to allow more than 233,000 mask-wearing, fully vaccinated members to worship together in-person after a global outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020.
But those who cannot meet in person possibly due to health reasons can still connect to Christian meetings through videoconferencing, according to Leynard Rodulfa, spokesperson for JWs in the Philippines.
He said JWs implement strict safety measures following guidelines from the government.
JWs will hold the annual observance of Christ’s death, also known as “The Lord’s Supper,” after sundown on April 15. The hour-long program will be presented in 33 languages, including the Filipino Sign Language, said Rodulfa.
Every year, JWs—known for actively promoting the Bible’s message door-to-door—commemorate the anniversary of Christ’s death according to the Bible’s lunar calendar.
“Jesus Christ introduced the observance after sundown on Nisan 14 33 C.E. We continue to observe the Memorial on this date each year, following the practice of early Christians,” said Rodulfa.
Although Nisan 14, 33 C.E. is a Friday this year, the anniversary of that date might fall on a different day of the week each year, he said.
“We determine the date on which Nisan 14 falls each year using the same method that was used in the time of Jesus, rather than applying the method used for the modern Jewish calendar,” he said.
A month before April 15, JWs have been engaged in a special campaign, inviting people, including the deaf, to join them in honoring Christ’s sacrificial death.
They do this by calling their neighbors and friends, using various online platforms and by writing letters and sending these electronically or through couriers.
However, Rodulfa said they do not share their faith face-to-face yet because public evangelical works remained suspended.
This weekend, some 8.5 million JWs in 240 areas will attend a Bible-based lecture, entitled “Where Can You Find Real Hope?”, as part of their annual observance of Christ’s death.
This 30-minute program will “provide concrete reasons for confidence in the hope promised in the Bible,” Rodulfa said.
He said that the public is invited. Information on attending locally is available at their official website jw.org.
TSB
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