The Worldwide Impact of “Kingdom Unity”
KINGDOM UNITY! In contrast to the world’s divisive forces, what a marvelous demonstration of God-given unity took place at the 1983 district conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses! The event drew throngs of people, filling auditoriums and stadiums throughout the United States and Canada, on the continent of Europe, in the Far East and on islands of the Atlantic, Pacific and the Caribbean.
This was no ordinary uniting of people for a show of strength or for mutual pleasure. It was a series of conventions of people who are convinced that God’s Kingdom under Christ is the only solution for mankind’s mushrooming problems. All firmly believe that the Kingdom, operating since the epoch-making year of 1914, is a tremendous force for unity and harmony of action in their life.
Underscoring this, the News Tribune of Tacoma, Washington, reporting on a convention there attended by upwards of 20,000, said: “Witnesses are anticipating soon the fulfillment of the Lord’s prayer: ‘Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’” Quoting the convention chairman, the newspaper article went on: “In the kingdom of God, government will do what human governments have never been able to do. . . . The earth will be cleaned up and made into the kind of place God has always wanted it to be.”
Wherever they attended, the conventioners were intent on widely publicizing the Kingdom. They realize how urgent it is to know that Jehovah, and he alone, can and will solve every problem and introduce a righteous government in behalf of all people who submit to his anointed King Jesus Christ.
While observers took note of the fine godly qualities displayed by the Witnesses, some also highlighted the bright future prospects that Witnesses proclaim. For example, after mentioning the honesty and moral cleanness of the Witnesses, the Brescia, Italy, Stampa Sera pinpointed the following: “The most important [truth taught by the Witnesses] . . . is that which announces ‘that shortly there will be a long period in which Jehovah will reign and the earth will again become a paradise for all. The righteous will die no more. The need for enduring oppression will end, as will the sadness and sufferings of the present, the perfidy of the devil will be defeated.’” People weary of the present woeful conditions are heartened by such a message.
Telephone Hookup With Key Cities
An exciting feature of the “Kingdom Unity” District Conventions that enhanced the spirit of being one united brotherhood was the transmission of portions of the program by telephone line from key cities to other conventions. In North America, for example, during each week from June 16–July 24, a different key city was used. For example, on July 8 and 9, portions of the program originating in St. Louis, Missouri, were heard by audiences in 26 other U.S. cities, 17 cities in Canada, 3 in Hawaii and in Hamilton, Bermuda. Total attendance for the 48 cities that week, including the large crowd in St. Louis, well exceeded 400,000.
The response of the conventioners was thrilling. One conventioner in England had this to say: “A special thank you . . . for the linkup of the convention cities. I cannot find words to express my joy and appreciation for this. My eldest son, his wife and three children attended the Dublin, Ireland, convention. So while listening to the talks here, I could also picture my family sitting along with others that I knew in Ireland, all of us listening intently to the program.” A delegate in Zurich, Switzerland, wrote: “I am writing to say thank you for the wonderful congress I have just had the privilege of enjoying. It meant so much to me to have the honor of listening via telephone from Germany. I went home filled with the wonderful feeling and knowledge that there is a worldwide unity that exists in Jehovah’s organization and that is nowhere else to be found.”
Other expressions included the following: “Being united by telephone hookup with other brothers and sisters in the United States and Canada was a real treat, as we hung on to every word.” “I appreciated the tie-line talks also. It was thrilling to be united in this manner.”
Encouragement From Visiting Missionaries
At many of these gatherings there was the added pleasure of meeting with missionaries, most of them graduates of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead, who returned to their homelands to enjoy the convention with relatives and friends. Many were the scenes of happy reunion. The experiences given from the platform by those loyal servants were stimulating and held forth an excellent example to younger ones, encouraging them to set as a goal in life full-time service to the great God of Kingdom unity.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported that nine missionaries with a combined total of 275 years of service shared their experiences from Micronesia and the Far East. Hearing from missionaries had a wholesome effect. One delegate stated: “To hear the experiences of the missionaries was a joy. This was an excellent provision.” Another brother wrote that the session on “the privilege of service as a foreign missionary was a real encouragement. . . . ‘As cold water upon a tired soul, so is a good report from a distant land.’ (Proverbs 25:25) And that is exactly what the missionaries gave us on this convention program.”
Another correspondent from England, where 52 missionaries were present from 19 lands, wrote: “I do believe that I have never before come away from an assembly with such a feeling of pride and great gratitude for being one of Jehovah’s people. Many others have expressed themselves to me in similar terms. I was compelled by family and personal illness to leave a special assignment in Ireland last year, and I am now more determined than ever to return as soon as possible, Jehovah willing. The exchange with missionaries privately and from the platform was a real encouragement to that end. So again, thank you for the arrangement that made it all possible.”
Baptismal Candidates From Varied Backgrounds
The public press in many cities took special notice of the baptism of thousands of new Witnesses. These candidates for water baptism had for some time been preparing to qualify for this step. In Canada and the mainland United States there were 12,059 who symbolized their dedication to Jehovah by undergoing baptism. Many of them had previously been associated with Catholicism or Judaism, or with various Protestant groups such as the Mormons, the Baptists and the Church of Christ, or even with Oriental religions. Through diligent study of the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, they had come to realize that Jehovah God through Christ, the Fine Shepherd, is gathering people of all kinds into one organization. And at this “Kingdom Unity” District Convention they truly rejoiced to be associated with an international brotherhood that is subject to Christ in every sense.
In Italy 3,119 presented themselves for baptism. Among them were some who had to be taught how to read before qualifying. Many were youths, while others were over 90. There were also an ex-thief, a former communist and a man who had planned to serve as a lay missionary in Brazil for another religious organization.
During July and August other “Kingdom Unity” conventions were held in Europe. In the British Isles, for example, key conventions in Edinburgh, London and Sheffield were tied in by telephone with other conventions, including one in Dublin, Ireland. A total of some 127,000 heard the special talks and almost a thousand presented themselves for water baptism.
Kingdom Unity in East and West
Paris was the key city for the many conventions held in France, and with it were tied in French-speaking audiences in Brussels, Belgium, and Geneva, Switzerland. Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Belgium and the Netherlands, too, had their jubilant throngs of conventioners. Frankfurt and Munich were key cities for conventions held in West Germany as well as Austria, Luxembourg and Switzerland. Madrid and Valencia in Spain, Rome and Milan in Italy, Lisbon in Portugal, and Athens in Greece were key cities to which many other audiences in these as well as other lands were joined.
In Poland a number of cities were able to have one-day conventions to which visiting delegates from other lands in Europe were welcome. Though the program had to be abbreviated somewhat, the brothers were thrilled to be together and enjoy the fellowship as well as the same spiritual feast as was spread at all the “Kingdom Unity” District Conventions around the world.
During this same period the “Kingdom Unity” District Convention got under way in Japan. Fifteen different audiences in as many cities were tied in with Tokyo by telephone (or later by recordings) for the special program parts. In the following weeks conventioners assembled in South Korea (with telephone tie-ins), Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines. At all these places the same program that had been heard in Europe and America delighted the delegates. Here, too, many qualified candidates presented themselves for baptism in token of their dedication to Jehovah, the God who makes Kingdom unity possible.
No Lack of Volunteer Workers
It was good to see the willingness of many to assist in the various departments set up to care for the needs of the conventioners. At one convention a group of elderly persons wanted to share in the cleanup work at the close of the convention. That was fine. They were assigned to sweep the ground floor so they would not be required to climb upstairs to the stands. The Italian newspaper Il Resto del Carlino of Bologna of August 14, 1983, reported: “One is impressed, during the course of the entire assembly, with the perfect organization carried out by [small teams] of volunteers. For example, here is a curious episode: The internal circle of the stadium is always covered with rather risqué graffiti. To eliminate this, a group of the faithful repainted the area at the organization’s expense, covering the portions of the wall that were objectionable.”
Speaking about how clean the stadium was where the Rome assembly was held, il Giornale of August 14, 1983, said: “One sees no empty cans, litter, and not even cigarette butts; the witnesses do not smoke.”
Many were the expressions of appreciation from the managers and staffs of the various auditoriums used. Comparing our convention with a gathering of a prominent TV evangelist, one staff assistant said: “They don’t have a meeting, they have a show. You have a meeting. What you do is educational.” And the manager of one large stadium was moved to write: “It has been such a pleasure to have you and your conferees use our facilities. Of all the many types and sizes of crowds attending events at our stadium, your group has been by far the cleanest, best behaved and most cooperative of any we have been associated with. The image your group has instilled was a beautiful lesson to all of us. From the original contact through the final clean-up your group has continued to amaze us all.”
Many long-time servants of Jehovah expressed themselves to the effect that this convention was the best yet. One conventioner wrote: “I have attended district conventions for about 15 years, but not one has surpassed the blessings of this one.” A delegate from Manchester, England, said: “We have been in the truth many years—61 in all—have enjoyed many privileges, but now that the district conventions are over for another year in our part of the world, we must express our thanks and appreciation for all the blessings we received. We would not have missed any of them.”
Yes, the “Kingdom Unity” District Conventions in 1983 gave a mighty witness. Jehovah, the Master-Organizer, has indeed gathered a people from all nations and languages and welded them into an unbreakable unity. Their witnessing, their conduct and their daily life testify to the fact that he has united them under his Kingdom in the hands of his chosen King, Christ Jesus.
The convention program was indeed a rich spiritual banquet that satisfied, encouraged and stimulated the conventioners. It is evident that such a people, according to the divine purpose, are truly united in serving to God’s glory.—Ephesians 4:3.
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“There is a worldwide unity that exists in Jehovah’s organization and that is nowhere else to be found”
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“Of all the many types and sizes of crowds attending events at our stadium, your group has been by far the cleanest”
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Missionaries on program in Frankfurt, Germany, F.R.
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Tens of thousands from widely varied religious and cultural backgrounds presented themselves for baptism