“Everlasting Good News” Assembly Welcomes You
JUNE, 1963! More than a million worshipers of Jehovah and people of goodwill have looked forward to this year and month with keenest desire. Their hopes and anticipations have been riding high ever since two years ago when on June 25, 1961, at Yankee Stadium, New York city, the Watch Tower Society’s president, Nathan H. Knorr, announced that there would be a world convention in 1963, that it would begin in the United States and continue on around the world. When he invited conventioners to go along on this global convention tour, a roar of approval went up from the audience. Delegates left for their homes with their hearts and hopes ablaze for ’63.
1963 is here! The prayers and hopes of many are about to be realized. For in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (U.S.), June 30 to July 7, the “Everlasting Good News” Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses will begin and then from there move to Yankee Stadium, New York city, July 7-14. Never has there been anything like it. A convention aflame with the “everlasting good news” on a world tour! Like a city on top of a mountain it will beam its message of hope as it circles the globe.—Matt. 5:14-16.
OPPORTUNITIES ASSEMBLY AFFORDS
This world assembly affords Jehovah’s witnesses an opportunity to come together as a people for God’s name and purpose. Theirs is not a gathering together merely out of a sense of duty, or out of a burning desire to be with one another, but principally out of love for God and his Word. They want to do his will. Therefore, they come together to take in instruction and to see how they might improve their relationship to God. Think of what this means! Can you imagine getting away to a place that is free from the fears of this world, from its menace of materialism and its immoral, corrupting chatter? That is what it is like at these assemblies. At them you associate with persons who love God. Their speech is wholesome and they are eager to improve their spirituality.
That is what makes assemblies of Jehovah’s witnesses so outstanding, for at them you come face to face with working Christianity. You witness Christian principles in operation on a major scale. In some cities, for eight days, such “out-of-this-world” living will take place, whereas in others the assemblies will last only four days. But regardless of their length, the same love, spirit and devotion will be manifest at all of them. First in Milwaukee, then in New York, and then to England, Europe and Asia the world convention will go. Such places as Stockholm, Sweden; Munich, Germany; Delhi, India; Hong Kong; Seoul, Korea; Honolulu, Hawaii, and others will be privileged to have this world convention. Then sixty-three days after the first assembly day in Milwaukee, this global convention will have made its way around the world to its final assembly city, Pasadena, California. There in that city’s Rose Bowl, on September 1-8, will be the grand finale of this around-the-world Christian convention. What a unique way to declare the “everlasting good news” in all the world! What a demonstration of truth and light to a dark and dying world! What a privilege to be a part of this assembly! Will you be present at least at one of the cities to benefit from the convention’s program? The “Everlasting Good News” Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses cordially invites you to attend.
THE ASSEMBLY PROGRAM
The world convention’s program is carefully designed to be of practical benefit to all who desire to serve Jehovah. God’s Word, the Bible, will be the Book of counsel that will be consulted continually. Its benefit to each and every Christian minister will be stressed throughout the assembly. Married and single persons and children will all find help and encouragement in what will be said. Prayer and study of the Bible will be carefully considered. Each assembly program will feature a baptismal service. Candidates will receive instruction and then be baptized. Congregation overseers, pioneers, including vacation and special pioneer ministers, missionaries, circuit and district servants will all find specific instructions dealing with their problems in the ministry.
While people of goodwill are invited to every session, yet they are encouraged to put forth a special effort to hear the public talk “When God Is King over All the Earth.” This discourse will be delivered by the president or another official of the Watch Tower Society at each assembly city. The very title of this talk rings with hope and is permeated with the spirit of the “everlasting good news.” You will not want to miss it. In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this speech will be delivered on July 7, and in New York city at Yankee Stadium, July 14, 3 p.m.
Each assembly city will be stimulatingly different. From the very start there will be an international flavor. For through the Watch Tower Society, Jehovah’s witnesses have arranged for delegates, that is, branch servants, missionaries, special pioneers and others from nearly every country in the world to be present at various assembly cities. Thus many locations of the world will be represented at each assembly city no matter where you attend the world convention.
RECEIVING AND GIVING
Besides receiving life-giving counsel and instruction through the generous program, every conventioner will be a recipient of the spirit of the occasion. God’s spirit will be there. This one fact alone makes attending worthwhile. In addition, however, to see tens of thousands of people working together out of love, willingly giving of themselves without pay, is a profound blessing in this day and age. To behold men, women and children singing together, learning and praying together is uplifting and faith-strengthening indeed in this era of fear of nuclear war.
Think what such scenes do to Christian ministers and people of goodwill who live in isolated territories, where the largest gatherings of the Lord’s people are merely a handful by comparison. What joy these scenes arouse in them! They would not miss an assembly for anything. Will you be present to show your appreciation?
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, said: “There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.” (Acts 20:35) So at the world assembly there will be ample opportunity to give of one’s abilities and talents. Doctors and nurses will be needed in the first aid department. Sign painters and musicians will be in demand. There will be work enough for all who willingly offer themselves, whether they be cooks or bakers, electricians or mechanics, young or old, skilled workers or those just willing to help. Side by side Christians of various races and nationalities will willingly work to care for the many assembly departments. Their joy will be full, because they find pleasure in serving their Christian brothers.
The global convention will afford delegates opportunities for spiritual giving also. In each assembly city conventioners are going to call on people in their homes and share with them the “everlasting good news.” There will be an exchange of ideas, not only on the convention program by means of talks, demonstrations and interviews, but also by getting acquainted with their Christian brothers and sisters in their own homelands. This will broaden their knowledge and appreciation of one another.
A CONVENTION ON TOUR
Now, imagine if you will, hundreds, yes, in some cases, even more than a thousand of Jehovah’s witnesses going from assembly city to assembly city. Can’t you just see their joy on arrival in Europe, Asia, Australia and the islands of the sea, because of their being greeted by their Christian brothers in these various lands? What joy, in turn, on the part of those welcoming new arrivals, receiving their love and greetings! What a thrill will be theirs!
Jehovah’s witnesses are Bible students, so they will be particularly interested in seeing places of Bible fame. Many will have the privilege to see where the apostle Paul preached. In fact, many may stand in the midst of the Areopagus where Paul stood when he gave his sermon recorded at Acts 17:22-31. No doubt their minds will recall that Paul said: “Men of Athens, I behold that in all things you seem to be more given to the fear of the deities than others are. . . . ” In Palestine many of Jehovah’s witnesses will be privileged to see the city where the temples of Solomon, Zerubbabel and Herod stood. They will see places where Jesus Christ performed his powerful works of preaching, teaching and healing. Some will see the Jordan River where he was baptized, the garden of Gethsemane where he prayed shortly before his impalement. What a unique privilege this world assembly!
Therefore, think about the blessings this month opens up to you as the world convention gets under way. The one and all-important remaining question is, When the global convention reaches its grand finale in the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California, September 1-8, will you be able to say, “I was a part of it”? Remember, you are welcome to attend.
DURING TEN WEEKS JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES ON WORLD TOUR WILL VISIT TWENTY-FOUR CITIES
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A.: June 30–July 7.
New York, New York, U.S.A.: July 7-14.
London, England: July 14-21.
Stockholm, Sweden: July 14-21.
Munich, Germany: July 21-28.
Milan, Italy: July 21-28.
Athens, Greece: July 27-30.
Jerusalem, Jordan: July 31–August 3.
Beirut, Lebanon: August 1-4.
Delhi, India: August 6-11.
Rangoon, Burma: August 8-11.
Bangkok, Thailand: August 8-11.
Hong Kong: August 14-18.
Singapore: August 14-18.
Manila, Philippines: August 14-18.
Djakarta, Indonesia: August 15-18.
Melbourne, Australia: August 16-20.
Shou Feng, Taiwan: August 18-21.
Kyoto, Japan: August 21-25.
Auckland, New Zealand: August 21-25.
Seoul, Korea: August 24-27.
Suva, Fiji: August 24-27.
Honolulu, Hawaii: August 28–September 1.
Pasadena, California, U.S.A.: September 1-8.