Great Effort Made to Attend Conventions

Year after year national conventions were held in Mexico City, and these were attended by a majority of the Mexican brothers.

In 1985, Jehovah’s Witnesses around the globe began to hear reports of large international conventions of their Christian brothers in Poland.

That same year several conventions were held, at which 108 individuals presented themselves for water immersion.

If Jehovah wills, many of Jehovah’s witnesses in the United States, Canada and some other countries, will assemble at two eight-day conventions, Sunday to Sunday, that will commence in the early part of July 1969 in the eastern part of the United States.”

It was mentioned that conventions would be held all the way across the United States to the Pacific and that, “we hope 300,000 to 400,000 persons will be in attendance at the six cities during these three weeks of 1969.”

In 1963, there were 57 delegates from Brazil at the international conventions in the United States when the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures in Portuguese was released.

Obtaining More Benefit From Conventions

“Godly Fear” Conventions

A highlight of the year was the “Godly Fear” District Conventions.

On May 18, the application for the religious association of Jehovah’s Witnesses was accepted and officially registered​—just in time for the large conventions that were planned for Chorzów (near Katowice), Poznan, and Warsaw.

For the first time, the authorities allowed them to use public auditoriums for their district conventions in various cities.

“VICTORIOUS FAITH” INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

When the December 1, 1976, issue of The Watchtower first announced that plans were being made for the international conventions to be held in 1978, it said: “God’s Word clearly states that the ‘scene of this world is changing.’ (1 Cor. 7:31)

Outstanding among the exciting events of the past year were the “God’s Way of Life” International Conventions.

After attending one of these conventions, a Witness from Guadeloupe said that now, for the first time, he could truly ‘appreciate in his heart’ the reality of it.

Local Brothers Organize Conventions

Similarly, in the 1970’s responsibility in connection with the organization of conventions began to be transferred to local Witnesses.

The “Divine Justice” District Conventions, beginning in June 1988 and continuing into 1989, serve as an example of how Jehovah lovingly satisfies the needs of his people.

Telephone transmissions of portions of the program at conventions held in the United States, Canada, Asia, and Europe had a significant unifying effect.

The importance of keeping integrity to Jehovah was kept prominently before the minds of all of Jehovah’s Witnesses during 1985 by the series of “Integrity Keepers” Conventions.

At a number of special conventions, thousands of delegates from other lands were present.

Russell had been visiting numerous Canadian groups of Bible Students during one-day conventions, but new congregations, or classes, were being established in many places and no longer was it possible for him to visit all of them.

Small conventions were held there.

At the 1993 “Divine Teaching” District Conventions in Germany, roughly 10 percent of the 194,751 persons in attendance were at the foreign-language conventions.