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By Brown Chimezie
After a three-year COVID-19 pandemic pause, Jehovah’s Witnesses has announced it would resume its annual convention in Daluwon in Ogun State, Badagry and Lekki, in Lagos State.
The three-day event has as its theme “Exercise Patience!”
Jehovah’s Witnesses have been holding public conventions in stadia, arenas, convention centres, and theatres around the world for more than 100 years. In 2020, the pandemic interrupted the traditional convention when the Witnesses cancelled all in-person events throughout the world and held their conventions as virtual events in more than 1,000 languages. After resuming smaller in-person meetings and their public ministry during 2022, August 2023 marks the first time they would gather at much larger regional events in Nigeria since the lifting of the pandemic restrictions
In a statement, yesterday, Jehovah Witnesses announced it would bring that tradition back to Daluwon on August 11, then to Badagry August 18 and Lekki October 6, 2023.
Spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses, Olusegun Eroyemi said: “The truth is the virtual conventions did well but nothing is as good as interacting with persons you love, smiling because you heard a very interesting talk, and looking at somebody at the other side also smiling at you. We have missed it for this long, and we are all looking forward to it.
Some 6,000 conventions would be held worldwide as part of the 2023 “Exercise Patience!” convention series. In Nigeria alone, more than 320 conventions would be held in 39 cities.
From Friday through Sunday, six convention sessions would explore the quality of patience, highlighting its modern-day relevance through scriptural examples. Baptism would be performed during the Saturday morning session and a pre-recorded drama featured in two parts during the Saturday and Sunday afternoon sessions.
“More than ever before, the quality of patience is desirable at this time. The biting economic stress, health challenges and interpersonal disconnect even among friends and family even communities exacts pressure on our patience” says Jahswill Stephen. The three days of this convention, it is hoped, will make tremendous difference in the life of the convention delegates and their families.
The convention is open to the public and no collection is taken.
