Three-day regional conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the country will be held in various places this year with about 500,000, including interested Bible students , expected to attend. The first convention will be held June 2-4 at the Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Novaliches, Quezon City.
Eleven such gatherings will follow weekly at the same venue for these Christians living in Metro Manila and Bulacan with some 5,000 expected each week. One hundred thirty other conventions will be held in various cities and towns in the country, with the last 11 scheduled on August 18-20.
Danilo Calso, spokesman of the Witnesses, said this year marks the first time that these conventions in the Philippines will be held simultaneously with those in the United States. “Actually, close to 15 million Witnesses and interested ones from 240 countries will be expected to attend these assemblies featuring the same Bible-based program,” he added.
Theme of this year’s Bible seminar is, “Don’t Give Up!,” based on the exhortation of the Apostle Paul to Christians at Galatians 6: 9, “Let us not give up in doing what is fine.” Choice of the theme is timely and will focus on how one can remain hopeful today despite widespread problems on addiction, criminality, violence and corruption.
On Friday, the chairman of the convention will deliver the keynote address, entitled: “We Must Not Give Up-Especially Now!,” that will set the tone for succeeding discussions, symposia and video presentations through the three days. “Bible teachings and principles will be highlighted to show how one can cultivate qualities that promote endurance, strengthen the faith and nurture hope, amid all the problems besetting us today” Calso pointed out.
A three-part drama, entitled “Remember the Wife of Lot,” will be an exciting feature presented each day of the convention.
On Saturday, about 5,000 new Witnesses will be baptized through water immersion, following a Bible-based talk, “Do Not Give in to Fear.”
These newly-ordained ministers will likewise engage in house-to-house ministry as a way of obeying Jesus’ command to “preach the good news of the Kingdom.”
On Sunday, the public discourse entitled, “Never Give Up Hope!,” will be delivered as a fitting climax to the 2017 worldwide Bible-based series of regional conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses. (End)