Jehovah’s Witnesses Resume Public Ministry Two Years After Going Virtual
Bacolod City – July 7, 2022. If you happen to be in Bacolod Public Plaza or New Government Center (NGC) this week, you may notice that a pre-pandemic fixture is back on the sidewalks: smiling faces standing next to colorful carts featuring a positive message and free Bible-based literature.
Thousands of these carts will be rolling down the streets of communities like cities and municipalities of Negros Island all across the world this week as Jehovah’s Witnesses recommence their global public preaching work some 24 months after putting it on pause due to the pandemic.
Meeting people again in person inspired the Witnesses to give their time, energy, and resources to participate in cart witnessing which they found fulfilling.
“A man approached our cart, chose the brochure ‘What Is the Purpose of Life?’, and expressed that he felt his life is meaningless,” said Shyra, a regular volunteer living in Dumaguete City. “I can see in his eyes that he is looking for help to change his way of life.”
It motivated Shyra to offer the man a Bible study and explained how studying the Bible can help him find his purpose in life.
The Christian organization will return to its public ministry for the first time since March 2020 when all in-person forms of their volunteer work were suspended out of concern for the health and safety of the community.
In response to the global decision, 11 congregations in the local area are now beginning to reopen their cart locations in Bacolod Public Plaza, New Government Center (NGC) and Libertad Public Market.
The local congregation(s) will also resume free in-person Bible studies along with personal visits to those who have invited them back to their homes. This comes two months after the organization began gathering at their Kingdom Halls once again for in-person meetings.
“While we understand that the pandemic is not over, we are entering into a phase of learning to live with COVID,” said James Morales, spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “We are sensitive to the risks that still face our communities and our volunteers, which is why we will not resume door-to-door ministry at this time.
Mobile displays of Bible-based literature have been part of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ public ministry in the U.S. since 2011. While “cart witnessing” began in large metropolitan areas around the world, they quickly spread to the tens of thousands of smaller communities, becoming a fixture in rail and bus stations, airports, harbors and main streets.
Cart witnessing gives Witnesses more opportunities to express their love to their neighbors. “During our cart witnessing, I approached a lady from a distance who seemed troubled and offered our tract, ‘How Do You View the Future?’” a Witness from Iloilo related. “She was depressed during that time, so I offered a listening ear. After she related her problems, I encouraged her to pray to Jehovah, shared a comforting scripture, and invited her to visit our official website.”
To learn more about Jehovah’s Witnesses, their history, beliefs and activities, visit their official website jw.org, featuring content in more than 1,000 languages.