Jehovah’s Witnesses Resume In-Person Meetings Worldwide, Including in Israel

Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world resumed in-person meetings last week, except where local government restrictions do not permit them, the organization said.

The move comes ahead of two large-scale global events the Witnesses are planning. On April 10, some 120,000 congregations worldwide will hold a special lecture titled “Where Can You Find Real Hope?” On April 15, events commemorating the death of Jesus Christ will be held in local congregations.

Trey Upshur, a local representative for Jehovah’s Witnesses in Israel, described the mood among members. “There is a collective shout of joy among Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world right now,” he said. “While we have prospered in many ways as individuals and congregations using technology to bring us together, nothing can adequately replace being together in person. We have longed for this moment for the better part of two years.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses in Israel and the Palestinian Authority suspended their public ministry on March 10, 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, they have carried out their ministry through letters, phone calls and twice-weekly virtual meetings. Average attendance at those meetings topped 4,700 people each week in Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The source notes that there are only 2,100 Jehovah’s Witnesses in some 35 congregations in the area, meaning Witnesses from around the world also took part.

For members who remain concerned about their health and safety, all congregations in Israel will offer “hybrid” meetings, which allow both in-person and remote attendees to take part in discussions. Over the past six months, many congregations have been equipped with the technology needed to hold such meetings, welcoming those who cannot yet attend in person (Matthew 25:35).

David Simozrag, a representative of the Witnesses in Israel, said the group is politically neutral. He put the worldwide membership at around 8.6 million, including 2,000 in Israel.

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