Kingdom Proclaimers Report

Conventioners Commended

“KEEP doing good, and you will have praise from it,” said the apostle Paul at Romans 13:3. This proved true at last year’s “Kingdom Increase” conventions in Brazil.

For example, after the convention in João Pessoa, the club director told the convention committee: “I congratulate you for the excellent way the assembly was held and for the fine behavior of you and your children. No other religious organization displays such good conduct. When we rent to you, we have no worries. The club doors are always open whenever you want to use our facilities.”

Similar comments were heard from many others:

◻ “I have worked for years with large crowds of people, but you are the best organized, the cleanest, and the most cooperative.”​—The administrator of the Maracanãzinho Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

◻ “I am really impressed with your movement. If Jesus Christ were to come now, I believe that the religion he would approve would be yours.”​—A fireman on duty at one of the Rio de Janeiro conventions.

◻ “You don’t bother us [policemen] a bit. I just wish that everyone was like you people. It would be marvelous. When I blow my whistle, I know that I’ll be obeyed without any argument.”​—A traffic policeman assigned to the convention in Curitiba.

◻ “We want to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your orderliness and marvelous, spontaneous discipline, and we wish you every success in future events, for which this Prefecture [Municipality] is always at your service.”​—A letter received by the convention overseer from the mayor’s office in Santo André.

◻ “There was a great contrast between your behavior and that of others who have used our hotel rooms. Your people kept all the installations clean and orderly, and their conduct revealed flawless respect for others.”​—A hotel manager in Novo Hamburgo.

◻ “You folks must be well paid.”​—A bakery owner supplying bread for the convention in Sorocaba, after seeing how hard the brothers there worked. When he learned that they were all unpaid, volunteer workers, he returned to his bakery and brought his whole crew to the stadium to observe their diligence and dedication!

The Brazilian conventions even came to the attention of the news media. The Tribuna da Bahia gave this report: “With Bible in hand, looking in its verses for an explanation for human violence and deceit, the Witnesses do not discuss politics, do not interfere in social procedures, and know nothing about direct elections. Justification for this is in the fact that no matter who is the ruler, he will never be balanced, since only God can govern the world perfectly. . . . The basis for their faith is the coming of a new world that can be attained only by untiring study of the Bible and by changing evil habits to a pure heart.”

Of course, Jehovah’s Witnesses make no claim of being perfect but believe that God’s Kingdom will bring in a perfect new order. They have, nevertheless, endeavored to apply the Bible’s counsel at 1 Peter 2:12: “Maintain your conduct fine among the nations, that . . . they may as a result of your fine works of which they are eyewitnesses glorify God.”

[Picture on page 14]

Christian conduct glorifies God