For some, their very presence at these assemblies required the exercise of faith and the overcoming of obstacles. Distance certainly was no insurmountable problem. To come to the convention in Lille, France, a young delegate from Poland traveled 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) by bicycle in six days.

But does faith affect individual behavior or conduct? Well, the French newspaper Le Soir contrasted the serenity of the Christian convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses held in Marseilles with the usual disorderliness seen at the stadium they used. It said: “The people are peaceful and friendly, ready to talk. . . . There is none of the unruliness usually connected with crowds. All are quietly seated in chairs brought in for the occasion. Nobody walks or tramples on the grass. These are not screaming fanatics, but people who discuss calmly. They have found their object in life, their truth, with Jehovah’s Witnesses.”