Organizing International Gatherings

For well over half a century, Jehovah’s Witnesses have held large, multicity conventions simultaneously in many lands. Their feeling of international brotherhood has been heightened on these occasions when they have all been able to hear principal discourses originating in a key city.

It was not until 1946, however, that a large international convention drew together in one city delegates from many parts of the earth. This was at Cleveland, Ohio. Although travel in the postwar era was still difficult, attendance reached 80,000, including 302 delegates from 32 countries outside the United States. Sessions were held in 20 languages. Much practical instruction was given with a view to expanding the work of evangelizing. One of the convention highlights was Brother Knorr’s talk about problems of reconstruction and expansion. The audience applauded enthusiastically as they heard plans for enlargement of the Society’s headquarters printing and office facilities, as well as its radio broadcasting facilities, for establishment of branch offices in principal countries of the world, and for expansion of missionary work. Immediately after that convention, details were worked out so that Brothers Knorr and Henschel could make an around-the-world trip to implement what had been discussed.

In the years that followed, truly history-making conventions were held in New York City’s Yankee Stadium. At the first of these, from July 30 to August 6, 1950, delegates were present from 67 lands. Included on the program were brief reports by branch servants, missionaries, and other delegates. These gave the convention thrilling glimpses of the intense evangelizing work being done in all the lands from which they had come. The final day, attendance rose to 123,707 for the discourse “Can You Live Forever in Happiness on Earth?” The theme of the convention was “Theocracy’s Increase.” Attention was directed to the great increase in numbers. Yet, as the chairman, Grant Suiter, emphatically pointed out, this was not done to laud any brilliant minds within the visible organization. Rather, he declared: “The new strength of numbers is dedicated to Jehovah’s honor. That is the way it should be, and we would not have it any other way.”

In 1953, another convention was held at Yankee Stadium in New York. This time the attendance peaked at 165,829. As was true of the first convention there, the program was packed with discussions of thrilling Bible prophecies, practical counsel on how to accomplish the preaching of the good news, and reports from many lands. Although sessions began at about 9:30 a.m., they usually did not conclude until 9:00 or 9:30 p.m. The convention provided eight full days of joyful spiritual feasting.

For their largest convention, in New York in 1958, it was necessary to use not only Yankee Stadium but also the nearby Polo Grounds as well as overflow areas outside the stadiums to accommodate the convention crowds. On the final day, when every seat was filled, special permission was granted to use even the playing field of Yankee Stadium, and what a thrilling sight it was as thousands streamed in, removed their shoes, and sat on the grass! The count showed 253,922 in attendance to hear the public discourse. A further evidence of Jehovah’s blessing on the ministry of his servants was seen when 7,136 at this convention symbolized their dedication by water immersion—well over twice the number that were baptized on the historic occasion of Pentecost 33 C.E., as reported in the Bible!—Acts 2:41.

The entire operation of these conventions gave evidence of something much more than efficient organization. It was a manifestation of God’s spirit at work among his people. Brotherly love that has as its basis love for God was evident everywhere. There were no high-salaried organizers. Every department was manned by unpaid volunteers. Christian brothers and sisters, often family groups, cared for the refreshment stands. They also prepared hot meals, and in huge tents outside the stadium, they served the delegates at a rate of up to a thousand per minute. Tens of thousands—all of them glad to have a share in the work—served as attendants and cared for all the needed construction, cooking and serving of meals, cleanup, and much more.

More volunteers devoted hundreds of thousands of hours in order to fill the housing needs of delegates. In some years, to care for at least some of the conventioners, trailer and tent cities were organized. In 1953 the Witnesses harvested 40 acres [16 ha] of grain, free of charge, for a farmer in New Jersey who leased them his land for their trailer city. Sanitary facilities, lighting, showers, laundry rooms, cafeteria, and grocery stores were all installed to care for a population that exceeded 45,000. As they moved in, a city sprang up overnight. Scores of thousands more were housed in hotels and private homes in and around New York. It was a mammoth undertaking. With Jehovah’s blessing, it was carried out successfully.

Conventions on the Move

The members of this international brotherhood are keenly interested in fellow Witnesses in other lands. As a result, they have seized opportunities to attend conventions outside their home countries.

When the first of the Clean Worship Assembly series convened at Wembley Stadium in London, England, in 1951, Witnesses from 40 lands were present. The program emphasized the practical side of true worship and the making of the ministry one’s life career. From England, many Witnesses traveled to the Continent, where nine more conventions were to be held during the next two months. The largest of these was in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, where 47,432 were present from 24 lands. The warmth of the brothers was demonstrated at the close of the program when the orchestra began to play and the German brothers broke out in a spontaneous farewell song commending to God their fellow Witnesses who had come from abroad to join them. Handkerchiefs were waved, and hundreds flocked across the field to express personal appreciation for this grand theocratic festival.

In 1955, more of the Witnesses arranged to visit their Christian brothers abroad at convention time. By means of two chartered ships (each with 700 passengers) and 42 chartered planes, delegates from the United States and Canada went to Europe. The European edition of the paper The Stars and Stripes, published in Germany, described the influx of Witnesses as “probably the biggest mass movement of Americans through Europe since the Allied invasion during World War II.” Other delegates came from Central and South America, Asia, Africa, and Australia. In spite of efforts of Christendom’s clergy to prevent the Witnesses from holding their conventions in Rome and Nuremberg, these two and six more were held in Europe during the summer. Attendance ranged from 4,351 in Rome to 107,423 in Nuremberg. Another group of 17,729 assembled at the Waldbühne in what was then called West Berlin, which could be reached with somewhat less risk by brothers from the Eastern zone of that era. Many of these had been in prison for their faith or had family members who were then in prison, but they were still firm in faith. How appropriate the convention theme—“Triumphant Kingdom”!

Though there had already been many international conventions, what took place in 1963 was the first of its kind. It was an around-the-world convention. Beginning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the United States, it moved to New York; next, to four major cities in Europe; through the Middle East; on to India, Burma (now Myanmar), Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, Taiwan, Japan, New Zealand, Fiji, the Republic of Korea, and Hawaii; and then back to the North American mainland. In all, delegates from 161 lands were present. Total attendance exceeded 580,000. There were 583, from some 20 lands, that moved with the convention, attending in one country after another, clear around the globe. Special tours enabled them to see places of religious interest, and they also shared with their local brothers and sisters in the house-to-house ministry. These travelers cared for their own expenses.

Latin American delegates had been well represented at most of the international conventions. But in 1966-67, it was their turn to host the conventions. Those who attended will never forget the drama that brought to life the Bible account regarding Jeremiah and that helped everyone to appreciate its meaning for our day.a Bonds of Christian love were strengthened as visitors saw firsthand the background against which a vast campaign of Bible education is being carried on in Latin America. They were deeply moved by the strong faith of fellow believers, many of whom had overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles—family opposition, floods, loss of possessions—to be in attendance. They were greatly encouraged by experiences such as that of a frail Uruguayan special pioneer sister who was interviewed and who had with her on the platform many of the 80 persons she had already helped to progress to the point of Christian baptism! (As of 1992, she had helped 105 persons to the point of baptism. She was still frail and still a special pioneer!) How heartwarming, too, to meet missionaries from the very earliest Gilead classes still on the job in their assignments! Those conventions were a fine stimulus to the work being done in that part of the world. In many of those lands, there are now 10, 15, or even 20 times as many praisers of Jehovah as there were then.

A few years later, in 1970-71, it was possible for Witnesses from abroad to fellowship with their brothers at international conventions held in Africa. The largest of these conventions was in Lagos, Nigeria, where all the facilities had to be built from the ground up. To protect delegates from the hot sun, a bamboo city was built—seating areas, dormitories, cafeteria, and other departments. This required 100,000 bamboo poles and 36,000 large, woven reed mats—all of them prepared by the brothers and sisters. The program was put on in 17 languages simultaneously. Attendance reached 121,128, and 3,775 new Witnesses were baptized. Numerous tribal groups were represented, and many of those present were people who used to war against one another. But now, what a joy to see them united in the bonds of genuine Christian brotherhood!

After the convention, some of the foreign delegates traveled by bus into Igboland to see the area most seriously affected by the recent civil war. A great sensation was caused in town after town as the visitors were greeted and embraced by local Witnesses. People rushed into the streets to watch. Such a demonstration of love and unity between black and white was something they had never seen before.

In certain lands the number of Jehovah’s Witnesses makes it impossible for them all to come together in one place. However, on occasion, several large conventions have been held at the same time, followed by more, week after week. In 1969, the unity felt at conventions arranged in this way was enhanced by the fact that some of the principal speakers shuttled back and forth by air between the conventions, thus serving them all. In 1983 and 1988, a similar oneness was felt when a number of large conventions using the same language were tied together, even internationally, by telephone transmission of key discourses given by members of the Governing Body. The real foundation of the unity among Jehovah’s Witnesses, however, is the fact that they all worship Jehovah as the only true God, they all hold to the Bible as their guide, they all benefit from the same spiritual feeding program, they all look to Jesus Christ as their Leader, they all seek to manifest the fruits of God’s spirit in their lives, they all put their trust in God’s Kingdom, and they all share in taking the good news of that Kingdom to others.

Organized for International Praise to Jehovah

Jehovah’s Witnesses have increased in number to the point that they outnumber the population of scores of individual nations. In order for their conventions to accomplish the greatest good, much careful planning is required. However, simple published requests as to where Witnesses from various areas should attend are usually all that is needed to assure that there will be ample room for everyone. When international conventions are planned, it is now often necessary for the Governing Body to consider not only the number of Witnesses from other countries who would like to go and are in position to do so but also the size of available convention facilities, the number of local Witnesses who will be attending, and the amount of housing available for delegates; then a maximum figure can be allotted for each country. That was true in connection with the three “Godly Devotion” Conventions held in Poland in 1989.

For those conventions some 90,000 of Jehovah’s Witnesses were expected from Poland, in addition to thousands of newly interested persons. Many were also invited to attend from Britain, Canada, and the United States. Large delegations were welcomed from Italy, France, and Japan. Others came from Scandinavia and Greece. At least 37 lands were represented. For certain portions of the program, it was necessary to interpret Polish or English talks into as many as 16 other languages. Total attendance was 166,518.

Large groups of Witnesses at these conventions had come from what was then the Soviet Union and from Czechoslovakia; sizable groups were also present from other Eastern European countries. Hotels and school dormitories could not house everyone. Hospitably, the Polish Witnesses opened their hearts and their homes, gladly sharing what they had. One congregation of 146 provided sleeping places for over 1,200 delegates. For some who attended these conventions, it was the first time they had ever been at a large gathering of more than 15 or 20 of Jehovah’s people. Their hearts welled up with appreciation as they looked out at the tens of thousands in the stadiums, joined with them in prayer, and united their voices in songs of praise to Jehovah. When they mingled together between sessions, there were warm embraces, even though difference of language often kept them from saying in words what was in their hearts.

As the convention came to an end, their hearts were filled with gratitude to Jehovah, who made it all possible. In Warsaw, after the farewell comments by the chairman, the audience burst into applause that did not abate for at least ten minutes. After the final song and prayer, the applause resumed, and the audience lingered in the stands for a long time. They had waited many years for this occasion, and they did not want it to end.

The following year, 1990, less than five months after the lifting of a 40-year-long ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses in what was then East Germany, another thrilling international convention was held, this one in Berlin. Among the 44,532 present were delegates from 65 different countries. From some lands, just a few had come; from Poland, some 4,500. Words could not express the deep feelings of those who had never before had the freedom to attend such a convention, and when the entire audience joined in songs of praise to Jehovah, they could not hold back their tears of joy.

Later that year, when a similar convention was held in São Paulo, Brazil, two large stadiums were needed to accommodate the international audience of 134,406. This was followed by a convention in Argentina, where again two stadiums were used simultaneously to accommodate the international audience. As 1991 began, further international conventions were getting under way in the Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand. Large audiences from many nations were also on hand that year for conventions in Eastern Europe—in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and what is now Croatia. And in 1992, delegates from 28 lands counted it a special privilege to be among the 46,214 in St. Petersburg for the first truly international convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia.

[Pictures on page 270, 271]

In 1958 an audience of 253,922, overflowing two large stadiums in New York, heard the message “God’s Kingdom Rules—Is the World’s End Near?”

Polo Grounds

Yankee Stadium

[Picture on page 274]

Grant Suiter, convention chairman at Yankee Stadium in 1950

[Picture on page 274]

John Groh (seated), discussing convention organization with George Couch in 1958

[Pictures on page 277]

In 1963 an around-the-world convention was held, with delegates from some 20 lands traveling with it right around the globe

Kyoto, Japan (lower left), was one of 27 convention cities. Delegates in the Republic of Korea got acquainted (center). A Maori greeting in New Zealand (lower right)

[Pictures on page 279]

A convention that served 17 language groups simultaneously, in a bamboo city built for the occasion (Lagos, Nigeria, 1970)

[Pictures on page 280]

Three large conventions were held in Poland in 1989, with delegates on hand from 37 lands

T. Jaracz (on the right) spoke to delegates in Poznan

Thousands were baptized in Chorzów

The audience applauded at great length in Warsaw

Delegates from what was then the U.S.S.R. (below)

Portions of the program in Chorzów were translated into 15 languages

[Box/Pictures on page 272, 273]

Features of Some of the Big Conventions

Hundreds of enthusiastic delegates arrived by ship, thousands by plane, tens of thousands by automobile and bus

Good organization and lots of willing workers were required to locate and assign sufficient rooming accommodations

During these eight-day conventions, hot meals—tens of thousands of them—were regularly served to delegates

In 1953, a trailer and tent city accommodated more than 45,000 delegates

In New York, in 1958, 7,136 got baptized—more than at any one time since Pentecost of 33 C.E.

Greeting signs from many lands were displayed, and sessions were held in 21 languages, in New York in 1953