Developing Quick-Construction Techniques

Early in the 1970’s, in the United States, over 50 Witnesses from nearby congregations pitched in to help construct a new Kingdom Hall in Carterville, Missouri, for the group that had been meeting in Webb City. On one weekend they erected the main framework and did considerable work on the roof. There was still much to be done, and it took months to complete the job; but an important part of it had been completed in a very short period.

During the next decade, as the brothers worked together on about 60 halls, obstacles were overcome, and more efficient methods were developed. In time, they realized that after work on the foundation was done, they might almost be able to complete an entire Kingdom Hall in a single weekend.

Several congregation overseers—all from the midwestern United States—began to work toward that goal. When congregations asked for help with their Kingdom Hall construction, one or more of these brothers would discuss the project with them and provide details concerning the preparation that had to be cared for locally before the job could be done. Among other things, construction permits had to be obtained, the foundation and the concrete floor slab had to be poured, electrical service had to be operational, underground plumbing had to be in place, and dependable arrangements had to be made for delivery of building materials. Then a date could be set for putting up the Kingdom Hall itself. The building was not going to be prefabricated; it would be built from the ground up right on the site.

Who would do the actual construction work? To the extent possible, it was done with voluntary, unpaid labor. Entire families often shared. Those organizing the project would contact Witnesses who were tradesmen and who had expressed a willingness to participate in these projects. Many of them eagerly looked forward to each new building project. Other Witnesses who learned about the projects wanted to have a part; hundreds from the surrounding area—and from more distant places—flocked to the building sites, anxious to offer their services in whatever way they could. Most of them were not professional builders, but they certainly gave evidence that they fit the description of those who would be supporters of Jehovah’s Messianic King as set out at Psalm 110:3, which says: “Your people will offer themselves willingly.”

On Thursday evening before the big push was to begin, those supervising the project met to work out final details. The next evening, workers were shown a slide presentation on procedure so that they would understand how the work was going to be done. Emphasis was placed on the importance of godly qualities. The brothers were encouraged to work together in love, to be kind, to show patience and consideration. Everyone was encouraged to work at a steady pace but not to rush and not to hesitate to take a few minutes to share an upbuilding experience with someone. Early the next morning, construction began.

At an appointed time early on Saturday morning, everyone would stop what he was doing to listen to a discussion of the Scripture text for the day. Prayer was offered, for it was well appreciated that success of the entire undertaking depended on Jehovah’s blessing.—Ps. 127:1.

When the work began, it moved swiftly. In an hour the walls were up. Roof trusses followed. Sheeting for the walls was nailed into place. The electricians began running wires. Air-conditioning and heating ducts were installed. Cabinets were built and put into position. Sometimes it rained all weekend, or the weather turned bitterly cold or was excessively hot, but the work went on. There was no competition, no rivalry among the tradesmen.

Frequently, before sundown on the second day, the Kingdom Hall was completed—nicely decorated inside, perhaps even landscaped on the outside. When it was more practical, jobs were scheduled to extend over three days, or perhaps two weekends. At the end of the project, many of the workers would remain, tired but very happy, to enjoy the first regular congregation meeting, a study of The Watchtower.

Doubtful that quality work could be done so fast, several people in Guymon, Oklahoma, U.S.A., called the city inspector. “I told them that if they wanted to see something done right, they ought to visit the hall!” said the inspector when later relating the incident to the Witnesses. “You people are even doing correctly what will be hidden and not seen!”

As the need for Kingdom Halls increased, the brothers who had developed many of the quick-construction methods trained others. Reports of what was being done spread to other lands. Could such construction methods be employed there too?

Quick Construction Goes International

Kingdom Hall building in Canada was lagging far behind the needs of the congregations. The Witnesses in Canada invited those who were organizing quick-construction projects in the United States to explain how they handled it. At first, the Canadians were rather doubtful that it could be done in Canada, but they decided to try. The first Kingdom Hall built in this manner in Canada went up at Elmira, Ontario, in 1982. By 1992, there were 306 Kingdom Halls in Canada that had been put up in this way.

The Witnesses in Northampton, England, thought they could do it too. Their project, in 1983, was the first in Europe. Brothers experienced in this type of construction traveled from the United States and Canada to oversee the project and to help local Witnesses learn how to do it. Other volunteers were on hand from as far afield as Japan, India, France, and Germany. They were there as volunteers, not for pay. How was it all possible? As the overseer of a team of Irish Witnesses that worked on such a project said, ‘It is successful because all the brothers and sisters pull together under the influence of Jehovah’s spirit.’

Even when local building regulations seem to make such projects impossible, the Witnesses have found that, frequently, when details are outlined for city officials, they are glad to cooperate.

After a quick-construction project in Norway, north of the Arctic Circle, the newspaper Finnmarken exclaimed: “Just fantastic. That is the only expression we can find that describes what Jehovah’s Witnesses did last weekend.” Similarly, when Witnesses on New Zealand’s North Island put up an attractive Kingdom Hall in two and a half days, the front-page headline on the local newspaper declared: “Project Close to a Miracle.” The article added: “Perhaps the most mind-boggling aspect of the exercise was the organisation and sheer quiet of the operation.”

The remoteness of location where the Kingdom Hall is needed does not prove to be an insurmountable barrier. In Belize a quick-construction project was done, even though it meant transporting every piece of material to an island 36 miles [60 km] from Belize City. When an air-conditioned Kingdom Hall was put up in Port Hedland, Western Australia, one weekend, it was with materials and a work force that practically all came from 1,000 miles [1,600 km] or more away. Travel expenses came out of the workers’ own pockets. Most of those who had a part in the project did not personally know the Witnesses in the Port Hedland Congregation, and very few of them would ever attend meetings there. But that did not deter them from expressing their love in this way.

Even where the number of Witnesses is small, this has not prevented the use of such methods for building halls. Some 800 Witnesses from Trinidad volunteered to travel to Tobago to help their 84 Christian brothers and sisters there to build a hall in Scarborough in 1985. The 17 Witnesses (most of them women and children) in Goose Bay, Labrador, definitely needed help if they were ever going to have a Kingdom Hall of their own. In 1985, Witnesses from other parts of Canada chartered three planes to take 450 of them to Goose Bay to do the job. After two days of hard work, they had a dedication program in the completed hall on Sunday evening.

This does not mean that all Kingdom Halls are now being put up with quick-construction methods, but ever-growing numbers of them are.

[Box/Pictures on page 320, 321]

Working Together to Build Kingdom Halls Quickly

Thousands of new congregations are formed each year. In most instances, new Kingdom Halls are built by the Witnesses themselves. These pictures were taken during the building of a Kingdom Hall in Connecticut, U.S.A., in 1991

Friday, 7:40 a.m.

Friday, 12 noon

Saturday, 7:41 p.m.

Major work completed, Sunday, 6:10 p.m.

They look to Jehovah for his blessing, and they take time out to discuss counsel from his Word

All unpaid volunteers, glad to work side by side