A Never-to-Be-Forgotten Convention

Plans were made to hold an international convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Prague from August 9 to 11, 1991! The first step was to rent a stadium. Which one? The Spartakiad Stadium in Prague, one of the largest in the world. Since Jehovah’s Witnesses were not yet legally registered in Czechoslovakia, the entire stadium was rented privately by Anton Murín, who was then coordinator of the country committee. This was a courageous move. It was an act of strong trust in Jehovah, and Jehovah blessed it.

The Rooming Department would have a gigantic task, and oversight for this was assigned to Lubomír Müller. Brothers of the Governing Body well knew the importance of good accommodations. So Brothers Henschel and Jaracz personally undertook an inspection tour of the proposed hotels all over Prague. They entered hotel rooms and even tested out the beds. Hotels with communal bathrooms and toilets in the hallway were out of the question, they said. Why? Brother Henschel explained: “Under normal circumstances, it would be sufficient because the guests come and go at different times. The convention delegates, however, generally leave and return at the same time. Can you imagine the scene at the rest rooms? We can’t do that to our brothers.” The local organizers were receiving practical training when they saw members of the Governing Body show personal interest in the welfare of each delegate.

Peak attendance at this “Lovers of Godly Freedom” International Convention was 74,587. Of these, 29,119 were from Czechoslovakia, 26,716 were from Germany, and 12,895 were from Poland. The remaining 5,857 delegates came from 36 other lands. It was wonderful to see the baptism of 2,337 new ones, including 1,760 from Czechoslovakia, 480 from Germany, and 97 from Poland.

The high point of the entire convention was undoubtedly what happened on Saturday, August 10. Spontaneously, the entire Czechoslovak section rose with thunderous applause—applause that continued without letup for ten whole minutes! Faces were radiant with delight. What was the reason for all of this? At the conclusion of a discourse delivered by Albert Schroeder, a member of the Governing Body, he had first introduced to the audience a new book in English—which was somewhat of a disappointment—but then surprised them by announcing the release of newly printed single-volume editions of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures in both the Czech and the Slovak languages! Tears of joy streamed down the faces of many of the conventioners.

The convention left a deep impression on the hearts of the delegates. And what about the press? As always, some reports were biased and some were friendly. On Monday, August 12, under the heading “Strahov Was Crowded,” Venkov, deník českého a moravskoslezského venkova (Countryside, a Daily of the Czech and Moravian-Silesian Countryside) reported:

“From Friday to Sunday, an international convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses was held in Prague, attended by 75,000 delegates from all corners of Europe, America, and Japan. Jehovah’s Witnesses have been active in Czechoslovakia since 1912. Delegates of Jehovah’s Witnesses were noted for their considerateness and self-discipline. The convention itself was orderly and very well prepared. Although it started raining during the Saturday baptism, the audience stayed in their places and welcomed the new members with long applause.”

[Pictures on page 216]

International convention in Prague in 1991—an extraordinary event