Construction That Helps Us to Preach

The Governing Body is eager to use donated funds to provide facilities that help us to carry out the Kingdom-preaching work. For example, during the 2023 service year, legal entities used by branch offices of Jehovah’s Witnesses spent more than 500 million dollars to purchase, construct, renovate, and maintain Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls around the globe.a This amount is in addition to what congregations all over the world spent to care for their Kingdom Halls.

In addition, donated funds are also used to build and care for branch facilities, which help organize and support the preaching work globally. We have simplified branch operations so that we can redirect funds to support the building and remodeling of Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls. Still, significant resources are needed to repair, remodel, or relocate branch facilities. Why are these projects important? How do branches support vital work in the field? Let’s find out.

“Help to Reset”

Many branch offices are over 30 or 40 years old! Nicholas, from the Worldwide Design/Construction Department, explains: “Even a well-maintained building ages and decays over time. Renovations help to reset the life of a building so that it can continue to be useful.”

Bethel complexes also need to adapt to keep pace with organizational needs. Worldwide, the number of publishers has grown significantly since many of the branch offices were constructed. To support this growth, we have needed more volunteers working at these offices. As a result, facilities that were once appropriately sized are now bursting at the seams!

Safety is also a factor. As we progress deeper into the last days, we face more and more life-threatening natural disasters. (Luke 21:11) By applying new construction techniques during a renovation, we help to make the facilities safer for those who work there. These improvements may also make the facilities more suitable as centers to administer relief efforts and to continue to support the work in the field after a natural disaster occurs.

“Jehovah Has Blessed This Decision”

Under the direction of the Governing Body, significant construction activity was undertaken on 43 branch facilities during the 2023 service year. This means that nearly half of all Bethel facilities around the globe were undergoing some type of construction. Please note a few examples that highlight the value of the work being carried out.

Angola. Matt, a member of the Angola Branch Committee, says: “We have the privilege of seeing the prophecy of Haggai 2:7 being fulfilled in a special way. In just ten years, we saw a 60 percent increase in publishers! To keep up, the Bethel family needed to triple in number. However, the size of our facilities limited the number we could invite to work here. This resulted in many Bethelites shouldering a heavy load and working a lot of overtime.”

Brothers were assigned to investigate how to meet the growing need. Initially, they felt that a quick and practical solution would be to renovate the existing branch building. But after an extensive study, they realized that a renovation would not be the best use of donated funds. Instead, they recommended the purchase and renovation of a nearby building. “When the option of purchasing and renovating an existing building was first presented to the Branch Committee, we were concerned that it would not be as well suited as a facility that we constructed ourselves,” states Matt. “But now we see how well the final product fits our needs. Jehovah has blessed this decision.”

The Angola branch will likely need additional space in the future. However, the new building, along with modular housing on the Bethel site and rented apartments off-site, has given the branch office the space needed to continue supporting the tremendous growth in the field.

Japan. The primary branch buildings were constructed almost 40 years ago and most had never undergone a major renovation. Much had been done to maintain the facility, but even with these conscientious efforts, the buildings had been stretched well beyond their useful life. For this reason, an extensive renovation project is currently underway.

Bethel life has also changed over the years. Prior to 2015, all meals were prepared for the Bethel family. So, many Bethel residential rooms in Japan were designed with a small “kitchen.” Now, Bethelites prepare most of their meals. The renovation has added a more useful kitchen area to the Bethel rooms, enabling Bethelites to cook meals more easily. Kumiko, a sister serving at the Japan branch, says, “The kitchen makes me feel really at home, and it helps me to give full support to the new Bethel arrangements.”

The work carried out at the Japan branch is critical to the worldwide work. (Matthew 28:19, 20) Japan is one of only two branches that print the complete Bible. Therefore, one aspect of the ongoing construction project is installing a trimming and dust collection system for the safety of all who work in the Printery. The purchase and installation of this system cost nearly one million dollars, but it ensures that the branch can continue to print and ship spiritual food.

Maintaining Bible production during construction was a priority. Trey, a member of the Japan Branch Committee, relates: “During construction, our organization was releasing more Bible translations, and the demand for Bibles was increasing worldwide. Scheduling both the installation of new equipment and the production of literature required careful collaboration between many departments and the contractor.” Despite these difficult constraints, close to 220,000 Bibles were printed each month between March and August 2023—when construction in the Printery was at its peak. All of this work was completed without increasing construction costs.

Energy conservation is another key feature of the renovation project. New solar panels will be installed, which will save approximately $120,000 in energy costs each year. Triple-glazed windows will be installed, further reducing energy consumption, which will save approximately $10,000 per year. Although these energy-saving features increase the cost of the renovation project, they are estimated to save more than 3.5 million dollars over the lifespan of the panels and windows. They will also reduce the environmental impact of the buildings.

“There Is Still Much More to Be Done”

These two branch projects demonstrate how much work is needed to ensure that our Bethel facilities can support the needs of the field. However, the work is not finished. “Much has been accomplished, but there is still much more to be done,” states Aaron, from the Worldwide Design/Construction Department. How will this work be accomplished? He continues: “In addition to generous donations, which help fund these important projects, we also appreciate the willing spirit of all who have volunteered in the past and those who are arranging their lives to be available in the future. The physical and financial support from our brothers is outstanding proof of Jehovah’s blessing.”—Psalm 110:3.

All of our construction and renovation work is supported by voluntary donations, many of which are made via donate.jw.org. Thank you very much for your continued generosity.