Back on the Streets of Louisville After Pandemic Pause

If you happen to be in downtown Louisville this week, you may notice that a pre-pandemic fixture is back on the sidewalks: smiling faces standing next to colorful carts featuring a positive message and free Bible-based literature.

Thousands of these carts will be rolling down the streets of communities like Louisville all across the world this month as Jehovah’s Witnesses recommence their global public preaching work some 24 months after putting it on pause due to the pandemic.

”I find it exciting to be at the heart of the community, offering a ray of hope from the Bible," said Helke Sheeder, who volunteers at the site along with her husband Len. "There’s an energy on a busy street that calls attention to how quickly daily stresses can accumulate. Just a quick glance at the Bible’s message can profoundly impact the rest of a person’s day."

The Christian organization will return to its public ministry for the first time since March 2020 when all in-person forms of their volunteer work were suspended out of concern for the health and safety of the community.

In response to the global decision, some 30 congregations in the Greater Louisville area are now beginning to reopen their cart locations downtown near the Fourth Street Live! complex and at many other sites throughout the city.

The local congregations will also resume free in-person Bible studies along with personal visits to those who have invited them back to their homes. This comes two months after the organization began gathering at their Kingdom Halls once again for in-person meetings.

“While we understand that the pandemic is not over, we are entering into a phase of learning to live with COVID,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “We are sensitive to the risks that still face our communities and our volunteers, which is why we will not resume door-to-door ministry at this time. Each volunteer will make a personal choice as to whether their ministry will remain strictly virtual or whether they are ready to make in-person visits again. We are excited that we all have a choice!”

Mobile displays of Bible-based literature have been part of Jehovah’s Witnesses' public ministry in the U.S. since 2011. While “cart witnessing” began in large metropolitan areas around the world, the practice quickly spread to the tens of thousands of smaller communities, becoming a fixture in rail and bus stations, airports, harbors and main streets.

In 2019, Witnesses in Louisville began offering a selection of Bible literature in English, Spanish, and several other languages from their carts. To be accessible to as many in the public as possible, they typically attended their carts during the morning commute and on weekends.

"A number we’ve met have already expressed their gratitude to see us again and thanked us for our positive message and presence," said Len. "Life has changed dramatically for those in our communities. However, it’s been so exciting to be back out in our public ministry, giving all who wish access to comfort and encouragement."

To learn more about Jehovah’s Witnesses, their history, beliefs, and activities visit their official website jw.org, featuring content in more than 1,000 languages.