Back in Person After 2 Years Virtual!

The return was a happy day for Micah and Emily Petersen of Cambridge, Minnesota. “Seeing all the smiling faces, hearing the singing and seeing how the children had grown was very heartwarming,” Emily said.

Micah echoed his wife’s sentiments. “It was exciting to be part of the grand reopening event and see our friends in person for the first time in two years,” he said.

For most of the last two years, buildings for worship were closed globally due to the risks associated with meeting in person. Jehovah’s Witnesses in the U.S. also suspended their public ministry on March 20, 2020. Since that time, they have carried on their ministry through letters and phone calls while holding twice-weekly meetings in a virtual format. Average attendance at these meetings exceeded 1.5 million each week in the U.S., even though there are fewer than 1.3 million Jehovah’s Witnesses in 13,000 congregations.

“There is a collective shout of joy among Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world right now,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “While we have prospered in many ways as individuals and congregations using technology to bring us together, nothing can adequately replace being together in person. We have longed for this moment for the better part of two years.”

The move back to in-person meetings coincided with two April events that were held in all 120,000 congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide. The first was a special lecture, titled “Where Can You Find Real Hope?” Additionally, the annual commemoration of the death of Jesus Christ was held on April 15, the very day he sacrificed his life 1,989 years ago.

“The timing of resuming in-person meetings could not have been better,” Hendriks said. “Bringing everyone back together for these special events has had a powerful effect on the worldwide congregation.”

Guidelines for holding “hybrid” meetings were sent to all congregations in the United States. Over the past six months, many Kingdom Halls have been equipped with the required technology to hold a productive meeting that allows for in-person and remote attendees, all of whom can participate in the discussions. A pilot program was held in October and November in countries around the world to assess how this could be done most effectively. The lessons learned in the pilot meetings helped form the plan for moving forward with reopening all Kingdom Halls, where the law permits.

This new hybrid format is perfect for the Petersens. Due to previous back surgeries and a car accident, Emily suffers from constant pain and is not able to sit or stand comfortably in any position. They attended the first 30 minutes of the meeting at their Kingdom Hall in person and then returned home to rejoin the group via Zoom for the concluding Bible discussion.

“The flexibility to do both options makes us feel loved and cared for spiritually,” Micah Petersen said.

“It has been heartwarming to see the peace and unity among Jehovah’s Witnesses during this very divisive time,” Hendriks said. “We know resuming in-person meetings will bring us even closer together.”

As of now, Jehovah’s Witnesses have no plans to resume their public ministry, though their “alternative” ministry continues. In fact, since the start of the pandemic through November 2021 in the U.S. alone, Jehovah’s Witnesses spent more than 400 million hours in virtual Bible studies, writing letters of comfort to their neighbors and making phone calls. They have released 77 new language translations of the Bible and held two global virtual conventions in more than 500 languages.

“No time was wasted in the past two years,” Hendriks said. “Our congregants have been busy and productive helping each other and their neighbors through this most challenging time. That’s what love and unity are all about.”

For more information on Jehovah’s Witnesses, go to jw.org.