BY EPN REPORTER
MBABANE – After a three-year pandemic pause, thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses will convene at the Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre in Manzini for their 2023 annual convention themed ‘Exercise Patience!’
Before 2019, the convention season was marked by Jehovah’s Witnesses filling hotels and restaurants as they attended their annual convention. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted that tradition when Jehovah’s Witnesses cancelled their in-person events throughout the world and held their convention programs as virtual events in more than 500 languages.
Eswatini will host two conventions. The first one will be held this coming weekend, from Friday, October 13 through Sunday, October 15. The second one will be held from Friday, October 20 through Sunday, October 22. Both conventions will be held at the Mavuso Exhibition and Trade Centre in Manzini.
As much as we loved the convenience and quality of our virtual conventions, nothing can replace being together in a large group setting,” said Lucky Dlamini, Eswatini’s Spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “While our online conventions reached millions around the world and kept our communities safe, we long to get back to our joyful fellowship at these large gatherings.”
About 6,000 conventions will be held worldwide as part of the 2023 Jehovah’s Witnesses ‘Exercise Patience!’ convention series.
From Friday through Sunday, six convention sessions will explore the quality of patience, highlighting its modern-day relevance through scriptural examples. A live baptism will be performed following the Saturday morning session and a prerecorded bible drama will be featured in two parts during the Saturday and Sunday afternoon sessions.
“Patience is a beautiful quality that all Christians desire to display in their daily lives,” said Dlamini. “Despite our good intentions, however, maintaining patience in the face of life’s many challenges can be a daily struggle. Spending three days exploring aspects of this quality will be very timely for all of us.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses have been holding public conventions in stadiums, arenas, convention centers, and theatres around the world for more than 100 years. After resuming smaller in-person meetings and their public ministry during 2022, 2023 marks the first time they will gather at much larger regional events around the world since the lifting of pandemic restrictions.
The convention is open to the public and no collection is taken. For more information on the program or to find other convention locations and dates, please go to jw.org and navigate to the “About Us” tab.
Eswatini Jehovah’s Witnesses ‘Exercise Patience!’ Convention dates
- Friday, October 13- Sunday, October 15
- Friday, October 20- Sunday, October 22
About Jehovah’s Witnesses
Jehovah’s Witnesses are a Christian religious group whose members worship Jehovah God and actively promote Bible education through various methods of evangelizing. The main focus of their Bible education work is to share the good news about God’s Kingdom, or government (Matthew 24:14). The name distinguishes them from other religions, referring not only to whom they represent but also to the ministerial work they volunteer to do in God’s name.
For more information about the convention, please contact;
Jehovah’s Witnesses Eswatini Assistant Spokesperson
- Name: Lucky Dlamini
- Cell: 7611 8683
- Email: luckydlamini05@gmail.com
Jehovah’s Witnesses Eswatini Assistant Spokesperson
- Name: Manqoba Makhubu
- Cell: 7670 4606
- Email: bonginkosishobane@gmail.com
