Witnesses hold confab

From Friday, June 13 through Sunday, June 15, the Jehovah’s Witnesses held their annual District Convention at the Queens Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, with attendance peaking at 1,530 Witnesses and non-Witnesses from Queens and the surrounding area.
The theme “Guided by God’s Spirit” was chosen for the symposium, which held sessions to discuss how to live by God’s teachings.
“Essentially, given the fact that we are living in such troubled times, whether it’s the economy or crime, we recognize the fact that man can’t rely on [himself] to direct [his actions],” said Roger A. Donaldson, an elder in the congregation. “So we have to rely on guidance, and the only reliable guidance is, in our view, from God.”
“Empowered by Holy Spirit,” presented Saturday afternoon, featured the role of “holy spirit” in helping people of all ages to overcome temptation, discouragement, peer pressure and adversity. Sunday afternoon’s costume drama, “Do Not Leave ‘the Love You Had at First,’ ” depicted conflicts faced by Christians at the end of the first century.
The Witnesses welcomed five new members who were baptized in an ordination ceremony on Saturday before ending the convention on Sunday, to the sound of applause.
“We are always happy that so many from the community have spiritual interest and join us for the convention,” said Darrin Blue, one of the organizers of the convention. “We feel this is a special event to share with the public, information that all of us truly benefit from in coping with these difficult times.”