No fewer than 20,000 delegates of Jehovah’s Witnesses from Oyo, Ogun, Kwara and Osun states will gather at the Ifatumo Assembly Hall for this year’s Regional Convention titled ‘’Exercise Patience’’.
The in-person convention which starts on Friday September 15, 2023 at the Ifatumo Assembly Hall is coming after a three-year pause since the Covid-19 restrictions.
Some 6,000 conventions will be held worldwide as part of the 2023 convention. In Nigeria alone, more than 320 conventions will be held in 39 host cities, out of which 11 conventions will be held in Ibadan city.
In a press release made available to journalists in Ibadan, by the Regional Spokesman of Jehovah’s witnesses, Gill Adekannbi, the convention is described as one of the largest convention gatherings in the world where witnesses and other members of the extended community will meet for interchange of encouragement and spiritual instructions to explore the quality of patience and related acts of Godly devotion.
The Regional Spokesman noted that in 2020, the pandemic interrupted the tradition of gathering in large numbers in Ibadan when the Witnesses cancelled their in-person events throughout the world and held their convention programs as virtual events in more than 500 languages.
He explained that after resuming smaller in-person meetings and their public ministry during 2022, the mid-period of 2023 marked the first time they will gather at much larger regional events around the world since the lifting of pandemic restrictions.
“Beginning September 15 , 2023, the Witnesses will bring that tradition back to Ibadan,” he stated.
Adekannbi further said “As much as we loved the convenience and quality of our virtual conventions, nothing can replace being together in a large group setting.
“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.”
Speaking on the theme of this convention, Adekannbi emphasized that “Patience is a beautiful quality that all Christians desire to display in their daily lives.
“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.
“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 pre-recorded drama will be featured in two parts during the Saturday and Sunday afternoon sessions.”
According to him, Jehovah’s Witnesses have been holding public conventions in stadiums, arenas, convention centers, and theaters around the world for more than 100 years.
The convention is open to the public and no collection is taken.
