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By The Librarian
No tongue have I, nor mouth, nor lip, a speech I cannot make
But if I could, the things I'd say, would long, long hours take!
For I was born to fill a need, in answer to a callAnd those who brought me forth to live, have named me Kingdom Hall.
So I've a royal name you see, and royal was my birthI'm here for service to a King, I hope I prove my worth!
I want so much to be just right. To suit the need I fillTo aid in service of Kingdom Truth, to people of good will
Oh give me lips and mouth and tongue, and let me tell to all,The reason why I'm standing here, why I'm called a Kingdom Hall
But what's a Kingdom Hall you ask? You mean you haven't heard?Why I'm the place where all may come, and freely learn God's word
No, I'm no church, don't get me wrong, I have no pews or steepleAnd never will collection plates be used to milk the people
The things you'll hear within my walls will not be false traditionYou'll never hear that Hell is hot, for that's a contradiction!
Nor will the pagan idea of God, who's three in oneEver be preached beneath my roof; such doctrines you should shun
But rather, here inside my doors you'll learn things reliableBecause they'll be taken from a truthful source, God's word, the Holy Bible!
You'll learn how Jehovah God intends to rid the earth of all it's woes;Destroy it's sorrow, sin and death; all mankind's deadly foes
Then in their place will blossom forth, a world of truth and loveAn earth where God's will shall be done; just as in heaven above
There'll be no sickness, pain or death, no tear to mar the smileNo one will then bring grief and strife; no Devil will beguile
But those who live in the new system will humbly bow the kneeBefore Jehovah God who reigns in Grand Supremacy
This is part of what you'll hear within these walls of mineBut more than that you'll learn just how to make this light to shine!
And that's the point I want to stress, which may seem rather oddThat I'm not built just as a place in which to worship God
So here it is you'll learn of Jehovah God; to know what is his willTo learn what he requires of you, his laws how to fulfill
To worship God means more than sit and listen to God's wordIt means to act; to serve; to preach, to all who have not heard
Outside my doors, amidst the world, you must hold forth the lightYou must apply what you here learn, to worship God aright
How great my joy I want to shout; My privelege is so rareYou other buildings of the earth, cannot with me compare
If I could speak, I'd raise my voice and make all buildings knowThat my importance excels theirs, for from me truth will flow
So listen, All you structures proud, you giants of steel and stoneYour tops may scrape a scuddling cloud or soar where Eagles have flown
Your cornerstone may have been laid by worldly men of fameBut you can not boast, That you've been made to praise Jehovah's name!!!
Author: Unknown
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By JOHN BUTLER
Good morning.... My wife and i sat and watched this musical film 'Les Miserables' on television last night. I could not sit and watch a stage play or stage musical, but I can watch a film musical.
Over two hours long and i thought it was fantastic. Showing both sides of the story, both that thought they were right. Yet showing also man's inhumanity to man.
Ecclesiastes 8 v 9.
"All of this I have seen, and I applied my heart to every work that has been done under the sun, during the time that man has dominated man to his harm."
So many humans on Earth right now. So many lifestyles. So many religions. So many people thinking they are right. So many killing each other for so many reasons.
My brother who is an Elder in a congregation of JW's, says he cannot understand why Jehovah hasn't yet brought Armageddon. He says that it seems that everything has been done and every point proven, so why keep the suffering going on. Some say it is to allow other people the chance to serve God. And all those that die will get a resurrection anyway.
But due to my disappointment within the JW Org I cannot see any religion that is serving God properly. Nor can i see any religion that can prove they have God's spiritual backing.
I don't even know if God's name should be Yahweh or Jehovah or something completely different.
I'm wondering why God allows it to be so difficult to find the truth about Him and about how we should serve Him.
For the sake of a certain person I looked at a website concerning Unitarians, and found it quite amusing. Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content.
Though in fairness I only looked at this first 'page'. But it seems they play it safe by allowing their members to be of 'any religion'. I do wonder if they would go to war and kill each other as Catholics do.
Yes, man's inhumanity to man. How much longer must it go on ?
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By Guest Nicole
FARGO — About 4,000 Jehovah's Witnesses will be in Fargo this weekend for a massive three-day regional convention at Scheels Arena.
The "Be Courageous!" 2018 convention here beginning Friday, June 29, through Sunday, July 1, is one of many around the country and globe, including Hungary, Japan and Australia.
Convention spokesperson Stephen Mostad, of Blackduck, Minn., said the convention for the Dakotas and Minnesota has been held at Fargo's Scheels Arena since 2012 with the exception of 2015, when it was held in Milwaukee.
Mostad said Fargo is a central location for the 55 congregations in the tri-state area that flock here.
Each summer, he said a little more than 500 conventions are held throughout the U.S., where Jehovah's Witnesses make up less than 1 percent of the population. Worldwide, there are nearly 8.5 million Jehovah's Witnesses, though they are banned in some countries like Russia.
The Pew Research Center came out with a study in 2016 following the death of Minnesota's superstar musician Prince, who became part of the Christian religion as an adult.
Other famous members of this denomination include Michael and Janet Jackson, athletes Venus and Serena Williams and Larry Graham of Sly and The Family Stone. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was raised a Jehovah's Witness, but left the religion as an adult, as did musicians Patti Smith and Donald Glover.
Jehovah's Witnesses are most known for door-knocking and prophesying with pamphlets. They don't serve in the military or celebrate birthdays and holidays. Mostad said these guidelines are from their interpretations of the first-century model of the Bible that regulate personal decisions.
Conventions are a "spiritual highlight" for all ages, Mostad said.
"Its encouragement. We enjoy being together," he said. "We find in the world we live in experiencing challenges and tragedy, it's nice to find a little oasis where you can be spiritually refreshed."
The free, public event will consist of presentations on family life and prophecies with a feature film on Sunday. Programming starts each day around 9:20 a.m. and lasts until 5 p.m. On Sunday, programming ends at 4 p.m.
More information about the convention is available at www.jw.org.org.
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By The Librarian
Beveridge Eric - Appreciating Jehovahs Organization and Our Kingdom Hall.mp3
Agape!
@The Librarian
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By Guest Nicole
DUANESBURG × The town's plan to purchase a former church in order to convert it into a new Town Hall is being disputed.
The Town Board voted in October to purchase the former Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall at 2240 Western Turnpike for $250,000, but a group of residents, including former town Supervisor William Park, has filed a petition for a public referendum on the matter.
Town Supervisor Roger Tidball, however, said the petition isn't valid because it was filed one day past the 30-day deadline for filing a referendum petition.
"The town will be taking it to court to get it dismissed," Tidball said.
Retired dairy farmer Richard Hoffman, a long-time resident who was one of the petition organizers, said he's been served papers to appear in state Supreme Court in Schenectady on Dec. 11.
"I'm not done with this. I'll fight it tooth and nail," he said Wednesday.
The Town Board voted Oct. 20 to sign a contract to purchase the former church, subject to permissive referendum — meaning a petition could force the public vote. The petition, which included 153 signatures — 19 more than the minimum needed — was filed Nov. 22. In seeking the referendum, opponents noted there is no money for the purchase included in the recently adopted 2018 town budget.
Tidball said the town has been looking for a location to build a new town hall for about a year and a half, and in that time, some proposed land purchases have fallen through. Then the Jehovah's Witnesses building, built in the 1990s, became available.
"The cost is good, so we thought we'd better jump on it," Tidball said. "We've totally done everything the way we're supposed to, and the attorney has approved it."
While the town contends that the petition was filed too late, Hoffman said the organizers were aware of the deadline, but believe they made it with two or three days to spare.
"I've been talked to a few people involved in commercial remodeling, and they thought it would take $250,000 to bring it up to code," he said. "It's not going to be $250,000 (to buy the building), it's going to be $400,000 to $500,000. Let the people of the town vote on that."
The former church comprises about 4,000 square feet of space, roughly twice the size of the current town hall, which is also located on Western Turnpike, about 4 miles west of the church.
"Our courtroom, which is also where the Town Board meets, is very small," Tidball said. "We have people waiting outside, and if we have a meeting where we're expecting more than about 40 or 50, we have to move it. That's really the main problem."
The church building would require some renovations, but Tidball doesn't believe they would be an expensive as opponents think, since the building is modern. He believes the renovations would cost around $100,000. The town will seek grant money, he said, but is likely to borrow the town's portion of funding for the purchase and renovations to protect its reserves.
The supervisor said the town hopes to hold a public forum on its plans for the building just after the first of the year.
"This will solve a lot of our issues for future expansion," Tidball said.
Reach Gazette reporter Stephen Williams at 518-395-3086, swilliams@dailygazette.netor @gazettesteve on Twitter.
Â
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By Bible Speaks
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED...
WHY DO JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES Â CALL THEIR MEETING PLACE A KINGDOM HALL RATHER THAN A CHURCH?Â
The bible answers....Â
In the Bible, the Greek term that is sometimes translated “church” refers to a group of worshippers, not to the building they meet in.
Note this example: When the apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, he sent greetings to a couple named Aquila and Priscilla and added: “Greet the church that meets in their home.” (Romans 16:5, Contemporary English Version) Paul didnÂ’t intend for his greetings to be conveyed to a building. Rather, he was sending his greetings to people—the congregation that met in that home.Â
So instead of calling our place of worship a church, we use the term “Kingdom Hall.”
Why “Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses”?
This term is fitting for a number of reasons:
> The building is a hall, or meeting place.
> We meet to worship Jehovah, the God of the Bible, and to witness, or testify, about him.—Psalm 83:18; Isaiah 43:12.
> We also meet to learn about God’s Kingdom, of which Jesus often spoke.—Matthew 6:9, 10; 24:14; Luke 4:43.
You are welcome to visit a Kingdom Hall near you and see for yourself how JehovahÂ’s Witnesses conduct their meetings.
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By Queen Esther
VERY VERY SAD.......
RUSSIA.... OUR BROTHERS BEGIN TO REMOVE SIGNS FROM THE KINGDOM HALLS ;-(
Soon they will all belong to the government
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By Guest Nicole
A cannabis factory with almost 800 plants has been discovered inside an iconic Merthyr Tydfil chapel.
Unbeknown to nearby residents, the building on Newcastle Street - a prominent landmark in the town since it was built in 1856 - was housing 769 cannabis plants.
Officers only discovered the huge operation after conducting a spot check on someone acting suspiciously.
From the information obtained they discovered the unbelievable haul brazenly being grown in the town centre.
The former Kingdom Hall for Jehovahs Witnesses, on Newcastle Street in Merthyr Tydfil
Police also found another haul of plants in a property on Pontmorlais High Street.
A man has been arrested and charged with producing cannabis.
The Salem Chapel was once a congregation church used by the Salvation Army and Merthyr Council.
Since 1986, the chapel has been the Kingdom Hall for Jehovah’s Witnesses.
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By Guest Nicole
A man from Moldova, stabbed his 6-year-old son in the heart and then cut his veins. The incident happened on Sunday, on Tigrului street from Timișoara.
The 48-year-old Bessarabian and his wife from Kyrgyzstan, moved to Timișoara a month ago. According to the police, the man locked himself in a room with the child, while his mother was in the bathroom, and stabbed him with a knife. The family was preparing to go to church, being follower of Jehovah's Witnesses.
When the woman came out of the bathroom, she heard strange noises and had a mental breakdown when he discovered the crime but called 112.
Opiniatimisoarei.ro informs that when the firefighters entered the room they found the child lying on the bed face up and with his hands on the chest, while his father was father lying in a pool of blood.
The man was transported to the hospital in very serious condition, but he died because of the wounds caused.
The neighbors say that the couple was polite, quiet and that they never even heard them arguing, and that the little boy was very tidy.
The police have started an investigation to determine what was the reason that pushed the man to this extreme gesture.
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By Guest Nicole
A woman allegedly caused the crash when her SUV drifted into the center lane and hit the van, injuring everyone in the two vehicles, including her own one-month-old son.
After crossing the center line on a road in North Carolina, a woman in an SUV crashed into a church van, causing it to go off the road and flip. All 17 people in the two vehicles were hospitalized with at least minor injuries, the worst being sustained by the woman's own one-month-old son. Photo by Miki Sarabiez/Shutterstock
STOKESDALE, N.C., Oct. 30 (UPI) -- A woman is expected to be charged with driving while under the influence, among other charges, after she drifted into the middle lane and struck a van, injuring 17 people between the two vehicles.
Diadra Rachel Shaffer is expected to be charged with a range of crimes related to her crash with a church van carrying 15 passengers, and with resulted in all of the people involved being injured -- including Shaffer's own 1-month-old son.
The church van, which was heading from Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Martinsville, Va., was traveling southwest on US 158 in Stokesdale when Shaffer's Chevrolet Blazer crossed the center line and hit the white Ford van.
The van went off the road while trying to swerve out of the way of the SUV and overturned while Shaffer's vehicle was still in the middle of the road. All passengers in both vehicles were trapped until emergency personnel got them free.
The 17 passengers were split between five hospitals in North Carolina, with Shaffer herself sustaining the most serious injuries. Of those in the van, one had a serious injury while those of the other 14 people's injuries were minor.
In addition to driving while impaired, Shaffer is charged with careless and reckless driving, midemeanor child abuse, driving left of center and driving with a license revoked.
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By Guest Nicole
YORKVILLE — Even after almost seven decades together, the love between Evelyn and Earl Goebel was still evident to their fellow churchgoers.
“Whenever we said a prayer, they would always hold hands. Even after 68 years of marriage,” said Richard Perkins, an assistant fire chief for the Town of Paris and elder at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 14509 Braun Rd.
“Some people don’t do that. But they always held hands during the prayers. It was kind of touching.”
Earl Goebel died over the holiday weekend following an Aug. 30 car crash that also claimed the life of Evelyn, authorities said in a press release Tuesday morning.
The Goebels, of Union Grove, were heading south in the 1500 block of South Sylvania Avenue when a northbound vehicle attempted to turn left and collided with the Goebels’ vehicle, according to the Racine County Sheriff’s Office.
Evelyn, 87, was reportedly taken to Wheaton Franciscan-All Saints Hospital, where she died from her injuries on the day of the crash.
Earl, 85, was taken to Wheaton Franciscan and later transferred to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa. He died Friday.
Earl developed complications after surgery and, according to his wishes, the ventilator was removed, Perkins said.
“He went peacefully,” Perkins added.
The Goebels were reportedly returning from getting ice cream at the time of the crash, which Perkins happened to come upon.
“I saw the car accident, so we stopped, and I had no idea it was them until I got closer,” he said.
“Then my heart was in my throat.”
Loving couple
The Union Grove couple, who did not have children, lived in the area for about 38 to 40 years after moving from St. Louis, Perkins said.
The Goebels were a loving couple who always found good in everybody, with never a bad word to say about someone, he said.
Evelyn liked to write notes and poems. After breaking her hip a few years ago, she wrote notes to the hospital’s kitchen staff, thanking them for the food, Perkins said.
Typical of Evelyn, she became close to one of the nurses who took care of her.
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By Guest Nicole
YORKVILLE — Even after almost seven decades together, the love between Evelyn and Earl Goebel was still evident to their fellow churchgoers.
“Whenever we said a prayer, they would always hold hands. Even after 68 years of marriage,” said Richard Perkins, an assistant fire chief for the Town of Paris and elder at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 14509 Braun Rd.
“Some people don’t do that. But they always held hands during the prayers. It was kind of touching.”
Earl Goebel died over the holiday weekend following an Aug. 30 car crash that also claimed the life of Evelyn, authorities said in a press release Tuesday morning.
The Goebels, of Union Grove, were heading south in the 1500 block of South Sylvania Avenue when a northbound vehicle attempted to turn left and collided with the Goebels’ vehicle, according to the Racine County Sheriff’s Office.
Evelyn, 87, was reportedly taken to Wheaton Franciscan-All Saints Hospital, where she died from her injuries on the day of the crash.
Earl, 85, was taken to Wheaton Franciscan and later transferred to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa. He died Friday.
Earl developed complications after surgery and, according to his wishes, the ventilator was removed, Perkins said.
“He went peacefully,” Perkins added.
The Goebels were reportedly returning from getting ice cream at the time of the crash, which Perkins happened to come upon.
“I saw the car accident, so we stopped, and I had no idea it was them until I got closer,” he said.
“Then my heart was in my throat.”
Loving couple
The Union Grove couple, who did not have children, lived in the area for about 38 to 40 years after moving from St. Louis, Perkins said.
The Goebels were a loving couple who always found good in everybody, with never a bad word to say about someone, he said.
Evelyn liked to write notes and poems. After breaking her hip a few years ago, she wrote notes to the hospital’s kitchen staff, thanking them for the food, Perkins said.
Typical of Evelyn, she became close to one of the nurses who took care of her.
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By Bible Speaks
Kingdom Hall in Malden, Massachusetts, USA. Photo shared by @katheryn.jones I "see" the JW sign do you? -
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By Bible Speaks
Kingdom Hall in Jaboatéo dos Guararapes, Pernambuco, Brazil. Photo shared by @wendell_wsm
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By Bible Speaks
Por: @quinteromila “Having fun after lunch at Capacho kingdom hall build. thebestlifeever kingdomhallbuilding”
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By Guest Nicole
Transmission department in a Kingdom Hall in Mexico ensuring that those who do not attend a meeting can see the meeting.
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By Guest Nicole
The Stornoway congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses plan to build a new church.
The proposed Kingdom Hall would be sited on Perceval Road, facing the rear of the Dun Eisdean care home.
The new place of worship would be close to the Culregrein Mission House where the Stornoway Reformed Presbyterian Church meet.
The present Kingdom Hall is located above a block of shops in Church Street. The group has met there since 1958.
A bid for full planning permission for the new hall plus carpark has been lodged to Western Isles Council.
Four people have made representations supporting the development while one objection has been submitted.
The Comhairle's environmental health department expresses concerns over the potential for noise and dust during the construction phase though it is understood this could be managed by imposing conditions.
The council is considering the planning application.
Source:
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By The Librarian
Part of a series on: Jehovah's Witnesses
A Kingdom Hall is a place of worship used by Jehovah's Witnesses. According Domenico Finelli, the first Kingdom Hall was constructed in Roseto, Pennsylvania in 1927, with Giovanni DeCecca offering the dedication talk. Nonetheless in 1935 by Joseph Franklin Rutherford, then president of the Watch Tower Society, made it famous and in general use for a building in Hawaii.[1] Rutherford's reasoning was that these buildings would be used for preaching the "good news of the Kingdom."[2] Jehovah's Witnesses use Kingdom Halls for the majority of their worship and Bible instruction. Witnesses prefer the term "Kingdom Hall" over "church", noting that the term often translated "church" in the Bible refers to the congregation of people rather than a structure.[3]
Location and Presentation
Kingdom Halls are typically modest, functional structures with practicality in mind.[4] As Witnesses do not use religious symbols, such are not displayed on or in Kingdom Halls. An annual yeartext, or "theme scripture", which is the same for all congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide, is prominently displayed in each Kingdom Hall.[5] This text can be displayed in several languages if the Hall is used by foreign language congregations.[6] A Kingdom Hall typically has a library, contribution boxes,[7] a sound system and a literature counter, where publications are displayed, stored and dispensed.[8]
A Kingdom Hall in Biddulph, United Kingdom
See also: Latest Authorized Standard Design of Kingdom Halls in the USA and the May 25, 2015 Letter to All Bodies of Elders RE: Guidelines for Congregation Meeting Conferencing Systems
Some Kingdom Halls have multiple auditoriums to allow more than one congregation to simultaneously conduct meetings. Where there is more than one auditorium, each auditorium or the entire structure may both be referred to as "a Kingdom Hall". Larger Assembly Halls or Convention Centers of Jehovah's Witnesses, or any rented arena or stadium used for larger gatherings of Jehovah's Witnesses are also regarded 'as a large "Kingdom Hall'; undignified behavior is considered inappropriate during their religious events, even if the facility is an entertainment venue.[9]
See also:
Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. Uses
Meetings for worship
Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses practices § Worship
Congregations typically meet in their Kingdom Halls two days each week for meetings for worship.[10] Meetings usually open and close with song and prayer. Meetings held in the Kingdom Hall include Bible readings, public talks on matters such as the Bible, family life, Christian qualities and prophecy, as well as discussion of specially prepared study articles in The Watchtower magazine and other publications of Jehovah's Witnesses.[11][12][13][14] Witnesses also meet in Kingdom Halls for preparation and prayer before engaging in their door-to-door ministry.
Worship at a Kingdom Hall in Tilburg,Netherlands
Schools
Among its meetings for worship, each congregation conducts a weekly Theocratic Ministry School with a common global curriculum[15] (exceptions are made for the availability of study materials). Kingdom Halls may also be used for any of several occasionally scheduled schools, such as sign- or foreign-language classes.[16] Kingdom Halls may also be used for schools especially developed for particular ranks, such as the Pioneer Service School for full-time preachers, and the Kingdom Ministry School for elders and ministerial servants.[17]
In areas where the literacy rate is low, congregations may also arrange to use Kingdom Halls to conduct literacy or reading classes, which non-Witnesses may also attend.[18]
Weddings
See also: Video of Typical Wedding at a Kingdom Hall in the USA
Kingdom Halls may be used for wedding ceremonies of Witness-baptized couples. A couple sends a request in writing to the congregation's "service committee", which assesses whether the couple is "in good standing, living in harmony with Bible principles and Jehovah’s righteous standards" and that they also approve of the members of the couple's wedding party (that is, groomsmen and bridesmaids).[19]
Jehovah's Witnesses attach no special significance to a Kingdom Hall wedding over a secular service, and Witness couples may choose to be married elsewhere for personal or practical reasons. Up until around 2012, Kingdom Halls were not used for wedding receptions or other social events.[20][21]
Funerals
Funeral services may be held in a Kingdom Hall if the body of elders considers that "the deceased had a clean reputation and was a member of the congregation or the minor child of a member".[22] The family of the deceased may ask any respected male member of the congregation to conduct the service, which involves a simple Bible-based discourse.[23] Depending on family preference and local custom, a Kingdom Hall funeral may or may not have the casketed deceased present.[22][24]
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Disaster relief
Disaster relief efforts of
Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. are typically channeled through permanent local Disaster Relief Committees[25] under the various branch offices, and are staged at Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls as close as practical to the disaster area. Major disaster relief efforts include: War: During the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, a Kingdom Hall property in Goma (then Zaire, now Democratic Republic of the Congo) housed 1600 Witness and non-Witness refugees. In July 1994, relief workers set up a 60-bed relief hospital at the Kingdom Hall, as well as a water treatment system.[26] Earthquake: Following the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995, six Kingdom Halls in Kobe, Japan were used as relief centers and supply depots.[27][28][29] Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, an Assembly Hall and three Kingdom Halls in Haiti were staffed and equipped as temporary clinics and medical centers.[30][31] Storm: In the ten months following Tropical Storm Allison in 2001, seven Kingdom Halls were used as relief centers to dispatch volunteer crews and to store tools and materials while they organized 11,700 volunteers to repair or rebuild 723 homes.[32] For over two years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, Kingdom Halls were used as relief centers, warehouses, and fuel depots. Nearly 17,000 Witness volunteers repaired more than 5,600 homes and 90 Kingdom Halls during their extended relief effort in the United States' Gulf Coast region.[33] Volcano: On January 18, 2002, the day after the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo, six Kingdom Halls in the vicinity received three tons of basic necessities and housed 1800 refugees. One week later, these relief centers were providing daily rations to 5000 people.[34]
Dance Halls
Governing Body Member Geoffrey Jackson busts a move dancing with a young woman on the platform of a Kingdom Hall.
Tango lessons in the Kingdom Hall in Argentina
CELEBRACIÓN DE LA DEDICACIÓN (BAILANDO JOROPO CAMPESINO Y RECIO)
Salsa Dancing in Detroit, USA
June 2014 Detroit International Foreign Delegate Visit - Riverview, MI.
July 2014 Dancing the Twist outside of the Conyers, Georgia Assembly hall
July 2014 Conyers Assembly Hall Party and Dancing for the Delegates
August 2014 Dancing ‘Footloose’ on the Kingdom Hall platform wearing jeans and cowboy boots
Sept 2014 - South Korean sisters perform folkloric native dance 2nd video clip
*Just a quick note to mention that this is a big change for most JW's back in the 1970's and earlier who would never have dreamed of holding such dances inside their Kingdom Halls. See the
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Construction
See also:
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The construction crews of Kingdom Halls and larger Assembly Halls consist of volunteering Jehovah's Witnesses,[35][36] sometimes from other countries, who have been pre-approved for work on construction sites.
In many countries, a number of standard designs of construction are used that can be built in just a few days.[37][38] The act of constructing a Kingdom Hall in this manner is called a quick-build, although typically the preparation work involving the structural foundation and surrounding surface may take several weeks prior to the scheduled build. For various reasons, not all Kingdom Halls are constructed as quick-builds or using the standard designs. There is however, a noticeably dominant architectural style of the Kingdom Hall which is often used based on standardized design concepts and models, depending on needs.
A Kingdom Hall or Assembly Hall may be created by renovating an existing structure, such as a theater or non-Witness house of worship.[39][40] In areas of repeated or reputed vandalism, particularly in cities, some Kingdom Hall are built without windows to reduce the risk of property damage.[41]
Local Design/Construction Department (LDC)
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Project approvals: In the past, each body(ies) of elders, in cooperation with the Regional Building Committee, played a significant role in determining both when a new Kingdom Hall construction or renovation project was needed, as well as the scope and cost of the project. The Governing Body has now directed that much of this responsibility be transferred to the branch office. These decisions will be based on a careful examination of the circumstances of each congregation and a branch-wide plan that is being developed to assess and prioritize the need for Kingdom Halls. With a clear understanding of the overall needs, the branch office will be able to implement greater standardization and simplification for the benefit of all. Also, the time-consuming work of researching available options to meet the needs of the congregations will be assigned to representatives of the LDC.
Branch-office approval will be needed for
(1) any new property purchase or sale,
(2) any new construction project,
(3) the addition of any new major element or feature to the existing Kingdom Hall, or
(4) any project that will cost more than three months of operating expenses.
Regional Building Committees
Previous to the LDC's Jehovah's Witnesses' branch offices appointed local Regional Building Committees (RBC) to oversee the construction and maintenance of their places of worship. The objective of such committees, which usually consisted of five to seven persons, often with experience in the construction trades, was to coordinate the efforts of those involved so as to provide attractive and functional facilities that are financially viable.[42]
RBCs cooperated with local congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses seeking to build or renovate a place of worship, under the direction of the local branch office. Committees helped in assessing the suitability of a possible construction site, purchasing the land and materials and coordinating the efforts of volunteers from the wider area.[42] Members of a Regional Building Committee work voluntarily and receive no remuneration for their work.[43]
Funding
In 1983, an arrangement was instituted whereby Kingdom Halls are financed by loans from the Watch Tower Society. In addition to contribution boxes for local congregation expenses and "the worldwide work", each congregation has a contribution box specifically for voluntary donations toward Kingdom Hall construction.[44][45] These donations are pooled by the Watch Tower Society into the Society Kingdom Hall Fund, which is used for financing the construction of Kingdom Halls worldwide, particularly in developing lands.[46][47] When a congregation receives local approval to build a new Kingdom Hall, the congregation may apply for a loan from the Society Kingdom Hall Fund.[48] The congregation repays the loan to the Watch Tower Society, in addition to its continued contributions to the Kingdom Hall Fund. Interest was charged on the loans until September 2008.[49][50][51]
Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. , the Convention Travel Fund, and Kingdom Hall and Assembly Hall construction worldwide are a few of the larger arrangements set up for contributions by JW's. The KHAA has been replaced by the KHAH as of June 2015 May 27, 2015 - Letter to All Congregations - Re: Kingdom Hall and Assembly Hall Construction Worldwide
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See also:
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Maintenance
Routine maintenance of Kingdom Halls is performed by the members of the congregations that use them, typically according to a scheduled checklist.[52] The "Kingdom Hall operating committee" oversees maintenance of the building; at least one elder or ministerial servant from each congregation is selected to be part of the operating committee.[53] Kingdom Hall maintenance costs are covered by donations to a local fund.[54]
United Kingdom: June 16, 2015 - Kingdom Hall Utility Supply - Letter of Authority
Kingdom Hall in the USA seen using a lawn care service in 2014
See Also:
What Happens at a Kingdom Hall? - Official JW.ORG video
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2014 - Chilean Kingdom Halls flying the national flag
2014 - David Splane speaks about KH's in the USA
2014 - Kingdom Hall still attached to a church? (UK)
2013 - One Thousand Kingdom Halls and Counting
1985 - Weekend Miracle - Non WTBTS Publication report on 2 Day Kingdom Halls
References
Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom chap. 20 p. 319, 721 Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom chap. 20 p. 319 Building Together on a Global Scale "Should We Go to Christian Meetings?", Awake!, March 8, 2001, page 12 Organized to Do Jehovah's Will p.120-123 (Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 2005) Texas Monthly magazine, July 1980, page 136,138, Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. , "A Witness house of worship is called a Kingdom Hall. ...Appropriate to the movement's rejection of pomp and display, the [particular Hall visited by the writer], shared with two other congregations, resembled the meeting room of a budget motel, complete with rows of stackable chairs. The lone feature that marked it as a room devoted to religion was a sign, affixed to a plain wooden canopy over the speaker's stand, that bore the entreaty, "And now, Jehovah . . . grant your slaves to keep speaking your word with all boldness." The congregation of approximately 75 included admirably equal portions of blacks, whites, and Mexican Americans, a not uncommon manifestation of ethnic ecumenicity in Witness circles." "Question Box", Our Kingdom Ministry, December 1976, page 4, "It is recommended that the yeartext be displayed in the Kingdom Hall in countries where this can be done without difficulties resulting. ...Often it is best to display the yeartext at the front or side of the hall so it can be seen easily." “To the House of Jehovah Let Us Go”, Our Kingdom Ministry, April 1993, page 4 "Bible-based Society of Kingdom Witnesses", The Watchtower, October 15, 1962, page 631 "Maintain Fine Conduct That Glorifies God", Our Kingdom Ministry, May 2000, page 6 Organized to Do Jehovah’s Will, ©2005 Watch Tower, page 138 "Jehovah's Witnesses", World Religions in America: An Introduction by Jacob Neusner, ©2003, Westminster John Knox Press, Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. , page 197 Organized to Accomplish Our Ministry, ©1983,1989 Watch Tower, page 131 "Jehovah's Witnesses", Britannica Encyclopedia of World Religions by Wendy Doniger (editor), ©2006, in association with Merriam-Webster, Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. , page 563 "Jehovah's Witnesses", World Religions: An Introduction for Students by Jeaneane D. Fowler, ©1997, Sussex Academic Press, Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. , page 122 "Jehovah's Witnesses", Encyclopedia of Millennialism and Millennial Movements by Richard Allen Landes, Berkshire Reference Works (Firm), ©2000, Routledge, Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. , page 203, "One can visit a "Kingdom Hall" (a technical term for the building at which Witness meetings are held) in Australia, Japan, Zambia, or North Carolina with the realistic expectation that congregational meetings will exhibit a high degree of uniformity in content and procedure." "Highlights of the Past Year", 2007 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, pages 6, 15-18 "Imitate the Greatest Missionary", The Watchtower, February 15, 2008, page 18 1986 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses. p. 226. "Question Box", Our Kingdom Ministry, November 2008, page 3 "Marriage Ceremony and Requirements", The Watchtower, September 15, 1956, page 571 How to Be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook by Stuart M. Matlins, Arthur J. Magida (editors), ©2004, Skylight Paths Publishing, Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. , page 128-129, "Marriage Ceremony Jehovah's Witnesses view marriage as a sacred vow made before God. ...The marriage ceremony, which may last about 30 minutes, is a ceremony in itself. ...Appropriate Attire Men" A jacket and tie. No head covering is required. Women: A dress or a skirt and blouse. Dress "modestly" and "sensibly". Hems need not reach below the knees nor must clothing cover the arms. Open-toed shoes and modest jewelry are permissible. No head covering is required. There are no rules regarding colors of clothing. ...After the Ceremony Is there usually a reception after the ceremony? Yes. It may be held in homes or a catering hall. It is never held in the Kingdom Hall where the wedding took place." "Question Box", Our Kingdom Ministry, March 1997, page 7 "Is Your Course of Life Death-Oriented?", The Watchtower, June 1, 1978, page 7 How to Be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook by Stuart M. Matlins, Arthur J. Magida (editors), ©2004, Skylight Paths Publishing, Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. , page 129, "Funerals and Mourning Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the dead are "conscious of nothing at all" and are asleep in the grave awaiting resurrection to life. ...The funeral service, which is a ceremony in itself, may last about 15 to 30 minutes. ...Where will the ceremony take place? Either at a Kingdom Hall or in a funeral home. ...Will there be an open casket? Possibly. This depends on the preference of the immediate family." "Volunteers continue Katrina disaster relief work" by David J. Bush, Salisbury Post, September 1, 2007, page F0 "Caring for Victims of Rwanda’s Tragedy", Awake!, December 22, 1994, page 15 "Volunteers at Work", Awake!, July 22, 2001, page 8 "Love Toward Those ‘Related in the Faith’", The Watchtower, June 15, 1999, page 8 "Japan", 1998 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 143 "Witnesses’ relief efforts in Haiti continue", Jehovah's Witnesses Official Media Web Site, January 28, 2010, Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. "A Doctor Heads Home to Haiti" by Lionel J. Malebranche, MD, Annals of Internal Medicine, February 18, 2010 "Love in Action—A Marathon Relief Effort", Awake!, November 22, 2002, page 22 "A Love More Powerful Than a Hurricane!", Awake!, August 2008, page 16 "How We Escaped a Terrifying Lava Flow!", Awake!, November 8, 2002, pages 24-25 "Jehovah's Witnesses", The Encyclopedia of Louisville by John E. Kleber, ©2000, University Press of Kentucky, Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. , page 444, "Jehovah's Witnesses are well known in the Greater Louisville area, having been a part of "Kentucky sod" since the late 1800s. ...From 1947 to 1970 ten more Kingdom Halls were constructed in Louisville, all by volunteer labor." "Jehovah's Witnesses", World Religions 101: An Overview for Teens by Margaret O. Hyde, Emily G. Hyde, ©2008, Twenty-First Century Books, Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. , page 91-92 "Jehovah's Witnesses", Religion in the contemporary world: a sociological introduction by Alan E. Aldridge, ©2000, Polity Press, Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. , page 116-117, "Witnesses are extremely well organized. ...One particular way in which the [Watch Tower] society mobilizes its members is to build their places for worship and assembly, the Kingdom Halls. A 'rapid-building crew' of Witness volunteers can erect a functional but well-built Kingdom Hall in a weekend." Holbrook by Holbrook Historical Society, ©2004, Arcadia Publishing, Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. , page 63, "The Kingdom Hall. Shown here is the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses on North Franklin Street. This hall was built by the membership in one weekend." New York: The Movie Lover's Guide : The Ultimate Insider Tour of Movie New York by Richard Alleman, ©2005, Broadway, Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. , page 416, "Albemarle Theater, 973 Flatbush Avenue. Just like the old Stanley Theater in Jersey City, Brooklyn's 2,700-seat Albemarle movie palace later served as a Kingdom Hall for the Jehovah's Witnesses." From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship by David W. Dunlap, ©2004, Columbia University Press, Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. , page 117, "The remarkable Kingdom Hall at 609 West 161st Street was formerly the Hebrew Tabernacle of Washington Heights, by George and Edward Blum and Ludwig Hanauer, completed in 1925." "How Kingdom Halls Are Built", Awake!, August 22, 1972, page 23 Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom. Watch Tower Society. pp. 325–328. "Kingdom Hall Construction in the United States". Our Kingdom Ministry: 3. August 1997. "How Is It All Financed?", Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, pages 344-345 "Announcements", Our Kingdom Ministry, June 1991, page 3 "True Worship Is Expanding in Eastern Europe". Our Kingdom Ministry: 3–4. September 1999. "International Kingdom Hall Building in Some European Lands", Our Kingdom Ministry, May 2003, page 3 "A New Program for Kingdom Hall Construction". Our Kingdom Ministry: 3. September 1983. Letter to all Congregations, June 4, 2008 "Continued Expansion Increases Need for Kingdom Halls". Our Kingdom Ministry: 3. December 1993. Our Kingdom Ministry: 4. April 1985. "These loans are repaid to the Society Kingdom Hall Fund with interest at the rate of 6 percent." For example, Our Kingdom Ministry, March 2003, included a "Safety Checklist" on page 4, and a checklist for "Care of Building and Property" on page 5. "Let Us Keep Our Place of Worship in Good Repair", Our Kingdom Ministry, August 2003, page 3-4 "The Giver of “Every Good Gift”", The Watchtower, December 1, 1993, page 29 -
By Guest Nicole
The recent hailstorm in Del Rio Monday night caused many to reevaluate the safety of their homes and their current living situations. Window, roof and electrical damages have citizens wishing they were more prepared for this natural disaster.
However, the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ completion of its replacement roof was finished just in time for the damaging weather.
Source:
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By admin
SHOT AND PARALYSED: Pregnant woman miraculously survives mysterious bullet; now battles for life and justice
In a private ward at a physiotherapy centre in Tema, Benita Dankwa scrolls through her photographs on a Samsung tablet. The 29-year old lady does so with a pang of nostalgia because the gloomy Benita Dankwa holding the tablet is a shocking impersonation of the breezy Benita Dankwa in those photographs. The lady looking at the photographs is not the same as the woman in those photographs.
No!
They differ in many ways.
“This is not how I was,” she says, showing more photographs of her former self to make a point. And she is right. This is not how she was.
The woman in the photograph is full of life. She is a charming beauty. The woman in the photographs is smiling. She is standing. She is walking. She is posing. She is working. The woman in the photograph is enjoying life. That woman has a “loving” husband, 33-year old Effort Dankwa. And she looks forward to a beautiful family.
“I had dreams of a sweet husband, having me alone as the wife. No other person… having our kids, just jumping around and all that. But it never happened that way,” Benita says.
Indeed, there is a world of difference between the cheerful woman in the photographs and the low-spirited woman now looking at the images – her former self. However, they both bear the same name – Benita Dankwa. That is where their similarities end.
The gloomy Benita Dankwa on the hospital bed is different from the breezy Benita Dakwa in the photographs
The Benita Dankwa on the hospital bed is paralysed from her chest downwards. Dr. Francis Caiquo of the Tema General Hospital explains that, in a layperson’s language, it means that part of her body is “dead.” The only reason it is not rotten is because of blood circulation, he says.
Apart from her hands and head, the Benita Dankwa on the hospital bed cannot move any part of her body. Those parts don’t belong to her any longer, or rather, they do but she has lost control over them. She cannot feel any sensation there.
The Benita Dankwa on the hospital bed cannot pass out urine. She cannot empty her bowels. A urinary catheter is attached to her urinary tract. It is emptied periodically by her 54-year old mother, Mrs. Agnes Yirenkyi, or anyone who is present when it is full. Benita also wears diapers to contain the involuntary discharge of faecal matter. That’s not all the woes of the woman on the hospital bed.
When Benita lifts the cloth covering the lower part of her body, huge plasters covering her bedsores are exposed. She has large bedsores on her buttocks and on her hips. The Benita Dankwa on the hospital bed has swollen feet. She is bedridden. And she needs someone to bathe her and turn her from time to time to enable the bedsores heal.
The woman on the hospital bed is also anaemic. Doctors at the Tema General Hospital say her hemoglobin (blood) level is 6.1, half what it is supposed to be. The ideal level is 12. Hers dropped to 4 and has risen to 6.1 through medication. The low hemoglobin level hampers the healing of her sores. She also stands the risk of a heart attack because of her low blood level.
“I miss many things because now I can’t do anything,” says Benita. “I miss walking. I miss working. If I could walk, I can do anything.”
On a bed beside Benita’s hospital bed lies Nana Kwame, Benita’s four month-old baby. Benita was supposed to be taking care of him and changing his diapers. But Mrs. Agnes Yirenkyi, Benita’s mother, now does all of that. She changes the diapers of her four-month old grandson and 29-year old daughter, the first seed of her womb.
“This family is going through severe pain and suffering,” Agnes Yirenkyi speaks of the agony of the family since they received a dreadful call on the morning of Saturday, August 29, 2015, that Benita had been shot.
THE SHOOTING OF BENITA
Life for Benita Dankwa, a supervisor at Asky Airlines, was an auspicious one until the sun of her bright future set on Friday, August 28th 2015. She was seven months pregnant, the first pregnancy of her four years’ marriage. That evening Benita had closed from work and was watching television when her husband, Effort Dankwa, a teacher at Angels International School in Tema, arrived.
“Everything was okay at home,” Benita recalls. Her husband took his bath and went to bed. She also went to bed later. When she woke up at about 5:30 am, she felt like a “balloon.” There was a “hole” on her chest and another one at her back.
She had been shot.
According to a report by the Tema Community 11 police, their investigation “revealed that the victim (Benita Dankwa) was shot from a close range at her chest and the bullet penetrated through her body and was rushed to the hospital for treatment, but no point of penetration or breakage into the couple’s room was detected.”
The report continues: “A live ammunition believed to have been shot from a pistol at close range was found about 2 inches deep in the mattress [on] which the couple were lying. Blood stains believed to be human blood was also found on the bed sheet and the mattress of the couple.”
Benita was in the room alone with her husband, Effort Dankwa. When she woke up, her husband was still sleeping. When she woke him up, “he was feeling as if he was confused, running up and down and all that,” Benita recounts.
“He didn’t shout. He didn’t do anything. Because I was feeling like a balloon, I thought he could not carry me so I asked him to call… there were two boys on the compound… so I asked him to call them so that one could go for a taxi so that one could help carry me to the taxi,” Benita narrates what happened when she opened her eyes that morning.
One of the young men who went to help Effort carry Benita to the hospital is John Asaah. John lives in the same compound. His room is about five metres away from the Dankwas. At about 3a.m. of Saturday, August 29, 2015, John said he heard a gunshot that was “too loud” and appeared close to the house. “It didn’t take hours and I heard my friend call me to come and help him to take his wife to the hospital.” That friend was Effort, Benita’s husband.
Crime Scene: This is where Benita and Effort lived.
According to John, Effort did not give him the impression that Benita had been shot.“He was coming as if nothing had happened. ‘Oh Johny, wifee no dey feel fine oo. Go bring me taxi,’” John quotes Effort asking him (John) for help in casual pidgin English.
“You won’t even know that something like that had happened,” John tells
Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. . John says if he had known that it was a shooting incident, he would not have entered the room to help. Effort, he says, did not mention any shooting even as they sat in the taxi and headed for the hospital.
“The husband didn’t tell us anything. All that I knew was that the wife was pregnant so I thought she was about to deliver.” John says when the taxi driver asked what was wrong with Benita, he (John) said it was her first pregnancy. Benita’s husband, who was also in the taxi, did not mention that his wife had been shot. John says Benita was first taken to the maternity ward of the Tema General Hospital. He says the first time he realized Benita had been shot was when a nurse at the maternity ward interrogated the husband and he said it was a gunshot.
“The nurse asked the husband to show her where the gunshot was and he opened the dress on the chest and I saw a hole on her chest and some small blood,” John says. The nurse told them gunshots were not treated at the maternity ward and so referred them to the accident centre. At the accident centre, doctors at the Tema General Hospital realized Benita had a spinal injury so they referred her to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
THE PRIME SUSPECT
Prime Suspect: Effort Dankwa,33.
According to Benita’s father, Mr. S.O.S Yirenkyi, Effort refused to report the shooting of his wife to the police. “We did all we could but he would not go to the police,” says Mr. Yirenkyi. “He said this was a domestic issue involving a husband and wife so there was no need to report it.” Later in the day, Bright Ofori, Benita’s 25-year old brother went to the police station to report the incident.
“If you are with your wife in the room and you wake up to find out that she has been shot, should you not be the first to report to the police?” Mr. S.O.S Yirenkyi, Benita’s 68 year old father asked.
John says when he returned from the hospital that day, he went round the house and tried to locate any form of penetration or break in but there was none. “We even took chairs and climbed onto the roof to see if there was anything from the roof, but there was nothing to show that maybe the thing was coming from armed robbers,” he says.
When this reporter visited the house, he found that the windows and the doors had mosquito nets and wire mesh. They were covered with curtains so if anybody wanted to shoot from outside, they would have had to cut through the mosquito net and wire mesh, shift the curtains aside before they could locate their target. But all the mosquito nets at the doors and windows were intact.
“Me, I can say that the thing (shooting) happened in the room,” John emphasises. “If you want to know the truth, then it will be [between] Benita and her husband who know what happened.”
“There were two people in the room. One person was shot. Police investigation revealed that the shot was not from outside. So who fired the shot?” asked, Mr. S.O.S. Yirenkyi, Benita’s father. “I suspect Benita’s husband shot her,” he alleged.
Benita also shares the same view. She believes her husband, Effort, shot her.
On September 15, 2015, more than two weeks after the shooting incident, the police arrested Effort Dankwa for investigation. He has denied shooting his wife.
On September 16th and 30th 2015, the police also arrested one Ernestina Dede Lagbeneku, who confirmed being in a relationship with Effort Dankwa for the past five months. The two of them were cautioned and bailed “pending further investigations.”
“For now, fingers are pointing to a certain direction, but because investigations are still ongoing we cannot confirm. But then, questions are coming up and answers are coming up,” Tema Region Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Juliana Obeng told
Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. . “The question now is: who did it?” ASP Juliana Obeng asked. “Let me give you an example: If I were with you alone in the house and I wake up to have some injuries on my body and I find some other things in the room that have to do with blood stains and there are no other persons in the room, and nobody came to the room, then your guess is as good as mine.”
The police PRO, however, says they cannot draw a conclusion now.
Criminologist and Dean of the Central University College Faculty of Law, Professor Ken Agyemang Attafuah agrees with the police that based on the facts surrounding the case, Effort Dankwa “is a legitimate person for the police to consider as the prime suspect.”
THE BLOODSTAINED TOWEL
Mr. Yirenkyi said in the panic and the desire to save Benita, the family took certain pieces of evidence for granted because it never occurred to them that the one who shot her could be someone in the room with her. One of such pieces of evidence was a bloodstained towel that Effort allegedly asked Benita’s cousin to throw away.
Priscilla Asare, 25, was sent by her mother (Benita’s aunt) to fetch a stove at the crime scene (Benita and Effort’s home) to be taken to the hospital. This was on Wednesday September 2, 2015, four days after Benita was shot.
“When I got there, Benita’s husband said I should tidy up the room. In the process, I found a towel stained with blood, the blood had dried up. When I told him (Effort) about the towel, he said I should throw it away,” Priscilla explains.
When Priscilla took the towel home and told her mother about it, she asked her not to throw the towel away. “My mother said I should wash it for her so I did.” Priscilla said she was also the one who washed the bloodstained bed sheet on which Benita and Effort lay when the shooting happened.
Benita says when she opened her eyes that morning, there was not much blood on her body. John has confirmed this. He said Benita wore a white night gown as they took her to the hospital and if there was any blood on her, he would have seen it before they got to the hospital.
Benita at work
Benita says when she opened her eyes, she did not see her husband wipe any blood from her body so she was surprised when the towel soaked with blood was used on her. A woman who lives in the house and was present when the police first entered the crime scene also tells
Hello guest! Please register or sign in (it's free) to view the hidden content. that when they entered, there was very little blood on the mattress and the bed sheet. She wondered if there wouldn’t have been more blood had there been a gunshot. “I think he shot my daughter and cleaned all the blood before my daughter became conscious,” Mr. Yirenkyi suggests. “He thought my daughter had died, but God saved her.”
Criminologist Professor Ken Ataffuah says this is possible. “From the report, a neighbor heard a gunshot around 3am. It was not until at about 5am that this woman complained of pain and asked her husband for assistance. She possibly was in coma for a while or she had been chloroformed. There is evidence from what you [this reporter] tell me of a towel that contained blood and that towel ought to be taken to the police forensics for investigation.”
A SOUR MARRIAGE?
Benita met her husband nine years ago. They are both members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses sect. And that’s where they met. They dated for five years and were married for four years before the tragedy struck.
Benita says their marriage was without problems. If there was any problem, it was the suspicion of infidelity on the part of her husband. Benita’s mother, Mrs. Agnes Yirenkyi, says she once mediated one such misunderstanding that arose when Benita returned from work one evening to find her husband in their room with a woman whose pictures and suggestive messages she had seen on his phone. She says the lights were off and when she knocked, Effort did not open the door immediately. Benita said he denied having anything to do with the lady but when she sent an insulting message to the lady in question, he was livid.
A police report signed by ASP Owusu Dwomoh, Tema Community 11 Crime Officer suggests that Benita was sharing her husband with another woman. The report states: “It was established during investigation that the suspect Effort Dankwa who is legally married to the victim was also in another amorous relationship with one lady called Ernestina Dede Lagbeneku alias Christine Dede and had been going out to places like Prime Beach Resort at Prampram and Cocoa Beach Hotel at Nungua, Accra, to relax and make love. It was also revealed that while the suspect’s wife, victim Benita Dankwa, was at the hospital panting [fighting] for her life, the suspect had the presence of mind to engage in love conversations via WhatsApp, a social network, with the said Christine Dede.”
The police report says when “suspect Christine Dede was arrested and interrogated, she confirmed being in relationship with the accused, Effort Dankwa, for the past five (5) months.”
Benita has revealed that while they were courting, Effort once mentioned that he did not want any children in their marriage but she “took it for a joke” until they got married and he repeated it. “When we got married, I started worrying him with kids and he started declining and all that. Fortunately, or if I should say unfortunately for him, I got pregnant,” she stated.
When times were good: Mr. and Mrs. Dankwa
She says he never said anything bad about the pregnancy and no issue ever came up until she delivered. Sources close to the church say there is a group of people within the Jehovah’s Witnesses who have made up their minds not to give birth because they want to dedicate their time to the “preaching of the word.” Benita is aware of this but says her husband is not part of that group.
Benita was delivered of the baby by a caesarian section on September 9, 2015 after 31 weeks. She says when she delivered, her husband started raising issues about the paternity of the baby. “He says the baby is not his,” Benita says.
According to Benita, a gynaecologist once attempted to have sex with her when she visited the hospital, and when she got home, that was the first thing she told her husband. She said her husband did not raise questions about the pregnancy but when she delivered he used that as an excuse to say that the doctor may have impregnated her.
Benita’s father, Mr. Yirenkyi, believes the pregnancy is the reason Effort Dankwa wanted to kill his daughter.
“We decided to call the child Nana Kwame because he is a male born on Saturday. We are still waiting for the father to come and name him,” Benita says.
BENITA’S HOPES AND FEARS
Today is Sunday. It’s 9.00 am. At the Kingdom Hall of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Tema Community 11, the congregation is singing a hymn. They are standing, except one woman at the back. That is Benita. She sings from her wheelchair standing next to her father and mother. In a baby cradle front of them, Nana Kwame, Benita’s four-month old baby, lies smiling. Nana Kwame is both oblivious about the teaching on today’s judgment day and the reason her mother now sits behind the congregation. After some time, his grandmother picks him up and begins to feed him with a milky liquid in a feeding bottle.
Benita and her parents in Tema Community 11 Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
One medical doctor has described her safe delivery as a miracle. “Maybe God has something special for that child,” the doctor says.
After the worship, Benita’s brother helps her out of the church. Before she is lifted into the car, she is interrupted by well-wishers from the congregation. This is where Benita met Effort nine years ago. For the past four years, they came to church together. On Sunday mornings, she fixed breakfast. And he drove her to church.
That changed when Benita was discharged from the hospital. She did not return to their matrimonial home. For now, the Physiotherapy centre is her new home. She says her husband has never visited her there. “He asked me not to call him again so I have stopped calling him.”
She relies on the benevolence of her father and friends to bring her to church. Today, her father and a family friend lifted her onto the front seat of her father’s wine pick up vehicle. When they parked, they lifted her onto the wheelchair and wheeled her into a space behind the congregation reserved for her. She often meets her husband, Effort, in church.
“I often see him from afar,” Benita says. When asked whether he also sees her in church, she says she cannot tell. The congregation is not a big one. It is sub-divided into English and Akan sections. Both Benita and Effort worship at the English section, and looking at the size of the congregation, it would take a lot of effort from Effort not to notice the presence of his wife in the church. But Benita does not yearn for his presence.
Benita being lifted into a vehicle by his father and a family friend
“Anytime I see him, my heart begins to beat,” she says. But it is not the heartbeat of love. Since the shooting happened, she’s been living in fear. At the physiotherapy centre, her bed has been repositioned. Out of the fear for her life, she is “hiding” in the corner. She fears whoever wanted her dead could shoot from the window directly facing where she used to lie. One of the persons she dreads most is her husband.
This Sunday, January 24, 2016, however, her husband is not in church. She has been informed that two days ago, the police arrested and detained him. How did she receive the news?
“I won’t say I am sad about it. It is something that has to be done,” she shrugs.
Some have described Benita’s survival as a miracle. The happy marriage and family she hoped for has now drifted from reality to a faint imagination. But her greatest hope is to be able to get back on her feet and walk again.
Dr. Francis Caiquo of the Tema General Hospital thinks the chances of reversing her paralyses are very slim. The medical report from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital states that she had a “complete spinal cord injury (T3 sensory level).”
“It will be difficult, if not impossible, to reverse her condition,” Dr. Caiquo says.
Benita’s blood level is very low but her religion forbids blood transfusion. Dr. Caiquo who saw her at her last visit to the Tema General Hospital says that impedes the healing of her bedsores and also has the potential of causing heart problems.
When asked whether she has hopes of getting back to her former self, Benita bursts into tears. “I think it will take a long time, but I have hope.”
“It’s rehabilitation that she needs most. She needs a physiotherapist, a psychologist… her hands are okay. If the wounds heal, I am sure she will be able to hold her baby, take care of one or two household chores,” Dr. Caiquo recommends.
“We hope the Lord has something for her,” he adds.
Editor’s note: Joy FM’s investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, spent weeks speaking to parties involved in this story, their family, friends and neighbours, as well as the police, medical doctors and a criminologist. He also spent time with Benita at the physiotherapy centre and followed her to church. Apart from the scenes he personally observed, all other facts presented in the story are from the interviews, police and hospital reports even when no direct attribution is stated.
His email address is azureachebe2@yahoo.com
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By JW Insider · Posted
Not the usual Hebrew word for "law" but a late word borrowed from Persian, which is why they say it only shows up in Daniel and Esther (meaning law or custom). It did not come to mean ceremony/ritual until even later. In MODERN Hebrew, not Biblical Hebrew, is it also used to describe someone who is religious. From what I can tell, this is not the same word "dat" which is related to data/datum. That word "dat" is from the word "give" implying "thing" as it to "give a thing" or "any gi -
Well the GB and Elders act as judges that's for sure, but they will suffer for it later. -
By The Librarian · Posted
Interesting. In both Arabic and Hebrew the words for religion are “din” and “dat”, which both mean “law”. Religious leaders are basically judges. By the way, the word “dat” is the origin of the word “data”. -
By TheWorldNewsOrg · Posted
Any collective belief in some approach as "the way" to solve problems is, literally, a bringing together of individuals (re = again, ligio = bond, reverence, and religare = to bind). -
By TheWorldNewsOrg · Posted
Bitcoin adoption took another boost in South America yesterday after the Argentinian central bank announced measures to tighten controls on the movement of foreign currency. The announcement came shortly after the Argentine peso plunged over 10%, setting the long-suffering Argentinian people back further. Only 20 years ago, the Argentine peso was 1:1 with the USD, but corruption and mismanagement has seen its economy collapse and the national currency is now artificially pegged at 72:1
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Qu’est-ce que le Jour du Jugement ?· 0 replies
La Bible dit que Dieu “ a fixé un jour où il va juger la terre habitée ”. (Actes 17:31.) Pour beaucoup, l’idée d’être soumis à un jugement, quel qu’il soit, est désagréable. Voyez-vous les choses ainsi ?
SI C’EST le cas, rassurez-vous : le Jour du Jugement est une disposition pleine d’amour qui apportera de grands bienfaits à la famille humaine, y compris aux morts (Matthieu 20:28 ; Jean 3:16). Mais pourquoi est-il nécessaire ? Et que se passera-t-il réellement pendant ce “ jour ” ?
Pourquoi le Jour du Jugement est nécessaire
Lorsque Dieu a placé les humains sur la terre, il ne la destinait pas à n’être qu’un lieu d’épreuve en vue d’une existence dans un autre monde. Il a créé les humains pour qu’ils y vivent éternellement. Bien que parfaits physiquement et mentalement, Adam et Ève, le premier couple, se sont rebellés contre Dieu. Ils ont alors perdu la perspective de la vie éternelle pour eux-mêmes, et ont transmis le péché et la mort à tous leurs descendants. — Genèse 2:15-17 ; Romains 5:12.
Le Jour du Jugement sera une période de mille ans durant laquelle les hommes auront la possibilité de retrouver ce qu’Adam et Ève ont perdu*. Remarquez que, selon Actes 17:31, cité plus haut, ce “ jour ” concerne les personnes qui vivent sur “ la terre habitée ”. Celles qui recevront un jugement favorable vivront sur la terre, éternellement et dans des conditions parfaites (Révélation 21:3, 4). Le Jour du Jugement contribue donc à l’accomplissement du dessein originel de Dieu pour l’homme et pour la planète.
Le Juge que Dieu a établi est Christ Jésus. La Bible révèle qu’il va “ juger les vivants et les morts ”. (2 Timothée 4:1.) Qui sont “ les vivants ” qui seront jugés ? Comment les morts vont-ils revenir à la vie sur “ la terre habitée ” ?
Jésus juge “ les vivants ”
Nous sommes maintenant proches de la fin annoncée du présent système de choses, où Dieu va détruire tous les éléments de la société humaine corrompue et supprimer les méchants. Les personnes qui réchapperont seront “ les vivants ” qui seront jugés. — Révélation 7:9-14 ; 19:11-16.
Durant la période de jugement qui durera mille ans, Christ Jésus ainsi que 144 000 hommes et femmes ressuscités pour vivre dans les cieux dirigeront la terre. Exerçant les fonctions de rois et de prêtres, ils dispenseront les bienfaits du sacrifice rédempteur de Jésus et amèneront progressivement les humains fidèles à la perfection physique et mentale. — Révélation 5:10 ; 14:1-4 ; 20:4-6.
Pendant le Jour du Jugement, Satan et ses démons ne seront plus libres d’influencer l’activité humaine (Révélation 20:1-3). Toutefois, à la fin de ce “ jour ”, Satan sera autorisé à éprouver la fidélité de tous les humains alors en vie. Ceux qui resteront fidèles à Dieu passeront avec succès l’épreuve à laquelle Adam et Ève ont échoué. Ils seront jugés dignes de recevoir la vie éternelle sur la terre redevenue un paradis. Ceux qui décideront de se rebeller contre Dieu seront détruits pour toujours, de même que Satan et ses démons. — Révélation 20:7-9.
Le jugement des “ morts ”
On lit dans la Bible qu’au Jour du Jugement les morts “ se lèveront ”. (Matthieu 12:41.) Jésus a dit : “ L’heure vient où tous ceux qui sont dans les tombes de souvenir entendront sa voix et sortiront, ceux qui ont fait des choses bonnes, pour une résurrection de vie, ceux qui ont pratiqué des choses viles, pour une résurrection de jugement. ” (Jean 5:28, 29). Il n’est pas question ici des âmes désincarnées des défunts. Ces derniers sont totalement inconscients et n’ont pas d’âme qui survive à la mort (Ecclésiaste 9:5 ; Jean 11:11-14, 23, 24). Jésus relèvera sur la terre tous ceux qui se sont endormis dans la mort.
Seront-ils jugés sur la base de ce qu’ils ont fait avant leur mort ? Non. Les Écritures enseignent que “ celui qui est mort a été acquitté de son péché ”. (Romains 6:7.) Ainsi, tout comme les survivants de la fin du système actuel, les ressuscités pour la vie sur la terre seront jugés “ selon leurs actions ” au cours du Jour du Jugement (Révélation 20:12, 13). En fonction de l’issue de leurs actions, leur résurrection se révélera aboutir soit à l’éternité, soit à la destruction. Nombre de ces ressuscités découvriront Jéhovah Dieu et ses exigences pour obtenir la vie. Ils auront la possibilité de se conformer à la volonté de Dieu et de recevoir la vie éternelle sur la terre.
Aucune raison d’avoir peur
Le Jour du Jugement ne sera pas seulement un temps d’instruction divine, mais aussi un temps où tous les vivants appliqueront ce qu’ils apprendront et en verront les bienfaits. Imaginez la joie que vous ressentirez quand vous retrouverez vos chers disparus et progresserez à leurs côtés vers la perfection !
Imaginez la joie que vous ressentirez quand vous retrouverez vos chers disparus.
Au terme du Jour du Jugement, Dieu permettra à Satan d’éprouver la fidélité des êtres humains. Il n’y a cependant pas lieu d’être inquiet ou d’avoir peur. Tous seront alors solidement armés pour faire face à cette dernière épreuve. Ainsi, le Jour du Jugement est une étape dans l’accomplissement du dessein divin qui effacera toutes les conséquences de la rébellion originelle contre Dieu dans le jardin d’Éden.
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Chantons avec coeur et allégresse· 0 replies
Psaumes
146 Louez Jah!
Que tout mon être loue Jéhovah !
2 Je veux louer Jéhovah toute ma vie.
Je veux chanter des louanges à mon Dieu aussi longtemps que je vivrai.
3 Ne mettez pas votre confiance dans les princes,
ni dans un fils d’homme, qui est incapable de sauver.
4 L’esprit de l’homme sort, l’homme retourne au sol ;
ce jour-là, ses pensées périssent.
5 Heureux celui qui a pour secours le Dieu de Jacob
et dont l’espoir est en Jéhovah son Dieu,
6 Celui qui a fait le ciel et la terre,
la mer, et tout ce qui s’y trouve,
celui qui reste fidèle pour toujours,
7 celui qui garantit la justice aux spoliés,
celui qui donne du pain aux affamés.
Jéhovah libère les prisonniers ;
8 Jéhovah ouvre les yeux des aveugles ;
Jéhovah relève ceux qui sont courbés ;
Jéhovah aime les justes.
9 Jéhovah protège les résidents étrangers ;
il soutient l’orphelin de père et la veuve,
mais il contrecarre les projets des méchants
10 Jéhovah sera Roi pour toujours,
ton Dieu, ô Sion, de génération en génération.
Louez Jah !
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LES QUALITÉS D'UN BERGER ET LES ASSISTANTS DE L'ASSEMBLÉE· 0 replies
PREMIÈRE LETTRE DE TIMOTHÉE
3 La parole suivante est digne de foi : Si un homme aspire à être un responsable, il désire une belle œuvre. 2 Il faut donc qu’un responsable soit irréprochable, mari d’une seule femme, modéré dans ses habitudes, réfléchi, ordonné, hospitalier, capable d’enseigner, 3 que ce ne soit pas un ivrogne ni un homme violent, mais un homme raisonnable, non querelleur, non ami de l’argent, 4 un homme qui dirige d’une belle façon sa propre famille, qui tienne ses enfants dans la soumission en toute dignité 5 (car si un homme ne sait pas diriger sa propre famille, comment prendra-t-il soin de l’assemblée de Dieu ?), 6 que ce ne soit pas un homme récemment converti, de peur qu’il se gonfle d’orgueil et tombe sous le coup de la condamnation portée contre le Diable. 7 D’autre part, il faut aussi qu’il reçoive un beau témoignage des gens extérieurs à l’assemblée, afin de ne pas tomber dans le déshonneur et dans un piège du Diable.
8 De même, il faut que les assistants soient des hommes dignes, qu’ils n’aient pas un langage double, qu’ils soient modérés dans la consommation de vin, non avides d’un gain malhonnête, 9 attachés au saint secret de la foi avec une conscience pure.
10 De plus, qu’ils soient d’abord mis à l’épreuve quant à leurs aptitudes ; puis, s’ils sont exempts d’accusation, qu’ils servent comme ministres.
11 De même, il faut que les femmes soient dignes, non calomniatrices, modérées dans leurs habitudes, fidèles en toutes choses.
12 Les assistants doivent être maris d’une seule femme et diriger d’une belle façon leurs enfants et leur propre famille. 13 Car les hommes qui servent d’une belle façon acquièrent une belle réputation et une grande confiancepour parler de la foi en Christ Jésus.
14 Je t’écris ces choses, bien que j’espère venir bientôt chez toi, 15 pour que, au cas où je serais retardé, tu saches comment tu dois te conduire dans la maison de Dieu, qui est l’assemblée du Dieu vivant, colonne et soutien de la vérité. 16 Oui, il faut avouer qu’il est grand, le saint secret de l’attachement à Dieu : « Il a été manifesté dans la chair, a été déclaré juste dans l’esprit, est apparu aux anges, a été prêché parmi les nations, a été cru dans le monde, a été enlevé dans la gloire. »
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Bergers, imitez les Grands Bergers· 1 reply
Christ [...] a souffert pour vous, vous laissant un modèle pour que vous suiviez fidèlement ses traces » (1 PIERRE 2:21)
QUAND un berger s’intéresse de près au bien-être de son troupeau, les moutons se portent bien. Selon un manuel sur l’élevage ovin, « l’homme qui se contente de mener le troupeau au pré puis n’y prête plus attention risque fort, en quelques années, d’avoir de nombreuses bêtes malades qui ne rapportent rien ». Par contre, quand les moutons reçoivent l’attention voulue, le troupeau prospère.
La qualité des soins et de l’attention que les bergers du troupeau de Dieu prodiguent à chaque brebis dont ils sont responsables influera sur la santé spirituelle de toute la congrégation. Tu te souviens peut-être que Jésus a eu pitié des foules parce qu’« elles étaient dépouillées et éparpillées comme des brebis sans berger » (Mat. 9:36). Pourquoi se trouvaient-elles en si piteuse condition ? Parce que les hommes chargés d’enseigner la Loi de Dieu au peuple étaient durs, exigeants et hypocrites. Au lieu de soutenir et de nourrir les membres de leur troupeau, les guides spirituels d’Israël posaient sur leurs épaules de « lourdes charges » (Mat. 23:4).
Les bergers chrétiens d’aujourd’hui, les anciens, ont donc une lourde responsabilité. Les brebis du troupeau sous leur garde appartiennent à Jéhovah ainsi qu’à Jésus, qui s’est présenté comme « l’excellent berger » (Jean 10:11). Les brebis ont été « acheté[e]s à un prix », que Jésus a payé avec son propre « sang précieux » (1 Cor. 6:20 ; 1 Pierre 1:18, 19). Jésus aime tellement les brebis qu’il a bien voulu sacrifier sa vie pour elles. Les anciens ne devraient jamais oublier qu’ils sont des sous-bergers sous la surveillance du Fils bienveillant de Dieu, Jésus Christ, « le grand berger des brebis » (Héb. 13:20).
Comment les bergers chrétiens devraient-ils traiter les brebis ? Les membres de la congrégation sont exhortés à « obéi[r] à ceux qui [les] dirigent ». De leur côté, les anciens ne doivent pas « commande[r] en maîtres ceux qui sont l’héritage de Dieu » (Héb. 13:17 ; lire 1 Pierre 5:2, 3). Alors comment peuvent-ils diriger le troupeau sans le commander en maîtres ? Autrement dit, comment peuvent-ils répondre aux besoins des brebis sans abuser de l’autorité dont Dieu les a investis ?
« IL LES PORTERA SUR SON SEIN »
Parlant de Jéhovah, le prophète Isaïe a déclaré : « Comme un berger il fera paître son troupeau. De son bras il rassemblera les agneaux ; et sur son sein il les portera. Il conduira doucement celles qui allaitent » (Is. 40:11). Cette comparaison montre que Jéhovah se soucie des besoins des membres de la congrégation faibles et vulnérables. De même qu’un berger connaît les besoins particuliers de chaque brebis de son troupeau et se tient prêt à les combler, Jéhovah connaît les besoins des membres de la congrégation et est heureux de leur apporter le soutien voulu. À l’image d’un berger qui, si nécessaire, porte un agneau nouveau-né dans le pli de son vêtement, « le Père des tendres miséricordes » nous portera, ou nous consolera, quand nous serons durement éprouvés ou rencontrerons un besoin particulier (2 Cor. 1:3, 4).
Quel exemple admirable pour un berger chrétien ! Comme son Père céleste, il lui faut être attentif aux besoins des brebis. S’il est au courant des difficultés qu’elles rencontrent et des besoins qui méritent une attention immédiate, il sera en mesure d’offrir l’encouragement et le soutien nécessaires (Prov. 27:23). Il doit donc bien communiquer avec ses compagnons chrétiens. Tout en respectant la vie privée de chacun, il s’intéresse à ce qu’il voit et entend dans la congrégation, avec amour, il se rend disponible pour « venir en aide aux faibles » (Actes 20:35 ; 1 Thess. 4:11).
Parlons de la mentalité de bergers que Jéhovah a désapprouvés. Aux jours d’Ézékiel et de Jérémie, Jéhovah a dénoncé ceux qui auraient dû s’occuper de ses brebis, mais ne le faisaient pas. Quand personne ne surveillait les brebis, le troupeau devenait la proie de bêtes sauvages et se dispersait. Ces bergers exploitaient les brebis et, plutôt que de les faire paître, « ils se paissaient eux-mêmes » (Ézék. 34:7-10 ; Jér. 23:1). Le reproche que Dieu leur a fait est tout aussi valable pour les chefs de la chrétienté. Mais il souligne également combien il est important qu’un ancien s’occupe avec sérieux et amour du troupeau de Jéhovah.
« JE VOUS AI DONNÉ L’EXEMPLE »
En raison de l’imperfection humaine, certaines brebis peuvent être lentes à comprendre ce que le Berger suprême attend d’elles. Elles ne se conforment pas toujours à un conseil biblique ou ont un comportement trahissant un manque de maturité spirituelle. Comment les anciens doivent-ils réagir ? Ils devraient imiter la patience qu’a eue Jésus envers ses disciples quand ils cherchaient à savoir qui parmi eux serait le plus grand dans le Royaume. Au lieu de perdre patience, Jésus a continué à les enseigner et à leur donner des conseils bienveillants sur la pratique de l’humilité (Luc 9:46-48 ; 22:24-27). En leur lavant les pieds, il leur a fait une démonstration d’humilité, qualité que les surveillants chrétiens sont tenus de manifester (lire Jean 13:12-15 ; 1 Pierre 2:21).
Le point de vue de Jésus sur le rôle du berger n’était pas le même que celui que Jacques et Jean ont un jour manifesté. Ces deux apôtres cherchaient à s’assurer une place en vue dans le Royaume. Mais Jésus a rectifié cet état d’esprit ainsi : « Vous savez que les chefs des nations dominent sur elles, et que les grands usent d’autorité sur elles. Il n’en sera pas ainsi parmi vous ; mais quiconque voudra devenir grand parmi vous sera votre serviteur » (Mat. 20:25, 26, Bible de Darby). Les apôtres devaient résister à l’envie de « commander en maîtres » leurs compagnons ou de « dominer sur » eux.
Jésus tient à ce que les bergers chrétiens traitent le troupeau comme lui le traitait. Ils doivent être disposés à servir leurs compagnons, pas les dominer. Paul a manifesté une telle humilité. Il a dit en effet aux anciens de la congrégation d’Éphèse : « Vous savez bien comment, depuis le premier jour où j’ai mis le pied dans le district d’Asie, j’ai été avec vous tout le temps, travaillant comme un esclave pour le Seigneur, avec la plus grande humilité. » L’apôtre souhaitait que ces anciens soutiennent les brebis avec dévouement et humilité. Il a ajouté : « Je vous ai montré en toutes choses que c’est en peinant ainsi que vous devez venir en aide aux faibles » (Actes 20:18, 19, 35). Il a par ailleurs dit aux Corinthiens qu’il ne dominait pas sur leur foi. Il était plutôt leur humble compagnon de travail, pour leur joie (2 Cor. 1:24). C’est un bel exemple d’humilité et de courage pour les anciens de notre époque.
« FERMEMENT ATTACHÉ À LA PAROLE FIDÈLE »
Un ancien doit être « fermement attaché à la parole fidèle pour ce qui est de son art d’enseigner » (Tite 1:9). Mais il le sera « dans un esprit de douceur » (Gal. 6:1). Un bon berger chrétien ne force pas une brebis à agir de telle ou telle façon. Non, il réfléchit à la manière dont il stimulera son cœur. Il attirera peut-être son attention sur les principes bibliques à considérer avant de prendre une décision importante. Il reverra avec elle ce que les publications ont dit sur la question. Il l’exhortera à réfléchir aux conséquences de tel ou tel choix sur ses relations avec Jéhovah. Il pourra aussi insister sur l’importance de demander à Dieu sa direction avant de prendre une décision (Prov. 3:5, 6). Ensuite, il la laissera prendre elle-même sa décision (Rom. 14:1-4).
La seule autorité que les surveillants chrétiens détiennent leur vient des Écritures. Alors ils doivent absolument se servir de la Bible avec habileté et adhérer à son contenu. Ils se garderont ainsi d’un éventuel abus de pouvoir. Car ils ne sont que sous-bergers ; chaque membre de la congrégation est responsable devant Jéhovah et Jésus de ses propres décisions (Gal. 6:5, 7, 8).
« DES EXEMPLES POUR LE TROUPEAU »
Après avoir déconseillé aux anciens ( prêtres )« commander en maîtres ceux qui [leur] sont échus en partage », l’apôtre Pierre les exhorte à « devenir des exemples pour le troupeau » (1 Pierre 5:3, note). De quelle façon sont-ils des exemples pour le troupeau ? Prenons deux des choses requises d’un frère qui « aspire à une fonction de surveillant ». Il lui faut être « sain d’esprit » et « présider de belle façon, sa propre maisonnée ». S’il a une famille, il doit la présider de manière exemplaire, car « si quelqu’un [...] ne sait pas présider sa propre maisonnée, comment prendra-t-il soin de la congrégation ( assemblée) de Dieu ? » (1 Tim. 3:1, 2, 4, 5). Il doit également être sain d’esprit, c’est-à-dire comprendre clairement les principes divins et savoir comment les appliquer dans sa propre vie. Il est calme et équilibré et se garde de porter des jugements hâtifs. Autant de qualités qui inspirent confiance aux membres de la congrégation.
Les surveillants donnent également l’exemple en prenant la tête dans l’œuvre de prédication. Jésus lui-même leur a donné l’exemple à cet égard. La prédication de la bonne nouvelle du Royaume a occupé une grande partie de son activité terrestre. Il a montré à ses disciples comment il fallait l’accomplir (Marc 1:38 ; Luc 8:1). Qu’il est encourageant, de nos jours, de prêcher aux côtés des anciens, de constater leur zèle pour cette œuvre salvatrice et d’apprendre de leurs méthodes d’enseignement ! Leur détermination à consacrer du temps et de l’énergie à la prédication malgré un emploi du temps chargé insuffle du zèle à toute la congrégation. Enfin, les anciens donnent l’exemple en préparant les réunions de la congrégation et en y participant, mais aussi en prenant part à des activités comme le nettoyage et la maintenance de la Salle du Royaume (Éph. 5:15, 16 ; lire (Hébreux 13:7)
« SOUTENEZ LES FAIBLES »
Quand une brebis se blesse ou tombe malade, un bon berger vole à son secours. Pareillement, quand un membre de la congrégation souffre ou a besoin d’une aide spirituelle, les anciens doivent réagir rapidement. Un chrétien âgé ou malade a sans doute besoin d’une aide pratique, mais il a surtout besoin d’un soutien spirituel et d’encouragements (1 Thess. 5:14). Les jeunes rencontrent peut-être des difficultés. Résister aux « désirs de la jeunesse » en est une (2 Tim. 2:22). Le berger doit donc rendre régulièrement visite aux membres de la congrégation dans le but de comprendre les épreuves qu’ils traversent et de les encourager par des conseils bibliques bien choisis. Quand ces visites pastorales sont faites au bon moment, beaucoup de problèmes peuvent être résolus avant qu’ils ne s’aggravent.
Et si les difficultés d’un chrétien s’aggravent au point de menacer sa santé spirituelle ? « Quelqu’un parmi vous est-il malade ?, a demandé le rédacteur biblique Jacques. Qu’il appelle à lui les anciens de la congrégation, et qu’ils prient sur lui, l’enduisant d’huile au nom de Jéhovah. Et la prière de la foi rétablira celui qui est souffrant, et Jéhovah le relèvera. De plus, s’il a commis des péchés, il lui sera pardonné » (Jacq. 5:14, 15). Même quand un chrétien « souffrant » « appelle à lui les anciens », ces derniers doivent lui venir en aide dès qu’ils sont au courant de son état. Les anciens qui prient avec sont là pour le fortifier et aussi tout frères en difficulté, et ils les soutiennent, se révèlent une source de réconfort et d’encouragement (lire Isaïe 32:1, 2).
Dans tout ce qu’ils font au sein de l’organisation de Jéhovah, les bergers s’efforcent d’imiter « le grand berger », Jésus Christ. Grâce à l’aide de ces hommes dignes de confiance, le troupeau se fortifie et prospère. Tout cela nous réjouit profondément et nous pousse à louer le plus Grand Berger sans pareil, notre Dieu Jéhovah
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