A $20 million hit: Jehovah's Witnesses cancels all conventions in Rochester

[Isabella]

Rochester, its hotels and restaurants stand to lose out on tens of millions of dollars as a result of the decision by Jehovah's Witnesses to cancel all conventions worldwide due to COVID-19, including summer events in Rochester.

"No doubt we long to be together," said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesperson for Jehovah's Witnesses. "But we do draw the line at putting somebody's life at risk."

Rochester typically hosts five Jehovah Witnesses' conventions through July and August. The three-day events bring close to 20,000 people from the Upper Midwest and deliver $20 million in economic stimulus to the city from spending on hotels, restaurants and other venues. This would have been Rochester's 30th year of hosting the Jehovah's Witnesses.

The group holds 800 conventions each year in the U.S that draws upwards of 2 million people. It self-styles itself as the "largest convention organization in the world." The U.S. is home to 13,000 Jehovah Witnesses congregations and 1.3 million adherents.

https://www.postbulletin.com/community/events/6573172-A-20-million-hit-Jehovahs-Witnesses-cancels-all-conventions-in-Rochester

[Matthew9969]

They draw the line at putting people's lives at risk....they should have thought about this with their non biblical no blood doctrine.