Witnesses plan July convention
At least 8,500 Jehovah's Witnesses from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Texas are expected to gather in Fort Smith next month for the church's annual convention, according to spokesman Rich Lawrence.
The convention will be held once in English from Friday to July 8; and twice in Spanish, from July 13-15 and July 20-22. All three conventions will be held at the Fort Smith Convention Center, 800 Rogers Ave. in Fort Smith, and there is no charge to attend any of the gatherings.
"Be Courageous!" is this year's convention theme, and Lawrence said the theme was chosen to welcome everyone who feels the pressures of modern-day life by examining "biblical examples of past courage."
"People from all walks of life, [all] ages, are dealing with more anxieties and fears than ever before, so it takes courage to deal with those pressures," Lawrence said. "Courage isn't just resistance, it's resistance to fear -- but not the absence of fear."
Lawrence also noted that this is the 10th year that Jehovah's Witnesses have held annual conventions in Fort Smith, and that city residents and businesses in the area have provided a great venue and atmosphere for the event.
Worldwide, more than 8.4 million Jehovah's Witnesses are active in more than 120,000 congregations, and the Fort Smith conventions -- which use the same program throughout the world -- is one city in the faith's monthslong cycle of conventions held throughout the world beginning each May and ending in January.
-- ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Religion on 06/30/2018