Throughout July and August 2020, millions of our brothers and sisters, and interested people, were united in viewing the 2020 convention program.

The highly anticipated “Always Rejoice”! Convention was slated to be held in Assembly Halls, arenas, convention centers, and stadiums in 240 lands. In an effort to protect the health of would-be attendees, the Governing Body chose to replace these regional conventions with a virtual global event. This marks the first time since 1897 that the organization did not hold a live convention.

Kenneth Cook, Jr., a member of the Governing Body, says: “When the regional conventions were canceled, our goal was to have one international event that everyone could attend during the same time period. We knew that the program would need to be prepared in hundreds of languages in less than four months. This type of project would normally take a year or more to plan and complete. What a blessing when the first segment of the program was available on July 6, 2020, in about 400 languages. We expect the program will be available in 511 languages!”

Commenting on the benefits of the virtual program, one of our sisters who is a single mother with three children expresses: “While we miss being with the friends, it’s been great for the kids. Watching the program in smaller blocks of time has really helped them to keep focused. If they need a break, we can pause it. No one misses a minute. Friday’s session emphasized that children are like arrows that must be aimed toward a happy and fulfilling life in Jehovah’s service. The virtual format is helping me to do just that.”—Psalm 127:4.

The historic virtual convention garnered international media attention. For instance, Robert Hendriks, who oversees the activities of the Public Information Desk in the United States, comments: “Scores of journalists wrote stories about the virtual convention. The coverage acknowledged our organization’s use of technology to continue with the convention program while placing a high value on safety.”

The 2020 “Always Rejoice”! Convention added a new and exciting dimension to the way Jehovah acts as our Grand Instructor.—Isaiah 30:20.