One of the most significant events in our modern-day history occurred 100 years ago on September 5-13, 1922, when Jehovah’s Witnesses held a nine-day convention at Cedar Point, Ohio, U.S.A. Delegates from across the United States, Canada, and Europe attended the convention. The average daily attendance was 10,000, and talks were delivered simultaneously in as many as 11 languages.

A new museum exhibit featuring this historic convention, highlighting its impact on the preaching work, has opened at the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Currently, the exhibit is open to the Bethel family and will be open to the public when tours resume.

The Cedar Point convention’s high point came on September 8. On that day, some 8,000 attendees filed into the auditorium on picturesque Lake Erie. They came to hear Brother Joseph F. Rutherford’s talk “The Kingdom.”

After speaking for 90 minutes, Brother Rutherford reached a crescendo as he asked the audience if they believed that Christ reigned. The crowd unhesitatingly roared their answer in the affirmative. Brother Rutherford then said: “You are his publicity agents. Therefore, advertise, advertise, advertise.” On that cue, a large banner unfurled, reading: “Advertise the King and Kingdom.”

The call to preach the good news filled the attendees with enthusiasm for the ministry. Many in the audience were already involved in the preaching work, but Brother Rutherford’s talk spurred them on to intensify their efforts during a time when the house-to-house work was becoming more organized. Sister Ethel Bennecoff, who was in her late 20’s, explained that after that stirring discourse, the Bible Students had “more zeal and love in [their] hearts than ever before.” Sister Odessa Tuck, who was 18 years old in 1922, related: “I wanted to be like Isaiah, who said: ‘Here I am! Send me!’”

Two days after Brother Rutherford’s talk, the International Bible Students Association adopted a resolution. The resolution, in part, said: “As a body of Christians consecrated to obey and follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we are opposed to engaging in war, revolution, anarchy, or violence in any form; and we are opposed to fraud and deception being practiced upon the people by the misrepresentation of the Word of God or otherwise. We earnestly desire peace.” This resolution further distinguished the Bible Students from other religions who had recently supported the hostilities of World War I and would do so again some years later during World War II.

The June 15, 1922, issue of The Watchtower stated: “In every way that can be devised in advance, it is hoped to make the 1922 general convention, in a physical sense, the best one ever held. . . . It is hoped that it may be a memorable occasion in the minds of the thousands of friends that will be present.”

That stated purpose was certainly accomplished. One hundred years later, Jehovah is still blessing the work of advertising the King and his Kingdom.—Matthew 24:14.