Russia’s Summer District Conventions Bring Blessings

EVERY summer, nature-loving Russians stream out of their urban apartments to the countryside to spend time in summer cottages called dachas. For them, it is a time for getting away from the hectic pace of the city. Over the last few summers, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia have also been seen heading for the countryside in large numbers​—but for a different reason.

Despite restrictions on their preaching work in some cities, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia continue to meet openly for worship, exercising their constitutional right to religious freedom. In some cases, however, opposition and pressure from misinformed authorities or local Russian Orthodox clergy have made it difficult for them to engage suitable facilities for their annual summer district conventions. So the Witnesses have organized outdoor “forest” or “field” conventions. From 2007 to 2009, such outdoor spiritual “picnics” have been held about 40 times in 25 locations throughout Russia.

One Witness who has attended conventions in Russia for many years recalls: “In past years when we rented stadiums and buildings in large cities, many sincere people and local authorities have been able to draw  their own conclusions about our organization based on the cleanliness and order that they saw. Now we are forced to meet in the forest, where only wild animals look on. It is regrettable that the public cannot observe these wonderful gatherings attended by people of diverse backgrounds, races, and religions.”

Although such gatherings are happy occasions, one Witness admits: “It is a joy to see the self-sacrifice and loyalty of fellow Witnesses who adapt to different circumstances. But, honestly, when the authorities make it difficult for us to hold our conventions, it can be taxing both physically and emotionally. It also limits our freedom to worship the almighty God in a dignified way.” How have Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia coped with the challenge?

Forest Conventions Countrywide

Often, last-minute cancellations of rental agreements mean that convention organizers have only a few days to make alternate arrangements for thousands of delegates. For example, in 2008, Witnesses in Cheboksary, Chuvash Republic, had to hold the district convention at a large campground surrounded by birch trees and overlooking the Volga River. The task confronting them was enormous. Out of 1,930 expected delegates, 1,700 had to be accommodated at the campground. They needed showers and sinks equipped with hot and cold water, toilets, and electricity. And all the delegates had to be fed.

The brothers met the challenge. Carpenters, electricians, and plumbers were found. A group of 350 Witnesses volunteered to assist with the work, 14 of whom lived on-site for ten days. They sawed planks and hauled straw and put up tents, shower stalls, and toilets. Another group of brothers made numerous trips to town to purchase supplies. Since there was no place for cold-food storage, the brothers decided to provide everyone with three hot meals a day, cooked on-site. The campground administration cooperated by hiring some workers to prepare food for the delegates. In the end, 500 delegates brought their own tents, 150 rented housing near the campground, 15 happily bedded down in some hay in a stable, and the rest stayed in tents put up by the brothers.

When the delegates arrived, they saw a sea of colorful plastic chairs in orderly rows. In front were two rustic stages decorated with flowers, one for the Russian program and the other for the program in the Chuvash language. Everyone enjoyed the spiritual program and appreciated the hard work of the volunteers. One of those preparing food exclaimed, “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed that there could be such an efficient and disciplined organization like yours!” Some compared the convention arrangements to the Festival of Booths celebrated by the nation of Israel in Bible times.

In other cities, the Witnesses often had just a single day to come up with and prepare an alternate district convention site. This was the case in Nizhniy Novgorod, where volunteers worked in around-the-clock shifts on a private plot of land. They had to cut down  trees and bushes, mow the grass, and rid the area of ticks and ants. By the time the delegates arrived on Friday morning, the volunteers had brought in 2,000 plastic seats and ten portable toilets, set up sinks with water, constructed a stage, and set up a generator and a sound system. One brother reported: “The most amazing thing was that the brothers who had worked around the clock did not feel like heroes. Humbly, they continued to serve others during the convention. They literally spent themselves so that their brothers and sisters could feel comfortable and enjoy the spiritual instruction.”

Another brother writes: “There was a real feeling of teamwork. Although it was the first time the brothers organized an outdoor convention and there was little time, they thought of everything so that during the program, there would be as few distractions as possible. Afterward, we didn’t feel tired. It was as if Jehovah gave each of us wings!”

God’s Spirit in Action

In many ways, dealing with the problems involved in holding the conventions drew the local Witnesses closer together and showed God’s spirit in action. In Smolensk, many of the booked accommodations were canceled on the eve of the convention. One elder reports: “When several buses of delegates arrived at one o’clock in the morning, there was nowhere to house them. I started to cry because I could do nothing for them. I turned to Jehovah in prayer and begged him to deal with the problem. How happy I was when an hour later we had found alternate accommodations for everyone! It was just amazing and proved that Jehovah would not leave the righteous one in the lurch!” At another forest convention, the brothers turned to a local village for help with accommodations, and because of the fine reputation the Witnesses have in that area, the villagers willingly housed 2,000 delegates in their homes during the convention.

“Just the fact that the convention was able to be held was convincing evidence of how important it is to rely on Jehovah in all circumstances,” says one Witness. This was especially the case when uninvited “guests” showed up to disrupt the convention. In Novoshakhtinsk, Russian Orthodox clergy and protesters came and sang hymns and chanted into microphones in an attempt to drown out the convention speaker. However, the police prevented them from disrupting the program. When one of the protesters, an Orthodox woman, fainted because of the heat, the brothers took her to the convention’s First Aid Department and rendered medical assistance. She was completely taken by surprise.

Amazed by What They Saw

Because of a heightened awareness of terrorism, large gatherings in Russia often attract the attention of law enforcement officials as well as curious locals. For example, a  forest convention in Volzhskiy was observed by representatives of an anti-extremism police squad. One of them lost his mobile phone during the program, and the brothers helped him to find it at the Lost and Found Department. Shortly afterward, he received a phone call from his superior, who wanted to know whether there were any incitements to violence or extremism at the convention. The officer replied: “Everything is fine; 5,000 people are here and no violations. What extremism? It gives you something to think about. I lost my phone, and they found it and returned it to me!”

One guard was impressed by the cleanliness of the grounds and was surprised that with so many children in attendance, he could not find so much as a single candy wrapper. The owner of the campground where another convention was held met the police, who had been alerted to reports of a large religious gathering. He led the police lieutenant to the third-floor balcony of a building overlooking the campground and said: “Just look at them! You can see for yourself. What order!” The owner was amazed that the Witnesses did not drink or smoke and left without a trace that anyone had been there, even taking their garbage with them. He exclaimed: “It was like a paradise!”

Unity Evident Among God’s People

After one forest convention, the head of a nearby village was moved to say: “I understand that you are modest people, but you are really powerful. While we are sitting each one in his own shell, you are able to unite people!” From Kaliningrad to Kamchatka, citizens of this vast country continue to be favorably impressed by the unity demonstrated by God’s people at their large spiritual gatherings. No matter how quickly and unexpectedly their plans may have to change, one thing remains unchanged​—their respectful attitude toward secular authority and their fellow man.

Whatever their situation may yet be, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia joyfully continue to meet together for spiritual instruction. They pray “concerning kings and all those who are in high station; in order that [they] may go on leading a calm and quiet life with full godly devotion and seriousness.”​—1 Timothy 2:2.

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One Witness volunteer helping to set up an outdoor convention

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Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia continue to lead “a calm and quiet life with full godly devotion”

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Volunteers worked together to clean the grounds before the convention and to provide meals for thousands of convention delegates

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Everyone enjoyed the spiritual program and appreciated the hard work of the volunteers