Tucson opens doors for Jehovah's Witnesses conventions

As Tucson plays host once more to thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses visiting for annual conventions, the telltale knock at the door may be an invitation to join them.

Up to 48,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses are expected to attend the seven conventions this year — four in English and three in Spanish. The first three-day convention began Friday at the Tucson Convention Center. A convention beginning Friday, Aug. 12 is the last.

In the three weeks leading up to each convention, local congregations take to the streets brandishing invitations, to present in person or leave at doors.

Not that this is anything out of the ordinary, said Jonathan Osego, the media contact for the first Tucson convention. Osego attends the Pusch Ridge Congregation at a Kingdom Hall on Ina Road. The owner of a landscaping business, he tries to go door-to-door three times a week.

“I know most people you talk to, you say, ‘Door-to-door,’ and they say, ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses,’” Osego said. “It has been one of our identifying marks.”

Door-to-door outreach, or field service, is part of a typical week for many Jehovah’s Witnesses.

“We take it as something personal between us and God, and everyone has different circumstances,” Osego said. “There are people with families, and so their time available is less, so they do what is available for their circumstances. Some might be younger, so their circumstances allow them to do more.”

The McLean family tries to go at least once a week, usually on Saturday mornings for a few hours. They are part of the same congregation as Osego.

Their 14- and 12-year-old sons prefer handing out convention invitations. The pace is faster than the usual door-to-door ministry that might include deeper conversations, said mom Tennessa McLean, an artist.

“Sometimes, we’re all tired,” said dad Adam McLean, a repairman for commercial floor cleaning equipment. “We try to make it enjoyable for them. We try to be reasonable with what they can do, especially in the Tucson heat. You have to be regular about it but reasonable.”

For this family, that might mean grabbing a donut before heading out and taking a coffee or snack break later.

Jehovah’s Witnesses prepare for field service at other Kingdom Hall meetings, usually on Sunday and one day during the week.

“Sometimes it’s rejection or sometimes people just aren’t happy at the door,” Adam McLean said. “Mostly you just understand it’s not personal and move on to the next one.”

Konden Smith, a professor specializing in American religious history at the University of Arizona, said the emphasis on missions stems from the belief of Jehovah’s Witnesses that theirs is the true faith. Unlike Protestantism, which grew out of a reformation of Catholicism, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe they are not reformers but “restorers of the true first-century Christian church,” Smith said.

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“Each individual is a missionary for the religion...” he added. “It’s a defining work that is expected of each Jehovah’s Witness.”

The theme of this year’s convention is “Remain Loyal to Jehovah!” and promises to explore both God’s loyalty and the importance of staying faithful in good and bad times.

Smith said the focus on loyalty is significant as organized religions throughout the country grapple with a shifting culture. Dedication is important, especially as the internet changes how people learn about religion and share their experiences, both negative and positive. The low points are not forgotten as easily, he said.

But for the faithful, the convention is a highlight.

“I look at it as a nice spiritual refreshment, where I can go for three days and be instructed on how this quality is going to help me be a better individual,” Osego said.

Tucson is the only city in Arizona to host regional conventions, but across the United States, 130 cities will host 481 conventions this year, Osego said. The Pew Research Center’s Religious Landscape Study found Jehovah’s Witnesses made up 0.8 percent of the adult population in the U.S. in 2014.

In Tucson alone, there are about 7,000 Witnesses and approximately 70 congregations. Multiple congregations of about 80 to 110 individuals share a Kingdom Hall.

Those traveling from outside of Tucson often make the convention do double duty as a short vacation.

“I think it’s good, especially when you think in the summer everything kind of dies and you have an influx of individuals that come here, and we’re shopping and eating and using hotels,” Osego said.

Michael Keith, the CEO of the Downtown Tucson Partnership, said he sees most of the impact at restaurants nearest to the convention center.

“I haven’t noticed them further down east on Congress Street as much,” he said.

Dan Gibson, the director of communications for Visit Tucson, said in 2014, the conventions brought in an estimated $19 million in revenue. Tucson has hosted them since the 1970s.

“When they come here, it really does give a pop to the downtown restaurants,” Gibson said. “It’s not quite as extensive as the gem show, where people flood everywhere, because some Jehovah’s Witnesses even stay with family or bring their own meals, but there is an undeniable bump across the board.”